The Adventures of Sam Spade
Sam Spade was dreamed up by Dashiell Hammett — he and Raymond Chandler basically kicked off that tough-guy, introspective detective style that blew up after World War II.
On radio, film star Howard Duff played Sam Spade (with Steve Dunne stepping in at the very end). Lurene Tuttle played Effie Perrine, his ideal private-eye secretary (a private-eye fantasy, basically), and John McIntire was Lt. Dundy. When the show moved to Hollywood, William Conrad later took over the Dundy role. William Spier — the top director behind Suspense and other big shows — stripped the detective genre down to its essentials: action, drama, tough guys, dames, wisecracks and laughs. With strong acting on top of that, it made for great radio.
Spade was thorough — he’d keep a report on each case as it went along, which echoed Hammett’s own Pinkerton background. As each half-hour episode played out, those reports would be sent to Effie, so she was always in the loop. She seemed to have a thing for Sam, but he wasn’t interested — the job came first. Jokes and wisecracks came next, and if someone got too rough, a punch might follow. Effie handled the paperwork and kept things moving.
John Dunning, in his encyclopedia On the Air, calls the show a favorite of its era — and still loved. He notes the plots could be pretty ordinary, sometimes patched together quickly to meet deadlines, but nobody minded because the show had a distinctive style and class others envied. Duff made the writing part of his own persona. Forty years on, Dunning says, The Adventures of Sam Spade remains a high point of radio private-eye drama. ——
Episodes
SS490925_Chargogagogmanchogagogchabuna_Mungamog_Caper_[000].mp3
SS480919_The_Hot_$100_Grand_Caper_[059].mp3
SS480829_The_Lawless_Caper_[374].mp3
SS500105_The_Biddle_Riddle_Caper_[374].mp3
SS481003_The_Sugar_Kane_Caper_[362].mp3
SS490528_The_Honest_Thief_Caper_(Rehearsal)_[362].mp3
SS490521_The_Red_Ampola_Caper_(Rehearsal)_[362].mp3
SS470608_The_Calcutta_Trunk_Caper_[348].mp3
SS490327_The_Loveletter_Caper_[343].mp3
SS480125_The_Gold_Key_Caper_[343].mp3
SS480104_The_One_Hour_Caper_[343].mp3
SS470615_The_Convertible_Caper_[343].mp3
SS471005_The_Adam_Fig_Caper_[343].mp3
SS460809_Death_And_Company_[150].mp3
SS510302_The_Crab_Louis_Caper_[162].mp3
SS510223_The_Shot_in_the_Dark_Caper_[162].mp3
SS500521_The_Red_Amapola_Caper_[162].mp3
SS490828_The_Prodical_Daughter_Caper_[162].mp3
SS490710_The_Queen_Bee_Caper_[162].mp3
SS490605_The_Overjord_Caper_[162].mp3
SS490501_The_Battles_of_Belvedere_[162].mp3
SS490417_Edith_Hamilton_[162].mp3
SS481212_The_Bouncing_Betty_Caper_[162].mp3
SS481128_The_Quarter-Eagle_Caper_[162].mp3
SS481107_The_Sqp_Caper_[162].mp3
SS481031_The_Fairley-Bright_Caper_[162].mp3
SS471109_The_Bow_Window_Caper_[162].mp3
SS480704_The_Rushlight_Diamond_Caper_[121].mp3
SS510427_The_Hail_and_Farewell_Caper_[121].mp3
SS510420_The_Rowdy_Dowser_Caper_[120].mp3
SS510413_The_Civic_Pride_Caper_[121].mp3
SS510406_The_Denny_Shane_Caper_[120].mp3
SS510330_The_Vendetta_Caper_[120].mp3
SS510323_The_Kimberly_Cross_Caper_[120].mp3
SS510316_Sinister_Siren_Caper_[121].mp3
SS510309_The_Spanish_Prisoner_Caper_[120].mp3
SS510216_The_Soap_Opera_Caper_[120].mp3
SS510209_The_Sure_Thing_Caper_[120].mp3
SS510202_The_String_Of_Death_Caper_[121].mp3
SS510126_The_Chateau_McLeoud_Caper_[120].mp3
SS510119_The_Cloak_And_Dagger_Caper_[120].mp3
SS510112_The_Red_Star_Caper_[120].mp3
SS510105_The_Biddle_Riddle_Caper_[121].mp3
SS501229_The_Prodigal_Panda_Caper_[120].mp3
SS501215_The_251-1235679_Caper_[120].mp3
SS501208_The_Dry_Gulch_Caper_[120].mp3
SS501201_The_Dog_Bed_Caper_[121].mp3
SS501124_The_Terrified_Turkey_Caper_[120].mp3
SS501117_The_Caper_Over_My_Dead_Body_[120].mp3
