Listen to “The Great Detectives Present Keen and Company” on Spreaker.
Inspector Thorne was produced by the husband and wife radio team of Frank and Anne Hummert. They produced crime dramas like Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons, Mr. Chameleon, and Hearthstone of The Death Squad. However more than crime dramas, they were known for their soap operas such as The Romance of Helen Trent, Backstage Wife, John’s Other Wife, and Ma Perkins, as well as the comedy serial The Easy Aces. At their height, the Hummert’s produced ninety hours per week of radio programming most targeted at the homemakers of the 1930s and 50s. Their detective programs were no exception and all adhere to the same formula, including Inspector Thorne.
The one distinction with this series is Inspector Thorne claims to be a dumb cop but isn’t. Other than that, it’s the same as any Hummert mystery with most of the cases having good concepts, though the dialogue can tend towards melodrama.
About the Stars:
Karl Weber (1916-1990): Weber was a long-time radio, stage, and screen actor. He became a staple of many soap operas during the Golden Age of Radio and that would transfer over to television where he would be of several actors to play the role of Arthur Trent on Search for Tomorrow. Outside of soap operas, Weber’s best known radio role was the lead part in Dr. Sixgun. In addition to his acting, Weber recorded more than 200 audiobooks for the blind and served as President of the New York branch of The Screen Actors Guild.
Episode log:(right-click to download)
- The Fabulous Divorce Pay-Off Murder Case (Original Air Date: July 20, 1951)
- The Vacant Lot Murder Case (Original Air Date: July 27, 1951)
- Golden Girl Murder Case (Original Air Date: August 3, 1951)
- The Defrosted Refrigerator Murder Clue (Original Air Date: August 10, 1951)
- The High Style Murder Case (Original Air Date: August 17, 1951)
- The Mastermind Murder Case (Original Air Date: August 24, 1951)
- The Dark Cigarette Case (Original Air Date: August 31, 1951)
- The Nickles and Dimes Murder Case (Original Air Date: September 6, 1951)
- The Two Fiancées Murder Case (Original Air Date: September 13, 1951)
- The Empty Ashtray Murder Case (Original Air Date: September 20, 1951)
- The Society Writer Murder Case (Original Air Date: September 27, 1951)
Log Complete
Log source: Digital Deli FTP