Old Time Radio Downloads > Crime > Barrie Craig

Barrie Craig, Confidential Investigator was an old time radio detective series that was produced and aired from New York in 1951 - 1954.  This crime series followed the life of Barry Craig, who was portrayed by actor William Gargan.  Gargan played the New York City private eye so well that the program continued its airing in Hollywood from 1954 - 1955.  Craig ran his operation from his office in Madison Avenue. He solved crimes, relentlessly pursued criminals, and was not above taking odd jobs. Whereas majority of the investigative themed old radio shows featured no-nonsense and hard-boiled detectives, Barrie Craig poked fun at the traditional local private eye with his laid-back and easy-going manner.  

Entertain yourself with the mysterious cases of Barrie Craig, Confidential Investigator!

 

 

 

 

Barrie-Craig

Please enjoy these old time radio shows:

Air Date Title Synopsis
 1951-10-17  Judge And Champ

NBC net. Sustaining. Al White, a crusading columnist, is murdered after threatening to expose a fixed fight and political corruption. William Gargan, Santos Ortega, Don Pardo (announcer), Frank Kane (writer), Edward King (director).

 1951-10-24  Microfilm In Fish Tank

+ NBC net. Sustaining. Arson in a tailor shop leads Barrie Craig to the clues needed to break a vicious protection racket. William Gargan, Ernest Kinoy (writer), Santos Ortega, Don Pardo (announcer).

 1951-10-31  Corpse On Delivery

+ NBC net. "Corpse On Delivery". Sustaining. Joey Florio has jumped bail and Barrie Craig has been hired to find him. A corpse slows down the search. Amzie Strickland, Don Pardo (announcer), Himan Brown (director), John Roeburt (writer), William Gargan. 

 1951-11-07  Case Of Borrowed Knife

+ NBC net. "The Case Of The Borrowed Wife". Sustaining. A corpse with a knife in his back follows a damsel in distress into Craig's office. Don Pardo (announcer), Elspeth Eric, Himan Brown (director), Louis Vittes (writer), Parker Fennelly, William Gargan. 

 1951-11-14  Dead On Arrival

+ NBC net. "Dead On Arrival". Sustaining. The George Washington Diary in an old clock leads to a lunatic and murder. Arlene Blackburn, Don Pardo (announcer), Himan Brown (director), John Roeburt (writer), William Gargan

 1951-11-21  Murder In Wax

+ NBC net. "Murder In Wax". Sustaining. A bloody parrot leads to the corpse of Vincent Lorimer, and a wax museum that seems to be able to foretell the future! Don Pardo (announcer), Himan Brown (director), Joan Alexander, John Roeburt (writer), William Gargan.

 1951-11-28  Case Of Naughty Necklace

+ NBC net. "The Case Of The Naughty Necklace". Sustaining. Craig is given $5000 to buy a pearl necklace from Wendy Harper. William Gargan, Himan Brown (director), Don Pardo (announcer), Louis Vittes (writer), Barbara Weeks.

 1951-12-05  Paper Bullets

+ NBC net. "The Paper Bullets". Sponsored by: Pontiac. Mrs. Cora Talbot wants help in finding her husband. A publisher named Hillary Grayson, ran a $50,000 contest for novelists, the prize-winning manuscript was been stolen. Which case will Barrie take? The one that pays $2000! William Gargan, Himan Brown (director), Don Pardo (announcer), John Roeburt (writer), Barbara Weeks.

 1951-12-12  Death And Purple Cow

+ NBC net. "Death and The Purple Cow". Sustaining. A man with a gun orders Barrie Craig not to accept a new client. The gunman is himself shot after Barrie throws a cup of coffee in his face. William Gargan, Himan Brown (director), Don Pardo (announcer), John Gibson, Louis Vittes (writer).

