Video Theater – The Great Detectives of Old Time Radio

Mystery writer Cornelia Van Gorder rents the Oaks, an isolated country mansion already surrounded by frightening stories about a killer known as the Bat. When a million dollars in securities disappears from the local bank and suspicion falls on cashier Victor Bailey, Cornelia begins to suspect that the missing fortune may be hidden somewhere inside the Oaks—just as the Bat appears to resume his murderous activities.

Original Release Date: December 17, 1959

Cast: Vincent Price as Dr. Malcolm Wells

Agnes Moorehead as Cornelia Van Gorder

Gavin Gordon as Lt. Andy Anderson

John Sutton as Warner Lenita Lane as Lizzie Allen

Elaine Edwards as Dale Bailey

Darla Hood as Judy Hollander

John Bryant as Mark Fleming

Harvey Stephens as John Fleming

Mike Steele as Victor Bailey

Riza Royce as Jane Patterson

Robert B. Williams as Detective Davenport

Wealthy stockbroker Anthony Benson appears to have no shortage of enemies after a disastrous day on Wall Street. When he's found murdered at his secluded lodge, the baffling case brings amateur detective Philo Vance face-to-face with a killer who seems to have planned every detail.

Original Release Date: April 12, 1930

Starring William Powell as Philo Vance, Eugene Pallette as Sergeant Heath, E.H. Calvert as Markam,

The City fails to win conviction against a burglarly suspect despite being sure of his guilt, Joe Friday and Ed Jacobs get a second chance when he comes back to LA just as a string of crimes fitting his MO start being committed.

Season 1, Episode 14

Original Air Date: June 19, 1952

Tom Fox of the Compliace Podcast Network joins us once again as we delve into the Ronald Howard Sherlock Holmes series with the only episode that directly adapted one of Doyle's story, "The Case of the Red Headed League"

A red-headed shopkeeper comes to Holmes for help and has a tale to tell of a strange organization set up to further the interests of red-headed men.

Season 1, Episode 11

Original Air Date: December 27, 1954

In this tense and tightly constructed episode of Dragnet, Sergeant Joe Friday (Jack Webb) and his partner, Ed Jacobs (Barney Phillips), are called to investigate a shocking death in a modest Los Angeles apartment.

A woman has been found dead from a gunshot wound, and her husband insists it was suicide. But as the detectives begin to piece together the evidence—an empty cartridge, a dusting of flour, and the peculiar position of a body—questions begin to multiply faster than answers. What begins as a routine inquiry quickly deepens into a web of contradictions.

The neighbors have stories to tell, the evidence tells another, and instinct leads Friday and Jacobs down a path that challenges their confidence in what seems obvious.

This episode captures Dragnet at its most methodical—slowly building tension through measured dialogue, careful observation, and an unflinching portrayal of police work as both science and human judgment. It's a story not only about crime but about certainty—and how easily even the most seasoned detectives can be deceived by what they think they know.

Originally aired on June 6, 1952, "The Big Casing" was adapted from an earlier radio broadcast. It stands as one of the series' most thought-provoking cases, showcasing the emergence of forensic reasoning as an essential part of modern investigation.

In this episode of Public Domain Video Theater, host Adam Graham is joined by special guest Tom Fox, founder of the ⁠Compliance Podcast Network⁠ and host of ⁠Adventures in Compliance⁠— a show where Fox explores each Sherlock Holmes story through the lens of ethics and compliance. Together, they delve into one of Ronald Howard's early television portrayals of the great detective.

Episode Overview (No Spoilers)

"The Mother Hubbard Case" begins as a seemingly routine London mystery — a missing fiancé, a concerned family, and a cryptic note about a lost child. But under Holmes's keen observation, this ordinary disappearance unfurls into something far more sinister. As Holmes and Watson investigate, they uncover a chilling pattern of vanishing men, a trail that winds through deserted houses and shadowed motives. What begins as a simple missing-person case evolves into a tense unraveling of compassion twisted by desperation

Original Air Date: December 20, 1954

Joe Friday and Ed Jacobs have evidence that a local jewelry salesman is behind the robbery of another salesman. They present the vidence in hopes of getting a confession.

Season 1, Episode 12

Original Air Date: May 22, 1952

Based on a radio script from February 14, 1952

A wealthy family's household becomes the scene of intrigue when a series of shocking crimes threatens its members. Suspicion falls heavily within the walls of their imposing home, and the air grows tense as Philo Vance works to uncover the truth. Mystery, secrets, and a shadow of danger hang over each clue in this chilling early talkie.

Originally released in U.S. theaters on August 11, 1929.

The film stars William Powell, in one of his earliest detective roles, alongside Jean Arthur and Eugene Pallette. The ensemble also features Florence Eldridge, Ullrich Haupt, E. H. Calvert, Gertrude Norman, and Lowell Drew in key roles that bring depth to the unfolding drama. Together, the cast weaves a suspenseful tale that blends family tension with classic mystery atmosphere.

A singer who threatens the happiness of the son of one of Philo Vance's (William Powell) oldest friends is murdered and Vance is called in to investigate. Features Jean Arthur, and Eugene Pallette.

Original Release Date: February 16, 1929

A singer who threatens the happiness of the son of one of Philo Vance's (William Powell) oldest friends is murdered and Vance is called in to investigate. Features Jean Arthur, and Eugene Pallette.

Original Release Date: February 16, 1929