Old Time Radio Mystery Specials
Enjoy a series of unusual episodes of the Great Detectives of Old Time Radio including old time radio mystery movie adaptations from the Lux Radio Theater, Screen Guild Theater, and similar programs. As well as episodes Escape, Suspense, and Murder Clinic, along with some truly different programs including Roy Rogers, Mayor of the Town, Superman, and Cavalcade of America. Also comparisons of how two detective programs handle the same story.
Episodes
November 2, 2025 • 162 mins
In this special, we look back at the top five half-hour Old Time Radio programs of our 2024-2025 season, and one of our best Old Time Radio Snack Wagon episodes.
First up, it's The Falcon in "The Case of the Jumping Jack":
A woman hires The Falcon because she suspects that her husband has hired a private eye to follow her.
Original Radio Broadcast Date: April 20, 1952
Originating from New York
Starring: Les Damon as The Falcon; Chuck We...
First up, it's The Falcon in "The Case of the Jumping Jack":
A woman hires The Falcon because she suspects that her husband has hired a private eye to follow her.
Original Radio Broadcast Date: April 20, 1952
Originating from New York
Starring: Les Damon as The Falcon; Chuck We...
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October 24, 2025 • 34 mins
Release Date: October 29, 2011
A female detective tries to solve a murder in a radio studio in the series 26 by Corwin.
Original Air Date: October 12, 1941
Support the show monthly at patreon.greatdetectives.net
Support the show on a one-time basis at http://support.greatdetectives.net.
Mail a donation to: Adam Graham, PO Box 15913, Boise, Idaho 83715
Take the listener survey at http://survey.greatdetectives.net
Give us a call at 208-991...
A female detective tries to solve a murder in a radio studio in the series 26 by Corwin.
Original Air Date: October 12, 1941
Support the show monthly at patreon.greatdetectives.net
Support the show on a one-time basis at http://support.greatdetectives.net.
Mail a donation to: Adam Graham, PO Box 15913, Boise, Idaho 83715
Take the listener survey at http://survey.greatdetectives.net
Give us a call at 208-991...
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October 10, 2025 • 65 mins
Release Date: September 24, 2011
Narcotics Commissioner Michael Barrows (Dick Powell) witnesses a Japanese sea captain throwing 100 slaves overboard to cover up a narcotics ring. Barrows is determined to get justice and sets out on a globe trotting adventure to break the ring and capture the murderous captain.
Original Air Date: May 23, 1949
Support the show monthly at https://patreon.greatdetectives.net
Support the show on a one-time ...
Narcotics Commissioner Michael Barrows (Dick Powell) witnesses a Japanese sea captain throwing 100 slaves overboard to cover up a narcotics ring. Barrows is determined to get justice and sets out on a globe trotting adventure to break the ring and capture the murderous captain.
Original Air Date: May 23, 1949
Support the show monthly at https://patreon.greatdetectives.net
Support the show on a one-time ...
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September 26, 2025 • 65 mins
Release Date: July 16, 2011
This Suspense doublebill features two episodes of CBS’ signature anthology series.
First in "Menace in Wax," a reporter is summoned to a wax museum and finds a code that could spell trouble for a war plant in Great Britain.
Original Air Date: November 17, 1942
Then in, "You Were Wonderful," the great Lena Horne plays a talented singer who finds herself embroiled in intrigue in Brazil and employed by rough c...
This Suspense doublebill features two episodes of CBS’ signature anthology series.
First in "Menace in Wax," a reporter is summoned to a wax museum and finds a code that could spell trouble for a war plant in Great Britain.
Original Air Date: November 17, 1942
Then in, "You Were Wonderful," the great Lena Horne plays a talented singer who finds herself embroiled in intrigue in Brazil and employed by rough c...
Mark as Played
September 7, 2025 • 164 mins
Today we take a look at the evolution of E. Jack Neumann's story that became the five-part Johnny Dollar serial.
Jeff Regan: The Man in the Church
Regan is hired for a simple job of delivering $5,000 to a man, but finds himself wanted for murder.
Original Air Date: October 12, 1949
Starring: Frank Graham as Jeff Regan; Frank Nelson; William Conrad; Sidney Miller
Night Beat: Big John McMasters
Randy Stone befriends an old-time racketeer a...
Jeff Regan: The Man in the Church
Regan is hired for a simple job of delivering $5,000 to a man, but finds himself wanted for murder.
