T H E A D V E N T U R E S O F P H I L I P M A R L O W E ----- ------------------- --- ----------- ------------- 1947 - 1951 First Show: Jun 17, 1947 (NBC) Last Show: Sep 15, 1951 (CBS) Number Shows: NBC - 14 Audition Show: Jun 12, 1947 CBS - 114 Series Description: The first portrayal of Phillip Marlowe on the radio was by Dick Powell, when he played Raymond Chandler's detective on the Lux Radio Theater on June 11, 1945. This was a radio adaptation of the 1944 movie, from RKO, in which Mr. Powell played the lead. Two years later, Van Heflin starred as Marlowe in a summer replace- ment series for the Bob Hope Show on NBC. This series ran for 13 shows. On September 26, 1948, Gerald Mohr became the third radio Marlowe, this time on CBS. It remained a CBS show through its last show in 1951. In the April 11, 1950 show, "The Anniversary Gift", William Conrad substituted for Mr. Mohr, becoming the fourth person to play the detective. The CBS version opens with Marlowe saying, "Get this and get it straight. Crime is a sucker's road and those who travel it wind up in the gutter, the prison or the grave." Unlike the Sam Spade or Richard Diamond radio series, there's no "cuteness" here. Only a tough-nosed private eye doing a tough job. The CBS series ran for two seasons, from September 26, 1948 through September 29, 1950. It aired Sunday evening from September 26, 1948 through December 26, 1948. Starting January 8, 1949, it aired Saturdays through January 28, 1950. On Feburary 7, 1950, it changed broadcast days to Tuesday for the end of the regular season on June 6, 1950. It enjoyed a Summer run on Wednesdays from Jun 14, 1950 through September 29, 1950. The series was revived in the Summer of 1951, from July 7, 1951 through September 15, 1951 as areplacement for HOPALONG CASSIDY. Log Comments: Only Radio Memories, Great American Radio and Jerry Haendiges' catalogs mentioned show numbers. They agreed until number 44. According to the Radio Memories and Jerry Haendiges, there is no show on 07-30-49 and the series has only 103 shows. Great American lists 104 shows. This list assumes 103 shows. I found only 4 NBC shows in all the catalogs I have. Jerry's listing also included show titles that are missing. I've included them here. They can be identified by lack of information in the "SRC KEY" field. NBC Chronological Log: Date Day Num Title Avail ------------ --- --- -------------------------------- ----- Jun 12, 1947 Thu Aud "Who Shot Waldo" yes Jun 17, 1947 Tue 1 "Red Wind" (First show) yes Jun 24, 1947 Tue 2 ... title not known ... Jul 01, 1947 Tue 3 ... title not known ... Jul 08, 1947 Tue 4 "The King In Yellow" yes Jul 15, 1947 Tue 5 ... title not known ... Jul 22, 1947 Tue 6 ... title not known ... Jul 29, 1947 Tue 7 ... title not known ... Aug 05, 1947 Tue 8 "Trouble In High Places" yes Alt: "Trouble is My Business" Aug 12, 1947 Tue 9 ... title not known ... Aug 19, 1947 Tue 10 ... title not known ... Aug 26, 1947 Tue 11 ... title not known ... Sep 02, 1947 Tue 12 ... title not known ... Sep 09, 1947 Tue 13 ... title not known ... CBS Chronological Log: Date Day Num Title Avail ------------ --- --- --------------------------------- ----- Sep 