Martin Kane, Private Eye began as a 1949–1952 radio series starring William Gargan in the title role as New York Cityprivate detective Martin Kane. It aired on the Mutual Broadcasting System, broadcast Sundays at 4:30 p.m. from August 7, 1949, to June 24, 1951. When the crime drama moved to NBC Radio on July 1, 1951, Lloyd Nolan took over the title role until mid-1952. Lee Tracy portrayed Kane for the remainder of the radio series, ending December 21, 1952. Other members of the cast were Walter Kinsella as Tucker "Hap" McMann, Nicholas Saunders as Sergeant Ross and Frank M. Thomas as Captain Burke. Fred Uttal was the announcer. Edward L. Kahan was the producer; Ted Hediger was the director and writer. The radio episodes aired between 1949 and 1952 were not merely audio rebroadcasts of the television show, but original episodes produced for the radio medium. Only twenty-nine radio broadcasts are known to exist. The program was sponsored by Old Briar pipe tobacco and Encore and Sano cigarettes, all of which were products of U.S. Tobacco Company.
Television
Gargan, Nolan, Tracy, and Mark Stevens played the title role in Martin Kane, Private Eye on live television, airing on NBC from September 1, 1949 until June 17, 1954. The television version, also sponsored by United States Tobacco Company, integrated commercials into the detective drama by having Martin Kane enter his favorite tobacco shop where he discussed pipe tobaccos and cigarettes with the tobacconist Happy McMann, before leaving to continue the mystery narrative. Frank M. Thomas portrayed Captain Burke, King Calder was cast as Lieutenant Gray, Nicholas Saunders portrayed Sergeant Ross, Walter Greaza portrayed Captain Leonard, Loring Smith portrayed Captain Evans, and Sergeant Strong was portrayed by Michael Garrett. Frank Burns, the NBC pioneer and father of actor Michael Burns, produced and directed shows written by Harry Kane and Lawrence Young. Charles Paul provided the music. At the start and finish of the show, Kane was shown in shadow, lighting his pipe. Six episodes of this show have been released in the Best of TV DetectivesDVD box set. Gargan returned to the role for thirty-nine episodes of the syndicated seriesThe New Adventures of Martin Kane, premiering September 14, 1957, filmed in Europe for United Artists. In this version, Kane was based in London. After its original run, the series was re-syndicated with the title Assignment Danger.
Comic books
The radio-TV series had a 1950 tie-in comic book, Martin Kane, Private Eye, published by Fox and illustrated by Wally Wood, Joe Orlando and Martin Rosenthal.
Cultural references
In the second episode of the "Topsy Turvy World" sequence of The Bullwinkle Show, Rocky and Bullwinkle are being escorted out of the town library by a gun-wielding man in a black fedora. Rocky wonders aloud whether the unknown man is from another TV show, leading Bullwinkle to confront him. "Say, fella, the Martin Kane show was dropped this year, you know?" The series was satirized in Mad 5 as "Kane Keen, Private Eye", illustrated by Jack Davis. Mad's lampoon of Julius Caesar references a detective called "Martin Walking-Kane".
