The Private Eye is Free: A Sam Spade Double-Feature Remaster

The blueprint for the hardboiled detective is finally unlocked. As of January 1, 2026, Dashiell Hammett’s legendary private eye, Sam Spade, has officially entered the Public Domain. To celebrate, we aren't just re-playing old tapes—we are performing an audio resurrection.

Forget the scratchy, low-fidelity sound of traditional Old Time Radio (OTR). In this special double-feature surprise episode, we take you back to 1946, but with the clarity of today.

The History of the Hardboiled: Before Bond, before Bourne, there was the man in the trench coat. Created in 1930 for The Maltese Falcon, Spade was a cynical realist operating in the foggy shadows of San Francisco. He followed his own private code in a corrupt world, setting the archetype for every gritty detective that followed. While Bogart defined him on film, Howard Duff brought his sardonic energy to the golden age of radio.

The Forensic Restoration Process: We’ve taken these 80-year-old transcription discs into the digital lab for a complete overhaul. Using the cutting-edge neural networks of iZotope RX 11, we performed a surgical forensic audio restoration. We’ve stripped away decades of surface noise, tape hiss, and crackle, isolating the dialogue and widening the soundstage for a high-definition, immersive noir experience.

This Double-Feature Includes:

• The Death and Company Caper (1946): Spade gets tangled in a lethal family feud when a deathbed confession morphs into a murder accusation.

• The Calcutta Trunk Caper (1946): An atmospheric international thriller that finds Spade shanghaied, penniless, and trapped on a slow boat to India with a mysterious cargo.

Step into the shadows and hear history reborn.

This operation wouldn't run without the backing of my own crew here on Patreon. A massive tip of the fedora to:

RSS feed right is fully connected... Dim the lights, pour something strong, and step back into 1946.

Stay spooky and awesome, Your Tale Teller! 💜💜💜💜

OTR Link For Reference:

https://archive.org/details/adventures-of-sam-spade-1948-07-04-106-the-rushlight-diamond-caper/Adventures+of+Sam+Spade+1946-08-09+(5)+The+Death+and+Company+Caper.mp3