The Adventures of Philip Marlowe was radio’s top detective program. Raymond Chandler’s celebrated hardboiled private eye, Philip Marlowe, made his radio debut in 1945 on The Lux Radio Theatre with “Murder My Sweet” starring Dick Powell. Two years later, NBC would bring the character to the air in his own weekly series starring Van Heflin in The New Adventures of Philip Marlowe. Being a summer replacement for The Bob Hope Show, the series was short-lived and ended on September 9th, 1947. CBS revived it in 1948 with The Adventures of Philip Marlowe starring Gerald Mohr. With Producer/Director Norman MacDonnell at the helm, the series captured the largest audience in radio by 1949. Scripts for the show were written by Gene Levitt, Robert Mitchell, Mel Dinelli, and Kathleen Hite. While Chandler’s distinctive similes were largely lacking, the strong, dry, sarcastic narration was there, and the way Mohr delivered his lines made you forget they weren’t written by Chandler. Supporting Mohr, were radio’s best, including Howard McNear, Parley Baer, Lawrence Dobkin, Virginian Greg, and Lou Krugman. Mostly heard sustained (without a sponsor), it lasted until 1951.
12-3-49 The Kid on the Corner
1-28-50 The Hairpin Turn
2-7-50 The Long Arm
2-14-50 The Grim Echo
2-21-50 The Ladies Night
2-28-50 The Big Step
3-7-50 Monkey’s Uncle
3-14-50 The Vital Statistic
3-21-50 The Deep Shadow
3-28-50 The Sword of Cebu
4-4-50 The Man on the Roof
4-18-50 The Angry Eagle
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