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The Adventures of Philip Marlowe

106 episodes · 1947–1951 · CBS, NBC · Detective

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Raymond Chandler's private eye came to NBC on June 17, 1947, with Van Heflin, as a summer replacement. Chandler called the first script "thoroughly flat." The show returned on CBS on September 26, 1948, with Gerald Mohr, produced and directed by Norman Macdonnell, and ran through September 1950, with a brief summer return in 1951. Chandler said he was moderately pleased with Mohr. It was more hard-boiled than most detective shows of its day.

Sources: The Adventures of Philip Marlowe, Wikipedia

Episodes

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19476 episodes
  • Who Shot Waldo June 12, 1947 · 24 min
    Jerry Haendiges' Vintage Radio Logs lists the same title on this date.
  • Red Wind (1947) June 17, 1947 · NBC · 31 min
    The first show, a summer replacement for Bob Hope, with Van Heflin as Marlowe: forty-one matched pearls with a diamond clasp, a good reason for murder.
  • Daring Young Dame on the Flying Trapeze July 1, 1947 · 30 min
    Jerry Haendiges' Vintage Radio Logs lists the same title on this date.
  • The King in Yellow July 8, 1947 · NBC · 30 min
    Van Heflin as Marlowe: a trumpet player known as the King is being blackmailed, and his death is only the first.
  • Trouble Is My Business August 5, 1947 · NBC · 29 min
    A man named John Arbogast is murdered, and a $50,000 blackmail scheme leads to more trouble. From Chandler's story.
  • Robin and the Hood August 19, 1947 · 30 min
19488 episodes
  • Red Wind (1948) September 26, 1948 · CBS · 30 min
    The Red Wind story again, now on CBS: dames, bullets and a double-cross.
  • The Persian Slippers October 3, 1948 · CBS · 30 min
    Marlowe tries to find a woman who left her husband and vanished.
  • The Panama Hat October 10, 1948 · CBS · 29 min
    A gambling debt, attempted murder, a kidnapping, a redheaded Dragon Lady and a man in a Panama hat.
  • Where There's a Will October 17, 1948 · CBS · 29 min
    A strange will, three strange heirs, $300,000 and a map.
  • The Heart of Gold October 24, 1948 · CBS · 30 min
    A $50 bill in advance and a heart-shaped locket lead to an apparent suicide and an old secret.
  • The Blue Burgonet October 31, 1948 · 30 min
    Jerry Haendiges' Vintage Radio Logs lists the same title on this date.
  • The Hard Way Out November 28, 1948 · CBS · 29 min
    Murder at the Quigg and Slater Construction Company, and a surprising amount of luxury on $175 a week.
  • The Good Old Acquaintance December 26, 1948 · CBS · 30 min
    An escaped convict and the two women in his life.
194944 episodes
  • The Restless Day January 8, 1949 · 30 min
    Jerry Haendiges' Vintage Radio Logs lists the same title on this date.
  • The Black Halo January 15, 1949 · CBS · 30 min
    Marlowe is hired to find the missing Julia Perry. A murder and a suicide, and a surprise ending.
  • The Orange Dog January 22, 1949 · CBS · 30 min
    Gerald Mohr as Marlowe: a strange Chinese statuette and a string of murders lead to a counterfeiter's plates.
  • The Easy Mark January 29, 1949 · 30 min
    Jerry Haendiges' Vintage Radio Logs lists the same title on this date.
  • The Long Rope February 5, 1949 · CBS · 30 min
    A man with a bad heart, a phone number on a cash register receipt and a body across town, all tied together.
  • The Lonesome Reunion February 12, 1949 · CBS · 29 min
    Marlowe goes to Lonesome, Arizona, on the trail of a bank robbery's loot.
  • The Friend from Detroit March 5, 1949 · CBS · 30 min
    Betty Pryor has disappeared, a cheap gambler has been shot dead, and a $25,000 trust is missing.
  • The Grim Hunters March 12, 1949 · CBS · 30 min
    Helen Palmer wants a private detective for her scavenger hunt, but she's been shot twice in the back.
  • The Dancing Hands March 19, 1949 · CBS · 30 min
    Identical twins play twin pianos but don't act alike. $30,000 and a body.
  • The Green Flame March 26, 1949 · CBS · 29 min
    Murder and attempted blackmail around a Hollywood gossip.
  • The Last Laugh April 2, 1949 · CBS · 29 min
    A weekend on Catalina for the reading of Julius Spangler's will. He cuts everyone out, and attends the reading himself.
