Happy Birthday, William Conrad

Sep 27, 2021

Even if you don’t know his name, chances are you know William Conrad’s (September 27, 1920 – February 11, 1994) voice.  You may know it from the jovial narrations of the adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle or the somber voice-over that followed Richard Kimble, The Fugitive.  Maybe you’ll recall his heavyset but...

"The greatest private detective of them all..."

Jul 12, 2021

“I don’t mind a reasonable amount of trouble.” (Sam Spade, The Maltese Falcon)

Dashiell Hammett wasn’t just a writer of detective fiction; he was a real-life detective who also happened to pen some of the greatest mystery novels of the 20th century. His mind and pen brought readers the rough and...

Happy Birthday, Raymond Burr

May 21, 2021

Known to generations of television audiences as Perry Mason, Raymond Burr (May 21, 1917 – September 12, 1993) found some of his earliest successes during the Golden Age of Radio.

In a role far removed from the upstanding defense attorney he played on TV, Burr appeared as the thick-headed Inspector Hellman, a thorn in...

"For I walk by night..."

May 16, 2021

On May 16, 1942, radio listeners first heard the haunting tune of The Whistler. The anthology mystery series presented tales of murder narrated by “The Whistler,” an omniscient storyteller who boasted one of radio’s best introductions:

“I am the Whistler, and I know many things for I walk by night. I know many...

Master of Other People's Minds

May 6, 2021

Orson Welles was already a celebrated theatrical producer, director, and star by the late 1930s. He financed his productions in part from his earnings as a radio character actor. But he became a household name when he stepped into the spotlight - or, to be more precise into the shadows when he was cast as Lamont...