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Bob Bailey & Virginia Gregg in front of an old Microphone

Bob Bailey & Virginia Gregg

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.

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- Your host, Adam Graham

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Recent Posts

Radio’s Most Essential People #4: Bing Crosby

Previous Posts: 56,78,91012-1114-1316-1518-1720-19,22-2124-2326-2528-2730-2933-3136-34,

39-37,42-4045-4348-4651-4954-5257-5560-5865-6170-66,  71-7576-80,

81-8586-9091-9596-100

4) Bing Crosby

Bing CrosbyFrom the early 30s to the early 50s, no singer had the star power of Bing Crosby. Crosby’s musical talent was well-known. Not only he was a frequent guest on others shows and constantly in demand on record request programs, he had a long line of his own programs including stints hosting the Kraft Music Hall, Philco Radio Time, the Chestfield Program, General Motors, Woodbury, and Ford. His consistent signature song was,  “When the Blue of the Nigh.” Crosby’s popularity also made his films a no-brainer for adaptation to radio.

He was a legendary and charismatic crooner who partnered often with Bob Hope on Hope’s programs, Crosby’s programs, and on Command Performance. Christmas time was particularly strong for Crosby as his singing of Adeste Fideles along with a selection of sacred and secular Christmas songs.

As much of an institution as Crosby was at Christmas, the other 364 days a year,  he remained a consistently popular voice throughout radio’s golden age who set a standard that other singers aimed to follow.

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Telfilm Review: Dumb Witness

Dumb Witness was the last episode of the sixth series of Poirot and the series went on a four year hiatus afterwards.

Poriot receives an urgent letter from a woman who fears she will be murderered by her family. Poirot goes to the scene and advises her to make a change to her will. She ends up dying apparently of natural causes, but there’s some suspicious circumstances as two old ladies think there was a supernatural origin. And Poirot finds that the old women’s dog is the key witness in the case.

This was probably my least favorite Poirot mystery of what was a solid sixth series. The Novel Dumb Witness was an expanded version of a short story called, “The Incident of the Dog’s Ball.” The short story actually works quite well, but this expansion really felt like it just made the story drag on rather than adding true meat to it.

However, it must be said that David Suchet turned in a good performance as Poirot in an otherwise forgettable adaptation.

Rating: 3.75 out of 5.0

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EP0926: The Line Up: The Harrowing Haggada Handball Case

William Johnstone

 

Ben and Matt track down a gang of robbers.

Original Air Date: June 12, 1951

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EP0925: Sherlock Holmes: The Bruce Partington Plans

 

John Gielgud

Sherlock Holmes investigates the disappearance of missing submariner plans.

Original Air Date: February 6, 1955

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EP0924: Yours Truly Johnny Dollar: The Molly K Matter Part Five and Call for a Columnist Part One

Bob Bailey
Columnist Johnny Lane is getting tips on the plans of  local crime bosses to thwart a committee which gets him in trouble with police and the mob.

Original Air Date: 1958

Captain Brawley is arrested by Johnny Dollar begins to suspect he got the wrong man.

Original Air Date: October 14, 1955

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EP0923: Yours Truly Johnny Dollar: The Molly K Matter, Parts Three and Four

Bob Bailey

Captain Brawley tries to hinder Johnny’s investigation as he finds there’s more than meets the eye for the sinking of the Molly K.

October 12 and 13, 1955

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EP0922: Frank Race: The Adventure of the Night Crawler

Paul Dubov
Race takes on a whimsical case of dying worms threatening a partnership that sells canned worms. The mob gets involved and murder follows soon after.

Original Air Date: November 26, 1949

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