Feathers and fiends are on the agenda this week with four old time radio mysteries involving birds. A crow may foil a killer's plans to get away with murder in "Bird of Death," a syndicated episode of The Haunting Hour. Then, Blackstone, the Magic Detective explains how a canary helped him solve the case of "The Bird of Doom" in a syndicated tale. Bob Bailey investigates when a parrot's owner keels over after the parrot tells him to in "Drop Dead" from Let George Do It (originally aired on Mutual on July 23, 1951). And Sgt. Joe Friday hunts a burglar who also targets pet birds in "The Big Bird" from Dragnet (AFRS rebroadcast from February 1, 1955).

Fur coats are in demand in this week's radio mysteries, as our detectives tackle cases involving the pricey outerwear. First, Dick Powell investigates a fur warehouse fire that may be arson in "Fortune in Furs" from Rogue's Gallery (originally aired on Mutual on December 20, 1945). Then, the cops of The Line-Up hope a fur coat can help them identify a Jane Doe in "The Fur Flaunting Floozy" (originally aired on CBS on September 26, 1951). Finally, Johnny Dollar hunts for 80 stolen mink coats and the thieves who committed murder in their getaway in "The Silver Blue Matter" (originally aired on CBS between May 7 and May 11, 1956).

Welcome to the Rock! Alcatraz - America's most notorious prison - is the subject of this weeks' show. First, Gang Busters presents a dramatic recreation of the most violent escape attempt in its history in "The Battle of Alcatraz" (originally aired on ABC on May 11, 1946). Then, it's a double feature of Pat Novak For Hire when the gumshoe is caught in a pair of Alcatraz escapes and the hunt for the escapees (episodes known as "Joe Feldman and Father Leahy" - originally aired on ABC on April 2, 1949, and "The Only Way to Make Friends is to Die" - originally aired on ABC on June 18, 1949).

In honor of the 95th Academy Awards, we'll hear four old time radio detective stars who took home Oscars of their own. First, Rex Harrison stars as a debonair sleuth in "Murder Deep in the Killer's Mind" from The Private Files of Rex Saunders (originally aired on NBC on June 20, 1951). Next, Edmond O'Brien is "the man with the action-packed expense account" in "The Malcolm D. Wish, M.D. Matter" from Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar (originally aired on CBS on June 20, 1951). Then, as Defense Attorney, Mercedes McCambridge fights to clear the name of "Client George Baughman" (originally aired on ABC on August 28, 1952). And finally, Frank Sinatra - Ol' Blue Eyes himself - tries to help a woman who fears she's going crazy in "Psychological Murder" from Rocky Fortune (originally aired on NBC on March 16, 1954).

Okay, maybe not everybody loves clowns, but I bet you'll enjoy these three old time radio mysteries featuring the circus' most colorful performers. First, Gregory Hood solves the murder of "The Sad Clown" (originally aired on Mutual on October 7, 1946). Then, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson investigate deadly doings under the big top in "The Adventure of the Veiled Lodger" (originally aired on Mutual on June 20, 1948). And finally, Orson Welles catches up with his old friend - a smuggler, a ladies' man, and a clown - in "The Painted Smile," a syndicated episode from The Lives of Harry Lime.

From 1952 until 1957, fans of Dragnet could catch one episode on radio and a different story on television. The adventures of Sgt. Joe Friday aired concurrently on radio and the small screen for hundreds of shows, and this week we'll hear three radio episodes that were later adapted for TV. We'll hear the show that was adapted as the first episode of the TV series (originally aired on NBC on July 21, 1949), "The Big Lease" (originally aired on NBC on November 1, 1951), and "The Big Show" (originally aired on NBC on April 10, 1952).

Click here to watch "The Human Bomb."

Click here to watch "The Big Lease."

Click here to watch "The Big Show." 

