Podcast · Arts & Books

1001 Radio Crime Solvers

by Host Jon Hagadorn. All stories in public domain. · English · Arts & Books

Welcome to 1001 Radio Crime Solvers - where you can enjoy the best radio detective stories from the golden age of radio. This was a time when TV was still in its infancy and radio was in its creative heyday- using top writers and top talent to capture huge audiences, and shows featuring hard boiled

New episodes: Several times a week
Typical length: 58 min
Latest: 11 Oct 2026
Language: English

Latest episode

11 Oct 2026 · 59 minNew

THE BIG GUN (PARTS 1 & 2) DRAGNET

⭐ 1001 RADIO CRIME SOLVERS DRAGNET SHOW NOTES — "The Big Gun" (Parts 1 & 2) This week at 1001 Radio Crime Solvers , we bring you a two‑part Dragnet story that delivers everything listeners love about the series: danger, tension, meticulous police work, and the unmistakable realism of Sgt. Joe Friday's world. The Big Gun is one of Dragnet's most gripping multi‑episode arcs — a case that begins with a single act of violence and expands into a full‑scale manhunt across Los Angeles. 🔫 THE BIG GUN — PART 1 A violent shooting sends Friday and Romero into the streets of Los Angeles in search of a…

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Earlier episodes 29 most recent

