Down These Mean Streets (Old Time Radio Detectives)

We leave the mean streets of the big cities behind and join four radio detectives in western-themed mysteries - stories of cowboys, horses, cattle, and the wide open spaces. Philip Marlowe hunts for a killer on a dude ranch in “The Dude from Manhattan” (originally aired on CBS on July 2, 1949), and Richard Diamond heads to Oklahoma to prove an accidental death was a well-staged murder in “The Hatpin Murder Case” (originally aired on NBC on September 27, 1950). The Saint tries to keep a visiting cattleman alive during a visit to the Big Apple in “Death of a Cowboy” (originally aired on NBC on Ju...

As summer winds down and students head back to school, we’ll join some radio detectives as they tackle cases on college campuses. Michael Shayne looks for a peeping Tom turned murderer in “The Return to Huxley College” (originally aired on Mutual on November 5, 1946), and mystery writer and amateur sleuth Dan Holiday tries to help an old friend figure out how a colleague died in “The Professor and the Puzzle” from Box 13. A murderer is supposedly dead, but someone’s spotted him on campus and it’s up to Richard Diamond, Private Detective to find him in “The Martin White Case” (ori...

We’re riding along with some of old time radio’s hardest working cops as we kick off Season 13 of Down These Mean Streets! Sgt. Joe Friday hunts for a hold-up man who resorted to murder in “The Big Smart Guy” from Dragnet (originally aired on NBC on June 8, 1950). In Broadway is My Beat, Det. Danny Clover investigates when a piano player is killed at the keys in an episode known as “The Harry Brett Murder Case” (originally aired on CBS on July 31, 1950). Joel McCrea saddles up to find a murderer in “The Hatchet” from Tales of the Texas Rangers (origina...

It all comes down to this - the final fight between Superman and the Atom Man! The kryptonite-fueled Nazi agent threatens to wipe Metropolis off the map on his march toward world conquest. Can the Man of Steel defeat him and save the day? Find out in these episodes that originally aired on Mutual between November 19 and December 3, 1945.

Superman recovers after his first fight against the Atom Man while Henry Miller finds a new ally in his quest to kill the Man of Steel and rule the world! The epic adventure continues in these episodes that originally aired on Mutual from November 5 to November 16, 1945.

The Atom Man is in Metropolis! The Nazi agent with kryptonite in his veins gets a job at the Daily Planet as reporter "Henry Miller," and the Man of Steel is about to meet his greatest and deadliest enemy. Superman and the Atom Man have their first titanic battle as this epic story continues in these chapters that originally aired on Mutual between October 22 and November 2, 1945.

Don’t change the channel! Each of this week’s radio mysteries involve that exciting new medium - television. A man is poisoned on the air as he’s about to reveal a murderer’s identity in a syndicated adventure of Boston Blackie, and the cops of Dragnet pursue phony TV repairmen in “The Big Screen” (originally aired on NBC on August 9, 1951). A TV quiz show unravels a perfect crime in “Marked Man” from The Whistler (originally aired on CBS on March 16, 1952), and John Lund stars as Johnny Dollar in “The Philip Morey Matter,” as the insurance investigator looks into the nervous bre...

Superman's amazing adventures continue in the next chapters of "The Atom Man!" The evil Nazi scientist Der Teufel escapes with a piece of kryptonite, and he transforms a young Nazi soldier into his atomic-fueled agent of destruction. Meanwhile, Clark Kent travels the globe in pursuit of Der Teufel in a race to save the world - and his own life! These exciting episodes of The Adventures of Superman originally aired on Mutal between October 8 and October 19, 1945.

Summer means vacations, but getting out of town doesn’t mean that our detectives can get away from murder and mayhem in these old time radio mysteries. Simon Templar finds multiple murders on a cruise ship in “Murder on the High Seas” from The Saint (originally aired on Mutual on September 18, 1949), and Richard Diamond and Lt. Levinson have a working vacation as they search for a missing man in Bolivia in Richard Diamond, Private Detective (originally aired on CBS on May 31, 1953). Mr. and Mrs. North plan a little getaway, but they have to stop a killer from making their own ge...

