The genesis of "Radioland Murders" came from executive producer/co-writer George Lucas's obsession with old-time radio. Lucas conceived the storyline of the film during the writing phase of "American Graffiti", viewing it as a homage to the various Abbott and Costello films, primarily "Who Done It" (1942), in which Abbott and Costello star as two soda jerks solving a murder in a radio station. "Radioland Murders" also shares some inspiration from "The Big Clock" (1948). When Universal Pictures accepted "American Graffiti" in 1972, Lucas also allowed the studio first-look deals for both "Radioland Murders" and an untitled science fiction film (which eventually became the basis for "Star Wars").