Video Theater « The Great Detectives of Old Time Radio

15Feb/153

Video Theater 061: Dragnet: The Human Bomb

In the premier episode of Dragnet, Joe Friday (Jack Webb) and Ben Romero (Barton Yarborough) try to stop a man from blowing up City Hall.

Season 1, Episode 1

Original Air Date: December 16, 1951

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Filed under: Classic Television, Detective Story, Dragnet, Podcast, Video Theater 3 Comments

11Jan/150

Video Theater 060: Philip Marlowe: Murder is a Grave Affair

A young actress dies with the gas on in her room. The police think it's an accident but the girl's father and an admirer believe it's murder. Philip Marlowe (Phil Carey) investigates.

Season 1, Episode 23 (1960)

Also features Connie Hines, and William Schallert

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Filed under: Philip Marlowe, Podcast, Video Theater No Comments

14Dec/141

Video Theater 059: Dragnet: The Big Little Jesus

Friday and Smith search for a stolen statue of the Baby Jesus on Christmas Eve for a church that desperately needs it.

Original Air Date: December 24, 1953

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Filed under: Classic Television, Dragnet, Jack Webb, Podcast, Video Theater 1 Comment

16Nov/140

Video Theater 058: The Triumph of Sherlock Holmes

Arthur Wontner stars in this adaptation of The Valley of Fear.

Release Date: February, 1935

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Filed under: Podcast, Sherlock Holmes, Video Theater No Comments

19Oct/140

Video Theater 057: Philip Marlowe: The Ugly Ducking

Marlowe pays off a wealthy young woman's husband's mistress, but she doublecrosses him and turns up dead.

Episode 1:

Original Air Date: October 6, 1959

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Filed under: Philip Marlowe, Podcast, Video Theater No Comments

21Sep/140

Video Theater 056: He Walked by Night

The police search for a dangerous and resourceful killer (Richard Basehart). Jack Webb played Lt. Lee Jones in this film, which features many elements that would become staples of Dragnet.

Release Date: November 24, 1948

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Filed under: Podcast, Video Theater No Comments

10Aug/140

Video Theater 055: Decoy: Night of Fire

DescriptionCasey goes undercover in an office to investigate an arson. The business owner suspects a former mental patient.

Episode 23 (1957)

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Filed under: Classic Television, Decoy, Podcast, Video Theater No Comments

13Jul/140

Video Theater 054: An Eye for An Eye

Casey is undercover as a drug addict in hopes of busting a heroine ring when a junkie dies, leaving behind a checkbook with $6,000 in it.

Episode 18

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Filed under: Classic Television, Decoy, Podcast, Video Theater No Comments

22Jun/140

Video Theater 053: Decoy: To Trap A Thief

A businessman alleges that $10,000 was missing from money recovered from robbers. Suspicion falls on a patrolmen near retirement. Casey (Beverly Garland) goes undercover to find the truth.

Season 1, Episode 4 (1957)

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Filed under: Classic Television, Decoy, Podcast, Video Theater No Comments

11May/140

Video Theater 052: Diagnosis Unknown: Case of the Radiant Wine

Season 1, Episode 1 (July 5, 1960)

In this Summer replacement series, Patrick O'Neal plays Dr. Daniel Coffee, a pathologist who seeks to uncover the cause of death, not necessarily find the murderer.

In this case, Dr. Coffee is hired to find what killed a woman who'd just placed a call threatening suicide. Their only clue? Her toothbrush was radioactive.

Chester Morris (of the Boston Blackie Movies) place Captain Ritter of the police. Noted guest stars on this episode include Tom Bosley (Happy Days) and Larry Hagman.

This appears to have been recorded Live on the East Coast and then rebroadcast on the West Coast.