Get this and get it straight. Crime is a suckers road and those who travel it would wind up in the gut of the prison of the grave.

The story you were about to hear is true, only the names have been changed to protect the innocent.

The Adventures of Sam Spade Detective.

The Adventures of the Saints starring Vincent Prize.

Bob Bailey in the exciting adventures of the man with the action-packed expense account.

America's fabulous freelance insurance investigator.

Yours truly, Johnny Deller. And the Hello and welcome to Down These Means Streets. This week we're off to London for three old-time radio

adventures of the world's greatest consulting detective Sherlock Holmes. Holmes made

his debut as a radio sleuth 89 years ago this month and today

we're celebrating the anniversary with three old-time radio adventures of Holmes

and his loyal colleague and biographer Dr. John Watson.

There was no shortage of actors playing Sherlock Holmes on the air during the golden age of

radio. Perhaps the most famous of them is Basil Rathbone,

who in addition to starring his homes in 14 films

in the late 30s and early 40s

starred as the detective on the air in the new adventures of Sherlock Holmes.

But for me, the best of the radio Sherlock's is John Stanley, the British board actor who assumed the role in

1947. That fall production of the series moved from Los Angeles to New York.

Gone was Nigel Bruce as Watson, who had carried on in the show for a year after Rathbone departed.

Also gone was Tom Conway, who had stepped in as Holmes for that single season.

But John Stanley was no slouch.

His clipped commanding presence as Holmes captured all of the strengths of Rathbone's performance

...