Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod

Boxcars711 Overnight Western "Wild Bill Hickock" - The Gun Belt Treasure (02-28-53)

Bob Camardella — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 05:59:49 GMT

Boxcars711 Overnight Western "Wild Bill Hickock" - The Gun Belt Treasure (Aired February 28, 1953)
Wild Bill Hickock was a real life Civil War soldier, sharpshooter, gunfighter and lawman of the Old West. He was an adventurer who had many brushes with death, but they were greatly exaggerated by the stories told about him in various media. His fame lives on, not so much for his real life tales, but because he was the first dime novel hero, he appears in various movies, television shows, and this old time radio program. His tale comes to a sad, yet iconoclastic end. He was killed while playing a round of poker. His hand was aces and eights. For those who know poker, that’s known as the ‘Dead Man’s Hand.’ Wild Bill started on the radio in 1951 as a kids western show. It emphasized the tracking down the bad guys and fighting for the law rather than the shootin, poker playin, rough and tumble Civil War vet, who lies about his life to get good publicity aspects of Wild Bill’s life. The show is in the tradition of the Lone Ranger and the Cisco Kid. Guy Madison starred as Bill with Andy Devine as his sidekick, Jingles. (Now there’s a name you want to go through Hollywood with.) This Wild Bill Hickock was quick with his fists and a quip, but Jingles (dear god that nickname) got all his glory by using his immense girth to fight the bad guys. Jingles if you couldn’t tell was the comedic element in the series. And what is it with overweight sidekicks in westerns? See Cisco Kid’s partner, the jolly and rotund Pancho. Give the horses a break. The radio program lasted until 1954. The television show was started at the same time in 1951 and lasted until 1958. Also Wild Bill was portrayed by Gary Cooper in the 1936 movie, The Plainsman. Wild Bill has shown up in various other movies and television shows, most recently in the show Deadwood on HBO. THIS EPISODE: February 28, 1953. Program #135. Globe Sound syndication. "Gun Belt Treasure". Commercials added locally. Returning from Mexico, Wild Bill and Jingles are held up, but all the robbers take are Jingles' bullets! This syndicated version uses canned music instead of Richard Aurandt at the organ. The date is subject to correction. Guy Madison, Andy Devine, David Hire (producer), Paul Pierce (writer, director), Joseph Du Val, Frank Gerstle, Forrest Lewis, Charles Lyon (announcer). 22:24.

The FBI In Peace & War - The Crackup (09-14-50)

Bob Camardella — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 03:08:06 GMT

The Crackup (Aired September 14, 1950)
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. THIS EPISODE: September 14, 1950. CBS network. "The Crackup". Sponsored by: Duz, Drene, Lava Soap. Three bank robbers are in hiding after a job. One of them has a bad case of the jitters. Martin Blaine, Don Briggs, Larry Haines, Louis Pelletier (writer), Len Sterling (announcer), Joe DeSantis, Jack Finke (writer), Vladimir Selinsky (music supervisor), Betty Mandeville (producer, director), Bud Collyer (commercial spokesman). 28:06.

Father Brown Mysteries - The Absence Of Mr. Glass (11-29-46)

Bob Camardella — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 21:47:13 GMT

The Absence Of Mr. Glass (Aired November 29, 1946)
Father Brown is a fictional character created by English novelist G. K. Chesterton, who stars in 52 short stories, later compiled in five books. Chesterton based the character on Father John O'Connor (1870 - 1952), a parish priest in Bradford who was involved in Chesterton's conversion to Catholicism in 1922. The relationship was recorded by O'Connor in his 1937 book Father Brown on Chesterton. Father Brown is a short, stumpy Catholic priest, "formerly of Cobhole in Essex, and now working in London," with shapeless clothes and a large umbrella, and uncanny insight into human evil. He makes his first appearance in the famous story "The Blue Cross" and continues through the five volumes of short stories, often assisted by the reformed criminal Flambeau. Father Brown also appears in a story "The Donnington Affair" that has a rather curious history. In the October 1914 issue of the obscure magazine The Premier, Sir Max Pemberton published the first part of the story, inviting a number of detective story writers, including Chesterton, to use their talents to solve the mystery of the murder described. Chesterton and Father Brown's solution followed in the November issue. The story was first reprinted in the Chesterton Review (Winter 1981, pp. 1-35) and in the book Thirteen Detectives. BBC Radio 4 produced a series of Father Brown stories from 1984 to 1986, starring Andrew Sachs as 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.

The Diary Of Fate - Nelson Walker (06-15-48)

Bob Camardella — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 16:45:18 GMT

Nelson Walker (Aired June 15, 1948)
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. As indicated in the sidebar to the left, 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: June 15, 1948. Program #27. ABC network, KECA, Los Angeles origination, Finley syndication. "Nelson Walker". Commercials added locally. Book 97, page 302. A drifter faces "an instant of horror." The date is subject to correction. Larry Finley (producer), Gloria Blondell, Herb Lytton (as "Fate" and co-producer), Jack Edwards Jr., Pat McGeehan, Ray Ehrlenborn (sound effects), Hal Sawyer, Bern Surrey. 28:53.

The Black Museum - The Raincoat (01-22-52)

Bob Camardella — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 03:35:51 GMT

The Raincoat (Aired January 22, 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: January 22, 1952. Program #34. Syndicated, AFRTS rebroadcast. "The Raincoat". A man's wife is found murdered. The husband is suspected and found guilty, but reasonable doubt spares him from death. The date is approximate. Orson Welles (narrator), Harry Alan Towers (producer), Sidney Torch (composer, conductor), Ira Marion (writer). 29:47.

Confession - The Leo J. Fowler Case (08-30-53)

Bob Camardella — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 23:45:55 GMT

The Leo J. Fowler Case (Aired August 30, 1953)
NBC 30 minutes Sunday at 9:30PM.Cast Paul Frees, James Edwards, Jester Hairston, Jay Loughlin, Jonathan Hole, Mady Norman, Don Brinkley (writer), Michael Samoge (? music), Warren Lewis (script supervisor), Homer Canfield (director), John Wald (announcer). Had a texture and sound not unlike Dragnet, indeed the influence was realized throughout the show. These were true stories of Crime and Punishment, the obvious difference that Dragnet began with the crime while Confession unfolded in reverse order, from the end. Confession was less noisy, it's theme was played on a single piano, but there was still the deadpan dialogue, the thief or killer giving his confession with an air of resignation and defeat. The criminal thus became a stream-of-consciousness narrator, with the action frequently cutting away into drama. "Names were changed to protect the legal rights of the subject".

