Get this and get it straight. Crime is a suckers road and those who travel it wind up in the gut of the prison of the grave.

The story you are about to hear is true, only the names have been changed to protect the innocent.

The Adventures of Sam Spade Detective.

The Adventures of the Saints starring Vincent Prize

Bob Bailey in the exciting adventures of the man with the action-packed expense account

America's fabulous freelance insurance investigator.

Yours truly, Johnny Deller. And the Hello and

welcome to another midweek bonus episode of down these mean streets and two more old time radio

Halloween comedies to help get you in the trick-or-treating spirit.

Today we'll hear a haunted house comedy from a classic radio sitcom and a variety show

with a guest appearance from one of the biggest names in Hollywood horror history. Up first is William Bendix in The Life of Riley in an episode that originally aired on ABC on October 29th, 1944.

This story finds Chester A Riley joining his son Jr. on a late night trip to the spooky old

house in their neighborhood to find out whether or not it's haunted.

But when things start to go bump in the night, Riley's self-touted bravery makes a break for

it. The life of Riley was a hit on radio and it spawned a hit

television version that also starred Bendix. Interestingly the domestic

adventures of this blue-collar aircraft plant worker were conceived

originally as a vehicle for Groucho Marks.

Sponsors, however, couldn't buy the idea of Groucho playing a sitcom husband and father.

So Series creator Irving Brecker tweaked the concept for Bendix after he saw the actor on screen.

As Riley, William Bendix was the archetypal bumbling sitcom Patriarch,

an expert at inserting his foot in his mouth

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