Stop the Presses!

Randy Stone
Created by

The hero of Nightbeat, a radio drama from the fifties, was hard-boiled newsman, RANDY STONE, who prowled the dark sidestreets of the Windy City, looking for his evening story for The Chicago Star. With Frank Lovejoy in the lead and a group of West Coast talent behind the mike, this adventure show had a successful run. Although not a private eye, per se, Stone spent most of his time solving crime and saving deserving folks from assorted criminals and sharpies who preyed upon the suffering public.

The show began February 1950 and only ran on NBC, in various time slots, until April 1952. It was a sustaining show for nearly the entire run, although Wheaties sponsored it breifly in 1950.

The plot kept murders to a minimum, but there was plenty of suspense in the crime stories, human interest tragedies, and races against time. Stone concluded each episode by banging out the story on his office typewriter and yelling: "Copy Boy!" For those who now want to listen to his adventures, about 100 episodes are in trading currency.

RADIO

• NIGHTBEAT
  (1950-52, NBC)
  First broadcast February 6, 1950
  Last broadcast April 1952
  Starring Frank Lovejoy as RANDY STONE.

• "The Ted Carter Case" (May 19, 1949; audition show, starring Edmund O'Brien as Stone)
• "Zero" (February 6, 1950)
• "Night is a Weapon" (February 13, 1950)
• "AWorld All his Own" (February 20, 1950)
• "The Girl in the Park" (February 27, 1950)
• "Number Thirteen" (March 6, 1950)
• "Am I My Brother's Keeper?" (March 13, 1950)
• "I Know Your Secret" (April 10, 1950)
• "Tong War" (April 17, 1950)
• "Mentelo, The Mental Marvel" (May 1, 1950)
• "The Elevator Caper" (May 8, 1950)
• "The Night Watchman" (May 15, 1950)
• "Vincent and the Panther" (May 19, 1950)
• "I Wish You Were Dead" (May 22, 1950)
• "Harlan Matthews, Stamp Dealer" (May 29, 1950)
• "The Will of Mrs. Orloff" (June 1, 1950)
• "Molly Keller" (July 15, 1950)
• "The Devil's Bible" (July 24, 1950)
• "The City at Your Fingertips" (July 31, 1950; AKA Telephone)
• "Gunnar's Last Fight" (August 14, 1950)
• "The Doctor's Secret" (August 21, 1950)
• "Old Home Week" (September 4, 1950)
• "The Hunter Becomes the Hunted" (September 11, 1950)
• "Wanna Buy a Story?" September 18, 1950)
• "A Case of Butter" (September 25, 1950)
• "The Doctor's Daughter" (October 27, 1950)
• "The Black Cat" (November 3, 1950)
• "The Slasher" (November 10, 1950)
• "Big John McMasters" (May 25, 1951)
• "Anton's Return" (July 13, 1951)

Contributed by Jack French.

---

| Home | Detectives A-L M-Z | Film | Radio | Television | Web Comics | Comics | FAQs |
| Trivia | Authors | Hall of Fame | Mystery Links | Bibliography | Glossary | Search |
| What's New: On The Site | On the Street | Non-Fiction | Fiction | Staff | The P.I. Poll |

Drop a dime. Your comments, suggestions, corrections and contributions are always welcome.
"...and I'll tell you right out that I'm a man who likes talking to a man that likes to talk."

Associate Member