Welcome to the Great Detectives of Old Time Radio! A podcast featuring the best vintage detective radio programs. Each week from Monday through Saturday, we feature six of Old Time Radio's great detective series from the beginning of the show to its very last episode. And as a bonus, twice a month we also post a public domain movie or TV mystery or detective show video.
Along the way, I'll provide you my commentary and offer you opportunities to interact.
Subscribe to the show by clicking your favorite podcatcher in the sidebar.
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- Your host, Adam Graham
Listen to "The Great Detectives of Old Time Radio" on Spreaker.
Currently Featuring
YOURS TRULY, JOHNNY DOLLAR THE FALCON DANGEROUS ASSIGNMENT DRAGNET MR. CHAMELEON THIN MAN… and more!
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Recent Posts
CBS, OTR Detective, Podcast, Yours Truly Johnny Dollar
Yours Truly Johnny Dollar: The Royal Street Matter (EP4363)
by Yours Truly Johnny Blogger • 0 Comments
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Today’s Mystery:
Johnny goes to New Orleans to investigate why the owner of an insured, burnt-out antique shop hasn’t filed a claim, and has expressed no interest in doing so.
Original Radio Broadcast Dates: November 25, 1956
Originating from Hollywood
Starring: Bob Bailey as Johnny Dollar; Virginia Gregg; Forrest Lewis, Lou Merrill; Lawrence Dobkin; Frank Gerstle
When making your travel plans, remember http://johnnydollarair.com
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Join us again tomorrow for another detective drama from the Golden Age of Radio.
CBS, Keen and Company, Mr. Chameleon, OTR Detective, Podcast
Mr. Chameleon: The Organ Grinder Murder Case (EP4362)
by Yours Truly Johnny Blogger • 0 Comments
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Today’s Mystery:
A young man is shot to death after trying to quit stealing jewelry.
Original Radio Broadcast Date: June 8, 1949
Originating from New York City
Starring: Karl Swenson as Mister Chameleon
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Patreon Supporter of the Day: Lisa, Patreon Supporter since July 2015
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Mail a donation to: Adam Graham, PO Box 15913, Boise, Idaho 83715
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Dangerous Assignment, NBC, OTR Detective, Podcast
Dangerous Assignment: Boy Is Used as Courier (EP4355)
by Yours Truly Johnny Blogger • 0 Comments
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Today’s Mystery:
Steve is hired as tutor to a French boy with a near photographic memory whose father believes his current tutor is using him to smuggle top secret information.
Original Radio Broadcast Date: April 8, 1953
Originating in Hollywood
Starring: Brian Donlevy as Steve Mitchell; Herb Butterfield as the Commissioner; Jeanne Bates; Paul Frees; Larry Dobkin; Jay Novello
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Patreon Supporter of the Day: Laura, Patreon Supporter supporter Since September 2023
Support the show on a one-time basis at http://support.greatdetectives.net.
Mail a donation to: Adam Graham, PO Box 15913, Boise, Idaho 83715
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Join us again tomorrow for another detective drama from the Golden Age of Radio.
Ellery Queen, NBC, OTR Detective, Podcast
Ellery Queen: The Adventure of the Wounded Lieutenant (EP4360)
by Yours Truly Johnny Blogger • 0 Comments
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Today’s Mystery:
A former police detective is disabled while serving overseas and his battallion members are killed after a native waiter reports their planned attack. But how did the spy know?
Original Radio Broadcast Date: November 18, 1943
Originating in New York from the Office of War Information, taken from the network broadcast of a 30 minute episode
Starring: Sydney Smith as Ellery Queen, Marian Shockley, Santos Ortega, Ted de Corsia
Armchair Detectives: Virginia Fields and Ed Sullivan
Website Referenced: Ellery Queen, A Website of Deduction
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Patreon Supporter of the Day: Kerry, Patreon Supporter since November 2018
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Join us again tomorrow for another detective drama from the Golden Age of Radio.