  • The Name to Remember April 9, 1949 · CBS · 29 min
    Eddie Mallet is being followed by a muscleman in a T-shirt. Marlowe is hired to find out why, but not in time to save Eddie.
  • The Heat Wave April 16, 1949 · CBS · 30 min
    Marlowe is hired to find out why a burlesque dancer called the Heat Wave performs in a golden mask.
  • The Cloak of Kamehameha (1949) April 23, 1949 · CBS · 30 min
    In Hawaii, on the trail of a famous historic relic, Marlowe finds murder, including a dead "Philip Marlowe" in a lily pond. It ends on the Pali of Oahu.
  • The Lady in Mink April 30, 1949 · CBS · 30 min
    A mixed-up girl, her mixed-up life and her very strange sister.
  • The Feminine Touch May 7, 1949 · CBS · 30 min
    Murder on a motorcycle, as Marlowe works for a millionaire protecting his daughter.
  • The Promise to Pay May 14, 1949 · CBS · 30 min
    A burned gambling marker and a bet on blackmail.
  • Night Tide May 21, 1949 · CBS · 31 min
    Fishing-boat owner Mike Basso is beaten up by Johnny Dyke, just out after three years for stealing Basso's money. Murder follows.
  • The Ebony Link May 28, 1949 · CBS · 30 min
    Marlowe is hired to end a blackmail plot, and a gray sedan and a black cuff link lead to murder.
  • The Unfair Lady June 4, 1949 · CBS · 30 min
    Marlowe goes after a thief at a Mexican diamond mine.
  • The Pigeon's Blood June 11, 1949 · CBS · 30 min
    Thirty rubies are missing, and murder isn't.
  • The Busy Body June 18, 1949 · CBS · 30 min
    A corpse that keeps moving, and a nosy neighbor who helps crack the case.
  • The Key Man June 25, 1949 · CBS · 30 min
    Marlowe fails to keep a man from being killed. In waddles the Hippo, who laughs even with a gun in his hand, and Marlowe is shot.
  • The Dude from Manhattan July 2, 1949 · CBS · 29 min
    Murder by horseshoe at a dude ranch, with blackmail, silks and emeralds.
  • The Headless Peacock July 16, 1949 · CBS · 30 min
    A strange piece of jewelry, strangely tied to the local racetrack.
  • Mexican Boat Ride July 30, 1949 · CBS · 29 min
    A girl who hated the water takes a boat ride in Mexico.
  • The August Lion August 6, 1949 · CBS · 30 min
    A former forger, now an accountant, leaves a beautiful body on Marlowe's bed and begs for help.
  • The Indian Giver August 13, 1949 · CBS · 30 min
    A valuable Native American bowl is stolen and Jimmy Brown Bear is murdered.
  • The Lady Killer August 20, 1949 · CBS · 30 min
    A handsome composer is murdered, and a velvet matchbook leads Marlowe to a blackmailer and a killer.
  • The Eager Witness August 27, 1949 · CBS · 30 min
    A witness at a murder trial seems a little too eager to testify, and Marlowe goes after the real killer.
  • The Bum's Rush September 3, 1949 · CBS · 30 min
    Marlowe is hired to find an old man, and finds murder instead.
  • The Rustin Hickory September 10, 1949 · CBS · 30 min
    A teacher from Ferndale, Nebraska, is in big trouble, and a photo helps clear it up.
  • The Baton Sinister September 17, 1949 · CBS · 30 min
    A fifteenth-century tapestry and the murder of a man with half a face.
  • The Fatted Calf September 24, 1949 · CBS · 30 min
    A cartoonist is murdered, and it's no laughing matter.
  • The Tale of the Mermaid October 1, 1949 · CBS · 30 min
    A traffic accident outside Marlowe's office leads to a waterfront murder and a "mermaid."
  • The Open Window October 8, 1949 · CBS · 30 min
    A beautiful girl with amnesia visits Marlowe and is pushed out the window.
  • The Strangle Hold October 15, 1949 · 30 min
    Jerry Haendiges' Vintage Radio Logs lists the same title on this date.
  • The Smokeout October 22, 1949 · 29 min
    Jerry Haendiges' Vintage Radio Logs lists the same title on this date.
  • The Green Witch October 29, 1949 · 29 min
    Jerry Haendiges' Vintage Radio Logs lists the same title on this date.
