1
Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons 1955 The Case of Murder and the Revengeful Ghost (Final)
29:21
2
Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons 1954 The Shrieking Prisoner Murder Case
47:07
3
Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons 1952 The Silver Candlestick Murder Case
29:52
4
Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons 1952 The Rented Cottage Murder Case
29:10
5
Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons 1952 The Mother's Plea Murder Case
29:45
6
Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons 1952 The Gossip Column Murder Case
29:45
7
Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons 1952 The Case of Murder and the Prize-Winning Bull
30:21
8
Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons 1951 The Strange Murder of Carrie Ellis
29:43
9
Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons 1951 The Poisoned Sandwich Murder Case
29:43
10
Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons 1951 The Photograph Album Murder Case
30:04
11
Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons 1951 The Case of Murder at a Mile a Minute
29:34
12
Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons 1951 The Case of Murder and the Strange Woman
29:11
13
Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons 1951 The Airport Murder Case
24:46
14
Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons 1951 The Abandoned Well Murder Case
29:31
15
Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons 1950 The Telephone Book Murder Case
29:36
16
Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons 1950 The Skull and Crossbones Murder Case
29:40
17
Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons 1950 The Quicksand Murder Case
29:32
18
Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons 1950 The King Cobra Murder Case
29:34
19
Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons 1950 The Innocent Flirtation Murder Case
29:06
20
Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons 1950 The Eccentric Millionaire Murder Case
24:43
21
Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons 1950 The Country Club Murder Case
29:52
22
Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons 1950 The Case of the Two-Faced Murderer
29:39
23
Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons 1950 The Case of the Woman Who Married a Murderer
24:44
24
Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons 1950 The Case of the Rushville Murder
29:46
25
Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons 1950 The Case of the Murdered Detective
29:37
26
Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons 1950 The Case of the Melody of Murder
28:50
27
Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons 1950 The Case of Murder and the Missing Car
29:41
28
Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons 1950 The Case of Murder and the Jewel Thief
29:49
29
Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons 1950 The Broken Window Murder Case
29:58
30
Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons 1950 The Bride and Groom Murder Case
25:39
31
Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons 1949 The Yellow Talon Murder Case
29:51
32
Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons 1949 The Silver Dagger Murder Case
29:45
33
Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons 1949 The Forgotten Cave Murder Case
29:39
34
Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons 1949 The Engaged Girl Murder Case
29:40
35
Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons 1949 The Case of the Ruthless Murderers
28:18
36
Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons 1949 The Case of the Man Who Invented Death
28:48
37
Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons 1949 The Case of Murder with a Thousand Witnesses
28:34
38
Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons 1949 The Case of Murder and the Star of Death
29:16
39
Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons 1949 The Case of Murder and the Bloodstained Necklace
27:54
40
Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons 1946-The Case of the Glamorous Widow
29:14
41
Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons 1945-The Strange Case of Charley Lorimer
27:40
42
Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons 1945-The Case of the Absent Minded Professor
29:55
43
Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons 1944-The Nightmare Murder Case
30:07
44
Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons 1944-The Case of the Woman in Blue
29:58
45
Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons 1944-The Case of the Strange Display
29:23
46
Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons 1944-The Case of the Moonless Night
28:20
47
Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons 1944-The Case of the Missing Witness
30:03
48
Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons 1944-The Case of the Leaping Dog
29:31
49
Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons 1944-The Case of the Girl Who Sang Too Well
30:05
50
Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons 1944-The Case of the Girl Who Flirted
29:36
51
Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons 1944-The Case of the Frightened Child
29:27
52
Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons 1944-The Case of the Boy Who Used Big Words
29:48
Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons 1944-The Case of Murder in the Air
29:10
54
Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons 1944-The Case of Mr. Trevor's Secret
30:29

Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons 1944-The Case of Murder in the Air

6 months ago
33

Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons was one of radio's longest running shows, airing October 12, 1937, to April 19, 1955, continuing well into the television era. It was produced by Frank and Anne Hummert, who based it upon Robert W. Chambers' 1906 novel The Tracer of Lost Persons. The sponsors included Whitehall Pharmacal (as in Anacin, Kolynos Toothpaste, BiSoDol antacid mints, Hill's cold tablets and Heet liniment), Dentyne, Aerowax, RCA Victor and Chesterfield cigarettes. It aired on the NBC Blue network until 1947, when it switched to CBS.

Characters and story
Bennett Kilpack began as Mr. Keen in 1937 with Arthur Hughes and then Phil Clarke stepping into the role later in the series. The kindly Keen and his faithful assistant, Mike Clancy (Jim Kelly), entertained listeners for 18 years. With 1690 nationwide broadcasts, Mr. Keen was the most resilient private detective in a namesake role. The nearest competitors were Nick Carter, Master Detective (726 broadcasts), The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (657) and The Adventures of the Falcon (473). Only 59 of the 1690 Mr. Keen programs are known to survive.

Richard Leonard directed scripts by Barbara Bates, Stedman Coles, Frank Hummert, Lawrence Klee and Bob Shaw. James Fleming and Larry Elliott were the announcers. Al Rickey's band provided the background music, including the program's theme, "Someday I'll Find You."

Satires
The cliches, stereotypes and simplistic dialogue provided much fodder for Bob and Ray's parody, Mr. Trace, Keener Than Most Persons, broadcast in numerous variations. It was also combined with rival detective show Martin Kane, Private Eye and satirized by Harvey Kurtzman and Jack Davis in Mad magazine's fifth issue (June–July 1953), as Kane Keen! Private Eye.

The character of Mr. Keen was referenced by Alfred Hitchcock in one of his television shows, according to The Alfred Hitchcock Presents Companion by Patrik Wikstrom and Martin Grams, Jr. Mr. Keen is also mentioned in the stage version of Bye Bye Birdie by the character Mr. Harry MacAfee, who was played by Paul Lynde.

In the "Honeymooners" sketch, "Razor Blades", appearing on the October 12, 1951 episode of Cavalcade of Stars, Ralph Kramden cannot find his razor blades. When he questions Alice Kramden about it, she responds, "What am I? Mrs. Keen, Tracer of Lost Razor Blades?".

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