Detective melodrama (1946 - 47)

Starring Michael Dunne as Dr. Dan Danfield, criminal psychologist. Where are the complex criminal personalities for Dr. Dan to tinker with? There's the rub. In fact, the most complex person on the show is Dr. Dan Danfield's pretty young secretary, Miss Rusty Fairfax. Why does Dr. Dan always call her Miss Fairfax? Dr. Dan goes to extremes to keep her at arm's length, but it's obvious he's just taunting her. After all, he's a criminal psychologist, and the way he treats Rusty is criminal! She can flare up, but usually just slow simmers in her professionally feminine way. Mario is Dr. Dan's chauffeur. A classic working-class Italian who sounds like Chico Marx, Mario's god with an uppercut. Unfortunately, the toughs, society-types in trouble and necessary law enforcement officers are nearly as individual as furniture in a model home.

Danger, Doctor Danfield is a workman-like show. An organist does the music, and is nearly silent on sound effects. This show is most like Nick Carter, Master Detective. It's also in the same league as Casey, Crime Photographer and The Falcon. All three of these shows proceeded Danger, Dr. Danfield, however. The show is just a little too stodgy, especially as it was done post-World War II, when hard-boiled detective realism put a bleeding edge on the radio detective. It's not quite the top shelf detectives like Philip Marlowe or Sam Spade, or such film star doing radio vehicles as Richard Diamond, The Saint, Nero Wolfe, or Box 13.

Still, if detective drama is what you're looking for and you've tried the rest, then let Dr. Dan Danfield give you a little of a criminal psychologist's caseload. The show makes good drive-time or casual listening, since it doesn't make great demands on the emotions or intellect.