 1951-12-19  Ghost Of A Chance

+ NBC net. "Ghost Of A Chance". Sustaining. "A man comes back from the dead to haunt a wife whose been dead amost as long as he has; in an insurance scheme that almost, but not quite cancels out (Barrie Craig)." Don Pardo (announcer), John Roeburt (writer), William Gargan, Fran Carlon, Himan Brown (director).

 1951-12-26  Song Of Death

+ NBC net. "Song Of Death". Sustaining. "(Barry) rescues a young lady from a fate worse than drowning, and (he) meets a crack-brained song writer whose death lyrics are, 'Murder.'" William Gargan, Himan Brown (director), Don Pardo (announcer), Amzie Strickland, John Roeburt (writer).

 1952-01-02  Death Of A Private Eye

+ NBC net. "Death Of A Private Eye". Sustaining. "(Barrie) is hired to help a man pay a visit, but discovers instead that (the) visitor has a visitor first, death!" William Gargan, Himan Brown (director), Don Pardo (announcer), Louis Vittes (writer), Fran Carlon.

 1952-01-09  Murder Island

+ NBC net. "Murder Island". Sustaining. "(Barry) meets a burlesque queen with a knack for unveiling corpses, a lawyer who is his own worst argument and a gun-toting client who throws (him) a shroud for a fee." William Gargan, John Roeburt (writer), Elspeth Eric, Himan Brown (director), Don Pardo (announcer). 

 1952-01-16  Fatal Appointment

+ NBC net. "Fatal Appointment". Sustaining. "A beautiful girl dies in a hotel room, a man gives all for love and an appointment for romance winds up in a rendezvous with death." William Gargan, Lou Vickert (? writer), Joan Alexander, Himan Brown (director), Don Pardo (announcer). 

 1952-02-06  Diary Of Death

+ NBC net. "Diary Of Death". Sustaining. "Murder counts to a bloody tree as two pieces of a treasure map which could lead to a great fortune only leads to greater misfortune." William Gargan, John Roeburt (writer), Luis Van Rooten, Himan Brown (director), Don Pardo (announcer).

 1952-02-13  A Time To Kill

+ NBC net. "A Time To Kill". Sustaining. "I have a wow of a time in the kindergarten as a whimsical corpse insists on playing 'hide and go seek.'" William Gargan, John Roeburt (writer), Arlene Blackburn, Himan Brown, Don Pardo (announcer).

 1952-10-15  Dead Loss

+ NBC net. "Dead Loss". Sustaining. "A man comes to visit me six months after he's buried, a lady dies long after she's dead, and a beautiful young girl...does what?" William Gargan, Louis Vittes (writer), Fran Carlon, Himan Brown (director), Don Pardo (announcer). 

 1953-02-15  Girl On Doorstep

+ NBC net. "The Girl On The Doorstep". Sponsored by: Bromo Seltzer. "I wonder if murderers, like other people, worry about their income taxes. When they make a killing, for example, do they always report it, or do they just their list victims under 'buried assets'?" William Gargan, Louis Vittes (writer), Carl Caruso (announcer).

 1953-03-01  Behold A Corpse

+ NBC net. "The Wholed Corpse". Sponsored by: Bromo Seltzer. "There's a familiar saying which goes...give a rogue enough rope and he'll hang himself. The theory holds fine except in one instance, what if the chap doling out the rope happens to be the hangman?" William Gargan, John Roeburt (writer), Barbara Weeks, Carl Caruso (announcer)

 1954-07-06  Tough Guy

+ NBC net. "The Tough Guy". Sustaining. Barrie joins in the search for a missing $30,000 in stolen loot. The system cue has been deleted. Lawrence Dobkin, John Roeburt (writer), Arthur Jacobson (director), Edward King (announcer), William Gargan, Charlotte Lawrence, Shepard Menken. 

