Podcast Summary: Boston Blackie – "Coverup For Mary" (05/09/1945)

Podcast: Choice Classic Radio Detectives | Old Time Radio
Episode: Boston Blackie: Coverup For Mary
Date: December 27, 2025
Host: Choice Classic Radio
Main Cast: Boston Blackie, Inspector Faraday, Mary Wesley, Shorty

Episode Overview

This episode of "Boston Blackie" features a dramatic whodunit centering around a murder that puts Blackie’s close friend, Mary Wesley, at the center of suspicion. As Blackie works feverishly to clear Mary’s name, he discovers a deeper plot involving identity deception, a staged death, and a cunning coverup that only his keen detective skills can unravel. The episode exudes classic golden-age radio flair, full of witty banter, clever deductions, and fast-paced action.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Mary Wesley’s Dangerous Dilemma

• Mary Wesley attempts to break it off with ex-boyfriend John Richards, confronting him about unwanted advances at his house. (01:41)
• Feeling threatened, Mary brings a gun (Blackie's) for her protection and declares to Richards, “Please try to understand, will you? I'm just not interested in you.” (01:56)
• A confrontation ensues:

  Shorty (Richards): “Did Boston Blackie teach you to point guns at your old boyfriends?” (02:32)
  Mary Wesley: “This happens to be Blackie's gun. He told me I might need it, and I think he was right.” (02:37)

• A shot rings out, leading to unclear circumstances.

2. The Murder and Evidence Against Mary

• A body is found at a house fire, and Inspector Faraday begins investigating. The body appears to be John Richards, shot through the head hours before the fire. (05:15)
• Evidence mounts against Mary:
  • Neighbors heard a shot and saw a hurried woman leave (05:54)
  • Mary had openly written a threatening letter to Richards

3. Blackie’s Cover-Up for Mary

• Blackie enters, determined to shield Mary from implication. He finds and destroys Mary’s letter, replacing it with one of his own (“Signed by Boston Blackie”) to misdirect Faraday. (06:45)
• Faraday quickly sees through the ruse:

  Inspector Faraday: “You wrote this note and set that house afire to cover up for that girl of yours, Mary Wesley.” (09:21)

• Blackie oscillates between humor and concern, maintaining his faith in Mary’s innocence despite mounting evidence:

  Boston Blackie: “Mary had nothing to do with this.” (09:27)

4. Mary’s Whereabouts and Blackie’s Deduction

• With police closing in, Blackie warns Mary to hide at a movie theater instead of going home. (11:36)
• Blackie and Mary meet at the theater, sharing a tense meal and exonerating discussion:

  Boston Blackie: “Did you kill John Richards?” (14:13)
  Mary Wesley: “I didn’t kill him, Blackie. I just fired the gun into the floor to show I wasn’t afraid to use it.” (14:30)

5. Unraveling the True Murderer

• Blackie investigates John Richards’ business partner, Bill Emery, after Mary recalls the connection. At Emery’s apartment, evidence suggests a hasty departure, but Blackie notices key inconsistencies:

  Boston Blackie: “Mary told me… John Richards was freckle faced. The man I found dead before the fire didn’t have any freckles.” (19:13)

• Blackie suspects that the body at the scene wasn’t Richards but Emery.

6. Dental Trickery and the Switcheroo

• Blackie deduces that dental records were used for misidentification. He investigates two dentists reputedly servicing the underworld, focusing on Dr. Madison and assistant Dr. Lindell. (21:19)
• Through cross-examination, Blackie gets Lindell to admit to altering Emery’s dental work to match Richards’, allowing:
  • Richards to fake his own death
  • Frame Emery as himself and leave town as “Robert Carlton” (24:09)
• Dr. Madison:

  “Dr. Lindell is my assistant. But I’m the one who made the identification for the police.” (21:51)

• Blackie:

  “You identify dental work from the mouth of a murdered man made to look like the dental work you’d done for John Richards?” (22:55)

7. Case Resolved: Confession and Closure

• Blackie tips off Faraday, and Richards is apprehended and confesses in Chicago (24:52). Mary and Blackie are cleared of suspicion.

  Boston Blackie (to Mary): “Faraday called and wanted to apologize to you. He picked up John Richards in Chicago a couple of hours ago and got his confession.” (24:49)

• Motive: Emery caught Richards embezzling from their company, sparking the murder and escape plot.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Comic Relief Amidst Drama:

  Boston Blackie (to Faraday): “How does the flatfoot pick up such fancy legal terms with his toes?” (10:48)

• Classic Radio Banter:

  Shorty: “Gee, boss, one day you’re gonna find a lock that you can’t open.”
  Blackie: “Sure, the day I leave my fingers home.” (17:15)

• Final Gag:

  Mary Wesley (pointing gun): “Now, what’s the idea of taking it and pointing it at me?”
  Mary Wesley: “A darn good idea. I just want to make sure we go to my apartment, that’s all.” (25:36)

Important Timestamps

• 01:41 – Mary confronts John Richards; gun is revealed
• 05:15 – Discovery of burned house and murder scene
• 06:45 – Blackie forges a threatening letter to protect Mary
• 09:19 – Faraday accuses Blackie of covering for Mary
• 11:36 – Blackie arranges for Mary to hide in theater
• 14:13 – Blackie questions Mary about the murder; Mary’s denial
• 17:09-19:13 – Blackie and Shorty investigate Emery’s apartment; key clue found
• 21:19-22:55 – The visit to dentists Madison and Lindell; revelation of dental switch
• 24:49 – Resolution: confession, exoneration, and final banter

Tone & Style

The episode is brisk, witty, and laced with 1940s slang and repartee. Blackie is quick-tongued and playful, particularly in his jousts with Inspector Faraday, but the urgency to clear Mary and solve the murder provides dramatic tension throughout. The interplay between Blackie, Mary, and Shorty balances suspense with warmth and humor.

Takeaway

This classic radio detective episode showcases Boston Blackie at his clever best—protecting friends, outwitting the police, and seeing through a cunning murder scheme with his trademark flair. The use of period detective tropes, comical exchanges, and tight plotting make it a quintessential piece of vintage crime drama. For fans of the golden age of radio and sharp-witted sleuths, it’s a must-listen.