NBC, OTR Detective, Podcast, The Falcon
The Falcon: The Case of the Stooge’s Errand (EP4359)
by Yours Truly Johnny Blogger • 0 Comments
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Today’s Mystery:
The Falcon is hired to locate a boxing promoter who cheated two men out of a combined $40,000, but has a clever way to make sure they can’t collect.
Original Radio Broadcast Date: November 26, 1950
Originating from New York
Starring: Les Damon as the Falcon; Ken Lynch as Sergeant Corbett; Mandel Kramer; Ralph Bell; Bill Zuckert
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Patreon Supporter of the Day: Bruce, Patreon Supporter since November 2019
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Mail a donation to: Adam Graham, PO Box 15913, Boise, Idaho 83715
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Join us again tomorrow for another detective drama from the Golden Age of Radio.
Book Review, Golden Age Article
Book Review: The “Lost” Sam Spade Radio Scripts
by Yours Truly Johnny Blogger • 2 Comments
Sam Spade, “The Greatest Private Detective of Them All”, thrilled listeners for the five years he was on the air. Most of that time, the character was played by Howard Duff. However, around 80% of Duff’s episodes are missing, along with one episode from his successor in the role, Stephen Dunne. After listening to every Sam Spade episode in circulation, if you find yourself hungry for more, you’re not alone.
While it’s not the same thing as uncovering more lost recordings of the series, The “Lost” Sam Spade Scripts, edited by Martin Grams, is the next big thing. Eschewing any superstition, Grams offers up a baker’s dozen of scripts for The Adventures of Sam Spade as written for broadcast, including commercial messages and the parts read by announcers, in this book from Bear Manor Media.
Grams has selected a variety of stories, including one which sees Sam on jury duty, and the somewhat gimmicky but fun “Caper with Ten Clues”. One of the scripts is the only missing episode from Dunne’s 24-episode run as Spade, which was also a Christmas episode. As such, it serves not only to complete the Dunne era, but also to give us a taste of what a Sam Spade Christmas episode sounded like.
What does stand out is the brilliant writing of the scripts. Grams chose the thirteen episodes to exclude subpar outings, but those were few and far between among circulating episodes anyway. The scripts highlight the snappy, hard-boiled dialogue; the smart, efficient storytelling; and the genuinely clever humor that make Sam Spade such a favorite of mystery enthusiasts to this day. While we don’t get Duff or Lurene Tuttle (who played Sam’s secretary Effie Perine throughout the series’ run) performing the script, I easily imagine their voices reading them.
The only story that I was a bit iffy about being included was “The Inside Story on Kid Spade”, which was a recycled script from Suspense, turned into a flashback to Spade having an early career as a boxer. It’s not a bad script, but it doesn’t feel like a Sam Spade episode or even a probable backstory for the character. But Grams makes his fair case for its inclusion, and I can’t rightly say that another story that was available to Grams would have been a better choice.
All in all, the book is a must-buy for fans of Sam Spade. It gives readers a chance to delight in thirteen stories of one of America’s most iconic private eyes that haven’t been available to the public in more than 70 years.
Rating: 5.0 out of 5.0
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Dragnet, NBC, OTR Detective, Podcast, Procedural
Dragnet: The Big Grifter (EP4358)
by Yours Truly Johnny Blogger • 0 Comments
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Today’s Mystery:
Friday and Romero face off against a veteran con-man.
Original Radio Broadcast Date: February 23, 1950
Originating from Hollywood
Starring: Jack Webb as Sergeant Joe Friday; Barton Yarborough as Sergeant Ben Romero; Herb Butterfield
Support the show monthly at patreon.greatdetectives.net
Patreon Supporter of the Day: Charlie, Patreon Supporter since October 2019
Support the show on a one-time basis at http://support.greatdetectives.net.
Mail a donation to: Adam Graham, PO Box 15913, Boise, Idaho 83715
Take the listener survey at http://survey.greatdetectives.net
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Join us again on Monday for another detective drama from the Golden Age of Radio.
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