The Great Detectives of Old Time Radio The great ones are back in action.

Previous in this series: Vintage Detective Movie Serials

This post is going to be dedicated to four movies I'd love to see on DVD but were not part of a mystery series. All of them ultimately are inspired by what I've heard on radio. One features one my favorite radio stars. The other four were adapted for the Lux Radio Theatre, the Screen Guild Theatre, or the Screen Director's Playhouse, leaving me curious to see the films on which the radio plays were based.

Mr. and Mrs. North (1942): This film starred William Post as Gerald North and Gracie Allen (yes that Gracie Allen) as Pam North. I'm a fan of both Gracie Allen and the North's so this is a natural film for me to want to see released on DVD. Currently rated 6.6 on IMDB by those who have been lucky enough to see it.
The Mask of Dimitros (1944)-I have more to go on than an inkling that I like the stars, though with Peter Lorre and Sidney Greenstreet, that alone should demand a DVD release. However, the movie was adapted to radio as a Screen Guild Theater episode. The half hour adaptation only wets my appetite to see the full film. From what we can hear on the radio, it's a suspenseful story. It also gives Lorre a rare chance to play a role that's neither a heavy or Mr. Moto. Rated 7.2 on IMDB.

Chicago Deadline (1949)- Alan Ladd stars as a reporter who finds a beautiful young woman (Donna Reed) dead of untreated TB. Ladd seeks to find out how she came to that end and begins an investigation with the help of her little black book. I heard this was on the Screen Director's Playhouse, and it was very engaging story with a reminder of the importance of every life. Rated 6.6 on IMDB.

To The Ends of the Earth (1948)- Dick Powell stars as Commissioner Michael Barrows who witnessed the murder of 100 Chinese slaves to cover up a drug trafficking operation. Barrows set out to get justice and break the narcotics racket. This was fascinating story that had to struggle against the Hayes code as it dealt with narcotics in any way. However, the overall thrust of the radio episode was that narcotics were the tools not just of money hungry criminals, but of extremists who wanted to fund their causes while underming America's moral and mental strength. IMDB Rating: 7.2