Podcast Summary: Down These Mean Streets (Old Time Radio Detectives) Episode: BONUS - Christmas Caper Countdown (Part 1) Date: December 3, 2025

Overview

This festive bonus episode of Down These Mean Streets kicks off the holiday season with classic radio mystery adventures. Host Mean Streets Podcasts presents two Golden Age detective stories—Casey, Crime Photographer in “Christmas Shopping” (original airdate: December 19, 1946) and Boston Blackie in a Christmas Eve jewel heist gone sideways. The episode explores capers that begin as whodunits and cleverly morph into “how-done-its”, all flavored with the warm, bustling spirit of December. The intention? To get listeners in the holiday mystery mood, counting down weekly to Christmas Eve.

Key Discussion Points and Story Breakdowns

Introduction: The Holiday Caper Countdown ([00:00])

• The host sets a festive tone, announcing a December tradition of double mystery features starring favorite old-time detectives.
• Main theme: Each story is not just a crime caper, but specifically a seasonal tale with a Christmas twist—perfect for detective fans wanting both nostalgia and holiday cheer.

Story 1: Casey, Crime Photographer – “Christmas Shopping”

Department Store Antics and a Pickpocket’s Ruse ([02:00–36:30])

• Setting: Casey and his reporter companion Ann Williams navigate a crowded city department store a week before Christmas.
• Inciting Incident: Casey spots Fingers Fogarty, a known pickpocket, seemingly lifting a fat man’s wallet (04:30).
  • Annie urges him to stop the thief, but when they confront the victim, the man denies having lost anything. ("When a guy sees something that couldn't be seen, he's either goofy or drunk. On your way, fella." —The Fat Man, 07:05)
• The scenario puzzles Casey, whose pride as a newsman is bruised when he can't crack the case immediately. Ann and Ethelbert (the bartender) provide wisecracks and support.

News Break and a Twist ([12:40])

• Ethelbert reveals breaking news: Fingers Fogarty has been arrested for possession of the infamous Walter’s ransom money, connecting him to a year-old kidnapping and murder.
• Casey realizes the fat man was the real criminal, using Fingers as an unwitting pawn to test how “hot” the ransom bills still are.

Detective Work: Chasing Down the Real Criminal ([20:40–38:10])

• The story shifts to good old-fashioned detective legwork:
  • Casey and Ann examine mugshots, deducing a connection between the fat man and a previously jailed criminal, Nick Pencer.
  • They track the trail to a contracting business and use a little girl’s neighborhood knowledge to uncover the identity of the fat man—Gus Pencer.
• The suspense peaks as Casey and Ann are captured by Gus and Nick Pencer, restrained in a garage with a running truck (carbon monoxide threat), but manage a daring escape.

Resolution and the True Spirit of the Season ([38:10–40:50])

• The duo foils the kidnappers using quick thinking and, with a memorable car crash, ensure both are arrested.
• The “real” holidays resume at the Blue Note, with jokes about criminal justice ("Fingers made so many admissions...the cops can keep him in jail till 1999." —Casey, 40:25) and an enormous Christmas tree.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Crime is a sucker's road and those who travel it wind up in the gut of the prison of the grave.” —Classic opening narration, [00:01]
• “What burns me up is I didn't find out why the fat guy denied it.” —Casey, [09:45]
• “Circumstances peculiar to his profession.” —Ann, on Fingers Fogarty, [17:46]
• “The only thing the real kidnapper didn't figure was that someone might see Fingers take his wallet.” —Casey, theorizing, [17:57]
• “I need another pair of glasses, the kind you’ll fill.” —Casey, after barely escaping death, [38:10]

Story 2: Boston Blackie – The Christmas Eve Jewel Caper

A Robbery in the Christmas Spirit ([41:00–1:20:00])

• Setting: Blackie, Mary Wesley, and Inspector Faraday are en route to Christmas dinner when they’re swept into a store robbery chase.
• Inciting Incident: Joe Martin snatches four diamond rings but is nabbed outside; bizarrely, none of the stolen goods are found on him. (“If I took ‘em, Mac, where are they now?” —Joe Martin, [44:21])
• The victim and detectives are baffled: how did the thief make the evidence vanish?

