The Welcome to Down these mean streets, presenting detectives and crime fighters from the golden

age of radio.

This week our sleuth is the king of the debonair gentleman gumshues. He's Philo Vance, polyglot, connoisseur of art and music, all-around genius and brilliant detective.

Introduced in the novels of S.S. Van Dyne, Vance was a hit with some and an irritation to others.

Raymond Chandler, the creator of Philip Marlow, called Vance the most asinine character in detective fiction.

Vance came to the big screen, played by an impressive roster of actors including Warren

William, Basil Rathbone, and William Powell.

Eventually Vance came to radio where his character was successfully softened and made a little more palatable for radio listeners.

Today we'll hear three of Thylovans' radio exploits,

beginning with a 1945 episode starring Jose Ferrer as the Sleuth. The case of the girl who came back

originally aired on NBC on July 26th 1945, but the version will hear today is a rebroadcast from the Armed Forces Radio Service

Mystery Playhouse.

Ferrer, an Oscar and Tony Award winner, starred as Vance in a single summer season that year.

And his portrayal gave the detective a sophisticated air without making Vance too elitist or

condescending. In this episode, Francis Robinson co-stars is Lane Randall,

Vance's loyal secretary. It's a role not dissimilar to her performance as Claire Brooks opposite Bob Bailey and let George do it.

Now in addition to Jose Ferrer, Vance was played on radio by actor John Emory, but the best known radio incarnation of the character was in a syndicated series from Frederick W. Ziv, the prolific producer of Boston Blackie, I was a communist for the FBI and more.

Over 100 episodes were produced with Jackson Beck as Philo Vance.

Over his seven decade career, Beck's memorable voice was heard in advertisements for everything

from Little Caesar's Pizza to Frosted Flakes.

He was heard in cartoons, including several where he voiced Popeye's Nemesisesis Bluto and in films and TV shows.

Folks my age will remember Jackson Beck as the narrator of the GI Joe cartoons in the 1980s. But when it comes to the golden age of radio, Jackson Beck ranks at the top of the list of amazing actors from the era. To me, he's right up there with Paul Freese and William Conrad when it comes to talent, versatility, and sheer number of radio performances.

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