Charlie Chan’s Radio Adventures
As Charlie Chan’s popularity increased rapidly, the renowned detective’s exploits ventured into the medium of radio, thus bringing him into the homes of a multitude of listeners coast-to-coast. Charlie Chan first took to the airwaves on December 12, 1932, with the final show running on June 21, 1948. Over the years, Charlie Chan’s radio adventures were carried by several networks: NBC Blue Network, Mutual Network, and ABC Radio Network.
On the radio, Charlie Chan was portrayed by several noted actors. The first was Walter Connolly, who played the detective from 1932 until 1938, first for the 30-minute weekly crime drama series, Charlie Chan on Esso Oil’s Five Star Theater, carried by the NBC Blue Network, and later, for The Adventures of Charlie Chan, a 15-minute series of episodes airing weekdays on the Mutual Network.
Following a five-year hiatus, Charlie Chan returned to the air with Ed Begley starring as the detective. From 1944 until 1945, the 30-minute episodes of The Adventures of Charlie Chan aired on Thursday evenings on NBC’s Blue Network.
In 1947, The Incomparable Charlie Chan came to the ABC Radio Network. Veteran radio actor Santos Ortega was called on to portray Charlie Chan until the series’ end the following year.
A few years later, Charlie Chan reappeared on the radio, this time in an Australian production starring William Rees as Charlie Chan with Rodney Jacobs as his Number One Son. This 30-minute series of adventures premiered on January 21, 1950, on station 2UW, Sydney of the Australian Broadcasting Company.
Please note that these radio programs include lengthy musical interludes that were originally used for local commercial content. Also, the serialized adventures are missing one or more episodes while a number of some exist only as fragments.
What follows is a lengthy selection of Charlie Chan radio crime dramas for your enjoyment courtesy of RadioEchoes:
The Landini Murder Case, starring Walter Connolly as Charlie Chan, is based on the final Charlie Chan novel by Earl Derr Biggers, Keeper of the Keys (1932). The first eight episodes are missing, so the story picks up in progress.
The Landini Murder Case – The Chinese Suspect
Original broadcast date: December 26, 1935
Running time: 14:44
The Landini Murder Case – A Barking Dog
Original broadcast date: January 2, 1936
Running time: 14:37
The Landini Murder Case – The Gunshot People Heard Did not Kill Landini
Original broadcast date: January 9, 1936
Running time: 14:37
The Landini Murder Case – Leslie Beaton Is Afraid
Original broadcast date: January 16, 1936
Running time: 14:33
The Landini Murder Case – The Bullet Was Fired from Above
Original broadcast date: January 23, 1936
Running time: 14:38
The Landini Murder Case – Chan Deduces that the Killer Has Poor Eyesight
Original broadcast date: January 30, 1936
Running time: 14:39
The Landini Murder Case – The Sheriff Accuses Ah Sing of Killing Landini
Original broadcast date: February 6, 1936
Running time: 14:41
The Landini Murder Case – Is Romano the Killer?
Original broadcast date: February 13, 1936
Running time: 14:41
The Landini Murder Case – Footprints in the Snow Lead to the Body of Dr. Swan
Original broadcast date: February 20, 1936
Running time: 14:36
The Landini Murder Case – Ah Sing’s Wet Feet Are Suspicious
Original broadcast date: February 27, 1936
Running time: 14:37
The Landini Murder Case – The Key to the Empty House is Missing
Original broadcast date: March 5, 1936
Running time: 14:47
The Landini Murder Case – Chan Finds the Murder Weapon
Original broadcast date: March 12, 1936
Running time: 14:39
The Landini Murder Case – A New Clue
Original broadcast date: March 19, 1936
Running time: 14:33
The Landini Murder Case – Chan Questions Miss Meacher in Reno
Original broadcast date: March 26, 1936
Running time: 14:39
The Landini Murder Case – Romano Will Inherit Everything
Original broadcast date: April 2, 1936
Running time: 14:39
The Landini Murder Case – The Key Used by the Killer Is Found
Original Broadcast Date: April 9, 1936
Running time: 14:43
The Landini Murder Case – Chan Accuses Ryder of Lying
Original broadcast date: April 16, 1936
Running time: 14:44
The Landini Murder Case – Cecile Is Found With a Gun
Original broadcast date: April 23, 1936
Running time: 14:41
The Landini Murder Case – The Gun Taken From Cecile Belongs to Ah Sing
Original broadcast date: April 30, 1936
Running time: 14:47
The Landini Murder Case – Why Did John Ryder Lie?
Original broadcast date: May 7, 1936
Running time: 14:45
The Landini Murder Case – A Piece of Bark Is a Clue
Original broadcast date: May 14, 1936
Running time: 14:37
The Landini Murder Case – Chan Extracts a Bullet From the Bark
Original Broadcast Date: May 21, 1936
Running time: 14:42
The Landini Murder Case – Who Knew That Landini Was at Pine View?
