REVIEW: New Black Box ‘40s P.I. Radio Play Spoof Hits All the Right Notes
“It was a dark and dreary night…”
So begins the impeccable, affectionate film noir spoof “The Adventures of Sam Steele” – a new radio play by Jeff Adamson – that is premiering at The Black Box Theatre (1623 5th Ave., Moline), running through April 4.
Set in 1947, after the war, Sam Steele, P.I. is on the case with plenty of heavies and femme fatales while he investigates a murder in McClellan Heights, Davenport.
The terrific cast includes Jeff Adamson, Jess Nicol White, Patrick (as the cynical, hard-boiled Sam) and Jim Adamson (Jeff’s sons), and Jeremy Mahr, with set and costume design by Lora Adams and lighting by Alexander Richardson.
“The Adventures of Sam Steele” features (L-R) Jim Adamson, Jeff Adamson, Patrick Adamson, Jessica White and Jeremy Mahr.
Jeff Adamson, 72, of Moline, has written two self-published books (“Missing Movie Theaters of the Quad Cities,” 2022, and “Twisted Tales of the Quad Cities,” 2024), and one previous play – “Lights, Camera, Die!” – in the late ‘90s as a fundraiser for Playcrafters held at the former Abbey Hotel in Bettendorf.
He’s a big fan of history, of British murder mysteries (especially Agatha Christie and Sherlock Holmes), and classic film noir of the ‘30s and ‘40s. The private investigator Sam Steele is a winning (though hat-less) homage to Humphrey Bogart’s Sam Spade (immortalized in the 1941 film “The Maltese Falcon”).
Adamson is a former longtime ComedySportz veteran (when it was in downtown Rock Island), and since 2018, has led GIT Improv comedy at the Black Box, which usually does shows there once a month – they will return to downtown Moline on April 18.
GIT performers (three per show) include the Adamson men, Jeremy Mahr, Jessica White and Dan Sheridan, so the new radio play incorporates many GIT players, as well as some actual improv at the top of the show, before the formal script starts off.
Jeremy Mahr and Patrick Adamson.
Befitting Black Box’s history of presenting radio plays, where actors read from their scripts and often play multiple roles, “The Adventures of Sam Steele” is an irresistible love letter to the genres of ‘40s detective fiction, film noir, and radio plays. Here Jeff is the host and manager for the troupe, and before the action begins, notes with disbelief that gas is now 5 cents a gallon, and introduces two commercials during the 75-minute broadcast (no intermission) – for the sponsor, Ajax cleanser, as Sam cleans up dirty crime scenes.
Patrick Adamson is perfect as Sam, and (unlike me, for example) everything he says is delivered in a crisp, authoritative and often amusing way, serving as narrator, and we follow him gladly through the serpentine, complex route to finding the story’s killer.
Jeremy Mahr and Jessica White.
Set at WHBF Radio in downtown Rock Island, the Tri-Cities (before we were the Quad Cities) tale features many fond references to old-time landmarks (some gone, some remaining).
Sam’s disgusting office is on the top floor of the Putnam building in downtown Davenport (today’s Current Iowa hotel); and there are scenes at Davenport’s Blackhawk Hotel, and the former Marando’s in Milan, Manhattan Club in downtown Rock Island, and Plantation restaurant in Moline (the 1913 former Velie Mansion, which today houses Quad City Bank & Trust).
Playwright Jeff Adamson in his radio play, “The Adventures of Sam Steele.”
The murder case Sam is on is brought by Tom, a Rock Island Argus reporter who says a man was murdered at his home, who was having an affair with his wife Vivian and the dead guy was supposed to be him (played by Jim Adamson). Meanwhile, Tom is working on a big scoop about a protection case involving gambling and racketeering, that’s somehow related to the murder.
The supporting cast deftly handles the many sound effects in the play – including typewriters at the Argus, dishes at a diner, glasses at a bar, door knocks, and even Jim picking up an upright bass on the left of the stage and playing a cool underscoring in the Marando’s scene.
Jim Adamson, left, Jeremy Mahr and Jess Nicol White.
Jeff beautifully uses other classic jazz background music throughout, with slinky, sultry trumpet lines and piano, evoking black-and-white detective films.
I love many witty lines that Sam tosses off, including:
- “Cigarettes are a lot like squirrels – they’re perfectly harmless until you put one in your mouth and light it on fire.”
- “The woman with strawberry blonde hair and legs for hours, like somebody poured her into a black velvet dress and forgot to say when.”
- Sam asks for a Scotch and water – “Put water in a separate glass and throw it out.”
- Since there are so many local chiropractors, “Most people that live in the Tri Cities are well-adjusted.”
Jess Nicol White is great, primarily as Vivian, who flirts hard with Sam. Jeff takes on the bitter, wise-cracking role of Bob the detective (among others), and both Jeremy and Jim have fun with a variety of voices, including Mahr as a cop with a thick Irish accent.
Jeff Adamson’s new radio play opens Friday, March 27 at 7:30 p.m. at Black Box Theatre, 1623 5th Ave., Moline.
They all take part in a very cute second commercial for Ajax, a ditty set to the tune of “Mister Sandman,” appropriate since this show is a real dream. Near the end of the show, Sam throws off a few lines inspired directly from Bogie in “Casablanca,” including “We’ll always have Bettendorf.”
While Black Box artistic director Lora Adams has directed many radio plays there over the years, Jeff has never been in one, though he’s seen several shows at the 60-seat venue. “And I’ve enjoyed pretty much everything they’ve done at the Black Box,” he said recently. “The stage is intimate. I just like the small crowd. You’re right there in your face, you know.”
In her brief pre-show talk, Adams noted that “The Adventures of Sam Steele” kicks off the Black Box Theatre’s 10th season. “I find that after COVID, to be a minor miracle,” she said.
Performances continue at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Tickets are $18 and available at the door or at theblackboxtheatre.com.
Jessica White at the Black Box Theatre, Moline.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.