Night Beat

FORMAT: (1) MP3 CD

Night Beat was a radio drama series that aired on NBC from February 6, 1950 until September 25, 1952, sponsored by Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer and Wheaties.

Frank Lovejoy starred as Randy (originally "Lucky") Stone, a reporter who covered the night beat for the Chicago Star, encountering criminals and troubled souls. Listeners were invited to join Stone as he "searches through the city for the strange stories waiting for him in the darkness."

Ripperologist editor Paul Begg offered this description of the series:

Broadcast on NBC, Nightbeat... starred Frank Lovejoy as Randy Stone, a tough and streetwise reporter who worked the night beat for the Chicago Star, looking for human interest stories. He met an assortment of people, most of them with a problem, many of them scared, and sometimes he was able to help them, sometimes he wasn't. It is generally regarded as a "quality" show, and it stands up extremely well. Frank Lovejoy (1914-1962) isn't remembered today, but he was a powerful and believable actor with a strong delivery, and his portrayal of Randy Stone as a tough guy with humanity was perfect. The scripts were excellent, given that they had to cover much in a short time. There was a good supporting cast, orchestra, and sound effects. "The Slasher," broadcast on 10 November 1950, the last show of season one, has a very loosely Ripper-derived plot in which Stone searches for an artist.

Supporting actors included Joan Banks, Parley Baer, William Conrad, Jeff Corey, Lawrence Dobkin, Paul Frees, Jack Kruschen, Peter Leeds, Howard McNear, Lurene Tuttle, Martha Wentworth, and Ben Wright. The announcer wasDonald Rickles.

Episode List For This Collection

The Elevator Caper (Audition)
The Ted Carter Murder Case(Audition)
Zero
The Night Is a Weapon
A World All of His Own
The Girl in the Park
Number 13
Am I My Brother's Keeper
The Man Who Claimed to Be Dead
Flowers on the Water
I Know Your Secret
Tong War
Mentallo, the Mental Marvel
Elevator Caper
The Night Watchman
I Wish You Were Dead
Harlan Matthews, Stamp Dealer
The Girl from Kansas
Football Player and the Syndicate
Vincent and the Painter
The Juvenile Gangster
Marty
Twill Be the Death of Me
Molly Keller
The Devil's Bible
City at Your Fingertips
Old Blind Pop
Gunner's Last Fight
Doctor's Secret
Old Home Week
The Hunter Becomes the Hunted
Wanna Buy a Story
A Case of Butter
The Kenny Day Amnesia Case
Elinar Pierce and Family
Judge Arnold's Daughter
The Doctor's Daughter
The Black Cat
The Slasher
Big John McMasters
Juke Box Romance
Fear
Will of Mrs Orloff
The Search for Fred
Otto, The Music Man
Sanctuary
Byline for Frank
Bill Perrin Amnesia Case
Antonio's Return
The City At Your Fingertips
They
Mr and Mrs Carothers
Lost Souls
Five Days off for Christmas
Expectant Father
Pay up or Die
Long Live the Clown
Death of Riley
Target for a Week
The Jockey Brothers
Marvelous Machine
Railroaded
Reformer
The Old Itch
Taste of Peaches
Flight from Fear
Sombody Stop Ann
His Name Was Luke
The Man with the Red Hair
Ellen
Larry the Understudy
Policy Wheel Racket
The Bug Killings