THE ADVENTURES OF HARRY NILE
--- ---------- -- ----- ----
1976 - Present
By: Stewart Wright
Initial Compilation: 05/13/2000
Last Update: 12/31/2004
Copyright 2004 by Stewart Wright
First Show: 01/01/1976
Last Show: Series is still in production
Number of Shows: 156 and counting
Audition Show: See ORIGINS:
SERIES BACKGROUND:
THE ADVENTURES OF HARRY NILE is a detective series written and produced by Jim French in Bellevue, WA. This series started in the mid 1970's and is still going strong. The HARRY NILE series is a survivor - not even a 12 year hiatus (1978-1990) could stop it. It has aired on four different radio stations in the Seattle area. Since 1996 it has also been syndicated nationally and now, internationally.
THE ADVENTURES OF HARRY NILE currently airs as part of IMAGINATION THEATRE on KIXI in Seattle (from episode 143 onward) and is syndicated internationally as part of IMAGINATION THEATRE over the Internet, on XM Radio, and on about 135 radio stations in the United States, Canada, and Australia. (IMAGINATION THEATRE Syndication commenced on 03/17/1996.) IMAGINATION THEATRE also airs to much of the world via satellite. Previously, it was heard locally in the Seattle area on: IMAGINATION THEATRE on KNWX (episodes 126 - 142), PEMCO IMAGINATION THEATRE on KNWX (episodes 114 - 125), THE KIRO MYSTERY PLAYHOUSE (episodes 025 - 113), and THEATER OF THE MIND on KVI (episodes 001 - 024.)
It is also heard on XM satellite radio and in many countries via satellite.
This series is unusual in that many episodes, from the early 1990's to the present, have been recorded before a LIVE audience. Until the end of January, 2000, these live audience episodes were recorded at the Museum of History and Industry in Seattle. The Kirkland Performance Center (KPC) in Kirkland, WA is now the facility used by Jim French Productions for audience recording sessions. An episode each of THE ADVENTURES OF HARRY NILE and THE FURTHER ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES are usually recorded at these quarterly sessions. The remainder of the new HARRY NILE episodes are recorded at Jim French's studio in Bellevue, WA. The web site of the KPC is located at:
http://www.kpcenter.org/
SERIES DESCRIPTION:
Harry Nile, a fictional private detective in Los Angeles and Seattle during the 1940's and 50's, is the title character of this New-Time Radio detective series. Like many private eyes, Harry started out as a cop. Harry's real last name is actually Niletti; he changed it before he joined the force to protect his family from potential retaliation by the Mob. As a rookie on the Chicago Police Department, Harry was recruited by the department's Internal Affairs Division.
When his Blues singer wife is killed in a night club shooting, Harry's life hits the skids. He turns up precinct-wide police corruption and is eventually forced to resign from the Chicago police force. After he runs up substantial gambling debts and is unable to pay them, Harry agrees to travel to L.A. to do a "little favor" for the holder of his markers, a Windy City casino owner/crime boss. The "little favor" involves the murder of a Los Angeles crime boss. Harry manages not to do the deed and ends up staying on the West Coast, working as a
private eye, first in Los Angeles, and later, in Seattle.
Harry is definitely not a hard-boiled P.I. He seldom uses his gun or gets into a fight, but he's no wimp. This guy can be tough when necessary. Here's a detective who is a real human being. He'll never be rich or have a fancy office; he's usually one step ahead of the bill collectors. Even after years in the business, he's not cynical. He cares about his clients and his greatest strength is his humanity.
He's aided in his investigations by his associate Murphy, a red-haired, former librarian, who made her debut in the episode "The Twenty Dollar Trackdown." Murphy is not the stereotype P.I.'s secretary; this lady is no dummy. She was initially enamored by the supposed glamour of the P.I. business and sometimes accompanies Harry on cases. For several years, she was Harry's unpaid assistant. Now she's basically Harry's partner and great at finding important information. While she has always been infatuated with Harry, she's smart enough not to push it.
In a 1998 interview, Phil Harper, the actor who played Harry Nile, mentioned that he used his remembrances of some of the great radio detectives as inspiration for his portrayal. "I drew some of my character's rumbly voice from Howard Duff who played Sam Spade and from an actor who played Johnny Dollar on the radio."
ORIGINS:
THE ADVENTURES OF HARRY NILE started as part of another Jim French series: CRISIS. The first four HARRY NILE episodes initially aired on CRISIS. (Their first airing dates as part of THE ADVENTURES OF HARRY NILE series are listed in parentheses after their respective titles in the LOG.)
