Down These Mean Streets (Old Time Radio Detectives)

During his nearly three decade run on radio, Les Damon starred as several detectives - Dashiell Hammett's Nick Charles, the debonair private eye known as the Falcon, and half of the husband and wife duo the Abbotts. We'll hear Damon as Nick in "The Strange Case of Professor Waigner" from The Adventures of the Thin Man; as Mike Waring - The Falcon - in "The Case of the Big Talker;" and as Pat Abbott in "The Case of the Blood-Red Diamond" from Adventures of the Abbotts.

One of the busier actors on radio, Frank Lovejoy starred in everything from soap operas to superhero adventures to the urban newspaper drama Night Beat. We'll hear him in three old time radio shows: as The Amazing Mr. Malone in "Cleanliness is Next to Godliness" (originally aired on ABC on August 28, 1948); in "Danger at Matecumbe" from Escape (originally aired on CBS on March 24, 1950); and finally as Randy Stone in Night Beat in "Old Blind Pop" (originally aired on August 7, 1950).

It's Broadway - "the gaudiest, the most violent, the lonesomest mile in the world." Join Detective Danny Clover as he walks the Great White Way in Broadway is My Beat. Larry Thor stars as the sensitive sleuth in "The Max Wendell Murder Case" (an AFRS rebroadcast of a show from April 28, 1950) and in "The Howard Crawford Murder Case" (originally aired on CBS on August 5, 1951).

It's a bonus Oscars episode, featuring three Academy Award-nominated radio sleuths! Sydney Greenstreet stars as Nero Wolfe in “Stamped for Murder” (originally aired on October 20, 1950). Then, Jeff Chandler is Michael Shayne in “The Case of the Mail-Order Murders.” Finally, William Gargan is Barrie Craig, Confidential Investigator in “The Schemers” (originally aired on NBC on April 6, 1954).

To celebrate what would have been the 100th birthday of master mystery writer Mickey Spillane, we'll hear three radio adventures of his signature shamus - the hard-boiled Mike Hammer. Ted De Corsia stars as Hammer in three episodes from That Hammer Guy: "The Jim Gordon Case," "The More You Kill, the Simpler It Gets" (originally aired on Mutual on April 20, 1954), and "A Dead Dame in Central Park" (originally aired on Mutual on April 27, 1954).

We're saluting radio mystery master E. Jack Neuman with three of his radio scripts: "Fall Guy" from Rocky Jordan (originally aired on CBS on May 1, 1949); "The LaTourette Matter" from Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar (originally aired on CBS on February 20, 1953); and "The Lugar-Lugging Laddie Case" from The Line-Up (originally aired on CBS on July 8, 1952).

Staats Cotsworth gets the shot - and his man - as Casey, Crime Photographer. Each week, Casey covers the news and makes it as he cracks the case and meets his deadline. We'll hear the crusader with a camera in "Loaded Dice" (originally aired on CBS on September 4, 1947) and "The Tobacco Pouch" (originally aired on CBS on September 18, 1947).

Heaven help crooks and thieves - The Saint is on the case! Vincent Price stars as Simon Templar, "the Robin Hood of modern crime," in three old time radio mysteries: "The Sinister Sneeze" (originally aired on NBC on June 11, 1950); "The Dame on the Doorstep" (originally aired on NBC on November 12, 1950); and "Formula for Death" (originally aired on NBC on March 25, 1951).

This week, our detectives advertise for adventure and each letter they open leads to thrills and excitement. Bob Bailey stars in "The Father Who Had Nothing to Say" from "Let George Do It," and Alan Ladd solves the mystery of "The Haunted Artist" from "Box 13."

For ten a day and expenses, Jeff Regan, Investigator will crack the case and crack wise while he does it. We’ll hear Jack Webb as Regan in “The Too Many Mrs. Rogers” (originally aired on CBS on October 9, 1948). Then Frank Graham stars in “The Two Little Sisters” (originally aired on November 16, 1949).

G'day, mate! We'll hear some of the Australian radio exploits of Dashiell Hammett's XXL sleuth "The Fat Man." Lloyd Berrell stars in "Murder and the Peacock" and "Murder Shows a Phantom Face."

It's a birthday salute to Steve "Sam Spade" Dunne! We'll hear two of his outings as Dashiell Hammett's private eye - "The Death of Sam Spade" (originally aired on NBC on November 17, 1950) and "The Crab Louie Caper" (originally aired on NBC on January 12, 1951). Plus, we'll hear him in a mystery from "Danger, Dr. Danfield," originally aired on ABC on November 17, 1946.

We’re kicking off 2018 with “top Dollar” entertainment. Bob Bailey is Johnny Dollar – “America’s fabulous freelance insurance investigator” – in his first five-part serialized radio adventure. It’s “The McCormack Matter,” originally aired on CBS between October 3 and October 7, 1955.

Four sleuths star in our holiday special! Natalie Masters is Candy Matson in "Jack Frost" (originally aired on NBC on December 10, 1949). Dick Powell as Richard Diamond presents his version of A Christmas Carol (originally aired on NBC on December 24, 1949). Bob Bailey is Johnny Dollar in "The Missing Mouse Matter" (originally aired on CBS on December 23, 1956). Finally, Larry Thor is Danny Clover in "Santa Takes a Powder" from Broadway is My Beat (originally aired on CBS on December 24, 1949).

Head down to 417 Cherry Street for a drink and a set from Pete Kelly and his jazz band. Jack Webb combines his love of jazz and his unique style of radio crime drama in Pete Kelly's Blues, a short-lived series from the summer of 1951. We'll hear a pair of episodes - "The Veda Brand Story" (originally aired on NBC on July 11, 1951) and "Dr. Jonathan Budd and the Dutchman" (originally aired on NBC on September 12, 1951).