Down These Mean Streets (Old Time Radio Detectives)

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!