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Richard Diamond, Private Detective

102 episodes · 1949–1953 · NBC, ABC, CBS, Armed Forces Radio Service · Detective

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Dick Powell, the crooner turned tough guy, played Richard Diamond from April 24, 1949, on NBC until 1953. Blake Edwards created the show and wrote many episodes. Most ended with Diamond at the piano, singing a standard to his girlfriend, Helen Asher (Virginia Gregg). Ed Begley played his friend on the force, Lieutenant Levinson. David Janssen took the role on television in 1957.

Sources: Richard Diamond, Private Detective, Wikipedia

Episodes

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

194930 episodes
  • Diamond in the Rough - Barton Case (AFRS) May 1, 1949 · 30 min
    Jerry Haendiges' Vintage Radio Logs lists the same title on this date.
  • The Ralph Chase Case May 15, 1949 · NBC · 30 min
    Ralph Chase hires Diamond over a problem with his stepdaughter, and a gangster takes a shot at Diamond before he can start. Powell sings "I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm."
  • The Stolen Purse May 22, 1949 · NBC · 30 min
    A little old lady gives Diamond a black purse that seems worthless, and everyone wants it badly enough to kill. Dick Powell sings "Lullaby and Goodnight," or tries to.
  • The Betty Moran Case May 29, 1949 · NBC · 30 min
    A double murder, a rich woman named Betty Moran and a little blackmail make the police think murder and suicide. Dick sings "Again."
  • The Fred Sears Case June 19, 1949 · NBC · 30 min
    Diamond makes a client eat his own retainer check after a fight at the Stork Club, and then the man turns up dead in Diamond's office.
  • The Tom Waxman Bombing Case June 26, 1949 · NBC · 30 min
    A mail bomb kills Tom Waxman. His brother Phil is accused, but Diamond suspects the Labor Assistance League. Dick Powell sings in Yiddish.
  • The Bloody Hat Case July 2, 1949 · NBC · 30 min
    A man named Bert Kalmus is framed for murder in an early version of a classic con. Powell sings "A, You're Adorable." The show's first Saturday night broadcast.
  • Charles Walsh and Bob Wells July 9, 1949 · NBC · 30 min
    Two convicts break out of Sing Sing to kill Diamond, starting by kidnapping his girlfriend Helen Asher.
  • The Man Who Hated Women (1949) July 16, 1949 · NBC · 29 min
    A killer slashing women is loose, and Lt. Levinson's job is on the line. Dick sings "Cruising Down the River."
  • The Martin Hyer Case July 23, 1949 · NBC · 29 min
    June Hyer hires Diamond to follow her husband, and he follows him right to a body. Dick sings "Sleepy Time Gal."
  • The Lynn Knight Case August 6, 1949 · NBC · 30 min
    Former nightclub photographer Lynn Knight hires Diamond to keep her from being murdered, and someone has good reason. Dick sings "Everywhere You Go."
  • The Jean Cooper Case August 20, 1949 · NBC · 29 min
    A young girl is run down in Central Park and a young man is accused of murder, while a gangland killing happens at the same time.
  • The Eddie Garrett Case August 27, 1949 · NBC · 29 min
    Seventeen-year-old Eddie Garrett seems to be following his brother's footsteps to the electric chair. Dick sings "Where Are You?"
  • The Harry Baker Case September 3, 1949 · NBC · 30 min
    Lillian Baker kills herself soon after Diamond and Helen see her shoplifting. Her husband Harry's romance with his secretary is tangled with a $300,000 jewel robbery.
  • The Van Dyke Seance Case September 10, 1949 · NBC · 30 min
    The wealthy Van Dyke family is being taken by a phony spiritualist, Professor Leonardo. Dick sings "Don't Blame Me."
  • The Jerome J. Jerome Case September 17, 1949 · NBC · 30 min
    Jerome J. Jerome, nutty as a fruitcake, walks into Diamond's office, and he knows where there's a body.
