''Johnny Madero, Pier 23'' (sometimes listed as ''Johnny Modero, Pier 23'' or ''Johnny Madero-Pier 23'') was a 30-minute radio detective drama series which was broadcast on Mutual Thursday at 8 p.m. from April 24, 1947, to September 4, 1947. It was the first nationwide program for star

Jack Webb John Randolph Webb (April 2, 1920 – December 23, 1982) was an American actor, television producer, Television director, director, and screenwriter, who is most famous for his role as Joe Friday, Sgt. Joe Friday in the Dragnet (franchise) ...

Plots and cast

The storylines follow the footsteps of fast-talking, wisecracking Johnny Madero (Webb), who runs a boat shop on the

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

waterfront, rents boats and usually drops in for a weekly chat with Father Leahy (

Gale Gordon Gale Gordon (born Charles Thomas Aldrich Jr., February 20, 1906 – June 30, 1995) was an American character actor perhaps best remembered as Lucille Ball's longtime television foil—and particularly as cantankerously combustible, tightfiste ...

). When investigating a crime, Madero manages to solve the mystery before tough cop Warchek (

William Conrad William Conrad (born John William Cann Jr., September 27, 1920 – February 11, 1994) was an American actor, producer, and director whose entertainment career spanned five decades in radio, film, and television, peaking in popularity when he s ...

). The supporting cast sometimes included

Betty Lou Gerson Betty Lou Gerson (April 20, 1914 – January 12, 1999) was an American actress, predominantly active in radio but also in film and television and as a voice actress. She is best known as the original voice of Cruella de Vil from the Disney anima ...

, Elaine Burke, Bob Holden,

Herb Butterfield Herbert Butterfield (October 28, 1895 – May 2, 1957) was an actor best known for his work in American radio. Career Perhaps his major roles on radio were those of crime-lab expert Lee Jones (as well as many supporting characters) in ''Dragn ...

, Irvin Lee and

Herbert Rawlinson Herbert Banemann Rawlinson (15 November 1885 – 12 July 1953) was an English-born stage, film, radio, and television actor. A leading man during Hollywood's silent film era, Rawlinson transitioned to character roles after the advent of sound f ...

Other personnel

Harry Zimmerman provided the background music. Nat Wolff directed the scripts by

Richard L. Breen Richard L. Breen (June 26, 1918 – February 1, 1967) was a Hollywood screenwriter and director. Biography Breen was born in Chicago of Irish Catholic extraction. He began as a freelance radio writer. After a stint in the U.S. Navy during World ...

, Herb Margolis and Lou Markheim. The program's announcer was Tony LaFrano.

References

* Winn, Dilys. ''Murder Ink: The Mystery Reader's Companion''. Workman, 1977.

External links

Thrilling Detective: ''Johnny Modero''

Program logs

* ttps://web.archive.org/web/20150923214754/http://www.digitaldeliftp.com/DigitalDeliToo/dd2jb-Johnny-Madero-Pier-23.html Log of episodes of ''Johnny Madero, Pier 23'' from The Digital Deli Toobr>Log of episodes of ''Johnny Madero, Pier 23'' from RadioGOLDINdex

Streaming audio