Down These Mean Streets (old Time Radio Detectives)

Jack Benny's supporting cast was one of the best in radio, so it was no surprise when two of his co-stars launched shows of their own. We'll hear A Day in the Life of Dennis Day, starring the gullible and goofy tenor (originally aired on NBC on April 21, 1948) and The Phil Harris-Alice Faye Show with Benny's boisterous bandleader and his actress wife in their domestic misadventures (originally aired on NBC on December 18, 1953).

For over ten years, Joseph Curtin and Alice Frost starred as Mr. and Mrs. North, radio's most popular married crimesolvers. No matter where the amateur sleuths went, they managed to stumble over a corpse and uncover a new crime. We'll hear three of their adventures - all from rebroadcasts on the Armed Forces Radio Service: "Who Killed Mr. Stefano?," "The Charles Wyatt Murder," and "Murder Mismanaged."

We're catching up with radio's funniest couple in a pair of episodes starring George Burns and Gracie Allen. First, Gracie thinks George needs a break from making decisions (originally aired on NBC on February 19, 1948). Then, Gracie suspects George forgot their 15th wedding anniversary (originally aired on NBC on November 11, 1948).

The streets of Cairo are full of intrigue and adventure, and neither is in short supply at the Cafe Tambourine run by Rocky Jordan. Jack Moyles stars as the tough ex-pat club owner who can't help but get tangled up in exotic mysteries. We'll hear "A Stranger to the Desert" (originally aired on CBS on September 4, 1949) and "The Big Heist" (originally aired on November 10, 1949).

Holy Batman Day! We're celebrating the Caped Crusader with a bonus podcast episode starring Batman, Robin, and Superman. The Dynamic Duo co-stars with the Man of Steel in "Batman's Great Mystery," a serialized story from The Adventures of Superman (originally aired on Mutual between February 10 and February 17, 1948). 

In this week's bonus comedy episode, we'll hear more satire and spoofs from The Stan Freberg Show. Freberg and his cast send up politics, music, and more in a pair of shows. Stan welcomes an alien to Earth (originally aired on CBS on August 11, 1957) and he battles a censor with an itchy trigger finger (originally aired on CBS on August 18, 1957).

We're celebrating the birthday of master of mystery Agatha Christie with a pair of old time radio shows. First, her story "Witness for the Prosecution" is adapted for Radio City Playhouse (originally aired on NBC on April 25, 1949). Then, Harold Huber is Christie's Belgian super sleuth Hercule Poirot in "Rendezvous with Death," an original radio mystery (originally aired on Mutual on July 12, 1945).

New movies are headed back to theaters, and while it isn't safe yet to grab a seat in a theater, you can enjoy a double feature of classic films presented by the cast of The Jack Benny Program. First, Ray Milland joins their spoof of "The Lost Weekend" (originally aired on NBC on March 10, 1946). Then, the gang sends up "Sunset Boulevard" (3/25/51).

Detective Danny Clover stands out from the crowd of radio detectives. He was introspective and insightful, and he only drew his gun as a last resort. And as the star of Broadway is My Beat, Larry Thor brought Clover to life and gave us a romantic, but slightly cynical, cop with a worldview that governed how he tackled his cases. We'll hear "The Jane Darnell Murder Case" (originally aired on CBS on August 11, 1949) and "The Lt. Hunt Suicide Case" (originally aired on CBS on February 3, 1950).

School is back in session across the country, and this week we'll head to class at Madison High with Eve Arden in Our Miss Brooks. The faculty and students star in a pair of comedies: first, the school's star basketball player has to pass Connie's exam or he can't play (originally aired on CBS on February 13, 1949). Then, Miss Brooks has to sneak out for traffic court without Mr. Conklin finding out about her case (originally aired on CBS on May 28, 1950).

It's the 400th episode of "Down These Mean Streets!" To celebrate, I'm sharing the first detective shows I heard - the episodes that sparked my love of old time radio mystery drama. Join me for "The Big Scoop Matter" from Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar (originally aired on CBS on November 11, 1956); "The Case of the Careworn Cuff" from The New Adventures of Nero Wolfe (originally aired on NBC on October 27, 1950); "Night Tide" from The Adventures of Philip Marlowe (originally aired on CBS on May 21, 1949); "The Death Bed Caper" from The Adventures of Sam Spade (originally aired on CBS on June 20, 1948); "The Louis Spence Case" from Richard Diamond, Private Detective (originally aired on NBC on March 3, 1950); and "Greed Causes Murder" from The Saint (originally aired on NBC on September 14, 1949).

