Episode 632 - TV is the Thing This Year (Boston Blackie, Dragnet, Whistler, & Johnny Dollar)

Don’t change the channel! Each of this week’s radio mysteries involve that exciting new medium - television. A man is poisoned on the air as he’s about to reveal a murderer’s identity in a syndicated adventure of Boston Blackie, and the cops of Dragnet pursue phony TV repairmen in “The Big Screen” (originally aired on NBC on August 9, 1951). A TV quiz show unravels a perfect crime in “Marked Man” from The Whistler (originally aired on CBS on March 16, 1952), and John Lund stars as Johnny Dollar in “The Philip Morey Matter,” as the insurance investigator looks into the nervous breakdown of a popular television star (originally aired on CBS on October 13, 1953).

Superman's amazing adventures continue in the next chapters of "The Atom Man!" The evil Nazi scientist Der Teufel escapes with a piece of kryptonite, and he transforms a young Nazi soldier into his atomic-fueled agent of destruction. Meanwhile, Clark Kent travels the globe in pursuit of Der Teufel in a race to save the world - and his own life! These exciting episodes of The Adventures of Superman originally aired on Mutal between October 8 and October 19, 1945.

Summer means vacations, but getting out of town doesn’t mean that our detectives can get away from murder and mayhem in these old time radio mysteries. Simon Templar finds multiple murders on a cruise ship in “Murder on the High Seas” from The Saint (originally aired on Mutual on September 18, 1949), and Richard Diamond and Lt. Levinson have a working vacation as they search for a missing man in Bolivia in Richard Diamond, Private Detective (originally aired on CBS on May 31, 1953). Mr. and Mrs. North plan a little getaway, but they have to stop a killer from making their own getaway in “No Vacation for Murder” (AFRS rebroadcast from September 1, 1953). And on a vacation in Maine, Barrie Craig, Confidential Investigator finds a corpse in a haystack in “Hay is for Homicide” (originally aired on NBC on August 31, 1954).

In just over a week, Superman flies back to the big screen, and we’re celebrating all month long with one of his biggest radio adventures - one that pits him against a Kryptonite-powered Nazi Atom Man! Today, we’ll hear the opening chapters of this epic story (originally aired on Mutual between September 24 and October 5, 1945), as Superman retells his origin and the existence of Kryptonite is discovered by the Man of Steel’s enemies!

With July 4th right around the corner, we’ve got a quartet of radio mysteries involving great figures and moments of American history. Henry Fonda recreates his role of Young Mr. Lincoln in a radio version of the classic film on Academy Award (originally aired on CBS on July 10, 1946). Honest Abe is a lawyer who must clear his wrongfully accused clients of murder. Lee Bowman plays Allan Pinkterton, one of America’s most celebrated detectives, as he investigates a case of robbery and murder in “The Pinkerton Man” from The Cavalcade of America (originally aired on NBC on November 18, 1946). A recently released convict falls in with a gang that forges correspondence from historical figures in “Letters from Aaron Burr” from The Whistler (originally aired on CBS on November 20, 1949). And “the man with the action-packed expense account” hunts for a stolen original copy of the Gettysburg Address. Bob Bailey stars as Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar in “The Meek Memorial Matter” (AFRS rebroadcast from March 3, 1957).

We’re tipping our deerstalker cap to Basil Rathbone in celebration of his June 13th birthday. Of course, we’ll hear him as Sherlock Holmes in three old time radio adventures from Baker Street - “Murder in the Casbah” (originally aired on Mutual on December 3, 1945), “The Indiscretion of Mr. Edwards” (originally aired on Mutual on February 4, 1946), and “The Adventure of the Uneasy Easy Chair” (originally aired on Mutual on May 13, 1946). Plus, he plays John Adams in his pre-presidential days as a lawyer defending British soldiers involved in the infamous Boston Massacre. We’ll hear Rathbone in “John Yankee” from The Cavalcade of America (originally aired on NBC on August 29, 1950).

Happy Father’s Day! We’re celebrating dear old Dad with a collection of radio mysteries featuring fathers. First, Ellery Queen and his police inspector father collaborate on a case of smuggling and murder. Larry Dobkin is Ellery in “Number Thirty-One” (originally aired on NBC on September 7, 1947). Next, George Valentine is hired by a convicted killer's son to clear his father’s name. Bob Bailey stars in “The Father Who Had Nothing to Say” from Let George Do It (originally aired on Mutual on September 13, 1948). Then, meet private eye Joshua Sharp - known to his kids as The Big Guy. Henry Calvin plays the shamus and doting dad in "The Unheard Voice" (originally aired on NBC on May 7, 1950). And finally, Philip Marlowe hunts for a missing son for an ailing father. Gerald Mohr plays Marlowe in “The Last Wish” (originally aired on CBS on July 19, 1950).

Our run through the serialized adventures of Johnny Dollar brings us to the Big Easy! In “The Valentine Matter” (originally aired on CBS between October 31 and November 4, 1955), Johnny’s on a case in New Orleans when he runs across one of Prohibition’s most notorious bootleggers - a man who’s been marked for death by some old enemies.

“Get this and get it straight!” We’re celebrating Gerald Mohr - the radio actor who brought a two-fisted intensity to Philip Marlowe - in honor of his birthday on June 11. He was one of the best stars of the era, and his performance makes The Adventures of Philip Marlowe one of the best detective dramas of the day. We’ll hear Mohr as Marlowe in “The Easy Mark” (originally aired on CBS on January 29, 1949) and “The Long Arm” (originally aired on CBS on February 7, 1950). Then, he’s a less scrupulous character in “Lady with a Key” from The Whistler (originally aired on CBS on April 2, 1950). Finally, he co-stars with Jack Benny in “A Good and Faithful Servant,” a story of a $50,000 department store heist and the mild-mannered clerk who pulls it off, from Suspense (originally aired on CBS on June 2, 1952).

Our bonus series spotlighting the serialized adventures of Johnny Dollar continues! In “The Alvin Summers Matter” (originally aired on CBS between October 24 and 28, 1955), the man with the action-packed expense account is in Mexico to track down an embezzler who fled the United States with his loot. But Johnny isn’t there long before he’s pistol whipped and discovers a corpse in his hotel room. Bob Bailey stars as Dollar in this story set south of the border.