The Great Detectives of Old Time Radio

Episode: Danger with Grainger – “A Marriage Minded Girl” (EP4841)

Date: November 10, 2025
Host: Adam Graham

Episode Overview

This episode features a classic radio mystery from the “Danger with Granger” series, entitled “A Marriage Minded Girl.” Private detective Steve Granger is drawn into a web of deception, bigamy, and murder after a mysterious woman, Gloria Lane, reaches out for his help. The case quickly spirals into danger, as Granger must navigate double-crosses, threatening gangsters, and a suspicious “marriage racket” before the truth is revealed. Host Adam Graham provides opening and closing commentary, framing the drama in the context of old-time radio detective storytelling.

Key Discussion Points and Story Breakdown

1. The Initial Plea: Gloria Lane’s Desperate Request

• Steve Granger is contacted by Gloria Lane, who leaves him a mysterious note asking to meet at the Rendezvous Room in Manhattan.
• Their meeting is interrupted by Rick Darrell, the club’s owner and an acquaintance of both Granger and Lane. When Lane is paged for a “long distance call,” she abruptly disappears.
• Granger finds Gloria beaten in an alley, but is knocked out by a thug before he can help.

Notable Quote (Steve Granger, 04:19):
"This is Steve Granger, private detective with a story about a girl who decided to get married and tried so hard that it nearly killed me."

2. Two Suitors and a Dangerous Game

• Rick Darrell hires Granger to find Gloria, claiming she promised to marry him. He acts possessive and threatening, suggesting personal stakes.
• Granger is abducted by a henchman named Herbie and brought before Jerry Regan, a gangster who also claims Gloria agreed to marry him. Regan presents a marriage license as proof and demands Granger’s help in finding her, assigning Herbie as his minder.

Memorable Moment (Jerry Regan, 13:12):
"You see, it turns out that I'm gonna marry this time you too. Was it Ramuck? I said you are. Certainly am. Get the license to prove it."

3. The Marriage Racket Unfolds

• Investigation at the Marriage License Bureau reveals Gloria Lane obtained marriage licenses with both Rick Darrell and Jerry Regan.

• At Gloria’s apartment, Granger’s conversation with the landlady and Gloria’s friend, Ella Murray, exposes that Gloria was afraid for her life and had fled to a small town upstate.

Insightful Dialogue (Gloria’s friend, Ella Murray, 18:14):
“She acted like she was terribly frightened about something.”

Granger’s resolve (18:25):
“Oh, I wouldn’t do her any harm. Matter of fact, I’m beginning to think I can do her some good.”

4. Confrontation and Roadside Peril

• Granger tracks Gloria to Spartan, NY. She tries to bribe him, but he insists on returning her to New York.
• On the return drive, they’re run off the road by Paletti, the club’s head waiter and Gloria’s partner in crime. Granger is knocked out and left in a car rigged for an “accident,” but survives and contacts the police.

Tension-filled Exchange (Granger and Gloria, 20:33):
Gloria: “But I’ve got money, a lot of money.”
Granger: “Just forget it, baby."
Gloria: “Granger, you’re not being fair. I hired you first.”
Granger: “Got two men after me and I’d rather not have as enemies.” (20:38–20:44)

5. Climax and Resolution

• Gloria is found murdered. Granger, now suspected by both Darrell and Regan, works quickly to reveal the real culprit.
• Granger deduces Paletti and Gloria were running a marriage scam, conning wealthy men into engagement and extorting money. When Gloria double-crossed Paletti, he killed her.
• With Darrell’s help, Granger confronts Paletti and exposes the racket.

Key Reveal (Steve Granger, 25:45):
“Paletti and Gloria Lane were partners… Gloria was good-looking, Paletti would find a man with dough… There’d be a proposal of marriage. Then Gloria would need money…”

6. Aftermath & Light-Hearted Banter

• Darrell and Regan set aside their differences, grateful to Granger for resolving the case and recovering their money.
• Ella flirts with Granger, but ultimately chooses to date Darrell instead, leaving Granger with his trademark self-deprecating humor.

Closing Humor (Steve Granger, 27:15):
“All right, don’t tell me the only date I get is the one on the fruitcake.”

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• “This is Steve Granger, private detective with a story about a girl who decided to get married and tried so hard that it nearly killed me.” — Steve Granger, 04:19
• “You see, it turns out that I’m gonna marry this time you too… Get the license to prove it.” — Jerry Regan, 13:12
• “She acted like she was terribly frightened about something.” — Ella Murray, 18:14
• “Paletti and Gloria Lane were partners… Gloria was good-looking, Paletti would find a man with dough… There’d be a proposal of marriage. Then Gloria would need money…” — Steve Granger, 25:45
• “All right, don’t tell me the only date I get is the one on the fruitcake.” — Steve Granger, 27:15

Timestamps for Major Segments

• [03:06] – Drama begins: Steve Granger meets Gloria Lane.
• [04:19] – Granger’s narration, setup of the case.
• [05:17] – The rendezvous at the Manhattan supper club.
• [07:38] – Granger finds Gloria beaten; is knocked out.
• [09:40] – Rick Darrell offers Granger money to find Gloria.
• [11:28] – Granger meets Jerry Regan, another suitor.
• [15:35] – Granger checks marriage licenses; the scam is revealed.
• [17:24] – Interview with Ella Murray.
• [19:06] – Granger finds Gloria upstate; the abduction and car chase.
• [21:06] – Granger run off the road by Paletti.
• [24:59] – Granger reads of Gloria’s murder; Darrell confronts him.
• [25:45] – Final confrontation and confession.
• [26:30] – Post-case banter; Granger’s comic non-romance ending.
• [28:15] – Adam Graham’s closing remarks and analysis.

Host Commentary & Tone

Adam Graham’s commentary bookends the episode with audience engagement and insight into the show’s place in the genre. He draws comparisons to “The Falcon” and points out the episode’s layered double-crosses and sharp wit.

Host Insight (Adam Graham, 28:15):
“A solid mystery with a lot of double crosses for our hero to unravel and become involved in as well. And I think the end kind of felt like the way a Falcon episode would end, although the Falcon rarely had more than one person conversing with him in the final scene.”

The overall tone of the episode is classic mid-century hardboiled: terse, cynical, and quick with wisecracks, yet ending with a note of humor and restored order.

Summary

“Danger with Granger: A Marriage Minded Girl” spins a tale of a femme fatale caught between two crooks, a murder plot, and a jaded private eye trying to keep himself out of a grave. The episode is structured as a fast-paced investigation, featuring betrayals, threatening gangsters, and a cleverly explained marriage racket. Not just a whodunit, it is also a character study of postwar radio archetypes and their enduring wit.

Useful For:
Anyone interested in classic radio mysteries, detective fiction tropes, or the storytelling style of the golden age of radio. This episode delivers suspense, sharp dialogue, and the nostalgic charm of the original 1950s detective broadcasts.