  • The Two Hundred Thousand Dollar Bundle September 24, 1949 · NBC · 30 min
    How to get $200,000 from Diamond? Keep beating him up for it. What's in the black bag? Dick sings "Little Girl."
  • Gibson Murder Case October 8, 1949 · NBC · 30 min
    Esther Blodget reports a body in a room locked from the inside. Dick sings "So in Love."
  • The Bogus Bills Case October 15, 1949 · NBC · 30 min
    Jeff the newsboy tips Diamond to a gang of counterfeiters. Dick sings "You're Breaking My Heart."
  • Rene Bennet Protection Case October 22, 1949 · NBC · 30 min
    French hat designer Rene Bennet asks Diamond to protect his new designs, and is promptly murdered. Dick sings "Don't Cry, Joe."
  • Bill Kirby Murder Case October 29, 1949 · NBC · 30 min
    Mrs. Lenore Kirby asks Diamond to find her son Bill, a former private eye. Bill turns up dead, and two tough men are after his shoe.
  • The Singing Critic November 5, 1949 · NBC · 30 min
    A comic show with a song-hating neighbor and a send-up of other radio detectives. Dick sings "A Hundred and One Tons of Fun."
  • Fifty Thousand Dollar Diamond Heist November 12, 1949 · NBC · 30 min
    Diamond is framed with diamonds stolen from the police commissioner. Dick sings "I Can Dream, Can't I?"
  • The Jacoby Case November 19, 1949 · NBC · 30 min
    Liam Jacoby is back in the country, three bodies have turned up so far, and Diamond is next on the list.
  • William Carter Loses Memory November 26, 1949 · NBC · 30 min
    What happened to William Carter while he was missing? Under drugs, he confesses to murder. Dick sings "Dear Hearts and Gentle People."
  • The Ruby Idol Case December 3, 1949 · NBC · 30 min
    Leland L. Leeds, nutty as a fruitcake, hires Diamond. "The hokiest case I've been on, even the dialogue is bad!" Dick sings "High on a Hilltop."
  • The House of Mystery Case December 10, 1949 · NBC · 30 min
    A comic ghost story: a dead man with a lousy sense of humor is haunting his new widow, Julia Bates. Dick sings "I Don't Stand a Ghost of a Chance with You."
  • The John Blackwell Case December 17, 1949 · NBC · 30 min
    A man tells Diamond he's going to commit a murder, and a little man with a big gun is put out of action by Diamond's yo-yo.
  • A Christmas Carol December 24, 1949 · NBC · 30 min
    Diamond and his friends do Dickens's A Christmas Carol. Dick sings "Mele Kalikimaka."
  • Thomas Jason Case December 31, 1949 · NBC · 30 min
    Retired stockbroker Thomas Jason fears his stepdaughter is trying to kill him. When he's taken to an asylum, Diamond follows.
195036 episodes
  • Butchers and Protection Racket January 7, 1950 · NBC · 30 min
    An Italian butcher asks Diamond to break a protection racket, and it takes fists and a gun. Dick sings "I Will Remember You."
  • Mr. Victor's Daughter January 15, 1950 · NBC · 30 min
    A powerful publisher, Mr. Victor, is about to take on the numbers racket, and his beautiful daughter complicates things. Dick sings "Time on My Hands."
  • Martin White Sees Dead Men January 22, 1950 · NBC · 30 min
    Martin White saw Paul Jarvis killed in the war, yet he's sure Jarvis, a murderer and deserter, is at college with him.
  • To Guard a Seal February 5, 1950 · NBC · 30 min
    Diamond is hired as bodyguard to Timothy, a seal. A funny show. Dick sings "Cathy."
  • Elaine Tanner Case February 12, 1950 · NBC · 30 min
    The search for Elaine Tanner brings murder, mayhem and a missing item of real value.
  • The Jewel Thief February 19, 1950 · NBC · 30 min
    A $100,000 jewel theft and a murder lead to an unusual job for Diamond: romancing the widow.
