Happy Birthday, Gerald Mohr
Down These Mean Streets (Old Time Radio Detectives) - A podcast by Mean Streets Podcasts
Gerald Mohr, who possessed one of radio’s greatest voices, was born June 11, 1914. His powerful baritone delivery made him a natural for radio detective work, and he may be best remembered today for his three year stint on the air as Philip Marlowe. Mohr made the leap from medical school to broadcasting when an announcer told him he had a perfect radio voice. After a stint in the service during World War II, Mohr began working both on radio and in B-movies. He starred in three films as Michael Lanyard, aka “The Lone Wolf” and narrated the early television episodes of The Lone Ranger. On radio, Mohr could be heard in supporting roles on Rogue’s Gallery, Our Miss Brooks, and Suspense. He was a frequent guest star on The Whistler, usually playing flashy criminals or con men. But his signature radio role would come when he played a character on the right side of the law. From 1948 to 1950, Mohr starred as Raymond Chandler’s Philip Marlowe on radio. He starred in over 100 episodes as the tough but heroic private eye and gave the Golden Age of Radio one of its greatest detectives. Even Chandler himself was a fan, describing Mohr as “absolutely tops.” Mohr’s delivery and booming voice were perfect for the show’s signature introduction: “Get this and get it straight. Crime is a sucker’s road, and those who travel it wind up in the gutter, the prison, or the grave!” In January 1951, Mohr had a short stint as Archie Goodwin, the glib, skirt-chasing leg man to Nero Wolfe (Sydney Greenstreet) in The New Adventures of Nero Wolfe. A few months later, he was back on CBS for a final run of 11 episodes as Philip Marlowe. Later, in 1955, he recorded an audition program as Johnny Dollar before that series’ revival as a nightly serial. Mohr worked in television on shows like Maverick and Perry Mason, and he continued to flex his voice acting muscles in cartoons as Green Lantern and Mr. Fantastic. He passed away at the too-young age of 54, but he leaves a body of work and radio performances that can still be enjoyed today.
