Get this and get it straight. Crime is a suckers road and those who travel it'd 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 Mean Streets. Today we're saluting one of

radio's best character actresses Betty Lou Gerson.

If you're a Disney fan, you may recognize her as the voice of Cruella de Ville,

the fur-loving villainous of 101 Dalmatians. But during the golden age of

radio she was all over the dial, appearing on shows like Escape, Yours Truly Johnny

Dollar, The Lux Radio Theater, Sam Spades, Suspense, and

more.

Her voice always jumps out when I hear her in a show, a smoky delivery with an edge that gives life and history to her

characters.

The hints of a southern drawl from her Tennessee roots slip in and out, and she could play seductive and scary sometimes

changing from one to the other on a moment's notice. Today we'll hear two

episodes that showcase her talent for playing complex characters

and bringing them to vivid life.

First we'll hear her in a strange story by the Whistler.

Betty Lou Gerson appeared in dozens of episodes of the anthology crime drama and she's great

as the star of Beyond Reasonable Doubt. Originally aired on CBS on July 16th, 1947, it's the story of a woman whose shady past resurfaces in the form of a blackmailer.

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