Murder by Experts (radio series)

Murder by Experts is an American mystery-detective dramatic radio series that was on the Mutual Broadcasting System from June 18, 1949, to December 17, 1951.[1] The show was recognized as Best Mystery Radio Program in 1950.

Overview

Author John Dickson Carr was the initial host of Murder by Experts. In each episode he introduced "a mystery chosen as outstanding for the week".[2] Brett Halliday became the host later in the series.[3] Each episode included a well-known author as the "guest expert", introducing one of his or her favorite mystery stories.[4][5] These included Dorothy Salisbury Davis,[6] Hugh Pentecost,[7] and Frank Gruber.[4]

Episodes

Partial List of Episodes of Murder by Experts
DateStoryAuthor
July 18, 1949"The Creeper"Joe Russell[8]
July 25, 1949"The Big Money"Andrew Phillips[9]
August 1, 1949"Five Bullets for Baldwin"[10]—
August 15, 1949"Dig Your Own Grave"[11]—
August 22, 1949"Heavy Hangs the Head"[12]—
August 29, 1949"It's Luck That Counts"[13]—
September 5, 1949"Return Trip"[14]—
September 12, 1949"I Dreamed I Died"Joseph Ruscoll[15]
March 13, 1950"The Four Fatal Jugglers"Paul Monash[16]
July 24, 1950"The Third Witness"Joseph Ruscoll[17]
August 7, 1950"With Malice Toward One"[18]—
October 3, 1950"A Hard Bargain"[19][20]Jane Speed[21][a]
January 15, 1951"All Damages Covered"[25]—
January 22, 1951"Solo Performance"[26]—
January 29, 1951"The Affair At Stony Ridge"[27]—
February 12, 1951"Deadly Nuisance"[28]—
February 19, 1951"Nightmare"Daniel Papish[29]
March 5, 1951"Package for Emily"[30]—
March 12, 1951"Drop Dead"[31]—
March 19, 1951"Death Rings Down the Curtain"[32]—
March 26, 1951"The Amazing Gabel"George and Gertrude Fass[33]
April 2, 1951"Blind-man's Bluff"[34]—
April 16, 1951"The Silent City"Gilbert Thomas[35]
April 23, 1951"Your Devoted Wife"[36]—
April 30, 1951"The Dead Can't Testify"[37]—
May 21, 1951"Filler to Adventure"[38]—
June 4, 1951"Dark Moon"John W. Hart[39]
June 11, 1951"Reluctant Witness"Budd Lesser[40]
July 23, 1951"Two Birds With One Stone"[6]—
September 10, 1951"My Silent Companions"[41]—
October 1, 1951"The Lonely Road"[42]—
October 22, 1951"Killer at Large"[43]—
October 29, 1951"The Intruder"[44]—
November 26, 1951"What's In It For Me?"[45]—

Production

Phil Tonkin was the announcer, and Emerson Buckley provided music.[46] Bob Arthur and Dave Kogan adapted the stories for radio[2] and produced the series.[47] The program was sustaining.[48] Murder by Experts was the third in a two-hour series of four mystery programs, part of the block programming approach that was used by Mutual then. Straight Arrow began the block at 8 p.m. Eastern Time, with The Affairs of Peter Salem following immediately. Secret Missions concluded the block.[49]

Critical response

A review of the premiere episode in the trade publication Variety called Murder by Experts "a slick moderately-budged whodunit with good scripting and production values".[7] It said that Carr "brought a warm, informal manner to the role of host."[7]

Recognition

In 1950 the program received the Edgar Award for Best Mystery Radio Program from the Mystery Writers of America organization.[47] The award was presented on the show's April 24, 1950, broadcast.[3] It and The Mysterious Traveler were runners-up in the same category in 1951.[50]

Notes

  1. ↑ Although the initial November 1947 "Hard Bargain" purchase had been made by CBS for use on Suspense,[22] Speed had the misfortune of making that sale just as CBS was in flux, facing what seemed imminent cancellation.[23] Their solution unfortunately entailed expansion of the program's running time to sixty minutes (implemented January 1948, abandoned just over six months later);[24] hence, the network's "HB" Plan B, shifting Speed's script to its long-running, otherwise comparable, but still half-hour-sized crime series, The Whistler.

