Carl Amari and Lisa Wolf are bringing you 5 of the best hours from the Golden Age of Radio on the WGN Radio Theatre for May 30th, 2020.

First up we have “The Adventures of Sam Spade: The Missing Newshawk Caper” starring: Howard Duff; (07-18-48). Next up is a classic episode from “My Friend Irma” titled “Billy Boy the Boxer” starring Marie Wilson; (02-09-48). Our third episode is “Crime Classics: The Shrapnelled Body of Charles Drew, Sr” starring: Lou Merrill; (07-06-53). “Broadway Is My Beat: The Ruth Shay Case” starring: Larry Thor (05-30-53). Following Broadway is my Beat is “The Great Gildersleeve: The Duel” starring: Hal Peary; (03-17-48). Next we have “The Cisco Kid: Morbid Jones and the Web of Death” starring: Jack Mather; (09-26-57). In hour 5 we have “Gunsmoke: Who Lives By the Sword” starring: William Conrad; (02-26-56). Lastly, a classic episode from “Vic and Sade: Vic Sleeping on the Couch” starring Art Van Harvey and Bernardine Flynn; (01-24-44).

PART 1:

Carl Amari and Lisa Wolf are bringing you 5 of the best hours from the Golden Age of Radio on the WGN Radio Theatre for May 30th, 2020.

First up we have “The Adventures of Sam Spade: The Missing Newshawk Caper” starring: Howard Duff; (07-18-48). Next up is a classic episode from “My Friend Irma” titled “Billy Boy the Boxer” starring Marie Wilson; (02-09-48). Our third episode is “Crime Classics: The Shrapnelled Body of Charles Drew, Sr” starring: Lou Merrill; (07-06-53). “Broadway Is My Beat: The Ruth Shay Case” starring: Larry Thor (05-30-53). Following Broadway is my Beat is “The Great Gildersleeve: The Duel” starring: Hal Peary; (03-17-48). Next we have “The Cisco Kid: Morbid Jones and the Web of Death” starring: Jack Mather; (09-26-57). In hour 5 we have “Gunsmoke: Who Lives By the Sword” starring: William Conrad; (02-26-56). Lastly, a classic episode from “Vic and Sade: Vic Sleeping on the Couch” starring Art Van Harvey and Bernardine Flynn; (01-24-44).

PART 1:

Sam Spade made a dynamic debut in Dashiell Hammett's The Maltese Falcon before lighting up the big screen in John Huston's classic noir drama. In 1946, Spade came to radio in a weekly series of adventures that became a critical and listener favorite. We'll hear Howard Duff in "The Bail Bond Caper" (originally aired on CBS on June 27, 1948) and "The S.Q.P. Caper" (AFRS rebroadcast, originally aired on CBS on November, 1948). Then, Steve Dunne is Spade in "The Sure Thing Caper" (originally aired on NBC on February 9, 1951).

When Howard Duff stepped up to the microphone as Sam Spade, he brought the gumshoe to life as a tongue-in-cheek tough guy and delivered one of radio's best performances. We'll hear Duff in two adventures of Spade: "The Calcutta Trunk Caper" and "The Cheesecake Caper" (rebroadcasts from the AFRS). Plus, he plays a man on the wrong side of the law in "Four Hours to Kill" from The Philip Morris Playhouse (originally aired on CBS on May 13, 1949).

This is a snippet from Breaking Walls Episode 96: Halloween On The Air (1943 - 1953)

On July 12th, 1946 over the American Broadcasting Company, a new detective show took to the air starring a relatively unknown thirty-two year old actor named Howard Duff. The show’s lead character was one of America’s most famous fictional detectives: Sam Spade.

Bill Spier, then at the helm of Suspense, was in charge of the production. Lurene Tuttle played secretary Effie Perrine. Six of the first thirteen episodes were adapted from Hammett originals. The rest were written by Bob Tallman and Joe Eisinger.

In the fall of 1946 as the final episode of the ABC summer replacement Spade series was airing, production of the show moved to CBS. Wildroot remained the sponsor.

CBS felt that Edger Bergen’s ventriloquist act had grown stale on NBC and aired Spade opposite his show at 8PM on Sunday.

Edgar Bergen’s rating remained steady at 22.7 over the next two seasons, but The Adventures of Sam Spade jumped eight points to 17.8 in 1947.

The October 31st, 1948 episode featured Lurene Tuttle doubling as a witch and Hollywood A-lister June Havoc as an uncredited lead.

Carl Amari and Lisa Wolf are; bringing you the best from the Golden Age of Radio on the WGN Radio Theatre for August 18, 2019.  First classic episode of the night is: “The Adventures of Sam Spade, Detective: The Mad Scientist Caper” Starring: Howard Duff; (07-25-48). For our final episode of the night we have: “The Jack Benny Program: Rehearsing For Jack’s Tv Show” Starring: Jack Benny And All His Gang; 11-15-53.

http://serve.castfire.com/audio/3670225/RADIOTHEATRE081819_2019-08-19-053725.64kmono.mp3?ad_params=zones%3DPreroll%7Cstation_id%3D3809.mp3

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