FREE! Click here to Join FunTrivia. Thousands of games, quizzes, and lots more!
Quiz about Richard Diamond Private Detective
Quiz about Richard Diamond Private Detective

Richard Diamond, Private Detective Quiz


Richard Diamond was one of the many characters who inhabited the airwaves in the 1940s and 1950s before Television took over American entertainment. How much do you remember about this suave P.I.?

A multiple-choice quiz by Catreona. Estimated time: 3 mins.
  1. Home
  2. »
  3. Quizzes
  4. »
  5. Entertainment Trivia
  6. »
  7. Radio
  8. »
  9. US Old Time Radio

Author
Catreona
Time
3 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
399,772
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
7 / 10
Plays
121
Last 3 plays: Guest 73 (3/10), PurpleComet (7/10), bradez (7/10).
Question 1 of 10
1. Who played Richard Diamond on the radio? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. How did the star of "Richard Diamond, Private Detective" start every episode? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. In what city was the radio program "Richard Diamond, Private Detective" set? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. Richard Diamond was not exactly a hard boiled P.I. How did he conclude the show nearly every week? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. What was Richard Diamond's standard fee? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. What did Richard Diamond do for a living before becoming a private investigator? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. What did Lt. Levinson habitually ask his sergeant for when he found that Richard Diamond was on the phone? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. Did Richard Diamond carry a gun?


Question 9 of 10
9. What was the name of Richard Diamond's girlfriend? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. Richard Diamond's girlfriend lived at 975 Park Ave.



(Optional) Create a Free FunTrivia ID to save the points you are about to earn:

arrow Select a User ID:
arrow Choose a Password:
arrow Your Email:




Most Recent Scores
Mar 17 2024 : Guest 73: 3/10
Feb 22 2024 : PurpleComet: 7/10
Feb 04 2024 : bradez: 7/10

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Who played Richard Diamond on the radio?

Answer: Dick Powell

Born Richard Ewing Powell on November 14, 1904 in Mountain View, Arkansas, USA, second of three sons to Ewing and Sallie Rowena Thompson Powell., Dick Powell was a movie star during Hollywood's golden age. Even before being signed by Warner Bros. in 1932, he had already had a varied career as soda jerk, singer with the touring territorial band of Charlie Davis, and MC, to name a few. For several years in Hollywood, he was cast in lightweight singing rolls in musicals. Eventually, though, he made the move to "serious" acting, landing the part of Philip Marlow in 1944's "Murder My Sweet", produced by RKO. Throughout the rest of the 1940s to the mid '50s he continued to appear primarily in films noirs.

He starred on radio as the wise cracking, singing P.I. Richard Diamond from April 24, 1949 through September 20, 1953.

Dick Powell died January 2, 1963 in West Los Angeles, California of lung cancer.
2. How did the star of "Richard Diamond, Private Detective" start every episode?

Answer: By whistling the show's theme, "Leave It to Love"

"Leave It to Love" was written by Henry Russell. Powell whistled it at the end of every episode as well, under the closing credits.
3. In what city was the radio program "Richard Diamond, Private Detective" set?

Answer: New York City

On the radio, Richard Diamond lived and worked in New York. Indeed his girlfriend, Helen Asher, lived on Park Ave. By contrast, when the series moved to television in 1957, Diamond's base of operations shifted to L.A.
4. Richard Diamond was not exactly a hard boiled P.I. How did he conclude the show nearly every week?

Answer: Singing a popular standard or Broadway number

The show usually ended with Rick at the piano serenading Helen. As Rick saw it, the only thing wrong with the beautiful and rich redhead was that she wanted him to marry her. His continuing refusal to do so didn't keep him from spending a considerable amount of time with her, borrowing her car or drinking her liquor.
5. What was Richard Diamond's standard fee?

Answer: $100 a day plus expenses

Despite how much he charged, somehow Rick was always broke. His office consisted of one room, though it did overlook Broadway. He had no employees and he sometimes had to hang up his washing between the door and his desk.
6. What did Richard Diamond do for a living before becoming a private investigator?

Answer: He was a police officer.

Rick's friend and former partner, Lt. Walter Levinson and Levinson's Sargent, Otis, were regularly recurring characters.
7. What did Lt. Levinson habitually ask his sergeant for when he found that Richard Diamond was on the phone?

Answer: Bicarbonate and a spoon

Walt called plaintively for his bicarbonate whenever Rick phoned, and often when Rick turned up at the police station as well. Nonetheless, he was always reliable both as a source of information and as backup, rewarding Rick's trust in him.
8. Did Richard Diamond carry a gun?

Answer: Yes

Rick packed heat; but that never stopped him from getting beaten up or knocked unconscious, usually in the same episode.
9. What was the name of Richard Diamond's girlfriend?

Answer: Helen Asher

Virginia Gregg was the actress who played Helen Asher. Born in Harrisburg, Illinois on March 6, 1916, she was a prolific radio, television and film actress. She appeared on "Have Gun, Will Travel" and "Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar", to name just two of her other radio credits. Virginia Gregg died of lung cancer on September 15, 1986 in Encino, California.

Velma Valento, aka Helen Grayle was played by Claire Trevor opposite Powell in "Murder, My Sweet".

Ellen Drew played Betty Casey opposite Powell in the 1940 Paramount Pictures film "Christmas in July".
10. Richard Diamond's girlfriend lived at 975 Park Ave.

Answer: True

Helen lived in a mansion, looked after by a doddering but faithful butler named Francis. Whenever Rick entered the house, he asked Francis for a drink of some sort. In due course Francis brought the drink, only to walk in on Rick and Helen kissing, at which he invariably exclaimed, "Oh, my goodness!"
Source: Author Catreona

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor kyleisalive before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.
Related Quizzes
This quiz is part of series All That Glisters:

Here's a sparkling collection of multifarious quizzes.

  1. Go For Gold: The Phenomenal Torvill and Dean Average
  2. Silver Easier
  3. The Einsteinium Quiz Average
  4. Richard Diamond, Private Detective Average
  5. Dream-of-Jade Average
  6. A Gem of a Game: "Bejeweled 2 Deluxe" Average

3/29/2024, Copyright 2024 FunTrivia, Inc. - Report an Error / Contact Us