The Classic TV Archive - US Crime Series
Charlie Wild, Private Detective (1950-52)
Sponsors - Mogen David Wine - Their slogan: "You'll Never Know Till You Try!"
Episode Guide compiled by The Classic TV Archive
with contributions by:
Jim Brent Rina Fox
references:
Library of Congress (telnet://locis.loc.gov)
Internet Movie Database (http://us.imdb.com)
UCLA Film and Television Archive
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CHARLIE WILD, PRIVATE DETECTIVE
-------------------------------
(also known as "The Affairs of Charlie Wild")
DuMont "live" presentation in association with
L. White and E. Rosenberg Productions
CBS (Fridays 9:00-9:30 pm)(22Dec50-Mar51)(season 1a)
CBS (Wednesdays 9:00-9:30 pm)(Apr51-27Jun51)(season 1b)
ABC (Tuesdays 8:00-8:30 pm EST)(11Sep51-04Mar52)(season 2)
DuMont (Thursdays 10:00-10:30)(13Mar52-19Jun52)(season 3)
Produced by Carlo De Angelo, Herbert Brodkin
Writer: Peter Barry
Director: Leonard Valenta (NOT Richard Valenta)
US Detective Series 1950-52 65 episodes approx x 30 min bw (live) (22Dec50-19June52)
Starring
Kevin O'Morrison as Charlie Wild #1 (1950-51)
John McQuade as Charlie Wild #2 (1951-52)
Cloris Leachman as Effie Perrine
Announcer: Bob Williams
Premise:
Charlie Wild was basically Dashiell Hammett's character Sam Spade under another name.
The Adventures of Sam Spade became Charlie Wild, Private Detective, premiering in September 1950 on NBC.
The show ran from December 1950 to June 1952, and skipped merrily from network to network
(CBS to ABC to Dumont) in its short run.
####### Charlie Wild, Private Detective ######
############## season 1 1950-51 ##############
##############################################
CBS (Fridays 9:00-9:30)(live)(22Dec50-Mar51)
CBS (Wednesdays 9:00-9:30)(live)(Apr51-27Jun51)
Starring Kevin O'Morrison as Charlie Wild #1
Alternated with Ford Theatre
1.01 [--] Charlie Wild, Private Eye
22Dec50 CBS Fri [Debut]
Starring Kevin O'Morrison as Charlie Wild #1
1.02 [--] Charlie Wild, Private Eye: THE CASE OF THE CHINESE HORSE
05Jan51 CBS Fri
Starring Kevin O'Morrison as Charlie Wild #1
1.03 [--] Charlie Wild, Private Eye: THE CASE OF THE FINAL STRAW
19Jan51 CBS Fri
Starring Kevin O'Morrison as Charlie Wild #1
1.04 [--] Charlie Wild, Private Eye: THE CASE OF THE FIRST LOVE
02Feb51 CBS Fri
Starring Kevin O'Morrison as Charlie Wild #1
1.05 [--] Charlie Wild, Private Eye: THE CASE OF THE DEADLY MANEUVER
16Feb51 CBS Fri
Starring Kevin O'Morrison as Charlie Wild #1
1.06 [--] Charlie Wild, Private Eye: THE CASE OF THE TWISTED THREAT
02Mar51 CBS Fri
Starring Kevin O'Morrison as Charlie Wild #1
1.07 [--] Charlie Wild, Private Eye: THE CASE OF THE BARLEYMORE MASSACRE
16Mar51 CBS Fri
starring Kevin Morrison
1.08 [--] Charlie Wild, Private Eye: THE CASE OF THE BLACK BLITONIN
30Mar51 CBS Fri
starring John McQuade (as Charlie Wild)
--------------------------------
Moves from Fridays to Wednesdays
--------------------------------
The show started airing two weeks later on the West Coast [RF]
1.09 [--] Charlie Wild: THE CASE OF THE AIRTIGHT FRAME-U
04Apr1951 CBS Wed
starring John McQuade (as Charlie Wild)
1.10 [--] Charlie Wild: THE CASE OF THE SECOND BULLET [JB]
11Apr51 CBS Wed
starring John McQuade (as Charlie Wild)
1.11 [--] Charlie Wild: THE CASE OF THE BEAUTIFUL BRUNETTES
18Apr51 CBS Wed
starring John McQuade (as Charlie Wild)
Synopsis:
A blind safecracker, a mercenary chauffeur, a gambling son and a scheming woman make up the cast for Charlie Wild,
Private Detective. [RF]
1.12 [--] Charlie Wild: THE MOTHER GOOSE CASE [JB]
25Apr51 CBS Wed
starring John McQuade (as Charlie Wild)
Synopsis:
A recording of a nursery rhyme sends Charlie Wild into a weird adventure of murder. [RF]
1.13 [--] Charlie Wild: THE CASE OF THE PUNCH-DRUNK ERRAND BOY
02May51 CBS Wed
starring John McQuade (as Charlie Wild)
1.14 [--] Charlie Wild: THE CASE OF THE LADY IN THE OASIS
09May51 CBS Wed
starring John McQuade (as Charlie Wild)
1.15 [--] Charlie Wild: THE CASE OF THE COMPLACENT KILLERS [JB] (live?)
