Deputy Dirt Commissioner (Aired April 3, 1949)


Amos 'n' Andy was a situation comedy popular in the United States from the 1920s through the 1950s. The show began as one of the first radio comedy serials, written and voiced by Freeman Gosden and Charles Correll and originating from station WMAQ in Chicago, Illinois. After the series was first broadcast in 1928, it grew in popularity and became a huge influence on the radio serials that followed. Amos 'n' Andy creators Gosden and Correll were white actors familiar with minstrel traditions. They met in Durham, North Carolina in 1920, and by the fall of 1925, they were performing nightly song-and-patter routines on the Chicago Tribune's station WGN. Since the Tribune syndicated Sidney Smith's popular comic strip The Gumps, which had successfully introduced the concept of daily continuity, WGN executive Ben McCanna thought the notion of a serialized drama could also work on radio. He suggested to Gosden and Correll that they adapt The Gumps to radio. They instead proposed a series about "a couple of colored characters" and borrowed certain elements of The Gumps. Their new series, Sam 'n' Henry, began January 12, 1926, fascinating radio listeners throughout the Midwest. That series became popular enough that in late 1927 Gosden and Correll requested that it be distributed to other stations on phonograph records in a "chainless chain" concept that would have been the first use of radio syndication as we know it today. When WGN rejected the idea, Gosden and Correll quit the show and the station that December. Contractually, their characters belonged to WGN, so when Gosden and Correll left WGN, they performed in personal appearances but could not use the character names from the radio show.

THIS EPISODE:

April 3, 1949. CBS network. Sponsored by: Rinso, Lifebuoy. The Kingfish appoints himself Deputy Dirt Commissioner and leads Andy to dig up a box full of money. Ken Carpenter (announcer), Freeman Gosden, Charles Correll, The Jubalaires, Jeff Alexander and His Orchestra. 30:54.

The Rolling Stone Matter (Aired May 11, 1958)


For over twelve years, from 1949 through 1962 (including a one year hiatus in 1954-1955), this series recounted the cases "the man with the action-packed expense account, America’s fabulous freelance insurance investigator, Johnny Dollar". Johnny was an accomplished 'padder' of his expense account. The name of the show derives from the fact that he closed each show by totaling his expense account, and signing it "End of report... Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar". Terry Salomonson in his authoritative "A Radio Broadcast Log of the Drama Program Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar", notes that the original working title was "Yours Truly, Lloyd London". Salomonson writes "Lloyd London was scratched out of the body of (the Dick Powell) audition script and Johnny Dollar was written in. Thus the show was re-titled on this script and the main character was renamed. Why this was done was unclear – possibly to prevent a legal run-in with Lloyd’s of London Insurance Company." Although based in Hartford, Connecticut, the insurance capital of the world, freelancer Johnny Dollar managed to get around quite a bit – his adventures taking him all over the world. There were some unusual devices used in the show that help set it apart from other shows. There was no partner, assistant, or secretary for Johnny. The character closest to a continuing role was that of Pat McCracken of the Universal Adjustment Bureau, who assigned Johnny many of his cases. Another atypical aspect gave the show additional credibility – frequently, characters on the show would mention that they had heard about Johnny’s cases on the radio. Johnny often used his time when filling out his expense accounts to give the audience background information or to express his thoughts about the current case.No fewer than eight actors played Johnny Dollar.

THIS EPISODE:

May 11, 1958. CBS net origination, AFRTS rebroadcast. "The Rolling Stone Matter". A beautiful pink diamond is stolen. Bob Bailey, Jack Johnstone (writer, producer, director), Sam Edwards, Virginia Gregg, Roy Rowan (announcer), Forrest Lewis, Bob Bruce, Russell Thorson, Joseph Kearns. 24:42.

An Eye For An Eye (Aired April 27, 1974)


Recorded in every corner of the world when first broadcast over the BBC's World Service, The Price of Fear soon became one of the most widely recorded offerings of its era. As with most BBC productions, the acting talent and production values were excellent throughout. The stories dramatized in the series are from some of the supernatural fiction world's finest authors. William Ingram was responsible for almost half of the stories and scripts, backed up the works of Bram Stoker, Roald Dahl, Robert Arthur, Rene Basilico, Stanley Ellin, and R. Chetwynd-Hayes. John Dyas produced and directed all three series over the ten year period. Host Vincent Price, already long since recognized throughout the world as the reigning Master of The Macabre, virtually ensured that the series would be heard. True to his legend, Price's imprimatur on the series provided a voice as chilling and familiar to World Service listeners as that of their own Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing. The Price of Fear has been an international favorite ever since it's first airing. It was picked up by several short-wave and FM stations in the U.S. and enjoyed broadcast airing over several American public broadcasting stations from 1973, on. The BBC's proscription against commercial broadcast of its productions left only national or public broadcasting networks and stations capable of airing the compelling program. Show Notes From The Digital Deli

Bad Medicine (Aired July 10, 1956)


X Minus One was a half-hour science fiction radio series broadcast from April 24, 1955 to January 9, 1958 in various timeslots on NBC. Initially a revival of NBC's Dimension X (1950-51), X Minus One is widely considered among the finest science fiction dramas ever produced for radio. The first 15 episodes were new versions of Dimension X episodes, but the remainder were adaptations of newly published science fiction stories by leading writers in the field, including Isaac Asimov, Ray Bradbury, Philip K. Dick, Robert A. Heinlein, Frederik Pohl and Theodore Sturgeon, along with a few original scripts. Episodes of the show include adaptations of Robert Sheckley's "Skulking Permit," Bradbury's "Mars Is Heaven," Heinlein's "Universe" and "The Green Hills of Earth", " Pohl’s "The Tunnel under the World," J. T. McIntosh’s "Hallucination Orbit," Fritz Leiber’s "A Pail of Air" and George Lefferts' "The Parade". The program opened with announcer Fred Collins delivering the countdown, leading into this introduction (although later shows were partnered with Galaxy Science Fiction rather than Astounding Science Fiction): Countdown for blastoff... X minus five, four, three, two, X minus one... Fire! [Rocket launch SFX] From the far horizons of the unknown come transcribed tales of new dimensions in time and space. These are stories of the future; adventures in which you'll live in a million could-be years on a thousand may-be worlds. The National Broadcasting Company in cooperation with Street and Smith, publishers of Astounding Science Fiction presents... X Minus One.

THIS EPISODE:

July 10, 1956. NBC networks. "Bad Medicine". Sustaining. Elwood would love to kill his "friend" Magnuson. Seeking help from a home therapy unit, he's unfortunately given a Martian model which has an entirely different set of parameters. The system cue has been deleted. Allan Mason, Charles Webster, Cliff Carpenter, Joseph Sullivan, Karl Weber (narrator), Norman Rose, Finn O'Donovan (author, Robert Scheckley), William Griffis, George Lefferts (adaptor), William Welch (producer), Bob Mauer (director), Fred Collins (announcer), Bill Britton, Joseph Julian, Steve Allen (American Cancer Society fund appeal). 30:20.

The Castle Of Lavoka (Aired March 29, 1954)


When it comes to The Hall of Fantasy, there are some mysteries that persist to this day. Maybe that's appropriate, because it claimed to be "the series of radio dramas dedicated to the supernatural, the unusual, and the unknown." One mystery that remains unknown is who the announcer actually was. His lines were so over-the-top, maybe he wished to remain anonymous. But it's this same dead serious approach to monsters, horror, and the supernatural that makes this series so much fun to listen to in a modern context. Despite this campy dimension to the program, do not assume that the series wasn't scary. Many episodes were rather frightening. If the dark, desolate atmospheres didn't get at your nerves, the down-beat endings usually did. A common scene occurred at night, with the crickets chirping in the background. The two protagonists would be lost or running for their lives (or both!). They would hear a far off scream, and they would realize-- along with the audience-- that the friend was a goner. One episode, 'Hang Man's Rope,' never revealed exactly how the killer managed to catch and hang his victims, or why. The only thing we knew for sure was when the crickets stopped chirping and the dog started howling, someone would wind up hanging from the nearest tree. The protagonists spent most the show trying to solve the mystery. They failed. But at least one of them saw how the killer accomplished his dark deed. Unfortunately, he didn't live long enough to explain it. All we heard was a sudden scream, the snap of his neck, and the stretching of the rope as his body swayed.

THIS EPISODE:

March 29, 1954. Mutual network, WGN, Chicago origination, KEX, Portland Oregon aircheck. "The Castle Of Lavoka". Sponsored by: National Bank Of Oregon, Harrah's. An excellent story about Baron Drago from an isolated part of Europe with an eternal mission and the real reason for the second World War! This program may be a rebroadcast of "The Hall Of Fantasy" of August 22, 1952, titled, "The Legend Of Drago." The program opening sounds edited just as the story title is given. Richard Thorne (writer). 22:50.

Beyond Good & Evil (Aired August 28, 1947)


Cut from the cloth of tales woven by the imaginations of some of the most famous authors in history, Mystery In the Air was a Summer series consisting of mystery / horror shows. The series was hosted by Peter Lorre who also played the title role in a few of the shows and brings these brilliant horror classics to life spooktacularly, as no other could. Peter Lorre was one of the most popular horror stars of the forties, and with a supporting cast including such greats as Agnes Moorehead, Howard Culver, Lurene Tuttle, Joseph Kearns and Ken Christy, the production was destined to be a success. This collection can also be found included in the Peter Lorre Collection.

THIS EPISODE:

August 28, 1947. NBC network. "Beyond Good and Evil". Sponsored by: Camels, Prince Albert. An escaped convict kills a minister and takes his place in a small town while planning a bank robbery. A good story! Howard Culver, Jack Edwards Jr., John Brown, Michael Roy (announcer), Ben Hecht (author), Henry Morgan (later known as Harry Morgan), Paul Baron (composer, conductor), Peggy Webber, Peter Lorre, Russell Thorson, Don Bernard (producer), Cal Kuhl (director). 28:56.

Murder Takes Practice (Aired April 21, 1946)


That strange publishing firm owned by Dan and Barbara Glenn - where each new novel is acted out by the Mystery House staff, before it is accepted for publication. Mystery House was a program in the 1950’s, but not your run of the mill type program. Actually it was more of a proving ground for novels. Dan and Barbara Glenn owned a publishing company named “Mystery House” located at 70 Park Avenue, New York City. Dan and Barbara decided to test some of their novels on a real listening audience. Each episode was taken from a novel they were planning on publishing. The entire staff at Mystery House was involved, everyone doing their part, whether it was rewriting to adapt it to radio, playing the parts or doing sound effects, everyone joined in. Sadly, not a lot is known about this series.

THIS EPISODE:

April 21, 1946. Program #36. Mutual network, WGN, Chicago origination, Harry S. Goodman syndication. "Murder Takes Practice". Commercials added locally. Nanette Sargent, Forrest Lewis, Rye Billsbury (announcer). 29:01.

The Haunted Golf Course (Aired April 8, 1980)


Mutual Radio Theater ( Sears Radio Theater ) was an anthology series of radio drama which ran weeknightly on CBS Radio in 1979, sponsored by the department-store chain; in its second year, 1980, it moved to the Mutual Broadcasting System and became the Mutual Radio Theater; the MBS series was repeats from the CBS run, until September of 1980, when a short season of new dramas was presented. The Mutual run was still most often sponsored by Sears. Often paired with The CBS Radio Mystery Theater on those stations which cleared it in its first season, the SRT offered a different genre of drama for each day's broadcast. Monday was "Western Night" and was hosted by Lorne Greene. Tuesday was "Comedy Night", hosted by Andy Griffith. Wednesday was "Mystery Night" with Vincent Price as host. Thursday was "Love And Hate Night" with Cicely Tyson doing honors as host. Finally, Friday brought "Adventure Night", first hosted by Richard Widmark and later by Howard Duff and then by Leonard Nimoy. Though less long-lived than NPR's Earplay or the Mystery Theater, it was an ambitious if not particularly critically-favored attempt to reinvigorate a neglected field.

Life Ends At Midnight (Aired February 17, 1944)


Suspense was actually spawned from another series called Forecast. The 1940 horror show was entitled Suspense and it was based on the Marie Belloc Lowndes' short Jack-the-Ripper novella, The Lodger. It was directed by Alfred Hitchcock, who had made a 1926 silent film based on the same story (Grams, 1997, 3). Its subtle ending generated a large volume of mail which convinced CBS executives that they had a strong market. Two years later, Suspense was aired. It became one of radio's longest lasting shows, surviving twenty years of consistent success. It had numerous announcers during those two decades, ranging from the early Berry Kroeger to the veteran announcers, Paul Frees and George Walsh. But it was Joseph Kearns who evolved into "The Man in Black" host in 1943. This mysterious all-knowing narrator was similar to The Whistler.. The character lasted for over 100 episodes until March of 1945. Kerns continued as host through 1947, and returned again in 1950, but "The Man in Black" role devolved back into a nameless announcer (Grams, 1997, 17). Yet the series itself continued on as strong as ever. It attracted Hollywood's best actors because they were allowed to play roles different from their usual stereotypes. Comedians could play killers, or heroes could play victims. Jack Benny played a Martian. Ronald Reagan played a man on the run framed for a crime he didn't commit. Lucille Ball played a cold-blooded murderer. Frank Sinatra played a psychopath. All the while, audiences were kept wondering and waiting to see what the surprise ending would be. Show Notes From Radio Horror Hosts.

THIS EPISODE:

February 17, 1944. CBS network. "Life Ends At Midnight". Sponsored by: Roma Wines. A throughly bad son returns to his mother for a visit. He soon turns to thoughts of murder. The story was subsequently produced on "Suspense" on May 8, 1948 and October 18, 1955. Fay Bainter, Ralph Morgan, Dane Clark, Joseph Kearns ("The Man In Black"), Robert Tallman (writer), Hans Conried, William Johnstone, Robert Tallman (writer), William Spier (producer, director), Frank Martin (commercial spokesman), Lucien Moraweck (composer), Lud Gluskin (conductor). 1/2 32:29.

John & Judith, Their Crime, and Why They Didn't Get To Enjoy It (Aired December 16, 1953


Crime Classics was a U. S. radio docudrama which aired over CBS from June 15, 1953 to June 30, 1954. Created, produced, and directed by radio actor/director Elliott Lewis, the program was basically a historical true crime series, examining crimes, and especially murders, from the past. It grew out of Lewis's personal interest in famous murder cases, and took a documentary-like approach to the subject, carefully recreating the facts, personages, and feel of the time period. Comparatively little dramatic license was taken with the facts and events, but the tragedy was leavened with humor, expressed largely through the narration.

THIS EPISODE:

December 16, 1953. CBS network origination, AFRTS rebroadcast. "John & Judith, Their Crime, and Why They Didn't Get To Enjoy It". A tale of arsenic poisoning in olde England. AFRTS program name: "Mystery Theatre." AFRTS broadcast date: May 20, 1973. Lou Merrill (host), Ben Wright, Jeanette Nolan, Irene Tedrow, Morton Fine (writer), David Friedkin (writer), Bernard Herrmann (composer), Lud Gluskin (conductor), Elliott Lewis (producer, director), Betty Harford, Norma Varden, Alec Harford, Bob Lemond (announcer). 31:29.

The Open Boat (Aired July 19, 1953)


Escape was radio's leading anthology series of high adventure, airing on CBS from July 7, 1947 to September 25, 1954. Since the program did not have a regular sponsor like Suspense, it was subjected to frequent schedule shifts and lower production budgets, although Richfield Oil signed on as a sponsor for five months in 1950. Despite these problems, Escape enthralled many listeners during its seven-year run. The series' well-remembered opening combined Mussorgsky's Night on Bald Mountain with the introduction, intoned by Paul Frees and William Conrad: “Tired of the everyday routine? Ever dream of a life of romantic adventure? Want to get away from it all? We offer you... Escape!” Of the more than 230 Escape episodes, most have survived in good condition. Many story premises, both originals and adaptations, involved a protagonist in dire life-or-death straits, and the series featured more science fiction and supernatural tales than Suspense. Some of the memorable adaptations include Algernon Blackwood's "Confession", Ray Bradbury's oft-reprinted "Mars Is Heaven," George R. Stewart's Earth Abides, Richard Connell's "The Most Dangerous Game," F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Diamond as Big as the Ritz," John Collier's "Evening Primrose", later adapted to TV as a Stephen Sondheim musical starring Anthony Perkins. Vincent Price and Harry Bartell were heard in the chilling "Three Skeleton Key," the tale of three men trapped in an isolated lighthouse by thousands of rats. The half-hour was adapted from an Esquire short story by the French writer George Toudouze.

THIS EPISODE:

July 19, 1953. CBS network. "The Open Boat". Sustaining. Four men in a small boat try to make land. William Conrad (narrator), Stephen Crane (author), Roy Rowan (announcer), Bob Sweeney, E. Jack Neuman (adaptor), Tom Tully, Edgar Barrier, David Young, Jack Carroll, Leith Stevens (composer, conductor), Antony Ellis (director). 30:21.

Halloween Surprise Party (Aired October 28, 1949)


My Favorite Husband is the name of an American radio program and network television series. The original radio show, co-starring Lucille Ball, was the initial basis for what evolved into the groundbreaking TV sitcom I Love Lucy. The series was based on the 1940 novel Mr. and Mrs. Cugat, written by Isabel Scott Rorick, which had previously been adapted into the 1942 Paramount feature film Are Husbands Necessary?, co-starring Ray Milland and Betty Field. My Favorite Husband began on CBS Radio with Lucille Ball and Richard Denning as Liz and George Cugat. After a few early episodes, confusion with bandleader Xavier Cugat prompted a name change to Liz and George Cooper. The cheerful couple lived at 321 Bundy Drive in the fictitious city of Sheridan Falls and were billed as "two people who live together and like it." The main sponsor was General Foods' Jell-O, and an average of three "plugs" for Jell-O were made in each episode, including Lucille Ball's usual sign-on, "Jell-O, everybody!" The program, which aired 124 episodes from July 23, 1948 through March 31, 1951, initially portrayed the couple as being a well-to-do banker and his socially prominent wife, but three new writers — Bob Carroll, Jr., Madelyn Pugh and Jess Oppenheimer — took over the writing, changed the couple's name to Cooper and remade them into a middle-class couple, which they thought average listeners would find more accessible. Lucille Ball was asked to do a television version of the show (with Jell-O remaining as sponsor), and CBS insisted on Richard Denning continuing as her co-star. However, Ball refused to do a husband-and-wife TV show without real-life husband Desi Arnaz playing her on-screen husband. The network reluctantly agreed, reworking the concept into I Love Lucy after Ball and Arnaz took a show on the road to convince the network that audiences would respond. When Jell-O dropped out of the show, Philip Morris became the television sponsor. Carroll, Pugh and Oppenheimer agreed to do the switch to I Love Lucy. They subsequently reworked several My Favorite Husband episodes into I Love Lucy episodes, especially early in the TV show's run. For example, the 1948 radio episode entitled "Giveaway Program" inspired the I Love Lucy episode "Redecorating," with some lines exactly the same. Many actors who had done the My Favorite Husband radio show also appeared on I Love Lucy, sometimes in episodes where they reprised their roles using a reworked My Favorite Husband script.

Murder At The Vicarage Part Five (Aired December 30, 1993)


Agatha Christie is the world's best-known mystery writer. Her books have sold over a billion copies in the English language and another billion in over 45 foreign languages. She is outsold only by the Bible and Shakespeare. She was born Agatha Miller in Torquay, England on September 15, 1890, the daughter of Frederick Alvah Miller and Clarissa Miller. Her father died when she was a child. Agatha was educated at home; her mother encouraged her to write from a very early age. At sixteen she was sent to school in Paris where she studied singing and piano. In 1914 she married Colonel Archibald Christie, an aviator in the Royal Flying Corps. The couple had one daughter, Rosalind, before their divorce in 1928. Archie Christie announced that he had fallen in love with a younger woman, Nancy Neele. That same year, Christie's beloved mother died. The story of Christie's real life mystery in 1926, when she disappeared for a time and lived in a Harrowgate hotel under the name 'Mrs. Neele,' was the basis for the film Agatha.

Demon Tree (Aired December 5, 1941)


Dark Fantasy was a short series with tales of the weird, adventures of the supernatural, created for you by Scott Bishop. The series aired as a horror drama on NBC between 1941 and 1942. Dark Fantasy was a series dedicated to dealings with the unknown. Originating from radio station WKY, Oklahoma City, it was written by Scott Bishop (of Mysterious Traveler and The Sealed Book fame) and was heard Fridays over stations. Tom Paxton served as announcer. The shows covered horror, science fiction and murder mysteries. Although a short series, the shows are excellent with some stories way ahead of their time. The following is a news promo promoting the show: "Every since Lights Out went out several years ago, fans of the fiendish have been clamoring for more good old goose-pimple horror drama on the air. Now they have it. One of the programs that currently freezes the airwaves with its chilling stories is Dark Fantasy comparatively new to the networks. In the late hours of Friday nights these shivery, shocking stories go out over NBC - right straight from Oklahoma City, which you might not have thought of as headquarters for haunts. Station WKY is the home of the Dark Fantasy plays, and the writer is Scott Bishop, who lives in the midst of mystery and the supernatural, represented by the innurnerable volumes of thriller fiction, fantasy lore and all kinds of horror literature that fill his home andhis office. Bishop has long contributed to network broadcasting and to magazines. He says, 'Give the listener enough material to let his imagination go to work, and he'll supply his own goose-pimples.' Dark Fantasy has been furnishing plenty of such material since last November. And judging from enthusiastic comment, the horror fans are responding with goose-pimples galore! Tune in every Friday on Station WKY Oklahoma City."

THIS EPISODE:

December 5, 1941. Program #3. NBC network, WKY, Oklahoma City origination. "The Demon Tree". Sustaining. A well-written story about a strange forest with an even stranger tree. Great radio! Scott Bishop (writer), Eleanor Naylor Corin, Ben Morris, Murillo Scofield, Keith Peyton (announcer), Garland Moss. 23:13.

Murder At The Vicarage Part Three (12-28-93) & Part Four (12-29-93)


Miss Jane Marple is an elderly lady who lives in the little English village St. Mary Mead. Superficially stereotypical, she is dressed neatly in tweed and is frequently seen knitting or pulling weeds in her garden. Miss Marple sometimes comes across as confused or "fluffy", but when it comes to solving mysteries, she has a sharp logical mind, and an almost unmatched understanding of human nature with all its weaknesses, strengths, quirks and foibles. In the detective story tradition, she often embarrasses the local "professional" police by solving mysteries that have them stumped. Tape recordings Christie made in the mid 1960s reveal that 'Miss Marple' was partly based on Christie's grandmother. However, there is no definitive source for the derivation of the name 'Marple'. The most common explanation suggests that the name was taken from the railway station in Marple, Stockport, through which Christie passed, with the alternative account that Christie took it from the home of a Marple family who lived at Marple Hall, near her sister Madge's home at Abney Hall.

TODAY'S SHOW: Murder At The Vicarage Part Three (12-28-93) & Part Four (12-29-93)

Faced with two false confessions and numerous suspects after a despised civil magistrate is found shot in the local vicarage, Detective Inspector Slack reluctantly accepts help from Miss Marple. Miss Marple could not have been introduced in her first full novel in any better setting. It gives her a context and a history, even if we are not to know it.

