RICHARD DIAMOND, PRIVATE DETECTIVE Homicide Made Easy

Before the hit TV series “Peter Gunn” and the Pink Panther films, writer/director Blake Edwards honed his craft on radio, notably with the “Richard Diamond” program. Played by Dick Powell, Diamond was a kinder, gentler Philip Marlowe, slugging bad guys, saving maidens in distress, making wisecracks, and, just before the closing credits, serenading sweethearts. This enjoyable anthology of 16 well-restored half-hour episodes features the humor, strong characterizations, sexual charge, excellent casting, quirky plotting, and snappy dialogue that typified the series and became the trademark of such Edwards' screen oeuvres as VICTOR/VICTORIA, 10, and S.O.B. Sophisticated broadcast fare for its time, the program remains immensely entertaining today. Y.R. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine [Published: JULY 2008]