Fifteen Years Ago

Fifteen Years Ago

Author: Adam Graham October 20, 2024 Duration: 3:10:56
This week, we look back at our first week of podcasts from 2009, with Adam's current extended thoughts on each episode and reaction to his own commentar. 

Original Podcast Release Date: October 26, 2009

Dan Holiday tries to jumpstart his writing career through an ad in a newspaper. His first letter is from a woman who tells Dan she’s being blackmailed.

Original Radio Air Date: October 17, 1947

Originating in Hollywood

Starring: Alan Ladd as Dan Holiday; Sylvia Picker as Suzie

Original Podcast Release Date: October 27, 2009

Pat Novak is hired to frighten a man named Dixie Gillian, but when an empty gun goes off, he finds himself facing a murder charge.
 
“You couldn’t hold a moth with a searchlight.” - Pat Novak to Hellman
 
Original Air Date: November 24, 1946
 
Originating in San Francisco
 
Starring: Jack Webb as Pat Novak; Tudor Owen as Jocko Madigan
 
Original Podcast Release Date: October 28, 2009

On his first day as a private detective, George Valentine gets his first client - a famous writer who tells him he’s about to be murdered and then collapses on the spot. The body then vanishes, leaving George to find out what happened.

Original Audition Date: May 14, 1946

Originating in Hollywood

Starring: Bob Bailey as George Valentine; Shirley Mitchell as Claire; Eddie Firestone, Jr. as Sonny; Joseph Kearns; Georgia Backus; Howard McNear; Horace Murphy
 
Original Podcast Release Date: October 30, 2009

Johnny Dollar is retained to protect a man who has threatened suicide after making a notorious gambling kingpin the beneficiary on his life insurance policy.
 
Original Audition Date: December 7, 1948
 
Starring: Dick Powell as Johnny Dollar; William Conrad; Betty Lou Gerson; Joseph Kearns
 
Guest: Andrew Rhynes of the OTR Westerns podcast

The Great Detectives Old Time Radio Volume 1 (Seasons 1-3): https://volume1.greatdetectives.net
 
The Great Detectives of Old Time Radio Volume 2 (Seasons 4-6) https://volume2.greatdetectives.net
 
The Great Detectives of Old TIme Radio Volume 3 (Seasons 7-9) https://volume3.greatdetectives.net
 
The Great Detectives of Old TIme Radio Detective Compilation YouTube Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDFIOdWlnzL-YP6EZpi6JI1nLn6Hm4tAI


Also referenced: Podcast Alley and The Radio Detective Story Hour
 
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Curated by Adam Graham, Old Time Radio Mystery Specials digs into the archives to surface some of the most intriguing and offbeat detective stories from the golden age of audio drama. This podcast isn't just a straightforward replay; it's a curated exploration of the genre's surprising range. You'll hear classic movie adaptations from the Lux Radio Theater alongside tense half-hours from series like Escape, Suspense, and Murder Clinic. But the selections often take unexpected turns, featuring mystery-themed episodes from shows you wouldn't typically associate with the genre, like Roy Rogers, Mayor of the Town, Superman, and Cavalcade of America. Graham also provides a fascinating layer of analysis by presenting comparisons of how two different detective programs tackled the exact same source story, offering a unique look at creative interpretation in classic radio. The result is a collection that goes beyond the usual suspects, perfect for longtime fans looking for deep cuts and newcomers curious about the inventive breadth of old-time radio mystery. Each episode is a self-contained audio journey, preserving the crackle and charm of the original broadcasts while framing them in a fresh context. Tune in for suspense, nostalgia, and a few genuine surprises from a bygone era of storytelling.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Old Time Radio Mystery Specials
Podcast Episodes
Screen Guild Theatre: The Mask of Demetrios [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:09
Release Date: February 26, 2011A mystery writer (Peter Lorre) tries to unravel the truth about Demetrios, an international criminal of legendary proportion. In the course of this search, he garners the interest of anothe…
Mercury Theatre on the Air: The Man Who Was Thursday [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:37
Release Date: December 18, 2010In G.K. Chesterton’s classic, Gabriel Syme (Orson Welles) is a police detective infiltrating the anarchist counsel of Europe.Original Air Date: September 5, 1938Support the show monthly at…
World's Great Novels: The Moonstone, Part Four [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:09
Today's Mystery: An experiment reveals how the diamond got out of Rachel Verinder's cabinet. But where is it now?Original Air Date: April 23, 1948Originating from ChicagoStarring: Sherman Marks as Gabriel Betterridge; Ar…
World's Great Novels: The Moonstone, Part Three [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:47
Today's Mystery: After a tragic suicide, Sergeant Cuff's dismissed with the theft of the Moonstone still unsolved. A year later, someone else picks up the investigation.Original Radio Broadcast Date: April 16, 1948Origin…
World's Great Novels: The Moonstone, Part Two [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:49
Today's Mystery: England's greatest detective is called in to recover the Moonstone.Original Radio Broadcast Date: April 9, 1948Originating from ChicagoStarring: Sherman Marks as Gabriel Betterridge; Arthur Sedgewick as…
World's Great Novels: The Moonstone, Part One [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:37
Original Release Date: June 5, 2025Today's Mystery: In the mid-19th Century, a young English woman has inherited a large Indian diamond from her evil uncle. She decides to wear it as a brooch on her eighteenth birthday.…
Lux Radio Theater: After the Thin Man [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:04:33
Original Release Date: November 8, 2010Returning from investigating the “Thin Man” case, Nick Charles again hopes to retire, but finds himself drawn into another mystery when his wife’s cousin is approved of murdering he…
The Chase: The Amusement Park [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:34
Today's Mystery: A woman operating a shooting gallery game at an amusement park suspects that the death of an elderly watchman for the carnival is tied to a firebug who has been operating in town.Original Radio Broadcast…
Lux Radio Theater: The Thin Man [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:04:27
Original Release Date: November 1, 2010Nick Charles, a retired private detective is drawn back to detection with the insistence of his wife, Nora, when a former client is suspected of several murders.Original Air Date: J…
Screen Director’s Playhouse: Chicago Deadline [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:09
Original Release Date: October 25, 2010A reporter (Alan Ladd) finds a woman dead of TB and is determined to find out why she died.Original Air Date: March 24, 1950Support the show monthly at https://patreon.greatdetectiv…