Summer is winding down, and some of radio's comedy couples are planning a getaway! We'll hear Fibber McGee angle for Molly to join him on a two-week fishing trip (originally aired on NBC on June 11, 1946). Then, Phil Harris and Alice Faye try to leave Elliott Lewis at home during their two-month mountain vacation (originally aired on NBC on June 28, 1953).

Willard Waterman may be best known for his long and very funny run on radio as The Great Gildersleeve, but he showed off his serious side on some of the era's best crime dramas. We'll hear him as a detective tracking a killer in the jungle of Borneo in "Red Wine" from Escape (originally aired on CBS on August 11, 1949). Then, he's a murderer plotting the perfect crime in "The New Mrs. Devlin" from The Whistler (originally aired on CBS on November 6, 1949).

Before he moved to Bedrock and voiced Fred Flintstone, Alan Reed was a busy radio actor. He popped up on The Shadow, Philip Marlowe, and Sam Spade, but he was most frequently heard on comedies. We'll shine the spotlight on Reed for this week's bonus comedy episode in two old time radio sitcoms. First, he's Mr. Clyde, the long-suffering boss of Marie Wilson in My Friend Irma (originally aired on CBS on March 1, 1948). Then, he plays Pasquale, patron and neighbor of J. Carrol Naish's Luigi Basco in Life with Luigi (originally aired on CBS on October 17, 1950).

The man called Paladin - a gentleman gunfighter for hire in the west of 1875 - rode from television to radio in Have Gun - Will Travel. A rare radio spin-off of a TV series, it continued the adventures of the gunman who dressed in black and hired himself out to anyone who could pay his fee - a sort of cowboy private eye. John Dehner stars as Paladin in "Three Bells to Perdido" (originally aired on CBS on January 18, 1959); "The Monster of Moon Ridge" (originally aired on CBS on March 8, 1959); and "The Colonel and the Lady" (originally aired on CBS on April 12, 1959).

We'll hear more of The Stan Freberg Show - one of the most original and inspired comedies the radio era ever produced - in this week's bonus episode. Stan and his cast (June Foray, Peter Leeds, and Daws Butler) send up the Miss Universe pageant, American history, The Lux Radio Theatre, and more in episodes originally aired on CBS on July 28 and August 4, 1957).

Vincent Price returns as "the Robin Hood of modern crime" in two old time radio adventures of The Saint. Simon Templar solves crimes with charm and style with the help (and car) of his loyal cabbie sidekick Louie. We'll hear "The What-Not What Got Hot" (originally aired on NBC on March 4, 1951) and "Fishes Gotta Eat" (originally aired on April 29, 1951).

In this week's bonus comedy show, we celebrate the return of baseball with a pair of shows featuring stars enjoying America's pastime. First, Jack Benny and his gang listen to the World Series (originally aired on October 10, 1948). Then, Eve Arden's Our Miss Brooks tries to come up with money for uniforms for the school's baseball team (originally aired on CBS on March 26, 1950).

The crimes of Jack the Ripper and the mystery of his identity have captivated scholars and readers for over a century, including old time radio writers. We'll hear a pair of shows inspired by the still unsolved crime spree of 19th century London. First, the hunt for the Ripper extends to Chicago in "Yours Truly, Jack the Ripper," an Armed Forces Radio Service production from The Mollé Mystery Theatre. Then on Crime Classics, Thomas Hyland tells the story "Good Evening. My Name is Jack the Ripper" (originally aired on CBS on June 30, 1954).

With his booming voice and signature giggle, Harold Peary was an audience favorite during the golden age of radio - first as a foil on Fibber McGee and Molly and later in his own spin-off The Great Gildersleeve. Later, he launched a star vehicle all his own in The Harold Peary Show. We'll hear episodes of both series in this week's bonus comedy episode. First, Gildy is finishing his summer vacation (originally aired on NBC on August 29, 1943). Then, "Honest Harold" falls victim to a con man (originally aired on CBS on October 4, 1950).