Each guide is written from the episode itself, sets up the story and 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.
The Adventures of Sam Spade: 12 episode guides
The Adventures of Sam Spade: Adam Figg Caper (1947)
Sam Spade is hired by a mysterious butler named Adam Figg to protect his employer, the elderly and ill Mr. Exxon, at Exxon Manor in Los Nidos. Someone has attempted to shoot the cantankerous old man in the night, and Spade must discover who is trying to kill him before they succeed.
San Francisco and Exxon Manor in Los Nidos, 1947 · Sam Spade, Adam Figg, Mr. Hillary Exxon, Miss Kewood, Miss Perin
Listen for: Sam Spade investigating a murder attempt at a grand mansion while dealing with a difficult and secretive old man with a criminal past and many enemies.
The Adventures of Sam Spade: Bail Bond Caper (1948)
Sam Spade is visited by Vivian, a woman from his past who is now married to Leo, a reformed criminal turned bail bond broker. Vivian tells Sam that Leo received a phone call from Charlie Holiday, a paroled criminal who once took the rap for Leo, and now Leo seems frightened and armed. Spade agrees to investigate what Leo is up to when he meets Charlie at 10 that night.
Sam Spade's detective office, the Sweet Laylani cocktail bar, and the streets of the city · Sam Spade, Vivian, Leo, Charlie Holiday, Bernadine
Listen for: The mystery of what Charlie Holiday wants from Leo and why Leo is so frightened about their meeting; details about Leo's criminal past and his attempt to go straight
The Adventures of Sam Spade: Bow Window Caper (1947)
Sam Spade is hired by Dr. Reese, a psychiatrist whose wife Esther has become increasingly jealous and suspicious of his female patients. The doctor's wife has purchased a gun, hired someone to watch the house, and is making wild accusations. When Spade visits the doctor's home to investigate, he encounters a mysterious man spying through the bow window and is assaulted before discovering the household in chaos, with Mrs. Reese attacking the doctor's nurse with brass fire tongs.
San Francisco, Dr. Reese's home and office on Pacific Avenue · Sam Spade, Dr. Reese, Mrs. Esther Reese, Miss Robbins, Mrs. Kavanaugh, mysterious man
Listen for: The violent confrontation at the bow window, the chaotic domestic scene with Mrs. Reese brandishing fire tongs, and Miss Robbins' resignation as the doctor's nurse.
The Adventures of Sam Spade: Calcutta Trunk Caper AFRS (1947)
Sam Spade is hired by a woman claiming to be Constance Pendleton's sister to stop her marriage to Major André Vrodnick, a Bulgarian officer with a history of marrying wealthy women who then disappear. When Spade confronts the bride and the groom, he discovers the real situation is far more complex than it first appeared.
San Francisco, with references to a voyage to Calcutta aboard the SS Lurene and the Bulgarian Consulate. · Sam Spade, Effie (Sam's secretary), Marsha Hopkins/Marsha Brodney, Constance Pendleton, Major André Vrodnick, Bulgarian Consul
Listen for: The mystery of Vrodnick's true intentions, revelations about Marsha's real identity and connection to the major, and Spade's investigation into the murders of six wealthy women in Europe.
The Adventures of Sam Spade: Dry Martini Caper (1948)
Private detective Sam Spade is hired by the wealthy Mrs. Netta Martini after her husband Gordon is found shot dead on the pavement outside their Marina Boulevard residence. The case begins when Spade arrives for a tense meeting with the impatient businessman, only to witness the shooting himself and become a key witness to the mysterious murder.
San Francisco, 1948. The Martini residence at 1000 Marina Boulevard and surrounding city streets. · Sam Spade, Effie, Mrs. Netta Martini, Gordon Martini, Ernie the chauffeur
Listen for: The distinctive delivery of noir detective work as Spade recounts the case from his office dictation. The tension between the impatient businessman and the careful detective, and the shocking moment when the shooting occurs just as Spade arrives for his meeting.
The Adventures of Sam Spade: Mad Scientist Caper (1948)
Sam Spade is hired by Raymond Fox, a wild-eyed inventor claiming someone has stolen his secret formula for Penitron, a revolutionary plastic that shields against atomic radiation. Fox believes Albert Grayson of Grayson Enterprises stole the formula after a brief illness forced Fox from his laboratory, and points to a patent office letter as proof. Spade begins investigating the shabby office and its mysterious employees to uncover the truth.
San Francisco, 1948. Sam Spade's detective office and the offices of Grayson Enterprises. · Sam Spade, Effie Perine, Raymond Fox, Albert Grayson, Lois, Roscoe Manning, Detective Lieutenant Dundee
Listen for: The mystery of who really stole the Penitron formula and what Grayson Enterprises is actually up to. Sam's investigation into the shady operation and his discoveries at their office.
