Down These Mean Streets (old Time Radio Detectives)

The brilliant comedienne Eve Arden brought wit and charm to the role of Connie Brooks, Madison High School's favorite English teacher. She stood at the center of one of radio's best casts, and her performance makes Our Miss Brooks one of the best sitcoms of the era. In honor of her birthday, we'll hear a pair of episodes - first, there's a cafeteria boycott in the works at Madison (originally aired on CBS on March 13, 1949). Then, Miss Brooks joins her students in a summer job (originally aired on CBS on June 19, 1949).

On April 24, 1949, radio fans met Dick Powell as Richard Diamond, Private Detective. The only radio gumshoe who wrapped up his case of the week with a song, Diamond was one of the best sleuths to come out of the radio era thanks to scripts from Blake Edwards and the smooth, polished performance of Powell - an actor who could play both comedy and crime drama. We'll hear three episodes of the series: "The John Blackwell Case" (originally aired on NBC on December 17, 1949); "The Martin White Case" (originally aired on NBC on January 22, 1950); and "The Woman-Hating Killer" (originally aired on NBC on April 12, 1950).

With the Academy Awards ceremony right around the corner, we'll hear a classic Hollywood comedy recreated for radio. My Man Godfrey picked up six Oscar nominations along with critical acclaim and box office success in 1936. When The Lux Radio Theatre dramatized the film (originally aired on CBS on May 9, 1938), stars William Powell, Carole Lombard, Gail Patrick, and Mischa Auer were joined by David Niven for the story of a bum who becomes a butler overnight and starts a new life with a wealthy family.

We're joining three pairs of husband and wife sleuthing teams as they mix date nights with dead bodies. First, Nick and Nora Charles solve "The Case of the Suspicious Hangover" on The Adventures of the Thin Man (AFRS rebroadcast from October 6, 1944). Then, Pam and Jerry receive an "Invitation to Murder" on Mr. and Mrs. North (AFRS rebroadcast from February 27, 1946). Finally, insurance investigator Pat and wife Jean investigate the mystery behind "The Rickshaw-Red Lipstick" (AFRS rebroadcast from January 30, 1955).

Hans Conried gave us one of the all-time great Disney villains as Captain Hook, and he was a memorable menace as Snidely Whiplash. But the greatest showcase for his versatility was radio, where he could play a cavalcade of characters with unique accents and personalities. We'll hear him as Dr. Miller, the long-suffering psychiatrist of Gracie Allen on Maxwell House Coffee Time (originally aired on NBC on December 11, 1947). Then, as Professor Kroptkin on My Friend Irma, he enlists Irma and Jane's help to find him a temporary bride to finalize an adoption (originally aired on CBS on January 13, 1952).

One of radio's best anthologies of adult science fiction, Dimension X presented adaptations of stories from Isaac Asimov, Ray Bradbury, and more. We'll hear two tales from the series - each starring a private detective who gets more than he bargained for when he takes on an unusual case. First, it's a hunt for Martians on Earth in Donald Wollheim's "The Embassy' (originally aired on NBC on June 3, 1950). Then, in "Untitled Story" (originally aired on NBC on August 23, 1951), a gumshoe investigates a formula for eternal life. Finally, we'll hear Brian Donlevy as Steve Mitchell in Dangerous Assignment on a mission to investigate flying saucers and disappearing planes (originally aired on NBC on April 17, 1950).

One of radio's most versatile and in-demand performers, John Brown could be heard in regular roles almost every night of the week through the 40s and 50s. He was Ozzie Nelson's next door neighbor, Dennis Day's boss, and Broadway - narrator of The Damon Runyon Theatre. We'll hear him as Al, the ne'er do well boyfriend of My Friend Irma (originally aired on CBS on May 16, 1947). Then, Brown is Digger O'Dell - "the friendly undertaker" - in The Life of Riley (originally aired on NBC on December 30, 1949).

He's best known for Dragnet and Joe Friday, but there was a lot more to Jack Webb's radio career than the groundbreaking police procedural. We'll hear him in three old time radio mysteries as a trio of down on their luck detectives. First, he's Pat Novak for Hire in "Dixie Gillian" (originally aired on ABC on November 24, 1946). Then, Webb stars in "The Man Who Liked the Mountains" from Jeff Regan, Investigator (originally aired on CBS on August 7, 1948). Finally, it's a tale of jazz and crime in "Gus Trudeau" from Pete Kelly's Blues (originally aired on NBC on July 4, 1951).

Over a long radio career, Paula Winslowe effortlessly moved between dramas, thrillers, mysteries, and comedies. But her signature role came in one of the era's best domestic sitcoms as Peg opposite William Bendix in The Life of Riley. As the Riley family's level-headed matriarch, Winslowe gave radio one of its best female characters and created a funny and loving couple with her co-star. We'll hear a pair of episodes - first, Peg's ex-boyfriend sells Riley a life insurance policy (originally aired on NBC on March 16, 1946). Then, Peg tells son Junior the story of her first date with Riley (originally aired on NBC on November 17, 1950).