Jim French recently supplied the following information on the origins of the name of the series' main character. "It's a twisted anagram of 'Harry Lime', a favorite character from the film 'The Third Man'. Originally, I thought I'd make Harry Nile a more mysterious character than he finally came to be."
CREW:
Creator: Jim French
Directors: Pat French and Jim French
Writers: Jim French
Gordy Donnell wrote episode 013
Jim French & Larry Buck - episodes 084, 090, & 133
Jim French & Larry Albert - episodes 105, 112, & 118
Jim French from a story by Larry Albert - episode 103
Jim French from an idea by Bill Brooks - episode 113
Bob Shayne - episodes 153 and 154
Producer: Jim French
Music: David Shire - The main theme, "Farewell, My Lovely,"is from the 1975 Raymond Chandler movie of the same name
Incidental music by Michael Lynch
Sound Effects: Stew Conway, Cheryl Jacobs, Scott Anderson, SeanO'Meara, David Freed, Ben Pedersen, Bruce Rogerson, Jeff Thompson, David Persson, and others
Engineers: Kearney Barton, Bob Schoy, Ed Gately, Peggy Stokes, and Jason Chevy
Announcers: Jack Spencer, Jay Green, Terry Rose, and Jim French
CAST:
Starring: Phil Harper as HARRY NILE through episode 156; LARRY ALBERT
thereafter.
Pat French as MURPHY
There are characters who have appeared in several episodes of this series. They include: MARVIN ASHER a fast-talking lawyer from Harry'S L.A. days played by Jay Green;
LT. DUTCHER an L.A. and later Seattle cop played by Larry Buck and Doug Young;
LOU BUTTERFIELD a Seattle cop played by Sheldon Jacobs;
MANNY FINE A tailor and Harry's L.A. landlord played by Wayne Shannon, Norm Bobrow, and Lee Corrigan;
BILL BARNETT a Seattle beat cop played by Bill Brooks;
MR. OSTERMAN Murphy's Seattle landlord played by Terry Rose;
VINNIE NILETTI Harry's younger brother played by Derek Turner;
LT. BARTOLO a Columbo-type cop played by Larry Albert; and
DET. NICK BOLANO a Seattle detective played by Larry Albert
Guest Stars: Larry Albert, John Amendola, Richard Arnold, Katrina Baxter Hodiak daughter of motion picture actors John Hodiak and Anne Baxter), Norm Bobrow, Bill Brooks, Larry Buck, Frank Buxton, Charles Canada, Karen Kay Cody, Art Cahn, Lee Corrigan, Ray Court, Mary Ann Dorward, Michael Morgan Dunne, Diane Felty, David Freed, John Gilbert, Jay Green,Demene Hall, Andy Hellman, Ilona Herlinger, Paul Herlinger, Stephen Hilliard, Susan Hutchinson, Sheldon Jacobs, Peggy Jordan (granddaughter of radio's "Fibber McGee & Molly"), Tony Karloff, Peter Kelley, Bobbi Kotula, John Patrick Lowrie, Valerie Mamches, Ellen McLain, Terry McManus, Catherine Odegaard, Sean O'Meara, Loy Norrix, Lee Paasch, Brad Perkins, Marlene Phillips, Joy Rinaldi, Marv Rosand, Terry Rose, Wayne Shannon, Robert Schenkkan, Sarah Schenkkan, Katherine Shield, Dean Smith, Derek Turner, Paul Walsh, Veronica Weikel, Stephen Weyte, and many others.
While mainly Seattle-area actors are used on HARRY NILE, several nationally-known television stars have appeared, including: Bill Macy of MAUDE, Kurt Kaznar of THE LAND OF THE GIANTS, Peg Wood and Cynthia Geary of NORTHERN EXPOSURE, Harry Anderson of NIGHT COURT and DAVE'S WORLD, Richard Sanders of WKRP IN CINCINNATI, Russell Johnson and Dawn Wells of GILLIGAN'S ISLAND, and John Ratzenberger of CHEERS.
Actors from The Golden Age of Radio Drama have also appeared, including: Alice Backes, Parley Baer, Richard Beals, Jean Rouverol Butler, Hans Conried, Jerry Hausner, Jimmy Lydon, Merrill Mael, Tyler McVey, Gil Stratton Jr., Ginny Tyler, Rhoda Williams, and Douglas Young.
NOTES:
The following episodes are double-length, approximately one hour (with commercials) long:
West For My Health,
Blood Ties,
Hair of the Dog,
Unhappy Birthday,
Finding Portland,
Always Leave 'Em Wanting More,
Murder By The Book,
The Friends of Jules Riskin,
Twenty Grand, and
The Case Of The Interstate Stalker
Episode 025, "Favor For A Friend," was originally scheduled for airing on 06/20/1978, but the program format at KVI was changed before it was broadcast. It was not broadcast until over 12 years later.
