The Big Story: Forty Minutes to Meet a Deadline (EP5032)

The Big Story: Forty Minutes to Meet a Deadline (EP5032)

Author: Adam Graham|Old Time Radio Detective Host August 4, 2026 Duration: 31:53
Today's Story: Cleveland Press reporter Bus Bergen believes he has an open-and-shut murder case wrapped up in just forty minutes. But as the trial unfolds, a nagging doubt - and an unlikely four-legged witness - forces him to reconsider everything he thought he knew.

Original Radio Broadcast: July 25, 1951

Originating from New York

Starring Nat Polen as Bus Bergen

Also featuring Kathleen Nadeau, Brad Barker, Mel Ruick, Phil Sterling, Larry Robinson, Court Benson, and Les Darcy (unconfirmed)

Based on the true experiences of Cleveland Press reporter Bus Bergen

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Each weekday, Adam Graham opens the archive to the thrilling world of mid-century audio suspense with The Great Detectives of Old Time Radio. This daily series is a direct line to a time when crackling dials and tense narration filled living rooms, presenting a full mystery drama from the genre's golden age every Monday through Saturday. You'll hear the definitive voices of classic investigators at work, from the suave deductions of The Falcon to the methodical procedure of Dragnet, alongside the unique perspectives of Charlie Chan, the streetwise stories of Broadway's My Beat, and the detailed expense reports of Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar. It’s a carefully curated rotation designed to showcase the variety and depth of old-time radio detective fiction. Whether it's for a commute, a lunch break, or a nightly ritual, this podcast delivers a complete, immersive story in each episode, letting the atmospheric sound design and sharp dialogue build the case. Tune in for a consistent dose of intrigue and nostalgia, where every episode is a standalone journey into a meticulously crafted audio world.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

The Great Detectives of Old Time Radio| Daily Mystery Dramas
Podcast Episodes
The Saint: It's Snow Use (EP5046) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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Today’s Mystery: Simon Templar travels to a winter resort after being summoned by Peggy, a lively woman whose unusual request for protection involves asking the Saint to pose as her husband. Her tangled romantic history…
Counterspy: The Postal Pirates, Part One (A0116) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:49
Today's Adventure: David Harding and Harry Peters investigate a massive parcel-post theft ring operating in several major cities. Peters goes undercover as a New York postal clerk, hoping to work his way inside the organ…
Yours Truly Johnny Dollar: The Will and the Way Matter (EP5045) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:47
Today's Mystery: Johnny Dollar receives an urgent call from his old friend Red Barrett, who insists that the will of a recently deceased friend has been altered. Although others dismiss Red’s suspicions, Johnny heads for…
Dragnet: The Big Mail (EP5044) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:10
Today's Mystery: Sergeant Joe Friday and his new partner, Frank Smith, investigate the armed robbery of a U.S. mail truck carrying registered mail. The three-man gang escapes with 28 sacks, leaving police with little to…
Broadway's My Beat: The Alice Mayo Murder Case (EP5043) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:44
Today's Mystery: Detective Danny Clover investigates the murder of Alice Mayo, a recent arrival in New York who is shot through the door of her apartment. Her dying words point toward a man she met at a friendship club,…
The Big Story: Cord Around Her Neck (EP5042) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:24
Today's Mystery:West Seattle Herald reporter Stuart Whitehouse gets an unexpected opportunity to scoop the city's larger newspapers when a woman is found murdered in her home. With his weekly paper's deadline rapidly app…
The Saint: Dossier on a Doggone Dog (EP5041) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:40
Today's Mystery: When Simon Templar finds a lost Pekingese and follows her home, he walks straight into a wealthy family's uproar over a missing fortune in jewels. A suspicious butler, an argumentative family, and a prec…
Counterspy: Hot Car Killer (A0114) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:41
Today's Adventure: David Harding investigates an interstate stolen-car racket after a detective working undercover is murdered. The trail leads to a former race-car driver with a dangerous reputation and a criminal organ…
Yours Truly Johnny Dollar: The Frantic Fisherman Matter (EP5940) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:07
Today's Mystery: Johnny Dollar welcomes an excuse to visit an old friend at a Lake Mojave fishing resort, but the vacation quickly becomes an investigation when a recently released convict is spotted using some very unus…
Dragnet: The Big Gamble (EP5039) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:56
Todays Mystery: Sergeant Joe Friday and his partner Bill Lockwood investigate a professional gambling ring that keeps its games moving from place to place. A tip finally gives police the opportunity they've been waiting…