Crime drama · NBC / ABC
Mr. District Attorney
April 3, 1939 – December 20, 1953 · 132 broadcasts
For thirteen years "Mr. District Attorney" was radio's great crusading prosecutor -- a crime-fighting D.A. who was, remarkably, never once named on the air, addressed only as "Chief" or "Mister District Attorney." Each half-hour opened with the ringing "Voice of the Law" creed -- the D.A. as "champion of the people, defender of truth, guardian of our fundamental rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" -- before plunging into a self-contained case that the D.A. both investigated and prosecuted, backed by his loyal secretary Edith Miller and his ex-cop investigator Harrington.
Created, written, and directed by former law student Ed Byron and inspired by Thomas E. Dewey's racket-busting career, the show was famous for its documentary plausibility -- Byron mined crime statistics, criminology texts, and the newspapers, and in 1942 its Nazi-spy storylines mirrored real events closely enough to draw the FBI's notice. Jay Jostyn owned the title role from 1940 to 1952, with David Brian taking over for the final transcribed-syndication run (when the radio D.A. finally took the name Paul Garrett). A top-tier ratings hit, it spun off four feature films, a television series, and comic books.
Collection status:
121 of 132 held (92% complete)
◆ ◆ ◆
Episode Spine
Grouped by year. Jump to the full list below, or open a season on its own page.
1939
April 2, 1939
Promotion Show
April 3, 1939
The Milano Brothers
Listen
(MP3)
June 9, 1939
The Ohio Kid
Listen
(MP3)
June 13, 1939
The 100,000 Dollar Check
Listen
(MP3)
June 16, 1939
The Last Mile
Listen
(MP3)
1941
February 12, 1941
The Vaney Devine Case
Listen
(MP3)
December 10, 1941
The Case of the Priceless Miniature
Listen
(MP3)
A midnight phone call from the watchman of the city museum -- its Egyptian hall deep in eerie shadow -- draws the D.A. into a case among the galleries' priceless treasures.
1942
August 19, 1942
Case Of The Hijacked Worker
Listen
(MP3)
1943
February 3, 1943
Case of the Backstage Murder
Listen
(MP3)
March 17, 1943
The Case of the Barnyard Bandit
Listen
(MP3)
March 17, 1943
The Case of the Barnyard Bandit
1944
August 2, 1944
The Case Of The Curious Undertaker
Listen
(MP3)
August 23, 1944
Stanley Rigged Jury Case
Listen
(MP3)
1945
February 7, 1945
The Case of the Hospital Homicide
Listen
(MP3)
February 14, 1945
Case Of The Stolen Slot Machines
Listen
(MP3)
1946
March 13, 1946
The Case of the Deadly Train
Listen
(MP3)
June 5, 1946
The Case of the Baby, Cradle, and All
Listen
(MP3)
1947
May 7, 1947
The Case of One Slip Meant Death
Listen
(MP3)
1948
March 17, 1948
Murder in Rythm & Rhyme
Listen
(MP3)
May 5, 1948
The Case of the Sinister Cinema
Listen
(MP3)
May 19, 1948
Spring Fever
Listen
(MP3)
May 26, 1948
Deadly Snowflake
Listen
(MP3)
July 21, 1948
The Case of the Athletic Love
August 25, 1948
Case of the Unknown Source
Listen
(MP3)
1949
March 9, 1949
The Case of the Murder a la Carte
Listen
(MP3)
October 12, 1949
The Case of Charity Never Began
Listen
(MP3)
November 23, 1949
The Case of Free Play
Listen
(MP3)
1950
May 17, 1950
The Case of Deadly Devotion
Listen
(MP3)
1951
April 11, 1951
The Case of the Money Machine
Listen
(MP3)
1952
June 13, 1952
The Case of the Hi-Jack Killer
Listen
(MP3)
June 20, 1952
The Case of the Super Market Killer
Listen
(MP3)
June 27, 1952
The Case of the Man on the Ledge
Listen
(MP3)
July 4, 1952
