Monthly Archives: July 2007

Radio Detective Story Hour Episode 105 – Suspense: John Dickson Carr

This week, a look at the detective Dr. Gideon Fell created by mystery writer John Dickson Carr. Carr was an American who spent much of his life in England writing “locked room” mysteries and crime involving his several detectives. Dr. Gideon Fell was one his most popular. We’ll also look at the writing of John Dickson Carr and listen to… (more…)

Radio Detective Story Hour Episode 104 – Adventures of Sam Spade

This week I bring to a close the look at the influence of Dashiell Hammett’s Sam Spade on radio detectives. You’ll hear a rarer heard Adventures of Sam Spade from the first season ABC Radio network run in 1946. This series also starred Howard Duff (right) and is the only existing audio copy known from that season. These were generally… (more…)

Radio Detective Story Hour Episode 103 – Yours Truly Johnny Dollar: Who Took the Taxis

A look at a sort of a six degrees of separation around Dashiell Hammett’s Sam Spade and various radio programs which seemed directly or indirectly influenced by the hardboiled detective. By early 1949, Gil Doud and Bob Tallman left the Adventures of Sam Spade. Doud became the writer for a new radio detective series – Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar starring… (more…)

Radio Detective Story Hour Episode 102 – Suspense: Two Sharp Knives

A continued look at our twisted six degrees of separation as I look at radio detectives connected to Dashiell Hammett’s Sam Spade. This week a look at Hammett’s own short story adapted for radio on Suspense. Stuart Erwin (right) plays a police lieutenant who like Hammett’s Continental Op rises above the corruption of police authority to solve the crime. A… (more…)

Radio Detective Story Hour Episode 101 – Suspense: The Walls Came Tumbling Down

I return from my recent hiatus with a look over the next few weeks at radio detectives that have some connection to Dashiell Hammett’s Sam Spade. This podcast begins with a look at a story from writer and scripter Jo Eisinger, whose book The Walls Came Tumbling Down was adapted into a radio play for the radio series Suspense. Listen… (more…)