''Hawk Larabee'' is an American

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. It was broadcast on CBS from July 5, 1946, until February 7, 1948.

Format

In his book, ''On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio'', radio historian John Dunning described ''Hawk Larabee'' as "radio's first half-hearted attempt at an adult western drama, a concept that was not fully realized until the arrival of ''Gunsmoke'' five years later." Although adults listened to earlier radio westerns, such as ''

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'' and ''

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'', the main audience for those programs was children. Another radio historian, Jim Cox, wrote in his book, ''Say Goodnight, Gracie: The Last Years of Network Radio'', that ''Hawk Larabee'' "fell short in providing the stark realism of a grown-up narrative." A summer replacement for ''

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'', the program began as ''Hawk Durango'', with the main character having that name. Those episodes focused on the adventures of Durango and his partner, Brazos John. After six weeks, the program ended. On October 3, 1946, ''Hawk Larabee debuted'', with the title character being the owner of Black Mesa Ranch. Larabee and his partner, Somber Jones, encountered adventures in and around the town of Sundown Wells. Larabee often found himself accused of crimes that he had not committed and thus had to solve the crimes to save himself fr