Tag: OTR Mystery

Dragnet: The Big Impression (EP5094)

Todays Mystery: Sergeant Joe Friday and his partner Frank Smith investigate the robbery of an elderly diamond dealer who was lured to a hotel room and assaulted by a seemingly respectable businessman. With more than $150,000 in diamonds missing, the detectives struggle to locate the thief until a suspect is caught attempting to sell some of the stolen stones. However, the suspect’s unusual appetite for fine dining complicates their efforts to uncover the truth.

Original Radio Broadcast Date: August 7, 1952

Originating from Hollywood

Cast:

  • Jack Webb as Sergeant Joe Friday

  • Vic Perrin as Sergeant Frank Smith

  • Herb Ellis

  • Vic Rodman

  • John Robinson — writer

  • Walter Schumann — music

  • Hal Gibney — announcer

Support the show monthly at patreon.greatdetectives.net

Patreon Supporter of the Day:Daniel, Patreon supporter since August 2024.

Support the show on a one-time basis at http://support.greatdetectives.net.

Mail a donation to: Adam Graham, PO Box 15913, Boise, Idaho 83715

Take the listener survey…http://survey.greatdetectives.net

Give us a call 208-991-4783

Become one of ourfriends on Facebook.

Follow us on Instagram at http://instagram.com/greatdetectives

Follow us on Twitter@radiodetectives

Join us again tomorrow for another detective drama from the Golden Age of Radio.

Broadway’s My Beat: The Bob Foster Murder Case (EP5093)

Larry Thor

Today’s Mystery:

A demolition crew uncovers a skeleton beneath the cellar floor of a former nightclub, along with a satchel containing more than $1,000. The dead man appears to have been murdered five years earlier, but the discovery raises troubling questions about a missing partner, a vanished dancer, and a crime that may not be finished claiming victims. Detective Danny Clover follows a trail of old grudges and buried secrets—but someone is determined to keep the past hidden.

Original Radio Broadcast Date: November 8, 1952

Originating from Hollywood

Cast:

  • Larry Thor as Detective Danny Clover
  • Charles Calvert as Sergeant Gino Tartaglia
  • Jack Kruschen as Mugavan
  • Mary Jane Croft as Aggie Blaine
  • Sheldon Leonard as Joe Turner
  • James McCallion
  • Ted Bliss
  • Martha Wentworth
  • Peter Leeds

Support the show monthly at https://patreon.greatdetectives.net

Patreon Supporter of the Day: Tim, a Patreon supporter since August 2020

Support the show on a one-time basis at http://support.greatdetectives.net

Mail a donation to: Adam Graham, PO Box 15913, Boise, Idaho 83715

Take the listener survey at http://survey.greatdetectives.net

Give us a call at 208-991-4783

Follow us on Instagram at http://instagram.com/greatdetectives

Follow us on Twitter @radiodetectives

Join us again tomorrow for another detective drama from the Golden Age of Radio.

Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar: The Little Man Who Was Their Matter (EP5090)

Bob Bailey

Today’s Mystery:

Insurance investigator Johnny Dollar is called to investigate the disappearance of Howard L. Edwards, a man presumed dead after his car plunged into the Hudson River. With $100,000 in insurance benefits at stake, the evidence points to a carefully planned disappearance. But when Johnny uncovers suspicious details and a trail of missing papers, he begins to suspect that something far more sinister has happened.

Original Radio Broadcast Date: September 20, 1959

Originating from Hollywood

Cast:

  • Bob Bailey as Johnny Dollar
  • Virginia Gregg
  • Larry Dobkin
  • Ralph Moody
  • Gil Stratton
  • Herb Weigand
  • Vic Perrin

Support the show monthly at patreon.greatdetectives.net

Patreon Supporter of the Day: Lawrence, a Patreon supporter since January 2025

Support the show on a one-time basis at http://support.greatdetectives.net

Mail a donation to: Adam Graham, PO Box 15913, Boise, Idaho 83715

Take the listener survey at http://survey.greatdetectives.net

Give us a call at 208-991-4783

Follow us on Instagram at http://instagram.com/greatdetectives

Follow us on Twitter @radiodetectives

Join us again tomorrow for another detective drama from the Golden Age of Radio.