16May51 CBS Wed 9pm ET [JB]
starring John McQuade (as Charlie Wild)
Synopsis:
Charlie investigates some basketball gambling and implicates a gambler, a famous player, a coach and the coach's wife. [RF]
1.16 [--] Charlie Wild: THE CASE OF THE TOUGH-TALKING WIDOW
23May51 CBS Wed
starring John McQuade (as Charlie Wild)
Synopsis:
Charlie Wild develops a casual acquaintance with a beautiful redhead and winds up in trouble. [RF]
1.17 [--] Charlie Wild: THE CASE OF THE CRYING BOY
30May51 CBS Wed
starring John McQuade (as Charlie Wild)
Synopsis:
A pistol-packing boy says his father is dead and leads Charlie Wild into a complicated family situation. [RF]
1.18 [--] Charlie Wild: THE CASE OF THE DUELIST'S HONOR
06Jun51 CBS Wed
starring John McQuade (as Charlie Wild)
Synopsis:
Asked to be a second in a pistol duel, Charlie Wild, private detective laughs at the situation until the challenged
man lies dead at his feet. [RF]
1.19 [--] Charlie Wild: THE CASE OF THE MYSTICAL MR. A [JB]
13Jun51 CBS Wed
starring John McQuade (as Charlie Wild)
Synopsis:
Charlie meets a mystic suffering from grandiose delusions and apparently well-gifted in the knack of fleecing his
devoted followers. [JB]
Synopsis 2:
A tough assignment puts Charlie Wild Private Detective, in touch with a mystic suffering from grandiose delusions. [RF]
1.20 [--] Charlie Wild: THE CASE OF THE DEEP PURPLE HEART
20Jun51 CBS Wed
starring John McQuade (as Charlie Wild)
Synopsis:
Charlie Wild is called to investigate a hit-and-run. [RF]
####### Charlie Wild, Private Detective ######
############## season 2 1951-52 ##############
##############################################
ABC (Wednesdays 8:00-8:30 EST)(live)(11Sep51-04Mar52)
Starring
John McQuade as Charlie Wild #2
Cloris Leachman as Myra
2.01 [22] Charlie Wild:
26Sep51 ABC Wed
starring John McQuade as Charlie Wild
Cloris Leachman ... Myra
Larry White
2.02 [23] Charlie Wild: THE CASE OF THE HOT MINK
03Oct51 ABC Wed
starring John McQuade as Charlie Wild
Synopsis:
Charlie Wild doesn't think much of truck stealing, but he gets interested when when the truck contains Sl.7,000
worth of mink. You'll see how he manages to got the mink hack and solve tho ease for his insurance company. [RF]
2.03 [24] Charlie Wild:
10Oct51 ABC Wed
starring John McQuade as Charlie Wild
Synopsis:
Charlie gets in trouble because he hasn't the $69.50 to pay the rent, although he lets $55,000 trickle through
his fingers. [RF]
2.04 [25] Charlie Wild: THE CASE OF THE BOXING TROUBLE
17Oct51 ABC Wed
starring John McQuade as Charlie Wild
Synopsis:
Jealousy, violence and bribery form an unholy alliance as Wild investigates some crooked work in the boxing
business when he stumbles onto a murder. [RF]
2.05 [26] Charlie Wild:
24Oct51 ABC Wed
starring John McQuade as Charlie Wild
Synopsis:
Charlie Wild, Private Detective, takes on the task of tracking down a bank robber who skipped his bail and left
the bondsman holding the bag. [RF]
2.06 [27] Charlie Wild:
31Oct51 ABC Wed
starring John McQuade as Charlie Wild
2.07 [28] Charlie Wild:
07Nov51 ABC Wed
starring John McQuade as Charlie Wild
Synopsis:
A bookie gets in trouble when he pays off in counterfeit money but Charlie Wild tames the gunman. [RF]
