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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!

Jul 17, 2016

On July 12, 1946, Dashiell Hammett’s famous private eye Sam Spade came to radio in what became one of the greatest detective shows of the era. With witty scripts and a dynamic lead performance from Howard Duff, the series thrilled listeners and kept a smile on their faces in a program that stands out from the crowd of hard-boiled gumshoes and cops. In honor of the seventieth anniversary of its radio debut, we’ll hear four episodes of The Adventures of Sam Spade. Howard Duff stars in “Sam and Psyche” (originally aired on ABC on August 2, 1946); “The Rushlight Diamond Caper” (originally aired on CBS on July 4, 1948); and “The Dick Foley Caper” (originally aired on CBS on September 26, 1948). We’ll also hear Stephen Dunne as Spade in “The Dog Bed Caper” (originally aired on NBC on December 1, 1950).