26, 1948 Sun 1 "Red Wind" yes Oct 03, 1948 Sun 2 "The Persian Slippers" yes Oct 10, 1948 Sun 3 "The Panama Hat" yes Oct 17, 1948 Sun 4 "Where There's A Will" yes Oct 24, 1948 Sun 5 "The Heart Of Gold" yes Oct 31, 1948 Sun 6 "The Blue Burgonet" Nov 07, 1948 Sun 7 "The Flaming Angel" Nov 14, 1948 Sun 8 "The Silent Partner" Nov 21, 1948 Sun 9 "The Perfect Secretary" Nov 28, 1948 Sun 10 "The Hard Way Out" yes Dec 05, 1948 Sun 11 "The Unhappy Medium" Dec 12, 1948 Sun 12 "The Jade Teardrop" Dec 19, 1948 Sun 13 "The Three Wise Guys" Dec 26, 1948 Sun 14 "The Old Acquaintance" yes Jan 08, 1949 Sat 15 "The Restless Day" yes Jan 15, 1949 Sat 16 "The Black Halo" yes Jan 22, 1949 Sat 17 "The Orange Dog" yes Jan 29, 1949 Sat 18 "The Easy Mark" yes ??? ??, 1949 Rehersal: "The Long Rope" yes Feb 05, 1949 Sat 19 "The Long Rope" yes Feb 12, 1949 Sat 20 "The Lonesome Reunion" yes Feb 19, 1949 Sat 21 "The Flying Trapeze" Feb 26, 1949 Sat 22 "The Big Mistake" Mar 05, 1949 Sat 23 "The Friend From Detroit" yes Mar 12, 1949 Sat 24 "The Grim Hunters" yes Mar 19, 1949 Sat 25 "The Dancing Hands" yes Mar 26, 1949 Sat 26 "The Green Flame" yes Apr 02, 1949 Sat 27 "The Last Laugh" yes Apr 09, 1949 Sat 28 "The Name To Remember" yes Apr 16, 1949 Sat 29 "The Heat Wave" yes Apr 23, 1949 Sat 30 "The Cloak Of Kamehameha" yes Apr 30, 1949 Sat 31 "The Lady In Mink" yes May 07, 1949 Sat 32 "The Feminine Touch" yes May 14, 1949 Sat 33 "The Promise To Pay" yes May 21, 1949 Sat 34 "Night Tide" yes May 28, 1949 Sat 35 "The Ebony Link" yes Jun 04, 1949 Sat 36 "The Unfair Lady" yes Jun 11, 1949 Sat 37 "The Pigeon's Blood" yes Jun 18, 1949 Sat 38 "The Busy Body" yes Jun 25, 1949 Sat 39 "The Key Man" yes Jul 02, 1949 Sat 40 "The Dude From Manhattan" yes Jul 09, 1949 Sat 41 "The Quiet Number" yes Jul 16, 1949 Sat 42 "The Headless Peacock" yes Jul 23, 1949 Sat ... pre-empted ... Jul 30, 1949 Sat 43 "The Mexican Boat Race" yes Aug 06, 1949 Sat 44 "The August Lion" yes Aug 13, 1949 Sat 45 "The Indian Giver" yes Aug 20, 1949 Sat 46 "The Lady Killer" yes Aug 27, 1949 Sat 47 "The Eager Witness" yes Sep 03, 1949 Sat 48 "The Bum's Rush" yes Sep 10, 1949 Sat 49 "The Rustin Hickory" yes Sep 17, 1949 Sat 50 "The Baton Sinister" yes Sep 24, 1949 Sat 51 "The Fatted Calf" yes Oct 01, 1949 Sat 52 "Tale Of The Mermaid" yes Oct 08, 1949 Sat 53 "The Open Window" yes Oct 15, 1949 Sat 54 "The Strangle Hold" yes Oct 22, 1949 Sat 55 "The Smokeout" yes Oct 29, 1949 Sat 56 "The Green Witch" yes Nov 05, 1949 Sat 57 "The Fine Italian Hand" yes Nov 12, 1949 Sat 58 "The Gorgeous Lyre" Nov 19, 1949 Sat 59 "The Sweet Thing" Nov 26, 1949 Sat 60 "The Birds on the Wing" yes Dec 03, 1949 Sat 61 "The Kid On The Corner" yes Dec 10, 1949 Sat 62 "The Little Wishbone" yes Dec 17, 1949 Sat 63 "The Lowest Bid" Dec 24, 1949 Sat 64 "Carol's Christmas" Dec 31, 1949 Sat 65 "The House That Jacqueline Built" yes Jan 07, 1950 Sat 66 "The Torch Carriers" yes Jan 14, 1950 Sat 67 "The Covered Bridge" yes Jan 21, 1950 Sat 68 "The Bid For Freedom" yes Jan 28, 1950 Sat 69 "The Hairpin Turn" yes Feb 07, 1950 Tue 70 "The Long Arm" yes Feb 14, 1950 Tue 71 "The Grim Echo" yes Feb 21, 1950 