Night Beat

Night Beat follows the adventures of Randy Stone, played by Frank Lovejoy, as he walks the night beat for the Chicago Star. As he looks for material for his column, he meets a wide variety of persons, some with serious problems, some not so serious. Sometimes he can help, sometimes he cannot, but each show managed to highlight some aspect of the human condition without getting soppy about it. (In the earliest episodes, the character is known as "Lucky Stone.")

The series aired from 1950 to 1952 and, on a personal note, is one reason I became interested in OTR, as I was born as that era was ending. A long time ago, I would listen to WCAU-AM, which was one of the leading radio stations in Philadelphia.

WCAU broadcast a two-hour show in which, Richard Hayes played three old time radio shows per show. Night Beat--well-plotted, well-scripted, well-acted--was easily my favorite of the shows Hayes played.

Learn more at Wikipedia.

Series description provided by Frank Bell.