An improved update to Old Time Radio: Master Detectives set
Edward Torpy | Reston, VA | 01/06/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This set and the Old Time Radio: Master Detectives (ISBN: 1570193649) set are nearly identical. Both sets have 10 CD's and 9 of those 10 are the same. The only difference is that the older Master Detectives set has a disc devoted to Jeff Regan, Investigator (a pre-Dragnet show staring Jack Webb), and this newer set has The Shadow instead of Jeff Regan. And since The Shadow is a true classic of old radio, that makes this newer set clearly superior.
The episodes of the Shadow on this set are very good (both staring Bill Johnstone). But my favorite episodes are from Sam Spade and Yours Truly Johnny Dollar. Sam Spade was the greatest of the hard-boiled detectives, with most of the toughness of Philip Marlowe and a far better sense of humor. Bob Bailey starred as Johnny Dollar about 10 years after the hard-boiled detective craze and he presents a much softer, more sensitive version of the tough guy detective. It would have been fascinating to see how the radio detective genre would have continued to evolve if radio hadn't died in the early 60's.
"