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!

Feb 10, 2021

Eddie Anderson, the vaudeville star and comedian with a trademark gravelly voice, made his first appearance on The Jack Benny Program in 1937. He'd become an iconic part of the series and a member of Benny's cast on radio and television for nearly 30 years. Anderson was the first African American actor with a regular role on a national radio series, and his character of Rochester Van Jones was one of the most popular on the show. We'll hear him as Sam in the show's production of Casablanca (originally aired on NBC on October 17, 1943). Then, Anderson stars in the audition recordings of what would have been his own comedy series - The Private Life of Rochester Van Jones (recorded May 12, 1950).