Boston Blackie is a fictional detective character created by author Jack Boyle. Initially portrayed as a safecracker and jewel thief, he eventually became a detective known as the "enemy to those who make him an enemy, friend to those who have no friend." The character appeared in Columbia Pictures films with Chester Morris playing the lead role between 1941 and 1949.

The Boston Blackie radio series began on June 23, 1944, on NBC as a summer replacement for The Amos 'n' Andy Show, starring Chester Morris. Richard Kollmar took over the title role in the series, which was syndicated by Frederic W. Ziv from April 11, 1945, to October 25, 1950. Over 200 episodes were produced during this time, featuring Lesley Woods as Blackie's girlfriend Mary Wesley, Maurice Tarplin as Inspector Farraday, and Jan Miner as Mary in the ZIV syndicated series.

The show followed a formulaic pattern where someone gets into trouble, there is a murder, and Blackie is framed for it. He then escapes police custody, solves the mystery, hands over the criminals to Inspector Farraday, and charms the girl. With light-hearted humor and high production values, the radio series became very popular and has a lasting appeal among fans of detective fiction.