Down These Mean Streets (Old Time Radio Detectives)

Our month of Oscar-winning radio detectives continues with Rex Harrison, winner of the Best Actor prize for My Fair Lady and the debonair sleuth of The Private Files of Rex Saunders. We'll hear Rex as Rex in "When You Play a Game With Death" (audition recording from April 13, 1951), "A Shocking Still Life" (originally aired on NBC on May 9, 1951), "Diamonds Can Be Done to Death" (originally aired on NBC on May 16, 1951), and "A Murder Deep in A Killer's Mind" (originally aired on NBC on June 20, 1951).

Our series of Oscar-winning radio detective stars continues with Mercedes McCambridge, who took home the award as best supporting actress for her turn in All the King's Men. Among her many radio credits was Defense Attorney, where she starred as Martha Ellis Bryant - who worked in and out of the courtroom (much like Perry Mason) to clear her clients. The show was a rare example of a radio detective show fronted by a woman, and it's a highlight of the genre. We'll hear Ms. McCambridge in four episodes: the series' audition The Defense Rests from April 1951; "Mike Pelly" (originally aired on ABC on August 31, 1951); "Jimmy Leonard" (originally aired on ABC on September 14, 1951); and "Joshua Masters" (originally aired on ABC on April 10, 1952).

In honor of the upcoming Academy Awards ceremony, we're spotlighting a series of radio detective show stars who took home Oscars for their film work. First up is Frank Sinatra, who's best known for his singing but who showed off his dramatic chops in From Here to Eternity and took home the prize. We'll hear him as Rocky Fortune in four episodes of his short-lived radio mystery series: "Double Identity" (originally aired on NBC on October 13, 1953); "A Hepcat Killed the Canary" (originally aired on NBC on November 17, 1953); "Murder Among the Statues" (originally aired on NBC on December 1, 1953); and "Boarding House Doublecross" (originally aired on NBC on March 30, 1954).

We're serving up thick cuts of old time radio mystery with four stories involving butchers and their wares. First, Boston Blackie faces off against a black market meat ring in an adventure starring Chester Morris (originally aired on NBC on July 21, 1944). Kirk Douglas embarks on a dangerous affair in the grocery store aisles in "The Butcher's Wife" from Suspense (originally aired on CBS on February 9, 1950). After a disappointing dinner, The Saint finds a dead body in his trunk in "The Horrible Hamburger" (originally aired on NBC on September 10, 1950). Finally, Dick Powell goes undercover to protect a butcher from a protection racket in Richard Diamond, Private Detective (originally aired on ABC on March 9, 1951).

As a belated Valentine's Day treat, we've got four radio mysteries where our detectives are entangled in matrimonial mishaps. As Sherlock Holmes, Basil Rathbone investigates a black widow in "The Book of Tobit" (originally aired on Mutual on March 26, 1945). Philip Marlowe trails a missing wife in "The Persian Slippers" (originally aired on CBS on October 3, 1948), and Sam Spade is accused of eloping in "The Love Letter Caper" (an Armed Forces Radio Service rebroadcast from March 27, 1949). Finally, a wife wants Richard Diamond to protect her husband in "The Simpson Case" (originally aired on ABC on January 18, 1952).