Created by Blake Edwards (of Pink Panther fame), Richard Diamond, Private Detective came to NBC radio in 1949 starring film actor and crooner Dick Powell. Powell had recently played Philip Marlowe in the popular RKO film Murder, My Sweet and jumped at the chance to play a suave detective on radio.

Richard Diamond was a light-hearted New York–based private eye who enjoyed ribbing the cops and singing songs to his millionairess girlfriend, Helen Asher (played by Virginia Gregg). It’s theme, “Leave it to Love,” was whistled by Powell at the beginning of each episode. Powell’s production company (Four Star Television) produced a TV version of Richard Diamond, Private Detective for CBS in 1957. David Janssen, who would later gain fame as Dr. Richard Kimble on The Fugitive, was cast as TV’s Richard Diamond. Sam, Diamond’s beautiful secretary in the TV series, was only shown from the waist down. Those beautiful legs belonged to Mary Tyler Moore, as well as other actresses.

9/3/49 - “The Harry Baker Case”12/31/49 - “The Thomas Jason Case”1/7/50 - “The Angelino Giuseppe Case”7/26/50 - “The Martha Campbell Ransom Case”8/2/50 - “The Frank Bowers Murder Case”9/27/50 - “The Hatpin Murder Case”10/18/50 - “The Kidnapped Policeman”10/25/50 - “The Rifle Case”11/22/50 - “The Cover-Up Murders”12/6/50 - “Missing Night Watchman”3/2/51 - “The Red Rose”3/9/51 - “The Butcher Shop”4/4/52 - “The Enigma of Big Ed”5/30/52 - “The Carpenter Case”8/9/53 - “The Wheatgerm Case”8/23/53 - “The Hollywood Story”