Dragnet: The Big Signet (EP5089)

Today’s Mystery:

Sergeant Joe Friday and his partner Frank Smith investigate an armed robbery at a Los Angeles restaurant in which an elderly owner is brutally beaten and a valuable family heirloom stolen. Although one robber is shot by police, his accomplice escapes, leaving the detectives to track him down.

Original Radio Broadcast Date: July 31, 1952

Originating from Hollywood

Cast:

  • Jack Webb as Sgt. Joe Friday
  • Herb Ellis as Sgt. Frank Smith
  • Vic Perrin
  • Virginia Gregg
  • Harry Bartell
  • Ralph Moody
  • Jim Moser, writer
  • Walter Schumann, music
  • Technical advice from the office of Chief W.H. Parker
  • Captain Jack Donahue, Sgt. Marty Wynn, and Sgt. Vance Brasher, addt’l technical advisors
  • Hal Gibney, announcer

Support the show monthly at patreon.greatdetectives.net

Patreon Supporter of the Day:

Support the show on a one-time basis at http://support.greatdetectives.net.

Mail a donation to: Adam Graham, PO Box 15913, Boise, Idaho 83715

Take the listener survey at http://survey.greatdetectives.net

Give us a call at 208-991-4783

Follow us on Instagram at http://instagram.com/greatdetectives

Follow us on Twitter @radiodetectives

Join us again tomorrow for another detective drama from the Golden Age of Radio.

Dragnet: The Big Hate (EP5084)

Today’s Mystery:

Sergeant Joe Friday and his partner Frank Smith investigate the death of a 52-year-old music teacher whose body is discovered in an abandoned freight car, cradled in the arms of a young man who refuses to explain what happened. When the young man finally confesses to killing her, the detectives struggle to understand why he would murder a woman he claims to have loved deeply and who had devoted years to nurturing his musical ambitions.

Original Radio Broadcast Date: July 10, 1952

Originating from Hollywood

Cast:

  • Jack Webb as Sgt. Joe Friday

  • Herb Ellis as Sgt. Frank Smith

  • Vic Perrin

  • Harry Bartell

  • Joyce McCluskey

  • Jim Moser, writer

  • Walter Schumann, music

  • Technical advice from the office of Chief W.H. Parker

  • Captain Jack Donahoe, Sgt. Marty Wynn, and Sgt. Vance Brasher, technical advisors

  • George Fenneman, announcer

Support the show monthly at patreon.greatdetectives.net

Patreon Supporter of the Day: Dolly, Patreon supporter since November 2025.

Support the show on a one-time basis at http://support.greatdetectives.net

Mail a donation to: Adam Graham, PO Box 15913, Boise, Idaho 83715

Take the listener survey at http://survey.greatdetectives.net

Give us a call at 208-991-4783

Follow us on Instagram at http://instagram.com/greatdetectives

Follow us on Twitter @radiodetectives

Join us again tomorrow for another detective drama from the Golden Age of Radio.

Charlie Chan: The Landini Murder Case – Who Killed Dr. Swan? / The Missing Key (EP5080e)

In this episode, we continue our journey through the surviving episodes of Charlie Chan’s Landini Murder Case, a 39-part serialized mystery based on Earl Derr Biggers’ final Charlie Chan novel, The Keeper of the Keys. This second omnibus brings together two more chapters from the original serial, continuing Charlie Chan’s investigation into the murders surrounding the guests at Pine View. Part 2 features “Who Killed Dr. Swan?” and “The Missing Key.”

Original Radio Broadcast Date:

Originating from Sydney

Cast

  • William Rees as Charlie Chan
  • Rodney Jacobs
  • Don Holt — Sheriff
  • Hugh Beaton
  • Miss Beaton
  • John Ryder
  • Louis Romano
  • Ah Sing
  • Mrs. O’Farrell
  • Dr. Swan
  • Ellen Landini
  • Cecile
  • Arsene

Who Killed Dr. Swan?

