It's Christmas with The Whistler as Down These Mean Streets signs off for 2023! Radio's celebrated sinister storyteller - played by Bill Forman - narrates a quartet of mysteries set against a holiday backdrop. We'll hear "Christmas Bonus" (originally aired on CBS on December 25, 1944), "Letter from Cynthia" (originally aired on CBS on December 25, 1949), "Three Wise Guys" (originally aired on CBS on December 24, 1950), and "Christmas Gift" (originally aired on CBS on December 23, 1951).

We need a little Christmas - and some Christmas mysteries! To celebrate the season, I'm sharing more of my favorite holiday adventures of old time radio detectives. Dr. Watson dresses as Santa and Sherlock Holmes thwarts a robbery in "The Night Before Christmas," with Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce in The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (originally aired on Mutual on December 24, 1945). On Casey, Crime Photographer, our hero spies a pickpocket at a department store and discovers a case of...

It's a birthday month tribute to Oscar-nominated actor Sydney Greenstreet. He made his film debut as the heavy in The Maltese Falcon, and he'd go on to appear in Casablanca, Christmas in Connecticut, and many more. He also spent a year starring on radio as Rex Stout's "gargantuan gourmet," Nero Wolfe. We'll hear him as Wolfe in "The Case of the Disappearing Diamonds" (originally aired on NBC on March 9, 1951) and "A Slight Case of Perjury" (originally aired on NBC on April 6, 1951). Plus,...

To some, it's just a pocketful of change, but in these three old time radio mysteries, coins play central parts in the crimes. First, Philip Marlowe hunts for a coin worth a cool $37,000 in "The Collector's Item" (originally aired on CBS on August 25, 1950). Then, Orson Welles tells how a single shilling was tied to a murder in a syndicated Scotland Yard story from The Black Museum. Finally, Bob Bailey stars as Johnny Dollar in a case involving Civil War currency - "The Confederate Coinage...

Before the pre-holiday shopping weekend comes to a close, here's Jack Webb as Sgt. Joe Friday in three authentic police histories from Dragnet. First, Friday is on the trail of a kleptomaniac in "The Big Shoplift" (originally aired on NBC on October 11, 1951). Then, a safecracker eludes the police in "The Big Safe" (originally aired on NBC on May 1, 1952). Finally, a missing body complicates an armed robbery investigation in "The Big Gone" (originally aired on NBC on November 30, 1954).

Happy Thanksgiving! As you hit the road, catch a flight, or start prepping the bird, enjoy five old time radio Turkey Day mysteries. First, Casey, Crime Photographer works to clear an ex-con framed for robbery in "After Turkey, the Bill" (originally aired on CBS on November 27, 1947). Then, Jack Webb encounters a modern-day Miles Standish and a turkey shoot more dangerous for man than bird in "The Pilgrim's Progress" from Jeff Regan, Investigator (originally aired on CBS on November 13,...

We're going bananas this week with three old time radio mysteries featuring chimps along with clues and crimes. First, Philip Marlowe looks for an English butler who walks on his knuckles in "The Monkey's Uncle" (originally aired on CBS on March 7, 1950). Then, Simon Templar is saddled with a simian sidekick in "The Chiseling Chimpanzee" from The Saint (originally aired on NBC on December 10, 1950). Finally, Frank Sinatra is asked to serve as bodyguard for a chimp TV star - and later has to...

In this bonus show, I'm sharing my five favorite episodes of Frank Sinatra trading crooning for crimesolving in Rocky Fortune. Ol' Blue Eyes starred in this short-lived series as a "footloose and fancy-free young gentleman" bouncing from job to job and finding mystery and murder wherever he landed. We'll hear Mr. Fortune as a cruise ship steward in "The Shipboard Jewel Robbery" (originally aired on NBC on October 20, 1953) and as the minder for a drunk theatre critic in "Murder on the Aisle"...

The heat is on with three old time radio cases of arson. First, Boston Blackie investigates a convoluted case of a love triangle, a torched building, and murder. Then, it's "The Case of the Arrogant Arsonist," an adventure from Counterspy (originally aired on ABC on September 16, 1949) that finds government agent David Harding hunting an ex-Nazi working as a firebug in the US of A. Finally, John Lund stars as "the man with the action-packed expense account" in "The Lester Matson Matter"...

Danger comes in pairs in this week's quartet old time radio mysteries involving identical twins and dopplegangers. First, a gangster uses a lookalike drifter to create an "Alibi for Murder" on The Mollé Mystery Theatre (originally aired on NBC on March 22, 1946). Next, a pair of twin foals leads to a plot to fix races in "The Big Gamble" from The Whistler (originally aired on CBS on October 3, 1948). Finally, we'll hear Bob Bailey in two shows. First, he's George Valentine in Hawaii...

With Halloween only a few days away, the sleuthing turns spooky with old time radio mysteries involving mummies. First, The Green Hornet discovers a murder in a museum, a missing ruby, and a sarcophagus crime scene in "Revenge for Melakim" (originally aired on ABC on June 15, 1944). Next, a fresh body is found in the place of a mummy in "Murder Makes a Mummy" from Crime Club (originally aired on ABC on May 29, 1947), and then William Gargan gets a mummy delivered to his office - along with a...

The moon is full, there's a chill in the air, and everything smells like pumpkin spice. It's time for the annual Down These Mean Streets spooktacular special! We're trick-or-treating through the golden age of radio with eight shows that will get you in the Halloween spirit. First, Orson Welles goes for a drive in "The Hitch-hiker" from Suspense (originally aired on CBS on September 2, 1942), and Jack Benny and Harold Peary as The Great Gildersleeve each attend Halloween parties (originally...

