During the decade of the 1940s Private Detectives on radio made a decided turn from the lighter, somewhat cozy fictional character such as Ellery Queen, Nero Wolfe and Sherlock Holmes to the more hardboiled versions of Sam Spade, Philip Marlowe and others. Just why this occurred is examined in this podcast along with an episode of Michael Shayne BEFORE the… (more…)
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One of Black Mask magazine’s popular writers from 1934-1939 was Dwight V. Babcock. His stories were in keeping with the style developed by Joseph “Cap” Shaw of “hard and brittle” stories with naturalistic elements of street grit. After his stint with Black Mask, Babcock wrote three novels involving “The Gorgeous Ghoul” Hannah Van Doren, who with her friend Joe Kirby… (more…)
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The final episode on the development of the American Detective as heard through radio and fiction. In the early 1920s, pulp writers Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler, Carroll John Daly, Erle Stanley Gardner and others were creating a new kind of detective: one who was of the streets. Their gritty street smart, tough talking detectives were the first real American detectives… (more…)
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James M. Cain is considered by many as one of the creators of the roman noir or “dark fiction” along with Cornell Woolrich, Jim Thompson, Dorothy Hughes and others. Some describe his stories as “hardboiled” though I don’t feel they are in the strict sense other than if one considers noir fiction as a sub-genre of the “hardboiled” school. The… (more…)
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Just as his successful radio series, Dragnet, was making a move to television, Jack Webb starred in another short lived radio vehicle – Pete Kelly’s Blues. I’ll look at why he might have done so when he had so much on his plate at the time. The series had some great New Orlean’s Style Jazz!
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A look at Mickey Spillane and his explosive private investigator – Mike Hammer. Hammer was a true pulp hero who was seen and heard in various media including film, radio, television and comic strips. Mickey Spillane was never respected by his peers, but laughed all the way to the bank as his hero was extremely popular with readers.
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This week, I am experimenting with a different format as I present William Gargan as investigator Barry Craig. The series from the early fifties was actually quite entertaining. A look at the actor himself as well as the series. Music included this week are from music.podshow.com and include: Evan Stone performing KCAMS Robin Stine performing “Shy Boy” lastfuture performing “detective… (more…)
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A return look at Raymond Chandler’s private detective, Phillip Marlowe. Last time I focused on Gerald Mohr’s protrayal, but this time, we look at the first radio Phillip Marlowe – Van Heflin. I also look at other Phillip Marlowe’s from other media and how they interpreted him.
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E. Jack Neumann and John Michael Hayes (right) were two of radio’s finest writers of detective and suspense. This week a brief return to an episode from The Adventures of Sam Spade written by these two writers. Listen for the well defined characters the create as well as the tension and comedy. An example of some of radio’s finest writing.… (more…)
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