1001 Radio Crime Solvers

Episode Summary: "A Streetcar Named Schultz" & "The Barefoot Boy"

Podcast: 1001 Radio Crime Solvers
Date: January 28, 2026
Featured Series: Jeff Regan, Investigator
Host: Jon Hagadorn

Overview

In this episode, listeners are treated to two classic Jeff Regan, Investigator radio mysteries—"A Streetcar Named Schultz" and "The Barefoot Boy." The stories blend hard-boiled detective wit with colorful characters drawn from the golden age of radio crime dramas. In both tales, Jeff Regan (the Lion’s Eye), supported by his ever-comedic boss Anthony J. Lyon, untangles webs of intrigue in the worlds of wrestling and fine art, uncovering motives, suspects, and murderers with sharp banter and characteristic cynicism.

Story 1: "A Streetcar Named Schultz"

Main Theme

A professional wrestling match ends in murder, and Regan is hired to clear the name of a flamboyant wrestler suspected of poisoning his opponent. As the plot thickens, Regan must sift through lies, rivalries, and brutal showmanship to expose the true killer.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Case Begins

• Regan is hired by the Earl of Gardiner (real name Stanley Schultz, a former actor and streetcar conductor turned villain-wrestler) to clear his name after the Atomic Assassin (his opponent) dies from poison following a match.
  • “Last evening, Mr. Regan, I was engaged in a match with a chap who called himself the Atomic Assassin… Naturally, I won.” – Earl of Gardiner (01:47)
  • The police suspect the Earl due to the timing, but Regan is skeptical. (02:10-02:22)

Wrestling Underbelly

• Regan learns the wrestling world is built on feuds—real and staged.
  • Promoter Mike Turner reveals that the “Earl” is not nobility but a crowd-drawing persona (04:55-05:07).
  • "Enemies all over the place. Nobody likes him, but nobody." – Mike Turner about the Earl (05:50)

Near Miss and Introduction of Key Suspects

• At the gym, Regan narrowly avoids death when King Cobra (Harry Walsh, a rival wrestler) almost drops a barbell on him—possibly not an accident (06:03).
• Mike Turner plays down tensions, but the rivalry between the Earl and King Cobra is intense, with a match set for that evening (07:16–07:24).

Lady in Distress / Murder Escalation

• Jean Turner, the promoter’s estranged wife, fears another murder will happen in the ring. (08:13–09:53)

  • “If you don’t do something, there’s going to be another murder. I’m sure of it.” – Jean Turner to Regan (09:57)

• Shortly afterwards, Jean is gunned down in a phone booth, confirming the threat is real (11:04).

Police Involvement: Detective Candid

• Lt. Candid offers minimal help, his interests seemingly elsewhere. (12:26-13:15)
• The police are content to let the match go on, even hinting danger might “save the taxpayers a lot of expense.” (13:24-13:41)

The Big Match & Climax

• The Earl and King Cobra’s wrestling match turns bloody and real.
  • The house is sold out, tension is high, and the violence is no longer staged; both men are truly out for blood (20:24–22:03).
  • “That’s no show, Turner.” – Regan (21:55)
• Regan intervenes as King Cobra attempts to use a poison sack (prussic acid) during the match.
  • “Give me what’s in your hand, King!” – Regan (23:19)

Solution & Reveal

• It is revealed that promoter Mike Turner is the real killer, motivated by jealousy over his wife’s perceived relationship with the Earl.
  • “You killed the Atomic Assassin, Turner, by mistake. He and the Earl shared the same dressing room. You were after the Earl then, just like you were tonight.” – Regan (24:41)
  • Turner tried to use King Cobra as a weapon by manipulating him with lies about his own wife’s fidelity (25:13).

Case Wrap-Up

• King Cobra gets off lightly; Mike Turner faces serious charges.
• Lyon and Regan reflect humorously on the situation, hinting at the absurdity of jealous motives and showbiz (26:09–26:44).
  • “Suppose King Cobra found out you were with his wife after the things Mike Turner’s been telling him.” – Regan (26:33)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Earl of Gardiner on Villainy:
  "People hate me. My job, Mr. Regan. I’m a professional villain. I’m paid to have people hate me." (14:26)
• On the Nature of Wrestling:
  "They weren’t faking. The crowd sensed it. The referee sensed it. Even the cops..." – Regan (22:03)
• Cynical Office Banter:
  "Jealous husbands, Lyon. You never know." – Regan (26:24)

Important Timestamps

• 01:47 – The Earl recounts the fateful match
• 05:07 – The “Earl” is revealed as an actor, not nobility
• 08:13 – Jean Turner seeks Regan’s help
• 11:04 – Jean is murdered
• 14:26 – The Earl on being a professional “heel”
• 21:55 – Regan identifies the stakes in the ring
• 23:19 – Regan prevents King Cobra from poisoning the Earl
• 24:41 – The truth about Mike Turner's motives is exposed