Created by Dashiell Hammett, The Fat Man was one of radio's most popular mystery shows. It was on the verge of spinning off into a series of movies with radio star J. Scott Smart reprising his role of private eye Brad Runyon. But then Hammett ran afoul of the House Un-American Activities Committee and the crimesolving career of the Fat Man came to an end. In this month's bonus episode, I'm sharing my five favorite adventures of Runyon - "the fast-moving criminologist who tips the scales at 237 pounds." We'll start with the show's first episode - "The Nineteenth Pearl" (originally aired on ABC on January 21, 1946). Then, he tries to help a woman who's being pressured back into a life of crime in "The Black Angel" (originally aired on ABC on July 8, 1946). The Fat Man tries to help a friend who witnesses a murder in a neighboring apartment in "A Window for Murder" (originally aired on ABC on October 3, 1947), and Runyon heads to Mexico to solve a case south of the border in "Murder Wins the Draw" (originally aired on ABC on April 1, 1949). Finally, in "The NIghtmare Murder" (originally aired on ABC on January 17, 1951), a man hires Runyon to prove he's guilty of murder.

"America's fabulous freelance insurance investigator" is on the case - three of them - in this week's episode. We're celebrating the anniversary of the radio debut of Johnny Dollar with a trio of old time radio mysteries starring "the man with the action-packed expense account." First, Charles Russell is Johnny in "The Case of Barton Drake" (originally aired on CBS on April 22, 1949). Next, we'll hear "The William Post Matter" (originally aired on CBS on September 22, 1953) with John Lund as Dollar. And finally, Mandel Kramer stars in "The Bee or Not to Bee Matter" (originally aired on CBS on October 29, 1961).

With Valetine's Day right around the corner, we're celebrating with three crimesolving couples from the golden age of radio. First, in "A Crime to Fit the Punishment" from The Mollé Mystery Theatre, an amateur sleuth and his girlfriend investigate a strange case of blackmail (AFRS rebroadcast). Next, it's another adventure of the Duke and Duchess from Murder By Experts - the locked room mystery "The Unseeing Witness" (originally aired on Mutual on September 26, 1949). Finally, we'll hear Les Damon and Claudia Morgan as Pat and Jean Abbott - an insurance investigator and his sharp-eyed wife - in "The Fabulous Emerald Necklace" from The Adventures of the Abbotts (AFRS rebroadcast).

This month, Philip Marlowe returns to the big screen with Liam Neeson starring as Raymond Chandler's Los Angeles gumshoe. To celebrate, I've picked three old time radio Marlowe mysteries with the great Gerald Mohr. We'll hear "The Restless Day" (originally aired on CBS on January 8, 1949), "The Headless Peacock" (originally aired on CBS on July 16, 1949), and "The Man on the Roof" (originally aired on CBS on April 4, 1950).

Not all radio detectives were cops or private eyes. There were several reporters who cracked cases while they filed stories and met deadlines, and today we'll hear some of their adventures. First, Casey, Crime Photographer comes to the aid of a man framed for murder in "The Laughing Killer" (originally aired on CBS on May 8, 1947). And on Night Beat, Randy Stone investigates when a Prohibition-era gangster is gunned down after being released from prison in an episode known as "Big John McMasters" (originally aired on NBC on March 4, 1951). But in between those fictional stories, we'll hear the real-life tale of a Nevada reporter who broke a murder case in The Big Story (originally aired on NBC on January 11, 1950).

In this bonus episode, I'm sharing my five favorite detective stories from Suspense. Over its twenty year run, "radio's outstanding theater of thrills" presented many great mysteries, including these five tales adapted from stories by some of crime fiction's best writers and starring some of the genre's most interesting characters. First, Warren William recreates his screen role as The Lone Wolf makes his radio debut. The reformed jewel thief turned detective stars in "Murder Goes for a Swim" (originally aired on CBS on July 20, 1943). Then, an unlikely pair of detectives (Allyn Joslyn and William Bendix) hunts for a stolen necklace in Raymond Chandler's "Pearls are a Nuisance" (originally aired on CBS on April 19, 1945). Dashiell Hammett provides our third tale, as John Payne and Frank McHugh play a small town sheriff and his deputy who catch a wanted man only to have him die in their jail cell in "Two Sharp Knives" (originally aired on CBS on June 7, 1945). Brian Donlevy stars as Duncan McLain, the blind private detective created by Baynard Kendrick in a radio adaptation of Kendrick's novel "Out of Control" (originally aired on CBS on March 28, 1946), a story that finds Kendrick investigating a seemingly impossible murder. And finally, Dana Andrews is a cop out to stop a serial killer who's hungry for publicity in "The Crowd," an adaptation of a story by Ray Bradbury (originally aired on CBS on September 21, 1950).

