Episode 291 - Get Out of Dodge (Gunsmoke)
Down These Mean Streets (Old Time Radio Detectives)
Release Date: 09/23/2018
Down These Mean Streets (Old Time Radio Detectives)
Break out your bracket for three basketball mysteries from the golden age of radio. First, newspaper editor Steve Wilson ties an assault to a gambling racket in "The Fatal Fix" from Big Town (originally aired on NBC on January 25, 1949). Next, Tony Curtis is a college star under pressure to throw a game in "The McKay College Basketball Scandal" from Suspense (originally aired on CBS on September 24, 1951). Finally, Larry Haines is ex-magician turned PI Mike Trent, who uses his tricks of the trade against a deadly ring of gamblers in Easy Money (originally aired on NBC on January...
info_outline Episode 573 - Irish Eyes are Sleuthing (Sherlock Holmes, Let George Do It, & Have Gun - Will Travel)Down These Mean Streets (Old Time Radio Detectives)
Grab a pint, don your green, and enjoy a trio of St. Patrick's Day old time radio mysteries. First, Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce investigate a murder at one of Ireland's landmarks in "The Adventure of the Blarney Stone" from The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (originally aired on Mutual on March 18, 1946). Then, George Valentine tries to prevent a spectral eviction in "The Ghost of Ireland Betty" from Let George Do It (originally aired on Mutual on September 27, 1954). Finally, Paladin comes to the aid of an Irishman accused of robbery and murder in "Irish Luck" (originally...
info_outline Episode 572 - The Whole Tooth (Casey, Crime Photographer, Whitehall 1212, & Peter Chambers)Down These Mean Streets (Old Time Radio Detectives)
Show off those pearly whites and enjoy three old time radio mysteries involving teeth and dentists. First, Casey, Crime Photographer thinks a dentist is linked to a colleague's disappearance in "Tooth for Tooth" (originally aired on CBS on July 15, 1946). Then, a victim's teeth hold the key to solving a murder on Whitehall 1212 (known as "The Murder of Duncan Frazier," originally aired on NBC on December 9, 1951). Finally, Dane Clark tries to find out who's blackmailing a dentist in Crime and Peter Chambers (originally aired on NBC on May 18, 1954).
info_outline BONUS - Remembering Anne WhitfieldDown These Mean Streets (Old Time Radio Detectives)
In this bonus episode, we're saluting the late Anne Whitfield, who passed away on February 15th. We'll hear the actress in a pair of episodes from The Phil Harris-Alice Faye Show, where she played the couple's youngest daughter Phyllis. First, little Phyllis may become a movie star (originally aired on NBC on November 20, 1949) and then she celebrates her birthday (originally aired on NBC on January 21, 1951).
info_outline Episode 571 - Space Cases (Man Called X, Philo Vance, & Rocky Fortune)Down These Mean Streets (Old Time Radio Detectives)
We're blasting off this week for a trio of mysteries involving rockets and space. First, The Man Called X is in New Mexico to find out who's leaking classified information from a missile test site (originally aired on NBC on April 14, 1951). Next, Philo Vance investigates a murder in an observatory in the syndicated episode "The Star-Studded Murder Case." And finally, Frank Sinatra is hired to take a one-way trip to the moon in "Rocket Racket" from Rocky Fortune (originally aired on NBC on March 23, 1954).
info_outline BONUS - Five Favorites: AuditionsDown These Mean Streets (Old Time Radio Detectives)
In this bonus episode, we're going back to the beginning with the audition recordings for five old time radio detective shows - some that became regular series, some that didn't, and some that changed stars along the way. We'll hear Victor Jory as a Scotland Yard inspector in the tryout for The Hunters (recorded in November 1948) and Dick Powell - before he was Richard Diamond - as Johnny Dollar in that show's audition (recorded in December 1948). Bill Johnstone stars as Lt. Ben Guthrie in Police Line-Up, the audition for what became The Line-Up (recorded in May 1950) and...
info_outline Episode 570 - Mystery on the Menu (Boston Blackie, Box 13, Richard Diamond, & Johnny Dollar)Down These Mean Streets (Old Time Radio Detectives)
Hope you brought your appetite - this week's show features four mysteries set in the world of food. From restaurants to the grocery store, our detectives have a lot to chew on in these cases. First, Boston Blackie investigates a murder in a Chinese restaurant and Dan Holiday comes to the aid of a beleaguered restauranteur in "Tempest in a Casserole" from Box 13. Dick Powell goes undercover in a butcher's shop in Richard Diamond, Private Detective (originally aired on NBC on January 7, 1950) and Johnny Dollar gets a deadly dinner invitation in "The Fatal Filet Matter" (originally...
info_outline Episode 569 - Where the Money Is (This is Your FBI, The Whistler, & Dragnet)Down These Mean Streets (Old Time Radio Detectives)
We're making some large withdrawals at the bank this week with three old time radio tales of bank robbers and the cops who try to catch them. First, the G-Men are at work in "Quartet for Crime" from This is Your FBI (originally aired on ABC on November 24, 1950). Then, a man fresh out of prison signs on for a bank heist in "The Little Things" from The Whistler (originally aired on CBS on January 14, 1951). And finally, Sgt. Joe Friday is on the trail of a bank robber in "The Big Number" from Dragnet (originally aired on NBC on October 26, 1952).
info_outline BONUS - Love is On the AirDown These Mean Streets (Old Time Radio Detectives)
Happy Valentine's Day! No matter how - or if - you're celebrating this February 14th, hopefully you'll enjoy this quartet of Valentine's comedies from the golden age of radio. We'll hear Fibber McGee and Molly (originally aired on NBC on February 10, 1942), My Favorite Husband (originally aired on CBS on February 11, 1949), The Phil Harris-Alice Faye Show (originally aired on NBC on February 13, 1949), and Our Miss Brooks (originally aired on CBS on February 19, 1950).
info_outline BONUS - Five Favorites: Night BeatDown These Mean Streets (Old Time Radio Detectives)
In this bonus episode, we're walking the Night Beat with reporter Randy Stone in my five favorite episodes of this fantastic radio drama series. Frank Lovejoy stars as Stone, always looking for stories for his newspaper column and always ready to help people in need. 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 faded college...
info_outlineIn celebration of what would have been his 98th birthday, we're tipping our hat to William Conrad. Before he was the narrator of The Fugitive and Rocky and Bullwinkle and before he solved TV crimes as Cannon, Conrad was one of the biggest talents of the golden age of radio. He had thousands of credits to his name but he was best known as Matt Dillon, US Marshal, on Gunsmoke. We'll hear him in a pair of murder mysteries from the old west (originally aired on CBS on May 9 and November 21, 1953).