Lost Crime Shows - Volume 2 (Boston Blackie / Alarm / Mandrake the Magician / The Witness / Front Page Detective) – DVD

Take a walk on the dark side of the street, where a constant battle is being waged between the pervasive forces of corruption and the brave men dedicated to the cause of justice. These four episodes are rare treasures from the vaults of classic crime shows of the 1950s.

Boston Blackie - "The Motorcycle Kid" (1953): Blackie intervenes to help a friend's teenage son, who's in trouble after committing a robbery. Starring Kent Taylor, Lois Collier, Gloria Talbott; Directed by Sobey Martin.1953

Alarm (1956): This episode of the firefighting series presents a dramatic recreation of that horrific night of November 28, 1942, when nearly 500 people died in the Cocoanut Grove nightclub fire in Boston. Starring Fred Waring, John Hoyt; Directed by William F. Claxton.

Mandrake the Magician (1954): Mandrake and Lothar battle enemy agents who have kidnapped Princess Narda. Based on the famous comic strip hero with hypnotic powers, this unsold NBC pilot featured Coe Norton, an actual stage magician, in the title role. Starring Coe Norton, Woody Strode, Lisa Howard; Directed by Will Jason.

Counterpoint - "The Witness" (1952): A small-time thug pulls the perfect jewel heist, but his getaway is witnessed by a strange man in clown make-up. Starring Lee Marvin, William Schallert; Directed by Bernard Girard.

Front Page Detective -"Seven Seas To Danger" (1951): A smuggler stows away on a Siamese freighter bound for the U.S. so he can keep a close eye on a cache of stolen diamonds. Starring Edmund Lowe; Directed by Arnold Wester.

• television