Original Air Date: October 12, 1949
Starring: Frank Graham as Jeff Regan; Frank Nelson; William Conrad; Sidney Miller
Night Beat: Big John McMasters
Randy Stone befriends an old-time racketeer a...
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August 31, 2025 • 33 mins
Today's Mystery: Andy Hardy takes a job as a night watchman only to seemingly have the whole warehouse he's guarding disappear.
Original Radio Broadcast Date: April 10, 1951
Originating from Hollywood
Starring: Mickey Rooney as Andy Hardy; Fay Holden; Lewis Stone; Eleanore Tanin; Richard Krenna; Eleanore Tanin
Support the show monthly at https://patreon.greatdetectives.net
Patreon Supporter of the Day:
Support the show on a one-time basi...
Original Radio Broadcast Date: April 10, 1951
Originating from Hollywood
Starring: Mickey Rooney as Andy Hardy; Fay Holden; Lewis Stone; Eleanore Tanin; Richard Krenna; Eleanore Tanin
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Patreon Supporter of the Day:
Support the show on a one-time basi...
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August 17, 2025 • 64 mins
Release Date: May 07, 2011
A man (Edmund O’Brien) is poisoned and spends his last days trying to find the man who murdered him.
Original Air Date: June 21, 1951
Support the show monthly at https://patreon.greatdetectives.net
Support the show on a one-time basis at https://support.greatdetectives.net
Mail a donation to: Adam Graham, PO Box 15913, Boise, Idaho 83715
Give us a call at 208-991-4783
Take the listener survey at https://survey.g...
A man (Edmund O’Brien) is poisoned and spends his last days trying to find the man who murdered him.
Original Air Date: June 21, 1951
Support the show monthly at https://patreon.greatdetectives.net
Support the show on a one-time basis at https://support.greatdetectives.net
Mail a donation to: Adam Graham, PO Box 15913, Boise, Idaho 83715
Give us a call at 208-991-4783
Take the listener survey at https://survey.g...
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August 1, 2025 • 33 mins
Release Date: February 26, 2011
A mystery writer (Peter Lorre) tries to unravel the truth about Demetrios, an international criminal of legendary proportion. In the course of this search, he garners the interest of another mystery man (Sidney Greenstreet).
Original Air Date: April 16, 1945
Support the show monthly at https://patreon.greatdetectives.net
Support the show on a one-time basis at https://support.greatdetectives.net
Mail a do...
A mystery writer (Peter Lorre) tries to unravel the truth about Demetrios, an international criminal of legendary proportion. In the course of this search, he garners the interest of another mystery man (Sidney Greenstreet).
Original Air Date: April 16, 1945
Support the show monthly at https://patreon.greatdetectives.net
Support the show on a one-time basis at https://support.greatdetectives.net
Mail a do...
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July 11, 2025 • 62 mins
Release Date: December 18, 2010
In G.K. Chesterton’s classic, Gabriel Syme (Orson Welles) is a police detective infiltrating the anarchist counsel of Europe.
Original Air Date: September 5, 1938
Support the show monthly at https://patreon.greatdetectives.net
Support the show on a one-time basis at https://support.greatdetectives.net
Mail a donation to: Adam Graham, PO Box 15913, Boise, Idaho 83715
Give us a call at 208-991-4783
Take the l...
In G.K. Chesterton’s classic, Gabriel Syme (Orson Welles) is a police detective infiltrating the anarchist counsel of Europe.
Original Air Date: September 5, 1938
Support the show monthly at https://patreon.greatdetectives.net
Support the show on a one-time basis at https://support.greatdetectives.net
Mail a donation to: Adam Graham, PO Box 15913, Boise, Idaho 83715
Give us a call at 208-991-4783
Take the l...
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June 26, 2025 • 35 mins
Today's Mystery: An experiment reveals how the diamond got out of Rachel Verinder's cabinet. But where is it now?
Original Air Date: April 23, 1948
Originating from Chicago
Starring: Sherman Marks as Gabriel Betterridge; Arthur Sedgewick as Sergeant Cuff; Charles Mountain as Franklin Blake, Jonathan Hull, Dick York, Donald Gallagher, Boris Aplon, Marvin Peisner
Support the show monthly at patreon.greatdetectives.net
Patreon Supporter of...
Original Air Date: April 23, 1948
Originating from Chicago
Starring: Sherman Marks as Gabriel Betterridge; Arthur Sedgewick as Sergeant Cuff; Charles Mountain as Franklin Blake, Jonathan Hull, Dick York, Donald Gallagher, Boris Aplon, Marvin Peisner
Support the show monthly at patreon.greatdetectives.net
Patreon Supporter of...