Tue 72 "The Ladies Night" yes Feb 28, 1950 Tue 73 "The Big Step" yes Mar 07, 1950 Tue 74 "The Monkey's Uncle" yes Mar 14, 1950 Tue 75 "The Vital Statistic" yes Mar 21, 1950 Tue 76 "The Deep Shadow" yes Mar 28, 1950 Tue 77 "The Sword Of Cebu" yes Apr 04, 1950 Tue 78 "The Man On The Roof" yes Apr 11, 1950 Tue 79 "The Anniversary Gift" yes Apr 18, 1950 Tue 80 "The Angry Eagle" yes Apr 25, 1950 Tue 81 "The High-Collared Cape" yes May 02, 1950 Tue 82 "The Seahorse Jockey" yes May 09, 1950 Tue 83 "The Hiding Place" yes May 16, 1950 Tue 84 "The Cloak Of Kamehameha" yes May 23, 1950 Tue 85 "The Fox's Tail" yes May 30, 1950 Tue 86 "The Bedside Manner" yes Jun 06, 1950 Tue 87 "The Uneasy Head" yes Jun 14, 1950 Wed 88 "The Face To Forget" yes Jun 21, 1950 Wed 89 "The Gold Cobra" yes Jun 28, 1950 Wed 90 "The Pelican's Roost" yes Jul 05, 1950 Wed 91 "The Girl From Pitchfork Corners" yes Jul 12, 1950 Wed 92 "The Iron Coffin" yes Jul 19, 1950 Wed 93 "The Last Wish" yes ... Summer Series ... Jul 28, 1950 Fri 94 "The Glass Monkey" yes Aug 04, 1950 Fri 95 "The Parrot's Bed" yes Aug 11, 1950 Fri 96 "The Quiet Magpie" yes Aug 18, 1950 Fri 97 "The Dark Tunnel" yes Aug 25, 1950 Fri 98 "The Collectors Item" yes Sep 01, 1950 Fri 99 "The Soft Spot" yes Sep 08, 1950 Fri 100 "The Fifth Mask" yes Sep 15, 1950 Fri 101 "The Final Payment" yes Sep 22, 1950 Fri 102 "The White Carnation" yes Sep 29, 1950 Fri 103 "The Big Book" yes ... Summer Series ... Jul 07, 1951 Sat 1 "A Seaside Sabbatical" yes Jul 14, 1951 Sat 2 "The Dear Dead Days" yes Jul 21, 1951 Sat 3 "Life Can Be Murder" yes Jul 28, 1951 Sat 4 "The Good Neighbor Policy" yes Aug 04, 1951 Sat 5 "The Long Way Home" yes Aug 11, 1951 Sat 6 "Friday's Child" Aug 18, 1951 Sat 7 "The Young Man's Fancy" yes Aug 25, 1951 Sat 8 "Heir For G-String" yes ??? ??, 1951 Rehersal: "Nether Nether Land" yes Sep 01, 1951 Sat 9 "Nether Nether Land" yes Sep 08, 1951 Sat 10 "The Medium Was Rare" yes Sep 15, 1951 Sat 11 "The Sound and the Unsound" yes (last show) Alphabetical Listing: This listing combines the CBS broadcasts and known NBC titles. The "Net" column (for Network) identifies the originating network. Shows from the final CBS Summer series will have an "S" before the series number. Title Net Date Num -------------------------------- --- ------------ --- Angry Eagle, The CBS Apr 18, 1950 80 Anniversary Gift, The CBS Apr 11, 1950 79 August Lion, The CBS Aug 06, 1949 44 Baton Sinister, The CBS Sep 17, 1949 50 Bedside Manner, The CBS May 30, 1950 86 Bid For Freedom, The CBS Jan 21, 1950 68 Big Book, The CBS Sep 29, 1950 103 Big Mistake, The CBS Feb 26, 1949 22 Big Step, The CBS Feb 28, 1950 73 Birds on the Wing, The CBS Nov 26, 1949 60 Black Halo, The CBS Jan 15, 1949 16 Blue Burgonet, The CBS Oct 31, 1948 6 Bum's Rush, The CBS Sep 03, 1949 48 Busy Body, The CBS Jun 18, 1949 38 Carol's Christmas CBS Dec 24, 1949 64 Cloak Of Kamehameha, The CBS Apr 23, 1949 30 Cloak Of Kamehameha, The CBS May 16, 1950 84 Collectors Item, The CBS Aug 25, 1950 98 Covered Bridge, The CBS Jan 14, 1950 67 Dancing Hands, The CBS Mar 19, 1949 25 Dark Tunnel, The CBS Aug 18, 1950 97 Dear Dead Days, The CBS Jul 14, 1951 S02 Deep