E.W. Hornung (right) was the brother-in-law of Arthur Conan Doyle. Hornung’s own fictional detective rivaled Conan Doyle’s and the two would often create stories that referenced the other. Where Conan Doyle’s Holmes and Watson were the upright detectives who fantasized about becoming criminals, Hornung’s A.J. Raffles and his helper Harry “Bunny” Manders were criminals – specifically amateur cracksmen. This week… (more…)
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS
There were only two radio detective serials in which one of the detectives was played by a woman and a major film star. This week I’ll look at one of those serials – Results, Inc. and you be able to hear only one of three that are known to exist of the series. The star was the glamorous Claire Trevor… (more…)
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS
Just as radio detectives often seemed to be loners, there were also several radio detective husband and wife teams. Most think immediately of Nick and Nora Charles, but another popular one on radio that even made it to film and television was Mr. & Mrs. North. Based on the novels of Frances and Richard Lockridge, for most of the radio… (more…)
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS
Happy New Year! This week a rarely heard short-lived series that featured fiction’s famous detectives telling about their most famous cases. The series was called Murder Clinic and each week featured a different detective from fiction. Music under is “Saturday Morning” by Anne Farnsworth from the Podsafe Music Network.
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS
It’s Christmas time and this week’s podcast is a special one! Staying in the vein of our detective theme, I present a variation on Dicken’s “A Christmas Carol” with the puckish Dick Powell in his Richard Diamond hat. Enjoy and Merry Christmas!
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS
A bit outside the regular “detective” stories, this episode from the Campbell Playhouse (Mercury Theater on the Air) takes Dash Hammett’s (right) story about power and corruption rolls one character into a “detective” mold and comes up with “The Glass Key.” This one is well done. This one is a bit longer than normal due to the length of the… (more…)
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS
A look at Edith Meiser (right), who was responsible for first bringing Sherlock Holmes to radio. Meiser adapted almost all the Holmes canon for radio beginning in the early thirties until 1945. She later wrote the text for a comic stripe of Holmes in the fifties. An accomplished actress, who also wrote books, films and radio plays. You’ll hear a… (more…)
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS
The final actor to portray Johnny Dollar is featured this week. Mandel Kramer (right) was the last Dollar and also the last featured star of a dramatic radio serial from its Golden Age. Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar had the sad distinction of being the final dramatic radio program when it ended in September 1962.
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS
When Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar was moved from Hollywood to New York City, Bob Bailey chose not to move with it and left the show. His long running stint as Dollar came to an end. New York actor Robert Readick became the new Johnny Dollar. A look at how the new series changed yet again.
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS
We’re nearing the end of our run of Johnny Dollar actors. This week a look at probably the best known and one of the most popular radio Johnny Dollar’s among radio fans – Bob Bailey (right). Bailey is not well-known outside of his role although he was on a number of other series, mostly in minor roles. His story is… (more…)
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS
