There he goes, into that drugstore. He's stepping on the scales. Weight? 237 pounds. Fortune? Danger. Whoooooo is it? The Fat
Maaaan!

J. Scott Smart was a natural for the part of Brad Runyon. He would often say, "It takes a fat man to sound like a fat man." Brad Runyon
weighed-in at 237 pounds (or 239/241 pounds, depending on which episode), Jack Smart tipped the scales at around 270 pounds, only being 5-
foot, 9-inch tall. Jack Smart was not only a famous radio actor, also an accomplished stage actor, jazz historian and musician, amateur gourmet
chef, newspaper writer, and artist.
There was a steady climb in popularity that caught the attention of Norwich Pharmaceutical Company. They wanted a way to advertise their Pepto
Bismol.  Norwich Pharmaceutical Company sponsorship of "The Fat Man" started around February 1947. The series lasted six seasons.
In 1950 Dashiell Hammett was called before the House Un- American Activities Committee and he refused to give names. He was tried and
imprisoned for his failure to cooperate with the Committee and was blacklisted along with the many other fine artists and entertainers who fell
victim to the anti- communist hysteria of the day.
Norwich Pharmaceutical Company was quick to withdraw its sponsorship.
In 1951, there was a film titled The Fat Man starring J. Scott Smart, along with Jayne Meadows, Rock Hudson; John Russell and circus clown
Emmett Kelly, wherein the investigation of a dentist's murder leads Runyon to a circus showdown.
Universal-International removed his name from the titles of The Fat Man movie. It was only released because it was already made by the time of
Dashiell Hammett's situation.
There was also an Australian version of this show which was broadcast in the 1940's, which Lloyd Berrell.

No one is sure how much Dashiell Hammett helped develop the series, or if he just lent his name. In the Martha's Vineyard Gazette of September
6, 1949 he was quoted as saying, "My sole duty in regard to these programs is to look in the mail for a check once a week. I don't even listen to
them. If I did, I'd complain about how they were being handled, and then I'd fall into the trap of being asked to come down and help. I don't want
to have anything to do with the radio. It's a dizzy world--makes the movies seem highly intellectual."
The Fat Man (1951) movie with sleuth J. Scott
Smart and John Russell promotional photo.
The Fat Man
List Of Shows
46-01-21 The 19th Pearl
46-02-11 The Twice Told Secret
46-07-08 The Black Angel
46-09-09 The Crooked Horse
47-10-03 A Window For Murder
47-XX-XX Murder Plays Hide And Seek
49-04-01 Murder Wins  The Draw
51-09-05 Order For Murder
51-10-17 The Nightmare Murder
Murder Makes A Statue
Murder Makes Music
Murder Repeats Itself
Murder Shows An Unfamiliar Face
Murder And The Peacock
Murder By Mail
Murder Calls The Undertaker
Murder Finds A Coffin
Murder For Sale
Murder Is The Medium
Murder Makes A Black Moon
Murder Makes a Ham
Murder Makes A King's Coffin
Murder Makes A Silent Partner
Murder Plays The Horses
Murder Rides A Wheelchair
Murder Rings The Bell
Murder Runs An Ad
Murder Seeks A Lost Penny
Murder Sends A Christmas Card
Murder Shows A Phantom Face
Murder Squares The Triangle
Murder Stalks the Dead
Murder Through A Crystal
Murder Wears A False Face
While I was listing these shows I realized that I had some
Australian shows mixed with the American shows. I will
come back and list these when I get time to go through
them.

John