Old Time Radio Crime & Detectives

The Adventures of Sam Spade (1946-1951) radio series was loosely based on the private detective character Sam Spade, created by writer Dashiell Hammett for The Maltese Falcon. Film star Howard Duff played Sam Spade (also played by Steve Dunne at the end). Lurene Tuttle played Effie, Spade's secretary. Spade's character was the prototypical "hard-boiled" detective - an introspective, sharp witted, tough guy.

Hope you enjoy this episode of The Adventures of Sam Spade! Find more classic radio series at theaterofthemind-otr.com - Audio Credit: The Old Time Radio Researchers Group. - All Podcasts @ Spreaker | Apple | YouTube | Spotify | iHeart | Amazon

Hope you enjoy this episode of Dragnet! We run free OTR Crime, Detective and 4 other old time radio internet radio stations at theaterofthemind-otr.com - Audio Credit: The Old Time Radio Researchers Group. All Podcasts @ Spreaker | Apple | YouTube | Spotify | iHeart | Amazon

Pat Novak, for Hire was a detective drama series which aired from 1946 to 1947 on the West Coast and in 1949 as a nationwide program for ABC. The episodes were set on the San Francisco waterfront and depicts the city as a dark, rough place where the main goal is survival. Novak is not a detective by trade, but he owns a boat shop on Pier 19 where he rents out boats and does odd jobs to make money. The series' fast-paced, hard-boiled dialogue and action and witty one-liners made popularized it among fans.

Find more classic radio series at theaterofthemind-otr.com - Audio Credit: The Old Time Radio Researchers Group. - All Podcasts @ Spreaker | Apple | YouTube | Spotify | iHeart | Amazon

The old-time radio series 21st Precinct was a dramatic police procedural that aired on CBS from 1953 to 1956. It was a gritty, realistic police drama, often compared to the style of Dragnet. The show was known for its authentic, documentary-style approach to everyday police work, focusing heavily on procedure and the human element of policing.

• The series was set in the fictional 21st Precinct in New York City, described in the opening narration as "just lines on a map of the city of New York," a nine-tenths of a square mile area "between Fifth Avenue and the East River."
• Each episode typically began with a crime or incident reported by a phone call to the precinct desk. The story then followed the officers—from the initial response to the final report—detailing the investigation, which often involved not just the main crime but also the routine, personal, and professional problems of the officers.
• The primary character and narrator was the commanding officer, Captain Frank Kennelly, who served as the listener's guide through the day-to-day operations and challenges of the precinct. Everett Sloane played Captain Kennelly for the majority of the series.
• The show was produced with the official cooperation of the Patrolmen's Benevolent Association of the City of New York, and its stories were presented as adaptations of true criminal records, giving it an added layer of realism. The production used no theme or transitional music, instead relying on sound effects (typewriters, telephones, footsteps) to create an authentic atmosphere of the bustling police station.

old_time_radio police_procedural otr crime detectives radio_drama fiction drama golden_age_of_radio nostalgia 21st_Precinct storytelling New_York Frank_Kennelly classic_radio

Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar was a radio drama which aired between 1949 and 1962. "The man with the action-packed expense account, America’s fabulous freelance insurance investigator, Johnny Dollar". Of the eight different actors who played Johnny Dollar, Bob Bailey is likely considered the most popular. Bailey's interpretation presented a tough, streetwise character, but also sensitive and thoughtful. During it's time, Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar attracted some of the best writers in Hollywood, including Jack Johnstone, E. Jack Neuman, Robert Ryf, and Les Crutchfield.

Hope you enjoy this episode of Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar! Find all our OTR radio stations and podcasts at theaterofthemind-otr.com - Audio Credit: The Old Time Radio Researchers Group. - Podcasts @ Spreaker | Apple | YouTube | Spotify | iHeart | Amazon