Story 2: "The Barefoot Boy"

Main Theme

Regan is initially skeptical about finding a missing artist, Thaddeus Mink, whose paintings show a particular obsession with evil-looking cats. When the people connected to Mink start turning up dead, Regan traces the complex motives behind art, jealousy, and mistaken identity.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Case

• Art gallery owner E.P. Duffield (Esther), hires Regan to find Mink, a mysterious cat painter she’s never met but whose works captivate her.
  • “He sent me a number of paintings by express, but I haven’t been able to locate him.” – E.P. Duffield (32:46)

Discovering the Painter’s Trail

• Regan observes that Mink signs his works with a painted cat’s paw.
• Mink’s only painting of a human features a woman with cat-like features—traced to model Margaret Ames, who is soon found dead by strangulation (35:33).

Murder & Motives

• Police are stumped; Regan suspects ties to Mink, perhaps jealousy or rivalry (36:06).
• Poisoned cats in Mountain Crest, a local mountain community, become a new clue (37:04).

Life in Mountain Crest

• Regan meets Bunny, a waitress, and Jimmy, a local odd jobs boy—both entangled with estranged, slick Art Jones.
• Bunny got a painting from Mink; Art is jealous, goes to Mink’s cabin in anger; later, Art is found dead—strangled and missing his shoes (43:01–44:05).

The Frozen Trail / Mistaken Identity

• Clue: Only one set of tracks enters/exits the murder scene; shoes missing.
• Mink is ruled out: Sheriff Lyle has had him in custody all night (46:09).

Reconstructing the Crime

• Regan deduces the killer wore Jones’ shoes to mask his own tracks.
• Only two people—Bunny and Jimmy—had motives but couldn’t physically have committed the murder.

The Real Murderer Revealed

• Regan tracks E.P. Duffield’s movements, discovers she sought out the model’s address just before her murder (53:13).
• Duffield, in an attempt to claim Mink’s art for herself, killed the model and accidentally killed Art Jones, mistaking him for Mink, as she’d never met Mink in person (54:11).
• After a brief gun confrontation, Regan subdues Duffield, using her own strength against her.

Case Closed

• The final scene is classic Jeff Regan: banter with Lyon over mistaken motives, loyalty, and the value of art (56:09–56:40).
• Mink, freed and gratitude-filled, gives them a gift, humorously speculated to be “one of his valuable paintings”—the payoff is left to the listener's imagination (56:23).

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Regan on Art and Motive:
  “Maybe she hadn’t planned to get strangled this morning.” (36:05)
• Lyon’s confusion over fine art:
  “You seem to have become quite an authority on art. But I’m more interested in art...Jones.” (55:09)
• On False Appearances:
  “The killer meant to kill Mink. Only he didn’t know what Mink looked like. Only one person fitted that: E.P. Duffield.” (56:09)

Important Timestamps

• 32:18 – E.P. Duffield appears, laying out the painting mystery
• 35:33 – Regan discovers the murder of the model
• 37:04 – News of poisoned cats at Mountain Crest
• 44:05 – Art Jones is found dead, shoeless
• 46:09 – Sheriff Lyle confirms Mink’s alibi
• 53:13 – Regan confronts Duffield with evidence
• 54:11 – Duffield’s murder plot and motive exposed
• 56:09 – Case closed, with a humorous commentary on the cost of art

Overall Tone & Style

The episode brims with witty hard-boiled banter, genre-savvy dialogue, and noir atmosphere. The lines blur between showmanship and real danger, as Regan navigates criminal worlds where jealousy, ego, and greed lead to tragedy.

• Regan’s sardonic, acerbic tone carries both stories.
• Lyon acts as both comic relief and foil to Regan’s streetwise skepticism.
• Notable moments include Regan’s run-ins with volatile wrestling types, comic office repartee, and the dark payoff where ambition and envy produce unexpected violence.

Memorable Quotes (with Speaker Attribution & Timestamps)

• “You’re the wrestler. You take the falls.” – Regan to the Earl (03:27)
• “He’s a professional villain. I’m paid to have people hate me.” – Schultz/Earl (14:26)
• “If you don’t do something, there’s going to be another murder. I’m sure of it.” – Jean Turner (09:57)
• “Give me what’s in your hand, King!” – Regan (23:19)
• “Jealous husbands, Lyon. You never know.” – Regan (26:24)
• “Maybe she hadn’t planned to get strangled this morning.” – Regan (36:05)
• “The killer meant to kill Mink. Only he didn’t know what Mink looked like. Only one person fitted that: E.P. Duffield.” – Regan (56:09)

In Short

This episode showcases why “1001 Radio Crime Solvers” keeps the golden age of audio mysteries alive: tough cases, tight plotting, sharp wit, and a cast of characters as vivid as their vintage world. Whether you’re a longtime fan of Jeff Regan or a first-time listener, this pair of cases delivers suspense, style, and a satisfying tangle of motives and misdirection.