Fat Man 54/12/09 (ep17) Murder Seeks a Lost Penny

I think there are American and Australian versions interlaced throughout this series. It seems the main character’s voice changes now and then. A drug store in Australia is referred to as “the chemist” unless they decided to stay with an American theme. In a few episodes ABC was referred to as the American Broadcasting Corp rather than the Australian Broadcasting Corp. But, they are enjoyable to listen to regardless of their origin.

The Fat Man, a popular radio show during the 1940s and early 1950s, was a detective drama created by (or at least credited to) Dashiell Hammett, author of The Thin Man. It starred J. Scott Smart in the title role, as a detective who started out anonymous but rapidly acquired the name 'Brad Runyon'.

Broadcast from the studios of WJZ in Newark, New Jersey, the series premiered on the ABC Radio Network on Monday, January 21, 1946, at 8:30 p.m., as part of a block of four new programs (I Deal in Crime, Forever Tops, and Jimmy Gleason's Diner) and ran until 1951. While the basic concept was credited to Hammett, The Fat Man was developed by producer, E.J. ("Mannie") Rosenberg.

The program was directed by Clark Andrews, creator of Big Town, and Charles Powers. The main writer was Richard Ellington, with other scripts by Robert Sloane and Lawrence Klee.

Supporting cast
The veteran character actor Ed Begley co-starred as Sgt. O'Hara, and the supporting cast included Betty Garde, Paul Stewart, Linda Watkins, Mary Patton as Lila North and Vicki Vola, who was also the female lead in Mr. District Attorney. Amzie Strickland played Runyon's girlfriend Cathy Evans, and Nell Harrison was Runyon's mother during the early episodes.

The cast also included Dan Ocko, Rolly Bester (wife of science fiction writer Alfred Bester) and Robert Dryden. An 11-piece orchestra was directed by Bernard Green, who also wrote the program's theme. The sound effects were by Ed Blaney, and the announcers were Charles Irving and sportscaster Gene Kirby (1909-1985).

Australian version
There was also an Australian version of The Fat Man, which premiered on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation on September 9, 1954 and ran through 1955 for a total of 52 episodes. It was later syndicated by the Artansa label, and 36 episodes remain in circulation today. The role of Brad Runyon was played in this version by Lloyd Berrell. Most of the original American episodes have not survived.