Episodes

  • Ralph Chase Case - Richard Diamond | 05/15/1949 (Ep04)

    Ralph Chase Case - Richard Diamond | 05/15/1949 (Ep04)
    Jan 13 2026
    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
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    30 mins
  • Killer At Large - Box 13 | 06/19/1949 (Ep44)

    Killer At Large - Box 13 | 06/19/1949 (Ep44)
    Jan 12 2026
    Box 13 is a syndicated radio drama about the escapades of newspaperman-turned-mystery novelist Dan Holiday, played by film star Alan Ladd. It ran during 1948 and 1949. The episodes involved Holiday running classified ads to get new ideas for his fiction. "Adventure wanted, will go anywhere, do anything – write Box 13, Star-Times". The episodes followed Holiday's adventures when he responded to the letters sent to him.

    Hope you enjoy this episode of Box 13! 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
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    27 mins
  • Shipboard Jewel Robbery - Rocky Fortune | 10/20/1953 (Ep03)

    Shipboard Jewel Robbery - Rocky Fortune | 10/20/1953 (Ep03)
    Jan 11 2026
    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
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    24 mins
  • The White Carnation - Philip Marlowe | 09/22/1950 (Ep102)

    The White Carnation - Philip Marlowe | 09/22/1950 (Ep102)
    Jan 10 2026
    The Adventures of Philip Marlowe was a radio series featuring Raymond Chandler as Philip Marlowe. He was a gritty, no nonsense American, hard-boiled detective; however, he was more complex than other hard-boiled detectives of the era. "Hard-boiled" refers to a gritter urban element to the detective genre. Marlowe could handle a gun and take a beating, but he was also college educated. He played chess and appreciated classical music. He had standards too, and he turned down jobs that didn't measure up to those standards.

    Hope you enjoy this episode of The Adventures of Philip Marlowe! 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
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    29 mins
  • The Indian Caper - Sam Spade | 09/25/1949 (Ep170)

    The Indian Caper - Sam Spade | 09/25/1949 (Ep170)
    Jan 9 2026
    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
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    28 mins
  • The Big Filth - Dragnet (AFRS) | 02/02/1954 (Ep233)

    The Big Filth - Dragnet (AFRS) | 02/02/1954 (Ep233)
    Jan 8 2026
    Hope you enjoy this episode of Dragnet! We run free OTR Crime, Detective and 4 other old time radio internet radio stations at theaterofthemind-otr.com - Audio Credit: The Old Time Radio Researchers Group. All Podcasts @ Spreaker | Apple | YouTube | Spotify | iHeart | Amazon
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    26 mins
  • Joe Condano - Pat Novak, for Hire | 03/27/1949

    Joe Condano - Pat Novak, for Hire | 03/27/1949
    Jan 7 2026
    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
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    29 mins
  • The Mainliner - 21st Precinct | 08/18/1953 (Ep07)

    The Mainliner - 21st Precinct | 08/18/1953 (Ep07)
    Jan 6 2026
    The old-time radio series 21st Precinct was a dramatic police procedural that aired on CBS from 1953 to 1956. It was a gritty, realistic police drama, often compared to the style of Dragnet. The show was known for its authentic, documentary-style approach to everyday police work, focusing heavily on procedure and the human element of policing.
    • The series was set in the fictional 21st Precinct in New York City, described in the opening narration as "just lines on a map of the city of New York," a nine-tenths of a square mile area "between Fifth Avenue and the East River."
    • Each episode typically began with a crime or incident reported by a phone call to the precinct desk. The story then followed the officers—from the initial response to the final report—detailing the investigation, which often involved not just the main crime but also the routine, personal, and professional problems of the officers.
    • The primary character and narrator was the commanding officer, Captain Frank Kennelly, who served as the listener's guide through the day-to-day operations and challenges of the precinct. Everett Sloane played Captain Kennelly for the majority of the series.
    • The show was produced with the official cooperation of the Patrolmen's Benevolent Association of the City of New York, and its stories were presented as adaptations of true criminal records, giving it an added layer of realism. The production used no theme or transitional music, instead relying on sound effects (typewriters, telephones, footsteps) to create an authentic atmosphere of the bustling police station.

    old_time_radio police_procedural otr crime detectives radio_drama fiction drama golden_age_of_radio nostalgia 21st_Precinct storytelling New_York Frank_Kennelly classic_radio
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    27 mins
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