In just over a week, Superman flies back to the big screen, and we’re celebrating all month long with one of his biggest radio adventures - one that pits him against a Kryptonite-powered Nazi Atom Man! Today, we’ll hear the opening chapters of this epic story (originally aired on Mutual between September 24 and October 5, 1945), as Superman retells his origin and the existence of Kryptonite is discovered by the Man of Steel’s enemies!

With July 4th right around the corner, we’ve got a quartet of radio mysteries involving great figures and moments of American history. Henry Fonda recreates his role of Young Mr. Lincoln in a radio version of the classic film on Academy Award (originally aired on CBS on July 10, 1946). Honest Abe is a lawyer who must clear his wrongfully accused clients of murder. Lee Bowman plays Allan Pinkterton, one of America’s most celebrated detectives, as he investigates a case of robbery and murder in “The Pinkerton Man” from The Cavalcade of America (originally aired on NBC on November 18, 1946). A recent...

We’re tipping our deerstalker cap to Basil Rathbone in celebration of his June 13th birthday. Of course, we’ll hear him as Sherlock Holmes in three old time radio adventures from Baker Street - “Murder in the Casbah” (originally aired on Mutual on December 3, 1945), “The Indiscretion of Mr. Edwards” (originally aired on Mutual on February 4, 1946), and “The Adventure of the Uneasy Easy Chair” (originally aired on Mutual on May 13, 1946). Plus, he plays John Adams in his pre-presidential days as a lawyer defending British soldiers involved in the infamous Boston Massacre. We’ll hear Rathbone in “John Yankee” from The Cavalcade of Ameri...

Happy Father’s Day! We’re celebrating dear old Dad with a collection of radio mysteries featuring fathers. First, Ellery Queen and his police inspector father collaborate on a case of smuggling and murder. Larry Dobkin is Ellery in “Number Thirty-One” (originally aired on NBC on September 7, 1947). Next, George Valentine is hired by a convicted killer's son to clear his father’s name. Bob Bailey stars in “The Father Who Had Nothing to Say” from Let George Do It (originally aired on Mutual on September 13, 1948). Then, meet private eye Joshua Sharp - known to his kids as The Big Guy. Henry Cal...

Our run through the serialized adventures of Johnny Dollar brings us to the Big Easy! In “The Valentine Matter” (originally aired on CBS between October 31 and November 4, 1955), Johnny’s on a case in New Orleans when he runs across one of Prohibition’s most notorious bootleggers - a man who’s been marked for death by some old enemies.

“Get this and get it straight!” We’re celebrating Gerald Mohr - the radio actor who brought a two-fisted intensity to Philip Marlowe - in honor of his birthday on June 11. He was one of the best stars of the era, and his performance makes The Adventures of Philip Marlowe one of the best detective dramas of the day. We’ll hear Mohr as Marlowe in “The Easy Mark” (originally aired on CBS on January 29, 1949) and “The Long Arm” (originally aired on CBS on February 7, 1950). Then, he’s a less scrupulous character in “Lady with a Key” from The Whistler (originally a...

Our bonus series spotlighting the serialized adventures of Johnny Dollar continues! In “The Alvin Summers Matter” (originally aired on CBS between October 24 and 28, 1955), the man with the action-packed expense account is in Mexico to track down an embezzler who fled the United States with his loot. But Johnny isn’t there long before he’s pistol whipped and discovers a corpse in his hotel room. Bob Bailey stars as Dollar in this story set south of the border.

Tune in for danger with a collection of radio mysteries that involve the medium of radio itself! Master sleuth Ellery Queen has to solve a murder that takes place in his own studio - right in the middle of his show - in “The Armchair Detective” (originally aired on CBS on March 27, 1946). Then, Dan Holiday is hired by a radio actress who fears for her life in “Actor’s Alibi,” a syndicated episode of Box 13. A radio announcer plots his wife’s murder and cooks up a perfect on-air alibi in “Brief Pause for Murder” from The Whistler (originally aired on CBS on...

