Month: November 2016

EP2057: Richard Diamond: The House of Fear Case

Dick Powell

A widow hires Diamond to protect her in a creepy house that she has to stay in order to claim her inheritance.

Original Air Date: December 10, 1949

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EP2056: The Private Files of Rex Saunders: The Most Malignant of Diseases . . . Namely, Murder

Rex Harrison
A wealthy and ill man presses Rex to find a nephew he despises.

Original Air Date: June 27, 1951

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EP2055: Night Beat: Girl in the Park

Frank Lovejoy
Randy meets a woman in the park who expects to die when her boyfriend is executed.

Original Air Date: February 27, 1950

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EP2054s: Martin and Lewis: Guest Jack Webb

Martin and Lewis

Jack Webb guest stars on Martin and Lewis as they do a fairy tale version of Dragnet.

Original Air Date: January 13, 1953

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EP2054: Dragnet: The Big Affair

Jack Webb

Friday and Romero look into a series of jewelry store robberies.

Original Air Date; November 29, 1951

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Review: Avengers: The Lost Episodes, Volume 4


The fourth volume of Avengers, The Lost Episodes offers listeners four more recreations of the lost first season of the Avengers.

The set kicks off with, “Kill the King,” in which Steed has to protect a visiting king who is key to the British gaining access to his country’s oil. The story becomes a pretty interesting thriller as we encounter three separate individuals who all appear to be setting out with the same assassin’s mission. The story has a very clever twist at the end that hits Steed like a punch in the stomach. It’s the best episode of a very good set and probably one of the most innovative stories in the Lost Episodes range.

Next up is, “A Change in Bait.” Originally, aired at Christmastime, this episode has a lighter tone than, “Kill the King,” as Steed tries to break up a complex insurance racket involving arson at warehouses. The story isn’t laugh-out-loud hilarious,or so over the top in its humor that it would feel like it didn’t belong in this season, rather the humor is mixed in in a way that feels quite natural. The arsonist is probably the most amusing guest character. His stance that they couldn’t steal money from a building they were burning because that would be unethical is priceless. Overall, a fun story.

In, “Hunt the Man Down,” a convicted robber is released from prison and immediately waylaid by two thugs who want to know where his loot is. Steed intervenes and Keel treats the ex-convict. Carol is kidnapped by the gang who believe she knows where the loot is. Overall, this is an exciting case with good twists, particularly as to who the boss of the gang is. A very solid outing.

Finally in, “Dead of Winter,” Steed investigates a body found in a shipment of beef and sends Keel undercover to a man he suspects is behind it after a a pathologist is murdered and the body disappears. This one of the more fantastic plots in the Lost Episodes and very reminiscent of the sci-fi like stories that would come during the show’s most well-known run with Mrs. Peal.

Overall, this is a strong set. It’s not as great as Volume 3, but there’s not a poor episode in this bunch.

Rating: 4.0 out of 5.0

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EP2053: Yours Truly Johnny Dollar: The Burning Desire Matter

Bob Bailey
Johnny investigates a series of seemingly unrelated arsons in Los Angeles.

Original Air Date: December 27, 1959

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EP2052: Boston Blackie: Robert Atkins, Jewel Thief

Richard Kollmar
A fired servant boasts of stealing $50,000 in jewels from a doctor’s family but no one can find the necklace on him or anyone else leaving in the house.

Original Air Date: December 6, 1945

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EP2051: Richard Diamond: The Ruby Idol Case

Dick Powell
A man follows Diamond into Helen Asher’s apartment and says someone’s trying to kill him. He’s then killed outside the apartment and Diamond sets out to solve the murder.

Original Air Date: December 3, 1949

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EP2050: Private Files of Rex Suanders: A Murder Deep in the Killer’s Mind

Rex Harrison

Rex helps a woman who’s afraid of a killer in a Devil’s costume at Mardi Gras.

Original Air Date: June 20, 1951

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EP2049: Night Beat: A World All His Own

Frank Lovejoy
A punch-drunk ex-boxing champion dreams of making peace with his ex-wife while living in a fantasy world.

Original Air Date: February 20, 1950

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AWR0007: Columbia Workshop: Psalm for a Dark Year

Amazing World of Radio

The finale of 26 by Corwin focuses on Thanksgiving in war torn 1941.

Original Air Date: November 9, 1941

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EP2048: Dragnet: The Big Hands

Jack Webb\
Friday and Romero investigate the strangling murder of an unidentified woman.

Original Air Date: November 22, 1951

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Book Review: A Study in Terror

In A Study in Terror, while trying to work on his latest novel, Ellery Queen is distracted by a friend who brings him a manuscript purporting to be a lost Sherlock Holmes story where Doctor Watson recounts how Holmes investigated the Jack the Ripper murders.

The book is mostly a Sherlock Holmes pastiche with an Ellery Queen story framing it. The pastiche is a good one that shows proficiency in Holmes and a love for the character that the author obviously possesses. The framing story is mostly okay. It’s hindered by an unnecessary romantic angle that doesn’t add much to the story. It takes quite a while to figure out why Ellery Queen is in this book and it’s that someone thinks the conclusion of the Sherlock Holmes story is wrong. The author deserves credit for finding some way to make this argument without creating a situation that makes Ellery Queen out to be a better detective than Sherlock Holmes.

The book is enjoyable but those looking for a realistic solution to the Ripper murders will have to look elsewhere. The solution offered in the book is consistent with the book but not with all the evidence that’s been put out on the Ripper murders. It would have probably been better to fictionalize the murderers rather than to make it a well-known case and not offer a plausible solution.

Still, A Study in a Terror is an enjoyable mash up of two great detectives that gives both of them their due.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.0

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EP2047: Yours Truly Johnny Dollar: The Sudden Wealth Matter

Bob Bailey
Johnny tries to break up a pyramid scheme.

Original Air Date: December 13, 1959

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