Nostalgic Mystery Radio - podcast cover

Nostalgic Mystery Radio

Old time radio mystery programs brought back to life for today's fan of the great shows of yesteryear. Including the classics such as Sherlock Holmes, Sam Spade, Philip Marlowe, and more.
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Episodes

Ep.459 Richard Diamond Private Detective: The House Of Mystery Case

Richard Diamond, Private Detective came to NBC in 1949. Diamond was a slick, sophisticated detective, with a sharp tongue for folks who needed it. Diamond enjoyed the detective life, but not as much as entertaining his girl, Helen Asher. After each show, he would croon a number to his Park Avenue sweetheart. Mr. Powell, a former song and dance man, was perfect for the role. He added an extra dimension to the 40's hokey private eye drama. Diamond was a rough gumshoe that would often get knocked o...

Sep 07, 202331 minEp. 459

Ep.458 The Adventures Of Sam Spade: The Chateau McCloud Caper

The Adventures of Sam Spade was a suspense/detective radio show starring Howard Duff (in the colorful title role along with Lurene Tuttle as his secretary Effie. It was based on the private detective character created by Dashiell Hammett, well-known from the book and movie The Maltese Falcon. The show ran from 1946 to 1951. Duff was replaced by Steve Dunne in later episodes. The Chateau McCloud Caper : Murder on skis at a rich man's winter home. Originally aired January 26th, 1951 Support the sh...

Sep 04, 202332 minEp. 458

Ep.457 Father Brown: The Eye Of Apollo

Rough and tough Hard-boiled detectives grab a lot of attention, but who would have a better insight on the nature of human evil than “a man who does next to nothing but hear men's real sins”? Where could you find a more “soft-boiled” character than the parish priest. Mutual brought The Adventures of Father Brown to the air in 1945. Father Brown was the antithesis of the more celebrated soft-boiled detective, Sherlock Holmes. Where Holmes was a master of deduction, Father Brown relied on intuitio...

Aug 31, 202328 minEp. 457

Ep.456 Yours Truly Johnny Dollar: The Yankee Pride Matter

Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar For over twelve years, from 1949 through 1962 (including a one year hiatus in 1954-1955), this series recounted the cases "the man with the action-packed expense account, America’s fabulous freelance insurance investigator, Johnny Dollar". Johnny was an accomplished 'padder' of his expense account. The name of the show derives from the fact that he closed each show by totaling his expense account, and signing it "End of report... Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar". The Yankee...

Aug 29, 202332 minEp. 456

Ep.455 Broadway Is My Beat: The Dion Hartley Murder Case

Broadway is my Beat is a love affair with noir and hardboiled radio detective series blossomed during the 1940's. The golden age of radio had found a new following in the crime drama genre, and managed to churn out several note-worthy serializations. One of the more popular old time radio shows of the period was Broadway is my Beat which featured the talented Larry Thor as Detective Danny Clover. Clover truly loved his beat on the colorful and gritty streets of Broadway and it shined through in ...

Aug 28, 202331 minEp. 455

Ep.454 Tales Of The Texas Rangers: Dream Farm

Tales of the Texas Rangers , a western adventure old-time radio drama, premiered on July 8, 1950, on the US NBC radio network and remained on the air through September 14, 1952. Movie star Joel McCrea starred as Texas Ranger Jayce Pearson, who used the latest scientific techniques to identify the criminals and his faithful horse, Charcoal (or "Charky," as Jayce would sometimes refer to him), to track them down. The shows were reenactments of actual Texas Ranger cases. Dream Farm: A couple moving...

Aug 24, 202331 minEp. 454

Ep.453 The New Adventures Of Nero Wolfe: Stamped For Murder

Nero Wolfe is a fictional character, a brilliant, oversized, eccentric armchair detective created in 1934 by American mystery writer Rex Stout. Wolfe was born in Montenegro and keeps his past murky. He lives in a luxurious brownstone on West 35th Street in New York City, and he is loath to leave his home for business or anything that would keep him from reading his books, tending his orchids, or eating the gourmet meals prepared by his chef, Fritz Brenner. Archie Goodwin, Wolfe's sharp-witted, d...