All My Sons (Aired December 2, 1949)


Screen Director's Playhouse is a popular radio anthology series which brought leading Hollywood actors to the NBC microphones beginning in 1949. The radio program broadcast adaptations of films, and original directors of the films were sometimes involved in the productions, although their participation was usually limited to introducing the radio adaptations, and a brief "curtain call" with the cast and host at the end of the program. The series later had a brief run on television. The radio version ran for 122 episodes and aired on NBC from January 9, 1949 to September 28, 1951 under several different titles: NBC Theater, Screen Director's Guild Assignment, Screen Director's Assignment and, as of July 1, 1949, Screen Director's Playhouse. Actors on the radio series included Fred Astaire, Lucille Ball, Charles Boyer, Claudette Colbert, Ronald Colman, Gary Cooper, Joan Crawford, Bette Davis, Marlene Dietrich, Kirk Douglas, Irene Dunne, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Henry Fonda, Cary Grant, William Holden, Burt Lancaster, James Mason, Gregory Peck, William Powell, Edward G. Robinson, Norma Shearer, Barbara Stanwyck, James Stewart, John Wayne, and Loretta Young. The television version was broadcast for one season of 35 half hour episodes on NBC, airing from October 5, 1955 to September 12, 1956.

THIS EPISODE:

December 2, 1949. NBC network. "All My Sons". Sustaining. A man's family turns against him when it's discovered he was responsible for shipping airplane parts that were faulty, and then let his partner take the blame. Edward G. Robinson, Irene Tedrow, Jack Edwards, Jimmy Wallington (announcer), Irving Reis (screen director). 30:17.

Murder At The Vicarage Part One (12-26-93) & Part Two (12-27-93)


Jane Marple, usually referred to as Miss Marple, is a fictional character appearing in twelve of Agatha Christie's crime novels. Miss Marple is an elderly spinster who lives in the village of St. Mary Mead and acts as an amateur detective. She is one of the most famous of Christie's characters and has been portrayed numerous times on screen. Her first published appearance was in issue 350 of The Royal Magazine for December 1927 with the first printing of the short story "The Tuesday Night Club", which later became the first chapter of The Thirteen Problems (1932). Her first appearance in a full-length novel was in The Murder at the Vicarage in 1930. Miss Jane Marple is an elderly lady who lives in the little English village St. Mary Mead. Superficially stereotypical, she is dressed neatly in tweed and is frequently seen knitting or pulling weeds in her garden. Miss Marple sometimes comes across as confused or "fluffy", but when it comes to solving mysteries, she has a sharp logical mind, and an almost unmatched understanding of human nature with all its weaknesses, strengths, quirks and foibles. In the detective story tradition, she often embarrasses the local "professional" police by solving mysteries that have them stumped.

TODAY'S SHOW: Murder At The Vicarage Part One (12-26-93) & Part Two (12-27-93)

The Murder at the Vicarage is a work of detective fiction by Agatha Christie and first published in the UK by the Collins Crime Club in October 1930 and in the US by Dodd, Mead and Company later in the same year. The UK edition retailed at seven shillings and sixpence and the US edition at $2.00. It is the first novel to feature the character of Miss Marple although the character had previously appeared in short stories published in The Royal Magazine and The Story-Teller Magazine starting in December 1927. These earlier stories would later appear in book form in The Thirteen Problems in 1932. In St. Mary Mead, no one is more despised than Colonel Protheroe. Even the local vicar has said that killing him would be doing a service to the townsfolk. So when Protheroe is found murdered in the same vicar's study, and two different people confess to the crime, it is time for the elderly spinster Jane Marple to exercise her detective abilities.

Murder On Approval (Aired August 21, 1938)


One of the most popular radio shows in history. The show went on the air in August of 1930. "Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows!" The opening lines of the "Detective Story" program captivated listeners and are instantly recognizable even today. Originally the narrator of the series of macabre tales, the eerie voice known as The Shadow became so popular to listeners that "Detective Story" was soon renamed "The Shadow," and the narrator became the star of the old-time mystery radio series, which ran until 1954. A figure never seen, only heard, the Shadow was an invincible crime fighter. He possessed many gifts which enabled him to overcome any enemy. Besides his tremendous strength, he could defy gravity, speak any language, unravel any code, and become invisible with his famous ability to "cloud men's minds." Along with his team of operatives, the Shadow battled adversaries with chilling names like The Black Master, Kings of Crime, The Five Chameleons, and, of course, The Red Menace. The Shadow's exploits were also avidly followed by readers in The Shadow magazine, which began in 1931 following the huge success of the old-time mystery radio program. The magazine was published by Street & Smith, who had also sponsored the old-time mystery radio program. Over the course of 18 years, Street & Smith published 325 issues of The Shadow, each one containing a novel about the sinister crime fighter. These stories were written by Maxwell Grant, a fictional name created by the publishing company. Although several different people wrote under the pseudonym, Walter B. Gibson wrote most of the stories, 282 in all. Most of the novels published have been reprinted in paperback and The Shadow adventures remain popular today, with Shadow comic books, magazines, toys, games, cds and cassettes of old-time radio shows, and books bringing top dollar among collectors the world over.

THIS EPISODE:

August 21, 1938. Mutual network origination, syndicated. "Murder On Approval". Sponsored by: B.F. Goodrich Tires. A foreign agent tries to conquer America by infecting the U. S. Army with a secret disease. Orson Welles, Margot Stevenson, Ken Roberts (announcer). 28:57.

The Adventure Of The Night Crawler (Aired January 22, 1950)


The series was well written, produced, directed, nicely scored and well performed. A west coast production, the series featured some of the west coast's finest acting talent. Tom Collins relinquished the role of Frank Race to Paul Dubov at Episode No. 23. Dubov was one of Radio's most versatile and talented writers and actors. Tony Barrett, also one of Radio and Television's most durable, versatile character actors, writers and producers remained in the role of Marc Donovan for the run of the series. But Barrett is also heard in at least one or two other roles in almost every episode. Frank Race's scripts were adventures, as distinquished from 'cases' one might normally ascribe to detective or crime dramas. As such the overwhelming titles for the series are one form of adventure or another. There was no distinct contrast between Tom Collins' portrayals and those of Paul Dubov. Both of their voices were in about the same register, the scripts continued to be written by Buckley Angell and Joel Murcott and both actors' delivery was comparable to the other's. The supporting casts were superb from start to finish with such west coast stand outs as Gerald Mohr, Charlie Lung, Frank Lovejoy, Parley Baer, Jeanne Bates, Ted Von Eltz, Virginia Gregg, Jack Kruschen, Harry Lang, Herb Butterfield, Gloria Blondell, William Johnstone, Barney Phillips, Lurene Tuttle, Peter Leeds, Betty Lou Gerson, Bill Conrad and Lawrence Dobkin returning again and again throughout the series.

THIS EPISODE:

January 22, 1950. Program #39. Broadcasters Program Syndicate syndication. "The Adventure Of The Night Crawler". Commercials added locally. Treachery in the live bait business. Race sees that the worm turns! Paul Dubov, Tony Barrett, Buckley Angel (writer, director), Joel Murcott (writer, director), Bruce Eells (producer), Ivan Ditmars (organist), Art Gilmore (announcer), Michael Ann Barrett, Dick Ryan, Hal March, Gunnar Peterson, Wilms Herbert, Bill Crawford. 29:37.

Alexander Graham Bell (Aired January 23, 1939)


Cavalcade of America is an anthology drama series that was sponsored by the DuPont Company. It was initially broadcast on radio from 1935 to 1953, and later on television from 1952 to 1957. Originally on CBS the series pioneered the use of anthology drama for company audio advertising. Cavalcade of America documented historical events using stories of individual courage, initiative and achievement, often with feel-good dramatizations of the human spirit's triumph against all odds. This was consistent with DuPont's overall conservative philosophy and legacy as an American company dating back to 1802. The company's motto, "Maker of better things for better living through chemistry," was read at the beginning of each program, and the dramas emphasized humanitarian progress, particularly improvements in the lives of women, often through technological innovation.The show started as part of a successful campaign to reinvigorate DuPont. In the early 1930s, the Nye Committee investigations concluded that DuPont had made a fortune profiteering in World War I. The company stood accused of encouraging an arms race between WWI enemies, after being heavily subsidized by the Allies to increase black powder production. The negative effects of the investigation left the company demoralized, directionless and with a tarnished corporate image in the middle of the Great Depression. DuPont's products were primarily not for public consumption, so there was no purpose in promoting them through advertising. As a solution to DuPont's troubles, Roy Durstine, then creative director of Batten, Barton, Durstine & Osborn, proposed the creation of Cavalcade of America using the company motto. This was to be an important element in the successful re-branding of DuPont as an American legacy engaged in making products for the well-being of Americans and humanity in general.

Hearses Don't Hurry (Aired June 19, 1947)


Crime Club's program format and signature elements were consistent throughout the run, with the exception of programs originated by Stedman Coles. Actual Doubleday Crime Club selections were appropriately credited by author only. As indicated above, no mention was ever made regarding the publisher of the selections. Raymond Edward Johnson was the first 'Librarian' for the series, followed by Barry Thomson for the remainder of the run. Since we have no access to Episodes 2 through 8 at present, we can't say precisely when Raymond Edward Johnson passed the Librarian duties to Barry Thomson. All we can say with certainty is that by Episode No. 9, Barry Thomson is heard as the Librarian. For the premiere episode, Raymond Edward Johnson as 'The Librarian' opened the program in a manner very reminiscent of Inner Sanctum. At the close of the presentation for the evening, the Librarian for the Crime Club announced the credits to a phone ringing in the background. Upon finally answering the phone, the Librarian would announce the next presentation and encourage the 'caller' to listen in the following week. The announcer would then encourage the listening audience to hustle down to their favorite bookshop or library and obtain the latest 'crime club' selection. Show Notes From The Digital Deli

THIS EPISODE:

June 19, 1947. Mutual network. "Hearses Don't Hurry". Sustaining. A crusading prosecutor suspects that the daughter of his mentor is involved in several murders. Roger Bower (producer, director), Steven Ransome (writer), Stedman Coles (adaptor), Sydney Smith, Charlotte Lawrence, Joseph Julian, Helen Shields, Larry Haines. 29:53.

The Knight's Bridge Mystery (Aired October 17, 1943)


THE WEIRD CIRCLE presented 30 minute tales of horror, frequently inspired by classic horror or ghost stories, frequently done by French authors. It opened with the sound of the surf and the chant-like opening, "In this cave by the restless sea, we are met to call from out of past, stories strange and weird. Bell keeper, toll the bell, so that all may know that we are gathered again in the Weird Circle". The show was heard on Mutual stations November, 1943 through October, 1947 and very briefly in September/October of 1947 on ABC.

THIS EPISODE:

October 17, 1943. Program #8. NBC syndication. "The Knight's Bridge Mystery". Commercials added locally. A double murder that never happened, and an idiot in two places at once. The date is approximate. Charles Reade (author). 24:59.

The Shrinking Machine (Aired February 8, 1958--MOVIE


Howdy Doody is an American children's television program (with circus and frontier/Western themes) that was created and produced by E. Roger Muir and telecast on NBC in the United States from 1947 until 1960. It was a pioneer in children's television programming and set the pattern for many similar shows. It was also a pioneer in early color production as NBC (at the time owned by TV maker RCA) used the show in part to sell color television sets in the 1950s. Howdy Doody himself is a freckle-faced boy marionette with 48 freckles, one for each state of the union (up until January 3, 1959), and was originally voiced by Buffalo Bob Smith. The Howdy Doody show's various marionettes were created and built by puppeteers Velma Wayne Dawson, Scott Brinker (the show's prop man) and Rufus Rose throughout the show's run. The redheaded Howdy marionette on the original show was operated with 11 strings: two heads, one mouth, one eye, two shoulders, one back, two hands and two knees. Three strings were added when the show returned—two elbows and one nose. The original Howdy Doody marionette now resides at the Detroit Institute of Arts. Bob Smith (November 27, 1917 – July 30, 1998), the show's host, was dubbed "Buffalo Bob" early in the show's run. Smith wore cowboy garb, and the name of the puppet "star" was derived from the Western United States greeting "howdy do", a commonplace corruption of "How do you do?" (The straightforward use of that expression was also in the theme song's lyrics.) Smith, who had gotten his start as a singing radio personality in Buffalo, New York, used music frequently in the program. Cast members Lew Anderson and Robert "Nick" Nicholson were both experienced jazz musicians. There were several human characters, most notably the mute Clarabell the Clown, who communicated by honking horns on his belt and squirting seltzer, J. Corny Cobb and Chief Thunderthud, head of the Ooragnak tribe of Native Americans (kangaroo spelled backward). Edward Kean originated Thunderthud's greeting "Kowabonga!" Princess Summerfall Winterspring, originally played by actress Judy Tyler. The characters inhabited the fictional town of Doodyville. Several characters (including Ugly Sam, the world's worst wrestler, and Pierre the Chef) were also voiced by comedian and voice actor Dayton Allen, who later went on to become a cast regular on NBC's primetime Steve Allen Show. Originally an hour on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays (at 5pm), the show moved to Monday through Friday, 5:30–6:00 pm EST in September 1948. During part of its run, it was preceded by the 15-minute program, The Gabby Hayes Show, hosted by George "Gabby" Hayes. In June 1956, it returned to Saturdays, in a morning timeslot (10-10:30), continuing until its final broadcast on September 24, 1960. Show Notes From WIKI

The Hurdy-Gurdy Murder Case (Aired May 24, 1949)


Philo Vance was the detective creation of S. S. Van Dine first published in the mid 1920s. Vance, in the original books, is an intellectual so highly refined he seems he might be ghostwritten by P. G. Wodehouse. Take this quote from The Benson Murder Case, 1924, as Vance pontificates in his inimitable way: "That's your fundamental error, don't y' know. Every crime is witnessed by outsiders, just as is every work of art. The fact that no one sees the criminal, or the artist, actu'lly at work, is wholly incons'quential." Thankfully, the radio series uses only the name, and makes Philo a pretty normal, though very intelligent and extremely courteous gumshoe. Jose Ferrer played him in 1945. From 1948-1950, the fine radio actor Jackson Beck makes Vance as good as he gets. George Petrie plays Vance's constantly impressed public servant, District Attorney Markham. Joan Alexander is Ellen Deering, Vance's secretary and right-hand woman. The organist for the show is really working those ivories, and fans of old time radio organ will especially enjoy this series. Perhaps one reason the organist "pulls out all the stops" is because there seems to be little, if any, sound effects on the show. Philo Vance, the radio series, does pay homage to the original books in that both were, even in their own time, a bit out of date and stilted.

THIS EPISODE:

May 24, 1949. Program #46. ZIV Syndication. "The Hurdy-Gurdy Murder Case". Commercials added locally. Gangster Eddie Mills has been shot and killed, despite his hiring a body guard. An organ-grinder could provide a clue to the crime, but he's been murdered too! Jackson Beck, Joan Alexander, S. S. Van Dine (creator), Jeanne K. Harrison (director), Henry Sylvern (organist), Frederick W. Ziv (producer). 32:53.

The Anna Carlson Case (Aired July 19, 1953)


"I make this confession of my own free will because it is true. There has not been any force or violence used upon my person to induce me to make these statements. Without promise of immunity or reward or gratuity I confess."

The above was the 'freely given' confession preamble to the true Confessions that served as the backdrop to this short, Summer 1953 series of the same name, that aired over NBC. NBC framed the production as a public interest program: "These true tragedies are brought to you each week as an NBC Radio Network production, in an effort to stem the Nation's forward March of Crime." In actual practice, though these dramatized crime biographies were certainly cautionary tales in their own right, NBC's representation of presenting them in the public interest rings a bit hollow. They were more in the vein of the already wildly popular Dragnet series, or the Night Watch series that followed soon after. Indeed, upon completing the Night Watch run, the production team envisioned a spin-off titled 'Police Recorder' that would be a virtual clone of NBC's Confession. Show Notes From The Digital Deli.

Buck Privates Starring Abbott & Costello (Aired October 13, 1941)


The Lux Radio Theater debuted in 1934 on NBC's Blue radio network, dramatizing Broadway plays from New York. In an effort to improve ratings, the show switched networks to CBS and moved West in June 1936 to capitalize on Hollywood talent and popular movie fare. Lux’s extravagant productions were a huge success. Renowned director Cecil B. DeMille was brought in to host the show. Stars were routinely paid up to $5,000 to appear and over 50 actors, musicians and technicians were on hand every week for productions which ranged from "The Thin Man" to "The Jazz Singer" to "The African Queen." Before the show left the air in 1955, DeMille, and subsequent hosts William Keighley and Irving Cummings welcomed nearly every major movie and radio star to the Lux microphone, including Cary Grant, Claudette Colbert, Bing Crosby, Katherine Hepburn, Humphrey Bogart, Judy Garland, Roy Rogers and Bud Abbott and Lou Costello. First Broadcast October 13, 1934. Last Broadcast June 7, 1955.

THIS EPISODE:

October 13, 1941. CBS network. "Buck Privates". Sponsored by: Lux. Two boys duck into a movie theater to escape a cop, and find themselves in the pre-war Army. Lou Costello, Bud Abbott, Cecil B. DeMille, Gene O'Donnell, Lynne Carver, Benny Rubin, Fred MacKaye, Warren Ashe, Wally Maher, Frank Penny, Edwin Max, Howard McNear (doubles), Boyd Davis, Griff Barnett, Harry Lang, Edward Marr, Ann Tobin, Jo Campbell (commercial spokesman: singer), Sally Mueller (commercial spokesman: singer), Julie Bannon (commercial spokesman), Arthur T. Hornman (screenwriter), Sanford Barnett (director), George Wells (adaptor), Charlie Forsyth (sound effects). 51:04.

Room For Improvement (Aired November 16, 1955)


The FBI in Peace and War was a radio crime drama inspired by Frederick Lewis Collins' book, The FBI in Peace and War. The idea for the show came from Louis Pelletier who wrote many of the scripts. Among the show's other writers were Jack Finke, Ed Adamson and Collins. It aired on CBS from November 25, 1944 to September 28, 1958, it had a variety of sponsors (including Lava Soap, Wildroot Cream-Oil, Lucky Strike, Nescafe and Wrigley's) over the years. In 1955 it was the eighth most popular show on radio, as noted in Time: The Nielsen ratings of the top ten radio shows seemed to indicate that not much has changed in radio: 1) Jack Benny Show (CBA), 2) Amos 'n' Andy (CBS), 3) People Are Funny (NBC), 4) Our Miss Brooks (CBS) 5) Lux Radio Theater (NBC), 6) My Little Margie (CBS), 7) Dragnet (NBC), 8) FBI in Peace and War (CBS), 9) Bergen and McCarthy (CBS), 10) Groucho Marx (NBC). Martin Blaine and Donald Briggs headed the cast. The theme was the March from Prokofiev's The Love for Three Oranges.

THIS EPISODE:

November 16, 1955. CBS network origination, AFRTS rebroadcast. "Room For Improvement". An F. H. A. kickback racket is broken by the Feds when Eddie Norris falls for the daughter of a gangster. Martin Blaine, Don Briggs, Frederick L. Collins (creator), Betty Mandeville (producer, director). 23:50.

Track Of The Cat (Aired February 5, 1950)


In 1944, NBC brought WORLD'S GREAT NOVELS to radio, offering high quality adaptations of some of the great works of literature. Some colleges offered college credit in conjunction with the radio broadcasts. In 1948, the series was re-titled NBC University Theater Of The Air and production was moved to Hollywood. The first broadcast of the new series aired July 30, 1948. These adaptations were again of high quality and again colleges offered credit in conjunction with the broadcasts. In 1948, the Peabody was awarded to the NBC University Theatre for "an hour's dramatization of some of our finest novels and short stories... launched as an experiment in July, 1948." The following is a quote taken from the Peabody Award web site: The response to the first five performances, which included "A Farewell To Arms," by Ernest Hemingway, "Noon Wine," by Katherine Anne Porter, and "Main Street," by Sinclair Lewis, was so vociferous that the network pocketed any misgivings it may have had, moved the show to a more desirable hour, and found the actors and the funds to sustain a series of absorbing and skillfully adapted programs. Unfortunately, the "University" in the title kept listeners away for fear of the shows being to "high brow". NBC attempted to change this view by removing the "University" from the title for a short time. For the time that it was on the air, there were frequent day of the week, time of day and even program length changes. Despite the lack of broadcast consistency, the shows were consistent in its level of quality. Long after the demise of regularly scheduled dramatic radio in the United States, these shows were still being heard in school classrooms across the nation. Show Notes From Frank Passage OTR Logs

THIS EPISODE:

February 5, 1950. NBC network. "The Track Of The Cat". Sustaining. A story of family conflict, complicated by a murderous black panther. Andrew C. Love (director), Andrew C. Love (President and Editor of The New Republic and New York correspondent of The Manchester Guardian), Don Randolph, Don Stanley (announcer), George Lefferts (writer), John Dehner, Lee Miller, Lynn Milland, Lynn Whitney, Noreen Gammill, Ralph Moody, Steven Chase, Walter Van Tilber Clark (author). 101:15.

Only Death Is Timeless AKA: Mrs. Crocker (Aired May 11, 1947)


The Clock, is an Australian radio show, a dramatic thirty-minute suspense and mystery series. It was written by Lawrence Klee and narrated by "The Clock." First Broadcast in the United States was in November, 1946. It was syndicated by Grace Gibson syndication. At the time of production, the Australian accent, we now know and love, originating from the Irish and Cockney accents, was rather frowned upon by non other than Australians. The shows tried to sound neutral, then there was hope that the show could be sold to Great Britain and the United States. The show was bought by the ABC network in the States, although the ABC on the CD label (below) stands for the Australian Broadcast Company. The settings were usually generic and the actors tried to speak without a perceptible accent and for that reason the program sounded sort of "American". They occasionally slipped up on a few words, using 'boot' instead of 'trunk' when referring to a car. At the end of the fifteen month series run it continued for another 13 weeks but now with an All-American cast with new scripts and the entire crew including the cast, directors, musicians, etc., Americans. The series aired beyond this 13 week time period because some time after May 1948 there are at least three circulating "The Clock" programs from late 1948. There is some confusion as to whether the American version originated from New York and then moved to Los Angeles, or just broadcast from Los Angeles for the complete American run.

THIS EPISODE:

May 11, 1947. Grace Gibson syndication. "Only Death Is Timeless". Commercials added locally. An Australian production of a script broadcast in America on May 11, 1947. A couple motors through the mountains with the mysterious Mrs. Crocker. Mrs. Crocker is "death". Grace Gibson (producer), John Saul (director), Harp McGuire (as "The Clock"), Lawrence Klee (writer), John Mullion, Joan Lord, Neva Carr Glyn, Gordon Glenwright. 24:44.

Eskimo Justice (05-09-46) and Shrimp Togan (05-16-46)


Challenge of the Yukon was a long-running radio series that began on Detroit's station WXYZ (as had The Lone Ranger and The Green Hornet). The series was first heard on February 3, 1938. Under the title Sergeant Preston of the Yukon, it later transferred to television. The program was an adventure series about Sergeant William Preston of the Northwest Mounted Police and his lead sled dog, Yukon King, as they fought evildoers in the Northern wilderness during the Gold Rush of the 1890s. Preston, according to radio historian Jim Harmon, first joined the Mounties to capture his father's killer, and when he was successful he was promoted to Sergeant. Preston worked under the command of Inspector Conrad, and in the early years was often assisted by a French-Canadian guide named Pierre. Preston's staunchest ally, who was arguably the true star of the show and indeed often did more work than he did, was the brave Alaskan husky, Yukon King. Typical plots involved the pair helping injured trappers, tracking down smugglers, or saving cabin dwellers from wolverines. Sgt. Preston's faithful steed was Rex, used primarily in the summer months, but generally Yukon King and his dog team were the key mode of transportation (as signalled by Preston's cry of "On, King! On, you huskies!." There is some confusion regarding King's actual breed. The producers seemed to use malamute and husky interchangeably. At lease once, Preston answered "malamute" to the question from another character. In the early radio shows, the cry of "On, you huskies!" would alternate with "On, you malamutes" from show to show.

