Listen to “The Great Detectives Present Broadway’s My Beat” on Spreaker.
Broadway’s my beat, from Times Square to Columbus Circle, the gaudiest, the most violent, the lonesomest mile in the world.
These iconic words of Lieutenant Danny Clover painted a picture of the part of New York City where he solved murders and interacted with killers and suspects alike. The series originally began production in New York City in the spring of 1949, but it was in the summer when production moved to Hollywood that the series took its most recognizable shape. Writers David Friedkin and Morton Fine gave their take on Broadway, with characters who spoke with a stylized dialogue that makes the series stand out from its contemporaries. Together with Director Elliott Lewis, they captured the rich ethnic and socioeconomic diversity of the Great White Way. Larry Thor, who was more often than not cast in character roles or as an announcer pitching companies like Del Monte Foods, embodied the world-weariness of a cop whose heart was continually broken by the violence and ugliness that so often characterized Broadway. Charles Calvert brings lighter touches as Clover’s assistant, Sergeant Gino Tartaglia, a good-humored family man.
About the Stars:
Anthony Ross (1906-55): Anthony Ross began his Broadway career in 1932. In 1945, he originated the role of The Gentleman Caller in the Broadway production of the Tennessee Williams play The Glass Menagerie. In addition to his stage work, Ross also had an active film career, and in 1954 starred as Captain Richard Hale in the 1954 CBS Television summer replacement crime program, The Telltale Clue.
Larry Thor (1916-76): The Canadian-born Thor broke into radio in Manitoba in 1937 as an anonymous singer He spent 9 years in Canadian radio as a writer, announcer, and newscaster before moving to Los Angeles. In Hollywood, Thor worked as an announcer on many programs including Rocky Jordan, Suspense, and the Clyde Beatty Show. In addition to many guest-acting roles, Thor starred in the Hollywood version of Broadway is My Beat from 1949-53 and in the Summer of 1954. Thor also began to write for radio with an episode of Suspense that aired in 1953. He continued to appear in films throughout the early 1950s. He played the voice of the radio announcer on Gilligan’s Island. He released a children’s album, “Galloping on My DInosuar” In 1964. In 1969, he began to teach an advanced writing course at UCLA, which he continued to do until his death.
Episode Log:
Anthony Ross episodes:
- The Andrew Jenkins Case (Original Air Date: March 6, 1949)
- A Fixed Prize Fight (Original Air Date: March 27, 1949)
- The Rita Rondell Murder Case (Original Air Date: May 1, 1949)
- Ruth Jennings (Original Air Date: May 22, 1949)
Larry Thor Episodes:
- The Jimmy Dorn Murder (Original Air Date: July 7, 1949)
- The Otto Prokosh Murder Case (Original Air Date: July 21, 1949)
- The Paul Thomas Murder Case (Original Air Date: July 28, 1949)
- The Dr. Robbie McClure Murder Case (Original Air Date: August 4, 1949)
- The Jane Darwell Murder Case (Original Air Date: August 11, 1949)
- The Silks Bergen Murder (Original Air Date: August 18, 1949)
New episodes are posted every Wednesday