The Adventures of Philip Marlowe
Volume 2



"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 broadcasts in this second collection of restored and remastered programs from Radio Archives.

Red Wind
Sunday, September 26, 1948 - 30:00 - CBS, sustaining

The Persian Slippers
Sunday, October 3, 1948 - 30:00 - CBS, sustaining

The Panama Hat
Sunday, October 10, 1948 - 30:00 - CBS, sustaining

The Heart of Gold
Sunday, October 24, 1948 - 30:00 - CBS, sustaining

The Hard Way Out
Sunday, November 28, 1948 - 30:00 - CBS, sustaining

The Restless Day
Saturday, January 8, 1949 - 30:00 - CBS, sustaining

The Black Halo
Saturday, January 15, 1949 - 30:00 - CBS, sustaining

The Orange Dog
Saturday, January 22, 1949 - 30:00 - CBS, sustaining

The Easy Mark
Saturday, January 29, 1949 - 30:00 - CBS, sustaining

The Long Rope
Saturday, February 5, 1949 - 30:00 - CBS, sustaining

The Green Flame
Saturday, March 26, 1949 - 30:00 - CBS, sustaining

The Mexican Boat Ride
Saturday, July 30, 1949 - 30:00 - CBS, sustaining

The August Lion
Saturday, August 6, 1949 - 30:00 - CBS, sustaining

The Eager Witness
Saturday, August 27, 1949 - 30:00 - CBS, sustaining

The Bum's Rush
Saturday, September 3, 1949 - 30:00 - CBS, sustaining

The High Collared Cape
Tuesday, April 25, 1950 - 30:00 - CBS, sustaining

The Sea Horse Jockey
Tuesday, May 2, 1950 - 30:00 - CBS, sustaining

The Hiding Place
Tuesday, May 9, 1950 - 30:00 - CBS, sustaining

The Cloak of Kmaga Maya
Tuesday, May 16, 1950 - 30:00 - CBS, sustaining

The Fox's Tail
Tuesday, May 23, 1950 - 30:00 - CBS, sustaining