  • The Fine Italian Hand November 5, 1949 · 30 min
    Jerry Haendiges' Vintage Radio Logs lists the same title on this date.
  • The Birds on the Wing November 26, 1949 · CBS · 29 min
    A parachute act on the midway ends in death when a chute fails to open. Gracie Allen drops in to ask Marlowe to help get George Burns a radio show.
  • The Kid on the Corner December 3, 1949 · CBS · 29 min
    Marlowe helps a newsboy find his missing uncle, and turns up a murder.
  • The Little Wishbone December 10, 1949 · 30 min
    Jerry Haendiges' Vintage Radio Logs lists the same title on this date.
  • The House that Jacqueline Built v. 2 December 31, 1949 · 30 min
    Jerry Haendiges' Vintage Radio Logs lists the same title on this date.
195038 episodes
  • The Torch Carriers January 7, 1950 · CBS · 31 min
    Marlowe tracks a loan shark and finds a lonely gangster, several of them.
  • The Covered Bridge January 14, 1950 · CBS · 31 min
    Being taken to Mexico against his will, Marlowe comes on an escaped convict hiding in a deserted farmhouse.
  • The Bid for Freedom January 21, 1950 · CBS · 30 min
    A madwoman escapes from an asylum and leads Marlowe on a trail of murder.
  • The Hairpin Turn January 28, 1950 · CBS · 30 min
    A champion sharpshooter and a body shot dead center with a target pistol.
  • The Long Arm February 7, 1950 · CBS · 30 min
    Marlowe reluctantly goes back to Bay City to clear a friend accused of murder.
  • The Grim Echo February 14, 1950 · CBS · 30 min
    Caught in a snowstorm, Marlowe takes shelter at an inn run by the family of a man he recently shot dead.
  • The Ladies' Night February 21, 1950 · CBS · 30 min
    Ladies' night at a Turkish bath leads to murder and blackmail.
  • The Big Step February 28, 1950 · CBS · 30 min
    A woman chemist and a downtown traffic accident lead to a deathbed confession and an industrial theft.
  • The Monkey's Uncle March 7, 1950 · CBS · 29 min
    A killer chimpanzee. Gerald Mohr is named best actor in radio.
  • The Vital Statistic March 14, 1950 · CBS · 29 min
    A woman silk merchant is strangled with a pajama sash. Watch out for the tough lady in slacks.
  • The Deep Shadow March 21, 1950 · CBS · 29 min
    A vanishing bride leads to a nightclub murder, $50,000 and a double-cross.
  • The Sword of Cebu March 28, 1950 · CBS · 29 min
    A missing sword turns up in a Romanian's back, and an albino Siamese cat points to what it's really worth.
  • The Man on the Roof April 4, 1950 · CBS · 29 min
    A young man is trapped on a roof as police close in. Marlowe tells the story in flashback before trying to talk him down.
  • The Anniversary Gift April 11, 1950 · CBS · 29 min
    Marlowe is hired to get back a valuable platinum watch. William Conrad plays Marlowe, the only known show with him in the lead.
  • The Angry Eagle April 18, 1950 · CBS · 30 min
    Murder at a prizefighter's training camp.
  • The High Collared Cape April 25, 1950 · CBS · 30 min
    A ballerina asks Marlowe for help and dances to the tune of murder.
  • The Sea Horse Jockey May 2, 1950 · CBS · 30 min
    A $50,000 brooch is stolen, two people are murdered, and Marlowe looks for the guilty on the waterfront.
  • The Hiding Place May 9, 1950 · CBS · 30 min
    Marlowe is hired to find Chip O'Brien, and the trail leads to $110,000 in stolen jewelry and a big wheel.
  • The Cloak of Kamehameha (1950) May 16, 1950 · CBS · 30 min
    Two Philip Marlowes in Honolulu are after a valuable historic cloak, and one is found dead in a lily pond with a knife in his back.
  • The Fox's Tail May 23, 1950 · CBS · 30 min
    A man has evidence against a gangster, but he doesn't live to deliver it.
  • The Bedside Manners May 30, 1950 · CBS · 30 min
    Maynard Patterson has lost $50,000 to Mr. Fish, and Marlowe works the case without leaving his bed, laid up with a broken leg.
  • The Uneasy Head June 6, 1950 · CBS · 30 min
    Looking for second-story man Sammy Archer, Marlowe is slipped a mickey. A jeweled tiara is stolen, and a double-cross follows.
  • The Face to Forget June 14, 1950 · CBS · 29 min
    Marlowe tails David Stroud on a train to San Francisco. A body comes along, and the ride ends when Marlowe has to jump.