9 Oct 2026 · 50 min
THE BIG REVISION and THE BIG SQUEALER DRAGNET
🎙️ 1001 RADIO CRIME SOLVERS SHOW NOTES 🕵️‍♂️ Dragnet – "The Big Revision" Original Air Date: January 11, 1951 Series: Dragnet (Radio) Episode Length: ~30 minutes Cast Jack Webb — Sgt. Joe Friday Barton Yarborough — Sgt. Ben Romero Herb Butterfield — Supporting role Harry Bartell — Supporting role Additional ensemble typical of Dragnet's 1951 cast Summary Friday and Romero investigate a case involving forged school transcripts and falsified academic records. A young man seeking a government job has submitted paperwork that doesn't add up, and the detectives soon discover a small but active…
7 Oct 2026 · 49 min
THE BIG TIE and THE BIG DEAL DRAGNET
🎙️ 1001 RADIO CRIME SOLVERS SHOW NOTES 🕵️‍♂️ Dragnet – "The Big Tie" Original Air Date: March 1, 1951 Series: Dragnet (Radio) Episode Length: ~30 minutes Cast Jack Webb — Sgt. Joe Friday Barton Yarborough — Sgt. Ben Romero Herb Butterfield — Supporting role Harry Bartell — Supporting role Additional ensemble typical of Dragnet's 1951 cast Summary A man is found dead in a downtown hotel room, strangled with his own necktie. Friday and Romero begin peeling back the layers of the victim's life — a traveling salesman with a reputation for cutting corners and making enemies. The detectives trace…
4 Oct 2026 · 48 min
THE BIG DEATH and THE BIG TOOTH DRAGNET
🎙️ 1001 RADIO CRIME SOLVERS SHOW NOTES 🕵️‍♂️ Dragnet – "The Big Death" Original Air Date: September 28, 1950 Series: Dragnet (Radio) Episode Length: ~30 minutes Cast Jack Webb — Sgt. Joe Friday Barton Yarborough — Sgt. Ben Romero Herb Butterfield — Supporting role Harry Bartell — Supporting role Parley Baer — Supporting role Peggy Webber — Supporting role Summary A man walks into the police station with a chilling story: a wealthy warehouse owner is quietly searching for someone to murder his wife. Friday goes undercover as the would‑be killer, entering a tense cat‑and‑mouse negotiation…
2 Oct 2026 · 58 min
THE BIG CARNEY and THE BIG JOKE DRAGNET
🎙️ 1001 RADIO CRIME SOLVERS SHOW NOTES – Dragnet Double Feature "The Big Carney" In "The Big Carney," Friday and Smith investigate a case involving a carnival worker whose sudden disappearance points to something far more sinister than a simple walk‑off. The detectives enter the world of traveling carnivals — a tight-knit community where everyone knows everyone, and outsiders are met with suspicion. As Friday digs deeper, he uncovers conflicting stories, nervous coworkers, and a trail of clues that suggests the missing man may have been involved in a dangerous side business. The tension…
30 Sep 2026 · 58 min
THE BIG RIP and THE BIG SCRAPBOOK DRAGNET
🎙️ 1001 RADIO CRIME SOLVERS SHOW NOTES – Dragnet Double Feature "The Big Rip" In "The Big Rip," Friday and Smith investigate a violent assault that leaves a young woman badly injured and a neighborhood shaken. The detectives work through frightened witnesses, vague descriptions, and a suspect who seems to vanish into thin air. As the case unfolds, Friday's steady, methodical approach reveals a pattern of behavior that points to a dangerous offender with a history of escalating violence. The tension builds as the detectives race to identify the attacker before he strikes again. A gritty,…
27 Sep 2026 · 55 min
THE BIG CHAT and THE BIG COMPULSION DRAGNET
🎙️ 1001 RADIO CRIME SOLVERS SHOW NOTES Dragnet – "The Big Chat" In The Big Chat , Friday and Smith find themselves navigating a case where a seemingly harmless conversation becomes the key to unraveling a larger crime. What begins as a routine interview quickly turns into a tense exchange filled with evasions, half‑truths, and a suspect who talks far too much — or not nearly enough. The episode highlights Dragnet's trademark realism: clipped dialogue, procedural pacing, and the slow tightening of suspense as Friday works to separate fact from fiction. It's a character‑driven mystery that…
25 Sep 2026 · 1 hr 1 min
THE TORI JONES MURDER CASE and THE HENRY BAKER MURDER CASE BROADWAY IS MY BEAT
Broadway Is My Beat appeared on CBS radio from 1946 to 1951 and is recognized as one of the best cop/detective shows on old time radio. To catch all our shows and episodes check out www.bestof1001stories.com!
23 Sep 2026 · 1 hr
THE BIG INFORMANT and THE BIG DREAM DRAGNET
SUMMARY FOR "THE BIG INFORMANT" DRAGNET RADIO EPISODE SUMMARY FOR "THE BIG INFORMANT" In the Dragnet radio broadcast " The Big Informant " (Episode 196), originally aired on March 22, 1953, Sergeant Joe Friday and his partner Frank Smith face mounting pressure to solve a two-month crime wave involving a dozen hit safes with zero solid leads . The plot centers heavily around police procedure, checking field interrogation reports, and navigating the unreliable nature of criminal informants. [ Key Plot Points The Informant's Call: An informant named Ernie contacts Friday requesting an urgent…