We're catching a cable car in San Francisco with three old time radio gumshoes who live and work in the city by the bay. First, Candy Matson solves a pair of murders on an army base in "The Fort Ord Story" (originally aired on NBC on September 23, 1949). Next, Sam Spade is hired to protect a man from a vengeful ex-con in "The Champion Caper" (originally aired on CBS on August 7, 1949). Finally, Pat Novak tries to pay off a gambling debt and ends up framed for murder in an episode known as "Joe Condano" (originally aired on ABC on March 27, 1949).

In this bonus episode, I'm sharing my five favorite installments of The Whistler - the anthology of mystery and murder where we follow the criminal as the commit the "perfect crime," only to be undone at the final curtain. Bill Forman is our sinister storyteller, who "knows the nameless terrors" of these killers' minds. First, a long-suffering wife plans to get rid of her husband and frame him for a series of murders in "Boomerang" (originally aired on CBS on March 11, 1946), and a carnival dancer marries - and murders - for money in "The Brass Ring" (originally aired on CBS on September 16, 1946). Radio Philip Marlowe Gerald Mohr is a mob boss with a deadly secret in "Caesar's Wife" (originally aired on CBS on June 2, 1947), and a small town's frontier festival is the backdrop for murder in "The Tell-Tale Brand" (originally aired on CBS on January 9, 1949). Finally, a newfangled gadget called a car phone may provide an airtight alibi in "A Law of Physics" (originally aired on CBS on June 10, 1951).

It's a mix of winter sports and whodunnit in the Alps with Bob Bailey in a five-part adventure of Johnny Dollar. "The man with the action-packed expense account" heads to Switzerland in pursuit of $100,000 of stolen diamonds, where he hits the slopes and dodges shots, in "The Picture Postcard Matter" (originally aired on CBS between October 1 and October 5, 1956).

Winter is upon us, and this week I've picked three old time radio mysteries set during snowstorms. First up, there's a suspicious suicide at a lodge for Barton Drake to solve in Mystery is My Hobby. Then, Mr. and Mrs. North check in for murder at a hotel during a storm. Barbara Britton and Richard Denning star as Pam and Jerry in "Snowbound" (an AFRS rebroadcast). Finally, Gerald Mohr is Philip Marlowe who takes shelter from a blizzard only to discover he's trapped with the family of a man he killed in "The Grim Echo" (originally aired on CBS on February 14, 1950).

I've got one more episode before I sign off for the year, and for this bonus show I'm sharing my five favorite old time radio mysteries. It's a quintet of Christmas capers that will help to get you in the holiday spirit.  First, Sydney Greenstreet is Nero Wolfe in "The Case of the Slaughtered Santas" (originally aired on NBC on December 22, 1950) and Frank Sinatra is Rocky Fortune in "The Plot to Murder Santa Claus" (originally aired on NBC on December 22, 1953). Then Vincent Price is Simon Templar in "Santa Claus is No Saint," a holiday adventure of the Robin Hood of modern crime (originally aired on NBC on December 24, 1950) and a Sherlock Holmes mystery with John Stanley and Alfred Shirley as Holmes and Watson in "The Adventure of the Christmas Bride" (originally aired on Mutual on December 21, 1947). Finally, Jack Webb is Sgt. Joe Friday in the heartwarming Dragnet case file "The Big Little Jesus" (originally aired on NBC on December 22, 1953).