Hold on to your wallets when you're around the smooth-talking con artists and swindlers in this week's show. Fortunately, some dogged radio detectives are also on hand to stop these scammers in their tracks. We'll hear "The Case of the Bookworm" from Bunco Squad (originally aired on CBS on April 20, 1952). Then, Sgt. Joe Friday tracks down a phony investment guru in "The Big Bunco" from Dragnet (originally aired on NBC on April 17, 1952), and on The Line-Up, Lt. Ben Guthrie pursues a crook...

It's time to match your powers of deduction against those of Ellery Queen and see if you can solve three baffling radio mysteries before he reveals the solutions. We'll hear the brilliant sleuth in "The Adventure of the Circus Train" (originally aired on NBC on March 28, 1943); "The Adventure of the Mischief Maker" (originally aired on NBC on January 15, 1944); and "The Three Frogs" (originally aired on ABC on April 29, 1948). Plus, some sixty-second Ellery Queen radio mysteries with quick...

Ante up for three radio mysteries involving gamblers and the sometimes deadly bets they make. First, a pet shop owner is killed when he refuses to offer his store as a front for a gambling ring in Boston Blackie. Then, a real-life Chicago reporter cracks the case of a poker game that ends in murder on The Big Story (originally aired on NBC on April 4, 1951). And finally, Sgt. Joe Friday hunts for floating games in the City of Angels in "The Big Gamble" from Dragnet (originally aired on NBC on...

It's a concert of crime in this week's episode, as two radio detectives tackle cases in the music world. First, Simon Templar investigates when a pianist is shot and killed at the keys. Vincent Price stars in "A Sonata for Slayers" from The Saint (originally aired on NBC on June 18, 1950). Then, Bob Bailey stars as Johnny Dollar in "The Ricardo Amerigo Matter," where "America's fabulous freelance insurance investigator" hunts for a missing violinist and his violin (originally aired on CBS...

Hercule Poirot - Agatha Christie's brilliant Belgian sleuth - is back on the big screen in A Haunting in Venice. To celebrate his return, we'll hear three old time radio adventures of Poirot starring Harold Huber as the detective. We'll hear "Death in the Golden Gate" (originally aired on Mutual on May 17, 1945), "The Adventure of the Money Mad Ghoul" (originally aired on Mutual on September 13, 1945) and the series' audition episode "The Case of the Roving Corpse."

Actor Alan Ladd was born 110 years ago this month, and we're celebrating his life and career with four of his old time radio appearances. He plays mystery writer and amateur gumshoe Dan Holiday in "Diamond in the Sky" and "The Professor and the Puzzle," a pair of syndicated adventures from Box 13. Plus, he recreates his big screen role (and reunites with Veronica Lake) in The Blue Dahlia from The Screen Guild Theatre (originally aired on NBC on April 21, 1949) and he steps into the shoes of...

It's time to sharpen those pencils and hit the books with four radio mysteries set in and around the classroom. First, a chemistry professor tries a blackmail experiment in "Hasty Conclusion" from The Whistler (originally aired on CBS on May 19, 1947) and Philip Marlowe's latest client is a Nebraska schoolteacher caught up in mystery and murder in "The Rustin Hickory" (originally aired on CBS on September 10, 1949). Then, Dana Andrews tries to thwart a Commie plot to infiltrate a college...

In this bonus show, I'm opening the mail and picking out my five favorite episodes of Box 13. Alan Ladd stars as mystery writer and amateur detective Dan Holiday who finds his clients - and his story ideas - through a clever classified ad offering his services as an adventurer for hire. First, Holiday is hired to pose as a fiance in "Look Pleasant, Please" and he's pressed into a citywide scavenger hunt alongside a killer in "The Better Man." He works to save an innocent man from execution in...

Crime takes a dive in this week's episode of old time radio mysteries involving submarines, salvage divers, and the mysterious ocean floor. First, a love triangle leads to death at sea in "Dark Voyage" from The Whistler (originally aired on CBS on April 9, 1950). Then, Herbert Marshall hunts for a submarine targeting ships off India as The Man Called X (originally aired on NBC on February 3, 1951). And finally, G-men are on the job when a Nazi submarine drops off enemy agents in "The...

Danger flies high today with three old time radio mysteres involving airplanes. First, Frank Race is hired to deliver the plans for a million-dollar aircraft in the syndicated story "The Airborne Adventure." Next, Philip Marlowe's latest case leads to a team of daredevil skydivers and a deadly accident in "The Birds on the Wing" (originally aired on CBS on November 26, 1949). And finally, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. stars as a government agent hunting for the person who stowed a time bomb aboard a...

The world of art and artists provides the backdrop for our four old time radio mysteries. First, Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce are Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson hunt for a stolen painting in "The Girl with the Gazelle" from The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (originally aired on Mutual on March 25, 1946). Next, an artist's sketch leads to a new adventure for Rocky Jordan in "Portrait of Rocky" (originally aired on CBS on April 3, 1949). Edmond O'Brien is on the case of a $250,000 art...

It's an explosive adventure for the Man of Steel as he tries to thwart a plot by foreign spies. This adventure originally aired between April 21 and May 9, 1941. 

That's the bell, and we're underway with four old time radio mysteries set in and around the world of boxing. First, a fight fixer winds up dead in "Death is a Knock-out" from Crime Club (originally aired on Mutual on June 12, 1947).  Frank Race investigates when a boxer dies in the ring in the syndicated mystery "The Adventure of the Fourth Round Knock-Out," and The Falcon solves "The Case of the Bellicose Boxer" (originally aired on NBC on January 28, 1951). Finally, Detective Danny Clover...