Shadow, The CBS Mar 21, 1950 76 Dude From Manhattan, The CBS Jul 02, 1949 40 Eager Witness, The CBS Aug 27, 1949 47 Easy Mark, The CBS Jan 29, 1949 18 Ebony Link, The CBS May 28, 1949 35 Face To Forget, The CBS Jun 14, 1950 88 Fatted Calf, The CBS Sep 24, 1949 51 Feminine Touch, The CBS May 07, 1949 32 Fifth Mask, The CBS Sep 08, 1950 100 Final Payment, The CBS Sep 15, 1950 101 Fine Italian Hand, The CBS Nov 05, 1949 57 Flaming Angel, The CBS Nov 07, 1948 7 Flying Trapeze, The CBS Feb 19, 1949 21 Fox's Tail, The CBS May 23, 1950 85 Friday's Child CBS Aug 11, 1951 S06 Friend From Detroit, The CBS Mar 05, 1949 23 Girl From Pitchfork Corners, The CBS Jul 05, 1950 91 Glass Monkey, The CBS Jul 28, 1950 94 Gold Cobra, The CBS Jun 21, 1950 89 Good Neighbor Policy, The CBS Jul 28, 1951 S04 Gorgeous Lyre, The CBS Nov 12, 1949 58 Green Flame, The CBS Mar 26, 1949 26 Green Witch, The CBS Oct 29, 1949 56 Grim Echo, The CBS Feb 14, 1950 71 Grim Hunters, The CBS Mar 12, 1949 24 Hairpin Turn, The CBS Jan 28, 1950 69 Hard Way Out, The CBS Nov 28, 1948 10 Headless Peacock, The CBS Jul 16, 1949 42 Heart Of Gold, The CBS Oct 24, 1948 5 Heat Wave, The CBS Apr 16, 1949 29 Heir For G-String CBS Aug 25, 1951 S08 Hiding Place, The CBS May 09, 1950 83 High-Collared Cape, The CBS Apr 25, 1950 81 House That Jacqueline Built, The CBS Dec 31, 1949 65 Indian Giver, The CBS Aug 13, 1949 45 Iron Coffin, The CBS Jul 12, 1950 92 Jade Teardrop, The CBS Dec 12, 1948 12 Key Man, The CBS Jun 25, 1949 39 Kid On The Corner, The CBS Dec 03, 1949 61 King In Yellow, The NBC Jul 08, 1947 4 Ladies Night, The CBS Feb 21, 1950 72 Lady In Mink, The CBS Apr 30, 1949 31 Lady Killer, The CBS Aug 20, 1949 46 Last Laugh, The CBS Apr 02, 1949 27 Last Wish, The CBS Jul 19, 1950 93 Life Can Be Murder CBS Jul 21, 1951 S03 Little Wishbone, The CBS Dec 10, 1949 62 Lonesome Reunion, The CBS Feb 12, 1949 20 Long Arm, The CBS Feb 07, 1950 70 Long Rope, The CBS Feb 05, 1949 19 Long Way Home, The CBS Aug 04, 1951 S05 Lowest Bid, The CBS Dec 17, 1949 63 Man On The Roof, The CBS Apr 04, 1950 78 Medium Was Rare, The CBS Sep 08, 1951 S10 Mexican Boat Race, The CBS Jul 30, 1949 43 Monkey's Uncle, The CBS Mar 07, 1950 74 Name To Remember, The CBS Apr 09, 1949 28 Nether Nether Land CBS Sep 01, 1951 S09 Night Tide CBS May 21, 1949 34 Old Acquaintance, The CBS Dec 26, 1948 14 Open Window, The CBS Oct 08, 1949 53 Orange Dog, The CBS Jan 22, 1949 17 Panama Hat, The CBS Oct 10, 1948 3 Parrot's Bed, The CBS Aug 04, 1950 95 Pelican's Roost, The CBS Jun 28, 1950 90 Perfect Secretary, The CBS Nov 21, 1948 9 Persian Slippers, The CBS Oct 03, 1948 2 Pigeon's Blood, The CBS Jun 11, 1949 37 Promise To Pay, The CBS May 14, 1949 33 Quiet Magpie, The CBS Aug 11, 1950 96 Quiet Number, The CBS Jul 09, 1949 41 Red Wind CBS Sep 26, 1948 1 Red Wind NBC Jun 17, 1947 1 Restless Day, The CBS Jan 08, 1949 15 Rustin Hickory, The CBS Sep 10, 1949 49 Seahorse Jockey, The CBS May 02, 1950 82 Seaside Sabbatical, A CBS Jul 07, 1951 S01 Silent Partner, The CBS Nov 14, 1948 8 Smokeout, The CBS Oct 22, 1949 55 Soft Spot, The CBS Sep 01, 1950 99 Sound and the Unsound, The CBS Sep 15, 1951 S11 Strangle Hold, The