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June 19, 2025 • 33 mins
Today's Mystery: After a tragic suicide, Sergeant Cuff's dismissed with the theft of the Moonstone still unsolved. A year later, someone else picks up the investigation.
Original Radio Broadcast Date: April 16, 1948
Originating from Chicago
Starring: Sherman Marks as Gabriel Betterridge; Arthur Sedgewick as Sergeant Cuff; Charles Mountain as Franklin Blake; Geraldine Kaye as Rachel Verinder; Alma Fox; Jane Elliot; Ruth Shane; Minion S...
Original Radio Broadcast Date: April 16, 1948
Originating from Chicago
Starring: Sherman Marks as Gabriel Betterridge; Arthur Sedgewick as Sergeant Cuff; Charles Mountain as Franklin Blake; Geraldine Kaye as Rachel Verinder; Alma Fox; Jane Elliot; Ruth Shane; Minion S...
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June 12, 2025 • 35 mins
Today's Mystery: England's greatest detective is called in to recover the Moonstone.
Original Radio Broadcast Date: April 9, 1948
Originating from Chicago
Starring: Sherman Marks as Gabriel Betterridge; Arthur Sedgewick as Sergeant Cuff; Charles Mountain as Franklin Blake; Geraldine Kaye as Rachel Verinder; Alma Fox; Jane Elliot; Ruth Shane; Minion Shriver; Sidney Breese; Les Spears
Support the show monthly at patreon.greatdetectives.n...
Original Radio Broadcast Date: April 9, 1948
Originating from Chicago
Starring: Sherman Marks as Gabriel Betterridge; Arthur Sedgewick as Sergeant Cuff; Charles Mountain as Franklin Blake; Geraldine Kaye as Rachel Verinder; Alma Fox; Jane Elliot; Ruth Shane; Minion Shriver; Sidney Breese; Les Spears
Support the show monthly at patreon.greatdetectives.n...
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June 5, 2025 • 37 mins
Original Release Date: June 5, 2025
Today's Mystery: In the mid-19th Century, a young English woman has inherited a large Indian diamond from her evil uncle. She decides to wear it as a brooch on her eighteenth birthday. What could go wrong?
Original Radio Broadcast Date: April 2, 1948
Originating from Chicago
Starring: Sherman Marks as Gabriel Betterridge; Charles Mountain as Franklin Blake; Geraldine Kaye as Rachel Verinder; Alma Fox...
Today's Mystery: In the mid-19th Century, a young English woman has inherited a large Indian diamond from her evil uncle. She decides to wear it as a brooch on her eighteenth birthday. What could go wrong?
Original Radio Broadcast Date: April 2, 1948
Originating from Chicago
Starring: Sherman Marks as Gabriel Betterridge; Charles Mountain as Franklin Blake; Geraldine Kaye as Rachel Verinder; Alma Fox...
Mark as Played
May 25, 2025 • 64 mins
Original Release Date: November 8, 2010
Returning from investigating the “Thin Man” case, Nick Charles again hopes to retire, but finds himself drawn into another mystery when his wife’s cousin is approved of murdering her no good husband.
Original Air Date: June 17, 1940
Support the show monthly at https://patreon.greatdetectives.net
Support the show on a one-time basis at https://support.greatdetectives.net
Mail a donation to: Adam Gr...
Returning from investigating the “Thin Man” case, Nick Charles again hopes to retire, but finds himself drawn into another mystery when his wife’s cousin is approved of murdering her no good husband.
Original Air Date: June 17, 1940
Support the show monthly at https://patreon.greatdetectives.net
Support the show on a one-time basis at https://support.greatdetectives.net
Mail a donation to: Adam Gr...
Mark as Played
May 11, 2025 • 35 mins
Today's Mystery: A woman operating a shooting gallery game at an amusement park suspects that the death of an elderly watchman for the carnival is tied to a firebug who has been operating in town.
Original Radio Broadcast Date: August 14, 1952
Originating from New York
Starring: Adelaide Klein as Cathy; Bill Lipton; Patrick Campbell; Sydney Smith; Walter Black
Support the show monthly at patreon.greatdetectives.net
Patreon Supporter of ...
Original Radio Broadcast Date: August 14, 1952
Originating from New York
Starring: Adelaide Klein as Cathy; Bill Lipton; Patrick Campbell; Sydney Smith; Walter Black
Support the show monthly at patreon.greatdetectives.net
Patreon Supporter of ...