Inner Sanctum Mysteries - Eight Steps To Murder (05-06-48)

Bob Camardella — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 18:19:49 GMT

Eight Steps To Murder (Aired May 6, 1948)
Inner Sanctum Mysteries was a horror anthology series with a unique sound and a very popular host. For the first four years, "Raymond" greeted guests after an incredibly squeaky door slowly opened at the beginning of each show. His ghoulish puns were accentuated with the flourish of what sounded like a baseball park organ. The stories themselves were directed by Himan Brown, one of the most prolific and talented radio directors of all time (Flash Gordon, Dick Tracy, Bulldog Drummond, The Adventures of the Thin Man, Terry and the Pirates, Grand Central Station, and many others). The stories took all sorts of twists and turns, and the body count often exceeded the number of commercials. As Brown himself described it, "We've killed our characters every way. We've knifed them, garroted them, burned them, poisoned them, bashed their heads, given them rare and fantastic diseases, pushed them out of windows and over cliffs." THIS EPISODE: May 6, 1948. CBS network. "Eight Steps To Murder". Sponsored by: Lipton Tea, Lipton Soup. A newsman plans to murder a Broadway producer and marry the man's wife. Emile Tepperman (writer), Berry Kroeger, Paul McGrath (host), Mary Bennett (commercial spokeswoman). 29:01.

The Clock - The Man Who Lived Before (03-02-47)

Bob Camardella — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 04:43:01 GMT

The Man Who Lived Before (Aired March 2, 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. THIS EPISODE: March 2, 1947. ABC network. "The Man Who Lived Before". Sustaining. A man has a recurring dream that he's lived before two-hundred years in the past. He travels backward in time to be with his love, Madame de Pompadour. Lawrence Klee (writer), Clark Andrews (director), Bernard Green (music director), Alice Reinheart, James Monks. 24:26.

The Abbott & Costello - The Merchant Marines (01-25-50)

Bob Camardella — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 00:52:04 GMT

The Merchant Marines (Aired January 25, 1945)
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). Regulars and semi-regulars on the show included Artie Auerbrook, Elvia Allman, Iris Adrian, Mel Blanc, Wally Brown, Sharon Douglas, Verna Felton, Sidney Fields, Frank Nelson, Martha Wentworth, and Benay Venuta. Ken Niles was the show's longtime announcer, doubling as an exasperated foil to Abbott & Costello's mishaps (and often fuming in character as Costello insulted his on-air wife routinely); he was succeeded by Michael Roy, with annoncing chores also handled over the years by Frank Bingman and Jim Doyle. THIS EPISODE: January 25, 1945. NBC network. Sponsored by: Camels, Prince Albert. Costello plans to join the Merchant Marine. This is a network, sponsored version. Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Freddie Rich and His Orchestra, Connie Haines, Ken Niles (announcer), Mel Blanc, Artie Auerbach. 29:53.

The Shadow - Death Stalks The Shadow (10-09-38)

Bob Camardella — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 17:32:09 GMT

Death Stalks The Shadow (Aired October 9, 1938)
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: October 9, 1938. Mutual network. "Death Stalks The Shadow". Sponsored by: Blue Coal. An electric eye traps the Shadow in a death cell. The program has a good electrocution scene. William Johnstone, Agnes Moorehead, Ken Roberts (announcer). 26:52.

The Fat Man - The 19th Pearl (01-21-46)

Bob Camardella — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 04:30:11 GMT

The 19th Pearl (Aired January 21, 1946)
"There he goes across the street into the drugstore, steps on the scale, height: 6 feet, weight: 290 pounds, fortune: Danger. Who isit? THE FAT MAN." Brad Runyon was the Fat Man, played by Jack Scott Smart. The series was created by Dashall Hammott and was first heard on the ABC network Jan. 21, 1946. J. Scott Smart fit the part of the Fat Man perfectly, weighing in at 270 pounds himself. When he spoke, there was no doubt that this was the voice of a big guy. Smart gave a witty, tongue-in-cheek performance and helped make THE FAT MAN one of the most popular detective programs on the air. Smart also appeared in The March Of Time (early 1930s), the Theater Guild On The Air, Blondie, The Fred Allen Show, and The Jack Benny Program. There was also an version made in Australia, syndicated on the Artansa lable, about 1954. There are at least 36 shows available from vendors. The Australian Fat Man was played possibly by Lloyd Berrell. Although not featuring J. Scott Smart, who really fit the part, the series is quite good. THIS EPISODE: January 21, 1946. ABC network. "The Nineteenth Pearl". Sustaining. The first show of the series. A good adventure that starts with a beautiful stranger in Grand Central Terminal. J. Scott Smart, Robert Sloane (director), Dashiell Hammett (creator), Bernard Green (music director). 29:58.

The Adventures Of The Falcon - The Case Of The Cautious Cousin (07-18-51)

Bob Camardella — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 00:32:54 GMT

The Case Of The Cautious Cousin (Aired July 18, 1951)
This hard boiled spy drama began as an RKO Radio Pictures theatrical serial in the 1940s, went on radio in 1945, and then came to TV ten years later in this Syndicated series produced for distribution by NBC Films; Charles McGraw had been in many motion pictures before and after including "The Killers", "Spartacus" and "Cimarron"; in this series he played the title role of a man whose real name was supposedly Mike Waring, an American agent whose code name was "Falcon"; Later Charles McGraw starred in a short lived TV version of "Casablanca" (1955 - 1956) in the character of Rick; He also had a role on the detective drama "Staccato" (1959) Actor McGraw (whose birth name was Charles Butters) met an unfortunate death in real life when he fell through a shower glass door in 1980 at his home in Studio City, CA.] THIS EPISODE: July 18, 1951. NBC network. "The Case Of The Cautious Cousin". Sponsored by: Kraft Miracle Whip, Kraft Malted Milk. "When a family's fortune is in the balance, the scales can be tipped toward murder." Les Damon, Ed Herlihy (announcer), Bernard L. Schubert (producer), Richard Lewis (director), Drexel Drake (creator). 22:50.