 1954-07-13  Murder By Error

+ NBC net. "Murder By Error". Sustaining. The husband of a beautiful woman is being blackmailed for $10,000 by a strange looking midget. The case soon leads to diamond smuggling and murder! The system cue has been deleted. Arthur Jacobson (director), Edward King (announcer), Herb Vigran, William Gargan, John Roeburt (writer), Jeanne Bates, Herb Ellis, Hal Gerard, Julie Bennett.

 1954-07-27  Death Buys A Bedroom

+ NBC net. "Death Buys A Bedroom". Sustaining. Enroute to a vacation in the mountains, Barrie meets a beautiful girl, a mysterious body and a dead man aboard the train. Byron Kane, William Gargan, Betty Lou Gerson, Jack Moyles, Lou Krugman, Victor Rodman, John Roeburt (writer), Arthur Jacobson (director), Edward King (announcer).

 1954-08-03  For Love Of Murder

+ NBC net. "For Love Of Murder". Sustaining. Barrie bails out ofjail a Damon Runyon type. He turns out to be broken-hearted and possibly a murderer. William Gargan, Barney Phillips, Herb Ellis, Tom McKee, Barbara Fuller, Gloria Ann Simpson, John Roeburt (writer), Edward King (announcer), Arthur Jacobson (director).

 1954-08-10  Deaths Bargain Basement

+ NBC net. "Death's Bargain Basement". Sustaining. "A jail cell built for two becomes a honeymooner's cottage, where a prisoner of love squares a triangle by simply eliminating the complications." Templeton Fox, Hillary Hall, Rye Billsbury, Olan Soule, John Stevenson, Edward King (announcer), Louis Vittes (writer), William Gargan, Arthur Jacobson (director).

 1954-08-17  MidSummer Lunacy

+ NBC net. "Mid-Summer Lunacy". Sustaining. Barrie is hired by a beautiful blonde to check out her fiance named Stewart Stone. He doesn't exist...but neither does the blonde! Intrigue at Jubilee Villa, a summer resort. George Neise, Alice Backes, Tony Barrett, Herb Ellis, John Roeburt (writer), Edward King (announcer), Arthur Jacobson (director), William Gargan, Hillary Hall.

 1954-08-24  Blood Money

+ NBC net. "Blood Money". Sustaining. A fellow investigator asks Barrie to help him find Anatole Barber, a missing rug dealer. Barrie finds him...murdered! Marvin Miller, Betty Lou Gerson, Jack Moyles, Paul Richards, John Laing (announcer), John Roeburt (writer), Arthur Jacobson (director), William Gargan, James Nusser. 

 1954-08-31  Hay Is For Homicide

+ NBC net. "Hay Is For Murder" ("Homicide" ?). Sustaining. While on vacation in Maine, Barrie comes upon a corpse in a mound of hay. William Gargan, Parley Baer, Jack Moyles, Joyce McCluskey, Vivi Janis, Louis Vittes (writer), Arthur Jacobson (director), John Laing (announcer).

 1954-09-07  Ghosts Dont Die In Bed

+ NBC net. "Ghosts Don't Die In Bed". Sustaining. A strange house on a stormy night, and a corpse in the library. The corpse is from an eighty year old murder! The last show of the season. William Gargan, Betty Lou Gerson, Virginia Gregg, Jack Moyles, Charlie Lung, Louis Vittes (writer), Arthur Jacobson (director), John Laing (announcer).

 1954-11-07  Life Line

+ NBC net. "Lifeline". Sustaining. "The chap who goes from his bed to the parlor isn't always enjoying the comforts of home." Arthur Jacobson (director), William Gargan, John Roeburt (writer), Vivi Janis, Lee Miller, Marvin Miller, Edward King (announcer). 

 1954-11-21  Sneak Assassin

+ NBC net. "The Sneak Assassin". Sustaining. "If you hear a guy called 'The Deep Type,' it might be more a matter of geography than mentality. How deep is his grave?" William Gargan, John Roeburt (writer), Arthur Jacobson (director), Parley Baer, Herb Ellis, Betty Lou Gerson, Marvin Miller, Joe Cranston, Edward King (announcer).

