Broadway Is My Beat CBS · December 6, 1952

Bimb 52 12 06 (142) The Blanche Dermit Murder Case

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# The Blanche Dermit Murder Case

Picture the rain-slicked streets of Manhattan, 1952. Detective Danny Barr is back on the case—this time investigating the murder of Blanche Dermit, a woman whose life tangled through the glittering underbelly of Broadway itself. As our hard-boiled detective digs deeper into a world of dressing rooms, stage door alibis, and theatrical secrets, the fog thickens around this seemingly straightforward crime. Was it a crime of passion? Professional jealousy? Or something far more sinister lurking behind the footlights? This episode delivers the gripping tension that made *Broadway Is My Beat* essential listening for millions of New Yorkers huddling around their radios on weekday evenings.

*Broadway Is My Beat* occupied a unique place in the golden age of radio drama. Premiering in 1949, the show transformed the real streets of New York City—particularly the theatre district—into a noir-tinged detective playground that felt lived-in and authentic. Created by and starring Jack Webb (fresh from his work on *Dragnet*), the series brought procedural realism to the pulp crime genre, with Danny Barr navigating a world where showbiz glamour collided with criminal desperation. Each episode was rooted in the actual geography and culture of Broadway, making listeners feel they were walking these very streets alongside the detective. By 1952, the show had cultivated a devoted following who appreciated its gritty storytelling and refusal to glamorize its theatrical setting—here, the bright lights cast long, dark shadows.

Step into the world of Detective Danny Barr and experience the mystery that surrounds the Blanche Dermit murder case. Turn your dial to experience radio drama at its finest—where the bright lights of Broadway hide secrets darker than the midnight stage.