21st Precinct
21st Precinct (aka Twenty-First Precinct and Twenty First Precinct) was a police drama broadcast on CBS radio from July 7, 1953 to July 26, 1956. It was initially a summer replacement for My Friend Irma.[1]
The program presented "adaptatons from true criminal records in New York, slanted from the policeman's point of view."[1]
Stanley Niss was the writer-director. The role of precinct Captain Frank Kennelly was played by Everett Sloane (for the first 109 episodes and briefly in episode 135), James Gregory (1955-56) and Les Damon (1956). In some episodes, during Gregory's time on the show, the commander was known as Capt. Cronin.
Other cast regulars were Ken Lynch, Harold Stone (as Sgt. Waters), and Santos Ortega (as Lt. Gorman).
The program's announcer began the program's opening each week:
- 21st Precinct. It's just lines on a map of the city of New York. Most of the 173,000 people wedged into the nine-tenths of a square mile between Fifth Avenue and the East River wouldn't know, if you asked them, that they lived or worked in the 21st. Whether they know it or not, the security of their persons, their homes, and their property is the job of the men of the 21st.
At that point the lead actor would complete the introduction:
- The 21st Precinct. 160 patrolmen, 11 sergeants and four lieutenants of whom I'm the boss. My name is Kennelly. Frank Kennelly. I'm Captain in command of the 21st.
Art Hanna and, later, Hugh Holder were the program's announcers. The series was produced by John Ives; it was usually directed and written by Stanley Niss.
