Down These Mean Streets (Old Time Radio Detectives)

Episode 646: Actor and Ad Man (Escape, Dragnet, Nero Wolfe, & Fort Laramie)

Date: November 30, 2025
Theme: Celebrating Harry Bartel, Versatile Actor and Announcer from Radio’s Golden Age

Overview

This episode of Down These Mean Streets is a special tribute to Harry Bartel, renowned for both his memorable roles as announcer and as an actor in numerous radio dramas. Host Mean Streets Podcasts takes listeners through Bartel’s career, highlighting his signature performances in an array of classic programs—Escape, Dragnet, The New Adventures of Nero Wolfe, and Fort Laramie. Each segment underscores Bartel’s range, from suspenseful thrillers to detective drama and frontier adventure, offering a curated showcase of his legacy and versatility.

[00:55] Celebrating Harry Bartel: A Radio Legend’s Birthday

• Host introduces the episode as a birthday celebration for Harry Bartel, born November 29, 1913.
• Bartel’s career highlights include his work as announcer for Sherlock Holmes and Gregory Hood, and as a member of Norman MacDonnell’s radio “stock company.”
• Notable for “praising the rich, full flavor of Petri wines” on Sherlock Holmes (see [01:28]), and for his recurring roles in Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar, Dragnet, The Adventures of Philip Marlowe, Escape, Gunsmoke, and Fort Laramie.

Quote:
“The Petri family, the family that took time to bring you good wine, invite you to listen...”
—Harry Bartel as Announcer, [01:28]

[03:29] Iconic Roles and Radio Trivia

• Host outlines some of Bartel’s acting highlights:
  • Longest-running Archie Goodwin in The New Adventures of Nero Wolfe (see [04:30]).
  • Lieutenant Siberts on Fort Laramie.
• Noted for his reliability and chameleon-like adaptability in supporting and lead roles across genres.
• Today’s episode features full performances from Escape: Shipment of Mute Fate; Dragnet: The Big Safe; two Nero Wolfe mysteries (The Case of the Midnight Ride and The Case of the Telltale Ribbon); and Fort Laramie: Shavetail.

Segment 1: Escape – “Shipment of Mute Fate”

Start: [09:09]
Highlight: Harry Bartel stars as Chris Warner in a tense, atmospheric story about a deadly bushmaster snake loose on a cruise ship.

Key Points

• Narration immediately sets the tone of dread (“a certain pair of beady eyes were watching every move I made…” [09:09]).
• Bartel’s performance as the anxious, responsible snake handler is central.
• Realistic depiction of mounting paranoia and procedural efforts to find the escaped snake.
• Interludes of comic relief and human drama, such as the smuggled ship’s cat Clara ([11:17]).
• Tension builds as the ship’s officers and crew search for the bushmaster to avoid panic, but the threat is omnipresent, driving some passengers to hysteria ([27:09]).
• The suspense culminates in a standoff between Chris and the snake—saved unexpectedly by Clara the cat, who blinds and kills the bushmaster to protect her kittens ([29:40] onward).

Memorable Moments & Quotes

• Atmosphere-building:
  "Too much had happened to turn back now. I'd gone too far to stop..."
  —Chris Warner (Harry Bartel), [09:09]
• Dread-realism:
  "Fear was a heavy fog in the lungs of all of us, and every light on the vessel burned throughout the night."
  —Chris Warner, [25:59]
• Rescue:
  "Three reasons why that cat had fought and killed the world’s deadliest snake. And those three reasons came tottering out from under the stove on shaky little legs."
  —Chris Warner, [29:40]

Timestamps

• Snake’s escape discovered: [20:52]
• Ship search and passenger panic: [25:27]–[28:28]
• Climactic showdown with the snake: [29:40]

Segment 2: Dragnet – “The Big Safe”

Start: [37:47]
Highlight: Harry Bartel guest stars as Officer Frank Smith (Joe Friday’s partner, preceding Ben Alexander).

Key Points

• Standard “just the facts” Dragnet storytelling, focusing on a safe burglary and Bartel as Smith supporting Jack Webb’s iconic Joe Friday.
• Detailed depiction of investigative procedure: suspect interviews, stakeouts, and suspect elimination.
• Investigators check various leads, including a parolee running a chicken ranch, a suspicious request in a fix-it shop, and a string of safe jobs.
• Ultimately break the case based on physical evidence and interviews, culminating in an interrogation and a confession.

Memorable Moments & Quotes

• Deadpan Dragnet style:
  "We continued questioning the suspect... Boyd typified the possible suspect. He added nothing, but he couldn't be ignored."
  —Narration, [46:03]
• Closing theme:
  "The story you have just heard was true. The names were changed to protect the innocent."
  —Narrator, [64:09]

Timestamps

• Suspect interrogation: [41:55]
• Evidence and confession: [61:01]–[63:26]

Segment 3: The New Adventures of Nero Wolfe

“The Case of the Midnight Ride”

Start: [66:43]
Highlight: Bartel as Archie Goodwin alongside Sidney Greenstreet’s Nero Wolfe in a fast-paced, witty mystery involving cryptic phone calls, mistaken identities, and blackmail.

Key Points

• Begins with a phone call for help from “Gloria,” setting off a chain of sleuthing and comic misadventures.
• Archie and Dr. Thrumming are kidnapped and nearly executed, saved by the poor aim of their would-be killer.
• Nero Wolfe unravels the connections between the various parties, decoding audio evidence and confronting the villains in classic Wolfe fashion.
• Trademark banter and wordplay throughout, balancing suspense and humor.

