The The The Golden Age of Radio found several heroes from the ranks of the men and women of the press.

There was Randy Stone, the Chicago reporter who found stories and adventure on Nightbeat.

There was Casey Crime Photographer, thebug, an amateur sleuth.

And there was Britt Reed, publisher of the Daily Sentinel newspaper by day, and the Green Hornet by night.

From 1937 until 1952, their ranks were joined by Steve Wilson,

editor of the Illustrated Press, one of the daily papers of Big Town, the unnamed bustling metropolis

where Wilson and his staff waged a war against crime and corruption

with the power of the freedom of the press.

Hailed by Wilson as a flaming sword, that it may be a

faithful servant of all the people, use it justly, hold it high, Guard it Well.

Big Town premiered on CBS on October 9th, 1937,

with Edward G. Robinson as Wilson,

and fellow big screen star Claire Trevor as Lorelei Kilborn, the Illustrated Press's

star reporter.

Landing these movie stars was a huge coup for the show.

By this time Robinson had already appeared in over 30 films, including

his iconic gangster portrayal in Little Caesar. Trevor had been appearing on screen since

1933, and she picked up an Oscar nomination in 1937 for her performance in Dead End.

In its early years, Big Town found Wilson using the power of his paper to take on the rackets and vice plaguing his city.

Gambling, corruption, juvenile gangs, and drunk driving were just a few of the targets of Wilson's fiery determination.

In the show's first episode, listeners met Steve Wilson

as he pushed back against the sensationalist tendencies of his own publisher.

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