The Adventures of Sam Spade: Missing Newshawk Caper (1948)
Sam Spade is hired by newspaper publisher Alex Youngblood to find Ray McCollum, the paper's top crime reporter who has been missing for two days. McCollum has been writing an exposé series targeting organized crime and racketeers, and Youngblood fears the missing reporter may have been silenced by the criminals he was investigating.
San Francisco, with flashbacks to a desert ranch in Butte, Montana · Sam Spade, Avi, Charlie Shank, Alex M. Youngblood, Ray McCollum
Listen for: Sam's investigation into the disappearance of a crime reporter and his interviews with the newspaper publisher who hired him; references to McCollum's explosive exposé articles naming criminals and racketeers.
The Adventures of Sam Spade: Rushlight Diamond Caper (1948)
Sam Spade is hired to guard the Rushlight Diamond, an heirloom wedding present at the wedding of Ralph Rushlight to a foreign bride named Lottavarneich. Mrs. Rushlight explains that the valuable stone, which once belonged to her late husband's first wife, must pass to the groom's bride upon his marriage. As guests arrive for the ceremony, Spade mingles among them while keeping watch over the diamond, but tension and mystery surround the ill-fated union.
The Rushlight mansion at 21A Granite Court, where a wedding reception is taking place. · Sam Spade, Mrs. Rushlight, Nancy Ward, Ralph Rushlight, Lottavarneich, Colonel Asanda Bixby, Florence
Listen for: The wedding ceremony and the arrival of guests for the reception; watch for the diamond's safety and any suspicious behavior around it.
The Adventures of Sam Spade: Sam and the Psyche (1946)
Sam Spade is hired by Dr. Gregory Dennov, a psychoanalyst, to protect him from being blackmailed by a man named Nikolai over a $10,000 payment. When Sam arrives at the doctor's penthouse apartment for a meeting that afternoon, he finds Dr. Dennov dead, apparently having fallen from a window. The police rule it suicide, but Sam's client's widow insists it was murder and points suspicion at Constance Brent, an actress and the doctor's patient who had threatened him before and was heard arguing with him just before his death.
San Francisco, including Sam Spade's office, Dr. Dennov's penthouse apartment, and the Majestic Theatre. · Sam Spade, Effie Perine, Dr. Gregory Dennov, Nikolai, Mrs. Gregory Dennov, Lieutenant Dundee, Sergeant Levene, Dr. Sawyer
Listen for: Sam's trademark wisecracks and the details of the blackmail scheme involving Nikolai and the mysterious $10,000 that may hold the key to the doctor's death.
The Adventures of Sam Spade: The Dead Duck Caper (1947)
Sam Spade attends a birthday party for Effie's mother where a guest named Marty dies under mysterious circumstances during a charades game. When armed men kidnap Effie's mother demanding a mysterious "duck," Sam must navigate between a criminal mob, federal authorities, and his own code of honor to secure her safe return.
San Francisco, including Effie's home, Sam's office, a coastal shack, Maxie's arcade, and Sam's apartment · Sam Spade, Effie, Mrs. Herring (Effie's mother), Lola Brent, Marty, Ducky Morton, O'Rourke (lawyer), Jenny
Listen for: The clever setup of the charades game that opens the mystery, the discovery of Marty's poisoning, and the twist involving Lola's hidden message in the charade slip
The Adventures of Sam Spade: Vaphio Cup Caper (1948)
Sam Spade is hired by Chester A. Brody, an importer and exporter, to deliver a priceless ancient Greek Vaphio Cup to a mysterious collector via train. The package is stolen during the journey by a tall, sandy-haired man who overpowers Spade with a sap. When Spade returns to report the theft, he discovers that Brody has been murdered, and a flattened golden cup is found in the waste basket.
San Francisco and a train between San Francisco and San Jose, 1948 · Sam Spade, Chester A. Brody, Dimitri Theophilus, Mrs. Inid Awfulist Brody, The sandy-haired thief
Listen for: The vivid description of the ancient Vaphio Cup's artistry and historical significance; the clever discussion of how to outsmart a would-be thief by choosing transportation methods; the violent confrontation on the train.
The Adventures of Sam Spade: Wheel of Life Caper (1948)
Sam Spade is visited by a mysterious woman who calls herself Lana O'Farrell, claiming to have complete amnesia and no memory of her identity or past. She tells Sam that a man grabbed her on a moving streetcar, saying someone named Lathrop wanted to see her, and she jumped from the car in fear. Now Sam must help her discover who she really is before someone silences her permanently.
San Francisco, 1948. Sam Spade's office, the streets, and various locations around the city including the Embarcadero and Hotel Calcutta. · Sam Spade, Lana O'Farrell, Bernadine, Lieutenant Dundee, Shiggy Bellows, Clancy, Officer
Listen for: A woman with complete amnesia seeking Sam's help, mysterious references to the Wheel of Life, and dangerous figures from her unknown past closing in.