Theater of the Mind

Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons

57 episodes · 1944–1955 · CBS, NBC · Detective

Play Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons on Radio Days

Frank and Anne Hummert's long-running mystery about kindly Mr. Keen, who began by tracing missing persons and by the 1940s was mostly solving murders, one case a week. Bennett Kilpack played Mr. Keen for most of the run, with Phillip Clarke in the role by 1954. Anacin, Kolynos and the other American Home Products brands sponsored it for years.

Sources: RadioGOLDINdex

Episodes

Tap a year to see its episodes, then a title to play it on Radio Days.

194412 episodes

The Case of the Moonless Night January 6, 1944 · CBS · 28 min
Mr. Keen goes to the Deep South to find a missing Southern gentleman on a plantation of black walnut trees.
The Case of the Missing Witness January 13, 1944 · CBS · 30 min
A famous fashion designer has killed her daughter's lover. Or has she?
The Case of the Girl Who Sang Too Well January 20, 1944 · CBS · 30 min
A vaudeville star disappears from the Palladium, and murder follows.
The Case of the Girl Who Flirted February 3, 1944 · CBS · 30 min
A murder in an Egyptian tomb leads to a kidnapped girl and a stolen painting.
The Case of the Boy Who Used Big Words February 10, 1944 · CBS · 30 min
A twelve-year-old with a remarkable vocabulary is kidnapped after his mysterious Uncle Bill is killed.
Mr. Trevor's Secret February 17, 1944 · CBS · 30 min
A valuable chemical engineer has vanished from a defense plant, hurting the war effort.
The Case of Murder in the Air February 24, 1944 · CBS · 29 min
A woman found hiding in Mr. Keen's closet is the target of three murder attempts.
The Case of the Strange Display March 16, 1944 · CBS · 29 min
Murder in a department store.
The Case of the Leaping Dog April 13, 1944 · CBS · 30 min
A dog abandoned on the street leads Mr. Keen to a missing elderly couple and a vicious extortion plot.
The Case of the Woman in Blue June 15, 1944 · CBS · 30 min
Mr. Keen and his secretary, Suzy, help a heartbroken soldier. No murder this time.
The Case of the Frightened Child November 16, 1944 · CBS · 29 min
A five-year-old boy has been left to die in a dark, abandoned warehouse.
The Nightmare Murder Case December 14, 1944 · CBS · 30 min
A woman spends her husband's savings on secret voice lessons for her daughter.

19452 episodes

The Case of the Absent Minded Professor March 15, 1945 · CBS · 30 min
A quiet poetry professor's wife dies, then his housekeeper, then his daughter. Why?
The Strange Case of Charley Lorimer November 29, 1945 · 28 min
Jerry Haendiges' Vintage Radio Logs lists the same title on this date.

19461 episode

The Case of the Glamorous Widow May 23, 1946 · CBS · 29 min
Which of her four boyfriends killed the glamorous widow?

19499 episodes

The Case of Murder and the Star of Death June 9, 1949 · CBS · 29 min
A magnificent jewel is stolen, and a killer strikes in the dark.
The Case of Murder and the Bloodstained Necklace September 15, 1949 · CBS · 28 min
A widow of one week is found dead in a hotel room clutching a string of worthless pearls.
The Yellow Talon Murder Case September 22, 1949 · CBS · 30 min
Murder on a Hudson River estate, apparently by a bird of enormous size.
The Case of Murder with a Thousand Witnesses September 29, 1949 · CBS · 29 min
A kindly squire is poisoned while judging a baking contest at the county fair.
The Case of the Man Who Invented Death October 6, 1949 · CBS · 29 min
A modern alchemist is electrocuted for his secrets.
The Silver Dagger Murder Case October 13, 1949 · CBS · 30 min
A young woman about to break off with a playwright is stabbed.
The Case of the Ruthless Murderers October 27, 1949 · CBS · 28 min
A man out of prison after five years swore to kill Mr. Keen, who is saved by one of his own inventions.
The Forgotten Cave Murder Case November 3, 1949 · CBS · 30 min
Two men hunting hidden gold find death instead.
The Engaged Girl Murder Case November 10, 1949 · CBS · 30 min
Mr. Keen solves a murder on horseback.