Episode 075, "The Case Of The Blue Leather Chair," was broadcast live on New Year's Eve 1995. It is the only HARRY NILE episode to be broadcast live.
Episode 124, "Little Boy Lost" is a re-working of episode 035, "The Case of The Midnight Caller." There are significant changes in the locale, plotting, dialog, and characters.
Episode 133, "The Case of the Feline Fee," is a new production of Episode 084, done with an all professional cast. The first production, with the exception of Harry and Murphy, was done with amateurs who'd won their parts at a society auction. Episode 084 will not be broadcast again.
Episode 135, "The Pete Lambert Case" is a new production of the DAMERON Episode 010, "Why Would Anyone want to Kill a Nice Guy Like Pete?," which was originally broadcast on 12/05/1972.
LOG:
Collector-assigned and alternate titles that have surfaced are shown in square brackets [] in a separate line immediately following the primary show title entry. All dates are the date of original airing on Seattle radio.
Date Num Title
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01/01/1976 001 West For My Health (11/22/1977)
12/02/1976 002 Seattle Blues (11/29/1977)
02/17/1977 003 The Neptune Trading Company (12/06/1977)
05/19/1977 004 Malibu (12/13/1977)
12/27/1977 005 The Case Of The Dead Ringer
[Dead Ringer]
01/03/1978 006 For This I Bought A New Suit?
[And For This I Bought A New Suit?]
01/10/1978 007 The Eddie Mayhew Matter
01/17/1978 008 Avalon
01/24/1978 009 A Vacation With Bullets
[And What Did You Do on Your Vacation, Officer?]
[How Was Your Vacation, Officer?]
01/31/1978 010 The Case of The Nasty Niece
[The Case Of The Not So Nice Niece]
02/07/1978 011 Photo Finish
02/14/1978 012 Harry Dabbles in Oil
[Tale of Two Texans]
02/21/1978 013 The Doomsday Book
[Dooms Day Book]
[The Doomsday]
02/28/1978 014 Figueroa Street
03/07/1978 015 A Little Out Of Town Job
03/14/1978 016 The Case of The Matinee Murder
03/21/1978 017 The Lonely Ghost Matter
03/28/1978 018 The Twenty-Three Pound Clue
[The 23-Pound Clue]
[The 231 Pound Cure]
[The 231 Pound Clue]
04/04/1978 019 Stand-In for Murder
05/09/1978 020 Calendar Girl
Callender Girl
05/16/1978 021 The Twenty Dollar Trackdown
[The 20-Dollar Trackdown]
[The $20 Trackdown]
[The $20 Track Down]
05/30/1978 022 The Wandering Wife Matter
06/06/1978 023 Angel's Flight
[Angels' Flight]
[Angels Flight]
06/13/1978 024 The Case Of The Lisping Lover
12/16/1990 025 Favor For A Friend
06/23/1991 026 Black Widow (Short Version)
Black Widow (Long Version. This version has not aired; it was just too long for broadcast and could not be edited. It is less than 2 minutes longer than the Short Version.)
12/22/1991 027 Maybe There Is A Santa Claus
[The Ray Stanton Story]
07/14/1991 028 Heat Goes to Cold
06/07/1992 029 Blood Ties
01/05/1992 030 Hair of the Dog
02/02/1992 031 S.L.O.B.
