1001 Radio Crime Solvers:

"The Man on the Hook" and "A Thousand Violins"
Original Broadcasts from the Golden Age of Radio
Episode Date: December 13, 2025
Host: Jon Hagadorn

Episode Overview

This episode of 1001 Radio Crime Solvers features two classic radio dramas from the Jeff Regan, Investigator series:

1. "The Man on the Hook" — a twisting tale of murder, mobsters, a missing man, and a not-so-innocent femme fatale.
2. "A Thousand Violins" — a story that weaves broken romance, forgery, murder, and a father's desperate choices into the world of music and crime.

Each story exemplifies the brisk, witty dialogue and labyrinthine plotlines of golden-age radio detective fiction, with hard-boiled sleuth Jeff Regan navigating duplicity and danger on Los Angeles’ dark streets.

1. "The Man on the Hook"

[Start at 02:05]

Main Theme

A routine case of tracking down a missing used car salesman spirals into a deadly scramble between cops, gangsters, and a dangerous woman, all tangled by old lovers' lies and a brutal crime.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

• Opening Gambit

  • Jeff Regan is hired by two clients to find George McDonald, a used car salesman wanted by cops and mobsters alike ([02:05]–[06:14]).
    • First, Naomi Slogan (mob boss Eddie Slogan's wife), gives Regan $500, claiming her motives are love:

    Naomi: "For me, Regan. I love the guy." ([04:25])

    • Shortly after, the boss Anthony Lyon notifies Regan another client (Happy Halligan, McDonald’s employer) has also paid $500 for the case ([05:33]–[06:14]).

• Entangled Motives

  • Naomi says she loves McDonald, but Regan doubts her sincerity:

    Regan: "Get another shammer, sister." ([04:30])

  • Halligan’s angle: he claims McDonald "cleaned out my till, $4700 bucks," but there are hints of deeper ties to the L.A. rackets ([11:34]).

• Mob Pressure

  • Eddie Slogan’s goons show up, warning Regan to drop the case, using both threats and bribes ([09:59]):

    "Leave town, Eddie Slogan says." ([09:59])

  • The stakes rise as Regan realizes every move is observed and potentially deadly.

• Piecing Together Clues

  • Evidence suggests someone is being framed for murder, with key artifacts—phone pad, cigar holder, lighter—stolen from the scene ([14:04], [24:16]).
    • Out-of-place items are central to uncovering the truth.

• Witness at the Gas Station

  • The gas station attendant describes seeing "McDonald" with a gun, but the details don't fit. Later, this man is murdered and his personal items stolen ([15:00], [24:16]).

• Revelation & Twist

  • Regan deduces the assailant wasn’t McDonald:
    • McDonald is left-handed, but the gas station witnessed a right-handed shooter ([20:08]).
    • The frame is complete with personal items stolen by the true killer.
  • Naomi Slogan, driven by kleptomania, is exposed as the murderer when Regan catches her with his own stolen tie clip ([27:08]):

    Regan: "Maybe a racket boss's wife can afford to be a kleptomaniac, but she shouldn't mix it with murder." ([27:24])

• Resolution

  • Naomi is arrested; McDonald is cleared and apprehended without further bloodshed.
  • Regan and Lyon reflect with dark humor on capricious fates and justice ([28:12]):

    Lyon: "And all those silly, useless odds and ends stolen by that woman, Mrs. Slogan, because she was a kleptomaniac. Imagine." ([28:02])

Notable Quotes & Moments:

• On being a detective in demand:

  Regan: "That made me a popular guy. Like a clay pigeon at a skeet shooters convention." ([02:39])

• On Naomi’s duplicity:

  Regan: "Whose side are you on?"
  Naomi: "My side." ([07:50])

• Final twist:

  Regan: "He didn’t. Didn’t the Slogans used to go up the canyon often?... She talked him into helping her frame McDonald." ([28:19])

Important Timestamps

• [02:05]: Case begins — Regan narrates his assignment
• [04:25]: Naomi presents her case (and bribe)
• [09:59]: Mob warning delivered
• [11:44]: Halligan admits McDonald stole his money
• [14:04]: Odd stolen items come to light
• [20:08]: Revelatory analysis of left/right-handedness
• [24:16]: The murder of the gas station attendant
• [27:08]: Naomi caught with Regan’s tie clip; exposed as the killer
• [28:02]: Regan and Lyon’s wrap-up

2. "A Thousand Violins"

[Start at 30:23]

Main Theme

A love-struck violinist’s plea to check on his ex-fiance pulls Regan into a tangle of broken hearts, murder, and a violin-forgery racket—with a father’s devotion propelling both crime and sacrifice.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

• The Case Setup

  • Charles Rome hires Regan to quietly investigate why his fiancée Tina Lanier returned his ring ([32:34]).

    Rome: "There may be others, but you're to pay no attention to them. Just the girl." ([33:24])

  • Regan senses deeper trouble, not just a matter of romance.

• Violin Shop Intrigue

  • Regan visits Lanier's Violin Repair, meeting Tina's father, Antonio, and encountering a surly cello player (Joe Fenton) who threatens him with a knife ([34:40], [37:20]).

• Concert & Confessions

  • Regan finagles his way to sit next to Tina at the Philharmonic—she’s evasive and clearly scared ([39:03]–[41:13]).
  • After the concert, a man assaults Regan in an alley; Regan barely escapes, but later, the assailant is murdered—Tina is found at the scene and arrested ([42:26]–[45:29]).

• The Police Angle

  • Lieutenant Candid tells Regan the victim (Joe Fenton) was an ex-con and that Tina had been seeing him ([46:19]).

    Candid: "She killed a guy, Regan. We call it murder." ([47:11])

• The Deeper Plot: Forged Violins

  • Regan links Antonio Lanier to a violin-forgery scheme, forced by blackmail from his criminal "helpers," Fenton and Nick ([52:07]–[53:13]).

    Regan: "A guy who’d sell his soul to give the girl everything." ([52:23])

  • Tina, an innocent pawn, is set up to take the fall for murder.

• Climax

  • In a confrontation at the violin shop, Regan reveals he knows Nick’s and Fenton’s past in the San Quentin orchestra, and how Lanier was dragged into their racket ([54:34]).
  • Nick threatens to kill both Lanier and Regan. A shootout ensues, leading to Nick’s and Lanier’s demise ([55:14]–[55:29]).

• Aftermath

  • Tina is cleared; grateful, she and Rome visit Regan as he recovers.
  • Antonio Lanier, in sacrificing himself, finally sets his daughter free from the shadow of his mistakes ([56:18]).

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Comic detective banter:

  Regan (to Lyon): "I told Sam I’d be back later for the haircut." ([32:07])

• On violin-faking & motivation:

  Lanier: “Such a talent cannot be wasted.”
  Regan: “Only Tina ditched a career and a nice guy like Charlie Rome for your mistake.” ([53:16]–[53:29])

• Detective’s dark humor:

  Regan: “I dreamed about a group of excited figures … They were violins.” ([45:29])

• Bittersweet ending:

  “He died trying to do something right for his daughter Tina. And maybe succeeded.” ([56:18])

Important Timestamps

• [32:34]: Rome hires Regan, describes engagement
• [34:40]: Regan visits violin shop, meets key players
• [37:20]: Threat from Joe Fenton (knife)
• [39:03]: Concert scene; Regan and Tina’s tense conversation
• [42:26]: Alley attack and murder; Tina implicated
• [46:19]: Police interrogate Regan about Tina
• [52:07]: Confrontation, confession, and revelation
• [55:29]: Shootout and resolution
• [56:18]: Epilogue and reflection

Episode Highlights & Memorable Moments

• Brisk, witty noir dialogue throughout, e.g.:

  Regan: "That made me a popular guy. Like a clay pigeon at a skeet shooters convention." ([02:39])

• Nuanced portrayal of “fallen” characters — both tales expose how desperation, loyalty, and love blend into secrets that destroy as much as they preserve.

• Recurring theme:
  The past refuses to stay buried. Both “McDonald” and “Lanier” are haunted by old mistakes, and both wind up depending on Regan’s dogged, cynical—but ultimately compassionate—persistence.

Listening Guide: Segment Timestamps

| Segment | Story | Timestamp | |---------------------------|----------------------------|----------------------| | The Man on the Hook | Case begins | 02:05 | | | Mob threat | 09:59 | | | Key clue revelations | 14:04 / 20:08 | | | Confrontation with Naomi | 27:08 | | A Thousand Violins | Hiring and introduction | 32:34 | | | Ally attack / murder | 42:26 | | | Evidence & confession | 52:07 / 55:29 | | | Story resolution | 56:18 |

Summary

This double-feature episode showcases all that’s great about golden-age radio mysteries:

• Tight plotting
• Memorable, hard-edged dialogue
• Clever use of clues and character psychology
• And a world where justice is never quite clean—but always tenacious.

For lovers of classic detective noir, this is essential listening.