Preview Mode Links will not work in preview mode

Welcome to Down These Mean Streets, a weekly trip back to the Golden Age of Radio where we rub elbows with the era's greatest private eyes, cops, and crime-fighters. Since 2013, I've been podcasting everything from cozy mysteries to police procedurals, spotlighting characters ranging from hard boiled gumshoes to amateur sleuths. 

Be sure to tune in each Sunday for adventures of a radio detective and the behind-the-scenes stories of their shows. Join me as we spend time with Sam Spade, Johnny Dollar, Sgt. Joe Friday, and more!

Jan 10, 2016

We salute actor Stephen Dunne, the second man to wear Sam Spade’s trench coat on radio. After struggling to break out of bit parts on the big screen, Dunne found success on radio in a number of shows. In 1950, after rumors of Communist ties cost Howard Duff the gig, Dunne stepped into the role of Sam Spade and put his own spin on the shamus for 24 episodes. His affable, easy-going qualities and smooth voice served him well as he later transitioned into television. We’ll hear him today as reporter “Lucky” Larson in “A Boy Asks for Help” from Deadline Mystery (originally aired on ABC on August 10, 1947). Then, Dunne is Spade in “The 25-1235679 Caper,” originally aired on NBC on January 5, 1951.