Mr. District Attorney

The cast in 1947. From left: Len Doyle (Harrington), Jay Jostyn (the District Attorney), and Vicki Vola (Edith Miller)
Genre	Crime drama
Running time	30 minuters
Country	United States
Language(s)	English
Syndicates	NBC Blue NBC Red ABC
Starring	Vicki Vola Dwight Weist Raymond Edward Johnson Jay Jostyn
Announcer	Ed Herlihy Mark Hawley Fred Uttal
Created by	Ed Byron
Written by	Bob Shaw
Directed by	Ed Byron
Produced by	Phillips H. Lord

Mr. District Attorney is a popular radio crime drama, produced by Samuel Bischoff, which aired on NBC and ABC from April 3, 1939, to June 13, 1952 (and in transcribed syndication through 1953). The series focused on a crusading D.A., initially known only as "Mister District Attorney," or "Chief", and was later translated to television. On television the D.A. had a name, Paul Garrett, and the radio version picked up this name in the final years when David Brian played the role. A key figure in the dramas was the D.A.'s secretary, Edith Miller (Vicki Vola).

Created, written, and directed by former law student Ed Byron, the series was inspired by the early years of New York Governor Thomas E. Dewey. It was Dewey's public war against racketeering which led to his election as governor. Phillips H. Lord, creator of Gang Busters, helped to develop the concept and coined the title. Byron lent an air of accuracy and immediacy to his scripts through close study of crime statistics, a library of criminology texts, following the newspapers, and even going around rough bars to gain tips, background, and color from crooks and police alike. His techniques sometimes enabled Byron to predict major crime waves before the news broke.

Produced throughout its run in New York City, the series began as a 15-minute serial, becoming a half-hour, self-contained series three months later as a summer replacement for The Bob Hope Show beginning June 27, 1939. During 1942, Mr. District Attorney began battling Nazis, leading to conflicts with the FBI when the scripts reflected life too closely.