Memorable Moments & Quotes

• Archie’s wit:
  "Well, you remember. We all went to school together. That is..."
  —Dr. Thrumming, mistaken identity thread, [72:39]
• Wolfe's logic:
  "By his speech pattern, he is undoubtedly a Canadian. But you must have missed the most important slip up.”
  —Nero Wolfe (Sidney Greenstreet), [93:24]

Timestamps

• Kidnapping and escape: [74:09]–[78:06]
• Wolfe’s deduction and wrap-up: [89:40]–[94:14]

“The Case of the Telltale Ribbon”

Start: [95:43]
Highlight: Family intrigue and attempted murder solved by Bartel’s Archie and Greenstreet’s Wolfe. Features a house full of suspects, poisoning, and a twist ending.

Key Points

• The story is launched by a mysterious invitation (delivered by an eccentric old man) and threatening notes to Eva Milott.
• Suspicions fall on various household members and staff—step-son Larry, secretary Dorothy, and husband Edward.
• The investigation exposes romantic motives, family grudges, and ultimately reveals that the victim arranged her own demise to frame others.
• Wolfe observes, “She was a very sick woman, mentally as well as physically...” [122:10]

Memorable Moments & Quotes

• Archie to Wolfe:
  "There's something that still bothers me... How can such a sweet motherly type as Mrs. Malotte cook up such gruesome ideas?"
  —[122:10]
• Wolfe’s dry humor:
  "You mean there's nothing in the book which says a good detective shouldn't spend a few minutes with an attractive brunette, even though she is a murder suspect?"
  —[122:50]

Timestamps

• The notes and family secrets exposed: [106:45]–[117:43]
• Climax and resolution: [119:27]–[123:24]

Segment 4: Fort Laramie – “Shavetail”

Start: [125:39]
Highlight: Bartel as Lieutenant Siberts opposite Raymond Burr (Captain Quince), in a nuanced story of frontier discipline, responsibility, and redemption.

Key Points

• Lieutenant Siberts, young and inexperienced, brings his patrol back short a man and after breaking several orders.
• Theme of mentorship and the hard choices of command in Indian country.
• Captain Quince (Burr) covers for Siberts while holding him accountable—demonstrating the fine line between discipline and empathy.
• Bartel’s performance as the earnest but overmatched Siberts is filled with humility and resolve, anchoring the emotional heart of the story.
• The episode ends with Siberts wounded but redeemed by his actions, and accepted by Quince as a true cavalryman.

Memorable Moments & Quotes

• Quince’s hard wisdom:
  “We’re sitting on a powder keg… Just because some Indian strikes a match, that gives you no excuse to light one in return.”
  —Captain Quince (Burr), [131:09]

• Mentorship and forgiveness:
  “You make a good soldier... He’ll do better than that, Sergeant. He’ll make a good cavalryman.”
  —Quince to Sergeant Gorse, [151:22]

Timestamps

• Return from patrol, first debrief: [129:04]
• Confronting the consequences: [132:33]–[134:39]
• Final acceptance: [151:10]

Final Thoughts & Legacy

• The episode concludes with the host noting Bartel’s versatility and importance in the pantheon of radio actors.
• Each segment demonstrates Bartel’s talent for creating distinct, memorable characters—whether as earnest cop, sardonic detective’s sidekick, or earnest frontier officer.
• Memorable for the seamless weaving of suspense, character warmth, and period-accurate adventure.

Notable Quotes Recap

• On fear:
  "Fear was a heavy fog in the lungs of all of us..."
  Escape, [25:59]

• On justice and leadership:
  "We're sitting on a powder keg... and don't you ever forget it."
  Fort Laramie, [131:09]

• On suspicion:
  "You mean there's nothing in the book which says a good detective shouldn't spend a few minutes with an attractive brunette, even though she is a murder suspect?"
  Nero Wolfe, [122:50]

Summary Table: Key Segments & Timestamps

| Show / Segment | Main Role (Bartel) | Memorable Moments | Time Range | |--------------------------------------|------------------------|------------------------------------------|--------------------| | Escape: Shipment of Mute Fate | Chris Warner | Cat Clara saves the day | [09:09]–[36:44] | | Dragnet: The Big Safe | Officer Frank Smith | Suspect process, classic Dragnet style | [37:47]–[66:31] | | Nero Wolfe: Case of The Midnight Ride| Archie Goodwin | Kidnapping, phone-phone clue | [66:43]–[94:12] | | Nero Wolfe: Case of the Telltale Ribbon | Archie Goodwin | Poisoning mystery, archival clues | [95:43]–[123:24] | | Fort Laramie: Shavetail | Lt. Siberts | Redemption and mentorship | [125:39]–[151:49] |

For New Listeners

This episode offers an expertly curated sampler of Harry Bartel's finest moments in classic radio. Whether you're a collector or a newcomer, you'll experience the variety and depth of radio’s Golden Age—not just in gripping storylines but in the distinct personalities that actors like Bartel brought to life. His skill in slipping seamlessly among hero, sidekick, and narrator showcases why his work holds up as timeless listening.

Endnotes:

• Episode avoids advertisements and focuses exclusively on content, highlighting how scripts, acting styles, and character relationships intertwined in the era’s best radio drama.
• For further exploration, the host encourages listeners to check out their other OTR podcast, Stars on Suspense.