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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!

Dec 17, 2023

It's a birthday month tribute to Oscar-nominated actor Sydney Greenstreet. He made his film debut as the heavy in The Maltese Falcon, and he'd go on to appear in CasablancaChristmas in Connecticut, and many more. He also spent a year starring on radio as Rex Stout's "gargantuan gourmet," Nero Wolfe. We'll hear him as...


Mar 31, 2023

In this month's bonus episode, I'm serving up my five favorite episodes of The New Adventures of Nero Wolfe - the single season series starring Oscar-nominee Sydney Greenstreet as Rex Stout's gargantuan gourmet, orchid fancier, and brilliant private detective. First, Wolfe is hired to drop a mystery woman as a client by...


Dec 24, 2022

I've got one more episode before I sign off for the year, and for this bonus show I'm sharing my five favorite old time radio mysteries. It's a quintet of Christmas capers that will help to get you in the holiday spirit.  First, Sydney Greenstreet is Nero Wolfe in "The Case of the Slaughtered Santas" (originally aired...


Jan 23, 2022

Our heroes this week have sharp deductive minds to match their physical heft. Criminals may misjudge them by their size, but having some extra pounds doesn't slow them down when it comes to closing cases. We'll hear Sydney Greenstreet as Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe in "The Case of the Midnight Ride" (originally aired on NBC...


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...