Dry Martini Caper: The Adventures of Sam Spade (August 1, 1948)

“Dry Martini Caper” is an episode of The Adventures of Sam Spade, the old-time radio show, first broadcast August 1, 1948. Listen free on Stupid Potato.

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What happens

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.

Characters: 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.

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.