20 Sep 2026 · 58 min
THE BIG LAUGH and THE BIG IMPOSTER DRAGNET
In the Dragnet radio episode " The Big Laugh " ( Episode #194, originally broadcast March 8, 1953), Sergeant Joe Friday and Officer Frank Smith pursue a confidence trickster who scams lonely women out of thousands of dollars . [ Case Overview The Crime: A smooth-talking con man named Jonathan Benton (alias Jack Bentley / Thomas Conan) preys on lonely, middle-aged women by answering personal ads in local newspapers. [ 1 ] The Method: He sweeps the victims off their feet with a whirlwind romance, dinners, and promises of marriage. He then leaves town on a fake business trip, calls back…
18 Sep 2026 · 57 min
THE BIG EAVESDROP and THE BIG SMALL
🎙️ 1001 RADIO CRIME SOLVERS SHOW NOTES Dragnet – "The Big Eavesdrop" A whispered conversation. A hidden motive. A crime that unfolds one overheard sentence at a time. In The Big Eavesdrop , Friday and Smith are pulled into a case that begins with something seemingly harmless — a woman overhearing a fragment of conversation through an apartment wall. But that fragment hints at something darker: a planned crime, a dangerous secret, or a threat that could cost someone their life. As the detectives dig deeper, they discover that the "accidental" eavesdropping may not have been accidental at all.…
16 Sep 2026 · 59 min
THE BIG GUILT and THE BIG MOLE DRAGNET
🎙️ 1001 RADIO CRIME SOLVERS SHOW NOTES Dragnet – "The Big Guilt" In The Big Guilt , Friday and Smith investigate a brutal assault that leaves a young woman fighting for her life. What begins as a straightforward search for a suspect quickly becomes a tense, emotionally charged case as the detectives uncover layers of guilt, fear, and desperation among the people connected to the victim. Dragnet's trademark realism is on full display here: clipped dialogue, methodical police work, and the slow tightening of suspense as Friday and Smith follow a trail of half‑truths and evasions. The episode…
13 Sep 2026 · 59 min
THE BIG THREAT and THE BIG SPEECH DRAGNET
🎙️ 1001 RADIO CRIME SOLVERS SHOW NOTES Dragnet – "The Big Threat" In The Big Threat , Friday and Smith are assigned to investigate a series of anonymous threats that have escalated from nuisance calls to genuine danger. What begins as a routine intimidation case quickly turns into a tense search for a suspect whose motives are unclear and whose next move could be violent. The episode highlights Dragnet's trademark realism—methodical police work, clipped dialogue, and the slow tightening of suspense as the detectives close in on the truth. A solid example of how Dragnet blended procedural…
11 Sep 2026 · 1 hr
MACAU and THE CANAL ZONE- A PIECE OF STRAW DANGEROUS ASSIGNMENT
🎙️ DANGEROUS ASSIGNMENT (RADIO) Starring Brian Donlevy as Steve Mitchell NBC Radio (1949–1953) Mitchell's job: "Go to the world's trouble spots and take care of things." Each episode begins with The Commissioner handing him a sealed assignment — usually involving sabotage, espionage, smuggling, or political intrigue. Below are the two episodes you asked for. ⭐ MACAU Radio Episode — NBC Airdate: Not precisely documented (likely 1951–1952) Status: Surviving audio exists in OTR collections Setting: Portuguese colony of Macau, South China Sea Episode Summary (Radio) Steve Mitchell is sent to…
9 Sep 2026 · 59 min
THE BIG RAY and THE BIG BULL
🎙️ 1001 RADIO CRIME SOLVERS SHOW NOTES — DRAGNET Starring Jack Webb as Sgt. Joe Friday "Just the facts, ma'am." Dragnet's radio era (1949–1957) remains the gold standard for authentic police procedural storytelling. Each case was based on real LAPD files, dramatized with documentary precision and delivered with Jack Webb's trademark realism. Below are complete show notes for THE BIG RAY and THE BIG BULL . ⭐ THE BIG RAY Original Air Date: January 10, 1952 Series: Dragnet (NBC Radio) Cast: Jack Webb – Sgt. Joe Friday Barton Yarborough – Sgt. Ben Romero Supporting cast: Harry Bartell, Herb…
6 Sep 2026 · 59 min
THE BIG PAPER and THE BIG TEST DRAGNET
🎙️ 1001 RADIO CRIME SOLVERS SHOW NOTES — DRAGNET Starring Jack Webb as Sgt. Joe Friday "Just the facts, ma'am." Dragnet's radio run (1949–1957) set the standard for police procedural storytelling. Each episode was based on real LAPD case files, dramatized with documentary precision and delivered with Jack Webb's trademark deadpan realism. Below are complete show notes for THE BIG PAPER and THE BIG TEST — two strong entries from the mid‑1950s era. ⭐ THE BIG PAPER Original Air Date: February 23, 1954 Series: Dragnet (NBC Radio) Cast: Jack Webb – Sgt. Joe Friday Ben Alexander – Officer Frank…
4 Sep 2026 · 57 min