The Man Called X - Storm Over The Alps (02-29-48)

Bob Camardella — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 17:23:42 GMT

Storm Over The Alps (Aired February 29, 1948)
The Man Called X started over Radio with the 1944 CBS Summer replacement run for Lux Radio Theatre, comprising a total of eight episodes. The only circulating exemplar from the first run is contained within the AFRS Globe Theatre canon of transcriptions. So, yet again, we are indebted to the incredible output of AFRS and AFRTS transcriptions over the years in preserving some of Radio's rarest exemplars from The Golden Age of Radio. But if one compares that circulating episode to the spot ad for the summer run in the sidebar, one sees the program promoted as a comedy-mystery. The 1944 CBS Summer season finale, Murder, Music and A Blonde Madonna, gives some credence to the way CBS promoted this first run. Starring Herbert Marshall as Ken Thurston, a private operative, with Han Conried as Egon Zellschmidt in this first incarnation of Ken Thurston's nemesis, and Mary Jane Croft appearing in the role of Ken's love interest, Nancy Bessington, a reporter and Thurston's erstwhile fiance. We can only interpolate from what we've already turned up for this shortest run of The Man Called X, but it would appear that Hans Conried and Mary Jane Croft may have been regulars co-stars throughout that first season. One of Radio's most successful directors, William N. Robson, directed the first season of The Man Called X and though Gordon Jenkins appears to be credited with the music for the first season, Felix Mills is also personally cited by Herbert Marshall with at least one Music Direction credit--the season finale. THIS EPISODE: February 29, 1948. "Storm Over The Alps (02-29-48)" - CBS network. Commercials deleted. Ken Thurston travels to Switzerland to find out who is behind the scheme to flood Europe with counterfeit U.S. currency. Herbert Marshall, Leon Belasco, Wendell Niles (announcer), Johnny Green (composer, conductor), Jack Johnstone (director), Cathy Lewis, Les Crutchfield (writer). 25:56.

Life With Luigi - Luigi Needs Drivers License (02-27-49)

Bob Camardella — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 03:21:07 GMT

Luigi Needs Drivers License (Aired February 27, 1949)
Life with Luigi was a radio comedy-drama series which began September 21, 1948 on CBS. The story concerned Italian immigrant Luigi Basco, and his experiences as an immigrant in Chicago. Many of the shows take place at the US citizenship classes that Luigi attends with other immigrants from different countries, as well as trying to fend off the repeated advances of the morbidly-obese daughter of his landlord/sponsor. Luigi was played by J. Carrol Naish, an Irish-American. Naish continued in the role on the short-lived television version in 1952, and was later replaced by Vito Scotti. With a working title of The Little Immigrant, Life with Luigi was created by Cy Howard, who earlier had created the hit radio comedy, My Friend Irma. The show was often seen as the Italian counterpart to the radio show The Goldbergs, which chronicled the experience of Jewish immigrants in New York. THIS EPISODE: February 27, 1949. "Luigi Needs Drivers License" - CBS network. Sustaining. Luigi wants a driver's license. J. Carrol Naish, Alan Reed, Cy Howard (creator, producer), Mac Benoff (writer, director), Lou Derman (writer), Hans Conried, Mary Shipp, Joe Forte, Ken Peters, Jody Gilbert, Lyn Murray (music director). 29:43.

The Adventures Of Superman - Hans Holbin's Doll Factory (3 Episodes COMPLETE) 1940

Bob Camardella — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 21:47:53 GMT

Hans Holbin's Doll Factory (3 Episodes COMPLETE) 1940
This juvenile adventure series was first broadcast on Mutual in 1940 with Clayton (Bud) Collyer starring as Superman/Clark Kent. It first began as a fifteen-minute show but later, in 1949, it moved to ABC as a thirty-minute Saturday show with Michael Fitzmaurice as Superman. At the end of its thirteen-year run it had totalled over 1600 episodes. The opening for the show was one of radio’s best, setting the stage for those flights into fantasy with a cascade of voices, narration and sound effects. “Faster than a speeding bullet! More powerful than a locomotive! Able to leap tall buildings at a single bound!” “Look! Up in the sky!” “It’s a bird!” “It’s a plane!” “It’s Superman!” The scripts by B.P. Freeman and Jack Johnstone were directed by Robert and Jessica Maxwell, George Lowther, Allen Ducovny and Mitchell Grayson.Sound effects were created by Jack Keane, AlBinnie, Keene Crockett and John Glennon. Cast : Superman: Bud Collyer (1940-1950), Michael Fitzmaurice (1950-1951) Lois Lane: Joan Alexander, Rollie Bester, Helen Choate. Perry White: Julian Noa. Jimmy Olsen: Jack Grimes, Jackie Kelk. Jor-L: Ned Wever Lara: Agnes Moorehead. Narrator: George Lowther (1940-1942), Jackson Beck (1943-1951), Ross Martin(1951). Airing in the late afternoon (variously at 5:15pm, 5:30pm and 5:45pm), the radio serial engaged the young after school audiences.

Casey Crime Photographer - Fog (03-11-48)

Bob Camardella — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 17:32:51 GMT

Fog (Aired March 11, 1948)
The Coxe/CBS Crime Photographer franchise continued on past the Anchor Hocking sponsored run, reprised over both Television and Radio. CBS ran a Television version of Crime Photographer (1951) which saw only John Gibson and Jan Miner reprising their respective roles in Television. Casey's beat was Manhattan instead of Boston in Crime Photographer's television incarnation. Jack Casey [Richard Carlyle] continues his fondness for jazz, and The Blue Note Café continues as the anchor for the Television Casey. The Television scripts were exposited in flashback format, with Casey narrating his latest exploit to Ethelbert the bartender. The 'Morning Express' also makes the transition from Boston to Manhattan, with reporter Ann Williams augmented by cub reporter Jack Lipman. Two months into the Television run, CBS re-cast Casey and Ethelbert, substituting young Darren McGavin as Jack Casey. The most distinguishing element of the short-lived Television Casey was its direction, with the famed future Film Director Sidney Lumet helming the series. CBS and Coxe took another run at Crime Photographer over Radio in 1954, reprising Staats Cotsworth, John Gibson and Jan Miner in their previous Radio roles. The 1954 run extended to the Spring of 1955, at which point the Crime Photographer franchise had pretty much run its course. The sleuthing photographer format didn't end with the CBS/Coxe franchise. ABC took a run at the concept with their Man With A Camera (1958), starring Charles Bronson, and running for two seasons, though it bore no resemblance whatsoever to the Casey, Crime Photographer franchise. THIS EPISODE: March 11, 1948. CBS network. "Fog". Sponsored by: Anchor Hocking Glass. Casey and Ann are invited to a millionaire's estate to photograph the fabulous Baldwin diamonds. Herman Chittison (piano), Jan Miner, John Gibson, Peter Capell, Staats Cotsworth, Tony Marvin (announcer), George Harmon Coxe (creator), Alonzo Deen Cole (writer). 30:47.

