Month: October 2022

I Hate Crime: Episode 26 (EP3898)

Today’s Mystery:

Larry is hired to find out which of four models or a photographer, stole a valuable clock from a wealthy, eccentric mushroom grower.

Original Radio Broadcast Date: 1949 or 1950

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Sam Spade: The Critical Author Caper (EP3897)

Today’s Mystery:

Sam is hired by a wealthy widow to find her estranged stepdaughter.

Original Radio Broadcast Date: August 15, 1948

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Tales of the Texas Rangers: Pick-Up (EP3896)

Today’s Mystery:

Jace investigates the murder of an oil worker who was thrown from a train.

Original Radio Broadcast Date: December 16, 1951

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Yours Truly Johnny Dolllar: The Nathan Swing Matter (EP3895)

John Lund

Today’s Mystery:

Johnny investigates the murder of an insured Los Angeles-area criminal.

Original Radio Broadcast Date: April 20, 1954

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Philo Vance: The Oxford Murder Case (EP3894)

Today’s Mystery:

A wealthy man is found murdered and his safe robbed, and his butler has disappeared.

Original Radio Broadcast Date: September 6, 1949

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Dangerous Assignment: Find Szabo and the Briefcase (EP3893)


Today’s Mystery:

Steve travels to Paris to save International talks from breaking down by finding a missing delegate representing countries in the Baltic as well as briefcase full of military secrets he’s carrying.

Original Radio Broadcast Date: May 3, 1950

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I Hate Crime: Episode 25 (EP3892)

Today’s Mystery:

An anonymous voice over the phone hires Larry to solve a murder before the murder happens.

Original Radio Broadcast Date: 1949 or 1950

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Sam Spade: The Bluebeard Caper (EP3891)

Today’s Mystery:

A man hires Sam to investigate his sister’s fiancé, whose last three wives have died in mysterious accidents.

Original Radio Broadcast Date: August 8, 1948

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Dangerous Assignment: The Displaced Persons Story (Video Theater 235)

Steve has to find out who’s sabotaging the efforts of refugees fleeing tyranny to build a better life for themselves on an island.

Original Air Date: Fall 1951

Season 1, Episode 3

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Tales of the Texas Rangers: Death Plant (EP3890)

Today’s Mystery:

Jace investigates the case of a woman killed by a truck explosion.

Original Radio Broadcast Dates: December 9, 1951

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Telefilm Review: Walker, Texas Ranger: One Riot, One Ranger

In the feature-length series premiere of Walker, Texas Ranger, Ranger Cordell Walker (Chuck Norris) hunts down a dangerous criminal who is planning a big job by doing a series of dry runs in Fort Worth. In a bank robbery, Walker’s partner is shot down. He takes on a new partner in the form of rookie ranger Jimmy Trivette (Clarence Gilyard). Together the two set out to discover who is behind the murders, get justice, and thwart their evil plans.

Review (Some Spoilers Follow):

You get all the high-powered action you’d expect from Walker, Texas Ranger, with a lot of big action scenes and even an explosion thrown in for good measure.

The villain is menacing, with a combination of ruthlessness, a CIA background, and a disregard for human life. But he’s also a bit cartoonish and so is his plan. If he has a CIA background, it seems that he should be able to gather intelligence to find the right partners for his big heist, rather than using a series of smaller heists as trial runs that will draw the attention of the police and the Texas Rangers.

Despite the flaw in the villain’s plan, the case is still interesting, as there are a lot of details teased out over the course of the episode, and Walker and Trivette have to figure out the villain’s endgame.

Beyond the main plot, One Riot, One Ranger serves as an introduction to the series’ cast of characters. We get back story exposition from both Walker and Trivette. While not an ideal way to introduce characters, it’s at least done in a way that’s natural, and I think it was actually pretty effectively weaved in, as Walker shared his own trauma to comfort a young lady who’d also been a victim. We get far less time with prosecutor Alex Cahill (Sharee Wilson), but a good performance and well-selected scenes capture the combination of compassion and a passion for justice that are so key to her character. The series also introduces ex-Ranger and barkeeper C.D. Parker (Gailard Sartain) in the pilot episode, who serves as a mentor to both rangers.

Walker’s partner leaves no impression at all in the scenes he’s in before being killed. His inclusion seems like an unnecessary and pointless trip to the cliche-o-matic. Even in the 1990s, if you’re going to make “They killed his partner” part of your hero’s motivation, you have to make some effort to sell the audience on it, either by getting the audience to care about the dead partner, or by showing how deeply it affected the hero. None of that happens here.

While I thought Walker’s character worked well for the most part, the writers had him intentionally mispronouncing Trivette’s last time for the entire episode. Really, I can’t think of any non-illegal behavior that’s more insufferable than that. It’s a weak joke that could have sabotaged the show if other factors weren’t in its favor.

Even in the pre-9/11 days, it’s hard to believe it would be as easy to drop off a bomb at the Texas Rangers’ headquarters as is portrayed in the episode.

Also, while I thought Galiard Sartain did a decent job, I did find myself longing for the late Noble Willingham, who would play C.D. in the main series.

Overall Thoughts:

In some quarters, the original Walker, Texas Ranger is a bit of a joke, and you can see hints of why in this episode. But I think you also see why it remained a ratings hit for most of its eight-year run.

It’s a fun show to watch, the action is good and the characters are likable, even if they have some rough edges. Walker himself is perhaps the most prickly. He’s tough, relentless, and very gruff. Yet, at the end of the day, he lets a rape victim take sanctuary at his ranch in the midst of big investigations, and agrees to a dangerous rodeo stunt, one which landed him in the hospital the last time he tried it, in order to help out orphans.

While some may view the show as corny, the series really seems to be quite earnest. In particularly, Trivette’s story of his own origins, growing up as a fan of The Lone Ranger, reflects the sort of heroic tradition that the series puts its protagonists in. It was a very intentionally a throwback even in 1993.

Fundamentally, viewers approved and liked hanging out with these characters in between the big fight scenes.

The pilot has some weak spots that the series would improve on a little. It’s still a fun way to spend ninety minutes for anyone curious as to how a cultural phenomena like Walker, Texas Ranger began.

Rating 3.25 out of 5

The full episode is available for free on YouTube.

Yours Truly Johnny Dollar: The Magnolia and Honeysuckle Matter (EP3889)

John Lund

Today’s Mystery:

Johnny goes to South Carolina to investigate an arson at a paper factory.

Original Radio Broadcast Date: April 13, 1954

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Philo Vance: The Brotherly Murder Case (EP3888)

Today’s Mystery:

Two men show up to claim the fortune of a wealthy dead man, but one claims the other is an imposter. Murder follows.

Original Radio Broadcast Date: August 30, 1949

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Dangerous Assignment: The Nazi and the Physicist (EP3887)


Today’s Mystery:

Steve goes to Alaska to find two missing scientists, one of whom is an ex-Nazi.

Original Radio Broadcast Date: April 24, 1950

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I Hate Crime: Episode 20 (EP3886)

Today’s Mystery:

Three recently released criminals are out to settle a score with Larry Kent and they start out with an attempt to kill him in Sydney.

Original Radio Broadcast: 1949 or 1950

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