  • The Blind Man and the Cop Killer February 26, 1950 · NBC · 30 min
    A policeman has been killed, and a blind man and a narcotics racket hold the keys. Dick sings "I've Got a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts."
  • Louis Spence Case March 5, 1950 · NBC · 30 min
    Louis Spence, a madman with a bomb, wants the mayor to jump out of a City Hall window. Dick sings "There's No Tomorrow."
  • Joyce Wallace March 12, 1950 · NBC · 30 min
    Famous actress Joyce Wallace is shot at, then attacked by a snake. Dick sings "If I Knew You Were Coming, I'd Have Baked a Cake."
  • Private Eye Test March 19, 1950 · NBC · 30 min
    Taking the police exam to keep his license, Diamond finds the body of a fellow detective.
  • Photographer's Card March 26, 1950 · NBC · 30 min
    Street photographer George Phipps takes Diamond's picture, and death develops it.
  • William Logan and the Ivory Statue April 5, 1950 · NBC · 30 min
    A dying man gives Diamond a statue of Kali wrapped in newspaper, in a story very like The Maltese Falcon. Dick sings "Bye Bye Baby."
  • The Man Who Hated Women (1950) April 12, 1950 · NBC · 30 min
    A killer slashing women is loose, and Lt. Levinson's job is on the line. After a false start, Dick sings "Wilhelmina."
  • Messenger Service, Paddy Clark April 19, 1950 · NBC · 30 min
    Paddy Clark sends a messenger with an envelope for Diamond, and the messenger is shot dead at Diamond's door.
  • The Ralph Baxter Case April 26, 1950 · NBC · 30 min
    Jean Lawrence's body is found off Pier 14, and Ralph Baxter's prison break seems to be behind it.
  • Eighty Thousand Dollars in Jewels June 14, 1950 · NBC · 30 min
    The first show sponsored by Rexall. An insurance company president hires Diamond to get back stolen jewels before the thief is extradited from Cuba. Dick sings "Besame Mucho."
  • Mrs. X Can't Find Her Husband June 21, 1950 · NBC · 30 min
    "Mrs. X" asks Diamond to find her missing husband, but won't tell him the husband's name.
  • Mary Bellman Killed June 28, 1950 · NBC · 30 min
    Mary Bellman's lawyer says she fears for her life. Diamond is knocked out and wakes next to her body.
  • Mike Burton Murder Case July 5, 1950 · NBC · 30 min
    Truck driver Mike Burton is killed by a hit-and-run driver, and his wrestler friend thinks it was no accident.
  • Ice Pick Murder July 12, 1950 · 30 min
    Jerry Haendiges' Vintage Radio Logs lists the same title on this date.
  • The Martha Campbell Kidnap Case July 26, 1950 · NBC · 30 min
    Wealthy Martha Campbell is kidnapped and then murdered, and Diamond and the police can't stop it. Dick sings "Count Every Star."
  • The Fixed Fight Case August 2, 1950 · NBC · 30 min
    Diamond's fight-promoter friend Frank Bowers gets a fighter knocked out, and it looks like a dive. The next day Frank goes off a bridge.
  • The Female Wolf Case August 9, 1950 · NBC · 30 min
    Edna Wolf hires Diamond to get the goods on her husband for a divorce, and Diamond finds himself framed for murder. Dick sings "You Made Me Love You."
  • The Carnival Case August 16, 1950 · NBC · 30 min
    Diamond and Helen find murder on a carnival midway. The clown, the hula dancer or the strongman? Dick sings "Sweet and Lovely."
  • The Evans Farmer Case August 23, 1950 · NBC · 30 min
    A doctor offers Diamond $1,200 to solve a mysterious death, and then takes a fall from a high window himself. No song this week.
  • The Big Foot Grafton Case August 30, 1950 · NBC · 30 min
    Big Foot Grafton is fished out of the river, and the second baseman of a ladies' softball team has gone missing.
  • The Misplaced Laundry Case September 6, 1950 · NBC · 30 min
    Diamond picks up the wrong bundle of laundry and washes a killer out of hiding.
