Down These Mean Streets (Old Time Radio Detectives)

For this month's bonus episode, we're back on Baker Street for my five favorite radio adaptations of Sherlock Holmes adventures penned by Arthur Conan Doyle. Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce star in "The Speckled Band" (originally aired on Mutual on November 12, 1945), and Bruce and Tom Conway star in "The Adventure of the Dying Detective" (originally aired on ABC on February 3, 1947). Then, John Stanley and Alfred Shirley are Holmes and Watson in "The Red Headed League" and "The Sussex Vampire" (originally aired on October 12 and December 14, 1947). Finally, John Gielgud and Ralph Richardson take center stage in a British radio production of "A Scandal in Bohemia."

Our spotlight mystery writer of the week is Dorothy L. Sayers, the English writer, poet, and essayist whose work evolved and advanced the detective genre with characterization and humor. She's best known for the adventures of aristocrat and amateur sleuth Lord Peter Wimsey, and we'll hear one of his exploits adapted for Suspense - "The Cave of Ali Baba" (originally aired on CBS on August 19, 1942). We'll also hear three more of Ms. Sayers' stories adapted for "radio's outstanding theater of thrills" - "The Fountain Plays" (originally aired on CBS on August 10, 1943); "Suspicion" (originally aired on CBS on February 10, 1944); and "The Man Who Knew How" (originally aired on CBS on August 10, 1944).

Our month-long salute to mystery writing legends continues with the queen of crime herself - Agatha Christie. She wrote over sixty novels, dozens of short stories, and created two of the genre's most beloved sleuths - Hercule Poirot, the fastidious and brilliant Belgian detective, and Miss Marple, the kindly amateur investigator. We'll hear four of Dame Agatha's tales recreated for radio: "The Murder of Roger Ackroyd" with Orson Welles as Poirot from The Campbell Playhouse (originally aired on CBS on November 12, 1939); "The Tragedy of Marsdon Manner" from Murder Clinic (originally aired on Mutual on October 6, 1942); and "The ABC Murders" and "Where There's a Will" from Suspense (originally aired on CBS on May 18, 1943 and February 24, 1949).

Our month of classic mystery writers continues with Dashiell Hammett - the former Pinkerton operative whose celebrated characters include Sam Spade, the Continental Op, and Nick and Nora Charles. Radio shows based on his sleuths were some of the most popular on radio until Hammett became a casualty of the Red Scare. We'll hear some of his stories recreated for radio: an adaptation of "The Thin Man" from The Lux Radio Theatre (originally aired on CBS on June 8, 1936; "Two Sharp Knives" - adapted for Suspense (originally aired on CBS on June 7, 1945); "The Maltese Falcon" recreated on Academy Award (originally aired on CBS on July 3, 1946); and "The Critical Author Caper" - a loose adaptation of his novel The Dain Curse from The Adventures of Sam Spade (originally aired on CBS on August 15, 1948). Plus, we'll hear an original Hammett radio creation - private eye Brad Runyon - aka The Fat Man in his debut adventure "The Nineteenth Pearl" (originally aired on ABC on January 21, 1946).

In honor of his May 6th birthday, we're saluting the great Orson Welles with a pair of radio performances set on Baker Street. First, he's the great detective himself in "The Immortal Sherlock Holmes" from The Mercury Theatre On the Air (originally aired on CBS on September 25, 1938). Then, he's Holmes' archnemesis Professor Moriarty - opposite John Gielgud and Ralph Richardson as Holmes and Watson - in a syndicated production of "The Final Problem."