Detective Monday: Sam Spade - The 25-12345679 Caper (12-15-1950)

Classic Streams: Old Time Retro Radio

09-08-2021 • 29 mins

The Adventures of Sam Spade, Detective was a radio series based loosely on the private detective character Sam Spade, created by writer Dashiell Hammett for The Maltese Falcon. The show ran for 13 episodes on ABC in 1946, for 157 episodes on CBS in 1946–1949, and finally for 51 episodes on NBC in 1949–1951. The series starred Howard Duff (and later, Steve Dunne) as Sam Spade and Lurene Tuttle as his secretary Effie, and took a considerably more tongue-in-cheek approach to the character than the novel or movie. The announcer was Dick Joy.

The series was largely overseen by producer/director William Spier. In 1947, scriptwriters Jason James and Bob Tallman received an Edgar Award for Best Radio Drama from the Mystery Writers of America. Before the series, Sam Spade had been played in radio adaptations of The Maltese Falcon by both Edward G. Robinson (in a 1943 Lux Radio Theater production) and by Humphrey Bogart (in a 1941 Academy Award Theater production), both on CBS. Dashiell Hammett's name was removed from the series in the late 1940s because he was being investigated for involvement with the Communist Party. Later, when Howard Duff's name appeared in the Red Channels book, he was not invited to play the role when the series made the switch to NBC in 1950.

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dwight-allen0/support

You Might Like

Uncanny
Uncanny
BBC Radio 4
Anything Goes with James English
Anything Goes with James English
Anything Goes with James English
Miss Me?
Miss Me?
BBC Sounds
Wartime Stories
Wartime Stories
Ballen Studios
How To Fail With Elizabeth Day
How To Fail With Elizabeth Day
Elizabeth Day and Sony Music Entertainment
The Girls Bathroom
The Girls Bathroom
Sophia & Cinzia
Stuff You Should Know
Stuff You Should Know
iHeartPodcasts
Rosebud with Gyles Brandreth
Rosebud with Gyles Brandreth
Gyles Brandreth / Plain Jaine Productions / Keep It Light Media
Modern Wisdom
Modern Wisdom
Chris Williamson
Dad V Girls After Hours
Dad V Girls After Hours
The Fellas Studios
Life with Nat
Life with Nat
Keep It Light Media
Nip, Tuck, Not Giving A...
Nip, Tuck, Not Giving A...
Lauren Harris & Ashley Stobart