For much of its history, the US Treasury Department was extensively involved in law enforcement. The Coast Guard, the Bureau of Prohibition, the Secret Service - all were under the umbrella of the Treasury at one point. The exploits of its agents - men and women who battled counterfeiters and other crooks - inspired films, comic books, and radio shows. We'll hear Raymond Edward Johnson and Ralph Bell in "The Case of the Faithful Wife" from Treasury Agent (originally aired on ABC on August 11, 1947). Then, Dennis O'Keefe stars as a two-fisted agent in a pair of episodes from T-Man: "The Case of the Bleeding Gold" (audition recorded on April 29, 1950) and "The Case of the Big Mexican Dope" (originally aired on CBS on July 29, 1950).

We mark the first anniversary of our bonus comedy episodes with the shows that kicked off the series. First, Jack Benny and his gang try and solve a murder with an all-star cast of suspects (including Gene Kelly, Rosalind Russell, and Frank Sinatra) in The Jack Benny Program (originally aired on CBS on January 8, 1950). Then, Eve Arden stars as Our Miss Brooks. She's placed in charge of Madison High School's new student banking system (originally aired on CBS on January 30, 1949).

Before his big screen turns in The Hitchhiker and In a Lonely Place, Frank Lovejoy made a name for himself on radio. His best known role was reporter and amateur sleuth Randy Stone in Night Beat, but before that he could be heard on everything from The Shadow to Suspense in supporting and starring roles. We'll hear him as a tough insurance investigator in Here Comes McBride (originally aired on NBC on May 19, 1949). Then, Lovejoy is a private eye guarding a fabulous emerald in "Figure a Dame" from Escape (originally aired on CBS on December 20, 1949). Finally, he stars in "The Girl from Kansas" from Night Beat (originally aired on NBC on June 5, 1950).

It's a birthday salute to Jerry Lewis with a pair of shows from his radio comedy series with partner Dean Martin. The cool crooner and the goofball with the squeaky voice were a hit on the air, on stage, and on the big screen in the late 40s and early 50s, and we'll hear them welcome some big stars to their microphones. First, Dinah Shore stops by (originally aired on NBC on October 5, 1951), and then Marlene Dietrich visits (originally aired on NBC on March 21, 1952).

We're headed to court for three old time radio mysteries starring crusading counselors at law. First, Mercedes McCambridge finds clues and cross-examines to find the truth in "Client Grady Daniels" from Defense Attorney (originally aired on ABC on August 24, 1951). Then, wily New England lawyer Ephraim Tutt springs from the pages of the Saturday Evening Post in The Amazing Mr. Tutt. Will Wright stars as the attorney in "Advice for a Young Lawyer" (originally aired on CBS on July 5, 1948). Finally, Henry Fonda reprises his role of Honest Abe in a radio recreation of Young Mr. Lincoln from Academy Award (originally aired on CBS on July 10, 1946).

We're back with Stan Freberg and company for more from The Stan Freberg Show, The unique blend of satire and shenanigans was one of the last original comedies of the radio era, and though it was short-lived we can enjoy the entire run today. We'll hear the western psychiatric adventures of "The Lone Analyst" (originally aired on CBS on August 25, 1957) and a saga of the ordeals of ice cream men (originally aired on CBS on September 1, 1957).

Before he won a Tony and an Oscar as Professor Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady, Rex Harrison had a brief stint as a radio private eye. We'll hear the star of stage and screen as a debonair detective in a pair of episodes from The Private Files of Rex Saunders - "The Most Malignant of Diseases...Namely Murder" (originally aired on NBC on June 27, 1951) and "Until Death Do Us Part" (originally aired on NBC on July 18, 1951). Then, he recreates his big screen role as a British spy out to save a scientist and his daughter from the Nazis in "Night Train" from Academy Award (originally aired on CBS on November 13, 1946).

It's a birthday bash for Lou Costello in this week's bonus comedy show. We'll hear Costello and Bud Abbott trade barbs and backwards logic in a pair of episodes from their long-running radio series. First, Costello wants to join the Merchant Marines (originally aired on NBC on January 25, 1945). Then, Bud and Lou hit the road to hire the Andrews Sisters (originally aired on NBC on April 5, 1945).

It's a trip around the world with three old time radio detectives who walked an international beat. First, Rocky Jordan investigates a killing in Cairo in "The Man With No Name" (originally aired on CBS on October 9, 1949). Then, secret agent Mr. I.A. Moto journeys to Rome in "Escape" (originally aired on NBC on July 22, 1951). Finally, Brian Donlevy stars as Steve Mitchell in Dangerous Assignment on an adventure to Bombay (originally aired on NBC on August 23, 1950).

We'll close out our Black History Month series with music and comedy from Louis Armstrong. Satchmo teams up with Rochester in an episode of The Jack Benny Program (originally aired on NBC on May 9, 1943). Then, he jams on an episode of the Armed Forces Radio Service showcase Jubilee (recorded on May 24, 1943).

Seventy-two years ago this month, "the man with the action-packed expense account" made his two-fisted radio debut. Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar ran until 1962 and helped to bring down the curtain on the golden age of radio. We'll hear three radio adventures of "America's fabulous freelance insurance investigator," each starring a different actor as Dollar. First, Charles Russell stars in "Murder is a Merry-Go-Round" (originally aired on CBS on March 11, 1949). Then, John Lund is Dollar in "The Marigold Matter" (originally aired on CBS on January 23, 1953). Finally, Mandel Kramer plays Johnny in "The Three for One Matter" (originally aired on CBS on October 22, 1961).