Santa Claus and Sleight of Hand ([48:00–54:00])

• It’s revealed that on the run, Martin tossed the rings into a charity Santa Claus’s collecting kettle—a twist on “giving” for Christmas.
• Martin and his boss Clark track down the off-duty Santa, recover the rings with an assist from a language-barriered strongman, Abby.

Blackie’s Deduction and Undercover Antics ([58:40–1:08:40])

• Blackie deduces the trick and, to Mary’s anxiety, disguises himself as Santa to set a trap for Martin and Clark.
• Posing as Santa, Blackie nearly gets himself killed, but in a musical twist, is forced at gunpoint to sing carols as a cover while being led to his doom. (“He doesn't know a thing / Come on, let's jump the guy / Watch out for guns / I'll just pass you by…” —Blackie, singing for help in code, [1:13:40])

The Climax: Carolers to the Rescue ([1:13:45–1:16:20])

• Blackie cleverly sings coded lyrics to street carolers, who realize he's in trouble (“At first we thought you were nuts,” —One of the carolers, [1:15:25]) and aid in subduing Abby.
• Faraday and the police arrive, apprehend Martin and Clark after a brief gunfight, and recover the rings.

Epilogue: Holiday Reflections ([1:16:21–End])

• The detectives and Mary share Christmas dinner, delighting in the solved mystery—and company.
• Blackie delivers a heartfelt message: “Next week I hope you and everyone you know and love will be enjoying the best holiday season you ever had.” ([1:18:29])
• Inspector Faraday closes with: “All I say is Merry Christmas to our listeners, Blackie.” ([1:19:01])
• Vincent Price delivers a poignant message against prejudice, in keeping with the classic program's tradition ([1:19:35]).

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Intro & Episode Setup: 00:00–02:00
• Casey Crime Photographer – “Christmas Shopping”: 02:00–40:50
  • Pickpocketing in the Store: 04:30–09:00
  • Breaking News at the Blue Note: 12:40–17:45
  • Detective Theories with Captain Logan: 17:46–20:40
  • Trackdown in the Neighborhood: 25:55–33:00
  • Garage Escape: 36:15–38:10
• Boston Blackie’s Christmas Caper: 41:00–1:17:10
  • Ring Theft and Street Chase: 44:21–48:00
  • Santa’s Kettle Ruse: 48:01–54:00
  • Discovering the Trick: 58:40–1:02:08
  • Blackie’s Santa Undercover: 1:08:40–1:13:40
  • Singing for Help / Carolers Intervene: 1:13:40–1:16:20
  • Culprit Capture & Holiday Dinner: 1:16:21–1:19:00
• Signoff and Social Message (Vincent Price): 1:19:01–End

Original Language, Tone & Spirit

The episode brims with vintage banter, sharp comic timing, and a warm appreciation for the genre’s noir stylings and holiday sentiment:

• Heroic cynicism: “Crime is a sucker's road…those who travel it wind up in the gut of the prison of the grave.” ([00:01])
• Good-hearted ribbing: “Inspector, the way you’ve murdered that turkey.” ([1:18:56])
• The ever-present warmth and camaraderie among recurring cast—offset by a seasonal message of generosity and goodwill.

Conclusion

This special holiday episode delivers both edge-of-your-seat detective drama and heartwarming old radio nostalgia. The Christmas setting lifts both capers into clever, festive territory, complete with disguises, mistaken identities, and last-minute rescues. Sprinkled with classic one-liners and the era’s moral clarity, it’s a reminder of why these old-time radio “Christmas capers” are so cherished.

Notable Quote to Close:
“Next week I hope you and everyone you know and love will be enjoying the best holiday season you ever had… Merry Christmas to them all.” —Boston Blackie, Faraday & the Cast ([1:18:29–1:19:15])