Original Airdate: May 31, 1951
The Fat Man: Order For Murder
Starring: J Scott Smart, all 237 lbs. worth
After concluding his business in Washington DC, the Fat Man is headed for the Maryland shore but runs into car trouble at night along the Potomac River somewhere near Mount Vernon. He then hitches a ride with a war veteran who harbors a grudge against his former commanding officer. Before long Brad Runyon finds himself in the middle of a riverside mystery.
The Fat Man, a popular radio show during the 1940s and early 1950s was a detective drama created by (or at least credited to) Dashiell Hammett, author of The Thin Man. The Fat Man is a detective who started out anonymous but rapidly acquired the name 'Brad Runyon'. Broadcast from the studios of WJZ in Newark, New Jersey, the series premiered on the ABC Radio Network on Monday, January 21, 1946. The program was directed by Clark Andrews, creator of Big Town, and Charles Powers. The main writer was Richard Ellington, with other scripts by Robert Sloane and Lawrence Klee.
The veteran character actor Ed Begley co-starred as Sgt. O'Hara, and the supporting cast included Betty Garde, Paul Stewart, Linda Watkins, Mary Patton as Lila North and Vicki Vola, who was also the female lead in Mr. District Attorney. Amzie Strickland played Runyon's girlfriend Cathy Evans, and Nell Harrison was Runyon's mother during the early episodes. The cast also included Dan Ocko, Rolly Bester (wife of science fiction writer Alfred Bester) and Robert Dryden. An 11-piece orchestra was directed by Bernard Green, who also wrote the program's theme. The sound effects were by Ed Blaney, and the announcers were Charles Irving and sportscaster Gene Kirby.