Charlie Chan faces a new murder at Pine View when Dr. Swan, a suspected blackmailer, is found dead in an unoccupied house. With the guests already under suspicion in Ellen Landini’s murder, Chan investigates a conversation overheard on the night of the crime that could change the course of the case. But as questions about alibis and the missing house key emerge, the list of possible suspects grows.

The Missing Key

The search for Dr. Swan’s killer leads Charlie Chan to a missing key that may reveal who entered the house on the night of the murder. As Chan questions the household and examines the motives surrounding Landini’s estate, suspicion falls on those who may stand to benefit from her death. Then, during a search near the murder scene, Chan makes a discovery in the snow that could prove crucial to the investigation.

Support the show monthly at https://patreon.greatdetectives.net

Patreon Supporter of the Day:

Support the show on a one-time basis at http://support.greatdetectives.net.

Mail a donation to: Adam Graham, PO Box 15913, Boise, Idaho 83715

Take the listener survey at http://survey.greatdetectives.net

Give us a call at 208-991-4783

Follow us on Instagram at http://instagram.com/greatdetectives

Follow us on Twitter @radiodetectives

Join us again tomorrow for another detective drama from the Golden Age of Radio.

Dragnet: The Big Trio (EP5079)

Today’s Mystery:

On the eve of the Fourth of July weekend, Joe Friday and Frank Smith are assigned to Accident Investigation and confront the devastating consequences of reckless driving when a 16-year-old takes his father’s car on a high-speed ride through Los Angeles. As the holiday begins, a succession of traffic calls illustrates how quickly carelessness, alcohol, and poor judgment can turn an ordinary drive into tragedy.

Original Radio Broadcast Date: July 3, 1952

Originating from Hollywood

Cast:

  • Jack Webb as Sgt. Joe Friday
  • Herb Ellis as Frank Smith
  • Vic Perrin
  • Stacy Harris
  • Vic Rodman
  • Jim Moser, writer
  • Walter Schumann, music
  • Technical advice from the office of Chief W.H. Parker
  • Captain Jack Donahoe, Sgt. Marty Wynn, and Sgt. Vance Brasher, technical advisors
  • Hal Gibney, announcer

Support the show monthly at patreon.greatdetectives.net

Patreon Supporter of the Day: Splinator, Patreon supporter since August 2024

Support the show on a one-time basis at http://support.greatdetectives.net

Mail a donation to: Adam Graham, PO Box 15913, Boise, Idaho 83715

Take the listener survey at http://survey.greatdetectives.net

Give us a call at 208-991-4783

Follow us on Instagram at http://instagram.com/greatdetectives

Follow us on Twitter @radiodetectives

Join us again tomorrow for another detective drama from the Golden Age of Radio.

Broadway’s My Beat: The Robert Turk Murder Case (EP5078)

Larry Thor

Today’s Mystery:

Danny Clover investigates the apparent suicide of Robert Turk, a devotee of occult rituals who has been found with his throat cut after a former member of his cult, Maura Spencer, makes a frantic call to police. When Maura’s fiancé dies soon afterward, under suspicious circumstances, Danny begins examining the strange pattern of deaths surrounding her and the unsettling role that superstition and black magic seem to play in them.

Original Radio Broadcast Date: October 18, 1952

Originating from Hollywood

Cast:

  • Larry Thor as Detective Danny Clover
  • Charles Calvert as Sgt. Gino Tartaglia
  • Jack Kruschen as Sgt. Muggavan
  • Sammy Hill as Maura Spencer
  • Lee Millar
  • Truda Marson
  • Lou Merrill
  • Morton Fine and David Friedkin, writers
  • Elliott Lewis, director
  • Alexander Courage, composer and conductor
  • Bill Anders, announcer

Support the show monthly at https://patreon.greatdetectives.net

Patreon Supporter of the Day: Bruce, Patreon supporter since July 202

Support the show on a one-time basis at http://support.greatdetectives.net

Mail a donation to: Adam Graham, PO Box 15913, Boise, Idaho 83715

Take the listener survey at http://survey.greatdetectives.net

Give us a call at 208-991-4783

Follow us on Instagram at http://instagram.com/greatdetectives

Follow us on Twitter @radiodetectives

Join us again tomorrow for another detective drama from the Golden Age of Radio.

