Category: OTR Detective

EP1827: Michael Shayne: John Crowder’s Body

Wally Maher
Mike, Phyllis, and Farraday investigate a murdered man who’d been trying to call Mike.

Original Air Date: September 10, 1945

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Movie Review: A Close Call for Boston Blackie

A Close Call for Boston Blackie is one of just three Boston Blackie movies starring Chester Morris that are official releases.

In this film, a man is murdered in Blackie’s apartment and his widow escapes, leaving the baby in the care of Blackie and his sidekick Runt. Blackie has to stay one step ahead of Inspector Farraday and his minions.

Chester Morris is charming and funny as Blackie and has a very convincing turn in his disguise. Some of the early scenes reminded me of the radio show but this played things for comedy more than the radio show did and not all of the humor worked. The baby is cute, however most of the humor centering around the child falls flat. Frank Sully (who plays Sergeant Matthews) seems to be trying to be a poor man’s Red Skelton but ultimately doesn’t work. The pace of the first half of this hour-long film drags as it takes forever to get out of Blackie’s apartment. However, the film does become more engaging in the second half.

Overall, the film isn’t bad, but it’s essentially an average detective B movie from the 1940s. It is entertaining due to a strong performance by Morris more than anything else.

Rating: 3.0 out of 5.0

EP1826: Dragnet: The Big Couple

Jack Webb
Friday and Romero search for a husband and wife con artist team.

Original Air Date: February 22, 1951

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EP1825: Yours Truly Johnny Dollar: The Baldero Matter

Bob Bailey
Johnny investigates a case of modern-day pirates boarding a yacht at sea.

Original Air Date: March 15, 1959

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EP1824: ABC Mystery Theater: The Case of the Cancelled Bride

A socialite is murdered after announcing her engagement. Inspector Mark Saber of the Homicide Squad investigates.

Original Air Date: October 10, 1951

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EP1823: Philip Marlowe: Life Can Be Murder

Gerald Mohr
Marlowe meets a beautiful woman at an English pub, drops her off at a ritzy house, and is called when a dead body is found at the house.

Original Air Date: July 21, 1951

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EP1822: The Avenger: The Melody of Murder

A man is shot suddenly while standing near his wife who is blamed for the killing.

Original Air Date: December 13, 1945

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EP1821: Michael Shayne: Signed REM

Wally Maher
Mike gets a letter that appears to be a crank cry for help but then finds a shrunken head in his PO Box.

Original Air Date: September 3, 1945

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EP1820s: Straight Arrow: The Long of Summer

Howard Culver
A gang of outlaws plots to thwart peace talks between Indians and Settlers and it’s up to Straight Arrow to stop them.

Original Air Date: June 21, 1951

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Audiobook Review: Box Thirteen: Adventure Wanted


Box 13 was one of the best syndicated radio programs of all time and was one of the first five programs I did on the Great Detectives of Old Time Radio. It was a syndicated series starring Alan Ladd which ran for fifty-two episodes. In it, reporter-turned mystery writer Dan Holiday finds plots for his stories based on responses to his ad that he runs in the Star Times, “Adventure wanted, will go anywhere, will do anything. Write Box 13 C/O Star Times.”

Box 13 ended only because there had been a large enough number of episodes produced for a syndication package. The number of plots that could be produced from the idea were virtually unlimited. Radio Archive has presented an audiobook read by Nick Santa Maria containing six new short stories featuring new adventures with Dan Holiday based on letters he received from Box 13.

“The Mystery of the Menacing Manuscript” has Dan Holiday going to a mystery weekend with a house full of jealous mystery writers at one of the premier publishing houses in the nation. The story has a fine setup and a nice atmosphere but the final twist turns it into a bit of a lecture and is disappointing.

“The Horror of the Plague Doctor” has an investor turning to Dan for help as an investor’s meeting he attended tends to turn to a blood bath at the hands of a man dressed like a plague doctor. It’s atmospheric and the sort of yarn that would have worked great on the radio. My only problem is that this one felt like it was re-purposed from a more traditional, period, hard-boiled story with the way Dan talked to Suzie in a couple places and also all the guns around his office.

“The Out of this World Affair” has a conspiracy theorist turning to Holiday for help as he believes in a conspiracy including little green men. Not really a story they would have done on radio, but that was because of the times. It’s very quirky and has some nice twists worked into it with a somewhat ambiguous ending.

“Room 13” is one of the more intriguing episodes. Dan is asked to share his soul with an android. However, there’s more than a crazy experiment going on with a robot as there’s also a beautiful lab assistant and a mobster mixed up in it. The story’s has some great twists and manages a noir story with potential science fiction elements.

“The Game’s Afoot, Mr. Holiday” has Dan Holiday receive a note challenging his detective skills and threatening a murder if he doesn’t solve it. He goes to the police for help and in one of the great moments of realism, the police can’t help with such a vague clue. The story has its good moments, but it also a lot of problems including some leaps in logic and an unsatisfying conclusion that adds up to the fact that the criminal really wasn’t all that great.

In “Kalidescope” Dan Holiday is sent eight five dollar bills with a request for help and ends up stumbling into an incredible web of intrigue with twins, lookalike wives, insanity, and a mysterious circus playbill. This is a superb story and I’d love to see it expanded into a novel or done with a full cast.

Overall, the stories were pretty good. My main criticism was it wasn’t necessary to explain the premise of Box 13 in every single story. Still, this was a decent effort. While they weren’t perfect, for listeners who’ve been waiting more than sixty-five years for more Dan Holiday adventures, Box Thirteen: Adventure Wanted is a welcomed release.

Rating: 4.0 out of 5.0

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EP1820: Dragnet: The Big Crime

Jack Webb
Friday and Romero search for two missing four-year-old girls and fear the worst.

Original Air Date: February 15, 1951

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EP1819: Yours Truly Johnny Dollar: The Net of Circumstance Matter

Bob Baily
Johnny arrives on the scene of the robbery where the truth is apparent, but is the official story really the truth?

Original Air Date: March 8, 1959

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EP1818: The Suspense: The Moonstone, Part Two

Peter Lawford
The search for the Moonstone is on. Mister Blake is helping lead the search and receiving an angry reaction from Rachel, who leaves the house refusing to speak to him.

Original Air Date: November 23, 1953

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EP1817: Philip Marlowe: The Dear Dead Days

Gerald Mohr
Marlowe is hired by an elderly widow to find her ex-chauffeur and ends up in a case involving a missing art collection.

Original Air Date: July 14, 1951

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EP1816: The Avenger: The Crypt of Thoth

A professor dies under mysterious circumstances in an Egyptian crypt.

Original Air Date: December 6, 1945

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