Radio Recap: True Detective Mysteries

True Detective Mysteries was originally a half-hour syndicated mystery anthology program, based on stories that appeared in True Detective magazine. It was heard in 1936-1937. After that it turned up on Mutual (1938-1939, 1944-1958). Despite its lengthy run, we have very little of the series by which to judge its contents. There are 14 episodes from the original syndicated run; 2 episodes from 1946-1950 when the show was sponsored by O. Henry candy; and 4 episodes from 1957-1958, the show's final year.

It's a pity that we have so little remaining of a long-running series such as this. Most of the broadcasts from the 1930s are very similar to that of other shows I've talked about on the blog, such as Police Reporter. The late 1950s episodes are interesting for being strong crime dramas at a time when most radio drama was disappearing from the airwaves.

Strangely, the first episode - "The Rattlesnake and the Barefoot Bride" - is very similar to an episode of In the Name of the Law broadcast a year before and titled "July Fourth Picnic." They seem to be inspired by the same true-life murder but the production values are different. I wonder if In the Name of the Law had a link to True Detective that wasn't mentioned in the broadcasts?

I think True Detective Mysteries was a decent true-crime series. The presentation was middle-of-the-road but the quality in the series is consistent, even across decades.

The Old Time Radio Researchers have a library of True Detective Mysteries episodes here, on their website.