Barrie Craig Confidential Investigator | Crime

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"Murder as a steady occupation has its handicaps… the pay is high, but so are the gallows from which, sooner or later, they hang you."

Running from 1951 through 1955, Barrie Craig, Confidential Investigator is about a New York private eye. Produced in New York from 1951 to 1954 and then moved it to Hollywood where it aired from 1954 to 1955. This entertaining old time radio series originally titled "Barry Crane" was later renamed "Barrie Craig."

The series starred William Gargan (also played detective Martin Kane) as Barrie Craig, the lone private detective, who worked and solved cases from his Madison Avenue office. Gargan actually worked in as a private detective, collecting agent; his duties ranged from doing stakeouts to working as a bodyguard. He was shot while on the investigating a deadbeat customer. This life experience surely added to the depth of his characterization of Barrie Craig, Ellery Queen (three films) and Martin Kane.

While most detectives at the time were no nonsense hardboiled types, Barrie Craig is extraordinary due to his laid back personality. He rarely gets worried even in life threatening situations, it takes a lot to ruffle his feathers. Craig narrates the story much like Joe Friday in Dragnet and Sam Spade.

An interesting note: two Inner Sanctum scripts were actually reused in the Barrie Craig series.

Barrie Craig, Confidential Investigator was an old time radio detective series that was produced and aired from New York in 1951 - 1954. This crime series followed the life of Barrie Craig, who was portrayed by actor William Gargan. Gargan played the New York City private eye so well that the program continued its airing in Hollywood from 1954 - 1955. Craig ran his operation from his office in Madison Avenue. He solved crimes, relentlessly pursued criminals, and was not above taking odd jobs. Whereas majority of the investigative themed old radio shows featured no-nonsense and hard-boiled detectives, Barrie Craig poked fun at the traditional local private eye with his laid-back and easy-going manner.

Entertain yourself with the mysterious cases of Barrie Craig, Confidential Investigator!

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Please enjoy these 67 old time radio episodes:

Air Date	Title	Synopsis
02.13.1952	a time to kill	sustained "A Time To Kill". When in kindergarten I once experienced a surprise. When I played hide-...
01.30.1952	a very odd job	+ "A Very Odd Job". Barrie is hired "to deliver a puppet, watch a girl sink, discover a vintage mu...
10.03.1953	alais clark smith	+ When Barrie Craig got back to his office he learned from Jake the building super that a small guy ...
01.05.1955	angel of death	+ sustained "Angel Of Death". "You might take your competitor down but never burried him, that wou...
03.01.1953	behold a corpse	"The Wholed Corpse" was played on NBC.Net and sponsored by: Bromo Seltzer. "These words that are oft...
05.03.1953	beware the walking dog	+ Doreen Dimple was willing to pay Barry Craig $500 to walk her dog Caesar because the last 2 times ...
08.24.1954	blood money	+ sustained "Blood Money". One of the investigator partner asked barrie to find a the rugs dealer ...
11.07.1951	case of the borrowed knife	NBC net sustaining. A young woman was in distress when saw A corpse with a knife in his back at Crai...
05.05.1955	confession of murder	+ sustained "Confession Of Murder". "A lady killer is sometimes seen as the worst dressed people i...
10.31.1951	corpse on delivery	+ NBC net Barrie Craig has been hired to find Joey Florio who has jumped bail but A corpse slows do...
03.09.1955	corpse on the town	+ sustained "Corpse On The Town". The newly Mrs. Stanton Bishop was found dead with a broken neck,...
01.04.1953	crimson queen	+ "The Crimson Queen". Sponsored by: Bromo Seltzer. "The major trouble with murder as a career is t...
12.19.1954	dead bull in a china shop	+ sustained "Dead Bull In A China Shop". "As a profesional Murder there were several handicaps; the...
10.15.1952	dead loss	+ sustained "Dead Loss". The story was about the mistery of A Man who was buried six months before ...
11.14.1951	dead on arrival	+ NBC net sustaining. The Diary of George Washington Diary was found in an old clock. The Diary coul...
12.12.1951	death and the purple cow	NBC net sustaining. A man with a gun told Barrie Craig to not accept a new client. The gunman shot h...
07.27.1954	death buys a bedroom	+ sustained "Death Buys A Bedroom". In his vacation in the mountains, Barrie met a beautiful gir...
01.02.1952	death of a private eye	+ NBC net sustaining. Barrie hired by a man who pay a visit, but Barrie found that the mas has death...
08.10.1954	deaths bargain basement	+ sustained "Death's Bargain Basement". "Jail cell turns into honeymoon cottage where prisoners ove...
02.06.1952	diary of death	+ sustaining. A Murder counted a bloody tree refer to the two peaces of a treasure map that should ...
N/A	buried assets
N/A	case of lost lila thorne
N/A	claw killer of seneca
N/A	code of the underworld
N/A	echo corners

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I also like the over the top always on the edge of death Boston blackie

Chris

Johnny dollar got hit hard. That's why I loved those crime shows. Oh and the "dames"

Chris

I really liked Barry Craig a lot, a very smart, experienced PI. Wish it had lasted longer, or at least people had more episodes

Christopher

Great voice....can't think of a show he did that wasn't good

James

When you say his name, you have to do it sounding like Don Pardo.

Bernhard

I also like the over the top always on the edge of death Boston blackie

Christ

If those gumshoes were knocked unconscious every episode they'd have some major concussion issues..hard heads

Christoph

Barrie Craig was great.

Carl

This crime drama featured William Gargan as Craig, "Your man when you can't go to the cops... Confidentiality a specialty." It was broadcast from October 31, 1951 to June 30, 1955. This program is one of the few detective radio series that had separate versions of it broadcast from the East & West coasts. Even the spelling changed over the years. It was first "Barry Crane" and then "Barrie Craig". NBC produced it in New York from 1951 to 1954 and then moved it to Hollywood where it aired from 1954 to 1955. It attracted only occasional sponsors so it was usually a sustainer. William Gargan, who also played the better known television (and radio) detective Martin Kane, was the voice of New York eye BARRY CRAIG while Ralph Bell portrayed his associate, Lt. Travis Rogers. Craig's office was on Madison Avenue and his adventures were fairly standard PI fare. He worked alone, solved cases efficiently, and feared no man.

BARRY CRAIG, CONFIDENTIAL INVESTIGATOR