Radio Recap: In the Name of the Law

In the Name of the Law was a syndicated crime anthology series from 1936. Like other programs of this nature (ex. Police Reporter, A Salute to the Law) it claimed to feature reproductions of actual crimes (but in a half-hour format rather than the 15-minute shows I mentioned).

For all the gaps that exist in this show, it's shame the missing episodes don't include "Nothing Ever Happens in Chinatown," an embarrassingly racist episode that draws out every bad radio cliche in depicting Chinese characters. Scenes where Chinese characters speak in made-up gibberish (and there are many of them) are the sort that make me ashamed to be listening to the show. Fortunately, that episode is the only one of its type.

On a positive note, there's a little bit of Canadiana in one episode, "Red Ryan's Prison Break," in which the titular criminal flees to Ottawa.

In the Name of the Law isn't really that bad by the standards of 1930s OTR. There's an interesting mix of straight crime stories alternating with mysteries. Sound effects are pretty good for their time and the casts are larger than many such shows. In the Name of the Law is pretty good for its time.

The Old Time Radio Researchers have 12 episodes of In the Name of the Law in this Internet Archive collection.