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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 23, 2015

Holidays and homicide go hand in hand in the “Down These Mean Streets” Christmas special. We’ll hear yuletide mysteries from some of your favorite radio detectives to wrap up 2015. First, Richard Kollmar is Boston Blackie in the syndicated episode “Stolen Rings at Christmas.” Then, Charles Russell is Yours...


Dec 20, 2015

Billed at one time as “the handsomest man in the world,” silent screen idol Francis X. Bushman may seem a strange choice to play Rex Stout’s gargantuan gourmet Nero Wolfe, but in 1945 he lent his considerable stage presence to the role on radio. Bushman headlined The Amazing Nero Wolfe, a short-lived series that...


Dec 13, 2015

Even as he played bashful biology teacher Mr. Boynton on Our Miss Brooks, Jeff Chandler voiced the two-fisted tough guy shamus Michael Shayne. The hard-boiled intensity Chandler brought to the role made his short tenure as Shayne a memorable run. His versatility as an actor made him believable as both a timid teacher...


Dec 6, 2015

From his first appearance in 1925, Charlie Chan has been a captivating yet controversial figure in the world of detective fiction. Earl Derr Biggers created the avuncular Hawaiian police detective and family man to dispel the “Yellow Peril” fear of the Chinese in America, and the character’s popularity kicked off...


Nov 29, 2015

A talented actor and an innovative writer, director, and producer, Elliott Lewis earned the title of “Mr. Radio.” He was responsible for some of radio’s top dramas and kept audiences in stitches with his role on The Phil Harris-Alice Faye Show. Lewis was one of the true legends of the Golden Age of Radio: a...