Boxcars711 Overnight Western "Dr. Six Gun" - A Tribe With Measles (11-14-54)

Bob Camardella — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 05:17:15 GMT

Boxcars711 Overnight Western "Dr. Six Gun" - A Tribe With Measles (Aired November 14, 1954)
Doctor Six-Gun. NBC net origination, AFRTS rebroadcast. The stories revolve around physician Dr. Gray Matson who tends the sick and occasionally causes a pain or two with his quick-on-the-draw pistol. The stories are told by Pablo, the gypsy peddler and his pet raven "Midnight," sidekicks of the good doctor. Karl Weber and William Gruffis star as the doctor and the gypsy. The shows were written by Ernest Kinoy and George Lefferts, directed by Fred Weihe, Gene Hamilton usually announcing. Supporting players on the various shows below: William Redfield, Virginia Payne, Wendell Holmes, William Keene, Ralph Bell, Peter Capel, Kermit Murdock, Craig McDonald, Cameron Prud'homme, Joe De Santis, Roger De Koven, Edgar Stehli, Bob Haig, Jim Stevens, Santos Ortega, Lon Clark, Bill Adams, Les Damon, Kenny Delmar, Luis Van Rooten, Vicki Vola, Daniel Ocko, John Gibson, William Johnstone, Jim Boles, Bob Hastings, Ed Peck, Teri Keane, Bill Lipton, Ethel Everett, Ralph Camargo, Elaine Ross, Donald Buka, Nelson Olmstead, Robert Dryden, Jock MacGregor, Edwin Bruce, Leon Janney, Don Douglas, Humphrey Davis,, John Sylvester. This show: Doc and his gypsy sidekick Pablo come upon Mack Jarrett, a horse-breaker, who goes beserk when he can't get the better of a stallion. Ernest Kinoy (writer), Fred Weihe (director, transcriber), George Lefferts (writer), Karl Weber, William Griffis. THIS EPISODE: November 14, 1954. "A Tribe With Measles" - Program #1. NBC network origination, AFRTS rebroadcast. The first show of the series. Aaron Gault is determined to get rich off a young Indian boy with the measles. Ernest Kinoy (writer), Fred Weihe (director, transcriber), George Lefferts (writer), Karl Weber, William Griffis. 30:50.

The Blue Beetle - Whale Of Pirates Folly Pts. 1 & 2 COMPLETE (08-28-40)

Bob Camardella — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 04:32:35 GMT

Whale Of Pirates Folly Pts. 1 & 2 COMPLETE (Aired August 28, 1940)
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: August 28, 1940. Program #43. Fox Features syndication. "The Whale Of Pirate's Folly" Part one. Commercials added locally. The Blue Beetle tracks down a gang of smugglers and is thrown into the harbor, tied up in a net and left unconscious. . 12:13. The Blue Beetle. August 30, 1940. Program #44. Fox Features syndication. "The Whale Of Pirate's Folly" Part two. Commercials added locally. The Blue Beetle captures a submarine disguised as a whale being used by smugglers! . 12:04.

Murder At Midnight - The Line Is Dead (09-20-46)

Bob Camardella — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 20:07:48 GMT

The Line Is Dead (Aired September 20, 1946)
The Murder at Midnight series was a thirty-minute broadcast featuring tales of the supernatural. The actors included Mercedes McCambridge and Lawson Zerbe and the show was narrated using the spooky, creepy voice of Raymond Morgan and always opened using the same gripping signature; “the witching hour, when night is darkest, our fears are the strongest, our strength at its lowest ebb… Midnight! … when graves gape open and death strikes!” Murder At Midnight, while ostensibly a crime fiction drama was as much thriller as crime drama. The series debuted over the newly coined American Broacasting Company on September 16, 1946 and within two years was airing over Mutual and several other independent affiliates throughout the U.S.. As much a crossover supernatural thriller as crime drama, the forboding introduction by host, Raymond Morgan, was very reminiscent of the competing Strange Dr. Weird (1944), Quiet! Please (1947), Cabin B-13 (1948), and The Whisperer (1951). THIS EPISODE: September 20, 1946. Program #23. KFI, Los Angeles origination, Cowan syndication, World transcription. "The Line Is Dead". Commercials added locally. A man who was nearly buried alive has a telephone installed in his coffin, in case it happens again! Raymond Morgan (host), Rafe Blau (writer), Raymond Edward Johnson, Mrs. Raymond Edward Johnson, Anton M. Leader (director), Charles Paul (organist), Louis G. Cowan (producer). 27:21.

The Whistler - The Letter (08-29-42)

Bob Camardella — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:56:23 GMT

The Letter (Aired August 29, 1942)
The Whistler was one of radio's most popular mystery dramas, with a 13-year run from May 16, 1942 until September 22, 1955. If it now seems to have been influenced explicitly by The Shadow, The Whistler was no less popular or credible with its listeners, the writing was first class for its genre, and it added a slightly macabre element of humor that sometimes went missing in The Shadow's longer-lived crime stories. Writer-producer J. Donald Wilson established the tone of the show during its first two years, and he was followed in 1944 by producer-director George Allen. Other directors included Sterling Tracy and Sherman Marks with final scripts by Joel Malone and Harold Swanton. A total of 692 episodes were produced, yet despite the series' fame, over 200 episodes are lost today. In 1946, a local Chicago version of The Whistler with local actors aired Sundays on WBBM, sponsored by Meister Brau beer. THIS EPISODE: August 29, 1942. CBS network. "The Letter". Sustaining. The story of Hans Minkler, an Austrian anti-Nazi, or is he a Nazi? A confusing espionage drama set in pre-war Europe. J. Donald Wilson (writer, director), Wilbur Hatch (composer, conductor). 29:02.

