Of the legendary run of serialized Johnny Dollar shows starring the great Bob Bailey, three stories are incomplete, with one chapter from each having been lost to time. Today, we're investigating if these stories still hold up even with a missing chapter from each (spoilers: I think they do). We'll hear "The Salt City Matter" (originally aired on CBS between April 2 and 6, 1956 - missing Chapter 2); "The Lonely Hearts Matter" (originally aired on CBS between April 23 until April 27, 1956 - sans Chapter 4); and "The Imperfect Alibi Matter" (originally aired on CBS between September 17 and September 21, 1956 - with an absent Chapter 2).

We're rubbing elbows with four members of the fraternity of radio private detectives as they risk life and limb for their fee (plus expenses). Jeff Chandler stars as Michael Shayne in the syndicated mystery "The Pursuit of Death;" as Sam Spade, Howard Duff finds himself saddled with a partner and a bunny costume in "The Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cottontail Caper" (originally aired on CBS on December 4, 1949); Gerald Mohr stars as Philip Marlowe in "The Face to Forget" (originally aired on CBS on June 14, 1950); and Dick Powell sings and solves his way through "The Dixon Case" in Richard Diamond, Private Detective (originally aired on ABC on March 14, 1952).

Happy Thanksgiving! For your listening pleasure as you travel, prepare the holiday meal, or just enjoy some well-deserved time off, here's an encore presentation of last year's Turkey Day special. It's a collection of Thanksgiving-themed mysteries starring some of my favorite old time radio detectives with a few special guests dropping in for some musical and comedic performances. 

We've got a pair of adventures of Casey, Crime Photographer - "After Turkey, the Bill" (originally aired on CBS on November 27, 1947), and "Holiday" (originally aired on CBS on November 25, 1948). Jack Webb encounters a modern-day Miles Standish and a turkey shoot more dangerous for man than bird in "The Pilgrim's Progress" from Jeff Regan, Investigator (originally aired on CBS on November 13, 1948). Bob Bailey stars in "Cause for Thanksgiving" from Let George Do It (originally aired on Mutual on November 20, 1950), and Steve Dunne stars as Sam Spade and helps save a Tom Turkey who walks on two legs in "The Terrified Turkey Caper" (originally aired on NBC on November 24, 1950). 

Hurry, hurry, hurry - come to the midway for four radio mysteries set at the carnival. A fortune teller predicts her own murder in a syndicated adventure of Boston Blackie starring Richard Kollmar. Then, a carnival dancer marries a wealthy admirer and then schemes to get rid of him in "The Brass Ring" (originally aired on CBS on September 16, 1946). Sam Spade tries to save a carnival performer from marriage to an infamous widower - to be followed by a quick funeral - in "The Bluebeard Caper" (originally aired on CBS on August 8, 1948). And we take flight with Superman to save a carnival from an unscrupulous rival owner in "Death Rides the Roller Coaster" (originally aired on ABC on December 3, 1949).

It's not just adults who need a good detective. Our heroes this week come to the aid of kids in trouble. First, Dan Holiday helps a boy find a lost astronomer in "Archimedes and the Roman" from Box 13. Next, Philip Marlowe is hired to find the missing uncle of a newsboy in "The Kid on the Corner" (originally aired on CBS on December 3, 1949). Finally, Johnny Dollar believes the life of a teenage girl is in danger when she stands to inherit a fortune in the five-part mystery "The Matter of Reasonable Doubt" (originally aired on CBS between May 28 and June 1, 1956).

Our heroes this week encounter hypnosis and meet those who have fallen under its spell and who have used it to try and conceal their crimes. First, Boston Blackie suspects a woman's murder confession was driven by hypnosis rather than guilt. Then, a woman is hypnotized to help solve a murder in "Cupid Can Be Deadly" from Crime Club (originally aired on Mutual on October 16, 1947). In "The Voice of Darkness," Chandu the Magician investigates a bombing where the eyewitness was hypnotized into losing her memory (originally aired on Mutual on April 14, 1949). And finally, Bob Bailey stars as George Valentine in "Eleven O'Clock" from Let George Do It, where a woman's recent odd behavior may be tied to the experiments of a psychology professor (originally aired on Mutual on July 17, 1950).

