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. (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:

• The Big Sneak (Original Air Date: October 14, 1951)
• The Case of Rubber Gloves (Original Air Date: October 28, 1951)
• Death in the Mail (Original Air Date: November 4, 1951)
• The Transatlantic Push (Original Air Date: November 11, 1951)
• Heroin Source X (Original Air Date: November 18, 1951)
• The Roping of Joe Landis (Original Air Date: November 25, 1951)
• Death and Taxes (Original Air Date: December 2, 1951)
• Pirates, 20th Century Brand (Original Air Date: December 9, 1951)
• The Bogus G.I.(Original Air Date: December 16, 1951)
• Souvenirs of War (Original Air Date: December 23, 1951)
• Visas for Sale (Original Air Date: January 6, 1952)
• Little White Lies (Original Air Date: January 13, 1952)
• The Gigantic Hoax (Original Air Date: January 20, 1952)
• The Big Kill (Original Air Date: February 3, 1952)
• Blood Money (Original Air Date: February 10, 1952)
• Stolen Arsenal (Original Air Date: February 17, 1952)
• Confess or Die (Original Air Date: March 19, 1952)
• Murder in Vienna (Original Air Date: March 26, 1952)
• Trouble at Suez (Original Air Date: April 2, 1952)
• The College Fix (Original Air Date: April 9, 1952)
• The Torch (Original Air Date: April 16, 1952)
• Food and War (Original Air Date: April 23, 1952)
• Missing Masterpiece (Original Air Date: May 7, 1952)
• Miracle Cure for Cancer (Original Air Date: May 14, 1952)
• Sabotage (Original Air Date: May 21, 1952)
• The Green Sedan (Original Air Date: May 28, 1952)

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Log information courtesy of Digital Deli.