"TODAY'S SHOW" - Eskimo Justice (05-09-46) and Shrimp Togan (05-16-46)

May 9, 1946. WXYZ, Detroit origination, The Michigan Radio Network. "Eskimo Justice". Sustaining. Sergeant Preston is sent to the far north to bring an Eskimo killer to justice. After an injury, Preston finds heimself at the killer's mercy. Jay Michael, Don Cowlan (announcer), Mildred Merrill (writer). 14:44.

May 16, 1946. Program #309. WXYZ, Detroit origination, The Michigan Radio Network. "Shrimp Togan". Sustaining. Bull Jordan gets drunk and destroys Shrimp's piano. Turns out there's more to the story. Jay Michael, Bill Morgan (announcer), Betty Joyce (writer), Fran Striker (writer). 15:06.

Debt Of Honor (Aired May 27, 1948)


The Hallmark Radio Reader's Digest is an enjoyable compilation of classics of literature and romance made for radio broadcast in the 1940's. The shows were sponsored by makers of Hallmark Greeting Cards. These were independent short stories made for radio. Many of the stories were international love stories - with characters from other countries who were in love with the vibrancy of America.

THIS EPISODE:

May 27, 1948. CBS network, KMBC, Kansas City, Missouri aircheck. "Debt Of Honor". Sponsored by: Hallmark Cards. The show also is also called "The Hallmark Program." An Italian who runs a small bank goes bankrupt after a robbery. He swears to pay back every depositor every penny. Roger Pryor, Jay Jackson (host), Agnes Young. 29:11. Thanks To Radio Gold Index For These Show Notes.

Al Brenner's Case (Aired January 25, 1952)


Dick Powell starred in the Richard Diamond, Private Detective radio series as a rather light-hearted detective who often ended the episodes singing to his girlfriend, Helen (Virginia Gregg). It began airing on NBC on April 24, 1949, picked up Rexall as a sponsor on April 5, 1950, and continued until December 6, 1950. The shows were written by Blake Edwards. Its theme, "Leave It to Love", was whistled by Powell at the beginning of each episode. With Camel cigarettes as a sponsor, it moved to ABC from January 5, 1951, to June 29, 1951, with Rexall returning for a run from October 5, 1951, until June 27, 1952. Substituting for Amos 'n' Andy, it aired Sunday evenings on CBS from May 31, 1953 until September 20, 1953. Because Dick Powell was known for musical comedies prior to his appearance as Philip Marlowe in Raymond Chandler's Murder, My Sweet (1944) and because he was a detective who sang in Richard Diamond, Private Eye, some regard this radio series as an influence on the character of Philip E. Marlow (Michael Gambon) in Dennis Potter's Chandleresque The Singing Detective (1986). In at least one episode (1952's The Bowery Case), Diamond's girlfriend refers to the sleuth as "The Singing Detective."

THIS EPISODE:

January 25, 1952. ABC network. "Al Brenner's Case". Sponsored by: Camels, Prince Albert tobacco. Diamond joins forces with "Tiny" Gillespie, an unsavory partner, to collect a reward for the capture of Al Brenners. Dick sings, "With Plenty Of Money and You" after the story. Alan Reed, Blake Edwards (writer, director), Dick Powell, Edwin Max, Frank Worth (music), Howard McNear (doubles), Jay Novello, Joel Samuels, Virginia Gregg. 29:28.

The Connelly Silver Mine (Aired July 31, 1949)


The format of the Vincent Price run of The Saint bears a bit of exposition. The signature theme of The Saint over Radio opened all of the Vincent Price canon and beyond. Any sponsor messages usually prefaced the signature whistle and opening theme. The Trim Hair Tonic-sponsored regional run of The Saint from CBS' KNX studios provided three sponsor messages: one at the open, one in the middle and one near the close. From that run forward, Vincent Price would customarily close the program with a personal message directed at one of several pet causes. Though it's not currently known if this was at Price's request or the producers', one can well imagine Vincent Price requesting the closing appeal. The formula continued through the Mutual rebroadcasts and the move to NBC in June of 1950. Vincent Price's closing comments were generally directed towards social issues of the era: race, ethnic and religious discrimination, tolerance and worthy causes of the era. Price at first tied his closing message to the theme of the preceding script. By the later scripts, Vincent Price simply closed with whatever social comment he felt most compelled to address.

THIS EPISODE:

July 31, 1949. Mutual network. "The Connelly Silver Mine". Sustaining. The Saint finds himself out west, helping a beautiful blonde and her newly acquired "Conley Silver Mine"...despite continual warnings to get out of town. Barney Phillips, Colleen Collins, Fred Howard, Merrill Ross (announcer), Leslie Charteris (creator), Vincent Price, Harry Bartell, Tony Barrett, James L. Saphier (producer). 24:44.

Dark Appointment (Aired November 23, 1964)


Theater Five probably came a bit late in ABC's Radio History to really contribute to the body of Golden Age Radio drama, but better late than never. Some have implied that Theater Five was a rather lightweight attempt to recapture the wonderful Radio heritage of the Golden Age of Radio. I suppose this should be considered a Golden Age Revival series in that respect. But in all fairness to ABC Radio, this was never a half-hearted attempt by any means. The production values, polish, direction, sound engineering, and acting were all top notch. Indeed many of the finest voice talents from The Golden Age of Radio are present throughout its run. The variety of dramatic genre represented with its 260 production broadcasts also run the gamut of the rich variety of drama presented during the height of the Golden Age of Radio. Indeed very little is missing from this remarkable production run. The variety of dramatic presentations was one of Theater Five's most compelling features. With a broad mix of genres and some of Radio, Stage, Television and Film's finest guest stars, ABC's humble 21-minute scripts packed a lot of entertainment into a relatively small format. Timing is everything. ABC Radio missed the sweet spot of Radio Drama History by about 20 years. Nevertheless, this series competes well with the Golden Age Radio revival attempts that post-dated it, and, for a 30-minute drama, it certainly hits its target. Now that the Golden Age of Radio has come and gone, there's all the more reason to give this wonderful dramatic anthology another listen. Moreso, given its compact, but thoroughly developed 30-minute format. And let's not forget the chance to listen to wonderful Fred Foy's remarkable voice hosting the series. That's reason enough to give this series another listen.

THIS EPISODE:

November 23, 1964. ABC network. "Dark Appointment". Commercials deleted. A man is in search of an old friend...to kill him! Don Haring (writer), Ted Bell (director), Evie Juster, Stan Watts, Nat Polen, Owen Jordan, Robert Dryden, Fred Foy (announcer), Neal Pultz (audio engineer). 22:49.

The Secret Word Is "Air" (Aired June 28, 1950)


You Bet Your Life is an American quiz show that aired on both radio and television. The most well-known version was hosted by Groucho Marx of the Marx Brothers, with announcer and assistant George Fenneman. The show debuted on ABC Radio in October 1947, then moved to CBS Radio in 1949 before making the transition to the NBC Radio and NBC-TV networks in October 1950. Because of its simple format, it was possible to broadcast the show simultaneously on the radio and on television. In 1960, the show was renamed The Groucho Show and ran a further year. Most episodes are in the public domain. The play of the game, however, was secondary to the interplay between Groucho, the contestants, and occasionally Fenneman. The program was rerun into the 1970s, and later in syndication as The Best of Groucho. As such, it was the first game show to have its reruns syndicated. The mid-1940s was a depressing lull in Groucho's career. His radio show Blue Ribbon Town, sponsored by Pabst Blue Ribbon beer, which ran from March 1943 to August 1944, had failed to catch on and Groucho left the program in June 1944. After a radio appearance with Bob Hope, in which Marx ad-libbed most of his performance after being forced to stand by in a waiting room for 40 minutes before going on the air, John Guedel, the program's producer, formed an idea for a quiz show and approached Marx about the subject. After initial reluctance by Marx, Guedel was able to convince him to host the program after Marx realized the quiz would be only a backdrop for his contestant interviews, and the storm of ad-libbing that they would elicit. Guedel also convinced Marx to invest in 50% of the show, in part by saying that he was "untouchable" at ad-libbing, but not at following a script. Since Marx and the contestants were ad-libbing, Marx insisted that each show be recorded and edited before release. The show for the studio audience ran longer than the broadcast versions, so that risque or less interesting material could be removed.

THIS EPISODE:

June 28, 1950. Program #51. NBC network origination, AFRS rebroadcast. First contestant is Ida. The Secret Word Is "Air" and is said twice on the show. Groucho his usual funny self. Groucho Marx. 29:18.

She Was Murdered (Aired August 8, 1936)


In the Name of the Law was a True Crime radio show from 1936. It says "In the name of the law, we bring you another of the thrilling stories in this exciting series, taken from actual police case files. "In the name of the Law, we bring you another of the thrilling stories in this exciting series, taken from actual police case files."Two home invaders pick the wrong house and force the home owner (John Snyder) to take them to the targeted neighbors, two elderly brothers who were rumored to have cash and bonds. During the hold up, one of the brothers was shot to death. An angry town insisted on immediate results. The State Police joined the local Sherif and the search was on.

THIS EPISODE:

August 8, 1936. Program #14. Syndicated. "She Was Murdered". Commercials added locally. A drama based on a crime that took place on August 5, 1935. A barber's wife is found drowned in 8 inches of water, with a swollen leg. The wife's was heavily insured, and she was his fifth wife! The date is approximate. . 24:09.

Beyond Infinity (Aired July 21, 1950)


Dimension X was first heard on NBC April 8, 1950, and ran until September 29, 1951. Strange that so little good science fiction came out of radio; they seem ideally compatible, both relying heavily on imagination. Some fine isolated science fiction stories were developed on the great anthology shows, Suspense and Escape. But until the premiere of Dimension X -- a full two decades after network radio was established -- there were no major science fiction series of broad appeal to adults. This show dramatized the work of such young writers as Ray Bradbury, Robert (Psycho) Bloch, Robert Heinlein, Isaac Asimov, and Kurt Vonnegut. In-house script writer was Ernest Kinoy, who adapted the master works and contributed occasional storied of his own. Dimension X was a very effective demonstration of what could be done with science fiction on the air. It came so late that nobody cared, but some of the stories stand as classics of the medium. Bradbury's "Mars Is Heaven" is as gripping today as when first heard. His "Martian Chronicles" was one of the series' most impressive offerings. Dimension X played heavily on an "adventures in time and space, told in future tense" theme. Actors who worked regularly on the show included Joe Di Santis, Wendell Holmes, Santos Ortega, Joseph Julian, Jan Miner, Roger De Koven, John Gibson, Ralph Bell, John Larkin, Les Damon, and Mason Adams. It was directed by Fred Weihe and Edward King. The deep-voiced narrator was Norman Rose. The series played heavily on the "X" factor in the title, as did X-Minus One a few years later. The signature was boomed out of and echo chamber as "DIMENSION X X X X X x x x x x . ."

THIS EPISODE:

July 21, 1950. Episode Number : 16. "Beyond Infinity" - A scientist in Europe has invented a machine that will shrink objects to the size of atoms and beyond. Original script by Villiers Gersen and featured in the cast were Les Damon, Lada Staviski, E. A. Krumschmidt and Joe De Santos. First Line : Starts with Wheaties commercial. (1:39) Somewhere in Europe a man is walking through the darkness down a cobblestone street. It’s early evening, only a little past eight. 29:25.

The Case Of The Vanishing Shells (Aired February 2, 1951)


Nero Wolf is a fictional detective created by American author Rex Stout in the 1930s and featured in dozens of novels and novellas.In the stories, Wolf is one of the most famous private detectives in the United States. He weighs about 285 pounds and is 5'11" tall. He raises orchids in a rooftop greenhouse in his New York City brownstone on West 35th Street, helped by his live-in gardener Theodore Horstmann. Wolf drinks beer throughout the day and is a gourmand. He employs a live-in chef, Fritz Brenner. He is multilingual and brilliant, though apparently self-educated, and reading is his third passion after food and orchids. He works in an office in his house and almost never leaves home, even to pursue the detective work that finances his expensive lifestyle. Instead, his leg work is done by another live-in employee, Archie Goodwin. While both Wolf and Goodwin are licensed detectives, Goodwin is more of the classic fictional gumshoe, tough, wise-cracking, and skirt-chasing. He tells the stories in a breezy first-person narrative that is semi-hard-boiled in style.

THIS EPISODE:

February 2, 1951. NBC network. "The Case Of The Vanishing Shells". Sustaining. A theatrical murder, a walking dead man, and missing cartridge casings. The closing promotional announcement has been deleted. More complete, quality up-grade, non-AFRS version. Sydney Greenstreet, Gerald Mohr, Jeanne Bates, Peter Leeds, Vic Perrin, Betty Lou Gerson, William Johnstone, Don Stanley (announcer), Rex Stout (creator), J. Donald Wilson (producer, director), Edwin Fadiman (producer). 28:28.

Woman's Rights (Aired February 24, 1948)


Berle entered show business at the age of five when he won an amateur talent contest. He appeared as a child actor in silent films, beginning with The Perils of Pauline, filmed in Fort Lee, New Jersey. The director told Berle that he would portray a little boy who would be thrown from a moving train. In Milton Berle: An Autobiography, he explained, "I was scared shitless, even when he went on to tell me that Pauline would save my life. Which is exactly what happened, except that at the crucial moment they threw a bundle of rags instead of me from the train. I bet there are a lot of comedians around today who are sorry about that." By Berle's account, he continued to play child roles in other films: Bunny's Little Brother, Tess of the Storm Country, Birthright, Love's Penalty, Divorce Coupons and Ruth of the Range. Berle recalled, "There were even trips out to Hollywood—the studios paid—where I got parts in Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, with Mary Pickford; The Mark of Zorro, with Douglas Fairbanks, Sr., and Tillie's Punctured Romance, with Charlie Chaplin, Mabel Normand and Marie Dressler." However, Berle's claims to have appeared in many of these films, particularly the 1914 Chaplin Keystone comedy Tillie's Punctured Romance, are hotly disputed by some, who cite the lack of supporting evidence that Berle even visited the West Coast until much later. The newsboy role often claimed by Berle in Tillie was unquestionably played by resident Keystone child actor Gordon Griffith.

THIS EPISODE:

February 24, 1948. "Woman's Rights - NBC network. Sponsored by: Philip Morris. A salute to women. Miltie is going to star in the women's club play. (This is the show from which Here's To Vets was taken). Frank Gallop (announcer), Milton Berle, Ray Bloch and His Orchestra. 29:08.

Nation Wide Anti-War Context (Aired March 13, 1939)


Father Charles Edward Coughlin (October 25, 1891 – October 27, 1979) was a controversial Roman Catholic priest at Royal Oak, Michigan's National Shrine of the Little Flower Church. He was one of the first political leaders to use radio to reach a mass audience, as more than fifty million people, out of a total US Population of 1,309,741, tuned to his weekly broadcasts during the 1930s. Early in his career Coughlin was a vocal supporter of Franklin D. Roosevelt and his early New Deal proposals, before later becoming a harsh critic of Roosevelt. It was at this point Coughlin began to use his radio program to issue antisemitic commentary, and later to rationalize some of the policies of Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini. The broadcasts have been called "a variation of the Fascist agenda applied to American culture". His chief topics were political and economic rather than religious, with his slogan being Social Justice, first with, and later against, the New Deal. Many American bishops as well as the Vatican wanted him silenced, and he was eventually silenced by his superiors. Coughlin's support for Roosevelt and his New Deal faded later in 1934, when he founded the National Union for Social Justice (NUSJ), a nationalistic worker's rights organization which grew impatient with what it viewed as the President's unconstitutional and pseudo-capitalistic monetary policies. His radio programs preached more and more about the negative influence of "money changers" and "permitting a group of private citizens to create money" on the general welfare of the public. He also spoke about the need for monetary reform. Coughlin claimed that the Depression was a "cash famine". Some modern economic historians, in part, agree with this assessment. Coughlin proposed monetary reforms, including the nationalization of the Federal Reserve System, as the solution. At its peak in the early 1930s, Coughlin's radio show was phenomenally popular. His office received up to 80,000 letters per week from listeners, and his listening audience was estimated to rise at times to as much as a third of the nation. Coughlin is often credited as one of the major demagogues of the 20th century for being able to influence politics through broadcasting, without actually holding a political office himself.

Making A Living By Dying (Aired November 10, 1940)


As radio shows grew in popularity during the early 1940's, there was a clamor for more information about the media format. It was out of this thirst for knowledge that Behind the Mike was born. This old time radio program was first aired on September 15, 1940, comprised of 83 episodes until the series' end on April 19, 1942. The format and content of the shows were relatively simple and geared toward providing informative news about the listener's favorite actors, actresses and old radio shows among others. Aside from that, it was also a means to educate the audience about the begind the scenes goings-on in the industry. Graham McNamee hosted the series during its entire run. He found a way to connect with his audience by taking on live callers and answering their questions on air. Behind the Mike is one old time radio collection that certified audiophiles will definitely appreciate. Show Notes From Old Time Radio Downloads

THIS EPISODE:

November 10, 1940. "Making A Living By Dying" - Blue Network. Sustaining. Ted Slade and Ray Kelly (head of the NBC Sound Effects Department) demonstrate various sound effects and explain how they are made. Gilbert Mack presents his various character voices (a virtuoso performance). Oddities in radio: Don Cordray tells about his days at KFI, when he finally got a chance to do a remote broadcast from the Cocoanut Grove (replacing the regular announcer Freeman Lang). Before the show began, he was knocked out by a microphone and Ken Carpenter did the show. A salute to, "The Atwater Kent Hour." A recreation of the program of December 11, 1927. Agnes Davis (soprano) sings and wins the competition. Questions from listeners are answered by C. J. Ingraham, radio editor of The Jersey City Journal. Is Bob Burns an expert rifle shot (he really was rifle champion of the A. E. F.)? What was the very first broadcast and what were the call letters of the station (it was WWJ, Detroit, or KDKA, Pittsburgh)? When was the first broadcast from the Metropolitan Opera house (it was 1910!)? What was the first broadcast ever to appear on a network (it was "The Sweethearts Of The Air", Peter de Rose and May Singhi Breen)? It was on WEAF (New York) and WRC (washington). Jimmy Wallington tells about a medical emergency in the Mojave desert involving Lawrence Tibbett and Donald Novis. Ernie Watson (composer, conductor), Ted Slade, Ray Kelly, Gilbert Mack, Don Cordray, Agnes Davis, C. J. Ingraham, Jimmy Wallington, Mort Lewis (writer), Graham McNamee (host), Gilbert Martin (announcer). 30:52. Many Thanks To The Radio Gold Index For Show Notes

Murder Comes Home (12-05-44) and Beauty & The Beast (01-16-45)


The Strange Dr. Weird is a radio program broadcast on Mutual from 1944 to 1945. Sponsored by Adam Hats, the drama is notable in part because it was a sister series to The Mysterious Traveler, both in theme and its narrator. Maurice Tarplin, who was also the creepy voice of The Mysterious Traveler. Many of the scripts were condensed 15-minute versions of scripts originally broadcast on The Mysterious Traveler. To the accompaniment of an organ's spooky strains, Tarplin introduced each episode: "Good evening. Come in, won't you? Why, what's the matter? You seem a bit nervous. Perhaps the cemetery outside this house has upset you. But there are things far worse than cemeteries. For instance..." The closing line never changed: Perhaps you’ll drop in on me again soon. I’m always home. Just look for the house on the other side of the cemetery... the house of Dr Weird!

TODAY'S SHOW:

December 5, 1944. Program #5. Mutual network aircheck, syndicated on an RCA transcription. "Murder Comes Home". Sponsored by: Adam Hats. An old woman refuses to leave her crumbling house until her long-gone son returns...but he's in prison for life! Maurice Tarplin (host), Robert A. Arthur (writer), David Kogan (writer), Jock MacGregor (director). 13 minutes.

January 16, 1945. Program #11. Mutual netwirk aircheck, syndicated on an RCA transcription. "Beauty and The Beast". Sponsored by: Adam Hats. The story of an old ugly man in a house on a hill and his beautiful wife. Who is the killer? The program may be dated January 24, 1945. Maurice Tarplin (host), Robert A. Arthur (writer), David Kogan (writer), Jock MacGregor (director). 12 minutes.

Bab's New Year's Eve Dilemma (Aired December 30, 1949)


The first Life of Riley radio show was a summer replacement show heard on CBS from April 12, 1941 to September 6, 1941. The CBS program starred Lionel Stander as J. Riley Farnsworth and had no real connection with the more famous series that followed a few years later. The radio program starring William Bendix aired on the ABC Blue Network from January 16, 1944 to June 8, 1945. Then it moved to NBC, where it was broadcast from September 8, 1945 to June 29, 1951. The supporting cast featured John Brown, who portrayed not only undertaker Digger O'Dell but also Riley's co-worker Gillis. Whereas Gillis gave Riley bad information that got him into trouble, Digger gave him good information that "helped him out of a hole," as he might have put it. Brown's lines as the undertaker were often repetitive, including puns based on his profession; but, thanks to Brown's delivery, the audience loved him. The series was co-developed by the non-performing Marx Brother, Gummo. Procter and Gamble (Prell shampoo) and Pabst Blue Ribbon beer were the show's longtime sponsors.

THIS EPISODE:

December 30, 1949. NBC network. Sponsored by: Pabst Beer. "Bab's New Year's Eve Dilemma" - Riley and his big mouth ruins two New Year's Eve dates for the big dance. He gets Digger O'Dell to take Peg out, so he can take his daughter Babs to the dance. William Bendix, Jimmy Wallington (announcer), Irving Brecher (producer), Paula Winslowe, Bobby Ellis, Barbara Eiler, John Brown, Reuben Ship (writer), Mitch Lindeman (director). 31:00.

The Old Die Rich (Aired March 26, 1953)


The host of the show was Raymond Edward Johnson, of Inner Sanctum fame. Mr. Johnson handled Tales Of Tomorrow openings in a similar fashion to Inner Sanctum openings, but with a "science fiction" flavor, instead of a "macabre" sense. The shows of this series were quite good, borrowing ideas from stories in "Galaxy" magazine. Some of the story titles may seem familiar, like "The Stars Are The Styx", "The Girls From Earth" or "The Old Die Rich". These titles would appear later in CBS's X MINUS ONE. "Watch Bird" would later be done in South Africa, in a series entitled SF68. But radio was on the decline. Tales Of Tomorrow lasted only until April of that year.

THIS EPISODE:

March 26, 1953. Program #13. ABC network. "The Old Die Rich". Sustaining. The program is produced in co-operation with Galaxy magazine. The system cue has been deleted. H. L. Gold (author), Raymond Edward Johnson (host), John Raby, Ed Blaney (special effects), Maurice Tarplin, Bob Prescott (special effects), Michael Sklar (adaptor), Joe Durante (engineer), Bobby Christian (composer, conductor), Rolly Bester. 31:56.