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May 4, 2025 • 64 mins
Original Release Date: November 1, 2010
Nick Charles, a retired private detective is drawn back to detection with the insistence of his wife, Nora, when a former client is suspected of several murders.
Original Air Date: June 8, 1936
Support the show monthly at https://patreon.greatdetectives.net
Support the show on a one-time basis at https://support.greatdetectives.net
Mail a donation to: Adam Graham, PO Box 15913, Boise, Idaho 83715
G...
Nick Charles, a retired private detective is drawn back to detection with the insistence of his wife, Nora, when a former client is suspected of several murders.
Original Air Date: June 8, 1936
Support the show monthly at https://patreon.greatdetectives.net
Support the show on a one-time basis at https://support.greatdetectives.net
Mail a donation to: Adam Graham, PO Box 15913, Boise, Idaho 83715
G...
Mark as Played
April 27, 2025 • 37 mins
Original Release Date: October 25, 2010
A reporter (Alan Ladd) finds a woman dead of TB and is determined to find out why she died.
Original Air Date: March 24, 1950
Support the show monthly at https://patreon.greatdetectives.net
Support the show on a one-time basis at https://support.greatdetectives.net
Mail a donation to: Adam Graham, PO Box 15913, Boise, Idaho 83715
Give us a call at 208-991-4783
Take the listener survey at https://sur...
A reporter (Alan Ladd) finds a woman dead of TB and is determined to find out why she died.
Original Air Date: March 24, 1950
Support the show monthly at https://patreon.greatdetectives.net
Support the show on a one-time basis at https://support.greatdetectives.net
Mail a donation to: Adam Graham, PO Box 15913, Boise, Idaho 83715
Give us a call at 208-991-4783
Take the listener survey at https://sur...
Mark as Played
April 6, 2025 • 67 mins
Release Date: July 31, 2010
In this made-for-radio sequel to the Maltese Falcon, Casper Guttman (Joseph Kearns) returns, but this time he’s seeking a piece of dental work.
Original Air Date: January 10, 1948
Support the show monthly at https://patreon.greatdetectives.net
Support the show monthly at https://patreon.greatdetectives.net
Support the show on a one-time basis at https://support.greatdetectives.net
Mail a donation to: Adam Grah...
In this made-for-radio sequel to the Maltese Falcon, Casper Guttman (Joseph Kearns) returns, but this time he’s seeking a piece of dental work.
Original Air Date: January 10, 1948
Support the show monthly at https://patreon.greatdetectives.net
Support the show monthly at https://patreon.greatdetectives.net
Support the show on a one-time basis at https://support.greatdetectives.net
Mail a donation to: Adam Grah...
Mark as Played
March 30, 2025 • 32 mins
Original Release Date: May 22, 2010
A psychologist is found dead on a roller coaster after a ride, but he wasn’t on board when the roller coaster left.
Original Air Date: January 6, 1944
Support the show monthly at https://patreon.greatdetectives.net
Support the show on a one-time basis at https://support.greatdetectives.net
Mail a donation to: Adam Graham, PO Box 15913, Boise, Idaho 83715
GIve us a call at 208-991-4783
Take the listener ...
A psychologist is found dead on a roller coaster after a ride, but he wasn’t on board when the roller coaster left.
Original Air Date: January 6, 1944
Support the show monthly at https://patreon.greatdetectives.net
Support the show on a one-time basis at https://support.greatdetectives.net
Mail a donation to: Adam Graham, PO Box 15913, Boise, Idaho 83715
GIve us a call at 208-991-4783
Take the listener ...
Mark as Played
March 16, 2025 • 32 mins
Today's Mystery: A police lieutenant is notified that a doctor has received threatening letters.
Original Radio Broadcast Date: February 21, 1960
Originating from New York
Starring: Les Damon as Lieutenant Paul Nieman; Lyle Sudrow as Dr. Don Frasier; Phil Meader; Larry Haines
Support the show monthly at patreon.greatdetectives.net
Patreon Supporter of the Day: Keith, Patreon supporter since February 2017
Support the show on a one-time b...
Original Radio Broadcast Date: February 21, 1960
Originating from New York
Starring: Les Damon as Lieutenant Paul Nieman; Lyle Sudrow as Dr. Don Frasier; Phil Meader; Larry Haines
Support the show monthly at patreon.greatdetectives.net
Patreon Supporter of the Day: Keith, Patreon supporter since February 2017
Support the show on a one-time b...
Mark as Played
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