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Listen to “The Great Detectives Present Philip Marlowe” on Spreaker.

In 1939, Philip Marlowe debuted in the Raymond Chandler  novel The Big Sleep and the character quickly joined Sam Spade as one of the most iconic characters in the hard boiled school of detection.

While the first two Marlowe books to be adapted to film were actually starring the Falcon and Michael Shayne, Marlowe himself came to the  big screen in Murder My Sweet starring Dick Powell, which was followed by The Big Sleep with Humphrey Bogart, the two most beloved filmed Marlowe stories.  Marlowe would continue to appear in films, TV shows, and movies into the 1990s and be portrayed by actors such as Robert Montgomery, James Garner, Phil Carey, Robert Mitchum, Elliot Gould, Powers Booth, Danny Glover, and James Caan.

Perhaps the most accessible version of Marlowe was the radio program. NBC aired a Summer series in 1947 that stared Van Heflin and adapted Raymond Chandler short stories. The definitive radio version began a year later and starred Gerald Mohr who played Marlowe from 1948-50 and returned to the role for a 1951 Summer series.  Mohr’s run on Marlowe was one of radio’s best regarded acting performances. The series was known for its iconic opening:

Get this, and get it straight: Crime is a sucker’s road and those who travel it wind up in the gutter, the prison or the grave. There’s no other end … but they never learn!

Mohr was voted radio’s most popular actor for his performance by Radio and Television magazine.

Philip Marlowe was also the inspiration for overseas adaptations. In the 1970s and 1988, Ed Bishop, an American born actor, portrayed Marlowe in a series of adaptations for the BBC.  In 2011, the BBC issued a more gritty series of adaptations starring Toby Stephens

In addition, at least one novel Lady in the Lake was adapted in Australia, though little’s known about the adaptation.

While other characters have faded with time, Marlowe remains one of the great characters in world literature. His night in tarnished armor persona has been the inspiration for countless characters  both in and out of detective fiction, and the surviving radio episodes paint a great picture of this memorable character:

Episode Log:

Gerald Mohr (1914-68): Arguably, Mohr’s version of Marlowe is definitive both in terms of quality and quantity of performances.  His opening line from Philip Marlowe, “Get this, and get it straight: Crime is a sucker’s road and those who travel it wind up in the gutter, the prison or the grave. There’s no other end … but they never learn!” was among the best openings to any radio show and Mohr’s delivery made it happen in a way that few other actors could manage.

In addition to that Mohr was a frequent cast member on The Whistler making an astonishing number of appearances. When we were doing the program Rogue’s Galleryon the podcast, I was astonished at how many times, Mohr played the murderer.  Most weeks, Gerald Mohr character did it.  In addition to this Mohr played a murderer on The New Adventures of Nero Wolfe one week and then returned as perhaps the best Archie Goodwin on the series the next week.  Of course, his radio career was not all mayhem and mystery. He also played a recurring character as a charming French teacher on Our Miss Brooks. When producers availed themselves of Mohr’s services, they would be guaranteed to use him and often-a mark of his true talent.

Episode Log (right-click to download)

Lux Radio Theater Adaptations:

• Murder My Sweet (Original Air Date: June 11, 1945) with Dick Powell
• Lady in the Lake (Original Air Date: February 9, 1948) (with Robert Montgomery)

Hollywood Star Time Adaptation:

• Murder My Sweet (Original Air Date: June 8, 1946) with Dick Powell

Van Heflin Episodes:

• Red Wind (Original Air Date: June 17, 1947)
• Daring Young Dame on the Flying Trapeze* (Original Air Date: July 1, 1947)
• The King in Yellow (Original Air Date: July 8, 1947)
• Trouble is My Business (Original Air Date: August 5, 1947)
• Robin and the Hood* (Original AIr Date: August 19, 1947)

Gerald Mohr:

• The Red Wind (Original Air Date: September 26, 1948)
• Persian Slippers (Original Air Date: October 3, 1948)
• Panama Hit (Original Air Date: October 10, 1948)
• Where There’ s a Will Original Air Date: October 17, 1948)
• The Heart of Gold (Original Air Date: October 24, 1948)
• The Blue Burgonet* (Original Air Date: October 31, 1948)
• The Hard Way Out (Original Air Date: November 28, 1948)
• The Old Acquaintance (Original Air Date: December 26, 1948)
• The Restless Day (Original Air Date: January 8, 1949)
• The Black Halo (Original Air Date: January 15, 1949)
• The Orange Dog (Original Air Date: January 22, 1949)
• Easy Mark (Original Air Date: January 29, 1949)
• The Long Rope (Original Air Date:: February 5, 1949)
• The Lonesome Reunion (Original Air Date: February 12, 1949)
• Friend From Detroit (Original Air Date: March 5, 1949)
• The Grim Hunters (Original Air Date: March 12, 1949)
• Dancing Hands (Original Air Date: March 19, 1949)
• The Green Flame (Original Air Date: March 26, 1949)
• The Last Laugh (Original Air Date: April 2, 1949)
• The Name to Remember (Original Air Date: April 9, 1949)
• Heat Wave (Original Air Date: April 16, 1949)
• The Cloak of Kamehameha (Original Air Date: April 23, 1949)
• The Lady in the Mink (Original Air Date: April 30, 1949)
• The Feminine Touch (Original Air Date: May 7, 1949)
• The Promise to Pay (Original Air Date: May 14, 1949)
• Night Tide (Original Air Date: May 21, 1949)
• The Ebony Link (Original Air Date: May 28, 1949)
• The Unfair Lady (Original Air Date: June 4, 1949)
• The Pigeon’s Blood (Original Air Date: June 11, 1949)
• The Busy Body (Original Air Date: June 18, 1949)
• The Key Man (Original Air Date: June 25, 1949)
• The Dude from Manhattan (Original Air Date: July 2, 1949)
• The Headless Peacock (Original Air Date: July 16, 1949)
• Mexican Boat Ride (Original Air Date: July 30, 1949)
• The August Lion (Original Air Date: August 6, 1949)
• The Indian Giver (Original Air Date: August 13, 1949)
• The Lady Killer (Original Air Date: August 20, 1949)
• The Eager Witness (Original Air Date: August 27, 1949)
• Bum’s Rush (Original Air Date: September 3, 1949)
• The Rustin Hickory (Original Air Date: September 10, 1949)
• The Baton Sinister (Original Air Date: September 17, 1949)
• The Fatted Calf (Original Air Date: September 24, 1949)
• The Tale of the Mermaid (Original Air Date: October 1, 1949)
• The Open Window (Original Air Date: October 8, 1949)
• The Strangle Hold (Original Air Date: October 15, 1949)
• The Smokeout (Original Air Date: October 22, 1949)
• The Green Witch (Original Air Date: October 29, 1949)
• The Fine Italian Hand (Original Air Date: November 5, 1949)
• Birds on the Wing (Original Air Date: November 26, 1949)
• Kid on the Corner (Original Air Date: December 3, 1949)
• The Little Wishbone (Original Air Date: December 10, 1949)
• The House that Jacqueline Built (Original Air Date: December 31, 1949)
• The Torch Carriers (Original Air Date: January 7, 1950)
• The Covered Bridge (Original Air Date: January 14, 1950)
• The Bid for Freedom (Original Air Date: January 21, 1950)
• The Hairpin Turn (Original Air Date: January 28, 1950)
• The Long Arm (Original Air Date: February 7, 1950)
• The Grim Echo (Original Air Date: February 14, 1950)
• Ladies Night (Original Air Date: February 21, 1950)
• The Big Step (Original Air Date: February 28, 1950)
• The Monkey’s Uncle (Original Air Date: March 7, 1950)
• The Vital Statistic (Original Air Date: March 14, 1950)
• The Deep Shadow (Original Air Date: March 21, 1950)
• The Sword of Cebu (Original Air Date: March 28, 1950)
• The Man on the Roof (Original Air Date: April 4, 1950)
• The Anniversary Gift (Original Air Date: April 11, 1950) (William Conrad substituting)
• The Angry Eagle (Original Air Date:April 18, 1950)
• The High Collared Cape (Original Air Date: April 25, 1950)
• The Sea Horse Jockey (Original Air Date: May 2, 1950)
• The Hiding Place (Original Air Date: May 9, 1950)
• The Cloak of Kamehameha (Original Air Date: May 16, 1950)
• The Fox’s Tail (Original Air Date: May 23, 1950)
• The Bedside Manner (Original Air Date: May 30, 1950)
• The Uneasy Head* (Original Air Date: June 6, 1950)
• Face to Forget (Original Air Date: June 14, 1950)
• The Gold Cobra (Original Air Date: June 21, 1950)
• The Pelican’s Roost (Original Air Date: June 28, 1950)
• The Girl from Pitchfork Corners (Original Air Date: July 5, 1950)
• The Iron Coffin (Original Air Date: July 12, 1950)
• The Last Wish (Original Air Date:July 19, 1950)
• The Glass Donkey (Original Air Date: July 28, 1950)
• The Parrot’s Bed (Original Air Date: August 4, 1950)
• The Quiet Magpie (Original Air Date: August 11, 1950)
• The Dark Tunnel (Original Air Date: August 18, 1950)
• The Collector’s Item (Original Air Date: August 25, 1950)
• The Fifth Mask (Original Air Date: September 8, 1950)
• The Final Payment (Original Air Date: September 15, 1950)
• The White Carnation (Original Air Date: September 22, 1950)
• The Big Book (Original Air Date: September 29, 1950)
• A Seaside Sabbatical (Original Air Date: July 7, 1951)
• The Dear Dead Days (Original Air Date: July 14, 1951)
• Life Can Be Murder (Original Air Date: July 21, 1951)
• The Good Neighbor Policy (Original Air Date: July 28, 1951)
• The Long Way Home (Original Air Date: August 4, 1951)
• The Young Man’s Fancy (Original Air Date: August 18, 1951)
• Heir for G-String (Original Air Date: August 25, 1951)
• Nether Nether Land (Original Air Date: September 1, 1951)
• The Medium Was Rare (Original Air Date: September 8, 1951)
• Sound and Unsound (Original Air Date: September 15, 1951)

Log information: Courtesy of the Digital Deli

*Played Out of Order