My Quiet Friend (Aired April 10, 1949)


Rocky Jordan was a radio series about an American restaurateur in Cairo who each week became involved in some kind of mystery or adventure. The show was broadcast on CBS from October 31st 1948 to September 10th 1950. and then again from June 27th 1951 to August 22nd 1951. The character of Rocky Jordan had been introduced to listeners in a similar show called A Man Named Jordan that was broadcast in 1945 but set in Istanbul rather than Cairo. The two lead roles were those of Rocky Jordan and Captain Sam Sabaaya of the Cairo Police. For most of the show's history Jordan was played by veteran radio actor Jack Moyles, but he was replaced by a movie star, George Raft, for the brief 1951 run. Jay Novello played Sabaaya throughout the entire series. Other roles were played by members of Hollywood's Radio Row, and the announcer was Larry Thor. Rocky Jordan (Jack Moyles/George Raft) is the proprietor of the Café Tambourine located, according to the announcer, "not far from the Mosque Sultan Hassan," though he is originally from St. Louis.

THIS EPISODE:

April 10, 1949. CBS Pacific network. "My Quiet Friend". Sustaining. Two gangsters from New York City offer to buy the Cafe Tambourine for $500! One public service announcement has been deleted. Jack Moyles, Larry Thor (announcer), John Moore (writer), Cliff Howell (producer, director), Richard Aurandt (composer, conductor). 30:23.

Crime Incorporated 2 Parts COMPLETE (07-05-40) and (07-05-40)


The exploits of Dan Garrett, a rookie patrolman who, by wearing bullet-proof blue chain mail, transformed himself into the mysterious Blue Beetle, a daring crusader for justice. The Blue Beetle was created by Charles Nicholas. The character made his first appearance in August of 1939 in the comic book Mystery Men #1, published by Fox Features Syndicate. The Blue Beetle radio serial aired from 05-15-40 to 09-13-40 as a CBS 30 minutes, syndicated series. Actor Frank Lovejoy provided the voice of the Blue Beetle for the first thirteen episodes. Later episodes were uncredited. After his father was killed by a gangster's bullet, young Dan Garrett joined the New York Police Department, but soon tired of the slow pace and red tape of police work. With the help of his friend and mentor, pharmacist and drug-store proprietor Dr. Franz, Dan acquired a costume of bullet-proof chain-mail-like cellulose material, and began a second life, fighting crime as The Blue Beetle. His calling card was a small beetle-shaped marker that he left in conspicuous places to alert criminals to his presence, using their fear of his crime fighting reputation as a weapon against them. For this purpose he also used a "Beetle Signal" flashlight. The Blue Beetle's reputation was not his only weapon -- he carried a revolver in a blue holster on his belt, and was sometimes shown wearing a multi-pouched belt after the style set by Batman. Also in the Batman vein, the Blue Beetle had a "BeetleMobile" car and a "BeetleBird" airplane. In at least one radio adventure, he carries something called a "magic ray machine". The ray machine was a sort of super-scientific cutting device.

TODAY'S SHOW:

July 3, 1940. Program #27. Fox Features syndication. "Crime Incorporated" Part One. Commercials added locally. The Overlords Of Crime are planning to form a syndicate. The Blue Beetle infiltrates the gang and is hired by them to imitate...the Blue Beetle! . 12:14.

July 5, 1940. Program #28. Fox Features syndication. "Crime Incorporated" Part Two. Commercials added locally. The Blue Beetle is unmasked and shot, but it's only a flesh wound. The "Magic Ray" helps the Blue Beetle break up the gang. 12:20.

Daniel The Oracle (Aired July 31, 1977)


The General Mills Radio Adventure Theater was a 1977 anthology radio drama series with Tom Bosley as host. Himan Brown, already producing the CBS Radio Mystery Theater for the network, added this twice-weekly (Saturdays and Sundays) anthology radio drama series to his workload in 1977. It usually aired on weekends, beginning in February 1977 and continuing through the end of January 1978, on stations which cleared it. General Mills's advertising agency was looking for a means of reaching children that would be less expensive than television advertising. Brown and CBS were willing to experiment with a series aimed at younger listeners, reaching that audience through ads in comic books. Apart from Christian or other religious broadcasting, this may have been the only nationwide attempt in the U.S. in the 1970s to air such a series. General Mills did not continue as sponsor after the 52 episodes had first aired over the first 26 weekends (February 1977 through July 1977), and the series (52 shows) was then repeated over the next 26 weekends (August 1977 through the end of January 1978), as The CBS Radio Adventure Theater, with a variety of sponsors for the commercials.

THIS EPISODE:

July 31, 1977. Program #52. CBS network. "Daniel The Oracle". Sponsored by: General Mills. The program was repeated on January 28, 1978 as, "The CBS Radio Adventure Theater." The last show of the series, except for repeats. Tom Bosley (host), Russell Horton, Jackson Beck, Himan Brown (producer, director), Norman Rose, Court Benson, Madeline Ferber (adaptor of the biblical story). 40:37.

Student Actress (Aired May 5, 1950)


The Halls of Ivy was an NBC radio sitcom that ran from 1950-1952. It was created by Fibber McGee & Molly co-creator/writer Don Quinn before being adapted into a CBS television comedy (1954-55) produced by ITC Entertainment and Television Programs of America. Quinn developed the show after he had decided to leave Fibber McGee & Molly. The audition program featured radio veteran Gale Gordon (then co-starring in Our Miss Brooks) and Edna Best in the roles that ultimately went to British husband-and-wife actors Ronald Colman and Benita Hume. The Colmans had shown a flair for radio comedy in recurring roles on The Jack Benny Program in the late 1940s, and they landed the title roles in the new show. The Halls of Ivy featured Colman as William Todhunter Hall, the president of small, Midwestern Ivy College, and his wife, Victoria, a former British musical comedy star who sometimes felt the tug of her former profession, and followed their interactions with students, friends and college trustees. Others in the cast included Herbert Butterfield as testy Clarence Wellman, Willard Waterman (then starring as Harold Peary's successor as The Great Gildersleeve) as John Merriweather, and Elizabeth Patterson and Gloria Gordon as the Halls' maid.

THIS EPISODE:

May 5, 1950. "Student Actress" - NBC network. Sponsored by: Schlitz Beer. Dr. and Mrs. Hall are under attack because of a letter written by Mrs. Hall advocating a life in show business. The program's theme song is sung completely. Bea Benaderet, Benita Hume, Don Quinn (creator, writer), Henry Russell (composer, conductor), Herb Butterfield, Ken Carpenter (announcer), Lois Corbett, Lucille Norman, Nat Wolff (director), Ronald Colman, Willard Waterman. 29:17.

Strange Identity (Aired December 27, 1948)


Radio City Playhouse was one of the last of a long series of premium Drama productions NBC offered as flagship, sustaining productions over the years. As with it's previous premium dramatic and Classic music productions, NBC spared no apparent expense to mount these flagship efforts. And it shows. NBC, yet again, brings the greatest voice talent, writing, and technical direction to this anthology of wonderful, popular modern dramas. NBC's previous dramatic sustaining productions consisted of either the pure Classics, or Modern Stage Plays from the 19th and 20th Centuries. This series of three seasons tended to feature a delightful mix of both contemporary original radio plays and classic dramas, backed by the very finest voice talent on contract with NBC. But Director Harry Junkin also introduced several new talents into the mix, which made for a wonderful combination of both tried and true productions with just enough orginal dramas and writers to keep the series both timely and timeless. As was the hallmark of all of NBC's corporate sustaining productions, the staff, music, sound engineering and voice talent were absolutely top-drawer from top to bottom and beginning to end. Even the newcomers the series showcased during its three seasons were remarkably talented young finds in their own right. This is yet another in a long, distinguished line of absolutely impeccable NBC-sustained productions, and its historic cultural contribution to The Golden Age of Radio merits inclusion in any serious Radio Collector's active holdings--active as in, the ones they actually listen to from time to time.

THIS EPISODE:

December 27, 1948. Program #21. NBC network. "Strange Identify". Sustaining. A good story about a woman who sees her husband on a New York City bus. However, he's been dead for five years! A very well written story of the supernatural. Harry W. Junkin (writer, director). 30:56.

The Case Of The Eaton Brothers (Aired September 7, 1952)


WHITEHALL 1 2, 1 2 Tweaked Jan. 12, 2006 This series was very similar to the Black Museum that was hosted by Orson Welles. Both the Black Museum and Whitehall 1212 drew their material from the files of Scotland Yard. The stories were true in every respect except that the names were changed to protect the innocent, as they say. The Whitehall 1212 series boasted that for the first time Scotland Yard opened its files and the producers promised to bring to the public authentic true stories of some of the most celebrated cases. Permission for these records came from Sir Harold Scott, Commissioner of the yard at that time. There is actually a Black Museum. This area is located on the lower ground floor of Scotland Yard and it does indeed contain articles that are closely associated with the solving of a crime. And "Whitehall 1212" was the actual emergency phone number for the yard at the time. The research for the shows was done by Percy Hoskins, chief crime reporter for the London Daily Express. For the benefit of American audiences, Wyllis Cooper of Quiet Please fame was hired as script writer. Interestingly enough both the Black Museum and Whitehall 1212 had all-British casts; both ran concurrently. Whereby Mutual Broadcasting System aired the Orson Welles version, NBC offered the Wyllis Cooper one. There were 44 episodes in the series and all but one are in circulation. None of the prorgrams were titled and as they appeared on the scene, were given names by those who collected them. For that reason there are variations of titles, some with incorrect spellings; an attempt has been made to correct this. Some of the shows had "case numbers" and when they were announced, are noted below.

THIS EPISODE:

September 7, 1952. "The Case Of The Eaton Brothers" - NBC network. Sustaining. A letter, written on the stationery of a London newspaper, is an exhibit in the Black Museum. A woman's body is found in a messy former wine shop. Marlene Corcoran's murderer confesses to a newspaper for five hundred pounds. The confession, however, is useless! Percy Hoskins (researcher), Wyllis Cooper (writer, director), Horace Braham, Harvey Hayes, Carl Harburg, Lester Fletcher, Maurice Delamore, Jared Burke, Lionel Ricou (announcer). 29:48.

Cemetery (Aired February 15, 1972)


A transcribed syndication of original broadcasts from Lights Out. With its premiere on the nationwide NBC hookup in 1935, Lights Out was billed "the ultimate in horror." Never had such sounds been heard on the air. Heads rolled, bones were crushed, people fell from great heights and splattered wetly on pavement. There were garrotings, choking, heads split by cleavers, and, to a critic at Radio Guide, "the most monstrous of all sounds, human flesh being eaten." Few shows had ever combined the talents of actors and imaginative writers so well with the graphic art of the sound technician. Wyllis Cooper, who created, wrote, and produced it, was then a 36-year-old staffer in Chicago's NBC Studios. Cooper created his horror "by raiding the larder." For the purposed of Lights Out sound effects, people were what they ate. The sound of a butcher knife rending a piece of uncooked pork was, when accompanied by shrieks and screams, the essence of murder to a listener alone at midnight. Real bones were broken - spareribs snapped with a pipe wrench. Bacon in a frypan gave a vivid impression of a body just electrocuted. And the cannibalism effect was actually a zealous actor. Cooper left the show in 1936 and Oboler was given the job. Oboler lost no time establishing himself as the new master of the macabre. Between May 1936 and July 1938, he wrote and directed more than 100 Lights Out plays.

THIS EPISODE:

February 15, 1972. Program #24. CBS network origination, syndicated rebroadcast. "Cemetery". Commercials added locally. A good tale of horror from the crypt. A visitor from beyond death. Syndicated program name: "The Devil and Mr. O." The story is also known as, "Scoop." Arch Oboler (writer, host). 30:22.

Girl On Shipwreck Island Pt. 3 of 3 (Aired July 14, 1946)


Adventures by Morse was a 52-episode syndicated adventure series produced, written and directed by Carlton E. Morse shortly after NBC canceled his I Love a Mystery series. Captain Bart Friday was a globe-trotting San Francisco-based private investigator, portrayed during the series by Elliott Lewis, David Ellis and Russell Thorson. Friday's sidekick from Texas, Skip Turner, was played mostly by Jack Edwards and occasionally by Barton Yarborough. The tales covered such areas as espionage, kidnapping and murder, along with secret Nazi bases, snake worshipers and voodoo. The 52 30-minute episodes (and two sales pitches) were produced in the mid-1940s. Dates of production and the earliest broadcasts are uncertain: several Internet sites mention that the entire series was broadcast in 1944, but in the final two chapters of It's Dismal to Die, it is clearly stated that the Second World War has ended. Advertisements have been found for broadcasts in 1946 and 1949. The series was presented in 13-episode blocks (each containing two stories), with each ten-chapter story ending with a teaser for the following three-chapter story. The City of the Dead and A Coffin for the Lady are mentioned in the promotional recordings as the first and second story respectively.

THIS EPISODE: Girl On Shipwreck Island Pt. 3 of 3

July 14, 1946. Program #26. Carlton E. Morse Productions syndication. "The Girl On Shipwreck Island". Commercials added locally. "There Is More About Gracie Than Meets The Eye." The last episode of the story. David Ellis, Carlton E. Morse (producer, director, writer), Barton Yarborough, Gayne Whitman (announcer). 25:19

Death Laughs Last (Aired September 2, 1945)


As with The Mysterious Traveler that preceded it, The Sealed Book was an anthology of supernatural drama, produced and directed by Jock MacGregor for the Mutual network, and written by the extraordinary team of Robert Arthur and David Kogan. Indeed this same entire team of network, director, and writers were responsible for the entire run of The Mysterious Traveler. Going even further, The Sealed Book reprised 26 of the Arthur/Kogan scripts written for The Mysterious Traveler. And in yet another similarity, Philip Clarke performed as an actor in five of the original Mysterious Traveler episodes. Where the series' differed was in the 'hook' or novelty intro to each week's new episode. With the Mysterious Traveler, the atmospheric element was the mournful whistle of the train, and Maurice Tarplin's equally exaggerated exposition at the beginning of each episode. With The Sealed Book, each epsisode opened with the sound of the great gong, followed by Philip Clarke's observation that the Keeper of The Book had once again opened the door to the secret vault, within which was contained the 'great sealed book' recording 'all the secrets and mysteries of mankind through the ages.' At the end of all but the last episode, Clarke would tell listeners to tune in the following week when "the sound of the great gong heralds another strange and exciting tale from... the sealed book."

THIS EPISODE:

September 2, 1945. Program #25. Mutual network origination, Michelson syndication. "Death Laughs Last". Commercials added locally. A locksmith needs money desperately for his wife's operation. He decides to use his profession for crime. The script was also used on "The Mysterious Traveler" on September 24, 1944 and April 13, 1947. The program has also been dated November 11, 1945 on WGN, Chicago. Robert A. Arthur (writer), David Kogan (writer), Phillip Clarke (host), Jock MacGregor (producer, director). 29:54.

Girl On Shipwreck Island Pt. 2 of 3 (Aired July 7, 1946)


Stories from the pen of Carlton E. Morse graced the airwaves. The main ones remembered are ONE MAN'S FAMILY, I LOVE A MYSTERY and ADVENTURES BY MORSE. ADVENTURES BY MORSE related the escapades of Captain Bart Friday and Skip Turner, two San Francisco private investigators. Friday was a no-nonsense type, raised in the California. Turner was quite a bit the lady's man, complete with a laconic Southern accent. Their occasional work for U.S. Military Intelligence takes them around the globe. The series consisted of eight serials that ran from October 26, 1944 to October 18, 1945. The first serial, "City of the Dead", consisted of 10 episodes. The second serial was done in 3 episodes. The remainder of the series alternated between 10 and 3 30-minute episodes. The adventures cover the world as well as the world of adventure. They take place on a South Pacific island, South America, Cambodia and South Carolina plus other locations. They deal with murder, espionage, Nazis secret bases, kidnappers, voodoo and even snake worshippers. If you're looking for adventure, you'll find it here.

THIS EPISODE: Girl On Shipwreck Island Pt. 2 of 3

July 7, 1946. Program #25. Carlton E. Morse Productions syndication. "The Girl On Shipwreck Island". Commercials added locally. "The Pirate Is A Fighting Man." David Ellis, Carlton E. Morse (producer, director, writer), Barton Yarborough, Gayne Whitman (announcer). 25:57.

The Kachin Story (Aired June 18, 1950)


Based on the book, Cloak and Dagger: The Secret Story of the O.S.S. by Corey Ford and Alistair McBain, the Radio rendition of these fascinating stories promised to keep any listener perched on the edge of their seat. Apart from describing the book upon which the new adventure series was based, the above is just about all the fanfare that was associated with the roll-out of NBC's only espionage program of the year. It was also one of the few solo productions that Wyllis Cooper undertook for NBC. It was also Cooper's first collaboration with British crime journalist Percy Hoskins, who would work with Cooper yet again on NBC's WHItehall-1212 a year hence. The combination of Hoskin's unfailingly accurate research and Cooper's lively, fast-paced writing and direction proved to be an excellent underpinning for an espionage adventure drama based on factual events. The Office of Strategic Services--the progenitor of our Central Intelligence Agency--was one of American History's most colorful and compelling World War II intelligence gathering efforts. It was also, quite understandably, one of our most secret undertakings. Given that backdrop it's very instructive that during the run up to the Cold War years, NBC would attempt to air a fact-based espionage anthology.

THIS EPISODE:

June 18, 1950. NBC network. "The Kachin Story". Sustaining. 4:00 P. M. An O. S. S. operative is shot down in Burmese head-hunting country. With the help of an irish priest and his Kuching friends, the American battles a wiley Japanese commander, M. I. T., class of '37! Jackson Beck, Raymond Edward Johnson, Inge Adams, Winifred Wolfe (writer), Sherman Marks (director), Karl Weber, William Quinn, Joseph Julian, Everett Sloane, Jerry Jarrett, Jack Gordon (writer), Jon Gart (music director), Louis G. Cowan (producer), Alfred Hollander (producer), Bob Warren (announcer), Corey Ford (originator), Alistair MacBain (originator). 29:27.

Girl On Shipwreck Island Pt. 1 of 3 (Aired June 30, 1946)


Adventures by Morse was a 52-episode syndicated adventure series produced, written and directed by Carlton E. Morse shortly after NBC canceled his I Love a Mystery series. Captain Bart Friday was a globe-trotting San Francisco-based private investigator, portrayed during the series by Elliott Lewis, David Ellis and Russell Thorson. Friday's sidekick from Texas, Skip Turner, was played mostly by Jack Edwards and occasionally by Barton Yarborough. The tales covered such areas as espionage, kidnapping and murder, along with secret Nazi bases, snake worshipers and voodoo. The 52 30-minute episodes (and two sales pitches) were produced in the mid-1940s. Dates of production and the earliest broadcasts are uncertain: several Internet sites mention that the entire series was broadcast in 1944, but in the final two chapters of It's Dismal to Die, it is clearly stated that the Second World War has ended. Advertisements have been found for broadcasts in 1946 and 1949. The series was presented in 13-episode blocks (each containing two stories), with each ten-chapter story ending with a teaser for the following three-chapter story. The City of the Dead and A Coffin for the Lady are mentioned in the promotional recordings as the first and second story respectively.

THIS EPISODE: Girl On Shipwreck Island Pt. 1 of 3

June 30, 1946. Program #24. Carlton E. Morse Productions syndication. "The Girl On Shipwreck Island". Commercials added locally. The first episode of the story, no title given. David Ellis, Carlton E. Morse (producer, director, writer), Barton Yarborough, Gayne Whitman (announcer). 27:07.

Suspicion (Aired October 30, 1946)


The list of films and actors on Academy Award Theater is very impressive. Bette Davis begins the series in Jezebel, with Ginger Rogers following in Kitty Foyle, and then Paul Muni in The Life of Louis Pasteur. The Informer had to have Victor Mclaglen, and the Maltese Falcon, Humphrey Bogart, Sidney Greenstreet (this movie was his first major motion picutre role) plus Mary Astor for the hat trick. Suspicion starred Cary Grant with Ann Todd doing the Joan Fontaine role, Ronald Coleman in Lost Horizon, and Joan Fontaine and John Lund were in Portrait of Jenny. How Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Pinocchio were done is something to hear! Some films are less well known, such as Guest in the House, with Kirk Douglas and Anita Louise, It Happened Tomorrow, with Eddie Bracken and Ann Blythe playing Dick Powell and Linda Darnell's roles, and Cheers for Miss Bishop with Olivia de Havilland. Each adaptation is finely produced and directed by Dee Engelbach, with music composed and conducted by Leith Stevens. Frank Wilson wrote the movie adaptations. John Dunning in his book,"On the Air, The Encyclopedia of Old Time Radio,"tells us why such a fine production lasted less than a year: "The House of Squibb, a drug firm, footed a stiff bill: up to $5,000 for the stars and $1,600 a week to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for use of the title. The production had all the class of a Lux or Screen Guild show…But the tariff took its toll.

THIS EPISODE:

October 30, 1946. CBS network. "Suspicion". Sponsored by: Squibb. A woman finds her husband has been lying to her, later she suspects he may be plotting murder. Cary Grant, Ann Todd. 28:26.

The Dream that Meant Death (Aired October 19, 1950)


The role played by Ilona Massey, a Hungarian-born actress, was created in her likeness, which included her sultry voice and her heavy accent. As a government agent, Massey witnesses train murders, orders poisoned glasses of brandy, and examines the tattoos on a rebellious pigeon. She travels to Tangiers, London, and discovers Nazi spy rings in Berlin. Pack your suitcase, slip into your designer incognito clothiers, and cut your tongue out because Ilona Massey is ready to take you on the top secret mission of a lifetime!6-12-50 to 10-26-50 NBC, various 30 minute timeslots. STAR: Ilona Massey as a Mata Hari-style operative in World War II. ORCHESTRAL: Roy Shield. WRITER-DIRECTOR: Harry W. Junkin. Top secret was highly effective, said Radio Life: the role played by the Hungarian actress was “tailor-made for her sultry voice and heavy accent”. The series was a summer replacement for, "The American Album Of Familiar Music."

THIS EPISODE:

October 19, 1950. Program #16. NBC network. "The Dream That Meant Death". Sustaining. The program title is also known as, "The Drug Of Death." Baroness Karen Geza goes to Shanghai to break up an opium ring. The communists are using the drug to fight the nationalist Chinese army. "With opium, once is forever." The program is referred to as, "Assignment 16." The recording is unedited tape, with no music cues. Ilona Massey, Fred Collins (announcer), Harry W. Junkin (writer, producer, director). 29:57.

Guests Dorothy Lamour & Peggy Lee (1938) *The Exact Date Is Unknown


From the age of twelve, Bob Hope worked at a wide variety of odd jobs at a local board walk. When not doing this he would busk, doing dance and comedy patter to make extra money. He entered many dancing and amateur talent contests, and won prizes for his impersonation of Charlie Chaplin. He also boxed briefly and unsuccessfully under the name Packy East, making it once as far as the semi-finals of the Ohio novice championship. Fallen silent film comedian Fatty Arbuckle saw one of his performances and in 1925 got him steady work with Hurley's Jolly Follies. A year later Hope had formed an act called the Dancemedians with George Burns (who would also live to see his own 100th birthday) and the Hilton Sisters, conjoined twins who had a tap dancing routine. Hope and his partner George Byrne had an act as a pair of Siamese twins as well, and both danced and sang while wearing black face before friends advised Hope that he was funnier as himself.. After five years on the Vaudeville circuit, by his own account Hope was surprised and humbled when he and his partner Grace Louise Troxell failed a 1930 screen test for Pathé at Culver City, California. (Hope had been on the screen in small parts, 1927's The Sidewalks of New York and 1928's Smiles. Hope returned to New York City and subsequently appeared in several Broadway musicals including Roberta, Say When, the 1936 Ziegfeld Follies, and Red, Hot and Blue with Ethel Merman. His performances were generally well-received and critics noted his keen sense of comedic timing. He changed his name from "Leslie" to "Bob", reportedly because people in the US were calling him "Hopelessly", although in the 1920s he sometimes used the name "Lester Hope".

