Bob Bailey & Virginia Gregg

The Great Detectives of Old Time Radio is a podcast featuring the best vintage detective radio programs. Each week from Monday through Saturday, we feature six of Old Time Radio's great detective series from the beginning of the show to its very last episode. And as a bonus, twice a month we also post a public domain movie or TV mystery or detective show video.

Along the way, I'll provide you my commentary and offer you opportunities to interact.

Subscribe to the show by clicking your favorite podcatcher in the sidebar.

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- Your host, Adam Graham

Listen to "The Great Detectives of Old Time Radio" on Spreaker.

Podcast

Tarzan: Fires of Thor – A Traitor’s Plan, A Pachyderm Remembers, Rooftop Escape

by Yours Truly Johnny Blogger • 0 Comments

Today’s Adventure:

As Tarzan’s public whipping erupts into chaos thanks to an unexpected ally, he, O’Rourke, and Kailuk make a desperate escape through the streets of Tor while trying to stay one step ahead of Ahtea’s warriors. Meanwhile, in Rator, Darno uncovers a shocking act of treachery that threatens the entire campaign against the White Queen.

Originating Radio Broadcast Date: 1936

Originating from Hollywood

Starring Carlton KaDell as Tarzan, Cy Kendall, Dale Nash, Ralph Scott, Barbara Luddy, Victor Rodman, and Jack Lewis

To subscribe to this podcast and follow more adventures of Tarzan go to greatadventures.info

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Patreon Supporter of the Day: Tom, Patreon supporter since August 2020.

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CBS, OTR Detective, Podcast, Yours Truly Johnny Dollar

Yours Truly Johnny Dollar: The Big H Matter

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Today’s Mystery:

After receiving a cryptic phone call from an elderly fan who fears for her life, Johnny Dollar flies to the California coast to investigate. What begins as a seemingly confused plea for help soon leads him into a dangerous operation involving smugglers, heroin traffickers, and a determined old woman who knows far too much.

Original Radio Broadcast Date: May 31, 1959

Originating from Hollywood

Starring Bob Bailey as Johnny Dollar

Also starring Peggy Weber, Virginia Gregg, Bartlett Robinson, Joseph Kearns, and Russell Thorson

Written, produced, and directed by Jack Johnstone

Announcer: Dan Cubberly

When making your travel plans, remember johnnydollarair.com

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Thank you to our Patreon Supporter of the Day: Rick, Patreon supporter since March 2020.

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

Dragnet, NBC, OTR Detective, Podcast

Dragnet: The Big Rose (EP5004)

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Today’s Mystery:

A woman with a history of trouble suddenly disappears, leaving behind four children and a trail of conflicting stories. As Joe Friday and Ed Jacobs dig deeper into the case, a missing person’s investigation turns into a homicide hunt where the truth may lie closer to home than anyone suspects.

Original Radio Broadcast Date: March 27, 1952

Originating from Hollywood

Starring: Jack Webb as Sergeant Joe Friday and Barney Phillips as Sergeant Ed Jacobs

Also featuring Virginia Gregg, Vic Perrin, and Herb Ellis

Script by Jim Moser

Music by Walter Schumann

Announcer: Hal Gibney

Technical advice from the Los Angeles Police Department

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Patreon Supporter of the Day: Nancy, Patreon supporter since March 2016

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

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Give us a call at 208-991-4783

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

Amazing World of Radio, Podcast

Lux Radio Theater: It Happened Tomorrow (AWR0300)

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This week in our summer series featuring old-time radio appearances by actors who later played killers on Columbo, we spotlight Anne Baxter. Baxter stars opposite Don Ameche in a whimsical fantasy set in 1896 about a young newspaper reporter who mysteriously gains access to tomorrow’s newspaper today. As he uses his knowledge of the future to advance his career and pursue romance at the dawn of the twentieth century, he discovers that knowing what’s coming next may be more dangerous than he ever imagined.