The Landini Murder Mystery Omnibus, Part 1 (Ep5075e)


Today’s Mystery:

In this episode, we begin our journey through the surviving episodes of Charlie Chan’s Landini Murder Case, a 39-part serialized mystery based on Earl Derr Biggers’ final Charlie Chan novel, The Keeper of the Keys. This omnibus brings together the commentary and surviving episodes from the original serial, allowing listeners to experience the story in a much shorter format. Part 1 features Episodes 7 and 8, “The Chinese Suspect” and “A Barking Dog.”

Original Radio Broadcast Date: 1935–1936

Originating from Sydney

Starring: William Rees as Charlie Chan, Rodney Jacobs

The Chinese Suspect

Charlie Chan arrives at Pine View to assist wealthy Dudley Ward with a family mystery, but events take a deadly turn when Ellen Landini is found murdered. With everyone ordered to remain at the estate, Chan begins searching for answers among a house full of suspects. Then, in the darkness outside, he spots someone quietly leaving the house—and follows.

Original Air Date: 1935–1936

A Barking Dog

Charlie Chan’s investigation into Ellen Landini’s murder takes a closer look at the servants, the crime scene, and a timeline that doesn’t quite add up. When crucial fingerprints have been wiped away, Chan is left with fewer answers—and one suspect who can’t account for his whereabouts. But is that enough to identify the killer?

Original Air Date: 1935–1936

Support the show monthly at https://patreon.greatdetectives.net

Patreon Supporter of the Day:

Support the show on a one-time basis at http://support.greatdetectives.net.

Mail a donation to: Adam Graham, PO Box 15913, Boise, Idaho 83715

Take the listener survey at http://survey.greatdetectives.net

Give us a call at 208-991-4783

Follow us on Instagram at http://instagram.com/greatdetectives

Follow us on Twitter @radiodetectives

Join us again tomorrow for another detective drama from the Golden Age of Radio.

The Big Story: Too Terrible to be Believed (EP5072)

Today’s Mystery:

Prince George’s County reporter Arthur Milky becomes suspicious when a young child dies at a nursery home and the medical examiner determines that the boy’s severe head injuries could not have been self-inflicted. When the woman running the home offers conflicting explanations for the injuries, Milky begins investigating both the child’s death and the operator’s troubling history, determined to uncover evidence strong enough to establish what really happened.

Original Radio Broadcast: January 27, 1954

Originating from New York

Cast:

  • Lyle Sudrow as Arthur Milky
  • Court Benson
  • Maurice Wells
  • Louis Van Rooten
  • Barbara Weeks
  • Joan Lorring
  • Ted Osborne

Support the show monthly at https://patreon.greatdetectives.net

Patreon Supporter of the Day: Stuart, Patreon supporter since November 2022.

Support the show on a one-time basis at http://support.greatdetectives.net

Mail a donation to: Adam Graham, PO Box 15913, Boise, Idaho 83715

Take the listener survey at http://survey.greatdetectives.net

Give us a call at 208-991-4783

Follow us on Instagram at http://instagram.com/greatdetectives

Follow us on Twitter @radiodetectives

Join us again tomorrow for another detective drama from the Golden Age of Radio.

Old Time Radio Snack Wagon Smorgasboard #3 (EP5070e)

In this episode, we serve up four classic old-time radio snacks, featuring a special Family Theater presentation for Citizenship Day, an episode of Family Doctor, a New Year’s drama from Guest Star, and a classic performance by Orson Welles.

