The final episode on the development of the American Detective as heard through radio and fiction. In the early 1920s, pulp writers Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler, Carroll John Daly, Erle Stanley Gardner and others were creating a new kind of detective: one who was of the streets. Their gritty street smart, tough talking detectives were the first real American detectives not spawned from the Holmesian model.
Radio Detective Story Hour Episode 191 – Philo Vance Genre Pt. 4
In looking at the development of the American detective genre reflected through Radio Drama, we are now into the early 20th century. Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes has begun to affect many of these early fictional detectives in the rise of the “deductive” detective. American detective fiction writers including S.S. Van Dine are finding their own detectives are models of the great detective’s style. Most are detectives of the elite society who live by the “rule of law.” One of the best examples is Van Dine’s Philo Vance.
Music under is Dick Hyman’s “If I Had You.”
Radio Detective Story Hour Episode 190 – Sherlock Holmes Genre Pt. 3
Continuing with a look at the emergence of the American Detective Genre using radio, the element of misdirection is added as we move into the 20th century and an American style detective genre begins to emerge. One of the influential stories of the late 19th century was Israel Zangwill’s (Left) story The Big Bow Mystery. You can read it here.
Music under is In A Sentimental Mood performed by Monty Alexander.
Radio Detective Story Hour Episode 189 – Wilkie Collins – Genre Pt. 2
Continuing the look at the American Detective genre, a new element is injected into the early formation of what would become the American Detective genre – sensationalism. You’ll hear a story that once more is short on the detective aspect but large on titillation, where a crime is committed and the listener/reader experiences elements of excitement. The play is based upon Wilkie Collins’ short story The Traveller’s Story of a Very Strange Bed. The original story can be found here.
Music under is the Irish band Kila and their tune Baroki.
Radio Detective Story Hour Episode 188 – The Gold Bug – Genre Pt. 1
Beginning with this podcast, I will be spending the next few understanding the history and development of the American detective genre. However, I will be referencing it to various radio episodes as examples of the history. Since many feel the American Detective genre began with Edgar Allan Poe, and since I have already presented his famous deductive detective, C. Auguste Dupin, I am using this episode of Poe’s The Gold Bug to illustrate how the reasoning process figured largely in many of Poe’s stories.
Music under is Isham Jones & “Shadows on the Swanee” and the Coon-Sanders Orchestra with “My Suppressed Desire.”
Radio Detective Story Hour Episode 187 – Crime Club: The Topaz Flower
A look at a somewhat forgotten American cozy mystery writer – Charlotte Murray Russell – wrote a number of mysteries well into the 1950s but then suddenly gave it all up and returned to her library work. She was an influence on a number of later female mystery writers who got their start writing “cozy” style mysteries.
This play is from the Crime Club. A brief look at that radio series. This episode starred Raymond Edward Johnson (right) and is adapted from Russell’s book, The Case of the Topaz Flower.
Music under is Benny Goodman’s “Benny Rides Again.”
Radio Detective Story Hour Episode 186 – Escape: Red Wine
Jeff Chandler
Writer LG Blochman wrote the short story, “Red Wine” in 1930 about a detective who travels to Indonesia to find a murderer. The story was adapted by Escape in 1949 though it had previously been heard on the Molle Mystery Theaterin 1945. This version starred Film and radio star, Jeff Chandler, who does a credible job in this version of Blochman’s story.
Music under is from Body Heat and is performed by Jazz at the Movies.
Radio Detective Story Hour Episode 184 – The Bishop & the Gargoyle
This podcast features a radio detective series that I will admit is in my opinion a stinker. I have only been able to hear one episode (none others exist), but to round out the radio detective genre, I felt I should feature it nonetheless. Some of you may like it, but I found it definitely an example of very early and bad radio drama. Hopefully, you are curious enough to give it a try!
Music under is the incomparable Nina Simone singing her version of “Love Me or Leave Me.”
Radio Detective Story Hour Episode 183 – Let George Do It “Laura’s House”
The second podcast dedicated to our “Laura-fest” in which Bob Bailey stars in an episode of Let George Do It – “Laura’s House.” This was later in the 6 year run of Let George Do It. By this time the series was no longer a comedy but took itself seriously, though some like this episode had its silly moments.
Music Under is the Andre Previn Trio playing “Limehouse Blues.”
Jim Widner
- Jim Widner is a former educator and current radio historian, writer and big fan of detective/suspense/mystery fiction.
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