Old Time Radio Crime & Detectives

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

Richard Diamond, Private Detective was an American detective drama, created by Blake Edwards, which aired on radio from 1949 to 1953. Dick Powell starred as Richard Diamond in the radio series as a wisecracking former police officer turned private detective. Episodes often had Diamond taking on a case at the behest of his friend and former partner, Lt. Walter Levinson. The plot remained relatively unchanged throughout the series, with the hard-boiled Diamond enduring physical confrontations while tackling a challenging murder investigation, aided by the police department. Notably, despite the numerous gun battles, Diamond was never injured by gunfire. Most episodes end with Diamond at the piano, singing a popular song to his girlfriend, Helen Asher. This radio program was later adapted successfully to television. 

Hope you enjoy the episode of Richard Diamond! Find all our OTR radio stations and podcasts at theaterofthemind-otr.com - Audio Credit: The Old Time Radio Researchers Group - All Podcasts @ Spreaker | Apple | YouTube | iHeart | Amazon | Spotify

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 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

Rocky Fortune was created in 1953 by writer George Lefferts and starring Frank Sinatra in the lead. Rocky Fortune followed the exploits of a marginally employed jack-of-all-trades Rocky Fortune. Though considered a second-rate show even during the 26 weeks it aired, it's a nice boon for Frank Sinatra fans.

Hope you enjoy this episode of Rocky Fortune! 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 | Amazon | iHeart