The Adventures of Philip Marlowe was a premier hard-boiled detective radio drama that brought Raymond Chandler's iconic private eye to life during the Golden Age of Radio.Â
Production History
NBC Run (1947): The series debuted on June 17, 1947, under the title The New Adventures of Philip Marlowe. It starred Van Heflin and served as a summer replacement for The Bob Hope Show.
CBS Run (1948–1951): The program moved to CBS in September 1948 with Gerald Mohr taking over the title role. Mohr's deep baritone and cynical delivery became the definitive portrayal, reportedly favored by Chandler himself.
Final Broadcast: The series concluded its regular run in September 1951, though its influence directly led to the creation of other landmarks like Gunsmoke.Â
Series Style and Premise
Atmosphere: Set in a gritty, post-war Los Angeles, the show was noted for its "hard-boiled" realism. Unlike other detective shows of the era, it lacked comedic relief or "quaint" characters, focusing instead on the darker side of human nature.
Narrative: Each 30-minute episode followed Marlowe as he navigated cases involving murder, blackmail, and corruption. Episodes often opened with Marlowe's signature world-weary narration.
Cast and Crew:
Producer/Director: Norman Macdonnell (CBS run).
Supporting Cast: Featured radio veterans like Jeff Corey (as Lt. Ybarra), Lawrence Dobkin (as Lt. Matthews), Howard McNear, and Parley Baer.
Music: Composed by Lyn Murray (NBC) and Richard Aurandt (CBS).Â
Legacy
By 1949, the show reached the largest audience in radio, proving that sophisticated, literary detective fiction could achieve massive commercial success. Today, many original recordings have been restored and remain popular in the Old Time Radio (OTR) community.Â
Â
Â
Â
Get all of our shows at one website: WWW.BESTOF1001STORIES.COM
REVIEWS NEEDED . My email works as well for comments:
[email protected] SUPPORT OUR SHOW BY BECOMING A PATRON! https://.patreon.com/1001storiesnetwork. Its time I started asking for support! Thank you. Its a few dollars a month OR a one time. (Any amount is appreciated).
YOUR REVIEWSÂ ARE NEEDED AND APPRECIATED!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices