1001 Radio Crime Solvers

Episode: “Sweet Larceny” and “Corpse on the Town” (Barrie Craig, Confidential Investigator)

Release Date: September 21, 2025
Host: Jon Hagadorn
Stories: “Sweet Larceny” and “Corpse on the Town”

Episode Overview

This nostalgic double-feature episode of 1001 Radio Crime Solvers transports listeners to the classic world of radio detective fiction with two full-length Barry Craig adventures: “Sweet Larceny” and “Corpse on the Town.” The show delivers a heady mix of international art theft and Broadway intrigue, all wrapped in the wry, hardboiled voice and dry humor of William Gargan as Barry Craig. Vintage radio tropes abound—psychological duels, shadowy dames, convoluted cons, and a steady undercurrent of sardonic charm.

Story 1: “Sweet Larceny”

(Main story starts at 00:58)

Main Theme

Barry Craig is hired to safeguard a priceless cargo of Egyptian relics, but a tangle of deception, familial secrets, and grand larceny draws him into a web of international intrigue.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

A Mysterious Cablegram & The Barbary Collection

• Craig receives a cable from Oscar Melamed aboard the SS Shalimar, requesting armored truck transport for “priceless Barbary tomb relics.”
• Craig remarks on the international nature of crime:

  “With the great wide world shrinking to the size of a pretzel, crime is global...a priceless cargo of anything generally brings out the worst in people.” (01:48)

Meet Lisa Barnum—And Her Twist on Family Heirlooms

• Lisa Barnum visits Craig, revealing her family's former surname (Barbary) and the disappearance of her uncle, Dexter Barbary, an Egyptologist. She believes he was murdered for his relics.
• Craig’s skepticism about her intentions and identity is ongoing, with sharp banter:

  Lisa: “The tomb relics rightfully belong to me.”
  Craig: “So sue for them.” (09:13)

The First Double-Cross: Kidnapping & Cellar Confrontation

• Craig is assaulted by a goon (“chimpanzee”) and left in a cellar, where Lisa ‘rescues’ him.
• Their chemistry is punctuated by Craig’s dry wit:

  “Lisa, you no doubt are Lisa Bonham.” (06:23)

The Heist: The Barbary Collection Vanishes

• Despite armored cars and elaborate precautions, the collection is stolen in a machine-gun raid ((12:28)).
• Oscar Melamed proves eerily prescient:

  “Let us go [to police HQ] together and await the report of the daring theft.” (11:47)

Layers of Deception

• The real relics are hidden elsewhere; the armored truck was a decoy.
• Craig confronts Melamed about his role and questions of ownership surface—was Dexter Barbary really the legitimate possessor, or just Melamed’s employee?
• A swirl of gunmen, double-crossing henchmen, and Lisa’s own pursuit of the collection ensues.

The Con Unraveled

• Lisa sues Melamed for the relics, and Craig accuses both Lisa and Melamed of being in cahoots to hype up the relics for profit while deceiving potential buyers.
• The heroic legal claim is a ruse to drive up publicity:

  Craig: “The lawsuit against you is just more stage dressing…more bait for suckers.” (23:13)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On international crime:

  “Chase a hood across New Jersey and you’re likely to catch him in Botany Bay or in Algeria or Madagascar.” (01:48)

• Craig on women and trust:

  “Clients worry me. I always imagine they're taking my head size…So the dunce cap will fit nice and snug.” (09:42)

• On the nature of the con:

  “What you’re really selling him is a collection of newspaper headlines. The publicity has him so dazzled he won’t remember to inspect the merchandise.” (22:52)

• Craig’s exit:

  “It’s what I live for. The goodwill and admiration of my clients. After all, man doesn’t work for bread alone.” (24:03)

Key Timestamps

• 01:10 Barry’s opening philosophy on crime
• 02:49 Lisa approaches Craig
• 04:33 Craig gets knocked out, ends up in cellar
• 08:02 Lisa reveals her familial claim
• 10:23 Craig meets Melamed at the docks
• 12:28 Hijacking of the armored truck
• 14:20 Twist: the real relics hidden elsewhere
• 17:40 Goon confrontation at Craig’s office
• 19:28 Lisa begins legal maneuvers
• 22:24 Final confrontation with Melamed

Story 2: “Corpse on the Town”

(Segment starts at 27:33)

Main Theme

Behind the scenes of Broadway, a dog dentist and theatrical investment spiral into fraud, sudden matrimony, and murder—leading Craig through a maze of showbiz corruption, old money, and gangster vengeance.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Broadway Shakedown

• Luther Bassett, canine dentist, asks Craig to investigate dubious investments in a new musical (“2055”).
• Suspicion: Producer Stanton Bishop has oversold shares—classic Broadway scam.

Confronting the Producer

• Craig finds evidence in Bishop’s ledger; Bishop has collected more investment money than production requires, with a big chunk from socialite Eloise Finchley.
• Bishop’s quick marriage to Eloise looks like a scheme to hide financial chicanery by turning her “investment” into marital property.

Murder Interrupts the Show

• Eloise is found dead in an apparent street mugging—the purse, watch, and wedding ring stolen.
• Detective Scotty and Craig are dubious, suspecting staged crime.

The Secret Life of Eloise

• Investigation reveals Eloise’s real identity is not “Finchley” but Burkey, an ex-model with humble origins.
• Where did her “investment” capital come from?
• Picture album discoveries connect her to gangster Artie Anzac—raising new stakes.

Gangland Ties and Murder Motives

• Anzac admits knowing Eloise and supporting her at times but claims indifference to her marriage.
• Craig theorizes that Eloise was fronting Anzac's “hot” money in the show investment. The double-cross: she claims the cash for herself. Bishop marries her to cover his own tracks.

Climax: Confronting the Killers

• A failed attempt on Craig’s life suggests Anzac’s reach.
• Craig dishes out psychological pressure on Bishop, tricking him into revealing that Anzac is the murderer—killing Eloise for the double-cross and to intimidate Bishop.

Justice Via Street-Smart Psychology

• Craig delivers Bishop to homicide with a signature mix of bravado and quip, leaving the case in the hands of the police.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Broadway fraud:

  “A man has 100% to sell to investors, but he sells 150%. The show opens, flops, loses its nuts. But Stanton Bishop isn’t a bit worried.” (30:31)

• Craig’s banter with showgirls and criminals:

  “Must we really be so dull, Mr. Craig, so prosaic? I'm a bride. I'm in heavenly raptures.” - Eloise (35:47)

• Scotty on Eloise:

  “She was posing as a socialite, and her maiden name, Finchley, was an assumed one.” (39:50)

• Craig diagnoses the scheme:

  “I think Eloise invested it for you … you’d had enough of that [tax evasion]. I also think Eloise double-crossed you. That she invested the money for herself … Bishop used that as leverage to make her marry him.” (45:46)

• Craig’s classic send-off:

  “A Craig promise is always redeemable in cash.” (49:37)

Key Timestamps

• 27:33 Opening of “Corpse on the Town”
• 29:04 Dog dentist Luther Bassett brings Craig into the case
• 31:18 Craig investigates the rehearsal hall
• 34:01 Bishop’s violence and quick marriage to Eloise
• 37:42 Eloise is murdered
• 39:50 The truth about Eloise’s background
• 43:39 Photographs link Eloise to gangster Anzac
• 44:51 Craig’s tense visit to Anzac
• 48:02 Craig turns up the heat on Bishop and draws out the confession
• 49:37 Case conclusion and handoff to Homicide

Conclusion

This episode delivers a rich, atmospheric journey through two classic radio mysteries, blending international intrigue and showbiz skullduggery. Barry Craig’s sardonic asides, quick wits, and dogged pursuit of truth anchor both stories. The episode is a showcase of golden-era radio detective storytelling—fast-paced, layered with cons and twists, and rife with memorable one-liners and pulpy noir flavor.

For fans of classic detective radio and strong, witty leads, this double-feature is essential listening.