Charlie Wild

"He's a man's man, but the ladies, too, go for Charlie Wild, Private Eye. Follow him into adventure."
-- TV promo

CHARLIE WILD was a P.I. had a most unique creation. He was basically called in -- quickly -- as a sub for Dashiell Hammett's SAM SPADE.

After years of success, first in the pages of Black Mask, then in the novel The Maltese Falcon, and the classic film version by John Huston, Mrs. Spade son Sam found himself a home on the airwaves, in the popular The Adventures of Sam Spade radio drama. Then came the Red Scare of the 1950's. Charlie was produced in response, when both Hammett, and lead, Howard Duff, were both named in "Red Channels."

Spade's sponsor, Wildroot Cream Oil, panicked, yanked him off the air, and came up with a replacement, named after their commercial song: "Get Wildroot Cream Oil, Charlie." Thus The Adventures of Sam Spade became Charlie Wild, Private Detective, premiering in September 1950 on NBC.

Wild was the typical PI, and like his pulp ancestors, chased beautiful dames, hated chiselers, and got involved in a slugfest every episode. He was first played by George Petrie and later Kevin O'Morrison. The last few months before he went off the air (in July 1951) John McQuade had the role. Strangely enough, Wild's secretary was also Effie Perrine, who had been Spade's secretary. The identity of who played her radio role is unknown. It's difficult to assess the quality of the radio show today because no audio copies have survived.

The show lasted long enough to spawn a live TV version, with Morrison in the title lead, and Cloris Leachman as Effie. Charlie was now a New York private eye, who tended to get in a fist fight in almost every episode. Yet Charlie somehow managed to find time, between fisticuffs, to deliver periodic commercials for the sponsor. The show ran from December 1950 to June 1952, and skipped merrily from network to network (CBS to ABC to Dumont) in its short run.

RADIO

• CHARLIE WILD, PRIVATE DETECTIVE
  (1950-51, NBC)
  Director: Carlo De Angelo
  Sponsor: Wildroot Creme Oil
  Starring George Petrie as CHARLIE WILD
  (later replaced by Kevin O'Morrison and John McQuade)
  Also starring Peter Hobbs

TELEVISION

• THE AFFAIRS OF CHARLIE WILD
  (1950-52, CBS, ABS, Dumont)
  60 30-minute episodes, produced live
  Writer: Peter Barry
  Director: Richard Valenta
  Producers: Carlo De Angelo, Herbert Brodkin
  Sponsors: Wildroot, Chablis
  Starring Kevin O'Morrison as CHARLIE WILD
  (later replaced by John McQuade)
  and Cloris Leachman as Effie

Respectfully submitted by Jack French, with a little bit from Kevin Burton Smith.