They say clothes make the man, but they also make mysteries for this week’s roster of radio detectives. George Valentine hunts a killer where the only clue is his distinctive attire in “Death Wears a Gay Sport Jacket” from Let George Do It (originally aired on Mutual on October 18, 1948) and Philo Vance probes the murder of a dress shop owner in the syndicated episode “The Herringbone Murder Case.” Richard Diamond tries to find out why someone keeps stealing blue serge suits (originally aired on ABC on February 9, 1951), and The Saint discovers a bullet hole in the back of his brand...

Our dogged detectives sniff for clues in five canine-related old time radio mysteries. First, the owner of the best in show pooches is killed at a dog show in a syndicated adventure of Boston Blackie, and a dog “tells” Sherlock Holmes who murdered his owner in “The Case of the Dog Who Changed His Mind” (originally aired on Mutual on September 28, 1947). Philip Marlowe is on the trail of a dog - though this one is made out of jade - in “The Orange Dog” (originally aired on CBS on January 22, 1949). Barry Sullivan plays The Saint in “Dossier on a Doggone Dog,”...

Happy Mother’s Day! We’re celebrating moms with five old time radio mysteries where they play major roles. In “The Case of the Lucky Shilling,” Sherlock Holmes comes to the aid of a woman whose son is wiped out by a crooked gambler (originally aired on Mutual on January 14, 1948), and George Valentine tries to prove that a woman is not an unfit mother in “Problem Child” from Let George Do It (originally aired on Mutual on June 21, 1948). A woman hires Dan Holiday to prove her son’s death wasn’t an accident in “Suicide or Murder” from Box 13, and the mother of an...

In this encore presentation, we go back to the summer of 1947 when Philip Marlowe came to the air in his own weekly series with Van Heflin playing Raymond Chandler's private eye. The NBC series featured a mix of original mysteries as well as adaptations of Chandler stories, including the show's premiere episode "Red Wind" (originally aired on NBC on June 17, 1947). A year later, Gerald Mohr would put his own stamp on the character, but these Heflin shows offer a different take on Marlowe and a compelling portrayal in its own right. Along with "Red Wind," we'll hear "The Daring...

Lights, camera, action! This week, our old time radio sleuths are tackling cases connected with the movie business and finding mystery on and off screen. First, "the Lyon's Eye" has to protect a movie star from some unscripted violence. Frank Graham stars in "The Hollywood Story, or H is for the Many Things You Gave Me" from Jeff Regan, Investigator (originally aired on CBS on March 22, 1950). Next, Dick Powell goes west when the head of a movie studio is blackmailed - and later framed for murder - in "The Hollywood Story" from Richard Diamond, Private Detective (originally aired on...

We join Johnny Dollar on a cross-country mystery as our bonus series of serialized adventures continues! Bob Bailey is "the man with the action-packed expense account" in "The Chesapeake Fraud Matter" (originally aired on CBS between October 17 and October 20, 1955), a case that finds Dollar trying to prove if a man marked down as dead five years ago is actually alive and well.

We're celebrating the 105th anniversary of the birth of Jack Webb - one of the faces on the Mt. Rushmore of old time radio drama. Best known for Dragnet, Webb logged many an hour solving crimes on the air as cops, private eyes, and amateur sleuths. We'll hear him as Jeff Regan, Investigator in "The Guy from Gower Gulch" (originally aired on CBS on November 13, 1948) and as Pat Novak For Hire in "Wendy Morris" (originally aired on ABC on  May 8, 1948). He solves a Prohibition-era mystery in Pete Kelly's Blues (AFRS rebroadcast of an episode known as "Little Jake" from May 2...

