The Silent Men

Listen to “The Great Detectives Present the Silent Men” on Spreaker.
In the 1940s and 1950s, there were two separate hit programs about the FBI: ABC’s This is Your FBI and CBS’ The FBI in Peace and War. However, there were numerous departments of the Federal Government that employed federal investigators who served the American people in a variety of ways whose stories remained far more obscure.

The Silent Men was created to tell the stories of these dedicated agents. Each week, star Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. played a different federal investigator in a story that was a tribute to the work of that particular agency. Some agencies featured (such as the CIA) would become more prominent in popular culture as time went on, but for 1951-52, The Silent Men was blazing trails in exploring the work of these agencies.

About the Star: 

Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.

Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. (1909-2000): Fairbanks was the son of silent film legend Douglas Fairbanks. Fairbanks established a significant legacy of his own in a career that spanned six decades on film, stage, television, and radio. Fairbanks starred in such films as Little Caesar, The Fighting O’Flynn, and The Great Manhunt. In 1960, he was honored with tree stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Television, Film, and Radio. In 1941, he received a commission in the U.S. Navy.  There he conceived of the idea of the Beach Jumpers, a military deception unit that would simulate invasions several kilometers from the actual invasion site to misdirect the enemy to their location rather than the actual invasion site.  For his service, Fairbank was awarded the Silver Star and the Legion of Merit among other medals and commendations.

Episode Log:

New Episode Posted Every Saturday

Log information courtesy of Digital Deli.