The Case of the 15 Year Old Trail
Listen
(MP3)
July 11, 1952
The Case of the Joy Ride Murder
Listen
(MP3)
July 18, 1952
The Case of the Murderous Hitchhiker
August 1, 1952
(untitled)
August 8, 1952
(untitled)
August 10, 1952
Case of the Hijack Killer
Listen
(MP3)
August 15, 1952
(untitled)
August 17, 1952
Case of the Supermarket Killer
Listen
(MP3)
August 22, 1952
The Case of the Staircase Killer
Listen
(MP3)
August 24, 1952
Case of the Man on the Ledge
Listen
(MP3)
August 29, 1952
The Case of the Charity Killer
Listen
(MP3)
August 31, 1952
Case of the 15 Year Old Trail
Listen
(MP3)
September 5, 1952
The Case of the Hit and Run Killer
Listen
(MP3)
September 7, 1952
Case of the Joy Ride Murder
Listen
(MP3)
September 12, 1952
The Case of the Desert Killer
Listen
(MP3)
September 14, 1952
Case of the Murderous Hitchhiker
Listen
(MP3)
September 19, 1952
The Case of the Missing Corpse
Listen
(MP3)
September 26, 1952
The Case of the Bank Killer
Listen
(MP3)
October 3, 1952
The Case of the Knifing in the Park
Listen
(MP3)
October 10, 1952
The Case of the Hungary Hobo
Listen
(MP3)
October 17, 1952
(untitled)
Listen
(MP3)
October 19, 1952
Case of the Staircase Killer
Listen
(MP3)
October 24, 1952
Case of the Hot Rod Killer
Listen
(MP3)
October 26, 1952
Case of the Charity Killer
Listen
(MP3)
October 31, 1952
Case of the Vanishing Runner
Listen
(MP3)
November 2, 1952
Case of the Hit and Run Killer
Listen
(MP3)
November 7, 1952
(untitled)
Listen
(MP3)
November 9, 1952
Case of the Desert Killer
Listen
(MP3)
November 14, 1952
The Case of the Lady Gamblers
Listen
(MP3)
November 16, 1952
Case of the Missing Corpse
Listen
(MP3)
November 21, 1952
The Case of the Blood Harvest
Listen
(MP3)
November 23, 1952
Case of the Bank Killer
Listen
(MP3)
November 28, 1952
The Case of the Motorcycle Club Killer
Listen
(MP3)
November 30, 1952
Case of the Knifing in the Park
Listen
(MP3)
December 5, 1952
The Case of the Man with Gold Teeth
Listen
(MP3)
December 7, 1952
Case of the Hungry Hobo
Listen
(MP3)
December 12, 1952
The Case of Death by Adoption
Listen
(MP3)
December 14, 1952
The Man Who Confessed
Listen
(MP3)
December 19, 1952
The Case of the Cop Killer
Listen
(MP3)
December 21, 1952
The Hot Rod Killer
Listen
(MP3)
December 26, 1952
The Case of the Blackmail Killer
Listen
(MP3)
December 28, 1952
The Vanishing Runner
Listen
(MP3)
1953
January 2, 1953
The Case of the Frying Pan Murder
Listen
(MP3)
January 4, 1953
The Murder Syndicate
Listen
(MP3)
January 9, 1953
The Case of the Murderous Junkman
Listen
(MP3)
January 11, 1953
Case of the Lady Gamblers
Listen
(MP3)
January 16, 1953
The Case of the Lover's Lane Killing
Listen
(MP3)
January 18, 1953
Case of the Blood Harvest
Listen
(MP3)
January 23, 1953
(untitled)
January 25, 1953
Case of the Motorcycle Club Killer
Listen
(MP3)
January 30, 1953
(untitled)
February 1, 1953
Case of the Man with the Gold Teeth
Listen
(MP3)
February 6, 1953
The Case of the Dead Reporter
Listen
(MP3)
February 8, 1953
Case of Death by Adoption
Listen
(MP3)
February 13, 1953
The Case of the Wounded Killer
Listen
(MP3)
February 15, 1953
Case of the Cop Killer
Listen
(MP3)
February 20, 1953
The Case of the Murderous Good Samaritans
Listen
(MP3)
February 22, 1953
Case of the Blackmail Murder
Listen
(MP3)
February 27, 1953
The Case of the Silent Killer
Listen
(MP3)
March 1, 1953
Case of the Frying Pan Murder
Listen
(MP3)
March 6, 1953
The Case of Murder by Amateurs
Listen
(MP3)
March 8, 1953