THE JIMMY DOM CASE and THE PAUL THOMAS CASE BROADWAY IS MY BEAT
1001 RADIO CRIME SOLVERS BROADWAY IS MY BEAT THE JIMMY DOM CASE Original Air Date: July 7, 1951 Cast: Larry Thor – Detective Danny Clover Charles Calvert – Sgt. Gino Tartaglia Jack Kruschen – Sgt. Muggavan Lou Krugman – Supporting role Paul Frees – Supporting role Georgia Ellis – Supporting role ⭐ EPISODE SUMMARY (Spoiler‑Safe) A young man named Jimmy Dom is found dead under circumstances that raise more questions than answers. Danny Clover must navigate the neon‑lit shadows of Broadway to uncover who Jimmy really was — and why someone wanted him silenced. The deeper Clover digs, the more he…
2 Sep 2026 · 59 min
THE BIG IMPRESSION and THE BIG DRIVE
1001 RADIO CRIME SOLVERS DRAGNET THE BIG IMPRESSION Original Air Date: February 22, 1951 Cast: Jack Webb – Sgt. Joe Friday Barton Yarborough – Sgt. Ben Romero Herb Butterfield – Supporting role Harry Bartell – Supporting role Raymond Burr – Supporting role ⭐ EPISODE SUMMARY (Spoiler‑Safe) A young woman is found dead, and Friday and Romero must determine whether her death was the result of violence, accident, or something far more complicated. The case hinges on impressions — the impressions people give, the impressions they hide, and the impressions left behind at the crime scene. As the…
30 Aug 2026 · 58 min
THE BIG HATE and THE BIG SIGNET DRAGNET
1001 RADIO CRIME SOLVERS DRAGNET THE BIG HATE Original Air Date: January 11, 1951 Cast: Jack Webb – Sgt. Joe Friday Barton Yarborough – Sgt. Ben Romero Raymond Burr – Supporting role Herb Butterfield – Supporting role Harry Bartell – Supporting role ⭐ EPISODE SUMMARY (Spoiler‑Safe) A brutal assault shocks Los Angeles, and Friday and Romero find themselves tracking a suspect whose motives appear rooted in personal vengeance — or something darker. As the detectives peel back the layers of the case, they uncover a trail of anger, obsession, and escalating violence that threatens to erupt again…
28 Aug 2026 · 1 hr 1 min
THE MONKEY'S UNCLE and THE VITAL STATISTIC ADVENTURES OF PHILIP MARLOWE
The Adventures of Philip Marlowe was a radio series featuring Raymond Chandler's private eye, Philip Marlowe. Robert C. Reinehr and Jon D. Swartz, in their book, The A to Z of Old Time Radio , noted that the program differed from most others in its genre: "It was a more hard-boiled program than many of the other private detective shows of the time, containing few quips or quaint characters." In 1948, the series moved to CBS, where it was called The Adventure of Philip Marlowe , with Gerald Mohr playing Marlowe. This series also began with an adaptation of "Red Wind", using a script different…
26 Aug 2026 · 57 min
THE BEDSIDE MANNER and THE UNEASY HEAD THE ADVENTURES OF PHILIP MARLOWE
1001 RADIO CRIME SOLVERS THE ADVENTURES OF PHILIP MARLOWE THE BEDSIDE MANNERS UNEASY HEAD n " The Bedside Manner " (alternatively titled "The Bedside Manners") episode of The Adventures of Philip Marlowe radio series—originally broadcast on May 30, 1950 and starring Gerald Mohr— a bedridden Marlowe tries to solve a blackmail case entirely from his hospital and home recovery bed . The Injury: Philip Marlowe is stuck flat on his back recovering from a fractured tibia and assorted bruises following a road accident. [ 1 ] The Client: Audine Patterson visits him, asking for help regarding her…
23 Aug 2026 · 58 min
THE BIG WHIFF and THE BIG ROLL DRAGNET
⭐ THE BIG WHIFF Dragnet — Originally aired June 5, 1952 ⭐ Episode Summary (Verified) A woman is found dying in a vacant lot at 7th and Union — well‑dressed, wearing expensive jewelry, but carrying no identification. The only clues: an empty chloroform bottle and a man's handkerchief lying near her body. Sergeant Joe Friday and Officer Frank Smith initially suspect suicide, but the autopsy reveals chloroform poisoning so severe that traces appear even in her stomach, making suicide unlikely. With no fingerprints matching missing‑persons files, the case stalls until a steelworker named James…
21 Aug 2026 · 59 min
THE BIG CANARY and THE BIG OVERTIME DRAGNET TRUE CRIME IN LOS ANGELES
THE BIG CANARY: : 12.06.1951 ( December 6, 1951) Plot : + "The Big Canary". Sponsored by: Fatima. The mother of sixteen-year-old Roberta Dixon has been murdered. Well written. + Detective Sergeant Joe Friday was assigned to homicide detail. A forty-year-old mother was found murdered in the bedroom in her own home. The body bears the marks of a savage attack with a knife. The killer showed no mercy, it's Friday's job to get him.Joyce McCluskey portrayed Roberta Dixon, the 16 yr. old murderer and absolutely nailed it... but you didn't give her credit for it, instead you listed George…
16 Aug 2026 · 56 min
TRUE CRIME THE BIG HANDS and THE BIG AFFAIR DRAGNET