The Adventures Of Mr. & Mrs. North - Mistaken Countess (02-02-44)

Bob Camardella — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 02:32:10 GMT

Mistaken Countess (Aired February 2, 1944)
Mr. and Mrs. North was a radio mystery series that aired on CBS from 1942 to 1954. Alice Frost and Joseph Curtin had the title roles when the series began in 1942. Publisher Jerry North and his wife Pam lived in Greenwich Village at 24 St. Anne's Flat. They were not professional detectives but simply an ordinary couple who stumbled across a murder or two every week for 12 years. The radio program eventually reached nearly 20 million listeners. The characters originated in 1930s vignettes written by Richard Lockridge for the New York Sun, and he brought them back for short stories in The New Yorker. These stories were collected in Mr. and Mrs. North (1936). Lockridge increased the readership after he teamed with his wife Frances on a novel, The Norths Meet Murder (1940), launching a series of 40 novels, including Death takes a Bow, Death on the Aisle and The Dishonest Murderer. Their long-run series continued for over two decades and came to an end in 1963 with the death of Frances Lockridge. Albert Hackett and Peggy Conklin had the title roles in the Broadway production Mr. and Mrs. North, which ran 163 performances at the Belasco Theater from January 12, 1941, to May 31, 1941.

Broadway Is My Beat - The Janice Bennett Murder Case (11-27-53)

Bob Camardella — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 21:18:36 GMT

The Janice Bennett Murder Case (Aired November 27, 1953)
Broadway Is My Beat, a radio crime drama, ran on CBS from February 27, 1949 to August 1, 1954. With music by Robert Stringer, the show originated from New York during its first three months on the air, with Anthony Ross portraying Times Square Detective Danny Clover. John Dietz directed for producer Lester Gottlieb. Beginning with the July 7, 1949 episode, the series was broadcast from Hollywood with producer Elliott Lewis directing a new cast in scripts by Morton Fine and David Friedkin. The opening theme of "I'll Take Manhattan" introduced Detective Danny Clover (now played by Larry Thor), a hardened New York City cop who worked homicide "from Times Square to Columbus Circle -- the gaudiest, the most violent, the lonesomest mile in the world." THIS EPISODE: November 27, 1953. "The Janice Bennett Murder Case" - CBS network. Sustaining. Janice Bennett has been murdered and is declared dead by a doctor...who happens to be her father! An announcement is made that next week the show will be replaced by, "Twenty-First Precinct." Janice's husband is soon found dead; he's been hanged. Larry Thor, Cathy Lewis, Charles Calvert, Jack Kruschen, Elliott Lewis (producer, director), Edgar Barrier, Hy Averback, Bill Anders (announcer), Morton Fine (writer), David Friedkin (writer), Alexander Courage (composer, conductor), Herb Butterfield, Shepard Menken. 31:46.

Space Patrol - The Sleepwalker (01-10-53)

Bob Camardella — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 16:15:56 GMT

The Sleepwalker (Aired January 10, 1953)
The success of the TV show spawned a radio version, which ran for 129 episodes from October 1952 to March 1955. The same cast of actors performed on both shows. The writers, scripts, adventures and director were quite different in radio versus TV incarnations. Naturally, the series lacked the adult sophistication of such shows as X Minus One, which focused on adapting short fiction by notable genre names as Robert A. Heinlein and Ray Bradbury. But as a throwback to the sort of Golden Age space opera popularized in the 1930s, the days of science fiction's infancy, by pioneering magazine editor Hugo Gernsback, Space Patrol is prized by OTR collectors today as one of radio's most enjoyable adventures. THIS EPISODE: January 10, 1953. ABC network. "The Sleepwalker". Sponsored by: Ralston cereals (Space Binoculars premium). A half-million credits have been stolen and Carol has been kidnapped. Trailing the crooks to Venus, Commander Corry and Cadet Happy are hit by an "ultrasonic" beam! This is a network, sponsored version. Bela Kovacs, Dick Tufeld (announcer), Ed Kemmer, Ken Mayer, Larry Robertson (producer, director), Lou Houston (writer), Lyn Osborn, Mike Mosser (creator), Virginia Hewitt. 28:15.

Boxcars711 Overnight Western "Bonanza" - Enter Mark Twain (10-10-59)

Bob Camardella — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 04:01:46 GMT

Boxcars711 Overnight Western "Bonanza" - Enter Mark Twain (Aired October 10, 1959)
Bonanza chronicled the weekly adventures of the Cartwright family, headed by wise widowed patriarch Ben Cartwright (played by Lorne Greene). He had three biological sons, each by a different wife: the oldest was the intelligent and moody Adam Cartwright (Pernell Roberts); the second was the fun and lovable Eric, better known to viewers by his middle name: "Hoss" (Dan Blocker); and the youngest was the hotheaded and impetuous Joseph or "Little Joe" (Michael Landon). The family's cook was the Chinese immigrant Hop Sing (Victor Sen Yung). The family lived on a thousand-square-mile ranch called "The Ponderosa", on the shore of Lake Tahoe in Nevada; the name refers to the Ponderosa Pine, common in the West. THIS EPISODE: October 10, 1959. "Enter Mark Twain" - Samuel Clemens arrives in Virginia City to write for the Territorial Enterprise at the same time a crooked politician tries to lay claim on the Ponderosa. Guest Stars: Sam Clemens...Howard Duff,...Judge Jeremy Clarence Billington...John Litel,...Minaie...Dorothy Green,...Rosemary Lawson...Ann Whitfield,...Blurry Jones...Percy Helton,...Bill Raleigh...Patrick McVey,...Lash's Foreman...Lane Bradford,...Marshal...Robert Carson,...Daniel Lash...Edmund Ryan,...Dr. Efriem Lovejoy...Arthur Lovejoy,...Hop Sing...Victor Sen Yung,...Bill Clark (uncredited; townsman).Written by: Harold Shumate and Directed by Paul Landres. 44:09.

The Weird Circle - Falkland (04-23-44)

Bob Camardella — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 02:08:27 GMT

Falkland (Aired April 23, 1944)
The Weird Circle," a half-hour anthology series that was first aired back in 1943. The stories offered by "The Weird Circle" were generally adapted from popular fiction - popular fiction of the 19th century, that is. And since the focus was on horror and suspense, the macabre, atmospheric, and often ironic tales of such writers as Edgar Allan Poe and Honore de Balzac were a staple of its success. Also included were such familiar chestnuts as "Wuthering Heights" by Emily Bronte, Charles Dickens' "The Queer Client", Charlotte Bronte’s novel "Jane Eyre" (also a particular favorite of Orson Welles and his Mercury Theater company), and "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" by Robert Louis Stevenson. Stories of this vintage, rooted in the Victorian attitudes and morality of the 1800s, generally made for good radio drama; they were, after all, classics, familiar to anyone with a public school education. The primarily first-person narrative of most of the stories chosen made them relatively easy to convert into script form: introduce a narrator, establish the scene, and then carry on with the plot. And, of course, since they were out of copyright, there were no literary rights to be paid -- a sizeable cost savings for any producer looking to budget a weekly series, then or now. THIS EPISODE: April 23, 1944. Program #35. NBC syndication. "Falkland". Commercials added locally. The strange man who learns the secret of eternal life also learns the secret of eternal love. The date is approximate. Edward Bulwer-Lytton (author). 27:05.

