Happy Birthday to a Radio Legend

Happy Birthday to the late, great, Dick Powell, know to many back in the golden days of radio as, Richard Diamond Private Detective.

Normally it's Story Time Sunday over on my facebook pages and I like to share spoken classic word stories from different eras.

Richard Diamond Private Detective is one of my all time favorites, not only do you get a great and fun adventure from this wise cracking gum shoe, but you usually got a song at the end of the episode, as Diamond would sing to his red head sweetheart, Helen Asher (Virginia Gregg).

Powell was cast as Phillip Marlowe, Private Eye in the film, Murder, My Sweet. He also played other hard-boiled detective characters on radio and screen.  One of the funniest parts of Richard Diamond was that he would poke fun at his former role as, Marlowe, on occasion asking if they've cancelled the Phillip Marlowe  show yet. 

With all the parts he played, Richard Diamond is easily his more remembered and beloved.

From solving the mystery of a haunted house to saving a tempermental seal, his adventures were full of action but always light hearted and quick witted, with plenty of one liners and zingers, Diamond would fire them off at anyone, faster than his gun.

Many of Powell's great adventures and laughs can be heard on Sirius/XM Radio's, Radio Spirits (channel 148) or on CD from the Radio Spirits website.  BIG Thanks to Greg Bell media for keeping this classic radio programs, and the memory of Dick Powell alive and well. 

Happy Birthday, Mr. Powell.

 

Mannix, a forgotten television classic for gumshoe fans!

 During a facebook exile, I get the chance to get caught up on binging classic television shows, lately I've gotten back into an old favorite, the Mike Connors hit, Mannix.

The basic story is about a classic television gumshoe, Joe Mannix, a US Army Veteran, who starts out as part of a major investigation company, corporate PI for hire, that builds to him going out on his own, realizing that such a structure to do PI work, doesn't work.  The decision for the change actually came from television legend, Lucille Ball herself (the show was produced by, Desi-Lu Studios), who thought all the computers didn't work and wanted the show to go more along the lines of a classic private investigator.

In season two, Mannix was on his own, along with secretary Peggy Fair (Gail Fisher), a policeman's widow.  In the shows existence, Fisher was nominated for 4 Emmy's, winning one and 3 Golden Globes, winning twice.

The show lasted an awesome 8 seasons, from 1967 to 1975.  The writing was consistently good, with action from start to finish, always with a quality opening teaser, it's easy to see how it influenced other similar shows for the 10 years after Mannix went off the air.  The show had both blind and deaf characters and tackled racism on several occasions, as well as gambling and alcohol addictions and the problems with PTSD in Veterans.

Mike Connors himself was nominated for 6 Golden Globes, winning once and 4 Emmy nominations.  He graced the cover of TV Guide on multiple occasions. 

The guests on the show reads like a whos-who of television/film legends... Julie Adams (Creature from the Black Lagoon), Adam West (Batman), Yvonne Craig (Star Trek, Batman), Dana Elcar (McGyver), Darrin McGavin (Kolchak the Night Stalker), Tom Selleck (Magnum PI), William Shatner (Star Trek), Martin Sheen (The West Wing), Linda Evans (Dynasty), Milton Berle (comedy legend), Lou Rawls (singing legend), Bill Bixby (The Incredible Hulk), Sally Kellerman (MASH), Burgess Meredith (Batman - television, Rocky -films), Richard Roundtree (Shaft) and SO many more.

Like many classic television shows, I'd love to have seen the actor reprise his character on later shows like, Magnum PI or even an episode of The Love Boat needing a private investigator, or even helping David Banner through a tough spot on, The Hulk.  Network executives just never saw the potential for such cameo's. 

No matter what, it was 8 years of a really great television classic, that stands the test of time today, find it on DVD to enjoy with your family & friends!