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Lux Radio Theatre - The Thin Man

April 8, 2026·58 min·4 clips
When Joe Morelli pulls a gun during the confrontation, Nick punches Nora unconscious to get her out of the line of fire, then apologizes: 'I guess I hit her too hard.'
California, Monday, June 8th. The recording starts with a modern Podcast Library announcement that repeats long enough to feel like part of the weather. Then Lux opens from Hollywood Boulevard. The theatre voice is back, bringing in William Powell, Myrna Loy, W.S. Van Dyke, and a lineup of studio players. The mystery begins at home, not in a back alley. Nick is tired, slippery, and happy to let the police deal with Julia, Dorothy, and the whole mess. His wife nudges him anyway. She has heard he used to be a grand detective, and she wants to know if the old touch is still there. Nick jokes his way around it. He figures Winant killed Julia, Dorothy knows something, and the police will catch up soon enough. Then the knock comes. The bedroom banter turns sharp when Joe Moretti walks in with a gun and demands answers from Mr. Charles. Nick stays wonderfully dry. He asks Moretti to lower the gun because his wife may not mind it, but he is nervous. Moretti says he did not kill Julia, has not seen her in three months, and thinks Nunheim is worth a look. The scene tightens fast. The show closes with courtesy credits, studio affiliations, W.S. Van Dyke's thanks, a preview of Al Jolson and Ruby Keeler in Burlesque, and the CBS signoff.

As heard by us

A polished, talky mystery with wit inside the danger.

The Thin Man hangs on the easy snap of a married detective world that still feels alert, suspicious, and a little amused by itself. The best stretch is the Nick-and-Nora back-and-forth: a quiet bedside exchange, a knock at the door, then a visitor who turns the conversation…

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Why you'd press play

Press play if you want Nick Charles interrupted by a murder at bedtime.

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