With Christmas only days away, we're celebrating (and closing out another year of the podcast) with Lionel Barrymore as Ebenezeer Scrooge in an old time radio adaptation of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. The classic holiday story was presented on The Campbell Playhouse with Orson Welles and an all-star radio cast bringing the tale to life. We'll hear Welles as narrator, Barrymore as Scrooge, and supporting performances from Everett Sloane, George Coulouris, and Frank Readick in this broadcast that originally aired on CBS on December 24, 1939.

Happy Holidays! We're celebrating the season with four old time radio holiday mysteries. Grab an egg nog and a Christmas cookie or two and enjoy these Christmas crime tales. First, Paul Frees plans a perfect murder in "Back for Christmas" from Escape (originally aired on CBS on December 24, 1947). Then, Sgt. Joe Friday searches for a missing woman during the holidays in Dragnet (originally aired on NBC on July 28, 1949). Then, Bob Bailey finds a mystery on Christmas Eve when he tries to do a favor for a soldier in "Christmas Letter" from Let George Do It (originally aired on Mutual on December 24, 1951). Finally, Detective Danny Clover is on a holiday hunt for a legendary artifact in Broadway is My Beat (originally aired on CBS on December 22, 1951). Plus - Stan Freberg and Daws Butler star in a holiday Dragnet parody!

Update: After a round of steroids from my doctor, I think this 30+ days of cough is finally behind me.

Old time radio oracles take center stage in this week's mysteries. First, Jeff Regan tries to protect a mind reader who's been marked for death. Jack Webb stars in "The House by the Sea" (originally aired on CBS on November 4, 1948). Then, Randy Stone comes to the aid of a carnival mentalist driven mad by a mysterious question. Frank Lovejoy stars in the Night Beat episode known as "Mentallo, the Mental Marvel" (originally aired on NBC on May 1, 1950). Finally, Ronald Colman stars in one of my favorite Suspense episodes as a nightclub psychic who discovers his act isn't a fake anymore. We'll hear "A Vision of Death" (originally aired on CBS on March 8, 1951).

Sit back and get ready for five reports dictated to Effie Perrine by Sam Spade. Dashiell Hammett's gumshoe was a hit in print and on the big screen in The Maltese Falcon, and when he came to radio in 1946 he soon became one of the most popular characters on radio in the person of actor Howard Duff. The show's combination of hardboiled mystery and tongue in cheek humor helped it stand out from the crowd, and it still holds up today. We'll hear my five favorite Spade episodes - "The Missing Newshawk Caper" (originally aired on CBS on July 18, 1949); "The Critical Author Caper" (originally aired on CBS on August 15, 1948); "The Lawless Caper" (originally aired on CBS on August 29, 1948); "The Lazarus Caper" (originally aired on CBS on September 12, 1948); and "The Dick Foley Caper" (originally aired on CBS on September 26, 1948). Plus - a one-hour Suspense episode and sequel to The Maltese Falcon - "The Kandy Tooth" (originally aired on CBS on January 10, 1948).

As the long Thanksgiving weekend draws to a close and as folks finish their trips back home, we'll hear three old time radio mysteries set in the car and on the highway. First, Frank Sinatra is behind the wheel of a truck full of nitroglycerin in Rocky Fortune (originally aired on NBC on January 26, 1954). Then, Fibber McGee and Molly leave Wistful Vista for a visit to Suspense where they run afoul of a "Backseat Driver" (originally aired on CBS on February 3, 1949). Finally, we'll hear Casey, Crime Photographer investigate the case of a beautiful and deadly hitch-hiking thief in "Road Angel" (originally aired on CBS on January 13, 1954).

Whether you're shopping for deals or savoring some Turkey Day leftovers, Jack Webb is here to keep you company in this bonus episode. We'll celebrate Black Friday with Joe Friday in four Dragnet radio episodes: "The Big Grandma" (originally aired on NBC on October 15, 1950); "The Big Bungalow" (originally aired on NBC on November 15, 1951); "The Big Informant" (originally aired on NBC on March 22, 1953); and "The Big Bob" (originally aired on NBC on September 1, 1953).

