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.
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.
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.”
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.”
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.
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.”
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.”
I am trying out some new designs for this blog site. So it may change as time goes on and if I am not satisfied, it will go back to the way it was. Comments are welcomed.
Virginia Gilmore
The beginning of my “Laura-fest” starting with the Ford Theater production of the Vera Caspary adaptation of Laura. These are not the actors who appeared in the film and they will need to grow on you if, like me, you are a huge fan of the film. Some comparisons between film, Lux Radio Theatre version and this one.
Music under is Chet Baker version of Laura.