03/01/1992 032 The Case Of The Fatal Fall
04/05/1992 033 The Case Of The Puzzling Puzzle
[The Case Of The Puzzling Puzzler]
07/05/1992 034 The Case Of The Midnight Caller
08/02/1992 035 The Lady in the Green Hat
09/06/1992 036 It Pays To Advertise
10/11/1992 037 Mr. Fixer
11/01/1992 038 Floater
11/29/1992 039 Sob Sisters
12/20/1992 040 Sticky Fingers
01/03/1993 041 Unhappy Birthday
02/07/1993 042 The Trianon Kid
04/04/1993 043 Crime In A Bottle
05/02/1993 044 The Key
06/06/1993 045 The Case Of The Hot Yacht
07/04/1993 046 The Case Of The Exeter Audition
08/01/1993 047 Deadline For Murder
09/05/1993 048 Aloha Means Goodbye
10/03/1993 049 The Case Of The Sinister Scavengers
11/07/1993 050 Almost As Good As New
02/06/1994 051 The Case Of The Ten-Story Tombstone
01/09/1994 052 Murphy: Wanted For Murder
03/06/1994 053 The McLaughlin Matter
04/10/1994 054 The Hour of My Death
[Honor of My Death]
05/08/1994 055 Funeral At Midnight
06/05/1994 056 Solitaire Sam
07/31/1994 057 The Case Of The Fisheye Murders
08/07/1994 058 The Case Of The Sinister Minister
10/09/1994 059 The Case Of The Sands of Time
11/06/1994 060 The Meatloaf Matter
12/04/1994 061 The Case Of The Baffled Ballerina
01/01/1995 062 The Case Of The Dominant Seventh
02/05/1995 063 Osterman's Dreams
03/05/1995 064 Third Floor Rear
04/02/1995 065 Harry Goes Underground
05/05/1995 066 The Sam Navola Matter
06/04/1995 067 Blues for Maggie Brown
07/02/1995 068 My Kid, The Cop
08/06/1995 069 The Case Of The Missing Matisse
09/03/1995 070 The Dollar Value of Death
10/01/1995 071 Field of Screams
10/15/1995 072 Harry and The Homework
11/05/1995 073 West Bay Road
12/24/1995 074 The Mary Christmas Caper
12/31/1995 075 The Case Of The Blue Leather Chair
01/07/1996 076 The Case Of The Ruptured Duck
02/04/1996 077 The Russian Cut
03/03/1996 078 Target: Harry Nile
04/07/1996 079 Hush Money
05/05/1996 080 Murder on a Rainy Night
06/02/1996 081 The Case Of The Flatted Fifth
07/07/1996 082 The Counter-Balance Case
08/04/1996 083 Don't Be A Stranger
09/01/1996 084 The Case Of The Feline Fee
10/06/1996 085 The Verdict on Hannah Bayliss
11/03/1996 086 What's In A Name
12/08/1996 087 Metaphor For Murder
01/12/1997 088 The Jake Burley Matter
02/02/1997 089 Murphy's Outlaw
03/02/1997 090 Find Ben Stagg
04/06/1997 091 Body of Work
05/04/1997 092 Slant City
06/01/1997 093 Family Secret
06/22/1997 094 Comeback
08/03/1997 095 The Case Of The Spectral Wife
09/07/1997 096 The Case Of The Mauritius Orange
10/05/1997 097 The Bosendorfer Matter
11/01/1997 098 Murder At Hidden Lake
11/09/1997 099 Finding Portland
12/21/1997 100 The Case Of The Bitter Banker
01/04/1998 101 The Case Of The Sleeping Witness
02/22/1998 102 No More No-Mo Matter
03/22/1998 103 Ten Percent of Nothing
04/05/1998 104 Always Leave 'Em Wanting More
05/03/1998 105 Two Freddies
06/07/1998 106 The Voice From the Lake
08/16/1998 107 The Toni Parsons Story
09/16/1998 108 The John Doe Murders
10/04/1998 109 Rich Little Poor Girl
11/01/1998 110 The Case Of The Compromised Cop
12/06/1998 111 Murder By The Book
01/17/1999 112 Model 386-
02/07/1999 113 Bulletproof
04/04/1999 114 Rachel's Dream
04/25/1999 115 The Fighter And The Phantom
06/06/1999 116 Cold Reading
07/08/1999 117 The Case Of The Desperate Dealer
08/01/1999 118 Who Killed Harry Nile?
09/05/1999 119 The Ivor Lindman Matter
09/19/1999 120 The Suitcase
10/03/1999 121 Keys Louise
11/07/1999 122 The Value of Details
12/26/1999 123 The Lady In The Hudson
01/02/2000 124 Little Boy Lost
02/13/2000 125 Elsa's Pool
[Elisa's Pool]
05/07/2000 126 The Set-Up
[The Set Up]
07/30/2000 127 Seeking Sarah Banks
08/13/2000 128 The Old Masters Murder Case
09/24/2000 129 Murder in Miniature
12/23/2000 130 Christmas in Paradise
02/25/2001 131 The Friends of Jules Riskin
06/10/2001 132 Submarine Warfare
08/12/2001 133 The Case of the Feline Fee
11/11/2001 134 The Southern Double Cross
01/20/2002 135 The Pete Lambert Case
05/12/2002 136 The Skip Trace
07/21/2002 137 Dutcher's Beat
08/11/2002 138 Miracle Mile
09/08/2002 139 A Key To Murder
10/20/2002 140 Harry And The Lost Art
12/08/2002 141 Beacon Hill
12/22/2002 142 Backfire
05/11/2003 143 The Music Box Caper
06/08/2003 144 Motive
07/20/2003 145 The Worthington Collection
09/21/2003 146 Twenty Grand
10/12/2003 147 Iron Dust
01/11/2004 148 The Gooey Duck Caper
02/08/2004 149 A Number of Friends
03/21/2004 150 The Handshake
05/09/2004 151 Wired For Murder
06/20/2004 152 The Rickman Matter
07/11/2004 153 Tony Macaroni Still Owes Me $600
[Tony Macaroni Owes Me $600]
08/08/2004 154 The Fifth Letter
09/19/2004 155 The Case Of The Interstate Stalker
11/21/2004 156 The Mobius Matter
JIM FRENCH WEB SITE:
There is now a place on the Internet where fans of the contemporary radio dramas of Jim French can find out more about Jim, his various series, and some of the actors who star in them. Fans can even purchase some of his shows. The following URLs will get you there: www.jimfrenchproductions.com www.harrynile.com
AVAILABILITY:
THESE SHOWS ARE PROTECTED UNDER COPYRIGHT LAW and should be purchased only from authorized dealers.
