This week a rather obscure radio detective series from the very early fifties called The Big Guy. The series starred Henry Calvin (right) who is best known as Sgt. Garcia from televisionâs Zorro.
While the opening of the episode makes the show sound light, the
subject matter is very radio detective and for the most part enjoyable.
Music under is called âGraceâ by the Shapiro Project. LESS

âRiabouchinskaâ is an unusual tale from the pen of Ray Bradbury. Not a name normally associated with the detective genre. However, this tale published in 1953 in The Saint Detective Magazine was first heard in 1947 on the radio program Suspense when the script was created from the original Bradbury story outline. The author had not even actually written the story yet! That would come six years later. Even though Ray Bradbury is one of Americaâs best fantasy and science fiction writers, this tale with its theme of the ventriloquist haunted by his own dummyâs personality involved murder and a detective who wanted to get to the bottom of the reasons behind the killing. From radio then to print and finally to television, first on Alfred Hitchcock Presents and later re-written by the author himself for his Ray Bradbury Theatre, the theme is one later played out in the Hollywood film Magic starring Anthony Hopkins in an early role.

You can view the Hitchcock version at Hulu.com . LESS

Another visit with Cornell Woolrich, considered the father of noir
fiction. Iâll look at one of his short novellas, Dime A
Dance, published in 1938 and its adaptation on radioâs Suspense on January 13, 1944 starring Lucille
Ball. The adaptation works for the most part and has the twists and
turns of a good noirish suspense story.
Music under is Sonny Rollinâs rendition of âPoor Butterfly.â LESS

This week, I begin looking at the noirish radio dramas based on the stories of Cornell Woolrich. First off is The White Rose Murders from the radio series Suspense. It is based on a story by Woolrich called The Death Rose and is one of the best examples of a taut noir radio drama.
Music under is first: Blind Spot by 3rd Man followed by Soothe Me by Shea Breaux Wells . LESS

A year and a half ago, I featured a radio version of Arthur Conan Doyle's short story, "The Lost Special" which aired over Escape in 1949. At that time, the Suspense version starring Orson Welles was considered lost. Recently, the audio for that 1943 Suspense version has surfaced thanks to Randy Riddle.
And so, I am taking another look at this version of the story, which
is much closer to the original short story. I have mixed feelings about
the adaptation as you will hear.

Background music is Grover's Tune by Excellent Adventure LESS

From the fecund mind of mystery/thriller writer, Edgar Wallace, best
known as the first screenwriter of the film King Kong. His better known
mystery series include the J.G. Reeder and Green Archer series.
Wallace's stories were so well accepted over 160 films were made from
them. This week I'll look at Wallace and the radio play "Criminal At
Large" from the Molle' Mystery Theatre from April 1944. The radio play was based upon a stage play and film called The Frightened Lady.
Music under is Deep Purple played by Art Tatum. LESS

Eric Ambler is mostly known as a writer of spy related novels. Mask of Dimitrios (published in the U.S. as A Coffin for Dimitrios)
is about a writer of detective stories who bargains for more than he
can handle as he researches the mysterious Dimitrios. He is pulled
farther and farther into a web of deceit. The book was made into a film
and the film into a radio play as presented on the Screen Guild Theatre in 1945.
A look at the story and Ambler. LESS

From the pen of Dorothy L. Sayers, a different kind of detective story
involving her detective, Lord Peter Wimsey. âThe Cave of Ali Babaâ was
heard over Suspense in 1942 based on her original short story âThe Adventurous Exploits of the Cave of Ali Babaâ published in 1928. LESS

One of Agatha Christieâs most successful stories with her Belgian
detective Hercule Poirot was in itself controversial and a number of
books have been written about the detective story. Her fellow writers
at the time felt she had crossed the line in their ârules of the gameâ
when creating a tidy cozy mystery. Iâll look briefly at the controversy
and youâll hear Orson Welles disappointing creation of her Belgian
detective in the Mercury Theaterâs production of this well-known
detective story. LESS

Iâm back for a brief visit to one of the âlost in timeâ detective
writers - Leslie T. White, an early 20th century forensics detective
for the Los Angeles District Attorney. White turned to detective story
writing influencing among others - Raymond Chandler. One of his stories
was adapted for the Molle Mystery Theater in 1946 and is presented here. LESS