The Big Story: The Man Who Wanted What He Couldn't Have (EP5037)

The Big Story: The Man Who Wanted What He Couldn't Have (EP5037)

Author: Adam Graham|Old Time Radio Detective Host August 11, 2026 Duration: 37:51
Today's Mystery: Salt Lake City Tribune reporter Cluster M. Nielsen investigates the murder of a young traveler whose final journey ends on a lonely Utah highway. As the evidence begins to conflict, Nielsen races to uncover the truth before an innocent man pays the price.

Original Radio Broadcast: November 14, 1951

Originating from New YorkCast:
  • Francis DeSales as Cluster M. Nielsen
  • Charita Bauer
  • Mickey O'Day
  • Bruce Gordon
  • Owen Gordon
  • Alan Stevenson
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Join us again tomorrow for another detective drama from the Golden Age of Radio.

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
Dragnet: The Big Fourth (EP5054) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:39
Todays Mystery: Sergeant Joe Friday and Frank Smith investigate a disturbing series of infant abductions in which babies disappear from the same general neighborhood, only to be found unharmed within a day. With no clear…
Broadway's My Beat: The Lila Hunter Murder Case (EP5053) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:34
Today's Mystery: Danny Clover investigates the death of Lila Hunter, whose body is pulled from the river while police are searching for her as the prime suspect in another murder. When a Skid Row derelict unexpectedly pr…
The Big Story: Hot Lead Catches a Cold Blooded Killer (EP5052) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:35
Today's Mystery: Miami Herald reporter William Adams joins the investigation after a well-dressed stranger is found shot to death beneath a bridge in the Everglades. With little to identify the victim beyond an old newsp…
The Saint: The Return of Harry Morgan (EP5051) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:03
Today's Mystery: Simon Templar agrees to help Wendy Brown, who fears the return of Harry Morgan, a notorious criminal she double-crossed before he fled the country. When a former prizefighter with advance knowledge of Mo…
Dragnet: The Big Badge (Peggy Webber Special) (EP5050s) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:39
Todays Mystery: Sergeant Joe Friday and his partner Ben Romero hunt for the “Badge Bandit,” a violent criminal who poses as a police officer to rob and assault his victims. After weeks of investigation, the search become…
Counterspy: The Postal Pirates, Part Two (A0118) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:48
Today's Adventure: David Harding and Harry Peters move to break up a widespread parcel-post theft ring, but their raid on the gang’s New York warehouse uncovers two deaths made to look like murder-suicide. Harding suspec…
Yours Truly Johnny Dollar: The Bolt out of the Blue Matter (EP5050) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:54
Today's Mystery: Johnny Dollar travels to the Massachusetts coast after the niece of retired sea captain Amos Weatherby reports a threat against her uncle’s life. She believes a former fiancé with a sinister past has ret…
Dragnet: The Big Shakedown (EP5049) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:56
Todays Mystery: Sergeant Joe Friday and his partner Frank Smith investigate a bookmaker’s claim that a police officer has been demanding weekly payments in exchange for allowing him to operate. But when no one matching t…
Broadway's My Beat: The Harry Moore Murder Case (EP5048) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:45
Today's Mystery: Detective Danny Clover investigates the murder of successful construction contractor Harry Moore, a man with no apparent enemies whose recent behavior had taken him far from his comfortable life. Clover…