Aug 21, 202332 minEp. 453

Ep.452 Boston Blackie: Murder On The Flying Trapeze

In the the world of the hard boiled detective, Boston Blackie comes comes real close to fitting in, but he just doesn't quite. Of course Blackie isnt a detective or private eye, he is a reformed safe cracker and constantly good natured irritant to the cops! A real Hard Boiled Detective solves the mystery that the cops think he is guilty of, and manages to make the cops look foolish while he does it. So does Boston Blackie . Murder On The Flying Trapeze : An old school friend of Mary’s who is a t...

Aug 18, 202329 minEp. 452

Ep.451 The Adventures Of The Falcon: The Case Of The Nervous Shakedown

The Adventures Of The Falcon : This hard boiled spy drama began as an RKO Radio Pictures theatrical serial in the 1940s, went on radio in 1943, and then came to TV around ten years later in a Syndicated series produced for distribution by NBC Films; the series was about an American agent whose code name was "Falcon". The success of the films led to a radio series that premiered on the American Blue Network in April 1943, and aired for the next ten years on various networks. It was here that his ...

Aug 18, 202332 minEp. 451

Ep.450 Dragnet: The Big Youngster

Dragnet ran from June 3rd,1949 to February 26th,1957 on NBC at various times and days and starred Jack Webb as Detective Sergeant Joe Friday. Various partners throughout the show's run were Sergeant Ben Romero (Barton Yarborough), Ed Jacobs (Barney Phillips), and Officer Frank Smith (Ben Alexander). Webb was the creator/Director of the series and wanted everything to be as authentic as possible, down to the last sound effect. The stories were based on actual police files and "the names were chan...

Aug 15, 202331 minEp. 450

Ep.449 Nick Carter Master Detective: A Cat Brings Death

Nick Carter, Master Detective, which aired on Mutual from 1943 to 1955. Nick Carter first came to radio as The Return of Nick Carter. Then Nick Carter, Master Detective, with Lon Clark in the title role, began April 11, 1943, on Mutual, continuing in many different timeslots for well over a decade. Jock MacGregor was the producer-director of scripts by Alfred Bester, Milton J. Kramer, David Kogan and others. Background music was supplied by organists Hank Sylvern, Lew White and George Wright. Pa...

Aug 10, 202331 minEp. 449

Ep.448 Philo Vance: The Magic Murder Case

Philo Vance is the detective creation of S. S. Van Dine first published in the mid 1920s. Jose Ferrer played him in 1945. From 1948-1950, the fine radio actor Jackson Beck makes Vance as good as he gets. George Petrie plays Vance's constantly impressed public servant, District Attorney Markham. Joan Alexander is Ellen Deering, Vance's secretary and right-hand woman. The organist for the show is really working those ivories, and fans of old time radio organ will especially enjoy this series. The ...

Aug 09, 202329 minEp. 448

Ep.447 Richard Diamond Private Detective: To Guard A Seal

Richard Diamond, Private Detective came to NBC in 1949. Diamond was a slick, sophisticated detective, with a sharp tongue for folks who needed it. Diamond enjoyed the detective life, but not as much as entertaining his girl, Helen Asher. After each show, he would croon a number to his Park Avenue sweetheart. Mr. Powell, a former song and dance man, was perfect for the role. He added an extra dimension to the 40's hokey private eye drama. Diamond was a rough gumshoe that would often get knocked o...

Aug 07, 202331 minEp. 447

Ep.446 The Adventures Of Sherlock Holmes: Murder In The Casbah

Sherlock Holmes , fictional character created by the Scottish writer Arthur Conan Doyle. The prototype for the modern mastermind detective, Holmes first appeared in Conan Doyle’s A Study in Scarlet , published in Beeton’s Christmas Annual of 1887. As the world’s first and only “consulting detective,” he pursued criminals throughout Victorian and Edwardian London, the south of England, and continental Europe. From 1939 to 1946, Basil Rathbone played Sherlock Holmes with his friend Nigel Bruce on ...

Aug 04, 202330 minEp. 446

Ep.445 The Adventures Of Philip Marlowe: The Unfair Lady

Get this and get it straight. Crime is a sucker's road and those who travel it wind up in the gutter, the prison or the grave. Philip Marlowe was Los Angeles's toughest detective in the groundbreaking series by Raymond Chandler that helped establish the "hard-boiled" detective subgenre. The Unfair Lady : Marlowe goes South of the Border to find who’s behind a series of diamond thefts. Originally aired June 4, 1949 Support the show...