2.08 [29] Charlie Wild:
14Nov51 ABC Wed
starring John McQuade as Charlie Wild
2.09 [30] Charlie Wild:
21Nov51 ABC Wed
starring John McQuade as Charlie Wild
Synopsis:
Murder is Charlie Wild's business, but there's no money in it when it's his own murder. The story unfolds with
a lush blonde, his hat and a brush with sudden death. [RF]
2.10 [31] Charlie Wild:
28Nov51 ABC Wed
starring John McQuade as Charlie Wild
Synopsis:
Charlie Wild learns the mental maneuvers of a horse player and catches a double murderer. [RF]
2.11 [32] Charlie Wild:
05Dec51 ABC Wed
starring John McQuade as Charlie Wild
Synopsis:
Charlie Wild chases down some hot music and "hot diamonds" with a murder thrown in for good measure. [RF]
2.12 [33] Charlie Wild: THE CASE OF THE TALKING DOG
12Dec51 ABC Wed
starring John McQuade as Charlie Wild
Synopsis:
A veterinarian hires a private eye to save a dog from death ordered by its owner, when a missing person is reported. [RF]
2.13 [34] Charlie Wild: THE CASE OF THE LADY IN RED
19Dec51 ABC Wed
starring John McQuade as Charlie Wild
Synopsis:
A bookie is killed passing counterfeit money. [JB]
Synopsis 2:
A phoney dollar bill and a prim 9-year-old young lady send Charlie Wild into a strange adventure. [RF]
2.14 [35] Charlie Wild:
26Dec51 ABC Wed
starring John McQuade as Charlie Wild
2.15 [36] Charlie Wild:
02Jan52 ABC Wed
starring John McQuade as Charlie Wild
2.16 [37] Charlie Wild:
09Jan52 ABC Wed
starring John McQuade as Charlie Wild
2.17 [38] Charlie Wild:
16Jan52 ABC Wed
starring John McQuade as Charlie Wild
2.18 [39] Charlie Wild:
23Jan52 ABC Wed
starring John McQuade as Charlie Wild
2.19 [40] Charlie Wild:
30Jan52 ABC Wed
13Feb52 ABC Wed [Long Beach Independent]
starring John McQuade as Charlie Wild
Synopsis:
Charlie Wild eats and gets indigestion is slugged, follows a blonde and finds a bullet-riddled corpse.
2.20 [41] Charlie Wild: THE CASE OF THE TRAGIC MASK
05Feb52 ABC Tue [Illinois] [JB]
20Feb52 ABC Wed [Long Beach Independent]
starring John McQuade as Charlie Wild
Synopsis 1:
Murder behind the footlights. [JB]
Synopsis 2:
A brooch mounted with two Greek masks of the theater-comedy and tragedy, sets Charlie on a manhunt. [JB]
2.21 [42] Charlie Wild: THE CASE OF THE TURKISH BATH
12Feb52 ABC Tue [Illinois][JB]
27Feb52 ABC Wed [Long Beach Independent]
starring John McQuade as Charlie Wild
Synopsis:
Charlie faces certain death when he subs for a client who contracted for his own murder, but changed his mind. [JB]
2.22 [43] Charlie Wild: (episode title unknown)
19Feb52 ABC Tue [Illinois] [JB]
starring John McQuade as Charlie Wild
Synopsis:
Charlie Wild is forced by weather to stop in a fishing shack off the coast of Florida on his way back from Cuba
with a prisoner. There he runs into murder. [JB]
2.23 [44] Charlie Wild: THE CASE OF THE DREAMY DENOUNCEMENT [JB]
26Feb52 ABC Tue [Illinois] [JB]
starring John McQuade as Charlie Wild
Synopsis:
Charlie Wild shadows a diamond merchant who is murdered. He finds clues in a dream sequence. [JB]
2.24 [45] Charlie Wild:
05Mar52 ABC Wed
starring John McQuade as Charlie Wild
2.25 [46] Charlie Wild:
12Mar52 ABC Wed
starring John McQuade as Charlie Wild
Synopsis:
Charlie does his sleuthing while asleep.
