Podcast Summary:

Podcast: Choice Classic Radio Detectives | Old Time Radio
Episode: Richard Diamond Private Detective: Gibson Murder Case (10/08/1949)
Host: Choice Classic Radio
Date: February 2, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode features the classic "Richard Diamond, Private Detective" radio drama, with Dick Powell as the wisecracking gumshoe. The case at hand—the "Gibson Murder Case"—centers on Richard Diamond being pulled into a tricky murder investigation involving a locked-room mystery, mistaken identities, blackmail, and a trail that runs from the upper echelons of New York society to its criminal underbelly—all with Richard Diamond's trademark mix of humor, charm, and detective smarts.

Key Points and Discussion Breakdown

1. Opening: Diamond’s Beef and a Sweltering Summer

• [00:49] Richard Diamond humorously complains about the price of groceries and why killings always seem to happen when it’s hot.
  “Why can't people start their killings in December when it's cool? Now, about a week ago, I got mixed up in the case.” — (Richard Diamond, 01:18)

2. Plot Setup: The Crime and Its Aftermath

• [02:05] A group (Harvey Austin, Virginia Gibson, Esther Blodgett) argue about blackmailing an elderly man, Mr. Gibson. When confronted, tempers flare, and Gibson is struck. The group panics, considering how to dispose of the "problem."
  • [04:07] The confrontation escalates until Mr. Gibson ends up dead, and the group scrambles for a solution.

3. The Case Lands on Diamond’s Desk

• [05:55] Esther Blodgett calls Diamond, reporting a body in her apartment. Her confusion around "Hepplewhite" (her chair, not the corpse) and her anxious but prim personality create comedic moments.

  • “I found this corpse sitting on My—on your what? Hepplewhite. I don't know how he could have gotten there.” — (Esther Blodgett & Richard Diamond, 07:27)

• [08:04] Diamond explains to Blodgett why the police must be involved, despite her concerns about her reputation as a schoolteacher.

4. Investigation: Identifying the Victim

• [10:25] At Blodgett's apartment, Diamond and Lt. Walt Levinson identify the corpse as Leland Gibson, noting oddities such as brown lint on the clothing, likely not killed at the scene, and the locked-room scenario.
  • [12:06] Gibson’s address found: 12 East 64th St.—a clue sending Diamond out to investigate further.

5. Tracing the Victim’s Last Days

• [14:29] At the Gibson residence, Diamond informs Virginia Gibson of her father’s death. She reveals that Leland Gibson had recently moved to a hotel and was seeing a woman named Virginia Pilgrim (“Gibson was being blackmailed…”).

  • “Dad left the house about three weeks ago and moved into a hotel… I think it was a woman.” — (Virginia Gibson, 15:36)

• [17:12] At the Adams Hotel, Diamond learns that Gibson was obsessed with Virginia Pilgrim, a waitress who left the hotel soon after he moved in. She is now his main lead.

6. The Pilgrim Clue and Suspect Identities

• [19:11] Flower clerk provides the address where Gibson sent flowers to Pilgrim. The landlady at the apartment confirms Pilgrim had male visitors—a younger, greasy man, and Gibson himself. Last seen after an argument the morning of the murder.

7. Breakthrough: The Rug and the Locked Room

• [21:02] Diamond returns to Blodgett's apartment. The police have identified brown lint on Gibson’s clothes as rug matting; the ritual of rug removal for painters points to the body being moved in a rug, specifically from a second-floor apartment.
  • “Dead body in a locked room… Carried in in a rug. Bullseye.” — (Richard Diamond, 22:55)

8. Piecing It Together: The Austins and the Connection

• [23:48] The Austins, former tenants of Blodgett’s apartment, now live on the second floor. Mrs. Austin fits Virginia Pilgrim’s description exactly.

  • Reveal: Mrs. Austin (Virginia Pilgrim) and her husband killed Gibson, hid the body in a rug, and dumped it in Blodgett's vacant apartment before the painters arrived.
  • “You and your husband killed Mr. Gibson and carted him downstairs in a rug.” — (Richard Diamond, 25:22)

9. Resolution and Closing Banter

• [26:18] Diamond wraps up the case and heads for a lighthearted dinner with Helen Asher, full of playful, romantic banter and piano serenades.
  • "Sing for your supper." / "Oh, honey, I'm hungry." — "You sing first, and then you can eat." — (Helen Asher & Richard Diamond, 26:38)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Diamond’s Trademark Wit:

  • "Murders financed while you wait… Is this Toodles Asher, the bell of Park Avenue?" — (Richard Diamond, 06:01)
  • "Just call me Blue Eyes." — (Richard Diamond, 12:55)

• Blodgett’s Nervousness:

  • "I'm so nervous. I just lit a cigarette. It tasted so good, I offered one to the dead man." — (Esther Blodgett, 08:43)

• Locked-Room Deduction:

  • "Dead body in a locked room. Blood on body and floor around body, but nowhere else in the room. Carried in in a rug." — (Richard Diamond, 22:55)

• Final Romantic Note:

  • "I said, come here… Oh… Ricky!" — (Helen Asher & Richard Diamond, 28:06)

Important Timestamps

• Case Introduced / Murder Scene: 00:49 – 05:55
• Blodgett’s Call to Diamond: 07:12 – 08:34
• Diamond and Police at Crime Scene: 10:25 – 13:48
• Diamond Investigates Gibson’s Life: 14:29 – 17:12
• Gibson’s Relationship with Pilgrim Unveiled: 17:21 – 19:11
• Flower Clerk & Landlady Provide Leads: 19:11 – 20:26
• Diamond and Police Link the Rug: 21:02 – 23:36
• Culprits Confronted (Austins): 24:15 – 25:49
• Case Closure & Closing Romance: 26:18 – end

Tone and Style

• Language: Snappy, punchy, full of period-wisecracks typical of hard-boiled 1940s detective stories.
• Energy: Fast-paced, with sharp humor balancing dark crime elements and light romantic interludes.

Summary Takeaway

This episode is a classic, compact detective yarn brimming with snarky detective humor and noir intrigue. The locked-room mystery is cleverly unraveled—from a cryptic call to rug lint to blackmail, ending with Richard Diamond piecing together human frailty and criminal cunning. It’s a perfect example of why old-time radio detectives like Richard Diamond endure—delivering equal doses of suspense, clever deduction, and sly wit.

Listen for:

• The interplay between Richard Diamond and the police, especially Lt. Levinson.
• The “Hepplewhite” confusion—a priceless bit of comedy around a murder victim sitting in an antique chair.
• The quick unraveling of alibis and identities, especially as both detective and audience realize “Virginia Pilgrim” and Mrs. Austin are one and the same.
• The classic call-out on the importance of paying attention to small details (brown lint) in solving the crime.

Ideal For: Fans of armchair mysteries, classic radio drama, and anyone who appreciates a blend of sharp detective work and breezy banter.