1001 RADIO CRIME SOLVERS Show Notes – Dragnet: "The Big Hands" & "The Big Affair" ANNOUNCEMENT: 1001 TRUE CRIME FROM ANOTHER TIME has begun a brand‑new run of historic true‑crime episodes. We've launched with The Trunk Murderess of Phoenix (1931) — now streaming — and next week brings The Hall–Mills Church Murder Mystery , one of America's most sensational unsolved cases. If you enjoy vintage true crime, make sure you're following the new series. THE BIG HANDS A woman is found strangled to death in a hotel room, and Friday and Romero have to figure out who she was and who killed her. SUPPORT…
16 Aug 2026 · 59 min
THE BIG HIT AND RUN KILLER and THE BIG BUNGALOW
1001 RADIO CRIME SOLVERS Show Notes – Dragnet: "The Big Hit and Run Killer" & "The Big Bungalow" ANNOUNCEMENT: 1001 TRUE CRIME FROM ANOTHER TIME has begun a brand‑new run of original historic true‑crime episodes. We've launched with The Trunk Murderess of Phoenix (1931) — now streaming — and next week brings The Hall–Mills Church Murder Mystery , one of America's most sensational unsolved cases. If you enjoy vintage true crime, make sure you're following the new series. THE BIG HIT AND RUN KILLER A quiet Los Angeles neighborhood is shaken when a man is struck down in a brutal hit‑and‑run…
14 Aug 2026 · 56 min
THE BIG MARKET and THE BIG LEASE
THE BIG MARKET: SUMMARY A pair of bandits are staging a rapid-fire campaign of hold-ups in Los Angeles. THE BIG LEASE: An elderly widower is missing, so Friday and Smith retrace his actions before his disappearance. Things point to a long vacation until the story of Mrs. Banner, who rented the man's house, doesn't add up.
12 Aug 2026 · 57 min
THE BIG WANT AD and THE BIG SHOPLIFT
1001 Radio Crime Solvers Show Notes – Dragnet: "The Big Want Ad" & "The Big Shoplift" THE BIG WANT AD In this tense and tightly wound Dragnet case, Friday and Smith find themselves chasing a criminal who hides behind the most ordinary disguise imaginable — a classified advertisement. When a series of "help wanted" ads begin leading unsuspecting job‑seekers into danger, the detectives uncover a pattern of fraud, intimidation, and escalating violence. The suspect is clever, manipulative, and always one step ahead, using the anonymity of the newspaper to lure victims with promises of easy work…
9 Aug 2026 · 52 min
THE BIG SOUR and THE BIG SEPTEMBER MAN
1001 Radio Crime Solvers Show Notes – Dragnet: "The Big Sour" & "The Big September Man" THE BIG SOUR In this classic Dragnet case, Friday and Smith are handed a mystery that begins with a single, bitter complaint — a man who insists the police aren't doing enough to help him. What starts as a routine interview quickly turns into something far stranger. The complainant is angry, unpredictable, and convinced he's being wronged, but nothing he says seems to add up. As Friday digs deeper, the case shifts from annoyance to danger, revealing a man whose bitterness has curdled into something…
7 Aug 2026 · 58 min
THE BIG SCREEN and THE BIG WINCHESTER
🎙 1001 Radio Crime Solvers Episode: THE BIG SCREEN Summary: Los Angeles is dealing with a strange epidemic — not of illness, but of crooked television repairmen . Complaints are pouring in from honest citizens who brought in perfectly fixable sets and walked away with outrageous bills, unnecessary parts, or TVs returned in worse shape than before. Some repair shops are honest. Others are running a racket. And Friday and Smith are tasked with sorting out which is which. When an elderly woman loses nearly a month's pension to a repairman who "diagnosed" a nonexistent problem, the detectives…
5 Aug 2026 · 59 min
THE BIG SOPHOMORE and THE BIG LATE SCRIPT
🎙 1001 Radio Crime Solvers Episode: THE BIG SOPHOMORE Summary: A string of petty thefts has been plaguing a quiet neighborhood — small items, low value, nothing that screams organized crime. But when a nervous young man named Harry Dunbar , a college sophomore, walks into the station and calmly admits to every one of them, Friday and Smith know something isn't right. Harry isn't evasive. He isn't defensive. He isn't even asking for a lawyer. He's simply… ashamed. And terrified. As the detectives dig deeper, they discover that Harry's confessions don't match the pattern of the crimes. Some…

About 1001 Radio Crime Solvers

1001 Radio Crime Solvers is a English arts & books podcast from Host Jon Hagadorn. All stories in public domain.. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.

Publisher: Host Jon Hagadorn. All stories in public domain.
Language: English
Category: Arts & Books
New episodes: Several times a week
Typical length: 58 min
Latest episode: 11 Oct 2026
Feed: RSS — paste into any podcast app
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1657397371

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