2.26 [47] Charlie Wild:
19Mar52 ABC Wed
starring John McQuade as Charlie Wild
2.27 [48] Charlie Wild: THE CASE OF THE ROBBER'S NEST
26Mar52 ABC Wed
starring John McQuade as Charlie Wild
Synopsis:
Charlie Wild spends two days at a New Jersey farmhouse in the company of a bedridden bank robber, a hard-bitten girl
and her weak but greedy father. There's a fine twist to the plot that sees the robber asking Wild to turn him in to
get the $5000 reward so the robber can get into a hospital. He winds up in the morgue instead and Charlie almost goes
alone. [RF]
[--] Charlie Wild: 02Apr52 ABC Wed did not air
------------------------------------------
Moves from ABC to DuMont Network Thursdays (West Coast 4 weeks after East Coast)
------------------------------------------
2.28 [49] Charlie Wild:
13Mar52 DuMont Thur [New York] (possible airdate)
10Apr52 Dum Thurs [Los Angeles]
starring John McQuade as Charlie Wild
*NOTE: "Charlie Wild, Private Detective," premieres over KTTV at channel 5 at 8:30 Thursdays.
2.29 [50] Charlie Wild: THE CASE OF THE DOUBLE TROUBLE [verified on film -RF]
20Mar52 DuMont Thur [New York] (possible airdate)
17Apr52 Dum Thurs [Los Angeles]
a Dumont presentation in association with L. White and E. Rosenberg.
Produced by Herbert Brodkin
Written by Palmer Thompson
Directed by Charles Adams
Television director Barry Shear
Music Julian Gould
Furst by Fredericka
Production Manager Phil Stoltz
Announcer Bob Williamsstarring John McQuade as Charlie Wild
Guest cast:
Philip Truex ...... Terrance Tillinghost/Thomas Tillinghost
John Shellie ...... Captain Arnold O'Connell
Phillipa Bevans ... Amanda
Yale Wexler ....... Bell Boy
Synopsis:
Charlie Wild gets half a $500 bill as a retainer with the other half to come at the end of his vigil over a sealed
envelope. Of course, Wild gets conked on the head and loses the envelope to a twin and has his hands full of headaches.
Synopsis 2:
Charlie Wild is hired by Terence Tillinghas to keep a parchment paper worth twenty thousand dollars until Monday. [RF]
2.30 [51] Charlie Wild: THE CASE OF THE BARBER'S DAUGHTER
27Mar52 DuMont Thur [New York] (possible airdate)
24Apr52 Dum Thurs [Los Angeles]
starring John McQuade as Charlie Wild
Synopsis:
Charlie Wild gets a close shave when his barber's daughter gets trigger happy. [RF]
2.31 [52] Charlie Wild: THE CASE OF THE PRODIGAL SON
03Apr52 DuMont Thurs [New York] [JB]
01May52 DuMont Thurs [Los Angeles] [RF]
starring John McQuade as Charlie Wild
Synopsis:
Charlie Wild is visited by a woman who begs him to stop her son from committing a robbery. The son a medical student,
gambled away the $1,000 that was to have gone towards tuition. Charlie finds him, squares him away with a loan shark
and brings him to his family in time for the passover seder. [RF]
Synopsis:
A Passover story. [JB]
2.32 [53] Charlie Wild: THE CASE OF THE PHOTOGENIC GHOST
prod #3484
10Apr52 DuMont Thurs [New York] [JB]
08May52 DuMont Thurs [Los Angeles] [RF]
starring John McQuade as Charlie Wild
Synopsis:
Charlie Wild gets tangled with a woman with a lot of money, a medium and a beautiful girl.
Synopsis 2:
Charlie is involved with a wealthy old lady, a not-too-spirited medium, a gal and a ghost. [JB]
Synopsis 3:
Charlie Wild gets entangled with an old lady with a lot of money, a medium who isn't so spiritual and a girl who
is out of this world. [RF]
2.33 [54] Charlie Wild: THE CASE OF THE LONG LOST LOVE
prod #3503
17Apr52 DuMont Thur [New York][JB]
15May52 DuMont Thur [Los Angeles][RF]
starring John McQuade as Charlie Wild
Synopsis:
Charlie Wild becomes involved in a case of murder and racketeers. [RF]
Synopsis 2:
An old sweetheart's husband is in trouble with police. She comes to Charlie for help. [JB]
2.34 [55] Charlie Wild: THE CASE OF THE COWARDS CHOICE
24Apr52 DuMont Thur [New York]
22May52 DuMont Thur [Los Angeles]
starring John McQuade as Charlie Wild
Synopsis:
Charlie Wild investigates a hit-and-run accident with a very strange ending. [RF]
Synopsis 2:
Hit and run driver does not know whether to confess or not. [JB]
Synopsis 3:
A hit and run driver has to make a choice of remaining a coward or confessing the crime. [JB]
