The This week on down these mean streets we'll hear from an art collector, importer, and wine expert who happens to dabble in detective work.

He's Gregory Hood, and we'll hear an excerpt from his famous case book featuring one of his adventures.

Gregory Hood was an amateur detective. He rarely sought out a case but usually found one in the

course of his work as an importer. He was armed with expertise in a number of

fields, primarily art and antiques, and he was frequently assisted by Sanderson Taylor, his

attorney and good friend. As an unlicensed unofficial detective, he had no fans on the police force in his hometown of San

Francisco. Gregory Hood was an original radio creation of Anthony Boucher and

Dennis Green, the writers for the New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, and the series was developed

as a summer replacement for the Basil Rathbone Nigel Bruce radio show.

Along with the Holmes program Programs writers, Gregory Hood shared a sponsor, Petrie Wine, and an

announcer Harry Bartel with Rathbone's Holmes.

And the shows shared a format. Each week, Harry Bartel would pay a visit to

Gregory Hood and Sandy Taylor, where Gregory would recount his latest adventure and they would all

sing the praises of Petri Wine.

Bartel served a similar function with Nigel Bruce's Dr. Watson

on the new adventures of Sherlock Holmes.

Radio's first Gregory Hood was Gail Gordon, an actor better known for his

comedic chops. On radio he's best known as Principal Osgood Conclin on Our Miss Brooks. He could also be heard as Mr Scott, the sponsors

representative on the Phil Harris Alice Faye show and is Mr. Atterbury on my favorite husband opposite Lucille Ball.

Gordon and Ball worked together extensively over their careers on radio and on television.

In fact, he was Lucille Ball's first choice to play Fred Mertz on I Love Lucy,

but his commitment to the Armis Brooks TV series cost him the role.

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