Podcast Summary: Harold's Old Time Radio

Episode: "33 Half Moon Street – A Kitten for Mr. Katz"
Date: February 15, 2026
Original Air Date: May 27, 1965
Host: Harold’s Old Time Radio
Show Featured: Dramatic Mystery (“33 Half Moon Street”)

Episode Overview

This episode of “Harold’s Old Time Radio” transports listeners back to mid-century London in a stylish, tongue-in-cheek detective story infused with witty banter, theatrical intrigue, and an unexpected twist. The agency "Assignments Unlimited" finds itself embroiled in what at first appears to be a comically simple mission—looking after a kitten for a client named Mr. Katz. The routine job quickly spirals into deception, glamor, and a criminal plot involving an alluring French “kitten,” the machinations of the show business underworld, and an unexpected bust.

Key Discussion Points and Plot Breakdown

1. The Assignment Setup

• Introductions:
  • Cannon, the main operative, and his boss Mason, discuss the company's willingness to take on any task (“Assignments Unlimited, we do anything anywhere at any time.” [00:19, B])
• Mr. Katz’s Arrival:
  • Katz, a brisk and slightly shady theatrical agent, requests the agency to pick up a “kitten” from the boat train at King’s Cross and care for it until he returns, sounding hurried and evasive ([00:46–02:36, D & B]).
    • Notable quote:
      • Katz: “I've got a little female kitten arriving on the boat train lunchtime tomorrow... just look after her until I get back from the Midlands.” [02:17, D]

2. The ‘Kitten’ Reception—A Theatrical Twist

• Misdirection:
  • Cannon expects a feline but is instead greeted by Marie Lavour, a glamorous French actress whose stage nickname is “the kitten.” ([04:43–05:32, C & A])
    • Notable quote:
      • Marie: “That is what they call me in France, monsieur. My name is Marie Lavour.” [05:06, C]
      • Cannon: “For once. I've got me an assignment that's the cat's whiskers.” [05:18, A]
• Bonding over Curry:
  • Cannon and Marie share a meal, with Cannon warming to his unexpected chaperoning assignment. Marie’s lack of luggage and sudden trip is explained as the unpredictability of show business ([06:36–08:31, C & A]).
    • Memorable moment:
      • Cannon: “You can stay the night in my flat... But there's a condition.” [08:31, A]

3. Suspicions and Deception

• Back at the Agency:
  • Mason and Cannon reflect on the oddities: Katz’s claimed location doesn’t match his direct phone call, his business card lacks a phone number, and his agency's address leads nowhere ([10:27–15:22, B & A]).
    • Notable quote:
      • “No phone number, just the address. And for a theatrical agent, that's decidedly odd.” [13:25, B]
• The Search for Katz:
  • Cannon investigates Katz’s supposed office, discovering it does not exist ([14:34–15:22, A & B]).
    • Key quote:
      • “Chief. We've been taken?” “It looks like it.” [15:35–15:39, A & B]

4. The Rendezvous: The Trap is Sprung

• Hand-Off at Four Swans:
  • Katz arranges the hand-off at a remote hotel, further stoking suspicions ([17:27–17:47, C & A]).
  • The exchange is cordial but evasive. Katz whisks Marie away, telling Cannon to wait for payment ([18:45–19:13, D, C & A]).
    • Memorable: Marie's goodbye and promise of a future date
      • “Thank you for everything, Mr. Cannon…. I shall not forget our date.” [19:16–19:25, C]
• Double-Cross and Chase:
  • Katz intends to disappear without paying. Marie expresses concern; Cannon deduces their plan and chases after them ([20:07–21:11, D, C & A]).
    • Dramatic confrontation:
      • Cannon: “Okay, you two babies, get up.” [21:11, A]
  • The traveling bag is revealed to contain a metal cylinder filled with cocaine, not talcum powder ([21:53–22:11, A, D, & B]).
    • Notable quote:
      • Cannon: “There's enough cocaine in this cylinder to keep you on easy street for years. You know, you got the wrong name, buster. They should have called you rat.” [22:12–22:29, A]

5. Resolution and Reflection

• Plot Exposed:
  • The narrator (Mason) reveals that the police were watching from the start, and that the elaborate “kitten” delivery was an attempted drug smuggling operation. ([22:29–23:43, B])
    • Notable quote:
      • “If he'd paid Cannon in the Four Swans Hotel, we'd have left it at that and put down the false visiting card to eccentricity. As it turned out, it was a profitless task and I lost cannon for four days. At the trial, the narcotics people were onto Mr. Katz.” [22:29–23:43, B]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (with Timestamps)

• “Assignments Unlimited, we do anything anywhere at any time.” – Mason [00:19, B]
• “Show business… cutthroat, Mr. Mason. That's the word to really describe it, a knife in the back.” – Katz [01:52, D]
• “That is what they call me in France, monsieur. My name is Marie Lavour.” – Marie [05:06, C]
• “For once. I've got me an assignment. That's the cat's whiskers.” – Cannon [05:18, A]
• “No phone number, just the address. And for a theatrical agent, that's decidedly odd.” – Mason [13:25, B]
• “You know, you got the wrong name, buster. They should have called you rat.” – Cannon [22:12, A]
• “It was a good plan to have someone from Assignments Unlimited meet the lady. She'd be quite safe until Katz could arrange a quiet rendezvous. Her cover story was sound and well, indeed took us both in.” – Mason [23:17, B]

Key Timestamps

• 00:46–02:36 — Katz’s original (deceptive) client pitch
• 04:43–05:32 — Cannon meets “the kitten”; the twist
• 06:31–08:45 — Banter, bonding, and the actress’s predicament
• 10:27–11:00 — Agency begins to suspect Katz
• 12:00–13:39 — Suspicious details about Katz’s card and location
• 15:35–16:47 — Realization of being double-crossed
• 17:23–18:45 — Escorting Marie to the hotel; emotional farewells
• 21:11–22:29 — Showdown, bag reveal, and the true crime exposed
• 22:29–23:43 — Narrator’s wrap-up and the operation’s resolution

Tone and Style

The episode is voiced with classic mid-century radio dramatics: smart, brisk, humorous, and just a little world-weary. The interplay between Cannon and the French “kitten” Marie sparkles with flirtation, wordplay, and mutual respect, while the overall narrative lampoons detective tropes and show business antics, before upending expectations with a serious, criminal underpinning.

Takeaway

“A Kitten for Mr. Katz” is a spirited, twisty detective romp that showcases the signature style of Golden Age radio drama: clever dialogue, layered intrigue, and a story that veers from lighthearted misunderstanding to a much darker conclusion. Listeners are reminded how even apparent comedy and misdirection can hide genuine danger—and that, for Assignments Unlimited, no job is ever as simple as it seems.