The classic Disney animated films of the 50s and 60s featured some of the great stars of the golden age of radio. Some of the best villains in those pictures were voiced by veterans of Escape, Suspense, Sam Spade, and more. We'll hear a trio of radio mysteries featuring a quartet of Disney actors. First, Hans Conried - Captain Hook of Peter Pan - and Betty Lou Gerson - Cruella de Vil of One Hundred and One Dalmatians - co-star in "The Unfair Lady" from The Adventures of Philip Marlowe (originally aired on CBS on June 4, 1949). Next, Martha Wentworth - Mad Madam Mim from The Sword in the Stone - may be a murderess in "Weak Sister" from The Whistler (originally aired on CBS on October 14, 1946). Finally, Eleanor Audley - who memorably played both the Evil Stepmother in Cinderella and Maleficent in Sleeping Beauty - needs Johnny Dollar's help in "The Doting Dowager Matter" (originally aired on CBS on January 25, 1959).

Cast your line for mystery with these old time radio shows involving fishing. Casey, Crime Photographer finds murder on a fishing trip in "Treasure Cave" (originally aired on CBS on September 25, 1947), and a stolen fishing boat leads to a pair of corpses in "Rita Malloy" from Pat Novak For Hire (AFRS rebroadcast from April 23, 1949). Charles Russell stars as Johnny Dollar in "I Caught a Fishing Boat, But You Should Have Seen the One That Got Away" (originally aired on CBS on October 1, 1949), and Dan Dailey tries to survive a fishing trip from hell in "Over the Bounding Main" (originally aired on CBS on September 14, 1950).

Note: Intros should be back by next week!

Helen Mack began her career as a child actress in the 1920s and she went on to make appearances in Son of Kong and His Girl Friday. But in the 1940s, she transitioned into a new phase of her career as a producer and director of radio shows. She was behind the scenes of comedies like Meet Corliss Archer and A Date with Judy and she helmed dozens of episodes of Richard Diamond and The Saint - two shows marked by a wry sense of humor mixed in with the mysteries. We'll celebrate Ms. Mack's birthday with some of her work in the world of radio detectives. Dick Powell stars as Richard Diamond in "The Marilyn Connors Case" (originally aired on ABC on January 12, 1951) and "The Man with the Scar" (originally aired on ABC on January 26, 1951). And in between those shows, we'll hear Vincent Price as Simon Templar in "The Bride Who Lost Her Groom" from The Saint (originally aired on NBC on February 11, 1951).

Next week: Old time radio mysteries starring the voices of some classic Disney villains!

**Note: No intro today - not sure if I caught something new or if it's the same thing wearing out its welcome, but hopefully back to normal next week!

The contents of museums can solve mysteries of the past, but the halls of artifacts and treasures can also provide great backdrops for whodunits today. We'll hear three radio private eyes on cases that take them through the corridors of museums, beginning with Lon Clark as Nick Carter in "The Museum Tragedy" (originally aired on Mutual on May 27, 1945). Then, Jackson Beck is Philo Vance in the syndicated mystery "The Idol Murder Case." And finally, William Gargan stars in "Murder in Wax" from Barrie Craig, Confidential Investigator (originally aired on NBC on November 21, 1951).

Note: No intro this week; I'm hoping that I'll be over my cold in time for next week's show!

With Halloween right around the corner, we're catching up with some of the creepier cases investigated by "America's fabulous freelance insurance investigator." Bob Bailey stars as Johnny Dollar in the five-part mystery "The Tears of Night Matter" (originally aired on CBS between May 21 and May 25, 1956) - where Johnny comes to the aid of a wealthy widow convinced that an ancestral curse has doomed her. Then, we'll hear him in "The Ghost to Ghost Matter" (AFRS rebroadcast from May 18, 1958) where he's got an entire haunted town on his hands.

