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
Broadway's My Beat: The Irene Hall Murder Case (EP5038) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:41
Today's Mystery: Detective Danny Clover investigates the strangling of a Broadway entertainer whose body is discovered by a frightened out-of-town businessman. His insistence that he heard the woman scream long after she…
The Saint:  The Ghost That Giggled (EP5036) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:08
Today's Mystery: When an eccentric woman asks Simon Templar to investigate the ghost that has been haunting her wealthy brother, the Saint expects to expose a harmless superstition. Instead, he finds himself unraveling a…
Counterspy: Flatbush Fagin (A0112) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:49
Today's Adventure: Counterspy chief David Harding tackles a different kind of threat when a juvenile court official asks for help breaking the grip of violent street gangs on Brooklyn's youth. Undercover operative Harry…
Yours Truly Johnny Dollar: The Only One Butt Matter (EP5035) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 23:30
Today's Mystery: Johnny Dollar accepts an unusually lucrative assignment to locate the runaway daughter of one of the insurance company's wealthiest clients. But when he finds the missing heiress in New York, his search…
Dragnet: The Big Safe (EP5034) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:09
Todays Mystery: Sergeant Joe Friday and his temporary partner investigate a string of expertly planned safe burglaries that has baffled the Los Angeles Police Department for months. After eliminating one suspect after an…
Broadway's My Beat: The Lois Conrad Murder Case (EP5033) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:29
Today's Mystery: Detective Danny Clover investigates the murder of a young secretarial school student whose glamorous lifestyle concealed a complicated personal life. As conflicting stories emerge from those closest to h…
The Big Story: Forty Minutes to Meet a Deadline (EP5032) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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 h…
The Saint: The Horrible Hamburger (EP5031) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:33
Today's Mystery: After a wrong turn leaves Simon Templar and taxi driver Louie dining at a lonely roadside restaurant, a flat tire leads them to discover a corpse in the trunk of Louie's cab. When the body mysteriously d…
Counterspy: The Courageous Come-On (A0110) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:04
Today's Adventure: Counterspy chief David Harding investigates a charity that claims to help disabled veterans and workers prepare for new careers. When a courageous insider exposes the organization's true purpose, Hardi…
Yours Truly Johnny Dollar: The Mei-Ling Buddha Matter (EP5030) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:16
Today's Mystery: Insurance investigator Johnny Dollar is sent to Boston after a priceless jade statue known as the Mei-Ling Buddha is reportedly spotted for sale in a Paris antique shop—even though it should still be loc…