The To old-time radio fans actor Stephen Dunn may be best known as radio's second Sam Spade.

And while Spade may be his most celebrated performance, Dunn was a busy actor who found success on

radio and the big and small screens over his three decades in show business.

He was born Francis Dunn on January 13th, 1918. Dunn studied acting at the University

of Alabama and he worked as a DJ at a local radio station during his undergraduate years.

It was that radio work that won him a job as an announcer on W-O-R in New York.

What got done noticed by Hollywood was his smooth radio voice and he was signed by 20th century Fox in 1945.

They billed him as Michael Dunn and got him working almost immediately.

Despite receiving third billing in his first Fox release,

Dunn struggled to find leading roles,

and his parts became smaller and smaller over the next two years.

Dunn found greater success on radio.

In 1946, he starred in Danger Dr. Danfield as the titular criminal psychologist and private eye.

That show ran until April 13, 1947.

One week later, Dunn started on deadline mystery, a crime drama where he played reporter

Lucky Larson, a syndicated columnist who had a knack for finding trouble on his beat. Also in 1947, Dunn was picked up by Columbia Pictures.

Studio changed his name again to Stephen Dunn, and they put him in more prominent roles in

several B pictures. Once again Dunn was working steadily but he couldn't quite

break out and he mostly turned in supporting performances opposite stars

like Lucille Ball and William Holden.

Throughout his runs of the studios, Dunn continued to work regularly on radio.

Through the 1940s and early 1950s,

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