The Al Brenners Case: Richard Diamond, Private Detective (January 25, 1952)

“The Al Brenners Case” is an episode of Richard Diamond, Private Detective, the old-time radio show, first broadcast January 25, 1952. Listen free on Stupid Potato.

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What happens

Private detective Richard Diamond agrees to help a professional stool pigeon named Tiny Gillespie locate fugitive Al Brenners, who is hiding from a grand jury investigation, for a split of the $5,000 reward. When Tiny fails to meet Diamond at their arranged location and is later found beaten to death, Diamond must track down Brenners before the police do—following clues that lead him to a rest home on Long Island where danger awaits.

Long Island, New York, primarily at the Hillview Rest Home, with scenes also at Diamond's office, the Purple Glider bar, and a police station.

Characters: Richard Diamond, Tiny Gillespie, Al Brenners, Lieutenant Walt Levinson, Stringer, Helen, Samson the bartender, Alf

Listen for: The tense cat-and-mouse game between Diamond and Brenners at the rest home, the frightening encounter with the giant in the basement, and the climactic gunfight that reveals who has been pulling the strings all along.

Written from the episode itself; it never gives away the ending. Every recording is remastered for the stream: cleaned of rumble, hiss and mains hum (and the old TV whine where we found it), then levelled in two passes to steady broadcast loudness, so one show is never quieter than the next.