33 Half Moon Street
Drama
Drama
21st Precinct.
One frightened witness. Two conflicting stories. A city that won’t wait for answers. Step inside New York’s 21st Precinct, where finding the truth is another day’s work. Originally broadcast from 1953 to 1956, this Old Time Radio series takes you inside a busy New York City station house, where patient investigation matters as much as a fast response.
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21st Precinct: Programme Guide.
Follow a New York police captain through station-house calls, investigations and the final report. The captain also narrates, placing the listener inside the working day rather than watching an investigation from the outside.
Why listen?
Choose this series for patient police procedure and the human pressures behind an official report. Its station-house setting makes it a natural next listen after another police drama; the captain's viewpoint gives it a character of its own.
Broadcast history.
21st Precinct ran on CBS during 1953–1956. The Old Time Radio Researchers' log begins with The Nolen Brothers on 7 July 1953. These are historical broadcast details, distinct from the modern dates on HRV's podcast recordings.
Cast and production.
Everett Sloane played Captain Frank Kennelly. James Gregory later led the series as Captain Cronin, followed by Les Damon as Captain Keough. Regular supporting voices included Ken Lynch, Harold Stone and Santos Ortega. Stanley Niss wrote and directed the programme.
Where to begin.
The Nolen Brothers · The Bartender · The Museum
These three recordings are available in HRV's catalogue. The Nolen Brothers is the opening entry in the historical log; the other choices offer further cases without requiring you to start at a particular point in the website's catalogue order.
An interesting detail.
The programme acknowledged the cooperation of New York City's Patrolmen's Benevolent Association. Its police captain was both a central character and the voice guiding listeners through each case.
Dates and collection notes.
HRV currently lists 107 public recordings. That is the website's available collection, not a claim that it contains every original broadcast. The consulted histories disagree on the exact final broadcast date, so this guide uses the supported 1953–1956 range.
Sources.
Choose your next episode.
107 public recordings in this programme. Catalogue order is not a verified original broadcast chronology.
107 episodes available.
Questions about 21st Precinct.
Who plays Captain Frank Kennelly?
Everett Sloane plays Kennelly. Later leading actors James Gregory and Les Damon portray different captains, rather than simply taking over Kennelly's name.
Do I need to listen in the website's catalogue order?
The guide offers three available starting points above. The website's catalogue order is not presented as a complete original broadcast chronology.
Are the podcast publication dates original broadcast dates?
No. The modern publication date belongs to the podcast record. Historical broadcast dates are a separate matter and should be checked against a programme log.
