Harold's Old Time Radio

Episode: Deadline Mystery 1947-08-24 "Housing Scandal"
Date Published: January 11, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode features an original broadcast of Deadline Mystery from August 24, 1947, centering on a "Housing Scandal." Set against the postwar American housing shortage, the story follows newspaper columnist Lucky Larson as he investigates rumors of political corruption, business manipulation, and murder in a city where the search for housing has become desperate. The narrative blends classic noir with social commentary, exploring themes of media manipulation, corporate greed, and the dangerous consequences of speaking truth to power.

Key Discussion Points and Story Breakdown

1. Setting the Scene: The Housing Crisis and Rumors of Scandal

• [01:25–02:19]
  Lucky Larson introduces himself and his mission: to investigate the city’s notorious housing shortage and the swirling rumors of scandal. He sets up a meeting with Gordon R. Driscoll, president of Inner City Construction Corporation.
  • Notable Quote:
    “Any good wife knows she has to start in on her husband at least two weeks in advance in order to make him go out and get a haircut. Well, that's the way it is with me and this. This housing shortage.” – Lucky Larson [01:32]

2. The Interview with Gordon R. Driscoll

• [02:19–03:35]
  Larson presses Driscoll on the rumors: Driscoll denounces any scandal and minimizes the housing crisis. Phyllis Driscoll (his wife) enters, and there’s a comically flirtatious exchange, highlighting the privilege and dismissiveness of the elite.
  • Notable Quote:
    “There's an odor of Scandal in the air. Mr. Driscoll, even in the short time that I've been here, I've smelled it.” – Lucky Larson [02:28]

3. A Colleague in Trouble: George Harris

• [04:09–06:08]
  Larson reconnects with George Harris, an old friend and managing editor of the city’s Times News. Harris is investigating the same scandal, but confides he’s been framed for murder—a dead woman found in his hotel room.
  • Notable Quote:
    “I’ve been digging into this housing mess. Oh, and it's all of that, Lucky? ... It's a group outside of politics. … In the end, they'll get the jobs themselves at their own price.” – George Harris [04:43–05:15]

4. The Frame-Up Deepens

• [07:27–08:19]
  Larson agrees to help Harris, learning that the murdered woman (Wanda King) was connected to the scandal’s underworld. Spike Morgan, Wanda’s gangster boyfriend, bursts in with a gun, ready to exact revenge.
  • Notable Moment:
    Spike attempts to kill both Harris and Larson, believing they murdered Wanda. His grief is palpable but the arrival of police interrupts his vengeance. [08:24–09:10]

5. Barriers in the Press and with the Law

• [10:01–11:47]
  After being released, Larson’s column is curiously missing from The Sentinel. He learns the paper’s owner, Jay Nelson Bostock, is blackballing his reporting. Larson confronts Bostock at a party only to be forcibly removed.
  • Notable Quotes:
    “I'm told that nobody sees the great white father, not ever. Well, I've been brushed off quicker, but never better.” – Lucky Larson [10:44]
    “How would you like to be hanged for telling people what you think that people should know?” – Lucky Larson [17:20]

6. Peeling Back the Corruption

• [19:12–21:47]
  Larson discovers the real connections: Driscoll’s company, the Intercity Construction Corporation, is intimately tied to the city’s power players. He uncovers evidence in Driscoll’s safe that Bostock (the publisher excoriating Harris in print) owns a third of the company fueling the scandal.
  • Notable Quote:
    “Jane Nelson Bostock. Owns one third of the stock in the Inner City Construction Company. It says here.” – Lucky Larson [20:13]

7. The Confrontation – Truth as Leverage

• [21:47–23:34]
  Larson arranges a dangerous faceoff in his hotel room, compelling Bostock to confront the evidence and his own biases. Larson points out that Bostock’s crusade against the Citizens Committee and his attacks on Harris were tools to protect his own interests.
  • Notable Quotes:
    “And Bostock, by suppressing the truth, is protecting their right to loot.” – Lucky Larson [23:09]
    “How do you like being framed?” – Lucky Larson [23:32]

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments (with Timestamps)

• "There's an odor of Scandal in the air... even in the short time that I've been here, I've smelled it."
  — Lucky Larson [02:28]
• "Apparently, whoever's behind this thing is trying to stifle all competition. In the end, they'll get the jobs themselves at their own price."
  — George Harris [05:09]
• "It's the picture that's in the frame. Sorolla couldn't have done any better. I don't have to ask this question. But I do. Why, George? Why?"
  — Lucky Larson [07:27]
• "He framed you, my friend. If Driscoll's schemes ever came to light, he'd have forced you and your wealth and your paper to defend them."
  — Lucky Larson [23:41]

Timeline of Important Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | |-----------|-----------------------------------------------| | 01:25 | Larson introduces himself and his quest | | 02:19 | Interview with Driscoll & wife Phyllis | | 04:09 | Reunion with George Harris | | 06:08 | George reveals his frame-up/found body | | 08:24 | Spike Morgan confrontation | | 10:01 | Larson’s column missing from The Sentinel | | 15:45 | Confrontation with Bostock and Driscoll | | 19:12 | Larson finds evidence in Driscoll’s safe | | 21:47 | Final confrontation and truth revealed | | 23:32 | Larson frames Bostock to prove a point |

Tone and Style

The episode is steeped in hard-boiled, rapid-fire noir dialogue, packed with cynicism, dry humor, and the relentless drive for truth despite personal risk—a style iconic for the era’s radio dramas. Larson's narration is brash, witty, and determined, capturing the battle between an independent press and the powerful interests seeking to suppress it.

In summary:
"Deadline Mystery: Housing Scandal" delivers a tense, entertaining, and incisive mystery rooted in postwar America’s real anxieties—making both a thrilling crime story and a pointed parable about corruption, media power, and the price of pursuing truth.