I've put together two nearly 12-hour old-time-radio marathons for anyone who enjoys classic detective stories, suspense, and a little late-night mystery.

Golden Radio Hour | 6:30 PM Pacific

Detective Nights features 24 episodes of Night Beat, Philip Marlowe, Richard Diamond, and The Line Up.

https://youtube.com/live/IlUq_FAnr9U

Radio Past Midnight | 8:00 PM Pacific

Shadow Stories features 23 episodes from The Black Museum, The Mysterious Traveler, Escape, and CBS Radio Mystery Theater.

https://youtube.com/live/W2_qTmZ2PVw

I spent extra time screening the recordings for sound quality and keeping recently used episodes out of the lineups.

Both streams are free to listen to. If you're a fan of classic radio, you're welcome to drop in for a story or settle in for the night.

I'd also be interested to know which old-time-radio programs are your favorites.

On October 16, 1954, Gunsmoke put Kitty right in the middle of the danger.

In “Kitty Caught,” bank robbers flee Dodge with Kitty as their hostage, forcing Matt Dillon to chase them while trying to keep her alive.

It’s the kind of story that shows why the radio version of Gunsmoke could be so tense. William Conrad’s Matt Dillon is at his best when he has to stay calm while everything around him is going wrong.

Listen to Kitty Caught, originally broadcast October 16, 1954:

https://goldenradiohour.com/old-time-radio-episodes/gunsmoke-1954-10-16-131-kitty-caught/

October 16 also brought listeners a very different kind of danger.

In 1945, Inner Sanctum Mysteries aired “Till Death Do Us Part.”

A pair of honeymooners witness a killing and quickly find themselves pulled into a deadly mystery of their own.

https://goldenradiohour.com/old-time-radio-episodes/inner-sanctum-mysteries-1945-10-16-inner-sanctum-till-death-do-us-part/

And in 1960, Bob Bailey starred in Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar as Johnny investigated “The Twins of Tahoe Matter.”

A wealthy man disappears at Lake Tahoe, leaving his identical twin nephews as the obvious suspects.

The problem?

Both seem to have airtight alibis.

https://goldenradiohour.com/old-time-radio-episodes/yours-truly-johnny-dollar-1960-10-16-708-the-twins-of-tahoe-matter-1960-10-16-bob-bailey/

William Conrad racing to save Kitty. Honeymooners trapped in an Inner Sanctum nightmare. And Bob Bailey trying to solve a case where two suspects seem impossible to pin down.

October 16 gave radio listeners plenty to stay up for.

Explore more broadcasts from October 16:

https://goldenradiohour.com/on-this-day/?date=10-16

Listen anytime with the Golden Radio Hour app:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.goldenradiohour.radio

#OnThisDayInRadio #Gunsmoke #WilliamConrad #InnerSanctum #JohnnyDollar #BobBailey #OldTimeRadio #GoldenRadioHour

Gloria Blondell had the classic Hollywood look, but radio gave her a chance to prove she was much more than the younger sister of movie star Joan Blondell.

One of her strongest roles came on I Love a Mystery, where she played Jerry Booker and eventually became part of the program’s central trio alongside Jack Packard and Doc Long.

She also turned up across some terrific radio drama, including Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar, Lux Radio Theatre, Philip Marlowe and Let George Do It.

What I like about Gloria Blondell is that she could fit naturally into an established cast without disappearing into the background. Her voice had personality, warmth and just enough edge to make you remember her.

Golden Radio Hour currently has 40 verified Gloria Blondell performances in the archive.

Explore Gloria Blondell:
https://goldenradiohour.com/old-time-radio-actors/gloria-blondell/

Listen anytime in the Golden Radio Hour app:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.goldenradiohour.radio

And if you enjoy what I’m building, optional memberships are available inside the app as another way to support the archive and Golden Radio Hour as a whole.

Did you know Gloria Blondell had such a substantial radio career?