References

  1. ↑ Dunning, John (1998). On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio (Revised ed.). New York, NY: Oxford University Press. p. 470. ISBN 978-0-19-507678-3.
  2. 1 2 Aitchison, Marion (June 13, 1949). "Lone Ranger on WQAM; Murder by Experts Due". The Miami Herald. p. 14 B. Retrieved March 19, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. 1 2 Urban, Joe (April 14, 1950). "'Murder by Experts' Gets Award From Poe Group". Janesville Daily Gazette. p. 8. Retrieved March 20, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. 1 2 Garlington, S.W. (August 27, 1949). "AMUSEMENT ROW: 'Lady Day,' 'Satchmo' and the 'Hucklebuck' Help to Make This Week's Amusement Headlines; How Luck Counts!". New York Amsterdam News. p. 20. ProQuest 225926177. Bum: 'Hey, Mister, gotta nckel fer a cup of coffee?' Stranger: 'No, but I got $75,000 you can hold for me until I need it.' Bum: 'Crmmmpfffflbdug - - -' Stranger: 'Hey, somebody throw some water on the bum!' Which brings us to the point of all this, a chilling dramatization titled 'It's LuckThat Counts.' It will be aired on the Monday, Aug. 29 broadcast of Mutual's 'Murder by Experts' feature (9 to 9:30 p. m.). Your host: John Dickson Carr. The guest expert for the evening: Frank Gruber, Hollywood chill-film writer.
  5. ↑ "Radio Roundup". The Honolulu Advertiser. September 11, 1949. p. 8. Retrieved March 20, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. 1 2 "Murder by Experts". The Courier-Post. Missouri, Hannibal. July 23, 1951. p. 2. Retrieved March 27, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. 1 2 3 "Murder by Experts". Variety. June 22, 1949. p. 32.
  8. ↑ "Air Waves Over Vincennes". Vincennes Sun-Commercial. July 17, 1949. p. 5. Retrieved March 20, 2026.
  9. ↑ "Air Salute to Tin Pan Alley". Rockford Register - Republic. July 25, 1949. p. 24. Retrieved March 20, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ↑ "Drama". Wisconsin State Journal. Wisconsin, Madison. August 1, 1949. p. 16. Retrieved March 20, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ↑ Aitchison, Marion (August 15, 1949). "Ethel Barrymore Tribute Lists Prominent Figures". The Miami Herald. Retrieved March 20, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ↑ "Listeners' Choice". Chicago Daily Tribune. August 22, 1949. p. Part 3, page 5. Retrieved March 20, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ↑ "Tonight's Tunings". Akron Beacon Journal. August 29, 1949. p. 9. Retrieved March 20, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ↑ "TODAY'S RADIO FM-TV: In the Spotlight". Evening Couier. September 5, 1949. p. 10. ProQuest 2861772127. 9:00 P.M.-WIP-Murder by Experts, mystery drama. 'Return Trip'
  15. ↑ "DOWN RADIO ROW: Radio Industry Set for Fight". St. Petersburg Times. September 12, 1949. p. 38. ProQuest 2034844869. JOSEPH RUSCOLL'S mystery drama, 'I Dreamed I Died,' has been selected for presentation on WTSP's 'Murder by Experts' program tonight at 9.
  16. ↑ Urban, Joe (March 13, 1950). "High Drama Offered in Two Mysteries on WCLO Tonight". Janesville Daily Gazette. p. 8. Retrieved March 20, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ↑ Leyden, Louise (July 24, 1950). "RADIO and TV". The Miami News. p. 5-B. Retrieved April 6, 2026 – via Newspapers.com. MURDER BY EXPERTS (WKAT 9)—Joseph Ruscoll's suspenseful story, 'The Third Witness.'
  18. ↑ "Murder by Experts". The Miami News. August 7, 1950. p. 8. Retrieved March 28, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ↑ "Succumbs". Janesville Daily Gazette. October 3, 1950. p. 12. Retrieved April 5, 2026 – via Newspapers.com. The story of a wealthy spinster who finally succumbed to romance and married a young teacher only to kill him after four month of wedded bliss will be dramatically related during 'Murder by Experts,' on WCLO-MBS at 8 tonight. When the newly married woman became ill, she immediately suspected her husband of trying to kill her for her money. SHe took care of that threat via the murder route only to discover that she drove 'A Hard Bargain' too far.
  20. ↑ "kglo – CBS". Globe-Gazette. October 3, 1950. p. 2. Retrieved April 5, 2026 – via Newspapers.com. A small doubt, fed by continuing uncertainty, grows into suspicion as lethal as poison in the mind of a criminal who is unmasked in 'Hard Bargain.'
  21. ↑ Offineer, Bee (October 18, 1947). "Bee's Bits". The Akron Beacon Journal. p. 10. Retrieved April 5, 2026 – via Newspapers.com. Jane Speed, the former Jane Krisher, wrote 'The Perfect Wife,' performed by Spring Byington and Ralph Morgan. Mrs. Speed has had another script accepted, this time by "Suspense.' It is titled 'The Hard Bargain' and has not been scheduled for broadcast yet.
  22. ↑ Offiner, Bee (November 3, 1947). "Around the Dial: Air Town Meeting from Germany; All-Star Cast Subs for Bob Hope On NBC; Bee's Bits". The Akron Beacon Journal. p. 10. "A former Akronite was the author of the 'Family Theater' script, aired on Saturday over WHKK. Jane Speed, the former Jane Krisher, wrote 'The Perfect Wife,' performed by Spring Byington and Ralph Morgan. Mrs. Speed has had another script accepted, this time by 'Suspense.' It is titled 'The Hard Bargain' and has not been scheduled for broadcast yet."
