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This special edition of The Great Detectives of Old Time Radio revisits seven standout episodes from the season, spanning police procedurals, true-crime reporting, wartime espionage, murder mysteries, and insurance investigations. The selections range from Dragnet and The Big Story to Cloak and Dagger, Broadway’s My Beat, The Saint, Proudly We Hail, and Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar.
Along the way, host Adam Graham revisits memorable performances, surprising plot developments, and the real-life stories behind some of the dramas. The compilation offers a varied look at classic radio storytelling, culminating in one of Johnny Dollar’s most extraordinary investigations.
The chapter times below come from the uploaded compilation notes. Origination locations follow your requested convention.
Featured Episodes
1. Dragnet — “The Big Hit and Run Killer”
November 8, 1951 • Originating from Hollywood
Plot Summary: Sergeant Joe Friday and his partner Ben Romero investigate a hit-and-run accident in which a speeding bakery truck strikes an elderly woman and her nine-year-old grandson in a pedestrian crosswalk. With no license plate number and only limited eyewitness information, the detectives must trace the vehicle and establish who was driving it.
Known Cast: Jack Webb as Sergeant Joe Friday; Barton Yarborough as Sergeant Ben Romero; Herb Butterfield. George Fenneman is also identified as the announcer
2. The Big Story — “The Cord Around Her Neck”
January 9, 1952 • Originating from New York
Plot Summary: When a woman is discovered murdered in her West Seattle home, West Seattle Herald reporter Stuart Whitehouse recognizes an opportunity to break a major story ahead of the city’s larger newspapers. With his weekly paper’s deadline approaching, Whitehouse follows the evidence in hopes of identifying the killer before the presses roll.
Known Cast: Nat Polen as Stuart Whitehouse; Margaret Burlen; Helen Barron; Larry Haines; Bill Griffiths; Bert Callen; John Becker; Steve Edders; Michael O’Day
3. Cloak and Dagger — “The Last Mission”
September 29, 1950 • Originating from New York
Plot Summary: In wartime Canton, China, a woman whose family has been murdered by Japanese military forces becomes involved with the Office of Strategic Services. Her personal tragedy leads to an unusual connection with American intelligence and a dangerous mission against the occupying forces.
Known Cast: Bryna Raeburn; Ian Martin; Arnold Moss; Ralph Bell; Raymond Edward Johnson; Karl Weber
4. Broadway’s My Beat — “The Lynn Halstead Murder Case”
January 19, 1952 • Originating from Hollywood
Plot Summary: Detective Danny Clover investigates when a young woman’s body is recovered from the river and identified by her grieving father. The case takes a bewildering turn when another woman appears, claiming to be the supposed murder victim. Clover must unravel the secrets surrounding a private secretary whose carefully concealed personal life makes identifying the dead woman only the beginning of the mystery.
Known Cast: Larry Thor as Lieutenant Danny Clover; Charles Calvert as Sergeant Gino Tartaglia; Jack Kruschen as Sergeant Muggavan; William Conrad as John Martin; Herb Butterfield as Dr. Halstead; Hy Averback; Joyce McCluskey; Bob Bruce
Production: Elliott Lewis, producer and director; Alexander Courage, composer and conductor
5. The Adventures of the Saint — “The Cake That Killed”
January 8, 1950 • Originating from Hollywood
Plot Summary: Simon Templar visits a bakery and encounters a distressed woman who gives him a cake under unusual circumstances. What begins as a seemingly innocent errand soon draws The Saint into a tangled affair involving theft and murder, where an ordinary baked good becomes the unlikely starting point for a criminal investigation.
Known Cast: Vincent Price as Simon Templar; Betty Lou Gerson; Peter Leeds; Dan O’Herlihy; Larry Dobkin; Theodore von Eltz
6. Proudly We Hail — “First Choice”
July 10, 1946 • Originating from Hollywood
Plot Summary: Powerful political figure Duke O’Hara stands on the verge of securing his party’s nomination for governor. But on the evening that should mark his greatest political triumph, an unexpected revelation threatens his ambitions and marriage. As the nomination celebration unfolds, O’Hara must confront a difficult choice between political success and his personal loyalties.
Known Cast: Clark Gable as Duke O’Hara
Production: C. P. MacGregor, producer, for the U.S. War Department
7. Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar — “The Glacier Ghost Matter”
May 12, 1957 • Originating from Hollywood
Plot Summary: Insurance investigator Johnny Dollar is called upon to verify the fate of a businessman who disappeared on the Palisades Glacier. Establishing whether the missing man is truly dead presents an extraordinary challenge, sending Johnny into treacherous mountain terrain in search of physical evidence that can settle the insurance claim.
Known Cast: Bob Bailey as Johnny Dollar; John Dehner; Herb Ellis; Virginia Gregg; Forrest Lewis; James McCallion; Tom Hanley; John James
Season wrap-up and thanks to listeners.
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Join us again tomorrow for another detective drama from the Golden Age of Radio.