In honor of April Fool's Day, our radio detectives this week have to contend with some practical jokes and jokers that are anything but funny. Dr. Watson is enlisted to pull a prank on Sherlock Holmes in "The April Fool's Day Adventure," starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce (originally aired on Mutual on April 1, 1946). Dan Holiday tries to find a deranged jokester before his antics turn deadly in "Death is No Joke" from Box 13. A fake will reading turns into a real crime scene as Philip Marlowe hunts for a killer in "The Last Laugh" (originally aired on CBS o...

The action is on and off the basketball court this week as Superman battles a hate group that targets a high school team just because of the ethnicities of its players. Clayton "Bud" Collyer stars as Clark Kent and the Man of Steel in "The Knights of the White Carnation," a serialized adventure that aired on Mutual from February 26 through March 18, 1947.

Sound the alarm! We've got fugitives on the lam in these radio mysteries - each with an escape from jail at the center of the story. A convict Boston Blackie put behind bars is out and making his way to Blackie's door in a syndicated mystery, and Richard Diamond, Private Detective suspects an escaped gangster is back in town and settling scores in "The Ralph Baxter Case" (originally aired on NBC on April 26, 1950). The Saint comes to the aid of a young man falsely convicted of robbery who breaks out of prison to clear his name in "No Hiding P...

Our bonus series spotlighting the serialized adventures of Johnny Dollar continues with "The Molly K Matter," a mystery that brings Dollar to San Francisco to investigate what caused the titular freighter to sink to her untimely end. Bob Bailey stars as "America's fabulous freelance insurance investigator" in this five-part story that aired on CBS between October 10 and October 14, 1955. 

Place your bets with these old time radio mysteries involving gamblers and the (sometimes) crooked games they play. Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson find murder among the roulette tables of a French casino in "The Case of the Double Zero," starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce (originally aired on Mutual on November 19, 1945). Philip Marlowe tries to find a friend's stolen IOU but stumbles across a corpse during the search in "The Promise to Pay" (originally aired on CBS on May 14, 1949), and Nero Wolfe is hired to find out who dealt a deadly hand during a poker game in "The...

It's a wonderful night for Oscar! The Academy Awards will be handed out this evening, so in celebration of Hollywood's biggest night, here are four old time radio mysteries - each starring an actor who took home a golden statuette. Edmond O'Brien (Best Supporting Actor for The Barefoot Contessa) is Johnny Dollar in "The George Farmer Matter" (originally aired on CBS on June 9, 1951). Rex Harrison (Best Actor for My Fair Lady) stars as a debonair detective in "A Trip to the Death House" from The Private Files of Rex Saunders (originally aired on NBC on June 13, 1951). Humphrey Bogart (Best...

All the world’s a stage, but as our radio detectives discover this week the theatre offers no respite from mysteries to solve. Each of our stories involves the theatre, with crimes taking place onstage, backstage, and sometimes in the aisles. First, as Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce investigate when an actor takes his role as a murderer a bit too seriously in “The Case of Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber” (originally aired on Mutual on January 28, 1946). Super sleuth Philo Vance is called in when an actress is threatened and her understudy is killed in the...

We're kicking off a new bonus series and a deep dive into arguably the best radio detective series of all time: the serialized run of Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar starring Bob Bailey as "the man with the action-packed expense account." This beloved incarnation of the adventures of America's fabulous freelance insurance investigator turn 70 this year, so I'm shining a spotlight on each and every installment. In the first story, a dying prison inmate puts Dollar on the trail of some stolen loot and a secret someone will kill to keep hidden in "The McCormack Matter" (originally aired on CBS...

With winter weather keeping things chilly, here's a collection of old time radio mysteries set against a backdrop of snow. First, Dick Powell survives a killer's bullet but gets trapped by a blizzard in "Snowbound" from Rogue's Gallery (originally aired on Mutual on May 9, 1946). Jane Wyman is snowed in at a mountain lodge and trying to get away with her husband's murder in "Catch Me If You Can" from Suspense (originally aired on CBS on February 17, 1949). Simon Templar's new case involves a snowman with a grisly secret in "It's Snow Use" from The Saint (originally aired on NBC on Octo...