Aug 02, 202332 minEp. 445

Ep.444 The Adventures of Sam Spade: The Bouncing Betty Caper

The Adventures of Sam Spade was a suspense/detective radio show starring Howard Duff in the colorful title role along with Lurene Tuttle as his secretary Effie. It was based on the private detective character created by Dashiell Hammett, well-known from the book and movie The Maltese Falcon. The show ran from 1946 to 1951. Duff was replaced by Steve Dunne in later episodes. The Bouncing Betty Caper: Sam becomes a chauffeur to enter a wealthy home and discover who's been threatening a woman. "Bet...

Aug 01, 202327 minEp. 444

Ep.443 Broadway Is My Beat: The Roberto Segura Murder Case

Broadway is my Beat is a love affair with noir and hardboiled radio detective series blossomed during the 1940's. The golden age of radio had found a new following in the crime drama genre, and managed to churn out several note-worthy serializations. One of the more popular old time radio shows of the period was Broadway is my Beat which featured the talented Larry Thor as Detective Danny Clover. Clover truly loved his beat on the colorful and gritty streets of Broadway and it shined through in ...

Jul 31, 202331 minEp. 443

Ep.442 Tales Of The Texas Rangers: The Blow Off

Tales of the Texas Rangers , a western adventure old-time radio drama, premiered on July 8, 1950, on the US NBC radio network and remained on the air through September 14, 1952. Movie star Joel McCrea starred as Texas Ranger Jayce Pearson, who used the latest scientific techniques to identify the criminals and his faithful horse, Charcoal (or "Charky," as Jayce would sometimes refer to him), to track them down. The shows were reenactments of actual Texas Ranger cases. The Blow Off : Jace investi...

Jul 28, 202331 minEp. 442

Ep.441 Barrie Craig Confidential Investigator: The Lost Lady

Barrie Craig Confidential Investigator William Gargan, who also played the better known television (and radio) detective Martin Kane, was the voice of New York eye Barrie Craig while Ralph Bell portrayed his associate, Lt. Travis Rogers. Craig's office was on Madison Avenue and his adventures were fairly standard PI fare. He worked alone, solved cases efficiently, and feared no man. As the promos went, he was "your man when you can't go to the cops. Confidentiality a specialty." The Lost Lady : ...

Jul 27, 202329 minEp. 441

Ep.440 Yours Truly Johnny Dollar: The Jackie Cleaver Matter

Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar For over twelve years, from 1949 through 1962 (including a one year hiatus in 1954-1955), this series recounted the cases "the man with the action-packed expense account, America’s fabulous freelance insurance investigator, Johnny Dollar". Johnny was an accomplished 'padder' of his expense account. The name of the show derives from the fact that he closed each show by totaling his expense account, and signing it "End of report... Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar". The Jackie...

Jul 25, 202332 minEp. 440

Ep.439 The Adventures Of Father Brown: The Absence Of Mr. Glass

Rough and tough Hard-boiled detectives grab a lot of attention, but who would have a better insight on the nature of human evil than “a man who does next to nothing but hear men's real sins”? Where could you find a more “soft-boiled” character than the parish priest. Mutual brought The Adventures of Father Brown to the air in 1945. Father Brown was the antithesis of the more celebrated soft-boiled detective, Sherlock Holmes. Where Holmes was a master of deduction, Father Brown relied on intuitio...

Jul 24, 202331 minEp. 439

Ep.438 Dragnet: The Big Casing

Dragnet ran from June 3rd,1949 to February 26th,1957 on NBC at various times and days and starred Jack Webb as Detective Sergeant Joe Friday. Various partners throughout the show's run were Sergeant Ben Romero (Barton Yarborough), Ed Jacobs (Barney Phillips), and Officer Frank Smith (Ben Alexander). Webb was the creator/Director of the series and wanted everything to be as authentic as possible, down to the last sound effect. The stories were based on actual police files and "the names were chan...

