Listen to “The Great Detectives Present The Falcon” on Spreaker.

The Falcon may have the most confusing literary backstory of any radio detective. Two different fictional detectives created in the late 30s or early went by the name “The Falcon,” one created by Drexel Drake, with the name Michael Wingate; the other created by Michael Arlen, with the name Gay Stanhope Falcon.

Then, in the 1940s, there was a series of films featuring The Falcon, with George Sanders initially in the lead as Gay Stanhope Lawrence, a nod to the Michael Arlen version of The Falcon. Several radio series followed, with the lead character being known as Michael Waring, and crediting the Drexel Drake version of The Falcon. However, as Kevin Burton Smith notes on the Thrilling Detectives website, “they weren’t shy about insinuating that their Falcon was also the hero of the RKO films, and I’m sure both the radio shows and the movies benefited from the confusion.” As Smith notes, as much interest as this might be to researchers, it didn’t matter a whole lot to audiences, who enjoyed the films and the radio shows throughout the 1940s, even as the Falcon’s portrayal ranged from freelance adventurerer to hard-boiled private eye to US espionage agent.

The various radio incarnations of The Falcon aired off and on over twelve years, from 1943-54, with five different actors playing the role: Barry Kroeger, James Meighan, Les Tremayne, Les Damon, and George Petrie. The series originated in New York, except for a two-year period where it originated from the Don Lee Mutual studios in Hollywood over the Mutual Network.

About the Stars:

James Meighan (1903-1970): Meighan kept busy in the 1920s on Broadway and then became a mainstay of the New York radio acting community. He played the titular role in Alias Jimmy Valentine and starred in Special Agent. He also played major roles in the long-running soaps Mary Noble, Backstage Wife and Just Plain Bill. 

Les Tremayne (1913-2003): There are few actors with more colorful careers than Les Tremayne. Tremayne started in radio in the 1930s, with his big break coming as the male lead in the soap The Romance of Helen Trent. Even greater fame followed when he replaced Don Ameche as the star of The First Nighter Program. Tremayne starred as three different radio detectives: Nick Charles in The Adventures of the Thin Man; Pat Abbott in the original lost 1940s iteration of The Adventures of the Abbotts; and as The Falcon.  He also shared a comedy/variety program with Jackie Gleason and hosted a breakfast talk show with his second wife.

Then came his career on television and film in the 1950s and 60s.  He had a recurring role as Inspector Richard Queen on The Further Adventures of Ellery Queen and appeared in a seemingly endless list of TV guest star spots on everything from The Andy Griffith Show to The Rifleman, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Dr. Kildare,  and The Alfred Hitchock Hour. He also landed small parts in major films like Goldfinger and North by Northwest, while also being enlisted in low-budget cult films such as King Kong v. Godzilla, The Slime People, War Between the Planets, and Creature of Destruction. He was also involved in a variety of animated projects into the 1990s, including Mister Magoo, Scooby Doo, The Smurfs, Johny Quest, Rainbow Brite, and The Star Stealer, and Daffy Duck’s Fantasy Island. He also played the TV original character Mentor in the 1970s live action children’s TV series Shazam.  

He appeared on several radio revival drama programs in 1970s, including Zero Hour, The CBS Radio Mystery Theater, and The Sears Radio Theater. He was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 1995.

 

Les Damon (1908-62): Damon broke into stage acting in the 1930s, touring with numerous stock companies, including an old apprenticeship with the Old Vic in Lambeth. On returning to the US, Damon found a new career in radio and made his mark. Few men landed on as many detective shows as Les Damon. He was Nick Charles in the Thin Man, and the vast majority of existing The Falcon recordings feature Damon. He was also Inspector Mark Sabre on ABC’s Mystery Theater, the second Pat Abbott in NBC’s Adventures of the Abbotts, and the last Captain Kennelly on 21st Precinct. He also worked in the daytime soaps, starring in The Right to Happiness. In addition to this, Damon made appearances in the sci-fi anthologies Dimension X and X Minus One. Damon’s radio career was interrupted for service in the Air Force. Damon was decorated with the Bronze Star for his service.

 

George Petrie (1912-97): Petrie was a radio, television, and screen actor who had starring roles in detective radio dramas The Falcon, Call the Police, and The Amazing Mr. Malone.  He also became a regular on TV soaps such as Search for Tomorrow and The Edge of Night. His last TV role was as a recurring character on the 1990s sitcom Mad About You. 

 

Radio Episode Log:

James Meighan Episodes:

• Murder Knows No Borderline (Original Air Date: November 13, 1945)
• Murder is a Family Affair (Original Air Date: November 27, 1945)

Les Tremayne: Episodes:

• Murder is a Bad Bluff (Original Air Date: November 1, 1948)
• Murder is a Knock Out (Original Air Date, February 20, 1949)

Les Damon Episodes:

• The Amourous Bookkeeper (Original Air Date: May 14, 1950)
• The Case of the Quarrelsome Quartet (Original Air Date: September 3, 1950)
• The Case of the Worried Champion (Original Air Date: September 10, 1950)
• The Case of the Friendly Target (Original Air Date: September 24, 1950)
• The Case of the Talented Twin (Original Air Date: October 1, 1950)
• The Case of the Careless Client (Original Air Date: October 15, 1950)
• The Case of the Double Nephews (Original Air Date: October 22, 1950)
• The Case of the Double Exposure (Original Air Date: October 29, 1950)
• The Case of the Rich Racketeer (Original Air Date: November 5, 1950)
• The Case of the Widow’s Gorilla (Original Air Date: November 12, 1950)
• The Case of the Puzzling Pin-Up (Original Air Date: November 19, 1950)
• The Case of the Stooge’s Errand (Original Air Date: November 26, 1950)
• The Case of the Harried Husband (Original Air Date: December 3, 1950)
• The Case of the Raw Deal (Original Air Date: December 10, 1950)
• The Case of the Baby Brother (Original Air Date: December 17, 1950)
• The Case of the Invisible Thug (Original Air Date: January 7, 1951)
• The Case of the Happy Hoodlum (Original Air Date: January 14, 1951)
• The Case of the Substitute Target (Original Air Date: January 21, 1951)
• The Case of the Bellicose Boxer (Original Air Date: January 28, 1951)
• The Case of the Neighbor’s Nightmare (Original Air Date: February 4, 1951)
• The Case of the Mighty Muscle (Original Air Date: February 11, 1951)
• The Case of the Superfluous Murder (Original Air Date: February 18, 1951)
• The Case of the Practical Choker (Original Air Date: February 25, 1951)
• The Case of the Gangster’s Girl (Original Air Date: March 4, 1951)
• The Case of the Unsilent Butler (Original Air Date: March 11, 1951)
• The Case of the Witty Widow (Original Air Date: March 18, 1951)
• The Case of the Talented Texan (Original Air Date: March 25, 1951)
• The Case of the Worried Wife (Original Air Date: April 1, 1951)
• The Case of the Carved Ham (Original Air Date: April 8, 1951)
• The Case of the Shopkeeper’s Gun (Original Air Date: April 15, 1951)
• The Case of the Missing Miss (Original Air Date: April 22, 1951)
• The Case of the Big Talker (Original Air Date: April 29, 1951)
• The Case of the Curious Cop (Original Air Date: May 20, 1951)
• The Case of the Unwelcome Wife (Original Air Date: May 27, 1951)
• The Case of the Proud Papa (Original Air Date: June 6, 1951)
• The Case of the Sweet Swindle (Original Air Date:June 13, 1951)
• The Case of the Broken Fingerprint (Original Air Date: June 20, 1951)
• The Case of the Nervous Shakedown (Original Air Date: June 27, 1951)
• The Case of Everybody’s Gun (Original Air Date: July 4, 1951)
• The Case of the Vanishing Varmint (Original Air Date: July 11, 1951)
• The Case of the Cautious Cousin (Original Air Date: July 18, 1951)
• The Case of Plenty Twenty (Original Air Date: July 25, 1951)
• The Case of the Hypocritical Hypo (Original Air Date: August 1, 1951)
• The Case of the Loose Lip (Original Air Date: August 15, 1951)
• The Case of the Beautiful Bait (Original Air Date: August 22, 1951)
• The Case of the Missing Patient (Original Air Date: February 17, 1952)
• The Case of the Gold Ring (Original Air Date: February 21, 1952)
• The Case of the Natural Seven (Original Air Date: March 2, 1952)
• The Case of the Killer’s Key (Original Air Date: March 9, 1952)
• The Case of the Grand Gamble (Original Air Date: March 16, 1952)
• The Case of the Murdering Missus (Original Air Date: March 23, 1952)
• The Case of the Happy Helpmate (Original Air Date: April 13, 1952)
• The Case of the Jumping Jack (Original Air Date: April 10, 1952)
• The Case of the Weeping Willow (Original Air Date: April 27, 1952)
• The Case of the Fatal Fix (Original Air Date: May 4, 1952)
• The Case of the King of Hearts (Original Air Date: May 11, 1952)
• The Case of the Shooting Star (Original Air Date: May 18, 1952)
• The Case of the Happy Hoodlum (Original Air Date: May 25, 1952)
• The Case of the Burning Bridges (Original Air Date: June 1, 1952)
• The Case of the Dirty Dollar (Original Air Date: June 8, 1952)
• The Case of the Vanishing Visa (Original Air Date: June 19, 1952)
• The Case of the Menacing Mamselle (Original Air Date: June 26, 1952)
• The Case of the Babbling Brooks (Original Air Date: July 6, 1952)
• The Case of the Running Waters (Original Air Date: July 13, 1952)
• The Case of the King Clubs (Original Air Date: July 17, 1952)
• The Case of the Broken Key (Original Air Date: July 27, 1952)
• The Case of the Lonely Hunter (Original Air Date: July 31, 1952)
• The Case of the Rolling Stones (Original Air Date: August 10, 1952)
• The Case of the Gorgeous Greek (Original Air Date: August 17, 1952)
• The Case of the Silent Butler (Original Air Date: August 24, 1952)
• The Case of the Careless Corpse (Original Air Date: August 31, 1952)
• The Case of the Jack of Diamonds (Original Air Date: September 7, 1952)
• The Case of the Strawberry Blonde (Original Air Date: September 14, 1952)

George Petrie Episodes:

• The Case of the Treacherous Trio (Original Air Date: June 15, 1953)
• The Case of the Ace of Spades (Original Air Date: June 22, 1953)
• The Case of the Faded Rose (Original Air Date: July 6, 1953)
• The Case of the Disguised Murder (Original Air Date: 1953-4)
• The Case of the Wandering Wife (Original Air Date: February 8, 1954)
• The Case of the Big Fix (Original Air Date: April 12, 1954)
• The Case of the Snappy Snapshot (Original Air Date: May 31, 1954)

Christmas episode played out of Order:

• The Case of the Unwelcome Christmas Present (Original Air Date: December 24, 1950)

End of Log