  • The George Lexington Murder Case September 13, 1950 · NBC · 30 min
    George Lexington is found shot, with June Morris holding a smoking gun. But he's also been stabbed with a carving knife.
  • The Bald Head Case September 20, 1950 · NBC · 30 min
    A blackmailer is murdered while getting a scalp treatment, and Diamond has to sort out who wanted him dead.
  • The Hatpin Murder Case September 27, 1950 · NBC · 30 min
    A Western murder: Clay Baxter hires Diamond to find his brother's killer.
  • The Pete Rocco Case October 4, 1950 · NBC · 28 min
    Pete Rocco breaks jail to kill Diamond, and Rocco's mother hires Diamond to get him back to prison. Dick sings "A Little Bit Independent."
  • The 'Homing Pigeon' Case October 11, 1950 · NBC · 30 min
    Roger Renard is being blackmailed over a past as a bigamist by "Andy," who turns out to be a homing pigeon. Dick sings "'S Wonderful."
  • The Kidnapped Policeman October 18, 1950 · NBC · 30 min
    Bert Fisher kidnaps Lt. Levinson, who arrested Fisher's brother, due to be executed tonight.
  • Dead Man's Letter November 8, 1950 · NBC · 27 min
    A vicious gang will stop at nothing to get "the envelope."
  • Mona Lisa Murder (AFRTS) November 15, 1950 · 24 min
    Jerry Haendiges' Vintage Radio Logs lists the same title on this date.
  • The Cover-Up Murders (1950) November 22, 1950 · Armed Forces Radio Service · 24 min
    A madman calmly calls the police to announce his next murder.
195116 episodes
  • Marilyn Connors Case January 12, 1951 · ABC · 30 min
    Now on Fridays. Marilyn Connors hires Diamond to protect her when her husband gets out on parole, but the husband is the one shot.
  • The Man with the Scar January 19, 1951 · ABC · 30 min
    A scarred man is murdered, apparently by the son of a parole board member. Or was he?
  • The Rawlins Case January 26, 1951 · ABC · 30 min
    Martin Rawlins is out of prison and wants revenge on his brother.
  • The Caspary Case February 2, 1951 · ABC · 30 min
    Mrs. Caspary is killed right after hiring Diamond to protect her. Or was she?
  • The Blue Serge Suit February 9, 1951 · ABC · 30 min
    Why are blue serge suits disappearing?
  • The Grey Man February 16, 1951 · ABC · 30 min
    Diamond is paid $5,000 to find Louis Carnes within five hours, and his client is an unusual shade of gray, and about to die.
  • The Lady in Distress February 23, 1951 · ABC · 30 min
    Doris Romano walks into Diamond's office in a mink coat, hires him and drops dead.
  • The Red Rose March 2, 1951 · ABC · 30 min
    A man who hired a killer to murder him changes his mind and hires Diamond to protect him from the assassin with the red rose.
  • The Butcher Shop March 9, 1951 · ABC · 30 min
    Diamond takes on a butcher shop protection racket.
  • Monsieur Bouchon March 16, 1951 · ABC · 30 min
    Diamond is hired to pick up a face cream sample from Monsieur Bouchon, and the sample is a bomb.
  • Little Chiva March 23, 1951 · ABC · 30 min
    Diamond goes to Haiti to fight voodoo and a powerful Englishman, with help from the giant Little Chiva.
  • The Carnival March 30, 1951 · ABC · 30 min
    The thinnest man in the world hires Diamond to protect his sweetheart Rowena, and there's more to her than meets the eye.
  • The Bowery Case November 2, 1951 · 25 min
    Jerry Haendiges' Vintage Radio Logs lists the same title on this date.
  • The Brown Envelope Case December 7, 1951 · ABC · 30 min
    A traffic accident and a brown envelope lead Diamond to the loot from a $600,000 robbery, and he loses his pants along the way.
  • Christmas Show December 21, 1951 · ABC · 30 min
    The whole cast, in character, does Dickens's A Christmas Carol. Dick sings "Wonderful Christmas Night."
