The Adventures of Philip Marlowe
Volume 1



"Get this and get it straight: crime is a sucker's road, and those who travel it end up in the gutter, the prison, or the grave..."

Author Raymond Chandler introduced mystery fans to hard-boiled gumshoe Philip Marlowe in his first novel, "The Big Sleep," in 1939. Chandler's "white knight in a trench coat" would go on to become one of the most popular sleuths in the history of the crime fiction genre, and the success of subsequent novels soon spread into other mass media as well - most notably the classic 1944 film noir, "Murder, My Sweet" (adapted from Chandler's "Farewell, My Lovely"), which starred former movie chorus boy Dick Powell as the detective. Powell was also instrumental in bringing the Marlowe character to radio, reprising his screen role (along with co-star Claire Trevor) in a "Lux Radio Theater" production of the film over CBS Radio on June 11, 1945.

Philip Marlowe's first regular weekly series, "The Adventures of Philip Marlowe", premiered over NBC Radio June 17, 1947 as a summer replacement for "The Bob Hope Show," and starred actor Van Heflin as Chandler's famous creation. The author wasn't particularly thrilled with either Heflin or the series, remarking to his contemporary, Erle Stanley Gardner (creator of Perry Mason), "It was thoroughly flat." The Marlowe character would then return to the airwaves on September 26, 1948 in a series for CBS with radio veteran Gerald Mohr as the titular sleuth. (Chandler grudgingly admitted satisfaction with this incarnation, remarking to one of the show's writers that Mohr's voice at least "packed personality".)

Mohr was an accomplished performer whose impressive acting range in radio covered both drama ("The Whistler," "Escape") and comedy (he had a recurring role on "Our Miss Brooks" as French teacher Jacques Monet), and he clearly made the role of Marlowe his own; a brash, forceful tough-guy who could let fly with the occasional wisecrack. Although the series was not considered a prestige show, it was fortunate to have experienced professionals at the helm - such as producer-director Norman Macdonnell and music director Richard Aurandt. The scripts were tough, gritty and focused on hard-hitting "blood-and-thunder" action, with scribes like Gene Leavitt, Robert Mitchell, Mel Dinelli and Kathleen Hite contributing much of the program's dramatic content. (Leavitt and Mitchell even took the opportunity to sneak in a little self-referencing humor on occasion; "The Hair-Pin Turn" has one of the characters reading the latest Raymond Chandler novel, prompting Marlowe to respond: "Chandler...where have I heard that name before?") The supporting players for Marlowe were also first-rate, showcasing many of the distinguished actors and actresses from Hollywood's Radio Row, including Lawrence Dobkin (who had a recurring role as Lt. Matthews), Jeff Corey (as Lt. Ybarra), Betty Lou Gerson, Lillian Buyeff, Junius Matthews and Harry Bartell, to name but a few. Roy Rowan capably handled the show's announcing chores.

"The Adventures of Philip Marlowe" was mostly sustained throughout its two-year run (except for a brief sponsorship by Ford Motors in 1950), and while it had difficulty landing an "angel" to pay its bills, it did have a devoted fan in CBS patriarch William Paley. (Paley pressed upon both Macdonnell and CBS' director of programming Harry Ackerman to create a "Philip Marlowe in the old west," a request that was nurtured for several years before finally giving birth to "Gunsmoke" in 1952.) After returning to CBS for a brief summer run in 1951, Philip Marlowe folded up his radio tent - but fortunately for radio fans, many episodes of the series have survived today -- including the twenty shows in this collection, restored and remastered by Radio Archives for your listening pleasure.

#49 The Rustin Hickory
Saturday, September 10, 1949 - 30:00 - CBS, sustaining

#52 The Tale of the Mermaid
Saturday, October 1, 1949 - 30:00 - CBS, sustaining

#53 The Open Window
Saturday, October 8, 1949 - 30:00 - CBS, sustaining

#60 The Bird's on the Wing
Saturday, November 26, 1949 - 30:00 - CBS, sustaining

#61 The Kid on the Corner
Saturday, December 3, 1949 - 30:00 - CBS, sustaining

#66 The Torch Carriers
Saturday, January 7,1950 - 30:00 - CBS, sponsored by Ford

#67 The Covered Bridge
Saturday, January 14, 1950 - 30:00 - CBS, sustaining

#68 The Bid for Freedom
Saturday, January 21, 1950 - 30:00 - CBS, sustaining

#69 The Hair-Pin Turn
Saturday, January 28, 1950 - 30:00 - CBS, sustaining

#70 The Long Arm
Tuesday, February 7, 1950 - 30:00 - CBS, sustaining

#71 The Grim Echo
Tuesday, February 14, 1950 - 30:00 - CBS, sustaining

#72 The Ladies' Night
Tuesday, February 21, 1950 - 30:00 - CBS, sustaining

#73 The Big Step
Tuesday, February 28, 1950 - 30:00 - CBS, sustaining

#74 The Monkey's Uncle
Tuesday, March 7, 1950 - 30:00 - CBS, sustaining

#75 The Vital Statistic
Tuesday, March 14, 1950 - 30:00 - CBS, sustaining

#76 The Deep Shadow
Tuesday, March 21, 1950 - 30:00 - CBS, sustaining

#77 The Sword of Cebu
Tuesday, March 28, 1950 - 30:00 - CBS, sustaining

#78 The Man on the Roof
Tuesday, April 4, 1950 - 30:00 - CBS, sustaining

#79 The Anniversary Gift
Tuesday, April 11, 1950 - 30:00 - CBS, sponsored by Ford

#80 The Angry Eagle
Tuesday, April 18. 1950 - 30:00 - CBS, sustaining