Broadway is My Beat - Single Episodes
Old Time Radio Researchers Group
BROADWAY'S MY BEAT Broadway's My Beat , a radio crime drama, ran on CBS from February 27, 1949 to August 1, 1954. With music by Robert Stringer, the show originated from New York during its first three months on the air, with Anthony Ross portraying Times Square Detective Danny Clover. John Dietz directed for producer Lester Gottlieb. Beginning with the July 7, 1949 episode, the series was broadcast from Hollywood with producer Elliott Lewis directing a new cast in scripts by Morton Fine and David Friedkin. The opening theme of "I'll Take Manhattan" introduced Detective Danny Clover (played by Larry Thor), a hardened New York City cop who worked homicide "from Times Square to Columbus Circle -- the gaudiest, the most violent, the lonesomest mile in the world." Danny Clover narrated the tales of the Great White Way to the accompaniment of music by Wilbur Hatch and Alexander Courage, and the recreation of Manhattan's aural tapestry required the talents of three sound effects technicians (David Light, Ralph Cummings, Ross Murray). Bill Anders was the show's announcer. The supporting cast included regulars Charles Calvert (as Sgt. Gino Tartaglia) and Jack Kruschen (as Sgt. Muggavan), with episodic roles filled by such radio actors as Irene Tedrow, Barney Phillips, Lamont Johnson, Herb Ellis, Hy Averback, Edgar Barrier, Betty Lou Gerson, Harry Bartell, Sheldon Leonard, Martha Wentworth, Lawrence Dobkin and Mary Jane Croft. NOTE: Updated to Version 3 files (07-Jan-2020). From the Old Time Radio Researchers Group. See "Notes" Section below for more information on the OTRR.
This recording is part of the Old Time Radio collection.
Chapters
Reviews
Serious Omission
Police Chief
The cast of "Broad is My Beat" has a serious omission here of Anthony "Tony" Barrett. To illustrate his creative talent, Barrett was praised by Ayn Rand for his portrayal of the protagonist Equality 72521 in her novella "Anthem" which was broadcast on radio in September 1950. She wrote to Barrett to personally thank him. She wrote that despite the limited material of a radio script that he had to work with, he made the voice of Equality 72521 come alive for her like she never imagined possible. One of the best 'Broadway is My Beat" episodes is the "Georgia Gray Murder (April 28, 1951) which starred Barrett as Tommy Chandler. No human being could have played the Chandler character better than Barrett. If you want hear OTR at its best, listen to it: dialogue and music were the finest ever produced for radio or elsewhere. All the scenes with Danny Clover (Larry Thor) and Tommy Chandler (Barret) and particularly near the end is the best radio acting I have ever witnessed. A terrifying scene that follows is the best portrayal of horror from the voice of an actor ever (in this case Barrett's). The concluding line of Thor is sheer genuis in creative writing. For me, this episode of Barrett's work was stunning in its excellence. I tracked him down on various You Tube clips of the 1949 (?) Hollywood film "Impact" with Brian Donlevy, to see what Barrett looked like. Handsome, but his film acting doesn't compare to his brilliance as a radio voice and actor. I can and do listen to this series over and over and over and over and over.... I find myself laughing out loud with pleasure at the creativity brilliance of the writers and actors. This series is for me is honestly a true marvel. Barrett went on to TV and some films, but did quite a lot of TV script writing.
Very Good
Darcy
extremely enjoyable detective series with a mix of drama and light hearted humour also has great sound quality if like myself you love everything old time radio you will really enjoy this series
Existential poetry
Mega Zit
I listen to a lot of OTRR stuff but “BIMB” is in a class of it's own, the dialogue is great but the narration is just something else – existential poetry, think Raymond Chandler meets Alan Ginsberg - “the blood sighed across his shirt front” - love that “sighed”, I must download the script files – I assume that's what the *.rtf files are, I have no internet connection, on that point what are the extras in the “The Certified Set” - I use the local Library connection and am limited to 2 hours a day and the Certified zips estimate 2hrs 11mins download time – give us single episode downloaders the extras PLEASE. Must agree with “Police Chief” about the Clover - Barret scenes, you can hear the depth of the relationship between the two of them in even the shortest exchanges. I'm 2 episodes into the Wrigley's sponsorship and even their crass commercialisation can't spoil it, but oh dear, the music – especially when the corpse is discovered!
Very realistic
radioforce
I do not agree with the criticism concerning the "soliloquies". They create, as does the background sounds of the city, an atmosphere which gently introduced me into the main story. Very good acting by all and, with very few exceptions, a great story line. I grew up with the BBC which I genuinely believed, ranked supreme in the production values of its drama output. But since listening to various US OTR dramas, I now realise that that whilst the BBC did indeed provide consistently high production values, the US excelled. Although it is very sad that these dramas are no longer being produced, I doubt that in my lifetime, I will hear more than a very few. For that, I am glad to have found this resource.
I have read all your reviews of this series....
Raymondo60
.... up to October 2022 - and found them all fascinating and informative. You people really know your stuff, and your knowledge is expressed with obvious love for this show and series. And I am about to begin that journey. April 2023, at my home in Surrey. U.K. , I'm ready to go. Episode 1. Exciting. One thing - it HAS to be pretty damn good - or you guys don't know what you're talking about!! š¤£ Glad I found this. Took me long enough. Been listening to radio all my life. Every day. Bet a lot of you are the same. Every day. This is the best website I ever used. Press 'play'....
A ballet of script and acting and believable SFX
ForrestG
I have been a Professional Actor for nearly 40 years, I grew up listening to real "make-believe world: created by incredibly skilled actors and actresses who had talents to interpret the emotions the writers had put into every word. The skilled sound effects people who made my mind see the action. So why did so many of the great programs, actors, actresses and writes not succeed in the TV era? Here's why. Not 1TV actor looked anything to my eyes what my mind knew they looked like.
Great when you get to the "meat!"
MPOEye
I love this show, EXCEPT for the soliloquies about Broadway attributed to Danny Clover by the writers Morton Fine and David Friedkin. None of Danny's normal conversation indicates that he would be the type to think such. To me, it's just the writers "showing off." BTW, judging by the voice, it is my opinion that both Detective Muggavin and Dr. Csinski were played by Jack Kruschen. .
Broadway Theater - Portland Oregon
Jen12345
Hi! The Broadway Theater was on 7th Ave. in Portland, which is actually called Broadway Ave. And although the Broadway no longer stands, (Hilton Hotel now occupies that spot) this theater was directly across from the Paramount Theater which does still stand and is a Portland icon. Portland - yea that's MY beat!