Next week: Three old time radio museum mysteries!

Put out your Jack-o-lantern, grab the candy bowl, and enjoy the Down These Mean Streets Halloween Special! It's a full-sized candy bar of a show with eight old time radio shows - a mix of frights and delights - to get you in the spirit of the season. First, Paul Frees stars in an adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe's "The Fall of the House of Usher" from Escape (originally aired on CBS on October 22, 1947) and Basil Rathbone drops by The Jack Benny Program for Halloween hijinks (originally aired on NBC on November 2, 1941). A killer stalks the streets of London in "The Hands of Mr. Ottermole," a spine-tingling tale from The Mollé Mystery Theatre (originally aired on NBC on June 21, 1946) and Sherlock Holmes is on the trail of a witch in "The Laughing Lemur of Hightower Heath" (originally aired on Mutual on October 26, 1947). William Bendix visits a haunted house on The Life of Riley (originally aired on ABC on October 29, 1944) and we'll hear an unusual werewolf story on The Stan Freberg Show (originally aired on CBS on October 6, 1957). Finally, we're back in Poe country as The Weird Circle presents "The Cask of Amontillado" and Bud and Lou drop by Bela Lugosi's monstrous mansion on The Abbott and Costello Show (originally aired on ABC on May 5, 1948).

An older and smarter brother, Mycroft Holmes was the only member of Sherlock's family we ever met in Arthur Conan Doyle's original stories. He appeared in just two stories, but he's been featured in original Holmes adventures in print and on screen for decades. We'll hear Mycroft in the original adventure "The Great Gandolfo" starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce (originally aired on Mutual on October 22, 1945). Then, we'll hear a pair of episodes from a long-running BBC Holmes series starring Carleton Hobbs and Norman Shelley as Holmes and Watson. Both of Mycroft's original appearances are adapted for radio in "The Greek Interpreter" (originally aired on April 5, 1960) and "The Bruce-Partington Plans" (originally aired on August 28, 1964).

Click here to read "The Adventure of the Greek Interpreter."

Click here to read "The Adventure of the Bruce-Partington Plans."

Read along with our heroes this week in three old time radio mysteries where books play a key role in the crimes and their solutions. First, Boston Blackie tries to figure out why readers of a best-selling novel keep winding up dead. Richard Kollmar stars in this syndicated episode known as "Three Wind Blows West Murders." Then, Philip Marlowe believes a murder victim's scrapbook contains the motive for her death and the identity of her killer in "The Big Book" (originally aired on CBS on September 29, 1950). Finally, George Valentine helps a bookstore owner whose shop keeps getting robbed in "The Bookworm Turns" from Let George Do It (originally aired on Mutual on December 11, 1950).

Anglophiles rejoice! All of this week's old time radio mysteries star performers from across the pond. Herbert Marshall is secret agent Ken Thurston in an exciting adventure of The Man Called X. Thurston is on the hunt for a missing atomic scientist in this episode that originally aired on NBC on November 3, 1950. Then, Rex Harrison is a debonair gumshoe in "When They Track Down the Human Game" from The Private Files of Rex Saunders (originally aired on NBC on August 1, 1951). Finally, an all-British cast dramatizes a case from the Scotland Yard files in "The Case of the Fatal Bath" from Whitehall 1212 (originally aired on NBC on April 13, 1952).

Suit up and take the field with old time radio detectives in three football mysteries. First, Randy Stone comes to the aid of an old college football hero who's fallen on hard times (and into debt with gamblers) in Night Beat (originally aired on NBC on June 12, 1950). Then, in Broadway is My Beat, Detective Danny Clover probes the murder of a booster killed after a date with a star college quarterback (AFRS rebroadcast from November 22, 1952). Finally, Frank Sinatra gets pulled into a plan to fix football games in Rocky Fortune (originally aired on NBC on December 2, 1954).

