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.
And don't forget to follow me on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.
- 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 ELLERY QUEEN… and more!
View all shows
Check out our other shows:
Recent Posts
CBS, Podcast, Yours Truly Johnny Dollar, YTJD Add
Yours Truly Johnny Dollar: The Ming Toy Murphy Matter (EP1339)
by Yours Truly Johnny Blogger • 0 Comments
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | iHeartRadio | Email | TuneIn | RSS
Johnny has to find a dog–a talking dog.
Original Air Date: April 14, 1957
When making your travel plans, remember http://johnnydollarair.com
Become one of our friends on Facebook.
Take the listener survey.
Give us a call 208-991-4783
Follow us on Twitter @radiodetectives
Click here to add this podcast to your Itunes, click here to subscribe.
Nick Carter, Podcast
EP1338: Nick Carter: The Case of the Howling Horse
by Yours Truly Johnny Blogger • 1 Comment
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | iHeartRadio | Email | TuneIn | RSS
Nick goes upstate to investigate the case of a horse that hunt and kill men.
Original Air Date: September 30, 1945
Sponsor me in the run for Heaven’s Gate.
Become one of our friends on Facebook.
Take the listener survey at
Give us a call 208-991-4783
Follow us on Twitter @radiodetectives
Click here to add this podcast to your Itunes, click here to subscribe with any other reader.
CBS, Philip Marlowe, Philip Marlowe OTR, Podcast
EP1337: Philip Marlowe: Easy Mark
by Yours Truly Johnny Blogger • 0 Comments
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | iHeartRadio | Email | TuneIn | RSS
Marlowe to help a woman’s husband whose in trouble with blackmailers and finds a backwards case. Why would blackmailer attack their mark?
Original Air Date: January 29, 1949
Sponsor me in the run for Heaven’s Gate.
Become one of our friends on Facebook.
Take the listener survey at http://survey.greatdetectives.net
Take the listener survey.
Give us a call 208-991-4783
Follow us on Twitter @radiodetectives
Click here to add this podcast to your Itunes, click here to subscribe.
ABC, Pat Novak, Podcast
EP1336: Pat Novak: Georgie Lampson
by Yours Truly Johnny Blogger • 0 Comments
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | iHeartRadio | Email | TuneIn | RSS
Novak is hired by an old flame and finds himself once again, in the thick of a murder investigation.
Original Air Date: June 12, 1949.
Sponsor me in the run for Heaven’s Gate.
Become one of our friends on Facebook.
Take the listener survey.
Give us a call 208-991-4783
Follow us on Twitter @radiodetectives
Click here to download. click here to add this podcast to your Itunes, click here to subscribe.
Podcast
Why I’m Doing Four Half Marathons This Fall
by Yours Truly Johnny Blogger • 0 Comments
I’m not fast.
I’m not a runner.
This Fall, I’ll be participating in four half marathons in five weeks. Here’s the reason why:
There are hundreds of thousands of AIDS orphans in India. Either their parents have died or they have been abandoned. They face starvation, and a future without hope.
Send Hope has established orphanages in India where these children who would otherwise be abandoned, are given food, clothing, medicine, education, and more importantly, love and hope.
Run for Heaven’s Gate began in Boise at a grassroots level several years ago to raise funds for these children in India with walker and runners doing four half marathons to raise funds for the orphans in India. I heard about it church and decided that this year, I was actually going to do it and I’ve been training for it since March.
It’s been quite an experience. Prior to this year, the longest I’d ever walked was 5K or 3.1 miles. Prior to Run for Heaven’s Gate, Saturday was my “sleep in day,” now I’m getting early and going to bed early on Friday. I’ve been introduced to a whole new world where people take things like GU to prepare for long runs and where it really does make sense to pay extra for good shoes because good shoes are cheaper than physical therapists.
While I hope that I become more fit through this whole process, I admit that there is no way I could imagine do this except for the fact that in India, there are children whose futures lay in the balance between life and hope and death and despair. Run for Heaven’s Gate gives me an opportunity to make a difference in their lives. Every dollar raised goes to help these kids and every $400 raised will cover all the needs of a child in India for a whole year.
You can make a tax deductible pledge in any amount support of my walk by going here.
CBS, Podcast, Pursuit
EP1335: Pursuit: Pursuit of the Loch Ness Killer
by Yours Truly Johnny Blogger • 0 Comments
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | iHeartRadio | Email | TuneIn | RSS
Inspector Black goes to Scotland to investigate a murder and find the prime suspect has broken jail.
Original Air Date: December 11, 1951
Sponsor me in the run for Heaven’s Gate.
Become one of our friends on Facebook.
Take the listener survey.
Give us a call 208-991-4783
Follow us on Twitter @radiodetectives
Click here to add this podcast to your Itunes, click here to subscribe.
Golden Age Article, Sherlock Holmes
The Top 12 Sherlock Holmes Stories, Part Three
by Yours Truly Johnny Blogger • 0 Comments
We continue our countdown of the top 12 Sherlock Holmes stories. (See: Part One and Part Two.)
3) The Hound of the Baskervilles (1902): It’s no wonder that Sherlock Holmes’ third novel is the most often adapted Sherlock Holmes story. It’s rich with atmosphere with its setting on the moor. It also has some genuinely scary moments with the menace of the titular hound as well as some great elements that add suspense such as the escaped convict. If the story suffers at all, it’s from the fact that Sherlock Holmes is off stage for much of the story. But this really gives Watson a chance to shine as both an observer and a man of action.
2) The Adventure The Red Headed League (1890) This is a good concept that comes with a built in moral. A man gets paid a fantastic salary by the Red Headed League for copying pages from the encyclopedia because he has an amazing head of red hair. However, the Red Headed League disappears as quickly as it appeared sending the confused shopkeeper to Holmes.
There are two things that are really fascinating about this story. The first is the idea of a superior intelligence preying on people’s greed and stupidity to victimize another person. This would be revisited (albeit without as much success) in “The Stockbroker’s Clerk” and “The Three Garidebs.” The second thing is just seeing how Holmes puts this whole case together. It’s one of his finest pieces of deduction as Holmes faces a worthy and underrated foe.
1) The Sign of Four (1890): This is one of the best mystery novels of all time. The Sign of Four has so much working for it. It’s a book that was decades ahead of its time. The Penguins Classic edition of this book is only 160 pages. However, it’s tightly written and manages to work so much in. You have a great puzzle mystery, combined with creepy and memorable characters, a fast-paced quick moving story, and even a good action and chase scene. It includes a flashback to the past that reveals what happened in backstory but unlike in A Study in Scarlet, the flashback section is interesting and doesn’t drag on forever.
This story works on so many levels, particularly when you consider how dry and one dimensional detective fiction was for decades after that. While the Sign of Four is often overshadowed by The Hound of the Baskervilles, from my point of view, The Sign of Four is the better novel. The Sign of Four was decades ahead of its time. Decades after The Sign of Four, most mystery novels were rather one dimensional puzzle mysteries but The Sign of Four showcases everything a good mystery novel can be and that it was written in the 19th century is a testimony to Doyle’s genius.
That concludes my list. I’d love to hear about yours. Please share about your favorite Holmes stories in the comments.
If you enjoyed this post, you can have new posts about Detective stories and the golden age of radio and television delivered automatically to your Kindle.
Share this:
- Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
- Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
- Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
- Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
- Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
- Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
- Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
- Click to print (Opens in new window)