CBS Radio Workshop - Bring On The Angels (06-08-56)

Bob Camardella — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 21:30:41 GMT

Bring On The Angels (Aired June 8, 1956)
The CBS Radio Workshop aired from January 27, 1956 through September 22, 1957 and was a revival of the prestigious Columbia Workshop from the 1930s and 1940s. Creator William Froug launched the series with this powerhouse two-part adaptation of "Brave New World" and booked author Aldous Huxley to narrate his famous novel. "We’ll never get a sponsor anyway," CBS vice president Howard Barnes explained to Time, "so we might as well try anything." The CBS Workshop regularly featured the works of the world’s greatest writers. including Ray Bradbury, Archibald MacLeish, William Saroyan, Lord Dunsany and Ambrose Bierce. THIS EPISODE: June 8, 1956. CBS network. "Bring On The Angels". Sustaining. A dramatization of the wild days of newspaper journalism at the turn of the century. Told autobiographically by H. L. Mencken, broadcast shortly after his death. Luis Van Rooten, Mason Adams, Jackson Beck, Ian Martin, Walter Kinsella, H. L. Mencken (narrator). 28:29.

I Deal In Crime - The William A Davis Case (04-15-46)

Bob Camardella — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 14:52:10 GMT

The William A Davis Case (Aired April 5, 1946)
I Deal in Crime ran for almost two years on ABC network radio and starred the very capable radio and Hollywood actor, William Gargan. In this, one of his many PI radio series (he’s best known, of course, for his role as Martin Kane), Gargan played Ross Dolan, described as a veteran detective who returned to his sleuthing job after his WW II service as a sailor. Or as Dolan puts it, “a hitch in Uncle Sugar’s Navy.” THIS EPISODE: April 5, 1946. "The William A Davis Case" - ABC network. Sustaining. William A. Davis ("If You Please") hires Ross Dolan to find his missing daughter. The story has some nice plot twists, but Ross Dolan is just too tough to believe. William Gargan, Skitch Henderson (composer, conductor), William Conrad, Ted Hediger (writer), Leonard Reeg (director), Dresser Dahlstead (announcer). 28:13.

The Adventures Of Archie Andrews - The Big Ballgame (05-20-51)

Bob Camardella — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 03:18:25 GMT

The Big Ballgame (Aired May 20, 1951)
Jughead Jones has been Archie's best friend ever since childhood. When Jughead first came to Riverdale, he was in a bad mood and tended to dismiss Archie. However, Archie, of good heart, tried to cheer up Jughead and the two have been inseparable ever since. Jughead wears a trademark "clubhouse beanie" (a Depression-era style of makeshift hatwear, crafted from an inverted fedora with a scallop-cut brim, and decorated with assorted pinbacks) and an inscrutable, closed-eyelid expression. Often Jughead has to help Archie out from a tricky situation. Jughead usually knows when Archie's ideas will not work, but is powerless to avoid getting involved. Reggie Mantle is Archie's constant romantic and athletic rival. Each often makes attempts to separate the other from Veronica, occasionally exhibiting physical violence, and both have won their fair share of scrapes with each other. Reggie takes every opportunity to play practical jokes on Archie. However, Reggie is often shown as a companion to and of Archie despite his arrogance and competitive nature, and they are often seen together practicing athletics or pursuing dates. Archie's other friends include Dilton Doiley, the local genius who gets Archie into and out of trouble through his experiments and inventions; Moose Mason, the dim-witted but likable star athlete of Riverdale High who is often Archie's teammate; Chuck Clayton, another of Archie's teammates who was originally shy and reclusive but came out of his shell when Archie befriended him; Moose and Chuck's girlfriends Midge Klump and Nancy Woods, two of the very few attractive girls Archie does not fall for; and Ethel Muggs, a girl with a major crush on Jughead, who often wins his heart with the use of fresh-baked cookies.

David Harding Counterspy - Tattooed Eye (06-13-50)

Bob Camardella — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 20:25:27 GMT

Tattooed Eye (Aired June 13, 1950)
The show was at the top of the list among programs that had developed the technique of sound effects to a fine art. Each program was written with the sound in mind, not so much sound for sound's sake, but to advance the plot, add color or create atmosphere. Two sound effects men spent a reported ten hours in rehearsal for each broadcast, in addition to the time spent by the actors. East coast actors House Jameson, Don MacLaughlin, Phil Sterling and Lawson Zerbe [MBS] (Zerbe appeared as both David Harding and Harry Peters) were the only four actors to ever assume the role of David Harding--Jameson for the first two episodes only, replaced by Don MacLaughlin for the remainder of its twelve year run. Both Connecticut residents, House Jameson premiered in the role while Lord was still auditioning talent for the lead. By the third episode, Phillips H. Lord selected Don MacLaughlin for the role. MacLaughlin was by no means new to Radio, having already appeared in some 300 Radio productions since his debut over Radio in 1935. MacLaughlin's versatility, predominantly in action and straight dramatic roles, made him an ideal candidate among the twenty or so actors who auditioned for the part. The selection proved a prudent one for both Lord and MacLaughlin. MacLaughlin portrayed David Harding, the ostensible head of the 'United States Counterspies' unit of the federal government. As the Chief Counterspy for the imaginary agency, all reports of suspicious espionage activity were funneled to him, providing the wealth of plots and intrigues which kept the series fresh for some 500+ scripts throughout its run. David Harding's right hand in the series was Harry Peters, a special agent for the unit, portrayed by durable character actor, Mandel Kramer, later famous over Radio for his stint as Johnny Dollar of Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar. Show Notes From The Digital Deli.