Family Theater: Treasury of Homes

In honor of Citizenship Day, this episode features an excerpt from Family Theater, a dramatic anthology series that promoted family prayer and presented stories centered around American family life.

This excerpt, Treasury of Homes, celebrates the pioneers who settled the American West and the immigrants who came to the United States seeking a better life. The story follows the Simmons family as they search for a place to build their new home and dream of the community that will eventually grow around them.

The program also features a performance by John Charles Thomas singing The Homeland.

Original Air Date: February 14, 1951

Family Doctor: Error in Diagnosis

In this episode of Family Doctor, Dr. Grant Adams treats Griff Miller, an elderly man struggling to make the interest payment on the mortgage for his family boathouse.

When the mortgage holder, lawyer Ralph Bates, prepares to foreclose, Doc Adams comes up with an unusual solution. By convincing Bates that he has chicken pox and later poison oak, the country doctor buys Griff enough time to save his property.

The story offers a humorous look at the traditional image of the country doctor as a trusted community figure who cares for more than just his patients’ physical health.

Original Air Date: 1937

Guest Star: Time is Sacred

Spend New Year’s Eve with Bill Cooper and Louise Marston, two office workers who become trapped in an elevator when the power goes out.

As they realize that the elevator cable may not hold until help arrives, the two strangers discover that they have fallen in love. With midnight approaching, they face what may be their final moments together.

Starring Joan Leslie, this dramatic story combines romance, suspense, and a New Year’s message about recognizing the importance of time.

Original Air Date: December 26, 1948

Mercury Theatre: I’m a Fool

Orson Welles stars in this adaptation of Sherwood Anderson’s story I’m a Fool.

A young man attending a horse race attempts to impress a girl by pretending to be wealthy and claiming that his father owns one of the horses. His lies bring him closer to the girl, but as the evening comes to an end, he realizes the painful consequences of trying to be someone he isn’t.

This experimental Mercury Theatre broadcast presented three short stories in a single episode, making it an ideal example of the snack-sized radio storytelling featured on the Old Time Radio Snack Wagon.

Original Air Date: August 8, 1938

Subscribe to the Old Time Radio Snack Wagon at http://www.snackwagon.net or wherever you download your podcasts from.

Support the show on a one-time basis at http://support.greatdetectives.net.

Mail a donation to: Adam Graham, PO Box 15913, Boise, Idaho 83715

Take the listener survey at http://survey.greatdetectives.net

Give us a call at 208-991-4783

Follow us on Instagram at http://instagram.com/greatdetectives

Follow us on Twitter @radiodetectives

Join us again for another serving of old-time radio from the Golden Age of Radio.

The Saint: The Terrible TinType (EP5066)

Vincent Price

Today’s Mystery:

Simon Templar becomes involved in a murder mystery after discovering a dead man named Marsh. When a photograph that could provide an important clue goes missing, The Saint sets out to discover who killed Marsh and why someone is so determined to keep the picture from being found. Simon’s investigation leads him through a dangerous trail of deception as he searches for the missing photograph and the truth behind the murder.

Original Radio Broadcast Date:November 26, 1950.

Originating from Hollywood

Cast:

  • Vincent Price as Simon Templar
  • Joan Banks as Valerie Marsh
  • Lamont Johnson as Pete Bryan
  • Helen Parrish as Sally Blair
  • Ken Christie as Lieutenant Riley
  • Anna Hurley as Graves, the butler
  • Larry Dobkin as Louie

Support the show monthly at patreon.greatdetectives.net

Patreon Supporter of the Day: Peter, Patreon supporter since April 2020

Support the show on a one-time basis at http://support.greatdetectives.net

Mail a donation to: Adam Graham, PO Box 15913, Boise, Idaho 83715

Take the listener survey at http://survey.greatdetectives.net

Give us a call at 208-991-4783

Follow us on Instagram at http://instagram.com/greatdetectives

Follow us on Twitter @radiodetectives

Join us again tomorrow for another detective drama from the Golden Age of Radio.

