Damon Runyon remains one of America’s unique storytellers. His tales of 1920s New York have a language and style all their own, and his colorful characters include gangsters, gamblers, and average guys down on their luck. Runyon’s distinct voice came to radio in The Damon Runyon Theater, a series produced by Alan Ladd. We’ll hear John Brown star in “What, No Butler?” from the syndicated series.

Dick Powell transformed his career with his dynamic performance as Philip Marlowe and he left his days as a baby-faced crooner behind. To celebrate his birthday, we’ll hear Powell in two of his performances as hard-boiled but glib gumshoes. First he stars as Richard Rogue in “Lady with a Gun” from Rogue’s Gallery, originally aired on NBC on June 30, 1946. Then, Powell plays Richard Diamond, Private Detective in “The Martha Campbell Kidnap Case,” originally aired on NBC on July 26, 1950.

As mystery writer Barton Drake describes it, Mystery is My Hobby. The novelist is tops at dreaming up murder plots, and he’s not bad at solving real life crimes, either. Along with Inspector Danton of the police, Drake uses his “book smarts” to catch killers. Glenn Langan stars as Drake in this series that originally aired on Mutual before it was repackaged for syndication. We’ll hear the syndicated episode “The John Crain Murder.”

Turn down the lights and enjoy a bonus episode just in time for Halloween. Two chilling stories from Suspense, “radio’s outstanding theater of thrills,” should help to get you in the trick-or-treating spirit. First, Orson Welles’ cross-country trip is hindered by “The Hitchhiker,” originally aired on CBS on September 2, 1942. Then, Ray Bradbury’s eerie story comes to radio life in “Zero Hour,” originally aired on April 5, 1955.

Big-screen tough guy Brian Donlevy stars as government agent Steve Mitchell in Dangerous Assignment. Mitchell is dispatched all around the world, and with each stamp of his passport he lands neck-deep in danger. This popular espionage adventure series aired for several years on radio and spawned a television series also starring Donlevy. We’ll hear “Find 100,000 Missing Barrels of Oil,” originally aired on NBC on May 17, 1950.

On October 20, 1930, Sherlock Holmes made his debut as a radio detective. In honor of his on-the-air anniversary, we'll hear the master sleuth (and his companion Dr. Watson) in two radio mysteries. John Stanley is Holmes and Alfred Shirley is Watson in "The Laughing Lemur of Hightower Heath" (originally aired on Mutual on October 26, 1947) and "The Case of the Sudden Senility" (originally aired on January 11, 1948).

Natalie Masters is back as San Francisco's loveliest private investigator, Candy Matson. One of radio's most famous girl detectives, Candy cracks cases with the best of them. She may flirt rather than fight with her foil on the police department, but Candy is just as sharp and quick with a quip as Spade or Marlowe. We'll hear her in "The Devil in the Deep Freeze" (first aired on NBC on September 30, 1949) and "NC9-8012" (first aired on December 27, 1949).

The police officers of the 21st Precinct keep their slice of New York City safe, and they're overseen in their jobs by Captain Frank Kennelly, "the boss." Everett Sloane stars as Kennelly in one of radio's last great police procedural dramas. Answer the call and ride along with the squad in "The Brother," originally aired on CBS on April 14, 1954.

Conceived as a replacement for Charlie Chan, John P. Marquand's Mr. Moto thrilled readers before jumping to the big screen in a popular series of movies starring Peter Lorre. The adventures of the Japanese secret agent came to radio in 1951 in Mr. I.A. Moto starring James Monks in new international exploits of the diminutive detective. We'll hear Mr. Moto tackle the mystery of "The Crooked Log," first broadcast on NBC on September 30, 1951.

Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall bring their white-hot chemistry to radio in Bold Venture. Bogie and Bacall riff on their To Have and Have Not characters as Havana charter boat captain Slate Shannon and his young ward and sidekick “Sailor” Duval. Together, Slate and Sailor flirt, banter, and fight to stay out of trouble in the tropics. However, there’s usually a healthy dose of danger coming their way. We’ll hear two of their syndicated adventures: “We Want Cary Martin,” and “Slate Gets the Hook.”