The Long before law and order, Mr. District Attorney presented audiences with a crusading heroic

prosecutor. The daring public servant headlined one of radio's most popular and longest running crime

dramas. It kicked off just before World War II and it ran well into the 1950s.

The program was developed by Ed Byron, a law student turned radio writer, and Philip Sage Lord, the prolific producer behind gangbusters.

Mr. District Attorney began as a five day a week serial in April of 1939,

and it aired in that format for 11 weeks.

In June of that year, the series was tapped as Pepsident summer replacement for Bob Hope, and the program changed formats to 30 minutes once a week.

Mr. District Attorney did so well in Bob Hope's time slot, the Pepson

ordered additional shows. It proved to be a wise decision. In its first

season as a 30-minute show, Mr. District Attorney finished first in the thriller drama category with a 19.7 rating, meaning nearly 20% of radios were tuned in to the show. The following season, it jumped. of the

radio's were tuned in to the show. The following season, it jumped to a 28.3 rating, a number that beat out other popular crime dramas like The Adventures of the Thin Man and Mr and Mrs North.

Dwight Weast starred as Mr District Attorney.

He had no name and was referred to as the DA or the District Attorney

in those early 1939 serialized shows.

When Mr. District attorney transitioned to a half hour format,

Raymond Edward Johnson stepped into the title role.

Johnson would later go on to serve as the Macabre Master of Ceremonies on

Inner Sanctum Mysteries.

From 1940 to 1952, Jay Justin starred as the DA.

Justin had voiced characters on Superman and other New York-based radio programs,

and he would later work steadily in television on The Wild Wild West, Alfred Hitchcock

presents, and others.

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