Original broadcast date: May 28, 1936
Running time: 14:46
The Landini Murder Case – Cecile Says Ryder Searched Her Room
Original broadcast date: June 4, 1936
Running time: 14:06
The Landini Murder Case – Additional Evidence Against Ah Sing
Original broadcast date: June 11, 1936
Running time: 14:39
The Landini Murder Case – Suspicion Against Ryder
Original broadcast date: June 18, 1936
Running time: 15:05
The Landini Murder Case – Chan’s Proclamation
Original broadcast date: June 25, 1936
Running time: 15:06
The Landini Murder Case – Landini’s Diary
Original broadcast date: July 2, 1936
Running time: 15:06
The Landini Murder Case – The Color Blind Killer
Original broadcast date: July 9, 1936
Running time: 15:09
The Landini Murder Case – The Eye-Witness
Original broadcast date: July 16, 1936
Running time: 15:13
The Landini Murder Case – A Test of Color
Original broadcast date: July 23, 1936
Running time: 15:10
The Landini Murder Case – A Getaway
Original broadcast date: July 30, 1936
Running time: 15:05
The Landini Murder Case – The End of the Landini Adventure
Original broadcast date: August 8, 1936
Running time: 15:12
The Murder of Colonel Willoughby stars Walter Connolly as Charlie Chan who, while in San Francisco, becomes involved in an unusual murder case in which the detective claims to know the identity of the murderer, setting out to prove his theory.
The Murder of Colonel Willoughby – The Colonel’s Son Is the Murder Suspect
Original broadcast date: September 24, 1936
Running time: 14:20
The Murder of Colonel Willoughby – Simmons is Pressed for Information
Original broadcast date: October 1, 1936
Running time: 15:05
The Murder of Colonel Willoughby – Simmons’ Killer Wore a False Beard
Original broadcast date: October 8, 1936
Running time: 14:53
The Murder of Colonel Willoughby – Meeting Gerald Willoughby’s Plane
Original broadcast date: October 15, 1936
Running time: 14:21
The Murder of Colonel Willoughby – Gerald’s Alibi
Original Broadcast Date: October 22, 1936
Running time: 14:18
The Murder of Colonel Willoughby – Gerald Willoughby Won’t Tell the Name of the Officer
Original Broadcast Date: October 29, 1936
Running time: 14:13
The Murder of Colonel Willoughby – The Solution of the Murders is at Hand
Original Broadcast Date: November 5, 1936
Running time: 14:15
A selection of episodes from The Adventures of Charlie Chan, starring Walter Connolly as Charlie Chan on the Mutual Network:
The Mystery of the Steamship Lacronia – Murder in Cabin 15
Original broadcast date: November 12, 1936
Running time: 14:40
The Eye Of Buddha – Episode 7: In Pursuit of Morten Rand
Original broadcast date: 1937
Running time: 14:48
The Eye of Buddha – Episode 8: Return to Honolulu
Original broadcast date: 1937
Running time: 15:55
The Murder of Deacon Jessup
Original broadcast date: 1937
Running time: 13:24
The Incomparable Charlie Chan on the ABC Radio Network, starring Santos Ortega as Charlie Chan:
The Man Who Moved Mountains
Original broadcast date: c. 1947
Running time: 13:27
The Case of the Marching Ants
Original broadcast date: c. 1947
Running time: 14:36
The Adventures of Charlie Chan was an Australian series of radio mysteries produced in 1950, starring William Rees as Charlie Chan with Rodney Jacobs as his Number One Son.
The Case of the Talking Doll
Original broadcast date: 1950
Running time: 24:56
The Case of the Romantic Engineer
Original broadcast date: 1950
Running time: 26:14
The Curious Ride of the Sea Witch
Original broadcast date: 1950
Running time: 25:31
The Escaped Musician
Original broadcast date: 1950
Running time: 24:21
The Fiery Santa Claus
Original broadcast date: 1950
Running time: 26:54
The Man Who Murdered Santa Claus
Original broadcast date: 1950
Running time: 24:54
The Frightened Shroff
Original broadcast date: 1950
Running time: 26:43
The Telltale Hands
Original broadcast date: 1950
Running time: 27:43
Mystery Playhouse, hosted by Peter Lorre, was aired over the Armed Forces Radio Network from 1944 to 1947. The following is a Charlie Chan adventure produced by Mystery Playhouse:
Pearl of Great Price (Charlie’s Daughter Is Kidnapped)
Original broadcast date: c. 1945
Running time: 24:21 (Entire show: 30:56)
The following is a 10-minute Charlie Chan comedy skit on The Jack Benny Show with Jack Benny as Charlie Chan:
The Jack Benny Show – Charlie Chan at Radio City
Original broadcast date: November 10, 1934
Running time: 23:48 (Skit: 11:35 – 21:05)