HELP KEEP CONTEMPORARY RADIO DRAMA ALIVE!
Purchase from Authorized Dealers.
Countertop Video THE ADVENTURES OF HARRY NILE Tape Sets 60 episodes were released for sale by in eight, two-cassette tape volumes marketed by Countertop Video, now Topics Entertainment. The first seven volumes have eight episodes each and the eighth volume has four double-length episodes. These sets are no longer available. Compact Discs and Tapes IMAGINATION THEATRE, TransMedia Approximately 130 episodes of THE ADVENTURES OF HARRY NILE are available on compact disc and tape through the syndicator of IMAGINATION THEATRE, TransMedia. TransMedia can be reached at:
TransMedia Inc.
719 Battery St.
San Francisco, CA 94111
1-800-BAY-RADIO
or
http://www.transmediasf.com/imag.html
Tape Set:
Sixteen episodes of THE ADVENTURES OF HARRY NILE were released for sale on cassette tapes by Topics Entertainment. Included in this set are episodes 065 - 073, 076, 079 - 083, and 085. It may be available through amazon.com, Barnes and Noble Bookstores, Jim French Productions, and some mystery book stores. For more information on this tape set, go to:
Topics Entertainment
1600 SW 43rd St.
Renton, WA 98055
425-656-3621\fax: 425-656-8013
info@topics-ent.com
http://www.topics-ent.com\or
Contact:
Jim French Productions
P. O. Box 75296
Seattle, WA. 98125
jrfproductions@yahoo.com
http://www.jimfrenchproductions.com/
HARRY NILE CD SETS FROM JIM FRENCH PRODUCTIONS\The following CD Sets can be purchased from:
Jim French Productions
P. O. Box 75296
Seattle, WA. 98125
jrfproductions@yahoo.com
http://www.jimfrenchproductions.com/
"THE HISTORY OF HARRY NILE" CD Sets
Jim French Productions is releasing two audio CD sets of THE ADVENTURES OF HARRY NILE shows in case chronological order - in the order that the cases happened, not in the order they were written and broadcast. The shows are without commercials. Ten volumes are currently available.
Volume 1 - The History of Harry Nile 1939 - 1940
Volume 2 - The History of Harry Nile Winter/Spring 1941
Volume 3 - The History of Harry Nile Spring/October 1941
Volume 4 - The History of Harry Nile 1941/1942
Volume 5 - The History of Harry Nile December 1942/July 1946
Volume 6 - The History of Harry Nile Summer 1947/February 1950
Volume 7 - The History of Harry Nile March 1950/Summer 1950
Volume 8 - The History of Harry Nile June 1950/October 1950
Volume 9 - The History of Harry Nile October 1950/Christmas 1950
Volume 10 - The History of Harry Nile February/October 1951
More volumes are planned, typically with six programs in each one. You can get on a mailing list and Jim French Productions will let you know when new volumes are released and their contents.
The above addresses are provided for informational purposes only. They are not an endorsement of either the source or the product.
INFORMATION SOURCES:
Interviews conducted by Stewart Wright with Jim French and Phil Harper in 1998.
Recording of "Imagination Theater Warm-up" at the Museum of History and Industry in Seattle, WA June 28, 1999.Larry Albert of Jim French Productions who provided episode titles, episode initial airing dates, and recurring characters information.
Correspondence and conversations with Jim French and Larry Albert 1999 - 2004.
Seattle Post-Intelligencer - Various Dates 1987 to 2004.
Seattle Times - Various Dates 1998 to 2000.
Various Web pages at:
www.harrynile.com
Jim French Productions can be reached at:
jrfproductions@yahoo.com