As Americans head to the polls to pick a president, we'll hear some old time radio mysteries centering on the seedier side of the political process. Fortunately, The Green Hornet is on hand to keep things safe for democracy and to deliver a decisive blow against the crooked machines who try to get corrupt politicians elected. We'll hear the Hornet and his loyal sidekick Kato in "Votes for Sale" (originally aired on Mutual on October 9, 1940), "Ballots and Bluff" (originally aired on Mutual on November 1, 1945), and "Election Boomerang" (originally aired on Mutual October 15, 1952). Plus, we'll hear "Final Returns," a story from The Whistler about a politician who decides to vote his domineering wife out of his life permanently (originally aired on CBS on October 29, 1945).

Get ready for thrills, chills, and spills with trick-or-treat tales both scary and silly in the annual Down These Mean Streets Halloween special! Ray Milland reprises his big screen role as The Screen Director's Playhouse presents "The Uninvited" (originally aired on NBC on November 18, 1949). Then, two radio gumshoes face off against things that go bump in the night: The Saint in "The Ghosts Who Came to Dinner" (originally aired on NBC on April 8, 1951) and Barrie Craig, Confidential Investigator in "Ghosts Don't Die in Bed" (originally aired on NBC on September 7, 1954). J. Carrol Naish stars in a heartwarming and hilarious Halloween episode of Life with Luigi (originally aired on CBS on October 30, 1951), and William Conrad leads an expedition in the Himalayas to capture "The Abominable Snowman" on Escape (originally aired on CBS on September 13, 1953). Ozzie and Harriet have a haunted house adventure (originally aired on NBC on October 31, 1948), and Bob Hope recreates his horror-comedy classic in "The Ghost Breakers" from Screen Director's Playhouse (originally aired on NBC on June 14, 1951). Finally, the syndicated anthology The Weird Circle presents one of the classic horror stories - Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein."

It's the witching hour - well, closer to two witching hours, to be precise - for old time radio detectives in this week's episode. We've got four mysteries involving witches just in time for Halloween. First, an author plagued by a witch's hexes seeks the help of Nick Carter in "The Witch of Donderberg Mountain" (originally aired on Mutual on April 22, 1945). Next, a witch at a Halloween party sees danger in Boston Blackie's future. Then, Casey, Crime Photographer investigates the murder of a male witch in "Witchcraft" (originally aired on CBS on February 19, 1948). And finally, Sam Spade is hired to act as security for a Halloween party in "The Fairley Bright Caper" (originally aired on CBS on October 31, 1948).

Want more spooky sleuthing for Halloween? Click here for a collection of mummy mysteries, and click here for some creepy cases starring Johnny Dollar. And... Click here for some of my original audio comedy, including old time radio parodies!

Yippie-ki-yay, old time radio fans! We're heading west for some radio mysteries set in the wide open spaces of the American frontier. Alan Ladd is on the trail of his brother's murderer in "A Killing in Abilene" from Suspense (originally aired on CBS on December 14, 1950), and Joel McCrea hunts for a cowboy's killer in "The Cactus Pear" from Tales of the Texas Rangers (originally aired on NBC on December 17, 1950). As Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar, Edmond O'Brien has to determine if - and why - a rancher's wife bumped off her husband in "The Jarvis Wilder Matter" (originally aired on CBS on February 24, 1951), and William Conrad has to clear his own name in "Matt for Murder" from Gunsmoke (originally aired on CBS on July 26, 1954). Finally, Jack Webb stars in an urban western as the police face off against an armed and delusional man who believes he's defending a fort against the Indians in "The Big Cowboy" from Dragnet (originally aired on NBS on June 1, 1954).

Click here for some of my original audio comedy, including some old time radio show parodies!