Dick Powell starred in the Richard Diamond, Private Detective radio series as a rather light-hearted detective who often ended the episodes singing to his girlfriend, Helen (Virginia Gregg). It began airing on NBC on April 24, 1949, picked up Rexall as a sponsor on April 5, 1950, and continued until December 6, 1950. The shows were written by Blake Edwards.

With Camel cigarettes as a sponsor, it moved to ABC from January 5, 1951, to June 29, 1951, with Rexall returning for a run from October 5, 1951, until June 27, 1952.

Substituting for Amos 'n' Andy, it aired Sunday evenings on CBS from May 31, 1953 until September 20, 1953.

Others appearing on the show were Wilms Herbert as police sergeant Otis, June Allyson, Jay Novello, Wally Maher, Hy Averback, Herb Butterfield, Jack Kruschen, Alan Reed, Betty Moran, Jack Edwards, Jay Novello, Tol Avery, Jane Morgan, Jack Kruschen, Betty Lou Gerson, Herb Butterfield, Wally Maher, Jack Petruzzi, Byron Kane, Lurene Tuttle, Paul Frees, Lawrence Dobkin, Stacy Harris, Joan Banks, Herb Ellis, Paul Dubov, Sidney Miller, Eleanor Audley, Frank Lovejoy, Sam Edwards, William Johnstone, Mary Shipp, William Conrad, William Tracy, Sheldon Leonard, Peter Leeds, Joe Forte, Joseph Kearns, Peggy Webber, Ted Osborne, Stan Waxman, Jeanne Bates, Robert carroll, Ted de Corsia, Georgia Ellis, Tony Barrett, Norman Field, Lou Krugman, Parley Baer, Sammie Hill, Tommy Bernard, Clarke Gordon, Kaye Brinker, Steve Dunne, Jean Tatum, Tom Avery, Robert Carroll, David Ellis, Edmond MacDonald, Charles McGraw, Yvonne Peattie, Robert Clarke, Grace Albertson, Hans Conried, Howard McNear, Edwin Max, Nestor Paiva, Jerry Hausner, Jane Webb, Fay Baker, Junius Matthews, Billy Fletcher, Charles Seel, Anne Morrison, Cynthia Corley, Clarke Gordon, Don Diamond, Virginia del Valle, Lucille Meredith, Michael Ann Barrett, Carleton Young, Frank Gerstle, Bill Forman, Bob Sweeney, Gerald Mohr, Dick Ryan, Dee Tatum, Vic Perrin, Joe Gilbert, Joseph Du Val, Bill Bouchey, Gloria Blondell, John Dehner, Clayton Post, Mary Jane Croft, Bea Benadaret, Hal March, D.J. Thompson, John Stevenson, Barton Yarborough, Barney Phillips, Jim Backus, Theodore Von Eltz, Sandra Gould, Alan Reed, Bob O'Connor, Joel Samuels, Jeffrey Silver, Paul Richards, Tony Michaels, Benny Rubin, Robert Griffin, Joyce Manners, Jack Moyles, Jess Kirkpatrick, Lillian Buyeff, Ben Wright, Edgar Barrier, Harold Dryanforth, John McIntire, Tim Graham, Dan O'Herlihy, Hal March, Raymond Burr, Gale Gordon