Rocky Fortune starring Frank Sinatra was one of the star mystery and adventure shows for NBC. The abrupt departure of Frank Sinatra during the Spring of 1954 left a big hole in NBC's Tuesday night mystery lineup. Mystery novelist Henry Kane approached NBC to pitch his Peter Chambers character from his detective novels as a candidate. He wisely enlisted the popular Film tough guy, Dane Clark to pitch the idea to NBC.

 

This worked out well for all parties. NBC got a name Film actor for their Tuesday night mystery lineup to follow Dragnet, and Henry Kane got full control over the production, credits as creator, writer and producer, and was able to promote his Peter Chambers character. The show debuted Tuesday, April 6, 1954.

 

A New York based private detective, Peter Chambers was a detective that actively participated with and supported the detectives of the NYPD, much in the mold of Philip Marlowe. Peter Chambers apparently lived quite comfortably in the upper east side of Manhattan. Detective Lieutenant Louie Parker played by William Zuckert had not only a respectful professional relationship with Peter Chambers but the two had apparently become friends of some seventeen years.

 

There'd been little time to interest potential sponsors in the project but NBC, as was its practice throughout the period, heavily employed Crime and Peter Chambers to promote other programs in NBC's lineup throughout the Spring and Summer of 1954. With only three professionals on the production side, Director Fred Weihe, Announcer Fred Collins, and Creator, Writer and Producer Henry Kane, the production remained fairly tight and lean throughout the run. Crime and Peter Chambers also supported Dane Clark with New York's finest voice talent including Elaine Rost, Everett Sloane, Leon Janney, Patricia Wheel, Roger De Koven, William Griffis, Donald Buka, Joe de Santis, Bryna Raeburn, Ralph Bell, Guy Repp, Lawson Zerbe, and Nelson Olmsted among many others. As with many of the late 1940s through 1950s productions featuring a major Film star headliner, the network spared little expense obtaining the finest supporting talent they could acquire to support their star.

 

The series' positioning in the Tuesday night lineup immediately following the wildly successful Dragnet with Jack Webb also helped to buoy the success of Crime and Peter Chambers throughout the Summer of 1954. For Dane Clark's part he was both believable and engaging as Peter Chambers. 

 

NBC announced its acquisition of the popular The Lux Radio Theatre from CBS. On September 14th, The Lux Radio Theatre took Crime and Peter Chambers' timeslot over most NBC affiliate stations, though some regions of the U.S. continued to air Crime and Peter Chambers through to its twenty-sixth episode. Ten hours, twenty shows restored to sparkling audio quality by Radio Archives.