Jul 20, 202331 minEp. 438

Ep.437 The Adventures Of The Falcon: The Case Of The Weeping Willow

The Adventures Of The Falcon : This hard boiled spy drama began as an RKO Radio Pictures theatrical serial in the 1940s, went on radio in 1943, and then came to TV around ten years later in a Syndicated series produced for distribution by NBC Films; the series was about an American agent whose code name was "Falcon". The success of the films led to a radio series that premiered on the American Blue Network in April 1943, and aired for the next ten years on various networks. It was here that his ...

Jul 18, 202331 minEp. 437

Ep.436 Boston Blackie: Amnesia Victim

In the the world of the hard boiled detective, Boston Blackie comes comes real close to fitting in, but he just doesn't quite. Of course Blackie isnt a detective or private eye, he is a reformed safe cracker and constantly good natured irritant to the cops! A real Hard Boiled Detective solves the mystery that the cops think he is guilty of, and manages to make the cops look foolish while he does it. So does Boston Blackie . Amnesia Victim : A man who had a case of amnesia asks Blackie whether he...

Jul 17, 202326 minEp. 436

Ep.435 Nick Carter Master Detective: The Slingshot Murder

Nick Carter, Master Detective, which aired on Mutual from 1943 to 1955. Nick Carter first came to radio as The Return of Nick Carter. Then Nick Carter, Master Detective, with Lon Clark in the title role, began April 11, 1943, on Mutual, continuing in many different timeslots for well over a decade. Jock MacGregor was the producer-director of scripts by Alfred Bester, Milton J. Kramer, David Kogan and others. Background music was supplied by organists Hank Sylvern, Lew White and George Wright. Pa...

Jul 13, 202331 minEp. 435

Ep.434 Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot: Evil Under The Sun

Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot : the world-renowned, moustachioed Belgian private detective, unsurpassed in his intelligence and understanding of the criminal mind, respected and admired by police forces and heads of state across the globe. Since his inception over 100 years ago, Poirot has stolen the hearts and minds of audiences from Azerbaijan to Vietnam, and his celebrated cases have been recorded across 33 original novels and over 50 short stories. Evil Under The Sun : The beautiful bronz...

Jul 11, 20232 hr 18 minEp. 434

Ep.433 Richard Diamond Private Detective: Private Eye Test

Richard Diamond, Private Detective came to NBC in 1949. Diamond was a slick, sophisticated detective, with a sharp tongue for folks who needed it. Diamond enjoyed the detective life, but not as much as entertaining his girl, Helen Asher. After each show, he would croon a number to his Park Avenue sweetheart. Mr. Powell, a former song and dance man, was perfect for the role. He added an extra dimension to the 40's hokey private eye drama. Diamond was a rough gumshoe that would often get knocked o...

Jul 10, 202331 minEp. 433

Ep.432 Broadway Is My Beat: The Mary Gilbert Murder Case

Broadway is my Beat is a love affair with noir and hardboiled radio detective series blossomed during the 1940's. The golden age of radio had found a new following in the crime drama genre, and managed to churn out several note-worthy serializations. One of the more popular old time radio shows of the period was Broadway is my Beat which featured the talented Larry Thor as Detective Danny Clover. Clover truly loved his beat on the colorful and gritty streets of Broadway and it shined through in ...

Jul 07, 202331 minEp. 432

Ep.431 The Adventures Of Sherlock Holmes: The Accidental Murderess

Sherlock Holmes , fictional character created by the Scottish writer Arthur Conan Doyle. The prototype for the modern mastermind detective, Holmes first appeared in Conan Doyle’s A Study in Scarlet , published in Beeton’s Christmas Annual of 1887. As the world’s first and only “consulting detective,” he pursued criminals throughout Victorian and Edwardian London, the south of England, and continental Europe. From 1939 to 1946, Basil Rathbone played Sherlock Holmes with his friend Nigel Bruce on ...

Jul 06, 202332 minEp. 431

Ep.430 Tales Of The Texas Rangers: Nighthawk

Tales of the Texas Rangers , a western adventure old-time radio drama, premiered on July 8, 1950, on the US NBC radio network and remained on the air through September 14, 1952. Movie star Joel McCrea starred as Texas Ranger Jayce Pearson, who used the latest scientific techniques to identify the criminals and his faithful horse, Charcoal (or "Charky," as Jayce would sometimes refer to him), to track them down. The shows were reenactments of actual Texas Ranger cases. Nighthawk : A man kills a g...

Jul 05, 202331 minEp. 430
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