  • The Gold Cobra June 21, 1950 · CBS · 30 min
    Roth Winkman, a character out of Dickens, hires Marlowe to deliver a gold cobra to Chicago, and a real snake adds some bite.
  • The Pelican's Roost June 28, 1950 · CBS · 29 min
    Lynn Russell hires Marlowe though she looks like a killer. A body with an ice pick in the neck, and mascara on a blonde.
  • The Girl from Pitchfork Corners July 5, 1950 · CBS · 30 min
    Donna Rawlings hires Marlowe to see Arnold Lattimore gets where he's going. Then Donna turns up dead, and a lovesick girl from Kansas complicates things.
  • The Iron Coffin July 12, 1950 · CBS · 30 min
    At a sixteenth-century Spanish castle in Northern California, Marlowe takes on the ghost of Peter the Cruel, who lives in an eight-foot iron coffin.
  • The Last Wish July 19, 1950 · CBS · 30 min
    A dying old man hires Marlowe to find his son, Jack Schiller. Not as easy as it sounds.
  • The Glass Donkey July 28, 1950 · CBS · 30 min
    Who shot Helen Massey? And what about the glass donkey, made in Mexico and sold at the Tijuana track?
  • The Parrot's Bed August 4, 1950 · 25 min
    Jerry Haendiges' Vintage Radio Logs lists the same title on this date.
  • The Quiet Magpie August 11, 1950 · CBS · 30 min
    Vincent Calloway is on trial for killing his father. Marlowe thinks he didn't, and digs up blackmail.
  • The Dark Tunnel August 18, 1950 · CBS · 30 min
    A man beaten in an alley, a beautiful girl and a disfiguring fire.
  • The Collector's Item August 25, 1950 · CBS · 30 min
    An 1864 Confederate half dollar, worth $37,000, is the only clue to the murder of Leon Reati.
  • The Soft Spot September 1, 1950 · CBS · 29 min
    An old man dead in a flophouse, a drunk who carves wood, a fallen woman with an eye for gold lockets and an informer lead Marlowe to a killer's soft spot.
  • The Fifth Mask September 8, 1950 · CBS · 29 min
    Five masks: greed, cowardice, cruelty, deceit, and the fifth, which uncovers the killer.
  • The Final Payment September 15, 1950 · CBS · 29 min
    A little man tries to run Marlowe down, a giant nearly kills him in a warehouse and a treacherous blonde almost buries him at sea, all for a client who can't pay a cent.
  • The White Carnation September 22, 1950 · CBS · 29 min
    A body in a flower shop, a gypsy who reads her fortune in dollar signs and a fight by a crowded merry-go-round, because a man forgot one white carnation.
  • The Big Book September 29, 1950 · CBS · 29 min
    A skid-row suicide turns out to be murder, and it all leads back to a woman who kept her whole life in a big leather book.
195110 episodes
  • A Seaside Sabbatical July 7, 1951 · CBS · 29 min
    Marlowe goes to Long Beach and finds a shooting gallery and murder.
  • Dear Dead Days July 14, 1951 · CBS · 29 min
    Marlowe's quiet day at home ends with a gun in his ribs, over an old lady taken for a new kind of ride.
  • Life Can Be Murder July 21, 1951 · CBS · 29 min
    Marlowe meets Marney Carr in a bar, and when she disappears, he's in a murder case.
  • The Good Neighbor Policy July 28, 1951 · CBS · 30 min
    Crossed wires on Marlowe's party line lead to murder, a robber and the Los Angeles library.
  • The Long Way Home August 4, 1951 · CBS · 30 min
    Marlowe looks into the disappearance of Amy Harper.
  • The Young Man's Fancy August 18, 1951 · CBS · 30 min
    A hot day and a visit to a Yugoslav-American friend's fruit stand bring Marlowe up against a young man with a problem.
  • Heir for G-String August 25, 1951 · CBS · 30 min
    A startled corpse, a blue-eyed woman, and a cryptic message from a dying man: pieces of a Chinese puzzle that don't fit, until Marlowe learns what's deadly about the orange dog.
  • Nether-Nether Land September 1, 1951 · CBS · 29 min
  • The Medium Was Rare September 8, 1951 · CBS · 29 min
  • The Sound and the Unsound September 15, 1951 · CBS · 29 min
    The last show of the series. A strange tapping leads Marlowe to a shooting. What is everyone looking for?