Night Beat - Doctor's Secret (08-21-50)

Bob Camardella — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 16:28:57 GMT

Doctor's Secret (Aired August 21, 1950)
Broadcast on NBC, Nightbeat ran from 1949 to 1952 and starred Frank Lovejoy as Randy Stone, a tough and streetwise reporter who worked the nightbeat for the Chicago Star looking for human interest stories. He met an assortment of people, most of them with a problem, many of them scared, and sometimes he was able to help them, sometimes he wasn’t. It is generally regarded as a ‘quality’ show and it stands up extremely well. Frank Lovejoy (1914-1962) isn’t remembered today, but he was a powerful and believable actor with a strong delivery, and his portrayal of Randy Stone as tough guy with humanity was perfect. The scripts were excellent, given that they had to pack in a lot in a short time, and there was a good supporting cast, orchestra, and sound effects. ‘The Slasher’, broadcast on 10 November 1950, the last show of season one, has a very loosely Ripper-derived plot in which Stone searches for an artist. Supporting actors included Parley Baer, William Conrad, Jeff Corey, Lawrence Dobkin, Paul Frees, Jack Kruschen, Peter Leeds, Howard McNear, Lurene Tuttle and Martha Wentworth. THIS EPISODE: August 21, 1950. "Doctor's Secret" - NBC network. Sustaining. Sent to Joliet to cover an execution, Randy Stone meets Dr. Graham, an alcoholic who's more guilty than the convict about to be executed. The broadcast of August 28, 1950 was pre-empted. Frank Lovejoy, Frank Worth (composer, conductor), Inge Jollos, Irene Tedrow, Jay Novello, Larry Marcus (writer), Theodore Von Eltz, Warren Lewis (director), William Johnstone, Wilms Herbert. 29:42.

Boxcars711 Overnight Western "Tales Of The Texas Rangers" - Killers Crop (12-30-51)

Bob Camardella — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 05:13:33 GMT

Boxcars711 Overnight Western "Tales Of The Texas Rangers" - Killers Crop (Aired December 30, 1951)
Tales of the Texas Rangers, a western adventure old-time radio drama, premiered on July 8, 1950, on the US NBC radio network and remained on the air through September 14, 1952. Movie star Joel McCrea starred as Texas Ranger Jayce Pearson, who used the latest scientific techniques to identify the criminals and his faithful horse, Charcoal (or "Charky," as Jayce would sometimes refer to him), to track them down. The shows were reenactments of actual Texas Ranger cases.The series was produced and directed by Stacy Keach, Sr., and was sponsored for part of its run by Wheaties. Captain Manuel T. "Lone Wolf" Gonzaullas, a Ranger for 30 years and who was said to have killed 31 men during his career, served as consultant for the series. THIS EPISODE: December 30, 1951. NBC network. "Killer's Crop". Sustaining. Kitty Barrows, a narcotics user, is found murdered. The trail leads the Rangers to Mexico. Joel McCrea, Herb Ellis, Byron Kane, Ken Christy, Virginia Gregg, Stacy Keach (producer, director), Hal Gibney (announcer), Bob Wright (adaptor, possibly "Robert Ryf"), William Johnstone, Tony Barrett. 30:25.

The Crime Club - Murder On Margin (05-22-47)

Bob Camardella — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 03:49:22 GMT

Murder On Margin (Aired May 22, 1947)
Crime club was a Mutual Network murder and mystery series, a product of the Doubleday Crime Book Club imprints found weekly in bookstores everywhere. The telephone rings "Hello, I hope I haven't kept you waiting. Yes, this is the Crime Club. I'm the Librarian. Murder Rents A Room? Yes, we have that Crime Club story for you.Come right over. (The organist in the shadowed corner of the Crime Club library shivers the ivories) The doorbell tones sullenly"And you are here. Good. Take the easy chair by the window. Comfortable? The book is on this shelf." (The organist hits the scary chord) "Let's look at it under the reading lamp." The Librarian, played by Raymond E. Johnson, begins reading the tale. Veteran Willis Cooper (Lights Out, Quiet Please) did some of the scripts from the Crime Club books. THIS EPISODE: May 22, 1947. Mutual network. "Murder On Margin". Sustaining. When a stock broker is murdered, his shoes provide the needed clue. Roger Bower (producer), Jock MacGregor (director), Jack McBride, Julie Stevens, Helen Shields, Dan Ocko, Barry Thompson, Joe DeSantis, Robert George Dean (writer), James Earthine (adaptor), Shirling Oliver. 29:54.

The Adventures Of Sherlock Holmes - The Cadaver In The Roman Toga (11-09-47)

Bob Camardella — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 22:08:16 GMT

The Cadaver In The Roman Toga (Aired November 9, 1947)
Holmes states that he first developed his deduction methods while an undergraduate. The author Dorothy L. Sayers suggested that, given details in two of the Adventures, Holmes must have been at Cambridge rather than Oxford and that "of all the Cambridge colleges, Sidney Sussex [College] perhaps offered the greatest number of advantages to a man in Holmes’ position and, in default of more exact information, we may tentatively place him there". His earliest cases, which he pursued as an amateur, came from fellow university students. According to Holmes, it was an encounter with the father of one of his classmates that led him to take up detection as a profession and he spent the six years following university working as a consulting detective, before financial difficulties led him to take Watson as a roommate, at which point the narrative of the stories begins. From 1881, Holmes is described as having lodgings at 221B Baker Street, London, from where he runs his private detective agency. 221B is an apartment up seventeen steps, stated in an early manuscript to be at the "upper end" of the road. Until the arrival of Dr. Watson, Holmes works alone, only occasionally employing agents from the city's underclass, including a host of informants and a group of street children he calls the Baker Street Irregulars. The Irregulars appear in three stories, "The Sign of the Four", "A Study in Scarlet" and "The Adventure of the Crooked Man". THIS EPISODE: November 9, 1947. Mutual network. "The Cadaver In The Roman Toga". Sponsored by: Clipper Craft Clothes. A corpse in an ancient Roman bath, discovered in England, leads Holmes to a plot by Dr. Moriarty to manufacture counterfeit coins. John Stanley, Alfred Shirley, Edith Meiser (writer), Basil Loughrane (producer, director), Hal Reid (sound effects), Don Williamson (engineer), Albert Buhrman (music), Cy Harrice (nnouncer), Michael Fitzmaurice (local announcer), Arthur Conan Doyle (creator). 29:25.