Original Radio Broadcast Date: July 3, 1944

Program: Lux Radio Theatre

Starring Don Ameche as Larry Stevens and Anne Baxter as Sylvia

Also featuring Norman Field, Eddie Marr, Griff Barnett, Leo Cleary, Ferdinand Munier, Cathy Lewis, Ken Christie, Charles Seal, Franklin Parker, Tyler McVey, Ed Emerson, and Herb Vigran

Produced by Cecil B. DeMille

Music directed by Louis Silvers

Announcer: John M. Kennedy

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Patreon Supporter of the Day: Adrienne, Patreon supporter since January 2020.

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Broadway's My Beat, CBS, OTR Detective, Podcast

Broadway’s My Beat: The Raymond Grant Murder Case (EP5003)

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Today’s Mystery:

When a milkman is found beaten to death outside a young graduate student’s apartment, Danny Clover discovers that the victim may have been profiting from secrets he learned on his delivery route. Before the key witness can tell what she knows, she is killed in a suspicious traffic accident, forcing Clover to untangle a web of blackmail, betrayal, and forbidden romance.

Original Radio Broadcast Date: February 16, 1952

Originating from Hollywood

Starring: Larry Thor as Lieutenant Danny Clover, Charles Calvert as Sergeant Gino Tartaglia, and Jack Kruschen as Sergeant Muggavan

Featured in the cast were Paula Winslowe as Myra Blair, Howard McNear as Robert Blair, Mary Lansing, Charlotte Lawrence, and Shepard Menken

Produced and directed by Elliott Lewis

Musical score composed and conducted by Alexander Courage

Announcer: Bill Anders

Support the show monthly at patreon.greatdetectives.net

Patreon Supporter of the Day: Jeff, Patreon supporter since December 2024

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

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

Take the listener survey at survey.greatdetectives.net

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

NBC, OTR Detective, Podcast, The Big Story

The Big Story: The Killer with the Mind of a Child (EP5002)

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Today’s Mystery:

When three people are murdered in a quiet Utah community, reporter T.R. Johnson finds himself drawn into the hunt for a killer who seems to vanish into the night. While police search the highways for a fugitive in a green sedan, Johnson follows a series of puzzling clues that suggest the murderer may be driven by something far more disturbing than ordinary criminal motives.

Original Radio Broadcast: November 29, 1950

Originating from New York

Starring John Sylvester as T.R. Johnson

Also featuring Jane Robin, Agnes Young, Amzie Strickland, Joan Shea, Owen Jordan, Meryl Jones, and Les Damon

Based on the reporting of T.R. Johnson of The Salt Lake Tribune

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Patreon Supporter of the Day: Colleen, Patreon supporter since March 2021.

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Give us a call at 208-991-4783

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

NBC, OTR Detective, Podcast, The Saint

The Saint: The Case of the Previewed Crime (EP5001)

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Today’s Mystery:

A mysterious intruder awakens Simon Templar in the middle of the night to describe what appears to be the perfect murder. When the wealthy financier at the center of the tale dies exactly as predicted, The Saint finds himself investigating a case where revenge, greed, and murder may not be what they seem.

Original Radio Broadcast Date: July 30, 1950

Originating from Hollywood

Starring: Vincent Price as Simon Templar

Also featuring Jeanne Bates, Lou Merrill, Fred Howard, Jack Edwards Jr., and Larry Dobkin

Script by Louis Vittes

Music composed and conducted by Vaughn Dexter

Produced by James L. Saphier

Directed by Helen Mack

Announcer: Don Stanley

Support the show monthly at patreon.greatdetectives.net

Patreon Supporter of the Day: Burke, Patreon supporter since March 2025

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

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

Take the listener survey at survey.greatdetectives.net

Give us a call at 208-991-4783

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

THE GREAT DETECTIVES of Old Time Radio

With Host Adam Graham

Welcome to the Great Detectives of Old Time Radio

Currently Featuring

Check out our other shows:

Amazing World of Radio

The War

OTR Superman Show

Detective Video Theater

Recent Posts

Podcast

Tarzan: Fires of Thor – A Traitor’s Plan, A Pachyderm Remembers, Rooftop Escape

by Yours Truly Johnny Blogger • 0 Comments

CBS, OTR Detective, Podcast, Yours Truly Johnny Dollar

Yours Truly Johnny Dollar: The Big H Matter