Back to new episodes next week, but for now let's celebrate the anniversary of the debut of Night Beat with my five favorite episodes. The nocturnal adventures of Chicago reporter Randy Stone premiered on February 6, 1950, and here are my picks for his best stories. We'll hear the show's first episode ("Zero," originally aired on NBC on February 6, 1950), where he helps a woman track down a man before he takes his own life, and a meeting with an unusual man who claims to have a sinister super power ("I Wish You Were Dead," originally aired on May 22, 1950). Randy meets a f...

In honor of his January 26th birthday, we're saluting one of radio's most innovative writers and directors - Wyllis Cooper. Cooper's probably best known for his work in the world of horror as creator of Lights Out and Quiet Please but he also brought us Whitehall 1212 - a series that dramatized cases from the files of Scotland Yard. We'll hear "The Topaz Flower," an episode Cooper wrote for Crime Club (originally aired on Mutual on April 24, 1947), two episodes of Whitehall 1212 - "The Blitz Murder Case" (originally aired on NBC on November 18, 1951) and "The Heathrow Affair" (originally aired on NBC on D...

Ice is in the air - and on the ground - as many parts of the country contend with winter weather, but in this week's show our heroes contend with a different kind of ice...and it's because that ice has gone missing. Detectives hunt down stolen diamonds in these four radio mysteries, beginning with Richard Kollmar as Boston Blackie in a syndicated episode where diamonds are stolen right from under his own nose. Next, Richard Diamond, Private Detective is blamed when several thousand dollars of stones are pilfered from the police commissioner (originally aired on NBC on November 12, 1949). Th...

The radio adventures of The Saint premiered in January 1945, and we're celebrating the anniversary of his radio debut with four tales of Simon Templar. Several actors played the Saint over the years, but the voice that's synonymous with the character belongs to Vincent Price, and he plays "the Robin Hood of modern crime" in our quartet of crimes: "The Saint Goes Underground" (originally aired on Mutual on July 31, 1949); "The Problem of the Peculiar Payoff" (originally aired on NBC on July 9, 1950); "Reflection on Murder" (originally aired on NBC on August 13, 1950); and in his final radio performance as The Saint in "Pi...

We kick off 2025 with a radio recreation of one of the all-time great mystery films and a birthday salute to its star. Dana Andrews reprises his role as a detective obsessed with the woman whose murder he's investigating as The Lux Radio Theatre presents "Laura" (originally aired on CBS on February 6, 1945.) Then Andrews plays another cop on the trail of a killer in "The Crowd" from Suspense (originally aired on CBS on September 21, 1950), and finally he's undercover agent Matt Cvetic in "Courier for Disaster" - a syndicated adventure from I Was a Communist for the FBI.

Just in time for Christmas, here's a king-sized holiday special - a stocking stuffed with old time radio comedy, drama, and westerns to get you in the spirit of the season. Enjoy Christmas comedies from Fibber McGee and Molly (originally aired on NBC on December 19, 1944); The Mel Blanc Show (originally aired on NBC on December 10, 1946); The Jack Benny Program (originally aired on NBC on December 21, 1947); and The Jimmy Durante Show (originally aired on NBC on December 24, 1948). Jane Wyman and Ronald Reagan star in a radio recreation of the big screen classic "Christmas in Connecticut" presented by The Screen Guild T...

We're decking the halls and looking for clues with three holiday-themed old time radio mysteries. Peter Lorre plans the perfect crime, but he may be undone by a surprise gift from his victim in "Back for Christmas" from Suspense (originally aired on CBS on December 23, 1943). Then, it's a tale from The Damon Runyon Theatre - "Dancing Dan's Christmas," the story of a small-time crook who lands in hot water during the holidays. Finally, Bob Bailey deals with a Santa who gets gifts instead of gives them and who may be marked for death in "Christmas in January" from Let G...