 1954-12-19  Dead Bull In A China Shop

+ NBC net. "Dead Bull In A China Shop". Sustaining. "Murder as a steady occupation has its handicaps; the hours are irregular, the conditions under which you work aren't always ideal, and there's no Social Security. Of course, the pay is high, but so are the gallows from which, sooner or later, they'll hang you!" William Gargan, Louis Vittes (writer), Arthur Jacobson (director), Herb Vigran, Betty Lou Gerson, Paul Dubov, Lou Krugman, Joe Forte. 

 1955-01-05  Angel Of Death

+ NBC net. "Angel Of Death". Sustaining. "It's O. K. to cut a competitor down a few notches, but never cut him six feet lower than the soles of his feet! That's no longer fair competition, folks, that's murder! William Gargan, John Roeburt (writer), Arthur Jacobson (director), Paul Dubov, Betty Lou Gerson, Jack Carroll, Jack Moyles, John Laing (announcer).

 1955-02-09  Nobody Lives Re Anymore

+ NBC net. "Nobody Lives There Any More". Sustaining. "One nice thing about being a murderer, you don't have to worry about being included in the old age pension fund...you're not going to have an old age." The program opening is slightly upcut. William Gargan, Louis Vittes (writer), Andrew C. Love (director), Jerry Hausner, Joan Banks, Stanley Farrar, Doris Singleton.

 1955-02-16  Moving Target

+ NBC net. "The Moving Target". Sustaining. A high-flying globe trotter finds that sheer elbow room is no insurance for survival when a felonious blonde makes a passionate effort to bring him down to earth...realy deep down, that is." William Gargan, John Roeburt (writer), Howard McNear, Andrew C. Love (director), Lynn Allen, Jerry Hausner.

 1955-03-02  Sweet Larceny

+ NBC net. "Sweet Larceny". Sustaining. "Excercise can be beneficial or it can kill you. One guy I know walked himself to death, but still it figured, seeing as the walk he took was 'the last mile'." William Gargan, John Roeburt (writer), Andrew C. Love (director), Edith Terry, Lou Krugman, Jan Arlen, Jonathan Hole.

 1955-03-09  Corpse On Town

+ NBC net. "Corpse On The Town". Sustaining. A dishonest Broadway producer is saved by marrying his main investor. The new Mrs. Stanton Bishop is found dead almost immediately thereafter...with a broken neck! Frank Gerstle, Vivi Janis, William Gargan, Parley Baer, Joe Forte, John Roeburt (writer), Andrew C. Love (director).

 1955-03-30  Never Murder A Mummy

+ NBC net. "Never Murder A Mummy". Sustaining. "The trouble with leading a life of crime is that you can never rest on your laurels. What you usually wind up resting on is a prison cot." Andrew C. Love (director), Jonathan Hole, Vivi Janis, James Nusser, Henry Hunter, Howard Culver, William Gargan, Louis Vittes (writer).

 1955-05-05  Confession Of Murder

+ NBC net. "Confession Of Murder". Sustaining. "A lady killer is sometimes the worst dressed guy around. How much of a figure can he cut...in prison dress?" William Gargan, John Roeburt (writer), Andrew C. Love (director), Jack Edwards, Barney Phillips, Jane Webb, Noreen Gammill, Stanley Farrar, Paul Richards. 

 1955-05-12  Visitor At Midnight

+ NBC net. "Visitor At Midnight". Sustaining. "It never pays to be friendly with murderers. Give them an inch and they'll take a yard...usually a rope tied around your throat and tied to the nearest rafter." William Gargan, Louis Vittes (writer), Andrew C. Love (director), Ken Christy, Kay Stewart, Jack Carroll, Byron Kane, Jack Kruschen.

Other Crime Shows you may enjoy:

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