Category Archives: crime

Flood waters tempt newsman to murder

Posted on March 23, 2019 by

https://archive.org/download/OTRR_Whistler_Singles/Whistler_48-09-29_ep329_Conspiracy.mp3 The Whistler episode Conspiracy. from Sept. 29, 1948, opens with a reporter reading a newspaper murder story in a diner, and speculating about the motivation of killers. Then he gets a call from his editor, sending him out into … Continue reading →

Posted in 1940s, crime, Drama, reporters, reporting, suspense, villains | Leave a comment

Flying reporter & a woman in charge

Posted on January 8, 2019 by

“What a story! Boy this is great!” — reporter Jimmy Gifford Here’s a mystery from 1932, the days when radio drama was relatively new, when flying the air mail was still an adventure, and so was newspaper reporting. The broadcast … Continue reading →

Posted in 1930s, adventure, crime, Police, reporters, romance | Leave a comment

A Risky Resolution to Start a Big Town New Year

Posted on January 3, 2014 by

Begin with a murderous hood named “Silky,” add a stripper named “Bubbles,” and introduce crusading newspaper editor trying to help a cleaning woman’s son, and you have just a few of the cliches in this “Big Town” story, “The Dangerous … Continue reading →

Posted in 1940s, crime, editors, World War II | Leave a comment

A dark “Christmas Holiday” on radio

Posted on November 29, 2013 by

Despite the title, “Christmas Holiday” is no Santa-and-sleighbells yule feature, but a “film noir” drama with a newspaper reporter as a pivotal character: He starts out on the shady side, does a couple of favors for the lead characters, and … Continue reading →

Posted in 1940s, adaptations, crime, holidays, movies, reporters | Leave a comment

Reporters aren’t always heroes: Ask Laura

Posted on February 23, 2013 by

Despite the title of this blog, not all newspapermen (or women) in radio’s popular culture portrayals were heroes, although I think they were generally played more favorably on radio than in Hollywood movies. But I’ve just added a 45th title … Continue reading →

Posted in 1940s, adaptations, columnists, crime, detectives, Drama, movies, romance | Leave a comment

Orson Welles Impersonates a Journalist

Posted on January 13, 2013 by

No this isn’t about “Citizen Kane.” It’s about one of the famous actor’s returns to radio in the 1950s. (Before his first film, he was famous on radio — for everything from “The Shadow” to that Mercury Theater “War of … Continue reading →

Posted in 1950s, adventure, crime, Drama, reporters | Leave a comment

Serial killer and journalist

Posted on December 8, 2012 by

“The Hands of Mr. Ottermole,” a frequently anthologized classic murder mystery by Thomas Burke, was adapted for radio in the 1940s by the anthology series Suspense and Radio City Playhouse — each with its own twist on the tale. Both versions involve a suspicious newspaper reporter … Continue reading →

Posted in 1940s, 1950s, crime, detectives, reporters | Leave a comment