Sixty years ago this month, the Golden Age of Radio signed off as CBS aired the final episodes of Suspense and Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar on September 30, 1962. Both shows hung on as TV overtook radio in the late 50s and continued to produce new episodes even as more people across the country were turning on their television sets instead of their radios for dramatic programs. We'll hear Mandel Kramer as "the man with the action-packed expense account" in four of the detective's final radio adventures: "The Skimpy Matter" (originally aired on July 22, 1962); "The Case of Trouble Matter" (originally aired on CBS on August 5, 1962); "The Oldest Gag Matter" (originally aired on CBS on August 12, 1962); and "The No Matter Matter" (originally aired on CBS on September 16, 1962).

Click here to listen to Episode 244 - The Final Matters Matter with the final two episodes of Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar, including the last episode aired on September 30, 1962.

In this bonus show, I've picked my five favorite installments of The Adventures of Philip Marlowe, the CBS series that brought Raymond Chandler's private eye to intense radio life with the voice of Gerald Mohr. We'll hear "The Grim Hunters" (originally aired on CBS on March 12, 1949); "The August Lion" (originally aired on CBS on August 6, 1949); "The Glass Donkey" (originally aired on CBS on July 28, 1950); and "The Soft Spot" (originally aired on CBS on September 1, 1950). We'll also hear William Conrad's one and only performance as Philip Marlowe when he pinch-hit for Mohr in "The Anniversary Gift" (originally aired on CBS on April 11, 1950).

Pack your bags and take a trip to Mexico in these radio mysteries. First, Burt Lancaster plots a double cross in "The Big Shot" from Suspense (originally aired on CBS on September 9, 1948). Philip Marlowe is hired to find out what a woman is up to in "The Mexican Boat Ride" (originally aired on CBS on July 30, 1949), and the cops of Dragnet chase a pair of fugitives in "The Big Border" (originally aired on NBC on March 20, 1952). Finally, Dana Andrews tries to thwart the plans of Soviet saboteurs trying to sneak into the US in "The Red Gate" from I Was a Communist for the FBI.

All aboard! We're pulling out of the station for three old time radio mysteries set on or around trains. First, as amateur sleuth and Shakespeare doppleganger Leonidas Witherall, Walter Hampden finds a corpse switcheroo on a train to Chicago (originally aired on Mutual on October 8, 1944). Then, Ranger Jayce Pearson investigates a deliberate train derailment. Joel McCrea stars in "Last Stop" from Tales of the Texas Rangers (originally aired on NBC on August 10, 1952). And finally, we board a commuter train but may be riding alongside "The Man Who Murders People" from Suspense (originally aired on CBS on November 13, 1960).

Happy Batman Day! Celebrate the Caped Crusader and listen to a complete radio adventure of Superman with Batman fighting alongside the Man of Steel. We'll hear the world's finest heroes, along with Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen, and Perry White in "The Story of the Century" (originally aired on Mutual between April 1st and April 15th, 1946).

Class is in session in these three old time radio mysteries set in and around schools. First, Howard Duff stars as Sam Spade in "The Queen Bee Caper" (originally aired on CBS on July 10, 1949). Then, Edmond O'Brien is "the man with the action-packed expense account" in "The Story of the Big Red Schoolhouse" from Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar (originally aired on CBS on April 4, 1950). And finally, Vincent Price is The Saint in "Miss Godby's School for Girls" (originally aired on NBC on November 5, 1950).

Old time radio's G-men are on the case in three shows starring FBI agents. First, we'll hear "The Crack-Up" from The FBI in Peace and War (originally aired on CBS on September 14, 1950). Then, Stacy Harris stars as Agent Taylor in "The Unhappy Hijacker" from This is Your FBI (originally aired on ABC on July 18, 1947). Finally, Matt Cvetic tries to keep his cover from being blown in I Was a Communist for the FBI. Dana Andrews stars as Cvetic in the syndicated episode "Kangaroo Court."

