The Complete Smiley

BBC Radio 4 Extra is now repeating the Complete Smiley series they ran last year. Though more spy that detective thriller, this is a very well done set of productions of John LeCarre’s novels of his spymaster George Smiley. They recently began the first of the novels – Call For the Dead. The series stars Simon Russell Beale as Smiley… (more…)

Radio Detective Story Hour Episode 172 – Pearls Are a Nuisance

An unusual Raymond Chandler story this time as heard over Suspense. “Pearls Are a Nuisance” was a Chandlerian spoof on the detective genre. Sounding almost Damon Runyon in structure, the story starred William Bendix and Alan Joslyn. This version is very faithful to the original fictional story. It is definitely not what you might expect from Chandler, yet it has… (more…)

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Radio Detective Story Hour Episode 171 – Philip Marlowe

A more indepth look at Raymond Chandler’s iconic private detective, Philip Marlowe. Rising from the pulps of miscellaneous detectives, Chandler hewed his image of his private detective into a Knight Errant, who remained tough, but intelligent. The author’s writings adapted very well to radio as in this radio drama, “The Persian Slippers.” Music under is Night Town from Joni Janak’s… (more…)

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Radio Detective Story Hour Episode 170 – Suspense: Nightmare

This episode presents what I think is one of the best audio noir productions ever produced. Adapted from the Cornell Woolrich (as William Irish) short story – “And So to Death” – it is one of Woolrich’s best – pure noir. The adaptation preserves much of that aurally through the fabulous performances of Eddie Bracken and veteran radio actor William… (more…)

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Radio Detective Story Hour Episode 169 – The Purloined Letter

This time a re-visit to the father of detective story – Edgar Allan Poe in perhaps his greatest detective story. Poe was the creator of the intuitive approach to detection through his character C. Auguste Dupin. His stories influenced Arthur Conan Doyle, Agatha Christie and other early detective writers. The Purloined Letter was probably his best example of pure detection.

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Radio Detective Story Hour Episode 168 – Espionage Radio pt. 4

This podcast will conclude my look at spy-detective genre radio with a one-episode adaptation of John Buchan’s The Thirty Nine Steps. This book represented one of the best examples of the theme of the generally everyday person getting involved in solving a crime involving some element of espionage. It was Buchan who helped establish the genre so well that later… (more…)

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Radio Detective Story Hour Episode 167 – Espionage Radio pt. 3

Continuing a look at spy-detective series, a look at Bulldog Drummond, one of the earlier ones from 1941. In the beginning it starred George Coulouris, then later Ned Wever as this decidedly British spy-detective moved to America for radio adventures. A look at how it fits into the spy-detective genre on radio and a bit about the history of the… (more…)

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Radio Detective Story Hour Episode 166 – Espionage Radio pt. 2

Part 2 of my look at spy-detective radio dramas, aka Espionage stories. This time I am focused on the character who finds himself in the middle of a mystery surrounded by a plot involving espionage. Eric Ambler was the master of the spy-detective genre and one of his stories, Journey into Fear, was adapted for radio on the series Escape.… (more…)

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Radio Detective Story Hour Episode 165 – Espionage Radio pt. 1

For the next few podcasts, I am going to feature espionage radio drama or what I call spy detective stories. There was a plethora of espionage stories on radio going back to 1931 and perhaps earlier.  The genre developed from thinly disguised detective stories into adventures with foreign intrigue. Some were series, some stood alone as part of bigger series.… (more…)

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Philip Marlowe on BBC Radio 4

BBC Radio 4 will begin presenting a series of new dramas of the major novels of Philip Marlowe by Raymond Chandler starting Saturdayat 9:30 AM EST. You will be able to hear them stream via the Internet if you go to http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/features/classic-chandler/ and selecting the appropriate play. I would recommend checking it out briefly before the time to make sure… (more…)

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  • Jim Widner

  • Jim Widner

  • A former educator and current radio historian, writer and big fan of detective, suspense, and mystery fiction.