2.35 [56] Charlie Wild: THE CASE OF THE DEADLY DOUBLE
01May52 DuMont Thur [New York]
29May52 DuMont Thur [Los Angeles]
starring John McQuade as Charlie Wild
Synopsis:
Charlie Wild meets a double who is a killer. Said tough guy tries to pin some crimes on Charlie and nearly succeeds. [RF]
Synopsis 2:
A dangerous killer looks like Charlie. [JB]
2.36 [57] Charlie Wild: THE CASE OF TEACHER'S TROUBLE
08May52 DuMont Thur [New York]
05Jun52 DuMont Thur [Los Angeles]
starring John McQuade as Charlie Wild
Synopsis:
Charlie Wild is asked to speak at a junior high school in a tough neighborhood and he accidentally encounters a boy
stealing money from the cash box in this story of drug addicts in the public schools. [RF]
Synopsis 2:
Charlie Wild runs into trouble when he asks a teacher to excuse him from making a speech to the students of a
Junior High School. [JB]
2.37 [58] Charlie Wild: THE CASE OF THE TARNISHED BADGE
22May52 DuMont Thur [New York]
12Jun52 DuMont Thur [Los Angeles]
starring John McQuade as Charlie Wild
Synopsis:
Charlie Wild gives a coward enough rope to hang himself, but instead the man pulls himself back to life. [RF]
2.38 [59] Charlie Wild: THE CASE OF THE CANDY STORE KID
29May52 DuMont Thur [New York]
19Jun52 DuMont Thur [Los Angeles]
starring John McQuade as Charlie Wild
Synopsis:
Charlie aids a youth who has received threats of vengeance for "squealing" on a wanted killer. [RF]
Synopsis 2:
Charlie Wild encounters drug addicts in the public schools. [RF]
2.39 [60] Charlie Wild: THE CASE OF THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE
26Jun52 DuMont Thur
starring John McQuade as Charlie Wild
Synopsis:
A dope addict who has desires to leap off the Brooklyn Bridge is the cause of Charlie Wild playing Cupid. [RF]
2.40 [61] Charlie Wild: THE CASE OF THE CUTTHROAT CASANOVA
05Jun52 DuMont Thur [New York]
03Jul52 DuMont Thur [Los Angeles]
starring John McQuade as Charlie Wild
Synopsis:
Charlie encounters a father and son team with romantic tongues and larcenous hearts. [RF]
Synopsis 2:
A man uses romance as a means of getting money. [JB]
*Title also known as "The Case of the Cut-rate Casanova".
2.41 [62] Charlie Wild: THE CASE OF THE FATAL LETTER
12Jun52 DuMont Thur [New York]
10Jul52 DuMont Thur [Los Angeles]
starring John McQuade as Charlie Wild
Synopsis:
Charlie Wild learns that it requires a man of intelligence to tell a good lie. [JB]
2.42 [63] Charlie Wild: THE CASE OF JENNIFER
17Jul52 DuMont Thur [Los Angeles]
starring John McQuade as Charlie Wild
2.43 [64] Charlie Wild: THE CASE OF THE PLUME PEDDLER
prod #3696
24Jul52 DuMont Thur [Los Angeles]
starring John McQuade as Charlie Wild
Synopsis:
Although hunting of the snowy egret and its magnificent plumes is legally forbidden, Charlies Wild discovers
that the law cannot reach into the Everglades. So Charlie is engaged, by the Audubon Society to go intb remote
areas to investigate the disappearance of two wardens. [RF]
2.44 [65] Charlie Wild: THE CASE OF THE RED LETTER
31Jul52 DuMont Thur [Los Angeles]
starring John McQuade as Charlie Wild
Synopsis:
In this case Wild traps the sender of a poison-pen letter which costs a man his job. [RF]
*NOTE: Charlie Wild, private detective, takes an eight-week recess from assignments after tonight's episode. [RF]
(the show would not return)
####### Charlie Wild, Private Detective ######
################ (unknowns) #################
##############################################
[--] (title unknown) 1951-52
Complete with "Mogen David wine" commercials. This program originally aired live on the Dumont network, and
is presented here exactly in that form. John McQuade stars as a tough New York City detective who gets involved
in fights no matter how hard he tries to simply investigate cases calmly.
Unknown title: 1951 prod #3397
Unknown title: 1951 prod #3437
Unknown title: 1951 prod #3461
Unknown title: 1951 prod #3549
Unknown title: prod #3566
Unknown title: 06-May-1952: prod #3713
Unknown title: 1952: prod #3631
Unknown title: 1952: prod #3648
Unknown title: 1952: prod #3665
Unknown title: 1952: prod #3682
Unknown title/date prod #3913