Mr. District Attorney
Mr. District Attorney is a radio crime drama produced by Samuel Bischoff that aired on NBC and ABC from April 3, 1939, to June 13, 1952. The series focused on a crusading district attorney initially known only as Mister District Attorney or Chief, and was later translated to television. On television, the attorney's name was Paul Garrett, and the radio version adopted the name in its final years when David Brian played the role. A key figure in the dramas was secretary Edith Miller.
History
Created, written, and directed by former law student Ed Byron, the series was inspired by the early years of New York governor Thomas E. Dewey. Dewey's public war against racketeering led to his election as governor. Phillips H. Lord, creator of Gang Busters, helped to develop the concept and coined the title. Byron lent an air of accuracy and immediacy to his scripts through close study of crime statistics, a library of criminology texts, following the newspapers and even visiting rough bars to gain tips, background and color from crooks and police.Produced throughout its run in New York City, the series began as a 15-minute serial, becoming a half-hour, self-contained series three months later as a summer replacement for The Bob Hope Show on June 27, 1939. During 1942, Mr. District Attorney began battling Nazis, leading to conflicts with the FBI when the scripts reflected life too closely.
In December 1949, Mr. District Attorney returned to live broadcasts after 13 weeks of using tape-recorded transcriptions.
The program was sponsored by Bristol-Myers. Writers included Finis Farr.
Episodes included "The Case of the Overly-Fond Husband" on January 30, 1946.
Cast and characters
- Mr. District Attorney – the nameless title role was played by several actors throughout the series:
- * Dwight Weist
- * Raymond Edward Johnson
- * Jay Jostyn
- * Tony Randall served as a replacement for Jostyn during the 1940s, because, in his words, he performed "a good Jay Jostyn impression".
- * David Brian
- Voice of the Law – the show's signature was the opening announcer known as the Voice of the Law, who defined the creed and duties of Mr. District Attorney. The role was played by Maurice Franklin and also Jay Jostyn prior to taking the lead role.
- Edith Miller – the district attorney's faithful secretary, played throughout the series run by Vicki Vola.
- Miss Rand – the D.A.'s receptionist was played by Eleanor Silver and Arlene Francis.
- Len Harrington – the D.A.'s chief investigator, a former cop, was played by Walter Kinsella, who had been heard in various police roles during the early years, and by Len Doyle from 1940 onward.
- Other supporting players and guests on the series included such noted actors as Paul Stewart and Frank Lovejoy.
- Harry Salter conducted the music.
Film
In three films released by Republic Pictures in the early 1940s, the district attorney was named P. Cadwallader Jones and was assisted by journalist Terry Parker. Different actors portrayed them in each film. The trilogy consisted of Mr. District Attorney starring Dennis O'Keefe with Florence Rice and Peter Lorre, Mr. District Attorney in the Carter Case starring James Ellison and Virginia Gilmore and Secrets of the Underground starring John Hubbard and Virginia Grey.A fourth film again titled Mr. District Attorney was released by Columbia Pictures in 1947. O'Keefe returned as the lead, now named Steve Bennett.