The detective character, Sam Spade, was created by Dashiell Hammett for his crime novel The Maltese Falcon. Spade was a hard-boiled detective with cold detachment, a keen eye for detail and unflinching determination to achieve his own justice. The character is most closely associated with Humphrey Bogart who played Sam Spade in the third and most famous film version of The Maltese Falcon. In 1946, one of radio’s top producers (William Spier) brought “Sam Spade” to CBS radio starring newcomer Howard Duff with Lurene Tuttle (and occasionally Sandra Gould) as Spade’s secretary, Effie Perrine and sponsored by Wildroot Cream Oil. Duff took a considerably more tongue-in-cheek approach to the character than the novel or movies. Dashiell Hammett lent his name to the radio series but had little involvement. In 1947, scriptwriters Jason James and Bob Tallman received an Edgar Award for Best Radio Drama from the Mystery Writers of America. Howard Duff starred as Spade until November of 1950 when Steve Dunne took the role.

8/2/46 "Sam and the Psyche"

6/8/47 "The Calcutta Trunk Caper"

8/29/48 "The Lawless Caper"

1/16/49 "The Betrayal in Bumpass Hell Caper"

4/17/49 "The Report on Edith Hamilton"

5/1/49 "The Battles of Belvedere"

7/10/49 "The Queen Bee Caper"

7/24/49 "The Tears of Night Caper"

8/7/49 "The Champion Caper"

9/25/49 "The Indian Caper"

5/21/50 "The Red Ampola Caper"

5/28/50 "The Honest Thief Caper"