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Mystery Theater Old Time Radio Shows| Boston Blackie | EP. #241

January 19, 2024·25 min·2 clips

Blackie finds Gus Johnson dead with a knife in his heart, turning the mystery into a murder case.

This episode features the classic radio detective Boston Blackie in a mystery involving a vanished airplane. The story is presented as a full-cast audio drama from the "Old Time Radio Mystery Theater" series. Inspector Faraday is the primary law enforcement figure interacting with the charismatic former safecracker, Boston Blackie. Blackie mails a murder weapon belonging to criminal John Barnes to Inspector Faraday via airmail on Flight 68 from Boston. Flight 68 disappears with only one passenger listed: a man using the name Boston Blackie. Blackie reveals he took the train after his reservation was canceled by a caller impersonating an airline agent. Blackie theorizes that Barnes's associate, Gus Johnson, stole the plane to intercept the mailed gun. Inspector Faraday confirms 20 other passengers also had their reservations canceled at the last minute. Blackie visits the hospitalized Gus Johnson, only to discover Johnson has been murdered with a knife to the heart. Johnson's girlfriend, Blondie White, initially refuses to talk out of fear for her own safety. Blackie deduces Barnes killed Johnson to silence him. Blackie makes a deal with Blondie White, promising to convict Barnes for a previous murder to secure her testimony. Inspector Faraday explains Barnes had Johnson pose as a policeman to get the passenger list and cancel all reservations. Blackie reveals he never mailed Barnes's actual gun; he mailed his own gun as a decoy and kept the murder weapon. Blackie produces the real gun from his pocket, which ballistic tests will link to Barnes's crime. Barnes is arrested for murder as Blackie explains the full plot to his companion, Mary. Blackie explains Gus Johnson, a former stunt pilot, was the one who actually stole the plane. Johnson killed the hostess and the cockpit crew mid-flight. Johnson then set the plane on autopilot over the ocean, bailed out, and broke his leg upon landing. The episode concludes with Blackie noting the plane is now at the bottom of the sea. The tone is a fast-paced, suspenseful mystery with witty dialogue between the hero and the inspector. The style is a tightly plotted narrative drama with sound effects and distinct character voices typical of mid-20th century radio. Fans of classic detective fiction and vintage audio drama will enjoy this clever, plot-driven mystery. Listeners who prefer modern podcasts or non-fiction content might find the old-fashioned style and dramatic conventions less engaging.

As heard by us

A brisk Blackie mystery that turns an overdue flight into a satisfying reveal.

Boston Blackie gets pulled into a case that starts with Flight 68 overdue and ends in a hospital-room murder. Faraday, Mary, and Shorty each matter to the trail, and Blackie keeps nudging the story back into line as the clues stack up.

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Why you'd press play

A missing plane, a stabbed suspect, and Boston Blackie pulling the thread from the ground.

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