THIS EPISODE:

"Guests Dorothy Lamour & Peggy Lee" - NBC network origination, AFRTS rebroadcast. Peggy Lee sings "Be Anything, But Be Mine." The cast does scenes from previous shows: "The Mutiny On The Bounty," "Death Of A Salesman," and a Scottish skit. Bob Hope, Dorothy Lamour, Peggy Lee, Bob Sweeney, Les Brown and His Orchestra. 25:02.

The Yellow Wallpaper (Aired July 29, 1948)


Suspense was actually spawned from another series called Forecast. The 1940 horror show was entitled Suspense and it was based on the Marie Belloc Lowndes' short Jack-the-Ripper novella, The Lodger. It was directed by Alfred Hitchcock, who had made a 1926 silent film based on the same story (Grams, 1997, 3). Its subtle ending generated a large volume of mail which convinced CBS executives that they had a strong market. Two years later, Suspense was aired. It became one of radio's longest lasting shows, surviving twenty years of consistent success. It had numerous announcers during those two decades, ranging from the early Berry Kroeger to the veteran announcers, Paul Frees and George Walsh. But it was Joseph Kearns who evolved into "The Man in Black" host in 1943. This mysterious all-knowing narrator was similar to The Whistler.. The character lasted for over 100 episodes until March of 1945. Kerns continued as host through 1947, and returned again in 1950, but "The Man in Black" role devolved back into a nameless announcer (Grams, 1997, 17). Yet the series itself continued on as strong as ever. It attracted Hollywood's best actors because they were allowed to play roles different from their usual stereotypes. Comedians could play killers, or heroes could play victims. Jack Benny played a Martian. Ronald Reagan played a man on the run framed for a crime he didn't commit. Lucille Ball played a cold-blooded murderer. Frank Sinatra played a psychopath.

THIS EPISODE:

July 29, 1948. CBS network. "The Yellow Wallpaper". Sponsored by: Auto-Lite. A madwoman suspects that things are coming out of the wallpaper to get her. Maybe she's not mad? The story was subsequently produced on "Suspense" on June 30, 1957. Agnes Moorehead, Paul Frees (announcer), Charlotte Curtis Stetson Gilman (author), Sylvia Richards (adaptor), Anton M. Leader (producer, director), Harlow Wilcox (commercial spokesman), William Johnstone (commercial spokesman), Lucien Moraweck (composer), Lud Gluskin (conductor). 30:17.

Three Wayward Girls (Aired April 24, 1951)


By the late 1930s, radio drama was widely popular in the United States (and also in other parts of the world). There were dozens of programs in many different genres, from mysteries and thrillers, to soap operas and comedies. There were occasional efforts at more literary works, such as Under Milk Wood (1954) and "Play for Voices" by Dylan Thomas. Many playwrights, screenwriters and novelists got their start in radio drama, including Caryl Churchill, Rod Serling, Irwin Shaw and Tom Stoppard. After the advent of television, radio drama never recovered its popularity in the United States. Most remaining CBS and NBC radio dramas were cancelled in 1960. In an "effort to make room" for the new TV media programs, what many have labeled a "mindless" decision was implemented by network higher-ups. An untold or unknown number of these treasured works were purposely destroyed. Not much is currently known about a rare program entitled The McCoy, a fast-paced private eye NBC contribution from the pens of David Friedkin and Morton Fine and starring Howard Duff. The following show aired April 24, 1951.

THIS EPISODE:

April 24, 1951. "Three Wayward Girls". NBC audition. The characterizations and format are almost identical to "The Adventures Of Sam Spade" which by a not-so-strange coincidence went off the air April 27, 1951. The program may be dated April 22, 1951. The script was subsequently used on "Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar" on January 16, 1953. A Hollywood starlet has been strangled with a black silk stocking. A second starlet is killed and a third murder is planned. Morton Fine (writer, director, producer), Walter Schumann (composer, conductor), Sheldon Leonard, Howard Duff, David Friedkin (writer, director, producer). 29:18.

The Small White Boxes (Aired February 19, 1952)


Opening in 1875, the Crime Museum at Scotland Yard is the oldest museum in the world purely for recording crime. The name Black Museum was coined in 1877 by a reporter from The Observer, a London newspaper, although the museum is still referred to as the Crime Museum. The idea of a crime museum was conceived by Inspector Neame who had already collected together a number of items, with the intention of giving police officers practical instruction on how to detect and prevent burglary. It is this museum that inspired the Black Musuem radio series. The museum is not open to members of the public but is now used as a lecture theatre for the curator to lecture police and like bodies in subjects such as Forensic Science, Pathology, Law and Investigative Techniques. A number of famous people have visited the musuem including Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Harry Houdini, Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy. Orsen Welles hosted and narrated the shows. Following the opening, Mr. Welles would introduce the museum's item of evidence that was central to the case, leading into the dramatization. He also provided narration during the show and ended each show with his characteristic closing from the days of his Mercury Theater on the Air, 'remaining obediently yours'.

THIS EPISODE:

February 19, 1952. Program #28. Towers Of London syndication. "The Small White Boxes". Commercials added locally. The date is approximate. Orson Welles (narrator), Harry Alan Towers (producer), Sidney Torch (composer, conductor), Ira Marion (writer). 27:06.

Incident At Quito (Aired December 7, 1952)


Escape was radio's leading anthology series of high adventure, airing on CBS from July 7, 1947 to September 25, 1954. Since the program did not have a regular sponsor like Suspense, it was subjected to frequent schedule shifts and lower production budgets, although Richfield Oil signed on as a sponsor for five months in 1950. Despite these problems, Escape enthralled many listeners during its seven-year run. The series' well-remembered opening combined Mussorgsky's Night on Bald Mountain with this introduction, as intoned by Paul Frees and William Conrad: “Tired of the everyday grind? Ever dream of a life of romantic adventure? Want to get away from it all? We offer you... Escape!” Following the opening theme, a second announcer (usually Roy Rowan) would add: "We offer you... Escape! Designed to free you from the four walls of today for a half-hour of high adventure!" Of the more than 230 Escape episodes, most have survived in good condition. Many story premises, both originals and adaptations, involved a protagonist in dire life-or-death straits, and the series featured more science fiction and supernatural tales than Suspens

THIS EPISODE:

December 7, 1952. CBS network. "Incident In Quito". Sustaining. A man trades his nagging wife to a tribe of headhunters for ten shrunken heads. Ross Murray (writer), Leith Stevens (composer, conductor), William Conrad (announcer), Roy Rowan (announcer), Antony Ellis (director), Larry Thor, Jeanne Bates, Edgar Barrier, Don Diamond, Fay Baker, Jack Kruschen, Tony Barrett. 30:13.

I Am Your Brother (Aired June 5, 1942)


"Every since Lights Out went out several years ago, fans of the fiendish have been clamoring for more good old goose-pimple horror drama on the air. Now they have it. One of the programs that currently freezes the airwaves with its chilling stories is Dark Fantasy comparatively new to the networks. In the late hours of Friday nights these shivery, shocking stories go out over NBC - right straight from Oklahoma City, which you might not have thought of as headquarters for haunts. Station WKY is the home of the Dark Fantasy plays, and the writer is Scott Bishop, who lives in the midst of mystery and the supernatural, represented by the innurnerable volumes of thriller fiction, fantasy lore and all kinds of horror literature that fill his home andhis office. Bishop has long contributed to network broadcasting and to magazines. He says, 'Give the listener enough material to let his imagination go to work, and he'll supply his own goose-pimples.' Dark Fantasy has been furnishing plenty of such material since last November. And judging from enthusiastic comment, the horror fans are responding with goose-pimples galore! Tune in every Friday on Station WKY Oklahoma City."

THIS EPISODE:

June 5, 1942. Program #29. NBC network, WKY, Oklahoma City origination. "I Am Your Brother". Sustaining. Scott Bishop (writer, director), Tom Paxton (announcer), Ben Morris, Beloise Wright, Muir Hite. 30:44.

Assassin Game (Aired November 5, 1982)


Nightfall is a radio drama series produced and aired by CBC Radio from July 1980 to June 1983. While primarily a supernatural/horror series, Nightfall featured some episodes in other genres, such as science fiction, mystery, fantasy, and human drama. One episode was even adapted from a folk song by Stan Rogers. Some of Nightfall's episodes were so terrifying that the CBC registered numerous complaints and some affiliate stations dropped it. Despite this, the series went on to become one of the most popular shows in CBC Radio history, running 100 episodes that featured a mix of original tales and adaptations of both classic and obscure short stories. Nightfall was the brainchild of producer Bill Howell, who was best known at the time for his work on CBC Playhouse and the cult favorite adventure series, Johnny Chase: Secret Agent of Space. (Howell later went on to be executive producer of CBC Radio's highly-popular series, The Mystery Project, which ran from 1992 to 2004.) When CBC Radio was revamped and given an expanded budget in 1980, Howell approached the newly-appointed Head of Radio Drama, Susan Rubes, about his idea for a supernatural/horror anthology series that would push the envelope. Though not a fan of the horror genre, Rubes recognized a hit when she saw one and gave Howell the green light to begin production. Bill Howell served as Executive Producer of Nightfall at CBC Toronto for the first two seasons. The reins were passed for the third season to veteran CBC Radio producer Don Kowalchuk (Doctor Bundolo's Pandemonium Medicine Show) at CBC Vancouver. Nightfall featured two hosts during its run. The Toronto years (1980–1982) were hosted by "the mysterious Luther Kranst", a character created by Bill Howell's devious imagination and played by character actor Henry Ramer. For its Vancouver run (1982–1983), Don Kowalchuk worked with voice actor Bill Reiter to develop the character of Frederick Hende. Show Notes From Calfkiller

The Case Of The Lucky Murderer (Aired July 31, 1950)


The Secrets of Scotland Yardwas a successful crime drama series, initially airing internationally between 1949 and 1951. Selected episodes finally came to a US radio network for a brief run much later in 1957 over the Mutual Broadcasting System. The series boasted well over 100 episodes, one of which, "The Bone From A Voice Box", apparently served as the prototype for another well remembered Towers Of London dramatic series, The Black Museum. In both series, well known actors were employed as host / narrator, Orson Welles in The Black Museum and Clive Brook here. In fact, the shows were so similar that some of the same actual Scotland Yard cases were dramatized for both series (with totally different scripts, and casts). The Secrets of Scotland Yard was an independent production of the Towers of London syndicate in England for world wide distribution. Each week, an audience of anxious radio-listeners tuned in to hear these true crime stories of the London Metropolitan Police unfold, as the detectives at the Yard investigated some of England’s most famous criminals. Their trials have become legendary. Stories presented in the series include the theft of the British crown jewels by Colonel Thomas Blood; the story of a man who finds an armless and legless body wrapped in ribbons and lace; or the strange story of two close brothers who love one another enough to contemplate the murder of a brother’s affluent, yet unsightly and ignorant, wife. Murders, forgery, and robberies all get a through review on the program. Each time, Scotland Yard detectives are afoot to solve the crime mystery! The Secrets of Scotland Yard was initially hosted by Clive Brook, probably for the first year or so. To add to the air of authenticity, Brook sometimes discusses matters with Percy Hoskins, a 1950s crime expert and reporter for the London Daily Express. Hoskins knew every nook and cranny in London’s seedier districts and personally reported on many of the major crimes of the day. A student of crime, Hoskins was also one of the founders of the Saints and Sinners Club of London, an educational organization dedicated to true crime investigation methods and results. Brook had his own Scotland Yard experience previously when he played retired naval commander Stevenson in the 1936 film, "Scotland Yard Commands". American audiences will however probably more familiar with Brooks’ portrayal of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes in the 1932 film of the same name. Brook was eventually replaced by an actor portraying the character Superintendent X of Scotland Yard.

"The Case Of Warren J Lincoln" (02-14-35) and "The Case Of The Vampire Of Dusseldorf" (02-19-35)


Based on true crime stories, "The Police Reporter" was a fifteen minute dramatic series syndicated by Radio Release Limited. The earliest listing found for it was in the December 10, 1933 issue of the "New York Times" where it showed up on WEAF's program grid on Friday, December 15, 1933 at 10:00 pm. There are also several listings in the "Los Angeles Times" in February and March 1936 for a fifteen minute "Police Reporter" program on KGPJ at 8:00 pm. The company that produced the series, Radio Release Limited is listed in the 1934 edition of "The Writer's Market", noting that they're "looking for anything with commercial value and will consider good scripts carefully. Pays good rates". The company is also listed in the 1935 edition of "Broadcasting: Yearbook-Marketbook Issue" on page 122. "The Police Reporter" is a quarter hour drama that might remind you a bit of "Front Page Drama" in its sensationalism and melodrama. What makes the series unique is that all the stories featured are true. "Gangbusters", the pioneering "true crime" series of the period, premiered in July 1935 on NBC as "G-Men" according to Wikipedia. So, "The Police Reporter" pre-dates the more famous network show by a couple of years - if not the first, it could be one of the earliest true crime shows on the air. Program 1 of the series is about a man who has been missing for four days. A neighbor calls the police, thinking something may be wrong. It's the Lincoln murder case, which occurred in Aurora, Illinois in 1923. The program includes an announcement that this is the first program of the series. The series uses real names, dates and locations, so it's easy to track down information on the real cases dramatized on many of the programs. There was a detailed May 13, 2007 newspaper article from the Aurora Beacon News about the murder. There are 26 shows in the distribution and they are digitized directly from a set of original transcription discs. Show Notes From The OTRR Group

TODAY'S SHOW:

February 14, 1935. Program #1. "The Case Of Warren J Lincoln" - Radio Release Limited syndication. Music fill for local commercial insert. The program begins: "This broadcast inaugurates a new radio series; true murder mysteries brought to you by 'The Police Reporter.' Carefully planned crimes which were solved by intelligent effort and clever detective work. The cases we dramatize for you actually happened. The following true murder mystery is an example." The series was recorded about 1934 and were syndicated in 1936 by World Broadcasting System. Being a syndicated program, the shows were heard at different times on different stations. The dates given for this series (all subject to correction) are given for KTAR, Phoenix. It is not known if these syndicated programs were recordings made during a broadcast run (presumably in Hollywood) or were recorded just for syndication. The dramatization of a crime of April 28, 1923. Mrs. Lincoln is reported missing in Aurora, Illinois. Mr. Lincoln beat her over the head with a blunt instrument, cut her body up and burned the parts in the furnace. Likewise with his brother-in-law. The transcription labels of this series contain a drawing of a condenser microphone om front of a lightning bolt and the slogan, "The Power Behind The Mike." . 14:49.

February 19, 1935. Program #2. "The Case Of The Vampire Of Dusseldorf" - Radio Release Limited syndication. Music fill for local commercial insert. A true case from February 3, 1929 in Dusseldorf, Germany. The story of a serial killer named Peter Kuerten who was named, "The Vampire Killer. . 14:46.

Every Detail But One (Aired February 7, 1988)


FEAR ON 4 is the British Broadcasting Corporation's continuation of a tradition of horror shows dating back to 1943. Back then, the BBC offered Appointment With Fear, the title given to ten series of programs running from 1943 to 1955. These are the most famous BBC horror series in it's history. The stories were introduced by The Man in Black, played by Valentine Dyall. In 1949, The Man In Black was given his own series, called The Man In Black, again featuring Valentine Dyall. Unfortunately, only four shows from Appointment With Fear are known to have survived. None of The Man In Black shows are known to exist. The Man in Black returned to radio again in 1988, this time played by Edward de Souza. FEAR ON 4, airing on BBC Radio Four, continued in the tradition of its predecessors. Four series were produced from 1988 through 1993 with a fifth series in 1997. In 1999, one new show and 2 repeats aired under the banner of "Fear on 4" on BBC Radio 4's Late on 4 series. The shows are a mix of adaptations of short stories and original radio plays. All shows from these series exist. The BBC offered selected stories from the first three series in book form, entitled "The Man in Black: Macabre Stories from Fear on Four" in December 1990.

THIS EPISODE:

February 7, 1988. "Every Detail But One" - BBC Broadcasting Network. A strange voice urges a woman to embark on a journey into terror and beyond. Horror story by Bert Coules, introduced by Edward de Souza. With Helena Breck, Diane Olssen, Karen Archer, John Samson and Victoria Carling.

The Misery Chisler (Aired July 27, 1945)


This Is Your FBI was a radio crime drama which aired in the United States on ABC from April 6, 1945 to January 30, 1953. FBI chief J. Edgar Hoover gave it his endorsement, calling it "the finest dramatic program on the air." Producer-director Jerry Devine was given access to FBI files by Hoover, and the resulting dramatizations of FBI cases were narrated by Frank Lovejoy (1945), Dean Carleton (1946-47) and William Woodson (1948-53). Stacy Harris had the lead role of Special Agent Jim Taylor. Others in the cast were William Conrad, Bea Benaderet and Jay C. Flippen. This Is Your FBI was sponsored during its entire run by the Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States (now AXA Equitable Life Insurance Company). This is Your FBI had counterparts on the other networks. The FBI in Peace and War also told stories of the FBI, although some were not authentic. Earlier on, Gangbusters, and the previously mentioned Mr. District Attorney gave the authentic crime treatment to their stories. And Dragnet, and Tales of the Texas Rangers, took the idea on as well. Crime, especially true crime, was a genre in the magazines early on, with the Police Gazette and its predecessors in England printing lurid true crime stories prior to radio. This is Your FBI took the idea, and made it realistic, exciting and even informational.

Episode071 "Mounties At Pitchblend" (04-11-38) and Episode072 "Snow Slide" (04-12-38)


Dick Tracy had a long run on radio, from 1934 weekdays on NBC's New England stations to the ABC network in 1948. Bob Burlen was the first radio Tracy in 1934, and others heard in the role during the 1930s and 1940s were Barry Thompson, Ned Wever and Matt Crowley. The early shows all had 15-minute episodes. On CBS, with Sterling Products as sponsor, the serial aired four times a week from February 4, 1935 to July 11, 1935, moving to Mutual from September 30, 1935 to March 24, 1937 with Bill McClintock doing the sound effects. NBC's weekday afternoon run from January 3, 1938 to April 28, 1939 had sound effects by Keene Crockett and was sponsored by Quaker Oats, which brought Dick Tracy into primetime (Saturdays at 7pm and, briefly, Mondays at 8pm) with 30-minute episodes from April 29, 1939 to September 30, 1939. The series returned to 15-minute episodes on the ABC Blue Network from March 15, 1943 to July 16, 1948, sponsored by Tootsie Rolls, which used the music theme of "Toot Toot, Tootsie" for its 30-minute Saturday ABC series from October 6, 1945 to June 1, 1946. Sound effects on ABC were supplied by Walt McDonough and Al Finelli. Directors of the series included Mitchell Grayson, Charles Powers and Bob White. Cast members at various times included Walter Kinsella as Pat Patton, Helen Lewis as Tess Trueheart and Andy Donnelly and Jackie Kelk as Junior Tracy. Announcers were Ed Herlihy and Dan Seymour.

TODAY'S SHOW:

April 11, 1938. "Mounties At Pitchblend" - NBC network. Sponsored by: Quaker Cereals. Not auditioned. The announcer mentions that the program is "electrically transcribed." It is therefore possible that even though the series was being broadcast on NBC at this time, these might be syndicated versions, as no system cues are heard. Vernon Kyle is terrorizing the citizens of the Yukon to getting their radium ore (pitchblende). 14:56.

April 12, 1938. "Snow Slide" - NBC network. Sponsored by: Quaker Cereals (Dick Tracy Club offer). Not auditioned. The system cue has been deleted. Vernon Kyle continues to terrorize the Yukon town of Pitchblende. What was the weird cry in the night? "The Purple Rider" offers to help Dick Tracy and the Mounties. As the dog teams pass through "Dead Man's Pass," Vernon Kyle causes an avalanche. 15:01.

Tony's Home Permanent! (Aired October 28, 1948)


Abbott and Costello William (Bud) Abbott and Lou Costello (born Louis Francis Cristillo) were an American comedy duo whose work in radio, film and television made them one of the most popular teams in the history of comedy. Thanks to the endurance of their most popular and influential routine, "Who's on First?"---whose rapid-fire word play and comprehension confusion set the preponderant framework for most of their best-known routines---the team are also the only comedians known to have been inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Bud Abbott was born in Asbury Park, NJ, October 2, 1897 and died April 24, 1974 in Woodland Hills, California. Lou Costello was born in Paterson, NJ, March 6, 1906 and died March 3, 1959 in East Los Angeles, California. After working as Allen's summer replacement, Abbott and Costello joined Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy on The Chase and Sanborn Hour in 1941, while two of their films (Buck Privates and Hold That Ghost) were adapted for Lux Radio Theater. They launched their own weekly show October 8, 1942, sponsored by Camel cigarettes. The Abbott and Costello Show mixed comedy with musical interludes (usually, by singers such as Connie Haines, Marilyn Maxwell, the Delta Rhythm Boys, Skinnay Ennis, and the Les Baxter Singers).

THIS EPISODE:

October 28, 1948. ABC network. Music fill for local commercial insert. Lou tells a "Sam Shovel" detective story about a boy named Tony whose mother kept him locked in a closet. It's called "Tony's Home Permanent!" The script was re-used on the series on April 28, 1949. The system cue is added live. Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Matty Malneck and His Orchestra, Marilyn Williams, Charles Vanda (producer, director), George Fenneman (announcer). 32:08.

The New Car (Aired November 17, 1948)


Blondie is an American comic strip created by Murat Bernard "Chic" Young. Distributed by King Features Syndicate, the strip has been published in newspapers since September 8, 1930. The success of the comic strip led to the long-running Blondie film series (1938-1950) and the popular Blondie radio program (1939-1950). Chic Young drew Blondie until his death in 1973, when the control of the strip passed to his son Dean Young, who continues to write the strip. Young has collaborated with a number of artists on Blondie, including Jim Raymond, Mike Gersher, Stan Drake, Denis Lebrun and currently, John Marshall. Through these changes, Blondie has remained popular, appearing in more than 2000 newspapers in 47 countries and translated into 35 languages, as of 2010[update]. Blondie celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2005. Since 2006, Blondie has been available via email through King Features' DailyINK service. Blondie and Dagwood live next door to Herb and Tootsie Woodley. The Bumstead family has grown, with the addition of a son named Alexander (originally "Baby Dumpling") on April 15, 1934, a daughter named Cookie on April 11,1941, and a dog, Daisy, and her litter of five unnamed pups. In the 1960s, Cookie and Alexander grew into teenagers (who uncannily resemble their parents), but they stopped growing during the 1960s when Young realized that they had to remain teenagers to maintain the family situation structured into the strip for so many decades. Other regular characters include a never-ending parade of door-to-door salesmen, the long-suffering mailman, Mr. Beasley, and Elmo Tuttle, a pesky neighborhood kid who often asks Dagwood to play. Cora Dithers is the domineering wife of Julius Dithers. Lou is the owner of Lou's Diner where Dagwood frequently eats during his lunch break.

THIS EPISODE:

November 17, 1948. Program #63. "The New Car" - NBC network origination, AFRS rebroadcast. Dagwood wants a new car, but after selling his old one, he finds himself with no car! Arthur Lake, Penny Singleton, Elvia Allman, Frank Nelson, Hanley Stafford, Chic Young (creator). 25:35.