195016 episodes

The Case of the Rushville Murder January 5, 1950 · CBS · 30 min
A madwoman escapes from the asylum and commits murder. But what about her sane sister?
The Bride and Groom Murder Case (AFRS) January 19, 1950 · 26 min
Jerry Haendiges' Vintage Radio Logs lists the same title on this date.
The Telephone Book Murder Case January 26, 1950 · CBS · 30 min
A wealthy oilman about to marry is murdered, and it looks as if the butler did it.
The Case of Murder and the Jewel Thief February 9, 1950 · CBS · 30 min
Kansas Karl, a notorious jewel thief, decides to go straight and doesn't get far.
The Case of the Two Faced Murderer February 16, 1950 · CBS · 30 min
A mask is the clue to a killer with two faces.
The Case of the Melody of Murder March 9, 1950 · CBS · 29 min
Who is the Antwerp Strangler? The key lies in a pianist's hands.
The Innocent Flirtation Murder Case March 16, 1950 · CBS · 29 min
A modern-day duel leads to murder and an attempted frame-up.
The Case of the Murdered Detective April 6, 1950 · CBS · 30 min
A private eye is stabbed in a phone booth, and the trail leads to stolen charity funds.
The Eccentric Millionaire Murder Case April 13, 1950 · CBS · 25 min
The Country Club Murder Case April 20, 1950 · CBS · 30 min
A strangling at an exclusive Westchester club leads to forgery as well.
The Case of a Woman Who Married a Murderer April 27, 1950 · CBS · 25 min
The King Cobra Murder Case May 4, 1950 · CBS · 30 min
A snake is used to kill on an ocean liner.
The Case of Murder and the Missing Car May 11, 1950 · CBS · 30 min
A body is found in a car trunk, with a false clue in the glove compartment.
The Broken Window Murder Case May 25, 1950 · CBS · 30 min
A dead rabbit gives Mr. Keen the final clue.
The Quicksand Murder Case June 1, 1950 · CBS · 30 min
A real-estate agent loses his new tenant to a murderess.
The Skull and Crossbones Murder Case June 15, 1950 · 30 min
Jerry Haendiges' Vintage Radio Logs lists the same title on this date.

19517 episodes

The Airport Murder Case (AFRS) March 22, 1951 · 25 min
Jerry Haendiges' Vintage Radio Logs lists the same title on this date.
The Case of Murder and the Strange Woman July 20, 1951 · NBC · 29 min
A popular crooner is killed during rehearsal. Was it the madwoman locked in his dressing room?
The Photograph Album Murder Case July 27, 1951 · NBC · 30 min
A penniless actress taken into a rich family's home is found murdered outside the door.
The Case of the Strange Murder of Carrie Ellis August 3, 1951 · NBC · 30 min
Mr. Keen knows who the murderer is but can't do anything about it.
The Abandoned Well Murder Case August 10, 1951 · NBC · 30 min
A wealthy old man is shot and thrown down a well.
The Poison Sandwich Murder Case August 17, 1951 · NBC · 30 min
A law student phones Mr. Keen for protection and dies on the line.
Murder at a Mile a Minute December 6, 1951 · NBC · 30 min
A man is shot while driving through the park.

19525 episodes

The Silver Candlestick Murder Case March 13, 1952 · NBC · 30 min
A photographer's model is killed and the body hidden in the coal bin.
The Rented Cottage Murder Case April 3, 1952 · NBC · 29 min
A cottage renting for just $25 during the housing shortage is the scene of a murder, and the clue is in the victim's crutches.
The Mother's Plea Murder Case April 10, 1952 · 30 min
Jerry Haendiges' Vintage Radio Logs lists the same title on this date.
The Gossip Column Murder Case October 24, 1952 · 30 min
Jerry Haendiges' Vintage Radio Logs lists the same title on this date.
The Case of Murder and the Prize-Winning Bull November 7, 1952 · 30 min
Jerry Haendiges' Vintage Radio Logs lists the same title on this date.

19544 episodes

The Shrieking Prisoner Murder Case, Part 1 June 21, 1954 · CBS · 14 min
Part 1 of 4: the strange Carson sisters block Mr. Keen's investigation of Donald Travers's murder.
The Shrieking Prisoner Murder Case, Part 2 June 23, 1954 · CBS · 15 min
Part 2 of 4: Amy Carson is kept locked in the house, and George points to the ax-wielding Luther Prague.
The Shrieking Prisoner Murder Case, Part 3 June 24, 1954 · CBS · 14 min
Part 3 of 4: a $50 bill and the dead man's wallet give Mr. Keen clues, and he meets the madwoman.
The Shrieking Prisoner Murder Case, Part 4 June 25, 1954 · CBS · 15 min
Part 4 of 4: the killer is revealed.

19551 episode

The Case of Murder and the Revengeful Ghost February 22, 1955 · 29 min