Episode 180 - A Shot in the Dark (The Line-Up & Richard Diamond)

Down These Mean Streets (Old Time Radio Detectives)

Jack Mooney

Tv & Film, Arts, Performing Arts

4.5 • 1.1K Ratings

🗓️ 31 July 2016

⏱️ 67 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Before he gave the world Peter Gunn and Inspector Clouseau, Blake Edwards cut his teeth as a radio writer, penning mysteries for some of the best detectives of the era. Edwards created Richard Diamond, Private Detective and his writing set the tone for radio's singing gumshoe. Equally adept at comedy and drama, Edwards also wrote stories for more serious police procedurals, including The Line-Up. In honor of his birthday, we'll hear some of his radio work. First, it's "The Candy Store Murder" from The Line-Up (originally aired on CBS on November 16, 1950). Then, it's "To Guard a Seal," from Richard Diamond, Private Detective (originally aired on NBC on February 5, 1950).

Transcript

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0:00.0	The On the surface, Richard Diamond and Inspector Jacques Cloussou don't have much in common, except for one
0:29.2	crucial characteristic. They both sprang from the mind and pen of Blake Edwards. Born 94 years ago this month, Edwards was a gifted writer and director who gave us some outstanding films and TV shows. But even before that, he cut his teeth
0:46.7	as a radio writer, where he gave us one of the era's best detectives. Blake Edwards had written a pair of movie Westerns when he was approached by Dick Powell in
0:56.8	1948 to discuss a radio detective series.
1:00.9	Powell, of course, was coming off a well-received turn as Philip Marlow in Murder My Sweet,
1:06.3	and he was interested in more hard-boiled detective work.
1:10.1	Edwards said he had the perfect idea for a series for Powell.
1:14.0	It was a lie, but that didn't stop Edwards from racing home and coming up with the idea for the show.
1:20.0	That series would become Richard Diamond, private detective.
1:25.0	Originally conceived as a former OSS agent, Richard Diamond evolved into an ex-cop who had gone into business for himself.
1:34.0	Along with Diamond, whose personality was brought to rich life by Dick Powell,
1:39.0	Edwards created a cast of supporting characters that was unique among detective shows.
1:45.0	Sam Spade had Effie, his secretary, and Philip Marlow would occasionally meet up with
1:50.0	LAPD Lieutenant Barra, but Edwards created an entire on-air family for Richard Diamond.
1:57.5	There was Helen Asher, Diamonds Park Avenue socialite girlfriend and her Butler Francis. There was Lieutenant Walt Levinson,
2:05.6	Diamond's old partner at the 5th precinct. And there was Sergeant Otis,
2:10.8	a hapless hair-brained cop who was Levinson's right-hand man and always the butt of Diamond's
2:16.3	jokes.
2:18.0	It's this character dynamic that makes the show so memorable.
2:22.0	Portions of each episode play almost like a sitcom as
2:24.8	Diamond flirts with Helen, teases Otis, and infuriates Walt with some Abbott and
2:30.1	Costello inspired wordplay. But it isn't just the laughs. Edwards was
	...

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