The Adventures of Philip Marlowe CBS · September 10, 1949

Philip Marlowe 49 09 10 Ep049 The Rustin Hickory

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# Philip Marlowe 49-09-10: The Rustin Hickory

When Philip Marlowe accepts a seemingly routine missing person case, he stumbles into the shadowy world of Los Angeles's high society—where old money breeds old secrets. A mysterious woman with a story that doesn't quite add up, a missing husband with expensive habits, and whispers of blackmail lead our hardboiled detective down a darkening path lined with lies. As autumn rain hammers the streets of downtown LA, Marlowe must navigate a labyrinth of deception where every clue contradicts the last, and everyone from the grieving widow to the anxious banker has something to hide. The tension crackles across the airwaves in this episode, with Sterling Hayden's world-weary narration pulling listeners deeper into the fog—both literal and metaphorical—that obscures the truth. By episode's end, Marlowe will have unraveled the mystery of the Rustin Hickory, but not before discovering that in this city of angels, even the most careful lies eventually cast shadows.

The Adventures of Philip Marlowe stands as one of radio's finest adaptations of Raymond Chandler's iconic private detective, capturing the cynical wit and moral complexity of the source material while thriving in the intimate medium of radio drama. Running from 1947 to 1951 on CBS, the series brought the gritty streets of 1940s Los Angeles into American living rooms with remarkable authenticity—the fog-thick dialogue, the jazz-tinged orchestration, and supporting performances that felt as real as the person next to you on the bus.

Don't miss this essential chapter in Marlowe's casebook. Tune in as the city's darkest secrets are dragged into the light.