You Only Die Once (1953) *Exact Date Is Unknown


This is an Australian radio production of the classic MGM science fiction movie, Forbidden Planet. The production uses all the original electronic music and effects from the film. Length: 55 Min. What can I say? Years before Starfleet officers donned uniforms in Star Trek, it was done in Forbidden Planet. Long before Han Solo held a blaster, the guys in Forbidden Planet did it. Long before Star Trek's android Data and shortly before Lost in Space's Robby, a mechanical being played a major role in Forbidden Planet. Long before big special effects films ruled movie theaters, Forbidden Planet was packed with great effects, including astounding matte paintings. Long before electronically-created music became common, Forbidden Planet featured an all-synthesizer soundtrack that gave a futuristic and creepy feeling. Long before Leslie Nielson said, "Don't call me Shirley," he wore a spacesuit and wielded a ray gun.

The Secret Word Is Spoon (Posted 01-18-50)


You Bet Your Life is an American quiz show that aired on both radio and television. The most well-known version was hosted by Groucho Marx of the Marx Brothers, with announcer and assistant George Fenneman. The show debuted on ABC Radio in October 1947, then moved to CBS Radio in 1949 before making the transition to the NBC Radio and NBC-TV networks in October 1950. Because of its simple format, it was possible to broadcast the show simultaneously on the radio and on television. In 1960, the show was renamed The Groucho Show and ran a further year. Most episodes are in the public domain. The play of the game, however, was secondary to the interplay between Groucho, the contestants, and occasionally Fenneman. The program was rerun into the 1970s, and later in syndication as The Best of Groucho. As such, it was the first game show to have its reruns syndicated. The mid-1940s was a depressing lull in Groucho's career. His radio show Blue Ribbon Town, sponsored by Pabst Blue Ribbon beer, which ran from March 1943 to August 1944, had failed to catch on and Groucho left the program in June 1944. After a radio appearance with Bob Hope, in which Marx ad-libbed most of his performance after being forced to stand by in a waiting room for 40 minutes before going on the air, John Guedel, the program's producer, formed an idea for a quiz show and approached Marx about the subject. After initial reluctance by Marx, Guedel was able to convince him to host the program after Marx realized the quiz would be only a backdrop for his contestant interviews, and the storm of ad-libbing that they would elicit. Guedel also convinced Marx to invest in 50% of the show, in part by saying that he was "untouchable" at ad-libbing, but not at following a script. Since Marx and the contestants were ad-libbing, Marx insisted that each show be recorded and edited before release. The show for the studio audience ran longer than the broadcast versions, so that risque or less interesting material could be removed.

Boxcars711 Overnight Western "Lightning Jim" - The Wrong Man (1944)


Only about 41 broadcasts have been located. Marshall Lightning Jim Whipple on his horse Thunder and his deputy, Whitey Larson explore the history of the west through adventure. The program originated in 1938 and was called The Adventures of Lightning Jim. At this time it was a West coast program. The program returned to the air in the 1950s and a total of 98 radio programs were produced. J. David Goldin's The Golden Age of Radio published by Radio Yesteryear in 1998 indicates that 41 Lightning Jim broadcasts have been located. The program was originally called The Adventures of Lightning Jim. The program returned to the air in the 1950s.

THIS EPISODE:

1944. Program #29. ZIV Syndication. "The Wrong Man". Commercials added locally. A widowed father is unjustly accused of murder and sent to prison. Francis X. Bushman, Henry Hoople. 29:03.

Something Nasty In The Vault (Aired April 15, 1974)


1968 and 1977, and there were a total of eighty episodes spread over nine series, as well as three Christmas specials. Most episodes were also adapted for radio. The show was set in the fictional seaside town of Walmington-on-Sea, on the south coast of England, making the Home Guard the front line of defence against an invasion by the enemy forces across the English Channel, which formed a backdrop to the series. The first episode, The Man and the Hour, began with a scene set in the "present day" of 1968, in which Mainwaring addressed his old platoon as part of the contemporary "I'm Backing Britain" campaign. It was a flash-back to the founding of the Walmington-on-Sea Home Guard platoon by Mainwaring after he had heard Anthony Eden's 1940 radio broadcast. The final episode, Never Too Old, focused on the wedding of Corporal Jones and Mrs. Fox, which was interrupted as the platoon were put on full invasion alert. The first two series were in black and white. There are three lost episodes from series two. Only film copies made of the episodes from these series survive; copies of series one were made for overseas sales, but there was little interest, so none were made of any series two episodes. The three episodes that exist do so because two were film recorded to show Columbia Pictures executives and another needed to be edited post-production.

THIS EPISODE:

April 15, 1974 - "Something Nasty In The Vault" - Swallows Bank takes a direct hit during an air-raid, but the bomb fails to explode, leaving Mainwaring and Wilson stuck in the vault with it. When the Bomb Disposal officer retreats to collect the right tools, the platoon must take matters into their own hands.

Murder Needs An Artist (Aired May 6, 1949)


Philip Morris invested heavily in radio advertising throughout the 1930s and ‘40s, often having two weekly programs on competing networks. The first, a variety show that ran for twelve seasons (1934-47) and combined musical and dramatic elements, was called Johnny Presents, essentially giving Roventini "top billing" above all the big name guests that appeared on the broadcasts. The cigarette company also sponsored Philip Morris Playhouse, a dramatic anthology series that lasted 14 seasons (1939-53), finally switching to television. Throughout it all, Johnny was a walking public relations campaign, reminding people of the product wherever he appeared. In exchange for $20,000 a year, Johnny promised never to appear in public without a bodyguard, and never to ride the New York subway during rush hour. When his salary rose to $50,000, PM insured his voice for the same amount. "Johnny" ads were prominent on billboards and in magazines. Always in his red bellhop’s uniform, he was seen "stepping out on storefronts all over America" to remind folks to smoke Philip Morris. When I Love Lucy became part of the PM family, Lucy and Desi joined Johnny in many of the company’s magazine print ads -- and artist’s renderings of the threesome were included on Philip Morris cigarette cartons at Christmas time. PM also issued a "Lucy Notebook" (filled with recipes and household hints) and a Lucy Rag Doll as product premiums. The first CBS season of Philip Morris Playhouse On Broadway showcased some of the more popular Broadway plays of the era, as well as the talents of some of the finer east coast Film and Stage luminaries of the era.

War News (Aired May 13, 1945)


The CBS World News Roundup began on March 13, 1938, as a response to growing tensions in Europe. The initial broadcast was hosted by veteran newscaster Robert Trout, with short-wave reports from Paris, Berlin, Rome, London and Vienna. Two of the newer, more memorable voices heard on that first broadcast were Edward R. Murrow and William L. Shirer. During the years of war that followed, Murrow’s reports from London and Shirer’s reports from Berlin became essential listening for Americans concerned about events taking place overseas. The show earned CBS a reputation for outstanding, in-depth reporting and made foreign news coverage a regular part of the network’s programming. CBS World News Roundup remains on the CBS Radio Network today, making it America's longest-running radio news program. Over the years, Douglas Edwards, Winston Burdett, Ned Calmer, Reid Collins, Dallas Townsend, Bill Lynch and Christopher Glenn have also hosted the show. Other journalists who rose to prominence through CBS World News Roundup include Eric Sevareid, Charles Collingwood and Howard K. Smith. Robert Trout died on November 14, 2000. William L. Shirer died on December 28, 1993. The CBS World News Roundup was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 1995.

Stanley Becker (Aired July 27, 1948)


The twist with Diary of Fate was the total absence of pretense. The program jumps right to the 'source' of Man's ultimate destiny--Fate itself--in the form of the Guardian of the Diary of Fate. It is within the Diary of Fate, that every soul's fate is painstakingly chronicled by book and page number--or so we're very persuasively given to understand. Fate itself--in this instance, at least--is the great character actor Herbert Lytton, providing the forboding vocal gravitas we might expect from such an all-powerful cosmic force. Produced from Hollywood, the entire production was voiced by primarily west coast actors. Famous Radio and Television promoter Larry Finley produced and syndicated the program to at least some 94 affiliate stations throughout the U.S., Canada and Jamaica. Most local or regional broadcasts were either sustained offerings by an independent affiliate, or were sponsored by spot advertisers ranging over a wide variety of offerings or services. The production didn't stint on talent, as hinted above. No less than Ivan Ditmars provided the music direction and in addition to Herb Lytton as 'Fate', the varying casts included Lurene Tuttle, Larry Dobkin, Hal Sawyer, Gloria Blondell, Frank Albertson, Jerry Hausner, Howard McNear, Peter Leeds, Ken Peters, Daws Butler and William Johnstone. All in all a superb well of talent from which to draw each week. While a bit difficult to document, the production remains quite collectable and the perspective of the presentation is also unique for the era--or since for that matter. Diary of Fate is one of Radio's little, oft-overlooked gems that demand pulling out, polishing up for better enjoyment, then dutifully returning them to their preserve for another airing one day in the future.

THIS EPISODE:

July 27, 1948. Program #33. ABC network, KECA, Los Angeles origination, Finley syndication. "Stanley Becker". Commercials added locally. Book 84, page 902. A fraud perishes because of the "narcotic hypocracy" of his ego. The date is subject to correction. Herb Lytton (as "Fate" and co-producer), Virginia Gregg, Ken Peters, Daws Butler, Ray Ehrlenborn (sound effects), Gene Twombley (sound effects), Hal Sawyer, Larry Finley (producer). 29:51.

Fleet Lady (Aired March 6, 1949)


Pat Novak for Hire was an old-time radio detective show which aired from 1946-1947 as a West Coast regional program and in 1949 as a nationwide program for ABC. The regional version originally starred Jack Webb in the title role, with scripts by his roommate Richard L. Breen. When Webb and Breen moved from San Francisco to Los Angeles to work on an extremely similar nationwide series, Johnny Modero, for the Mutual network, Webb was replaced by Ben Morris and Breen by other writers. In the later network version, Jack Webb resumed the Novak role, and Breen his duties as scriptwriter. The series is popular among fans for its fast-paced, hard-boiled dialogue and action and witty one-liners. Pat Novak for Hire is set on the San Francisco, California waterfront and depicts the city as a dark, rough place where the main goal is survival. Pat Novak is not a detective by trade. He owns a boat shop on Pier 19 where he rents out boats and does odd jobs to make money. Each episode of the program, particularly the Jack Webb episodes, follows the same basic formula; a foghorn sounds and Novak's footsteps are heard walking down the pier. He then pauses and begins with the line "Sure, I'm Pat Novak . . . for hire". The foghorn repeats and leads to the intro theme, during which Pat gives a monologue about the waterfront and his job renting boats. Jack Webb narrates the story as well as acts in it, as the titular character.

THIS EPISODE:

March 6, 1949. Program #2. "Fleet Lady" - ABC network origination, AFRS rebroadcast. A dead horse leads to a dead jockey and a hot tip on murder. Jack Webb, Virginia Gregg, Hugh Thomas. 30:54.

Baby (Aired May 13, 1939)


Arch Oboler's Plays was a radio drama series written, produced and directed by Arch Oboler. Minus a sponsor, it ran for one year, airing Saturday evenings on NBC from March 25, 1939 to March 23, 1940 and revived five years later on Mutual for a sustaining summer run from April 5, 1945 to October 11, 1945. Leading film actors were heard on this series, including Gloria Blondell, Eddie Cantor, James Cagney, Ronald Colman, Joan Crawford, Greer Garson, Edmund Gwenn, Van Heflin, Katharine Hepburn, Elsa Lanchester, Peter Lorre, Frank Lovejoy, Raymond Massey, Burgess Meredith, Paul Muni, Alla Nazimova, Edmond O'Brien, Geraldine Page, Gale Sondergaard, Franchot Tone and George Zucco. Oboler sold his first radio scripts while still in high school during the 1920s and rose to fame when he began scripting the NBC horror anthology Lights Out in 1936.

THIS EPISODE:

May 13, 1939. Mutual network. "Baby". Sustaining. An excellent drama about a woman who is expecting a baby but feels her husband will be angry. Frank Martin, Lurene Tuttle, Mary Lansing, Olive Deering, Arch Oboler (writer), Henry Standish. 24:51.

Marty Ellis Bryan (Aired April 10, 1952)


Mercedes McCambridge star as lawyer in Defense Attorney in defending the defenseless. She was born in Joliet, Illinois, the daughter of Irish American Catholic parents Marie (née Mahaffry) and John Patrick McCambridge. She graduated from Mundelein College in Chicago before embarking on a career. She began her career as a radio actor during the 1940s while also performing on Broadway. Her radio work in this period included her portrayal of Rosemary Levy on Abie's Irish Rose and various characters on the radio series I Love A Mystery in both its West Coast and East Coast incarnations (most notably as "Charity Martin" in The Thing That Cries in the Night, "Nasha" and "Laura" in Bury Your Dead, Arizona, "Sunny Richards" in both The Million Dollar Curse and The Temple of Vampires and "Jack 'Jacqueline' Dempsey Ross" in The Battle of the Century). She frequently did feature roles on the CBS Radio Mystery Theater, and was an original cast member on The Guiding Light, before the Bauers took over as the central characters. She also starred in her own show, The Defense Attorney as Martha Ellis Bryant. Show Notes From Ones Media

THIS EPISODE:

April 10, 1952. "Marty Ellis Bryan" - ABC network. Sponsored by: Kix, Chlorets. Joshua Masters has three sons, one of whom wants to kill him. Martha Ellis Bryant recommends a private detective. However, it's not Joshua Masters, but one of his sons who is found dead! Joshua Masters is then found dead...a suicide! Betty Mills of Radio TV Mirror magazine names Mercedes McCambridge "favorite dramatic actress." Mercedes McCambridge, Howard Culver, Harry Bartell, Rex Koury (composer, conductor), Jack Spiers (writer), Dwight Hauser (director), Betty Mills, Tony Barrett, Dallas McKinnon (doubles), Orval Anderson (announcer). 29:49.

Two-Gun Annie (Aired December 13, 1950)


Crime Does Not Pay was an anthology radio crime drama series based on MGM's short film series which began in 1935 with Crime Does Not Pay: Buried Loot. The shows were transcribed at MGM's New York station, WMGM. Written by Ira Marion and directed by Marx B. Loeb, the radio program aired in New York on WMGM for two years (October 10, 1949-October 10, 1951), including repeats. It moved to the Mutual Broadcasting System for its final run (January 7-December 22, 1952). For the most part, actors who appeared in B-films were featured, but occasionally one of MGM's major stars would make an appearance. Actors in the series included Bela Lugosi, Everett Sloane, Ed Begley, John Loder and Lionel Stander. After the play, the actors usually returned to speak with the audience. Composer-conductor John Gart furnished the music.

THIS EPISODE:

December 13, 1950. Program #61. MGM syndication. "Two-Gun Annie". Commercials added locally. Young Annie is very good with a rifle, and plans to live in the fast lane. Her boyfriend Frankie gets his car up to seventy-two miles per hour! A career in bank robbery follows in what sounds like the story of Bonnie and Clyde. The date above is the date of the first broadcast on WMGM, New York, from which this syndicated version may have been taken. Joan Lorring, Jon Gart (composer, conductor), Marx B. Loeb (producer, director), Ira Marion (writer), Burton B. Turkas (technical advisor), Bob Williams (announcer). 26:19.

The Evils Of Tomato Juice (Aired May 2, 1960)


The Clitheroe Kid was James Robertson Clitheroe, Jimmy Clitheroe to most, who by some strange coincidence did come from the town of that name without having to change his family name! At his full height he was 4ft 3in, and played the naughty schoolboy from 1958 to 1972. Although plausable from a distance, he was not really able to pass himself off as a youngster close up, so a TV career did not really take off too well, but at the peak of his fame the radio show was raking in about 10 million listeners, although by the end this had dropped to a tenth of that figure. Clitheroe was a very private person, and the shows became a sort of escape for him, as well as the release from the worries of his diminutive size, but despite this, his popularity increased and increased, making this series one of the longer running on the radio - a total of 17 series. It is surprising then that with such a success, and with such a long run that the shows are rarely broadcast. The humour was very obvious and probably wouldn't stand up in todays climes, but there has been one release from the BBC radio collection, so if you wanted to hear some of the shows, you can hunt this down in the shops. I would like to thank Tony Lang for the following information about the series. I do not have any of this series on tape myself, so if anyone has comments to make I would be most grateful. The scripts were generally written by James Casey and Frank Roscoe, with the shows production by James Casey. The series sprang from a single show broadcast on 24-4-56 as part of a Variety Playhouse series The pilot series did not have individual names for the episodes. The producer was Geoff Lawrence, with the music supplied by the BBC Northern Dance Orchestra, conducted by Alyn Ainsworth, and broadcast in the North of England only. The cast consisted of Jimmy Clitheroe, Eddie Leslie, episodes (1-6), Peter Sinclair (1-3, 5-10), Judith Chalmers (2-10), Rosalie Williams (2, 5-6, 8), Fred Fairclough (2), Brian Truman (3,10), John Broadbent 3), Bob Monkhouse (4), Jack Watson (4), Herbert Smith (4,8), Jack Howarth (5, 7-8, 10), Fred Ferris (5, 7-10), Shirley King (6), Violet Carson (7-8, 10), Tom Harrison (9-10), Patrick Wells (9).

The Hate That Killed (Aired August 13, 1948)


Michael Shayne was a fictional sleuth created by Brett Halliday (a pen name for author Davis Dresser) who was first initiated into the fraternity for detectives in the 1939 novel "Dividend of Death". Dresser based the character on a “tall and rangy” brawler who once saved his life during a braw in a Mexican cantina. The Shayne character would go on to appear in 69 novels, plus a long-running mystery magazine—and in 1941, was brought to the silver screen in Paramount’s Michael Shayne, Private Detective, an adaptation of Dividend of Death that starred Lloyd Nolan, and paved the way for six additional B-mysteries to follow. The New Adventures of Michael Shayne—premiered on July 15, 1948 starring Jeff Chandler.

THIS EPISODE:

August 13, 1948. Program #5. Broadcaster's Guild syndication, AFRTS rebroadcast. "The Case Of The Hate That Killed". Why has a life insurance company refused to issue a policy on the life of Mark Sanderson? It looks like murder from beyond the grave! These syndicated programs were recorded 1948 to 1950. William Conrad, Jeff Chandler, Stanley Kramer (film director: public service announcement), William P. Rousseau (host, director), John Duffy (composer, conductor), Brett Halliday (creator), Don W. Sharpe (producer). 27:36.

The Belle Of The Barbary Coast (Aired June 28, 1947)


Curtain Time had two separate runs on radio. The fist run was sponsored by General Mills from 1937 to 1939 and the second aired from 1945 to 1950, sponsored by the Mars Candy Co. Interesting is that this romantic drama had a theater setting and announcements with the announcer shouting "tickets please". Many of the episodes were romantic stories where a boy meets his dream girl and what happens afterwards. Announcer for the series was Harry Halcomb who was later known best for his appearances on the 60 minutes television show. Curtain Time is truly an Old Time Radio Classic. Mutual Network, local KNX show sustained, heard Fridays 7:30 - 8:00 pm.

THIS EPISODE:

June 28, 1947. NBC network, WMAQ, Chicago origination/aircheck. "The Belle Of The Barbary Coast". Sponsored by: Snickers, Bulova (local). 6:30 P.M. (CDT). Bert Farber (arranger, conductor), Harry Holcomb (director), Nannette Sargent, Maurice Copeland, Geraldine Kaye, Michael Romano, George Cisar, Irwin Ashkenazie (writer), Patrick Allen (host), Harry Elders. 29:58.

"The Building Permit" (Aired March 23, 1953) "Cutting Onions" (Aired October 9, 1953)


The Beulah Show is an American situation-comedy series that ran in radio on CBS from 1945 to 1954, and in television on ABC from 1950 to 1953. It is notable for being the first sitcom to star an African American. Originally portrayed by Caucasian actor Marlin Hurt, Beulah Brown first appeared in 1939 when Hurt introduced and played the character on the Hometown Incorporated radio series and in 1940 on NBC radio's Show Boat series. In 1943, Beulah moved over to That's Life and then became a supporting character on the popular Fibber McGee and Molly radio series in late 1944. In 1945, Beulah was spun off into her own radio show, The Marlin Hurt and Beulah Show, with Hurt still in the role. Beulah was employed as a housekeeper and cook for the Henderson family: father Harry, mother Alice and son Donnie. After Hurt died of a heart attack in 1946, he was replaced by another white actor, Bob Corley, and the series was retitled The Beulah Show. When black actress Hattie McDaniel took over the role on November 24, 1947, she earned $1000 a week for the first season, doubled the ratings of the original series and pleased the NAACP which was elated to see a historic first: a black woman as the star of a network radio program. McDaniel continued in the role until she became ill in 1952 and was replaced by Lillian Randolph, who was in turn replaced for the 1953-54 radio season by her sister, Amanda Randolph.

Rose Bowl Float (Aired December 27, 1946)


Young was featured in the film Chicken Every Sunday in 1949, and the television version of The Alan Young Show began the following year. After its cancellation, Young appeared in films, including Androcles and the Lion (1952) and The Time Machine (1960). He appeared in the episode "Thin Ice" of the NBC espionage drama Five Fingers, starring David Hedison. He is best known, however, for Mister Ed, a CBS television show which ran from 1961 to 1966. He played the owner of a talking horse that would talk to no one but him. Young's television guest appearances include The Love Boat, Murder, She Wrote, St. Elsewhere, Coach, Party of Five, The Wayans Bros., Sabrina, the Teenage Witch (Episode: "Sweet Charity", playing Zelda's older love interest), USA High, Hang Time, ER and Maybe It's Me. In 1993, Young recreated his role as Filby for the mini-sequel to George Pal's The Time Machine, reuniting him with Rod Taylor, who played George, the Time Traveller. It was called Time Machine: The Journey Back, directed by Clyde Lucas. In 2002, he had a cameo as the flower store worker in Simon Wells' remake of The Time Machine. Finally, in 2010, he read H. G. Wells's original novel for 7th Voyage Productions, Inc. In 1994, Young co-starred in the Eddie Murphy film Beverly Hills Cop III. He played the role of Uncle Dave Thornton, the Walt Disney-esque founder of the fictional California theme park Wonderworld.

THIS EPISODE:

December 27, 1946. "Rose Bowl Float" - NBC network. Sponsored by: Ipana, Minit-Rub, Vitalis. Alan is trusted with the secret plans for the Van Nuys float in the Tournament Of Roses Parade. Al Schwartz (writer), Alan Young, Charlie Cantor, Elvia Allman, George Wyle and His Orchestra, Jim Backus, Jimmy Wallington (announcer), Peter Leeds, Sherwood Schwartz (writer), Veola Vonn (commercial). 29:36.

Cleanliness Is Next To Godliness (Aired August 28, 1948)


Based on Craig Rice’s (a female crime novelist who rivaled Agatha Christie in book sales) novels of crime drama, Frank Lovejoy (and later Gene Raymond and George Petrie) plays “fiction’s most famous criminal lawyer,” John J. Malone. Mr. Malone is our amazing hero, a Chicago lawyer whose bar is more famous than Cheers. His hobby is collecting clichés, and each weeks show is based off of one: cleanliness is next to Godliness, a strong offense is the best defense, seek and ye shall find, and so on. Stories are gripping, from tales of Chicago’s biggest operator who runs a nightclub and his right hand man, to a man looking for trouble in a hotel and finds it in room 419, to a story of a man who owns the most luscious gambling joint this side of Vegas. So brush up on your one liners, and grab your gun, because you’ll want to tune in for this exciting half hour of mystery!

