The Adventures Of Sam Spade

Audio Classics_Ò Archive

The Adventures Of Sam Spade

The San Francisco private detective first appeared on the ABC radio network. The character was created by Dashiell Hammett and made its debut in the pages of Black Mask in the serialized first part of The Maltese Falcon in 1929. The Maltese Falcon was even produced as a motion picture starring Humphrey Bogart and premiered on 10/01/41 to the movie going audiences. On radio, for the first 221 broadcasts, Howard Duff took on the main role. For the last 24 broadcasts Steven Dunne took over the role, but couldn’t compete with the strong performances turned in by Duff. Even to this day, collectors of the radio series strongly identify with and prefer the Howard Duff programs.
This series also has a commercial that is well remembered. Wildroot Cream Oil. Wildroots catch phrase was, “A little dab’l do you.” The melody “Cream Oil Charlie” was copyrighted on 01/27/46 for Tad Dameron & Woody Herman by the Charling Music Corp., New York.

Each of the following broadcasts are 30 minutes in length.

Click here to see a broadcast log for this series.


Broadcast History:
Network: ABC, CBS, NBC
07/12/46 to 10/04/46 ABC
09/29/46 to 09/18/49 CBS
09/25/49 to 04/27/51 NBC
Producer / Director:
William Spier
Music:
Lucien Morawek, Lud Gluskin, Rene and Pierre Garriguenc
Writers:
Ann Lorraine, Bob Tallman, Gil Doud, Jo Eisinger, John Michael, Harold Swanton,
E. Jack Neuman
Announcer:
Dick Joy
Sound Effects:
Berne Surrey
Sponsor:
Wildroot Cream Oil (09/29/46 to 09/17/50)
Sam’s License Number:
137596
Theme:
Goodnight, Sweetheart
Cast:
Howard Duff – Sam Spade (07/12/46 to 09/25/50)
Steven Dunne – Sam Spade (11/17/50 to 04/27/51)
Lurene Tuttle – Effie Perrine (07/12/46 to 04/27/51)
Sandra Gould – Effie Perrine (06/27/48 only)
Also heard:
Jerry Hausner – (Sam’s lawyer Sid Weiss), John McIntire (Lieutenant Dundy),
William Conrad (Lieutenant Dundy in the NBC series), June Havoc, Joseph Kearns,
Jeanette Nolan, Mary Jane Croft, Betty Lou Gerson, Elliott Lewis, Cathy Lewis


Audience Ratings:
(First Season) C.E. Hooper 10.3 (1946 to 1947)
(Second Season) C.E. Hooper 12.0 (1947 to 1948)
(Third Season) C.E. Hooper 10.7 (1948 to 1949)
(Fourth Season) A.C. Nielsen 11.3 (1949 to 1950)
(Fifth Season) A.C. Nielsen -- (1950 to 1951)



To order, select the following CD number(s) of your choice:


CD910452.
09/12/48 #116 The Lazarus Caper
09/19/48 #117 The Hot Hundred Grand Caper





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Copyright © 2002 by Terry G. G. Salomonson. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States Of America. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the author.