Episode 415 - Ever-Greenstreet (Nero Wolfe, Fred Allen, & Screen Guild Theatre)
Down These Mean Streets (Old Time Radio Detectives)
Jack Mooney
4.5 • 1.1K Ratings
🗓️ 13 December 2020
⏱️ 98 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Sydney Greenstreet was 61 years old when he made his screen debut as Kasper Gutman in The Maltese Falcon, and his larger than life villainous performance earned him an Oscar nod and it kicked off a second career in films. Greenstreet appeared in Casablanca, They Died With Their Boots On, and more, and on radio he lent his voice to Rex Stout's gargantuan gourmet Nero Wolfe. We'll hear Greenstreet as Wolfe in "The Case of the Tell-Tale Ribbon" (originally aired on NBC on March 30, 1951). Plus, he joins Fred Allen on a comedic caper through Cairo (AFRS rebroadcast from May 12, 1946) and finally Greenstreet joins Peter Lorre as they recreate their roles from The Mask of Dimitrios in The Lady Esther Screen Guild Theatre (originally aired on CBS on April 16, 1945).
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | 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. |
| 0:07.0 | The story you were about to hear is true, only the names have been changed to protect the innocent. |
| 0:18.0 | The Adventures of Sam Spade Detective. |
| 0:22.0 | The Adventures of the Saints starring Vincent Prize |
| 0:25.4 | Bob Bailey in the exciting adventures of the man with the action-packed expense account |
| 0:30.6 | America's fabulous freelance insurance investigator. |
| 0:33.0 | Yours truly, Johnny Deller. And the Hello and welcome to down these mean streets and more old-time radio |
| 0:59.7 | detectives and crime fighters. |
| 1:02.8 | Our star this week made his film debut in one of the greatest detective films of all time. |
| 1:09.0 | His performance became an icon of the genre as he brought a devious villain to glorious life on the big screen. |
| 1:17.0 | Born December 27th, 1879, Sydney Green Street was 61 years old when he played Casper Gutman in the Maltese |
| 1:27.1 | Falcon and his performance earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor. |
| 1:33.5 | It kicked off a late in life second career for the longtime stage star, and though he acted |
| 1:40.0 | on screen for less than a decade, his filmography contained some of the greatest movies of all time. |
| 1:46.5 | Along with the Maltese Falcon, Green Street appeared opposite Errol Flynn and they died with their boots on and he reunited with |
| 1:55.0 | Falcon co-star Humphrey Bogart and Casablanca. On this podcast we know and love |
| 2:01.7 | Sydney Green Street for his single season run as Rex Stouts |
| 2:05.9 | Nero Wolf, a role he took after he retired from the screen. |
| 2:12.0 | Green Street had the perfect frame for the role of the gargantuan gourmet |
| 2:16.0 | and his colorful characterization was ideal for the |
| 2:20.0 | irascible detective. |
| 2:22.0 | Today we'll celebrate Sydney Green Street in honor of his December birthday with three of his old-time |
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