CBS Oct 15, 1949 54 Sweet Thing, The CBS Nov 19, 1949 59 Sword Of Cebu, The CBS Mar 28, 1950 77 Tale Of The Mermaid CBS Oct 01, 1949 52 Three Wise Guys, The CBS Dec 19, 1948 13 Torch Carriers, The CBS Jan 07, 1950 66 Trouble In High Places NBC Aug 05, 1947 8 Trouble is My Business NBC Aug 05, 1947 8 Uneasy Head, The CBS Jun 06, 1950 87 Unfair Lady, The CBS Jun 04, 1949 36 Unhappy Medium, The CBS Dec 05, 1948 11 Vital Statistic, The CBS Mar 14, 1950 75 Where There's A Will CBS Oct 17, 1948 4 White Carnation, The CBS Sep 22, 1950 102 Who Shot Waldo NBC Jun 12, 1947 Aud Young Man's Fancy, The CBS Aug 18, 1951 S07 Additional: Besides the Philip Marlowe shows on US radio, Raymond Chandler's character also appeared in the UK. The BBC aired five adaptations of Mr. Chandler's novels between 1977 and 1978 and a sixth in 1988. A list of shows and broadcast dates is below. See my log, "The BBC Presents: Phillip Marlowe" for more details. Date Title ------------ ----------------------- Sep 26, 1977 "The Big Sleep" Oct 17, 1977 "The High Window" Nov 07, 1977 "The Lady In The Lake" Dec 05, 1977 "The Little Sister" Jan 16, 1979 "The Long Goodbye" Sep 23, 1988 "Farewell My Lovely" References: * "The Ultimate History of Network Radio Programming and Guide To All Circulating Shows", by Jay Hickerson, 27436 Desert Rose Ct., Leesburg, FL 34748 * OTR club and vendor catalogs or web sites: * Edward J. Carr, 216 Shaner Street, Boyertown, PA 19512 * 'Hello Again, Radio', 10280 Gunpowder Rd., Florence, KY 41042 * Jerry Haendiges Productions, Jerry Haendiges, 13808 Sunset Dr., Whittier, CA 90602 * Radio Showcase, Steve Kelez, PO Box 4357, Santa Rosa, CA 95402 * Society to Preserve and Encourage Radio Drama, Variety And Comedy, PO Box 7177, Van Nuys, CA 91409-7177 * Radio Historical Association of Colorado, PO Box 1908, Englewood, CO 80150 * North American Radio Archives, 134 Vincewood Dr., Nicolasville, KY 40356 * Erstwhile Radio, PO Box 2284, Peabody, MA 01960 * Radio Memories, Ted Davenport, 1600 Wewoka St., North Little Rock, AR 72116 * Great American Radio, Gary Kramer, PO Box 504, Genesee, MI 48437 * Vintage Broadcasts, Andy Blatt, PO Box 50065, Staten Island, NY 10305 Other Logs or Books: * PHILIP MARLOWE log, Jay Hickerson, 27436 Desert Rose Ct., Leesburg, FL 34748 * PHILIP MARLOWE log, Jerry Haendiges Productions, 13808 Sunset Dr., Whittier, CA 90602 (http://www.otrsite.com). * PHILIP MARLOWE log, Audio Classics Archive, Terry Salomonson, P.O. Box 347, Howell, MI 48844-0347 (http://www.audio-classics.com) Reader Feedback: * Roy Moore identified 8 shows as being in circulation and found a possible alternate title for the show of Oct. 15, 1949. * Stewart Wright supplied 15 title corrections. Last Update: Jul 25, 2007 This log is informational only. It does not imply that I or my references have these shows for trade or sale. The shows may still be protected under copyright law and should be obtained only from authorized dealers. The log may be freely reproduced and published on a no-profit basis. Please send error corrections or additional information to Frank M. Passage, 109 Elmwood Road, Verona, NJ 07044 (email: wb2ntp@arrl.net).