SS500903_The_Farmer's_Daughter_Caper_[120].mp3
SS500528_The_Honest_Thief_Caper_[120].mp3
SS500518_The_Red_Anapola_Caper_Rehearsal_[120].mp3
SS491106_The_Cheesecake_Caper_[120].mp3
SS491204_The_Flopsy__Mopsy_And_Cottontail_Caper_[121].mp3
SS490807_The_Champion_Caper_[120].mp3
SS490724_The_Tears_Of_Night_Caper_[120].mp3
SS480815_The_Critical_Author_Caper_[120].mp3
SS480725_The_Mad_Scientist_Caper_[120].mp3
SS480627_The_Bail_Bond_Caper_[120].mp3
SS480620_The_Death_Bed_Caper_[120].mp3
SS480718_The_Missing_Newshawk_Caper_[118].mp3
SS480711_The_Wheel_Of_Life_Caper_[118].mp3
SS460802_Sam_and_Psyche_[118].mp3
SS480801_The_Dry_Martini_Caper_[059].mp3
SS480808_The_Bluebeard_Caper_[059].mp3
SS480822_The_Vaphio_Cup_Caper_[059].mp3
SS480912_The_Lazarus_Caper_[059].mp3
SS480926_The_Dick_Foley_Caper_[059].mp3
SS481024_The_Insomnia_Caper_[059].mp3
SS490116_The_Betrayal___Bumpass_Hell_Caper_[059].mp3
SS490410_The_Stopped_Watch_Caper_[059].mp3
SS490619_The_Apple_of_Eve_Caper_[059].mp3
SS_19460802_Sam_and_the_Psyche.mp3
SS_19470202_Dead_Duck_Caper_AFRS.mp3
SS_19470608_050_TheCalcuttaTrunkCaper_CBS_AFRS.mp3
SS_19470608_Calcutta_Trunk_Caper_AFRS.mp3
SS_19470615_051_The_Convertible_Caper_CBS_AFRS.mp3
SS_19470615_Convertible_Caper_AFRS.mp3
SS_19471005_Adam_Figg_Caper.mp3
SS_19471109_Bow_Window_Caper.mp3
SS_19480104_One_Hour_Caper_LQ_wire_recording.mp3
SS_19480125_Gold_Key_Caper_LQ_wire_recording.mp3
SS_19480620_Death_Bed_Caper.mp3
SS_19480627_Bail_Bond_Caper.mp3
SS_19480704_Rushlight_Diamond_Caper.mp3
SS_19480711_Wheel_of_Life_Caper.mp3
SS_19480718_Missing_Newshawk_Caper.mp3
SS_19480725_Mad_Scientist_Caper.mp3
SS_19480801_Dry_Martini_Caper.mp3
SS_19480808_Bluebeard_Caper.mp3
SS_19480815_Critical_Author_Caper.mp3
SS_19480822_Vaphio_Cup_Caper.mp3
SS_19480905_Stella_Starr_Caper_4minInMiddleMissing.mp3
SS_19480919_Hot_Hundred_Grand_Caper.mp3
SS_19480926_Dick_Foley_Caper.mp3
SS_19481003_Sugar_Kane_Caper.mp3
SS_19481024_Insomnia_Caper_AFRS.mp3
SS_19481031_Fairley_bright_Caper.mp3
SS_19481107_Sqp_Caper_AFRS.mp3
SS_19481128_Quarter_Eagle_Caper_AFRS.mp3
SS_19481212_Bouncing_Betty_Caper_AFRS.mp3
SS_19490116_Betrayal_In_Bumpus_Hell_Caper_AFRS.mp3
SS_19490327_Love_Letter_Caper_AFRS.mp3
SS_19490410_Stopped_Watch_Caper.mp3
SS_19490417_Subject_Edith_Hamilton_AFRS.mp3
SS_19490514_Battles_Of_Belvedere_AFRS.mp3
SS_19490605_Overjord_Caper.mp3
SS_19490619_Apple_Of_Eve_Caper.mp3
SS_19490710_Queen_Bee_Caper.mp3
SS_19490717_Cuttyhunk_Caper_1st15MinOnly.mp3
SS_19490724_Tears_Of_Night_Matter.mp3
SS_19490807_Champion_Caper.mp3
SS_19490828_Prodigal_Daughter_Caper.mp3
SS_19490925_Indian_Caper.mp3
SS_19491106_Cheesecake_Caper.mp3
SS_19491204_Flopsy_Mopsy_And_Cottontail_Caper.mp3
SS_19500513_Honest_Thief_Caper_rehearsal_Or_Unfinished.mp3
SS_19500521_Red_Amapola_Caper_rehearsal_Or_Unfinished.mp3
SS_19500903_Farmers_Daughter_Caper.mp3
SS_19501117_Caper_Over_My_Dead_Body.mp3
SS_19501124_Terrified_Turkey_Caper.mp3
SS_19501201_Dog_Bed_Caper.mp3
SS_19501208_Dry_Gulch_Caper.mp3
SS_19501215_The_2512345679_Caper.mp3
SS_19501229_Prodigal_Panda_Caper.mp3
SS_19510105_Biddle_Riddle_Caper.mp3
SS_19510112_Red_Star_Caper.mp3
SS_19510119_Cloak_And_Dagger_Caper.mp3
SS_19510126_Chateau_McCloud_Caper.mp3
SS_19510202_String_Of_Death_Caper.mp3
SS_19510209_Sure_Thing_Caper.mp3
SS_19510216_Soap_Opera_Caper.mp3
SS_19510223_Shot_In_The_Dark_Caper.mp3
SS_19510302_Crab_Louie_Caper.mp3
SS_19510309_Spanish_Prisoner_Caper.mp3
SS_19510316_Sinister_Siren_Caper.mp3
SS_19510323_Kimberly_Cross_Caper.mp3
SS_19510330_Vendetta_Caper.mp3
SS_19510406_Denny_Shane_Caper.mp3
SS_19510413_Civic_Pride_Caper.mp3
SS_19510420_Rowdy_Dowser_Caper.mp3
SS_19510427_Hail_Farewell_Caper.mp3
Suspense46-12-05TheHouseInCypressCanyon.mp3
Suspense48-01-10SamSpadeTheKandiTooth.mp3
TheFirstNighterProgram-SamSpadeSpoof.mp3
