Golden Age of Radio

PAT NOVAK BROADCAST HISTORY   Ladies and Gentlemen, the American Broadcasting Company brings to its entire network one of radio's most unusual programs . . . The show was produced in 1946-47, ABC West; produced at KGO, San Francisco, and aired on the West Coast network only. Feb 13-June 18, 1949, ABC. 30m. Pat Novak  was  Jack Webb's  first significant radio crime drama. It was also the vanguard of radio crime drama, so hard-boiled as to be high camp in its own time. The show was rich with hilarious pessimism, rippling with ridiculous metaphors. In two separate stands as Pat Novak , Webb was propelled to national prominence. Novak operated out of "Pier 19," a small office where "I rent boats and tell a few white lies, if the price is right." Writer  Richard Breen  wrote the kind of dialogue that Webb delivered better than any one else: it was sassy, brassy, and full of pent-up anger. The series existed, in fact, simply to push one-liners. Each story wa...

"It was a pretty room, if you like dead women on your rugs. She was stretched out in a pale, yellow dressing gown, as quiet as an April morning and twice as pretty." - Pat Novak, Private Investigator 490423 Rita Malloy "The veins stood out in his face and made a pattern as if he slept on an alligator bag instead of a pillow." "He was crumpled up against the desk and she was staring down at him as if she forgot to water the plants." - 490604 Agnes Botton "The sky was the color of a bruised spot on a man's arm." "He was crumpled up against the desk and she was staring down at him as if she forgot to water the plants." - 490604 Agnes Botton Jeff Regan: "All kinds of people have followed me at one time or another - and I have followed all kinds of people. This had a professional feel to it. "I stood there, listening... remembering my automatic in the suitcase back at my hotel. "It only took him seco...