THIS EPISODE:

August 28, 1948. ABC network. Sustaining. Tony Milano, a gangster who believes that "Cleanliness Is Next To Godliness" has it in for Jack Reed. Tony frames Jack Reed for murder, so Jack is in need on Mr. Malone's talents as a criminal lawyer. Frank Lovejoy, Eugene Wang (writer), William P. Rousseau (director), Rex Koury (music), Dresser Dahlstead (announcer), Bernard L. Schubert (producer), Howard Duff. 31:59.

Rebellion Next Week (Aired August 10, 1964)


Theater Five probably came a bit late in ABC's Radio History to really contribute to the body of Golden Age Radio drama, but better late than never. Some have implied that Theater Five was a rather lightweight attempt to recapture the wonderful Radio heritage of the Golden Age of Radio. I suppose this should be considered a Golden Age Revival series in that respect. But in all fairness to ABC Radio, this was never a half-hearted attempt by any means. The production values, polish, direction, sound engineering, and acting were all top notch. Indeed many of the finest voice talents from The Golden Age of Radio are present throughout its run. The variety of dramatic genre represented with its 260 production broadcasts also run the gamut of the rich variety of drama presented during the height of the Golden Age of Radio. Indeed very little is missing from this remarkable production run. The variety of dramatic presentations was one of Theater Five's most compelling features. With a broad mix of genres and some of Radio, Stage, Television and Film's finest guest stars, ABC's humble 21-minute scripts packed a lot of entertainment into a relatively small format. Timing is everything. ABC Radio missed the sweet spot of Radio Drama History by about 20 years. Nevertheless, this series competes well with the Golden Age Radio revival attempts that post-dated it, and, for a 30-minute drama, it certainly hits its target. Now that the Golden Age of Radio has come and gone, there's all the more reason to give this wonderful dramatic anthology another listen. Moreso, given its compact, but thoroughly developed 30-minute format. And let's not forget the chance to listen to wonderful Fred Foy's remarkable voice hosting the series. That's reason enough to give this series another listen.

The Port Of Riga (Aired February 27, 1953)


Horatio Hornblower is a fictional Royal Navy officer who is the protagonist of a series of novels by C. S. Forester, and later the subject of films and television programs. The original Hornblower tales began with the appearance of a junior Royal Navy Captain on independent duty on a secret mission to Central America, though later stories would fill out his earlier years, starting with an unpromising beginning as a seasick midshipman. As the Napoleonic Wars progress, he gains promotion steadily as a result of his skill and daring, despite his initial poverty and lack of influential friends. Eventually, after surviving many adventures in a wide variety of locales, he rises to the pinnacle of his profession, promoted to Rear admiral of the Red Squadron, knighted as a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath, and named the 1st Baron Hornblower. Ernest Hemingway is quoted as saying, "I recommend Forester to everyone literate I know," and Winston Churchill stated, "I find Hornblower admirable." There are many parallels between Hornblower and real naval officers of the period, including Joseph Needham Tayler, Thomas Cochrane and Horatio Nelson. The name "Horatio" was inspired by the character in William Shakespeare's Hamlet and chosen also because of its association with contemporary figures such as Nelson. The name Hornblower was probably derived from the American film producer Arthur Hornblow, Jr., with whom C. S. Forester had been working prior to writing the first Hornblower novel.

THIS EPISODE:

February 27, 1953. Program #32. "The Port Of Riga" - Radio Luxembourg, Towers Of London syndication. Commercials added locally. Hornblower battles the French in the Russian harbor of Riga, much to the disinterest of the ballet-loving Russians. Michael Redgrave, C. S. Forester (creator), Sidney Torch (composer, conductor), Harry Alan Towers (producer, director), Philo Higby (writer). 23:37.

Youth (Aired July 10, 1977)


The General Mills Radio Adventure Theater was a 1977 anthology radio drama series with Tom Bosley as host. Himan Brown, already producing the CBS Radio Mystery Theater for the network, added this twice-weekly (Saturdays and Sundays) anthology radio drama series to his workload in 1977. It usually aired on weekends, beginning in February 1977 and continuing through the end of January 1978, on stations which cleared it. General Mills's advertising agency was looking for a means of reaching children that would be less expensive than television advertising. Brown and CBS were willing to experiment with a series aimed at younger listeners, reaching that audience through ads in comic books. Apart from Christian or other religious broadcasting, this may have been the only nationwide attempt in the U.S. in the 1970s to air such a series. General Mills did not continue as sponsor after the 52 episodes had first aired over the first 26 weekends (February 1977 through July 1977), and the series (52 shows) was then repeated over the next 26 weekends (August 1977 through the end of January 1978), as The CBS Radio Adventure Theater, with a variety of sponsors for the commercials.

THIS EPISODE:

July 10, 1977. Program #46. CBS network, WBBM, Chicago aircheck. "Youth". Sponsored by: General Mills, Orca (movie, local). The program was repeated on January 7, 1978 as, "The CBS Radio Adventure Theater." Tom Bosley (host), Joseph Conrad (author), James Agate Jr. (adaptor), Himan Brown (producer, director), Russell Horton, Arnold Moss, Robert Dryden, William Griffis. 4o:24.

Anna Christie (Aired January 21, 1949)


First Show: 10-05-47 Last Show: 07-01-49 Number Shows: 78 (39 on NBC, 39 on CBS) Audition Show: none known Series Description: The FORD THEATER, sponsored by the Ford Motor Company, presented hour long dramas first on NBC for one only season. The series moved to CBS for its second and last season. There were 39 NBC and 39 CBS hour- long shows (not verified). The show initially received an unfavorable review from the New York Times for poor script adaptation but was still highly rated for the actors' performance and overall production. The show was supposed to feature only original scripts but had to forgo that plan due to lack of quality material. The first season on NBC used radio actors under the direction of George Zachary. Martin Gabel announced the first show but was soon replaced by Kenneth Banghart. The second season, on CBS, used Hollywood screen actors in the lead roles, supported by radio actors. Fletcher Markle, who previously produced CBS's STUDIO ONE series, was the producer for the second season. Although a short series, it still has some of radio's best dramas.

THIS EPISODE:

January 21, 1949. CBS network. "Anna Christie". Sponsored by: Ford, Bulova (local). Ingrid Bergman, John Qualen, Broderick Crawford, Anne Revere, Eugene O'Neill (author), Fletcher Markle (director, host), Vincent McConnor (adaptor), Cy Feuer (composer, conductor), Robert Dryden, Mercedes McCambridge, Byron Kane, Miriam Wolfe, Phil Gould, Gus Bayes, Frank Martin (announcer). 55:19.

Behind The Lines (Aired May 7, 1950)


Based on the book, Cloak and Dagger: The Secret Story of the O.S.S. by Corey Ford and Alistair McBain, the Radio rendition of these fascinating stories promised to keep any listener perched on the edge of their seat. Apart from describing the book upon which the new adventure series was based, the above is just about all the fanfare that was associated with the roll-out of NBC's only espionage program of the year. It was also one of the few solo productions that Wyllis Cooper undertook for NBC. It was also Cooper's first collaboration with British crime journalist Percy Hoskins, who would work with Cooper yet again on NBC's WHItehall-1212 a year hence. The combination of Hoskin's unfailingly accurate research and Cooper's lively, fast-paced writing and direction proved to be an excellent underpinning for an espionage adventure drama based on factual events. The Office of Strategic Services--the progenitor of our Central Intelligence Agency--was one of American History's most colorful and compelling World War II intelligence gathering efforts. It was also, quite understandably, one of our most secret undertakings. Given that backdrop it's very instructive that during the run up to the Cold War years, NBC would attempt to air a fact-based espionage anthology.

THIS EPISODE:

May 7, 1950. "Behind The Lines" - NBC network. Sustaining. 4:00 P. M. Colonel Corey Ford introduces the series before the story. An announcement is made that this is the first show of the series, but in an ambigiuous way. The stories are based on a book by Corey Ford and Alistair McBain. An American O. S. S. member parachutes into occupied Austria on a spying mission, but makes a serious mistake. Keep your eye on the button! The story is untitled in NBC records. The program of May 14, 1950 was pre-empted for a speech by President Truman. Joseph Julian, Berry Kroeger, Raymond Edward Johnson, Karl Weber (announcer), Winifred Wolfe (writer), Louis G. Cowan (producer), Ross Martin, Bernard Philips (?), Dolly Haas, Sherman Marks (director, supervisor), Jon Gart (music director), Corey Ford (host, author), Alistair MacBain (author). 29:28.

The Blue Cross (Aired December 2, 1984)


When we consider the question of clerics and mysteries, the first figure most of us think of is G.K. Chesterton’s Father Brown. The first Father Brown story was published in 1910 in the Saturday Evening Post, years before Chesterton had even converted to Roman Catholicism. Forty-eight Father Brown stories were published before Chesterton’s death, and for many, the unassuming Catholic priest, who solved mysteries through close observation and intuition, remains the model clerical detective, unmatched by any subsequent efforts by other authors. Not that these authors haven’t tried. Their success depends on the same factors by which we judge any piece of fiction in general and mystery fiction in particular: is the writing evocative or flat and cliched? Are the characters three-dimensional, or are they just types who do little but lie flat on the page? Do the situations in the narrative arise organically and naturally, or are they obvious constructs? And what does the religious identity of the detective add to the story? Is it relevant to the tale, or is it merely a gimmick in a narrative that could it have just as well have been told with a gas station attendant searching for clues instead? Father Brown was a natural for radio and he has appeared in several series on both sides of the Atlantic, most notably The Father Brown Stories which were originally broadcast on BBC Radio 4 between 1984 and 1987. They starred Andrew Sachs as Father Brown and Olivier Pierre as Monsieur Flambeau. Andrew Sachs is perhaps best known for his signature role as Manuel the Spanish waiter in John Cleese's TV series, Fawlty Towers. In all episodes of The Father Brown Stories, each of 30 minutes duration, were produced: Series One (1984-'85) consisting of 7 episodes, Series Two (1986) comprised 5 episodes, followed by a one-off special in 1987. Each was dramatized by John Scotney and the series was produced by Alec Reid.

Leland Is Depressed (Aired February 17, 1943) and The Brainfeeble Housewarming (Aired March 31, 1943)



This classic work of American humor was first broadcast on June 29, 1932, and by December, 1943 had a listening audience estimated to number over 7 million by Time magazine. No one knows for certain exactly how many scripts were written, but they had to number in excess of three thousand, and every single script was written by one man; Paul Rhymer. In contributing this vast body of work, Mr. Rhymer used sophisticated humor to chronical life for the working middle-class white family in the 30's and 40's in a style that can legitimately be compared with Mark Twain. Long before Bob Newhart, Shelly Berman, et al, Paul Rhymer demonstrated the art of humor through one-sided telephone conversations with characters we never hear, yet feel as if we know them.(It is my guess that Rhymer was one of the very first to use this technique, and none has done it better.) Not too surprisingly, there are still many hundreds...maybe thousands of Vic and Sade fans today. Some will admit to being old enough to remember listening to the series when it originally aired , but many others (like myself) discovered this diamond in the sea of cubic zirconium that was "Old Time Radio" long after the original series left the air on September 29, 1944.

TODAY'S DOUBLE FEATURE:

February 17, 1943. NBC network. Sponsored by: Crisco. "Leland Is Depressed", so Sade, Uncle Fletcher and Dottie Brainfeeble try to cheer him up. The organ themes are not heard on this recording. Possibly dated February 27, 1943. Paul Rhymer (writer), Ed Roberts (commercial spokesman), Ruth Perrott, Clarence Hartzell, Bernardine Flynn. 14:34.

March 31, 1943. NBC network. Sponsored by: Crisco. "The Brainfeeble Housewarming" - Chuck and Dottie Brainfeeble are planning on a housewarming...for sixty people! Aren't you giddy? The organ themes are not on this recording, the final commercial has been deleted. Ed Roberts (announcer), Bernardine Flynn, Art Van Harvey, Paul Rhymer (writer). 12:11.

Juvenile Delinquency (Aired April 24, 1954)


Case Dismissed was developed as a public service to frame "the story of your legal rights." It was produced in cooperation with The Chicago Bar Association and employed John Fitzgerald, Dean of Loyola University Law School as both host and advisor to the series. A local production of WMAQ AM/FM, NBC's network affiliate in Chicago, the series ran for thirteen weeks during the Spring of 1954. The production employed local talent for the most part. Carlton KaDell, who started his Radio career in Chicago, starred in most of the productions. The remainder of the casts were comprised of WMAQ employees, local Chicago artists, and WMAQ's own production staff. While it's tempting to label this series a Public Service Announcement, it was far more than that. Most of the scripts very cleverly portrayed every right way--or wrong way--to approach a range of legal matters that might concievably affect any American. After resolving the script one way or the other, the Host, John Fitzgerald, would dissect the legal issues involved in the script, point listeners to the right source of legal information--for the State of Illinois, in any case--and suggest alternate scenarios, as time permitted, to further illustrate the larger issues behind that week's topic. As a local presentation, WMAQ's production of Case Dismissed acquitted itself very well indeed. With few exceptions, the enacted legal issues were realistically depicted, thoroughly explored, and informatively resolved.

THIS EPISODE:

April 24, 1954. "Juvenile Delinquency" - NBC network, WMAQ, Chicago origination. Sustaining. The program is produced in co-operation with the Chicago Bar Association. The problem of juvenile delinquency. The last show of the series. Didn't anybody ever comment that the closing theme of this series about the law and lawyers used, as a closing theme, a recording of a Dimitri Kabalevsky composition called, "The Comedians"? Gretchen Thomas, Stanley Gordon, Jack Lester, Harry Elders, Carlton KaDell, Jerry Garvey, Betty Ross (producer), Herbert Littow (director), Tom Evans (sound), John C. Fitzgerald (host, Dean of the Law School, Loyola University), Robert Carmen (writer), Dan Hosek (? engineer), Lee Bennett (announcer). 28:06.

The Duplicate Dean (Aired December 4, 1948)


Merriwell originally appeared in a series of magazine stories starting April 18, 1896 ("Frank Merriwell: or, First Days at Fardale") in Tip Top Weekly, continuing through 1912, and later in dime novels and comic books. Patten would confine himself to a hotel room for a week to write an entire story. The Frank Merriwell comic strip began in 1928, continuing until 1936. Daily strips from 1934 provided illustrations for the 1937 Big Little Book. There are at least three generations of Merriwells: Frank, his half-brother Dick, and Frank's son, Frank Jr. There is a marked difference between Frank and Dick. Frank usually handled challenges on his own. Dick has mysterious friends and skills that help him, especially an old Indian friend without whom the stories would not have been quite as interesting. A film serial entitled The Adventures of Frank Merriwell was created by Universal Studios in 1936.

THIS EPISODE:

December 4, 1948. NBC network. "The Duplicate Dean". Sustaining. Frank and his friends get into trouble when they impersonate the dean while practicing for a dramatic skit. Lawson Zerbe, Hal Studer, Elaine Rost, Harlow Wilcox (announcer), Art Carney, Burt L. Standish (creator). 29:55.

Dark Island (Aired August 8, 1949)


Murder By Experts was a radio drama anthology series that ran on American radio from 1949-1951, and was hosted first by John Dickson Carr, and later by Brett Halliday. Evidently, a mystery, authored by a leading crime fiction writer, was presented, and "guest experts," such as Alfred Hitchcock or Craig Rice, were invited to solve it. Or maybe not -- nobody seems to know much about this one. David Kogan, the writer/creator of Murder by Experts, also created and wrote The Mysterious Traveler. Guest experts: Alfred Hitchcock, Craig Rice. Guest stars: Ann Shepard, Larry Haines, Carl Eastman, Ann Sheperd, Bill Zuckert, Ralph Camargo, Burt Cullen, Lawson Zerbe, Marilyn Erskin.

THIS EPISODE:

August 8, 1949. Mutual network. "The Dark Island". Sustaining. A woman marries a writer when he rents a cottage on a lonely island owned by her father. Is he really, "The Scalpel Killer?" John Dickson Carr (host, narrator), Sidney Morris (author), Gertrude Warner, Bernard Grant, Robert A. Arthur (adaptor, producer, director), David Kogan (adaptor, producer, director), Phil Tonken (announcer), Maurice Tarplin, Richard Dupage (composer), Emerson Buckley (conductor). 29:26.

The Scientific Touch (Aired September 7, 1955)


The FBI in Peace and War was a radio crime drama inspired by Frederick Lewsis Collins' book, The FBI in Peace and War. The idea for the show came from Louis Pelletier who wrote many of the scripts. Among the show's other writers were Jack Finke, Ed Adamson and Collins. Airing on CBS from November 25, 1944 to September 28, 1958, it had a variety of sponsors (including Lava Soap, Wildroot Cream Oil, Lucky Strike, Nescafe and Wrigley's) over the years. Martin Blaine and Donald Briggs headed the cast. Theme music was "The Love for Three Oranges" (Prokofiev).

THIS EPISODE:

September 7, 1955. CBS network origination, AFRTS rebroadcast. "The Scientific Touch". An ex-police technician has been teaching a gang of crooks how to beat the lie detector. Frederick L. Collins (creator). 25:10.

The Only Inhabitant (Aired November 19, 1946)


Dark Venture was a grim kind of thriller where the listener got inside the twisted head of the murderer and heard his thoughts. It was not supernatural horror, but horror just the same... the kind that evil minds spawn when they are scheming ways to kill someone and get away with it. The writing was sharp and gritty. These killers were hardened sociopaths that didn't give a damn about anyone else. They had no conscience and were diabolical in their plots. Unfortunately for them, the audience also liked to see others suffer, especially if that person was guilty and deserved his comeuppance. So each week millions could tune in to "see" the murderer meet his fate on the radio in their mind's eye. The killing method wasn't especially creative. It was usually the tried and true technique of strangulation, knifing, or shooting. No, what made Dark Venture interesting was the manner in which the killer plotted to get away with it all. Killers would devise sinister mind games to trick their wife into believing she was going insane, or manipulate a business partner into thinking he was being stalked by a phantom lover. Both of these elaborate plots were dreamed up to provide a fall guy for the murder, and both would have worked too-- except for some small detail that would unravel the entire conspiracy. It was racy radio alright, the kind that made them pass new regulations in 1947 to tone it down. Maybe that's why Dark Venture ended that same year. (Or maybe it was that producer Donald Wilson was too busy with a similar series which was even more popular, The Whistler.) Whatever the reason, only a few samples of this sinister series survive. John Lake was the narrator (Dunning, 191), but he didn't present much except the introduction. Most of the actual narrating was provided by the culprit, which made it difficult for the listener not to identify with the killer at least a little bit, because we were sharing his thoughts. It was one of the fun aspects of the show. You knew he would get caught at the end, but you still kind of wished he would get away with it. After all, he seemed nice enough while telling us his story. It was just that small detail about taking someone else's life that made him a menace to the rest of society.

Francis Langford At Catalina Island (Aired August 26, 1945)


The Chase and Sanborn Hour, was launched September 13, 1931, teaming Cantor with Rubinoff and announcer Jimmy Wallington. The show established Cantor as a leading comedian, and his scriptwriter, David Freedman, as "The Captain of Comedy".When Jimmy Durante stepped in as a substitute for Cantor, making his first appearance on September 10, 1933, he was so successful that he was offered his own show. Then the world's highest paid radio star, Cantor continued as The Chase and Sanborn Hour's headliner until November 25, 1934. With a new format, The Opera Guild, hosted by Deems Taylor, began December 2, 1934, Sundays at 8pm, on The Chase and Sanborn Hour, and that concert series continued until March 17, 1935. Major Bowes' Amateur Hour had the slot from March 24, 1935 until September 11, 1936, followed by Do You Want to Be an Actor?, with Haven MacQuarrie, broadcast from January 3, 1937 until May 2, 1937, a series that continued Sundays at 10:30pm as a half-hour show from December 5, 1937 until February 20, 1938. Meanwhile, Chase and Sanborn found a gold mine with a wooden dummy when Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy began an 11-year run, starting May 9, 1937. The 1945 summer replacement series, with Spike Jones and Frances Langford as co-hosts, was titled The Chase and Sanborn Program. Although the series ended December 26, 1948, it was followed by a compilation show, The Chase and Sanborn 100th Anniversary Show (November 15, 1964), assembled by writer Carroll Carroll and narrated by Bergen. This became an annual event with The Chase and Sanborn 101st Anniversary Show (November 14, 1965), a Fred Allen tribute, followed by The Chase and Sanborn 102nd Anniversary Show (November 13, 1966).

THIS EPISODE:

August 26, 1945. "Francis Langford At Catalina Island" - NBC network, KDKA, Pittsbrgh aircheck. Sponsored by: Chase and Sanborn. 8:00 P.M. The program originates from the U.S. Maritime Service Training Station, Catalina Island, California. The first tune is, "More Than You Know." The City Slickers play, "No, No, Nora" and "Laura." The program is interrupted for a report from Guthrie Janson who is aboard a B-17 over the island of Nagasaki. He describes the damage from the atomic bomb (the short wave audio is dicey). The report is ended in progress to return to the program. The cast then does a hillbilly drama. This is the last show of the series with this cast; Charlie McCarthy returns next week. The first 22:03 of the program only. Frances Langford, Spike Jones and The City Slickers, Ken Carpenter (announcer), Tony Romano (vocal), Del Porter (vocal), Carl Grayson (vocal). 27:10.

Hijackers (Aired September 28, 1941)


The Bulldog Drummond stories followed Captain Hugh "Bulldog" Drummond, D.S.O., M.C., a wealthy former WWI officer of the fictional Loamshire Regiment, who, after the war, spends his new-found leisure time as a private detective. Drummond is a proto-James Bond figure and a version of the imperial adventurers depicted by the likes of John Buchan. In terms of the detective genre, the first Bulldog Drummond novel was published after the Sherlock Holmes stories, the Nayland Smith/Fu Manchu novels and Richard Hannay's first three adventures including The Thirty-Nine Steps. The character first appeared in the novel Bulldog Drummond (1920), and this was followed by a lengthy series of books and adaptations for films, radio and television. "Drummond... has the appearance of an English gentleman: a man who fights hard, plays hard and lives clean... His best friend would not call him good-looking but he possess that cheerful type of ugliness which inspires immediate confidence ... Only his eyes redeem his face. Deep-set and steady, with eyelashes that many women envy, they show him to be a sportsman and an adventurer. Drummond goes outside the law when he feels the ends justify the means." The opening of the radio show starts with a the sounds of footsteps, foghorn, then two shots ring out, followed by three blows of a police officer's whistle. Bulldog was a methodical crime-solving sleuth who let nothing get in his way of his goal, which was to put a stop to crime! Bulldog believed in uncomplicated and decisive means of getting his way with the lords of the underworld. This usually led to their swift capture, and the easing of the city's burden brought about by these ruthless thugs.

THIS EPISODE:

September 28, 1941. "Hijackers" - A Mutual network presentation/audition program with sales copy for the program instead of commercials. Captain Drummond and faithful Denny break up a hijacking gang with one of Drummond's inventions, a paint that changes color! Possibly recorded during the summer of 1941. George Coulouris, Everett Sloane. 28:11.

