Episode 644 - Diamond Cut (Rogue's Gallery, Richard Diamond, & Lux Radio Theatre)

Down These Mean Streets (Old Time Radio Detectives)

Jack Mooney

Arts, Performing Arts, Mystery, Detectives, Old, Radio, Time, Tv & Film, Oldtimeradio

4.6 • 982 Ratings

🗓️ 16 November 2025

⏱️ 156 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In honor of Dick Powell's November 14th birthday, we're saluting the singing star with some of his old time radio performances. First, he plays private investigator Richard Rogue in "Little Old Lady" from Rogue's Gallery (originally aired on Mutual on November 29, 1945). Then, he's radio's crooning crimefighter Richard Diamond, Private Detective in a pair of episodes: "The Tom Waxman Bombing" (originally aired on NBC on June 26, 1949) and "Death and the Letter" (originally aired on NBC on November 8, 1950). Finally, he recreates one of his big screen roles, alongside co-star Lee J. Cobb, as The Lux Radio Theatre presents "Johnny O'Clock" (originally aired on CBS on May 12, 1947).

Transcript

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0:00.0	Get this and get it straight.
0:02.1	Crime is a sucker's road.
0:03.9	And those who travel
0:04.6	it wind up in the gut of the prison of the grave.
0:12.3	The story you were about to hear is true.
0:15.2	Only the names have been changed to protect the innocent.
0:18.6	The Adventures of Sam Spade, Detective.
0:21.7	The Adventures of the Saints,
0:23.5	starring Vincent Price.
0:25.5	Bob Bailey, in the exciting adventures
0:27.7	of the man with the action-packed expense account.
0:30.6	America's fabulous freelance insurance investigator...
0:33.4	Yours truly, Johnny Dollar.
1:04.1	... Yours truly, Johnny Dollar. Hello and welcome to Down These Mean Streets with more old-time radio detectives and crime solvers.
1:10.8	This week we're throwing a birthday bash for one of my favorite radio detective stars.
1:11.6	He's Dick Powell, the song and dance man who successfully reinvented himself and launched a new
1:18.6	era of his career when he played Philip Marlow in Murder My Suite.
1:23.6	Performances and more crime dramas followed, including one he'll recreate later today on the show,
1:30.7	and so did radio detective dramas.
1:34.1	Powell starred on the air as a pair of private eyes, both of them named Richard,
1:39.3	and he starred in the audition show for yours truly Johnny Dollar.
1:45.0	He passed on the role of America's fabulous freelance insurance investigator in favor of Richard
	...

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