Yours Truly Johnny Dollar: The Night in Paris Matter (EP5065)

Bob Bailey

Today’s Mystery:

Johnny Dollar travels to Paris after his underworld contact Louis de Marsac claims to know the whereabouts of the Olney diamonds, a three-quarter-million-dollar necklace stolen during its owner’s recent visit to the United States. But Johnny’s arrival is greeted by a ransacked apartment and a sudden assault, suggesting that recovering the jewels will mean navigating some dangerous figures in the Paris underworld.

Original Radio Broadcast Date: August 16, 1959.

Originating from Hollywood

Cast:

  • Bob Bailey as Johnny Dollar
  • Virginia Gregg
  • Forrest Lewis
  • G. Stanley Jones
  • Tony Barrett
  • Bill James
  • Gus Bay
  • Jack Johnstone, writer, producer, and director

When making your travel plans, remember http://johnnydollarair.com

Become one of our Patreon Supporters at https://patreon.greatdetectives.net

Thank you to our Patreon Supporter of the Day: Wendy, Patreon supporter since May 2019.

Take the listener survey at http://survey.greatdetectives.net

Give us a call at 208-991-4783

Follow us on Twitter @radiodetectives

Join us again tomorrow for another detective drama from the Golden Age of Radio.

Dragnet: The Big Donation (EP5064)

Today’s Mystery:

Sergeant Joe Friday and his partner Bill Lockwood investigate a group of confidence men posing as authorized solicitors for legitimate charities and pocketing the donations they collect. An early arrest appears promising until the suspect proves he merely copied the scheme, leaving Friday and Lockwood searching for the experienced bunco artists whose fraud is depriving charitable causes of badly needed funds.

Original Radio Broadcast Date: June 12, 1952

Originating from Hollywood

Cast:

  • Jack Webb as Sgt. Joe Friday
  • Ken Peters as Bill Lockwood
  • Virginia Gregg
  • Vic Rodman
  • Jim Moser, writer
  • Walter Schumann, music
  • Technical advice from the office of Chief W.H. Parker
  • Captain Jack Donahoe, Sgt. Marty Wynn, and Sgt. Vance Brasher, technical advisors
  • Hal Gibney, announcer

Support the show monthly at patreon.greatdetectives.net

Patreon Supporter of the Day: Sergey, Patreon Supporter since May 2020

Support the show on a one-time basis at http://support.greatdetectives.net.

Mail a donation to: Adam Graham, PO Box 15913, Boise, Idaho 83715

Take the listener survey at http://survey.greatdetectives.net

Give us a call at 208-991-4783

Follow us on Instagram at http://instagram.com/greatdetectives

Follow us on Twitter @radiodetectives

Join us again tomorrow for another detective drama from the Golden Age of Radio.

The Big Story: The Miracle Phone Call (EP5062)

Today’s Mystery:

Newspaper reporter Dorothy Patterson is contacted by the desperate mother of five-year-old Johnny McDermott, who is gravely ill and needs an expensive experimental treatment his family cannot afford. Despite warnings that readers won’t contribute thousands of dollars to help a child they don’t know, Dorothy puts her faith in the generosity of her community and uses her newspaper column to make an appeal on Johnny’s behalf.

Original Radio Broadcast: April 1, 1953

Originating from New York

Cast:

  • Jan Miner as Dorothy Patterson
  • Francis DeSales
  • Ted Osborne
  • Joey Fallon
  • Bobby Rick (probable identification)
  • Rae Terry
  • Brenna Rayburn
  • Bob Sloane, announcer

Support the show monthly at https://patreon.greatdetectives.net

Patreon Supporter of the Day: Christine, Patreon supporter since November 2023.

Support the show on a one-time basis at http://support.greatdetectives.net.

Mail a donation to: Adam Graham, PO Box 15913, Boise, Idaho 83715

Take the listener survey at http://survey.greatdetectives.net

Give us a call at 208-991-4783

Follow us on Instagram at http://instagram.com/greatdetectives

Follow us on Twitter @radiodetectives

Join us again tomorrow for another detective drama from the Golden Age of Radio.