  • The Plaid Overcoat Case December 28, 1951 · ABC · 30 min
    Who's the man in the plaid overcoat, and why does he keep beating Diamond up? Dick sings "I Get Ideas."
195210 episodes
  • The Merry-Go-Round Case January 4, 1952 · ABC · 30 min
    Diamond's old friend Ben Johnson, still on the force, is shot by Smiley Brill, and the trail leads to a merry-go-round.
  • The White Cow Case January 11, 1952 · ABC · 29 min
    Diamond is hired to go to Florida for a valuable antique called the White Cow, another Maltese Falcon story.
  • The Simpson Case January 18, 1952 · ABC · 29 min
    Mrs. Simpson hires Diamond to protect her rich husband after someone shoots at him. A strange request leads to an explosion.
  • The Al Brenners Case January 25, 1952 · ABC · 30 min
    Diamond teams with an unsavory partner, Tiny Gillespie, to collect the reward on Al Brenners.
  • The Garrabaldi Case February 1, 1952 · ABC · 30 min
    A pretty face and a sad story send Diamond after Tony Garrabaldi, who can save an innocent man from the chair.
  • The Eddie Burke Case February 8, 1952 · ABC · 30 min
    The search for Eddie Burke and a set of counterfeit plates. Dick sings "How Deep Is the Ocean?"
  • The Dixon Case March 14, 1952 · ABC · 30 min
    Diamond's client wants blackmailer Louis Dixon found so he can beat him up, but there's more to it.
  • The Hank Burton Case March 21, 1952 · ABC · 30 min
    Dying jewel thief Hank Burton hires Diamond to find the girl who double-crossed him. Dick sings "Throw Another Log on the Fire."
  • Mr. Walker's Problem March 28, 1952 · ABC · 30 min
    A plumber, Mr. Walker, hires Diamond for three days at $300 and promptly gets killed. The plot owes a lot to Sherlock Holmes's Red-Headed League. Dick sings "September Song."
  • The Enigma of Big Ed April 4, 1952 · ABC · 30 min
    Big Ed hires Diamond to find out why fatal accidents keep happening at his factory. Dick sings "I Cried for You."
195310 episodes
  • The William B. Holland Case May 31, 1953 · CBS · 30 min
    Diamond and Lt. Levinson go to Bolivia to find the missing William Holland, and find a Russian agent mining pitchblende.
  • The Cover-Up Murders (1953) June 7, 1953 · CBS · 29 min
    A madman calmly calls the police to announce his next murder.
  • Missing Night Watchman June 21, 1953 · CBS · 30 min
    A jewelry company is robbed of $50,000 in gems and the night watchman is found dead. The clue is in the Buddha. Dick sings "How About You?"
  • The Rifle Case June 28, 1953 · CBS · 29 min
    German gunmaker Gustav Hayden hires Diamond to protect his new gun.
  • Lt. Levinson Kidnapped August 2, 1953 · 30 min
    Jerry Haendiges' Vintage Radio Logs lists the same title on this date.
  • The Wheat Germ Case August 9, 1953 · CBS · 30 min
    A man dies in Diamond's office with an ice pick in his back, moaning "Juice bar." Dick sings "La Vie en Rose."
  • Oklahoma Cowboy Murder Case (AFRTS) August 16, 1953 · 24 min
    Jerry Haendiges' Vintage Radio Logs lists the same title on this date.
  • The Hollywood Story August 23, 1953 · CBS · 30 min
    A beautiful blackmailer tries her luck on studio head George Harvey, and the payoff is death.
  • Big Foot Grafton Case (AFRTS) August 30, 1953 · 24 min
    Jerry Haendiges' Vintage Radio Logs lists the same title on this date.
  • Wolfe Murder Case (AFRTS) September 20, 1953 · 25 min
    Jerry Haendiges' Vintage Radio Logs lists this date as “Edna Wolf Wants to Get Nancy Fowler.”