100 Greatest Old Time Detective Stories

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - "The Notorious Canary Trainer" (1945)

100 Greatest Old Time Detective Stories

Show Notes

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes presents “The Notorious Canary Trainer,” originally broadcast April 23, 1945. Episode 176 stars Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes and Nigel Bruce as Dr. John Watson.

While on holiday at the Fisherman’s Arms in Kingsgate, Kent, Holmes and Watson are approached by a worried young woman who believes she is being followed. A suspicious fellow lodger, his caged canaries, and echoes of an earlier criminal case draw Holmes into a race to decipher the clues. Written by Anthony Boucher and Denis Green, the story expands on the notorious canary-trainer referenced in Arthur Conan Doyle’s “The Adventure of Black Peter.”

100 Greatest Old Time Detective Stories presents the original broadcast with a newly produced contextual introduction, a short closing announcement, and gently cleaned/mastered audio for a more consistent listening experience.

Chapters: 00:00 Victor Sterling Introduction 00:54 Original Broadcast 31:00 Closing

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/100-greatest-old-time-detective-stories--7257686/support.

Support Old Time Retro Radio at https://www.patreon.com/oldtimeretroradio

More from 100 Greatest Old Time Detective Stories

Oct 21, 2026

Broadway Is My Beat, “The Joe Gruber Murder Case,” originally aired on CBS on July 8, 1951. This is episode 70 of the hard-boiled detective series, starring Larry Thor as New York police detective Danny Clover and produced and directed by Elliott Lewis.

Oct 19, 2026

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes presents “The Great Gandolfo,” originally broadcast on Mutual on October 22, 1945. Basil Rathbone stars as Sherlock Holmes, with Nigel Bruce as Dr. Watson, in an original radio adventure by Denis Green and Anthony Boucher, suggested by an incident in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s “The Adventure of the Second Stain.”

Oct 16, 2026

Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar: “The Forbes Matter,” episode 294, originally broadcast December 29, 1955. In this fourth chapter of a five-part CBS Radio serial, Bob Bailey stars as freelance insurance investigator Johnny Dollar. Written by John Dawson and directed by Jack Johnstone.

Oct 14, 2026

The Adventures of Sam Spade Detective presents “The Convertible Caper,” originally broadcast on June 15, 1947. Episode 051 stars Howard Duff as San Francisco private detective Sam Spade, with Lurene Tuttle as his indispensable secretary, Effie Perrine.

Oct 12, 2026

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes presents “The Disappearing Scientists,” episode 213, originally broadcast on April 8, 1946. Basil Rathbone stars as Sherlock Holmes, with Nigel Bruce as Dr. Watson, in this late Mutual Broadcasting System mystery written by Anthony Boucher and Denis Green.

See all episodes →