Case of the Murderous Junkman
Listen
(MP3)
March 13, 1953
The Case of Assassin in the Dark
Listen
(MP3)
March 15, 1953
Case of the Lovers Lane Killing
Listen
(MP3)
March 20, 1953
The Case of the Park Murders
Listen
(MP3)
March 27, 1953
The Case of the Moving Van Murders
Listen
(MP3)
April 3, 1953
The Case of the Bridal Path Murders
Listen
(MP3)
April 5, 1953
Case of the Dead Reporter
Listen
(MP3)
April 10, 1953
The Case of the Canned Death
Listen
(MP3)
April 12, 1953
Case of the Wounded Killer
Listen
(MP3)
April 17, 1953
The Case of the Preview Murders
Listen
(MP3)
April 19, 1953
Case of the Murderous Good Samaritans
Listen
(MP3)
April 24, 1953
The Case of the Country Club Murder
Listen
(MP3)
April 26, 1953
Case of the Silent Killer
Listen
(MP3)
May 1, 1953
The Case of the Perfect Alibi
May 3, 1953
Case of the Murder by Amateurs
Listen
(MP3)
May 8, 1953
The Case of the Hungary Killer
Listen
(MP3)
May 10, 1953
Case of the Assassin in the Dark AFRTS
Listen
(MP3)
May 15, 1953
The Case of the Body on the Freight Train
Listen
(MP3)
May 17, 1953
Case of the Park Murders
Listen
(MP3)
May 22, 1953
The Case of the Land Swindle Murders
Listen
(MP3)
May 24, 1953
Case of the Moving Van Murders
Listen
(MP3)
May 29, 1953
The Case of the Living Dead Man
Listen
(MP3)
May 31, 1953
Case of the Bridal Path Murders
Listen
(MP3)
June 5, 1953
The Case of the Pyromaniac Murder
Listen
(MP3)
June 7, 1953
Case of the Canned Death
Listen
(MP3)
June 14, 1953
Case of the Preview Murder
Listen
(MP3)
June 21, 1953
Case of the Country Club Murder
Listen
(MP3)
June 28, 1953
Case of the Perfect Alibi
Listen
(MP3)
July 5, 1953
Case of the Hungry Killer
Listen
(MP3)
July 12, 1953
Case of the Body on the Freight Train
Listen
(MP3)
July 19, 1953
Case of the Land Swindle Murder
Listen
(MP3)
July 26, 1953
Case of the Living Dead Man
Listen
(MP3)
August 4, 1953
Case of the Pyromaniac Murder
Listen
(MP3)
October 11, 1953
Set-Up for Re-Entry
Listen
(MP3)
October 18, 1953
Jury Killer
Listen
(MP3)
November 1, 1953
Case of the Forgery Proof Note
Listen
(MP3)
November 22, 1953
Case of the Living Corpse
Listen
(MP3)
December 20, 1953
Case of the Mother's Helper
Listen
(MP3)
The Story
For thirteen years "Mr. District Attorney" was radio's great crusading prosecutor -- a crime-fighting D.A. who was, remarkably, never once named on the air, addressed only as "Chief" or "Mister District Attorney." Each half-hour opened with the ringing "Voice of the Law" creed -- the D.A. as "champion of the people, defender of truth, guardian of our fundamental rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" -- before plunging into a self-contained case that the D.A. both investigated and prosecuted, backed by his loyal secretary Edith Miller and his ex-cop investigator Harrington.
Created, written, and directed by former law student Ed Byron and inspired by Thomas E. Dewey's racket-busting career, the show was famous for its documentary plausibility -- Byron mined crime statistics, criminology texts, and the newspapers, and in 1942 its Nazi-spy storylines mirrored real events closely enough to draw the FBI's notice. Jay Jostyn owned the title role from 1940 to 1952, with David Brian taking over for the final transcribed-syndication run (when the radio D.A. finally took the name Paul Garrett). A top-tier ratings hit, it spun off four feature films, a television series, and comic books.
Full story — coming soon while it's being curated.
Gallery