There's no rest for the weary! Even on vacation, Superman and his friends can't help finding a new adventure. For the final installment in our bonus series, we'll listen as Clark Kent and Jimmy Olsen battle smugglers and hunt for a legendary treasure in these episodes that originally aired between July 22 and August 2, 1940.

It's the 500th episode of Down These Mean Streets! To celebrate 500 shows of old time radio mystery, crimesolvers, and crooks, I'm going back to the show that introduced me to the wonderful world of radio drama. We'll hear eight episodes that prove that "the weed of crime bears bitter fruit." Who knows who's starring in these shows? Ha ha ha ha ha ha...

It's the grand opening of Happyland Amusement Park, owned and operated by Lois Lane's friend. But when Lois and Clark Kent arrive to cover the opening, they discover Happyland is under threat from the dastardly owner of a rival carnival who will resort to anything - including murder and sabotage - to run Happyland out of business. It's up to Superman to take flight and save the day before Happyland's thrill rides end in disaster in these episodes that originally aired between July 8 and July 19, 1940.

See you in court for these three old time radio mysteries set in and around the courthouse. First, Mr. District Attorney suspects a fix in "The Case of the Intimidated Jury" (originally aired on NBC on August 23, 1944). Then, Mercedes McCambridge represents a college basketball player accused of murder in Defense Attorney (originally aired on ABC on July 17, 1952). Finally, Les Damon stars as The Falcon in "The Case of the Rich Racketeer," where a gangster is acquitted in court only to wind up murdered (originally aired on NBC on November 5, 1950).

Someone's smuggling explosives in porcelain dolls, and it's up to Superman to stop these terrible toymen and their evil schemes! The Man of Steel returns in this story that originally aired between June 24 and July 5, 1940.

Each of these old time radio detectives earned their livings as writers. They only dabbled in crimesolving on the side because it was their hobby or because real-life mysteries provided inspiration for their work. We'll hear Glenn Langan as mystery writer and police consultant Barton Drake in "The Coin Collector Mystery," a syndicated episode from Mystery is My Hobby.  Then, Alan Ladd is Dan Holiday - newspaperman turned novelist and amateur adventurer - in "Hare and Hounds" from Box 13. And we'll close with Frank Lovejoy as Chicago reporter Randy Stone in "The Girl in the Park" from Night Beat (originally aired on NBC on February 27, 1950).

Tee off with four (not fore!) old time radio detective stories set on the golf course. Actor Paul Barnes plays every role in the syndicated mini-mystery Calling All Detectives, and a golf teacher gets too close to a gangster's wife in Boston Blackie (a syndicated episode known as "Carl Grady, Golf Instructor"). As Philo Vance, Jackson Beck spots a clue on the course in "The Red Duck Murder Case," and Frank Race meets an old friend - a golf pro with a jealous husband who's got a violent temper - in "The Adventure of the Fairway Beauties."

Lois Lane returns! Her uncle is a meterology professor with an uncanny ability to predict the weather. Lois and Clark travel to interview him and discover a gang of robbers, a murdered assistant, and a plan to destroy a mountain. It all adds up to an exciting new adventure for the Man of Steel in these episodes that originally aired between June 9 and June 21, 1940.

Take me out to the ballgame for these three radio mysteries set in and around the ballpark. First, Ellery Queen's plans for a relaxing Sunday afternoon are thwarted when a movie star drops dead in "The Adventure of the Foul Tip" (AFRS rebroadcast; originally aired on NBC on June 13, 1944). Then, Bulldog Drummond tries to save a team after a pitcher dies on the mound in "Death on the Diamond" (originally aired on Mutual on September 17, 1945). Finally, Richard Kollmar investigates the shooting of a player killed sliding into second base in a syndicated adventure of Boston Blackie.

A lost race, an immortal witch doctor, and a polar bear? All in a day's work for Superman! In this week's bonus show, Clark Kent travels to the Arctic to find a missing explorer and the last Daily Planet reporter sent to locate him. We'll hear the full adventure, originally aired between May 27 and June 7, 1940.