  23. ↑ "Last Vino Rites". Variety. October 22, 1947. p. 29. ProQuest 1285909139. The suspense is about over for 'Suspense,' Roma Wine's psychological chiller on CBS. Show finally fades on Nov. 20. Schenley and its wine subsids favor a divorce. [...] The makes two Biow whodunits on the cancellation block.
  24. ↑ Grams Jr., Martin L. (2000). Radio Drama: A Comprehensice Chronicle of American Network Programs, 1932 – 1962. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company. p. 456. ISBN 978-0-7864-3871-6. "Roma Wines became the first sponsor of the series, beginning in December of 1943. On November 20, 1947, the series went sustatining again, and on January 3, 1948, Suspense went to an hour-long format. On July 8, 1948, the series returned to the thirty-minute format, and under a new sponsorship, Auto-Lite."
  25. ↑ "'All Damages Covered'". The Courier-Post. Missouri, Hannibal. January 15, 1951. p. 5. Retrieved March 28, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  26. ↑ "Murder by Experts". The Courier-Post. Missouri, Hannibal. January 22, 1951. p. 2. Retrieved March 28, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  27. ↑ "Murder By Experts". The Courier-Post. Missouri, Hannibal. January 29, 1951. p. 5. Retrieved March 27, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  28. ↑ "Murder by Experts". The Courier-Post. Missouri, Hannibal. February 12, 1951. p. 5. Retrieved March 28, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  29. ↑ "Murder by Experts". The Courier-Post. Missouri, Hannibal. February 19, 1951. p. 5. Retrieved March 28, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  30. ↑ "Murder by Experts". The Courier-Post. Missouri, Hannibal. March 5, 1951. p. 2. Retrieved March 31, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  31. ↑ "Murder by Experts". The Courier-Post. Missouri, Hannibal. March 12, 1951. p. 2. Retrieved March 31, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  32. ↑ "Murder by Experts". The Courier-Post. Missouri, Hannibal. March 19, 1951. p. 3. Retrieved March 31, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  33. ↑ "Murder by Experts". The Courier-Post. Missouri, Hannibal. March 26, 1951. p. 2. Retrieved March 31, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  34. ↑ "Murder by Experts". The Courier-Post. Missouri, Hannibal. April 2, 1951. p. 2. Retrieved April 1, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  35. ↑ "Murder by Experts". The Courier-Post. Missouri, Hannibal. April 16, 1951. p. 2. Retrieved April 1, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  36. ↑ "Murder by Experts". The Courier-Post. Missouri, Hannibal. April 23, 1951. p. 10. Retrieved April 1, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  37. ↑ "Murder by Experts". The Courier-Post. Missouri, Hannibal. April 30, 1951. p. 5. Retrieved April 1, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  38. ↑ "Murder by Experts". The Courier-Post. Missouri, Hannibal. May 21, 1951. p. 2. Retrieved April 1, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  39. ↑ "Murder by Experts". The Courier-Post. Missouri, Hannibal. June 4, 1951. p. 2. Retrieved April 1, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  40. ↑ "Murder by Experts". The Courier-Post. Missouri, Hannibal. June 11, 1951. p. 2. Retrieved April 1, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  41. ↑ "Murder by Experts". The Courier-Post. Missouri, Hannibal. September 10, 1951. p. 6. Retrieved April 1, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  42. ↑ "Murder by Experts". The Courier-Post. Missouri, Hannibal. October 1, 1951. p. 2. Retrieved April 1, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  43. ↑ "Murder by Experts". The Courier-Post. Missouri, Hannibal. October 22, 1951. p. 7. Retrieved April 1, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  44. ↑ "Murder by Experts". The Courier-Post. Missouri, Hannibal. October 29, 1951. p. 2. Retrieved April 1, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  45. ↑ "Murder by Experts". The Courier-Post. Missouri, Hannibal. November 26, 1951. p. 5. Retrieved April 1, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  46. ↑ Terrace, Vincent (September 2, 2015). Radio Programs, 1924-1984: A Catalog of More Than 1800 Shows. McFarland. pp. 240–241. ISBN 978-1-4766-0528-9. Retrieved March 21, 2026.
  47. 1 2 "Writers Award 'Edgars'; Best Mystery Novel, Movie, Radio Program Are Cited". The New York Times. April 21, 1950. p. 21. Retrieved March 20, 2026.
  48. ↑ Terrace, Vincent (June 8, 2015). Radio Program Openings and Closings, 1931-1972. McFarland. p. 170. ISBN 978-1-4766-1223-2. Retrieved April 2, 2026.
  49. ↑ "MBS, Minus Talent Coin, Hyps Block Programing". Billboard. September 24, 1949. p. 5. Retrieved April 2, 2026.
  50. ↑ "Dep't of Criminal Investigation". San Francisco Chronicle. April 29, 1951. p. 102. Retrieved March 20, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
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