Old Time Radio Downloads > Crime > Boston Blackie
In the golden age of radio, no other actor portrayed as convincing a "modern day Robin Hood" as Chester Morris who gave life to the character of Boston Blackie. This fictional character was created by author Jack Boyle and was originally a jewel thief. However, succeeding adaptations in both film and radio revamped the work of Boyle and Boston Blackie the detective was born. This old time radio series began airing on June 23, 1944 and continued to run on NBC network until September of the same year. Unlike other incarnations of the character, Blackie had a romantic interest in the form of Mary Wesley played by the lovely Lesley Woods. On April 11, 1945 Boston Blackie began airing on Mutual and other networks as a syndicated serialization with Richard Kollman taking on the role of Blackie. The series continued to run until October 25, 1950 and spawned over 200 old radio shows. Blackie's many exploits and misadventures led to several run-ins with his arch-rival Police Inspector Farraday who often fell vicitm to Blackie's droll wit and sometimes appallingly flat humor. This is probably the reason why in the beginning of the series, the Blackie and Farraday seemed to have a love-hate relationship. However, as Blackie managed to skillfully crack several cases, a grudging respect replaced Farraday's earlier animosity and he would often enlist Blackie's assistance in solving crimes.
