The Two Richard Diamonds

 

 

 

 

 

One of the best remembered detective shows of the late 1940's and 1950's was Richard Diamond, and it came in two very distinct incarnations.

 

The first time around, Richard Diamond was a popular radio series, starting in 1949, staring chorus-boy-crooner-turned-tough-guy  Dick Powell.

 

Up until 1944, Powell had been known as a boyish crooner, appearing in such films as 42nd Street, Footlight Parade, Gold Diggers of 1933, Dames, and  Flirtation Walk. 

 

Approaching 40, Powell realized his days playing young romantic leads were coming to an end, and that he needed to reinvent himself.  Warner Brothers, however, wasn't convinced.

 

Powell lobbied to play the lead in Double Indemnity, but that role went to Fred MacMurray instead. 

 

MacMurray, another Hollywood `nice guy', managed to change his image overnight, playing the role of a first class heel in Double Indemnity.   That, reportedly, gave Powell even more impetus to change his image.

 

In 1944, Powell was cast as gumshoe Philip Marlowe in Murder, My Sweet, a film noir classic.  Overnight, Powell had managed to change the direction of his career.  More `tough guy' roles were offered, and Powell said goodbye to his days as a cherubic faced singer.

 

Powell starred in Cornered, Johnny O'Clock, and Cry Danger solidly establishing his credentials as a dramatic actor.  He would also appear in lighter fare, such as Susan Slept Here and The Reformer and the Redhead, but he didn't sing in those.

 

He became Richard Diamond on the radio in 1949.  This 30 minute show was less hard-boiled than most other detective shows, with breezy, often witty dialog. 

 

Small wonder, the series was created and written by none other than Blake Edwards, who would go on to create Peter Gunn and the Pink Panther movies.

 

The show often featured `in jokes', with Diamond lampooning the Detective genre, mentioning other radio detectives, like Sam Spade, or confessing he was particularly fond of Hollywood actress June Allyson (Dick Powell's real wife).

 

Diamond, like most radio detectives, had a `friend' on the police force - in this case Homicide Detective Walt Levinson (usually played by Ed Begley).  Often, Powell would end the show with a brief song, sung to his radio series girl friend Helen Asher.

 

Richard Diamond switch networks, moving from NBC to ABC in 1951.  Reruns were heard on CBS in 1953.    We are lucky enough to have a great many of these shows preserved, and available to download.

 

You can either download full CD's of episodes from the first link, or individual episodes from the second link.  Either way, I think you'll find these shows are a delight.

 

 

 

Richard Diamond, Private Detective - Old Time Radio Researchers Group
RICHARD DIAMOND, PRIVATE DETECTIVE In 1945, Dick Powell portrayed Phillip Marlowe in the movie "Murder My Sweet" based on Raymond Chandler's novel "Farewell My Lovely". This was a radical departure in character for Mr. Powell from a Hollywood song and dance man to a hard-boiled detective.

 

Richard Diamond, Private Detective - Single Episodes - Old Time Radio Researchers Group
RICHARD DIAMOND, PRIVATE DETECTIVE In 1945, Dick Powell portrayed Phillip Marlowe in the movie "Murder My Sweet" based on Raymond Chandler's novel "Farewell My Lovely". This was a radical departure in character for Mr. Powell from a Hollywood song and dance man to a hard-boiled detective.

 

 

Powell would go on to direct a number of movies and television shows during the 1950's, and would form Four Star Television  and Four Star Films along with David Niven, Ida Lupino, and Charles Boyer.

 

 

 

Their company would produce such familiar shows as The Rifleman, Wanted: Dead or Alive, Trackdown, Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theater,  The Detectives Starring Robert Taylor, Stagecoach West, The Dick Powell Show, Burke's Law, The Rogues and The Big Valley.

 

 

The second incarnation of Richard Diamond would come in 1957, with a young contract player named David Janssen taking the role.

 

The show was produced by . . . you guessed it . . . Dick Powell and Four Star Television.

 

 

 

 

Darker, and more hard boiled than the radio version, TV's Richard Diamond was a detective in the film noir tradition.  This detective didn't serenade his girl friend at the close of each show, and the wisecracks are less prevalent.

 

He did have a secretary, named Sam, who we only saw from the waist down displaying a shapely pair of legs, and we heard her sultry voice.   The owner of these glamorous  gam's was a secret, and generated a good deal of `buzz', until Mary Tyler Moore let it slip that she was `Sam'.   

 

After that, the producers found another pair of legs for the show.

 

The show started out in New York, but moved to L.A. in the second season. 

 

Janssen would go on to even greater stardom as Richard Kimble, The Fugitive in the late 1960's, and as Harry O, another detective in the 1980's.

 

In all, 77 Black & White episodes were produced of Richard Diamond.  I've linked to a half dozen of them below, available on GUBA.  But if you follow THIS LINK, you'll find more than 60 episodes available.

 

Fair warning.  I've no idea how long these links will be good.  Get them while you can.

 

 

 

 

richard diamond - 1x02 custody.avi

 

richard diamond - 1x06 the chess player.avi

 

richard diamond - 1x05 hit & run.avi

 

richard diamond - 1x09 the torch carriers.avi

 

richard diamond - 1x07 the big score.avi

 

richard diamond - 2x01 the space society.avi