The Man In The Mirror (Aired November 27, 1961)


The series arose out of an improptu competition between The Far East Network and The Armed Forces Network-Germany. Both networks sent 15 ips audition tapes to the AFRTS Headquarters in Los Angeles and FEN Tokyo won the 'competition'. The AFRTS transcribed and distributed the Macabre series on October 4, 1961-- a month before FEN Tokyo recorded a ninth episode of Macabre for Christmas Day, titled Of Frankincense and Myrrh. FEN Launches Macabre on the lucky 13th of November 1961. Launched, appropriately enough on the 13th of November, 1961, the series ran for nine weeks, including a special Christmas Day broadcast, "Of Frankincense and Myrrh," and ending on January 8, 1962 with "Edge of Evil." Note that in the article in the 'Provenances' sidebar below mentions a run of eight weeks. That's apparently the tenuous provenance upon which most of the misinformation about the true run of Macabre has been based for the past forty years. But in fact, in the interim, FEN Tokyo scripted a ninth program, Of Frankincense and Myrrh, to air on Christmas Day, 1961. That's the episode that has been inaccurately cited as being preempted by virtually every 'otr expert' in the world. As can now be fully demonstrated, there was, indeed, a full run of nine episodes, all of which aired from FEN Tokyo during the holiday season of 1961.

THIS EPISODE:

November 27, 1961. Program #3. AFRTS-FEN origination. "The Man In The Mirror". A man injured in a traffic accident and about to die is given a chance to live by a strange voice. A good story of blood and the supernatural. William Verdier (performer, writer, director), Walt Sheldon, Carolyn Johnston, Milton Radmilovich, Larry Clemons (technical supervisor), Bob Eddy (technical supervisor), Al Lepage (announcer), John Buey, Mitzi Hennessey. 28:17.

The Case Of The Quincy Killers (Aired April 24, 1948)


Gang Busters was an American dramatic radio program heralded as "the only national program that brings you authentic police case histories." It premiered as G-Men, sponsored by Chevrolet, on July 20, 1935. After the title was changed to Gang Busters January 15, 1936, the show had a 21-year run through November 20, 1957. Beginning with a barrage of loud sound effects — guns firing and tires squealing — this intrusive introduction led to the popular catch phrase "came on like Gang Busters."The series dramatized FBI cases, which producer-director Phillips H. Lord arranged in close association with Bureau director J. Edgar Hoover. Hoover insisted that only closed cases would be used. The initial series was on NBC Radio from July 20 - October 12, 1935. It then aired on CBS from January 15, 1936 to June 15, 1940, sponsored by Colgate-Palmolive and Cue magazine. From October 11, 1940 to December 25, 1948, it was heard on the Blue Network, with various sponsors that included Sloan's Liniment, Waterman pens and Tide. Returning to CBS on January 8, 1949, it ran until June 25, 1955, sponsored by Grape-Nuts and Wrigley's chewing gum. The final series was on the Mutual Broadcasting System from October 5, 1955 to November 27, 1957. It was once narrated by Norman Schwarzkopf, Sr., former head of the New Jersey State Police. The radio series was adapted for DC Comics, Big Little Books and a 1942 movie serial. The 1952 Gang Busters TV series was reedited into two feature films, Gang Busters (1954) and Guns Don't Argue (1957).

THIS EPISODE:

April 24, 1948. Program #526. ABC network origination, syndicated, WRVR-FM, New York rebroadcast. "The Case Of The Quincy Killers". Participating sponsors. A father and son team specialize in kidnapping, theft and murder. This program is noted for its use of a melodeon instead of the usual organ. WRVR rebroadcast date: July 9, 1973. Ted Corday (director), Stanley Niss (writer), William Zuckert, Bill Smith, Phillips H. Lord (producer), Don Gardiner (announcer), Ben Hunter (KEX Portland Oregon announcer). 23:57.

Boxcars711 Overnight Western "Hopalong Cassidy" - ColtsvilleTerror (Aired February 4, 1948)


William Boyd was Hoppy and his sidekick was played by either Andy Clyde or Joe DuVal. Boyd who began his movie career in the days of silent films was a forgotten man until he was asked to portray Hopalong Cassidy in the movies of the 1940s. By 1946 or so he had been in over 60 Hoppy movies and was crowned the king of the cowboys. He became the hero of kids around the world and this lasted until another resurgence in the form of the Hoppy radio series. Once more he attained the fame and regards of kids and adults. During the radio years, TV versions of his early films began appearing on televison. His early movies were edited for televison of the day and once more Bill Boyd entertained his fans. There's more - with the success of these old movies, still another series of original TV films came. And once again Bill Boyd as Hoppy was an immediate success. The radio series was a hard sell. The owners could find takers. When this series began it was offered to the various networks. They wanted nothing to do with it so the owners had to sell it in syndication. But, after a short time it became extremely successful that later was heard on the Mutual and CBS networks.

THIS EPISODE:

February 4, 1948. Program #3. Commodore syndication. "The Coltsville Terror". Sponsored by: Commercials added locally (music fill deleted). Seeking shelter from a storm in an empty church, Hoppy and California try to prevent the church from being demolished. The story is based on the film, "The Marauders." The date above is the recording date. William Boyd, Andy Clyde, Clayton Post, John McIntire, Martha Wentworth, Charles Beldon (screenwriter), Clarence Mulford (creator), Walter White Jr. (producer), Ted Bliss (director), Charles Lyon (announcer, performer). 29:22.

The Coach That Arrived Missing (1949)


Frontier Town will forever reside in that twilight of the Western genre of Golden Age Radio--between the highly self-conscious adult Westerns of the mid- to late-1950s and the rock'em, sock'em, shoot-em-up juvenile adventure Westerns of the 1930s and 1940s. It's obvious from this series that Radio westerns were beginning to lean in an adult direction--but not without some kicking and screaming in the process. Radio's Gunsmoke was already in development and Television was making impressive inroads into Radio's commercial audience. With hundreds of Hopalong Cassidy and other western hero film reruns airing night and day over Television, the race was on to find a more rivetting format for the great American western. Jeff Chandler opens the series billed as 'Tex' Chandler, in the role of Chad Remington. He acquires a sidekick in Episode #1: a garrulous quasi-scoundrel by the name of Cherokee O'Bannon, a man of obvious mixed breeding--and morals. Cherokee O'Bannon is portrayed by Wade Crosby in a somewhat over the top rendition of W.C. Fields. The superb mood music is provided by no less than Ivan Ditmars and Bob Mitchell, of Mitchell Boy Choir fame. The sound effects clearly approach the level of what audiences would hear for much of the remainder of the 1950s--hyper-realistic and meticulously timed. Paul Franklin's scripts are clever and well developed. Principally a comedy writer, it's clear that he's well suited to provide Cherokee O'Bannon's dialogue with great imagination, but he's equally adept at providing interesting story lines throughout the run.

Dial A Deadly Number (Aired July 24, 1966) MOVIE


The Avengers is a 1960s British television series in the Spy-Fi genre set in cold war Britain. The Avengers focused on John Steed (Patrick Macnee) and his succession of investigative partners working as government agents for the "Ministry". As the series evolved Steed's later partners were high profile, stylish women: Cathy Gale (Honor Blackman), followed by Emma Peel (Diana Rigg), and later Tara King (Linda Thorson). Later episodes increasingly incorporated elements of science fiction and fantasy, parody and British eccentricity. The Avengers was produced by ABC Weekend Television, a contractor within the ITV network. After a merger in July 1968 ABC Weekend Television became Thames Television who continued production of the series, although it was still broadcast under the ABC name. By 1969 The Avengers was shown in more than 90 countries. ITV produced the sequel series The New Avengers (1976–1977) with Patrick Macnee returning as John Steed, with two new partners.

THIS EPISODE:

July 24, 1966 - Season 4. Episode 6. "Dial A Deadly Number" - In a bustling City bar where the waiters dress like Bank couriers, complete with top hats, three businessmen gather to discuss equities. Henry Boardman (Clifford Evans) is last to arrive and Ben Jago (Anthony Newlands) calls over the waiter, Billy (Edward Cast). The 'pen' in Todhunter's pocket beeps, and he announces he and Henry are late for a board meeting - Henry put him onto the company that makes the 'portable secretary'. The shifty-looking Fitch (John Carson) watches them from the bar and takes an identical beeper from his pocket. He deliberately bumps into Todhunter as they pass him and switches the beeper for Todhunter's. A while later, Todhunter is delivering his report to the board when Fitch dials his beeper's number, and the broker collapses mid-sentence, stone dead.

The Lady Who Wanted To Live (Aired October 26, 1949)


Frank Graham, by all contemporary accounts, was on the fast track to a highly successful career in Radio, Television and Animation. His voice talent was in great demand in Animation, his success with CBS as an announcer, narrator, actor and producer was being noticed, and he was already being cited as an up and comer throughout the entertainment industry. But the morning newspapers of September 3, 1950 brought news totally at odds with everyone's expectations of Frank Graham's rising star. He was found dead of carbon monoxide poisoning, apparently at his own hand, in the garage of his Hollywood Hills home. He was found clutching a photo of his current lady friend, Mildred Rossi, a talented young animator for the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank. Graham had apparently taken his own life in response to disappointment over the progress of his relationship with Ms. Rossi. It is as yet unknown if the September 3 episode aired that evening. One would hope that it didn't, in any case. But that was the end of Jeff Regan, Investigator--literally and figuratively. A sad and utterly unnecessary end to an engaging series, to be sure, but also a simple reminder that the lives and adventures portrayed over Radio were performed by quite fallible human beings. CBS, for it's part, made no further effort to revive the series yet again. Show Note From The Digital Deli

Boxcars711 Overnight Western "Lone Ranger" - The Secret Land (Aired July 1, 1938)


On radio, the Lone Ranger was played by several actors, including John L. Barrett who played the role on the test broadcasts on WEBR during early January, 1933; George Seaton (under the name George Stenius) from January 31 to May 9 of 1933; series director James Jewell and an actor known only by the pseudonym "Jack Deeds" (for one episode each), and then by Earle Graser from May 16, 1933, until April 7, 1941. On April 8, Graser died in a car accident, and for five episodes, as the result of being critically wounded, the Lone Ranger was unable to speak beyond a whisper, with Tonto carrying the action. Finally, on the broadcast of April 18, 1941, deep-voiced performer Brace Beemer, who had been the show's announcer for several years, took over the role and played the part until the end. Fred Foy, also an announcer on the show, took over the role on one broadcast on March 29, 1954, when Brace Beemer had a brief case of laryngitis. Tonto was played throughout the run by actor John Todd.

THIS EPISODE:

July 1, 1938. Program #847/72. Syndicated. "The Secret Land". Music fill for local commercial insert. A homesteader owes $200...or his horses. It's a scheme to cheat him out of his land, but the Ranger urges him to not give up hope. The Ranger sets up an elaborate "sting." Tonto's horse is called "White Feller," not "Scout." Earle Graser, John Todd, Fran Striker (writer), George W. Trendle (producer). 32:47.

The Case Of The Angry Mourner (Aired November 2, 1957)


Perry Mason is the longest running lawyer show in American television history. Its original run lasted nine years and its success in both syndication and made-for-television movies confirm its impressive stamina. Mason's fans include lawyers and judges who were influenced by this series to enter their profession. The Mason character was created by mystery writer Erle Stanley Gardner and delivered his first brief in the novel The Case of the Velvet Claws (1933). From 1934 to 1937 Warners produced six films featuring Mason. A radio series also based on Mason ran every weekday afternoon on CBS radio from 1944 to 1955 as a detective/soap opera. When the CBS television series was developed as an evening drama, the radio series was changed from Perry Mason to The Edge of Night and the cast renamed so as not to compete against the television series.

THIS EPISODE:

November 2, 1957. "The Case Of The Angry Mourner. There's no rest for Perry Mason. While on vacation at his remote cabin, a woman in the area is charged with the murder of a playboy. Raymond Burr, Barbara Hale and William Hopper . 52:48

"The Case Of The Dead Magician (01-29-36)" and "The Case Of The Missing Masterpiece (02-05-36)"


The Phyl Coe Mysteries was a syndicated radio series that came out in 1936, with the lead character's name designed to reflect the sponsor, Philco Radio Tubes. PHYL (short for Phyllis) COE is described as the "beautiful girl detective". She was a private investigator who was smart, aggressive, and a "take-charge" lady. In one episode where a magician is shot on stage, Phyl, who is attending the performance, with her boy friend, leaps to the stage, barks orders to theatre personnel, and solves the crime before the cops even get there. In other mysteries, she identifies the thief of a famous painting, solves the mystery involving a new death-ray gun, and solves a murder aboard an aeroplane. Cast and crew have not yet been identified. None of the solutions to each episode appear in it, since the original listeners were supposed to send in their answers to Philco and win cash prizes. About 12 episodes are known to be in circulation. At the heigth of its popularity about 250 radio stations throughout the U.S. were airing this 15 program. The contest was run by Geare-Marston, Inc of Philadelphia.

TODAY'S SHOW: "The Case Of The Dead Magician (01-29-36)" and "The Case Of The Missing Masterpiece (02-05-36)"

The Silver Dagger Strikes (04-12-43) and The Secret Squadron Strikes (05-26-43)



Captain Midnight was a U.S. radio serial broadcast from 1938 to 1949. Created by radio scripters Wilfred G. Moore and Robert M. Burtt, the program was developed at WGN in Chicago. Sponsored by the Skelly Oil Company, it began as a syndicated show in the fall of 1938, airing on a few midwest stations through the spring of 1940. In the fall of 1940, Ovaltine took over sponsorship, and the series was then heard nationally on the Mutual Radio Network where it remained until December, 1949. The title character, Charles James Albright, was a World War I pilot. His Captain Midnight code name was given by a general who sent him on a high-risk mission. When the show began in 1938, Albright was a private aviator who helped people, but his situation changed in 1940. When the show was taken over by Ovaltine, the origin story explained how Albright was recruited to head the Secret Squadron, an aviation-oriented paramilitary organization fighting sabotage and espionage during the period prior to the United States' entry into World War II. The Secret Squadron acted both within and outside the United States. When the United States was attacked at Pearl Harbor, the show shifted the Secret Squadron's duties to fight the more unconventional aspects of the war. Besides the stock villain, Ivan Shark, the war years introduced Axis villains, Baron von Karp, Admiral Himakito and von Schrecker. After the war, some of the newer villains used war surplus equipment to carry out their activities. The show was extremely popular, with an audience in the millions. Just under half the listeners were adult, and it was a favorite of WWII Army Air Corps crews when they were stationed in the U.S. Premiums offered by the series were decoders, and these Code-O-Graphs were used by listeners to decipher daily messages previewing the next day's episode.

Murder At Haggets Landing (2 Pts. COMPLETE) 02-28-38 & 03-07-38


Blair of the Mounties is the story of the Royal Northwest Mounted Police, a fictional series based on the work of the Northwest Mounted Police before the World War I. It was a fifteen minute weekly serial heard every Monday for 36 weeks beginning January 31st, 1938 and running through the 3rd of October of 1938. It may have been on the air as early as 1935, although there’s no actual proof of this. Little is known of the series other than it followed the exploits of Sgt. Blair of the Northwest Mounted Police. and probably was the inspiration for Trendell, Campbell and Muir's Challenge of the Yukon. The series was written by Colonel Rhys Davies, who also played the Colonel Blair in the series. Jack Abbot played the Constable. Jack French, one of OTR’s best researchers says this about the series: “Blair is not restricted to Canada, as other Mounties, as we find him, in a few cases, in Great Britain, solving cases. Overall the series is amateurishly written, with the actor playing Blair coming accros as a bit stuffy.”

TODAY'S SHOW: "Murder At Hackett's Landing" (Parts 1 and 2 (COMPLETE) 02-28-38 and 03-07-38

February 28 and March 7, 1938. Program #6. Walter Biddick syndication. "Murder At Hackett's Landing". A pair of fur thieves are captured when one of them spares a woman and child from freezing to death. 26:18.

Boxcars711 Overnight Western "Maverick" - Seed Of Deception (Aired April 14, 1954)


Maverick is a western television series with comedic overtones which was created by Roy Huggins that ran from September 22, 1957 to July 8, 1962 on ABC and featured James Garner, Jack Kelly, Roger Moore, and Robert Colbert as the roving, poker-playing Mavericks (Bret, Bart, Beau, & Brent). Moore and Colbert were later additions, though there were never more than two current Mavericks in any single episode at any given time, and more often only one. The series' primary sponsor for the first few seasons was Kaiser Aluminum, and their "quilted" aluminum foil was widely advertised in commercials shown on Maverick. Maverick presented James Garner as Bret Maverick (1957–1960), a cagey, articulate cardsharp roaming the Old West, Jack Kelly as his equally skilled brother Bart Maverick (1957–1962), and Roger Moore as British accented cousin Beau Maverick (1960–1961). Bret Maverick is the epitome of a rounder, always seeking out high-stakes games and rarely remaining in one place for long. James Garner was the only Maverick in the series during the first seven episodes, and the show is generally credited with launching Garner's career although he'd appeared in several earlier movies, including Sayonara with Marlon Brando. Maverick often bested both The Ed Sullivan Show and The Steve Allen Show in audience size.

THIS EPISODE:

April 14, 1954. "Seed Of Deception" - Bret and Bart ride into a small Arizona town and are mistaken for Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday despite their protestations to the contrary. Things start to look bad for the Mavericks when an outlaw gang ride into town and the local sheriff convinces the crooks that the two gamblers are the famous lawmen. The gunsels aren't about to let two men to get in their way of their planned bank robbery no matter what their reputation. 39:44.

Taking Care Of 5 Cats (Aired June 23, 1943)


An NBC offering. Aired on Sundays from 7:00PM to 7:30PM, starring Lional Barrymore and Agnes Moorehead. The creator and writer was Jean Holloway, the announcer Harlow Wilcox, music by Gordon Jenkins and sponsored by Rinso detergent. The show was a perfect vehicle for Lionel Barrymore: rich with warmhearted humor, and good-natured grumbling, its "mayor" had a fierce bark but a mushy heart when confronted with the plight of an orphan or a stray dog. The mayor cared little about political advantage: he even found time, once a year, to turn the town of Springdale into a special theater, to give his traditional performance as Ebenezer Scrooge in Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol. THE CAST: Lionel Barrymore as the mayor of the town of Springdale. Agnes Moorehead as Marilly, his housekeeper. Conrad Binyon as the mayor's ward, Butch. Gloria McMillan as Sharlee Bronson, Butch's best girl. Priscilla Lyon as Holly-Ann, the mayor's granddaughter. Also: Will Wright, Sharon Douglas, Irvin Lee, Marjorie Davies, and other Hollywood actors. Producer: Murray Bolen; later Knowles Entrikin. Director: Jack Van Nostrand. Writers: Jean Holloway, Leonard St. Clair, Howard Blake, Erna Lazarus, etc.; Howard Breslin and Charles Tazewell wrote alternate weeks, ca. 1945. Orchestra:. Gordon Jenkins (ca. 1943); Bernard Katz (1945); Frank Worth. Sound Effects: David Light, Mary Ann Gideon.

THIS EPISODE:

June 23, 1943. "Taking Care Of 5 Cats" - CBS network. Sponsored by: Rinso, Lifebuoy Soap. The mayor finds himself cat-sitting five cats and a dog and contending with an important Lodge election. Harlow Wilcox (announcer), Charles Ruggles, Lionel Barrymore, Agnes Moorehead, Will Wright, Joseph Kearns, Jean Holloway (writer). 29:06.

The Woman's Rights Convention (Aired June 11, 1950)


The radio program made a transition to television in 1953, with Walter Cronkite as the regular host. Reporters included veteran radio announcers Dick Joy and Harlow Wilcox. The first telecast took place on February 1, 1953 and featured a re-enactment of the Hindenburg disaster. The final telecast took place on October 13, 1957. Originally telecast live, most of the later episodes were produced on film. One of the episodes, for instance, features actor Pat Conway as James J. Corbett, the boxer who fought champion John L. Sullivan in 1892. The series also featured various key events in American and World history, portrayed in dramatic recreations. Additionally, CBS News reporters, in modern-day suits, would report on the action and interview the protagonists of each of the historical episodes. Each episode would begin with the characters setting the scene. Cronkite, from his anchor desk in New York, would give a few words on what was about to happen. An announcer would then give the date and the event, followed by a loud and boldly spoken "You Are There!" At the end of the program, after Cronkite summarizes what happened in the preceding event, he reminded viewers, "What sort of day was it? A day like all days, filled with those events that alter and illuminate our times... and you were there." Walter Cronkite, TV host of You Are There The program was seen again on Saturday morning as a videotaped color program from 1971 to 1972. The format of the revival was basically the same as the original versions. These programs were also hosted by Cronkite. Both series were produced by CBS News. From 2000 to 2005, Cronkite presented a series of essays for National Public Radio, reflecting on various key events of his life, including his involvement in You Are There in the 1950s.

THIS EPISODE:

June 11, 1950. CBS network. "The Woman's Rights Convention". Sustaining. The events of September 7, 1853. The start of a campaign for the right vote and equal rights for women. Sam Abelow (producer), Werner Mishel (documentary unit supervisor), Irving Gitlin (script editor), Minerva Pious, Grace Matthews, Don Hollenbeck, Ned Calmer, Jane Lyon (writer), Peter Lyon (writer), Mitchell Grayson (director), Bill Leonard, Larry LeSueur, Amanda Randolph, Guy Sorel, Ruth Yorke, Lesley Woods, Charles Webster, Burford Hampden. 29:32.

Sometimes A Sucker Wins (Aired September 4, 1947)


30-minute murder mystery stories adapted for radio by Stedman Coles or Wyllis Cooper from based on and featuring some of the stories from the Doubleday Crime Club books. Crime Club was broadcast by Mutual and produced and directed by Roger Bower. The post war stories were by various different authors and adapted for radio by among others Stedman Coles and Wyllis Cooper (writer of Lights Out and Quiet Please). The narrator played by Barry Thomson is the supposed curator of the Crime Club library. He speaks to the listener as if they have just arrived or phoned and requested one of the Club's books. The telephone rings, “Hello I hope I haven’t kept you waiting. This is the librarian, Silent Witnesses; yes we have that Crime Club book for you, come right over.” The organ plays suspenseful music, the door opens and the librarian says, “Ah you’re here, good take the easy chair by the window. Comfortable? The book is on this shelf…”He would take the book from the shelf and begin to tell the tale. The story would end with the Librarian informing you that there was a new Crime Club book available this week and every week in bookstores everywhere.

THIS EPISODE:

September 4, 1947. Mutual net. "Sometimes A Sucker Wins". Sustaining. A woman tries to find her missing brother and finds murder instead. 30:35

The Sniper (1953) *The Exact Date Is Unknown


This show, from the early 1950s, is a good example of the true story style of delivery made popular in radio's classic crime shows Gangbusters and Mr. District Attorney. Of course, the best and most popular of the true crime shows was Dragnet -- the monotone, "just the facts" style demanded by Jack Webb in the show made two points at once: first, that the show wasn't a typical melodramatic crime show, as had been on radio since "the good old days", and more importantly, that we were along for the ride on another day at the office -- in this case, a policeman's “day at the office". Not a true crime show, as this is drama, but this show features Chuck Morgan, as played by Glen Langen, a very believable news anchor at KOP, a Los Angeles radio station. He is pals with Lieutenant Bill Miggs of the police force, who tips him off to hot crime news. Also in on the capers is Morgan's "Gal Friday", Carol Curtis, played by Adele Jurgens. The three meet all types -- mostly on the shady side of the street. In real life, Glen and Adele were husband and wife, the two marrying in 1949. They had met on the movie set of The Treasure of Monte Cristo. On the show, the repartee between the two is strictly old school and quite enjoyable. The dialogue is solid and makes the most of the plots. Unheralded and left for dead, Stand By for Crime is well worth your time. Show Notes from the OTRR Group

THIS EPISODE:
1953. Cheshire and Associates syndication. Music fill for local commercial insert. Chuck Morgan is targeted by The Sniper. He reaches out to an ex-con he once helped. Glenn Langan, Adele Jergen