Our Miss Brooks - Clay City Football Game (10-31-48)

Bob Camardella — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 14:52:39 GMT

Clay City Football Game (Aired October 31, 1948)
Our Miss Brooks, an American situation comedy, began as a radio hit in 1948 and migrated to television in 1952, becoming one of the earlier hits of the so-called Golden Age of Television, and making a star out of Eve Arden (1908-1990) as comely, wisecracking, but humane high school English teacher Connie Brooks. The show hooked around Connie's daily relationships with Madison High School students, colleagues, and pompous principal Osgood Conklin (Gale Gordon), not to mention favourite student Walter Denton (future television and Rambo co-star Richard Crenna, who fashioned a higher-pitched voice to play the role) and biology teacher Philip Boynton ( Jeff Chandler), the latter Connie's all-but-unrequited love interest, who saw science everywhere and little else anywhere. THIS EPISODE: October 31, 1948. "Clay City Football Game" - CBS network. Sponsored by: Palmolive Soap, Colgate Toothpowder, Lustre Creme Shampoo. Miss Brooks and her friends set out for Clay City in her car to see the Madison High football team in action. Eve Arden, Jeff Chandler, Gale Gordon, Richard Crenna, Jane Morgan, Gloria McMillan, Al Lewis (writer, director), Wilbur Hatch (music). 28:47.

Bold Venture - Ghost Ship (08-20-51)

Bob Camardella — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 04:16:50 GMT

Ghost Ship (Aired August 20, 1951)
Bold Venture is a 1951-1952 syndicated radio series starring Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall. Morton Fine and David Friedkin scripted the taped series for Bogart's Santana Productions. Salty seadog Slate Shannon (Bogart) owns a Cuban hotel sheltering an assortment of treasure hunters, revolutionaries and other shady characters. With his sidekick and ward, the sultry Sailor Duval (Bacall), tagging along, he encounters modern-day pirates and other tough situations while navigating the waters around Havana. Aboard his boat, the Bold Venture, Slate and Sailor experience "adventure, intrigue, mystery and romance in the sultry settings of tropical Havana and the mysterious islands of the Caribbean." Calypso singer King Moses (Jester Hairston) provided musical bridges by threading plot situations into the lyrics of his songs. Music by David Rose. Beginning March 26, 1951, the Frederic W. Ziv Company syndicated 78 episodes. Some sources have claimed that the 78 episodes include reruns, and that there were only around 30 episodes but more than 50 shows have now come to light. Heard on 423 stations, the 30-minute series earned $4000 weekly for Bogart and Bacall.

Duffy's Tavern - Guest Is Carole Landis (04-11-44)

Bob Camardella — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 20:16:53 GMT

Guest Is Carole Landis (Aired April 11, 1944)
AFRN rebroadcast those episodes for U.S. servicemen during World War II, the announcer referred to Duffy's Tavern. Radio's Duffy's Tavern didn't translate well to film or television. Burrows and Matt Brooks collaborated on the screenplay for the 1945 film, Ed Gardner's Duffy's Tavern, in which Archie (with regulars Eddie and Finnegan) was surrounded by a throng of Paramount Pictures stars playing themselves, including Robert Benchley, William Bendix, Eddie Bracken, Bing Crosby, Cass Daley, Brian Donlevy, Paulette Goddard, Betty Hutton, Alan Ladd, Veronica Lake and Dorothy Lamour. The film's plot involves a war-displaced record manufacturer whose staff — those not sent off to war — drown their sorrows at Duffy's on credit, while the company owner tries to find ways around the price controls and war attrition that threaten to put him out of business. The movie was a box-office disappointment. The 1954 syndicated TV series, co-produced by Hal Roach, Jr., lacked leading name guest stars and, according to writer Larry Rhine, it was weighted by Gardner's inability to adapt to camera work: "He couldn't act, and he wouldn't learn camera... He thought he could do TV, so he left radio, but he was a bad actor and knew it." The series failed to gain viewer support. THIS EPISODE: April 11, 1944. Program #47. Blue network origination, AFRS rebroadcast. Guest Carole Landis becomes the new manager of the tavern. It's "Lady's Day" at the tavern. Joe Venuti and His Orchestra (music fill), Carole Landis, Ed Gardner, Helen Lynd, Peter Van Steeden and His Orchestra. 30:00.

Barry Craig Confidential Investigator - Five Fire Mystery (11-03-53)

Bob Camardella — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 14:50:00 GMT

Five Fire Mystery (Aired November 3, 1953)
Originally aired October 31, 1951 Barry Craig, Confidential Investigator is one of the few detective radio series that had separate versions of it broadcast from both coasts. Even the spelling changed over the years. It was first "Barry Crane" and then "Barrie Craig". NBC produced it in New York from 1951 to 1954 and then moved it to Hollywood where it aired from 1954 to 1955. It attracted only occasional sponsors so it was usually a sustainer. William Gargan, who also played the better known television (and radio) detective Martin Kane, was the voice of New York eye BARRY CRAIG while Ralph Bell portrayed his associate, Lt. Travis Rogers. Craig's office was on Madison Avenue and his adventures were fairly standard PI fare. He worked alone, solved cases efficiently, and feared no man. As the promos went, he was "your man when you can't go to the cops. Confidentiality a speciality." Like Sam Spade, Craig narrated his stories, in addition to being the leading character in this 30 minute show. Nearly sixty episodes are in trading circulation today William Gargan as a Detective (and an actor) If William Gargan brought an air of authenticity to his roles as a private detective, there were some good very reasons. His father was a bookmaker, so Gargan learned a lot about the gambling world and met a lot of interesting characters from across the spectrum of society. The main reason why Gargan was so convincing as a detective was that he was probably the only actor of his time who had actually been a private detective.

The Green Hornet - The Stuffed Panda (10-04-45)

Bob Camardella — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 02:24:21 GMT

The Stuffed Panda (Aired October 4, 1945)
the Green Hornet is the alter ego of Britt Reid, a newspaper publisher by day who goes out in his masked "Green Hornet" identity at night to fight crime as a vigilante. He is accompanied by his similarly masked partner and confidant, Kato, who drives their technologically advanced car, the "Black Beauty". The character debuted in The Green Hornet, an American radio program that premiered on January 31, 1936, on WXYZ, the same local Detroit station that originated its companion shows The Lone Ranger and Challenge of the Yukon.[2] Beginning on April 12, 1938, the station supplied the series to the Mutual Broadcasting System radio network, and then to NBC Blue and its successors, the Blue Network and ABC, from November 16, 1939, through September 8, 1950. It returned from September 10 to December 5, 1952.[2] It was sponsored by General Mills from January to August 1948, and by Orange Crush in its brief 1952 run. THIS EPISODE: October 4, 1945. Michigan Radio net, WXYZ, Detroit origination, Michelson syndication. "The Stuffed Panda". Participating sponsors. What is the secret of the panda? Two Sentinel reporters put the squeeze on a tax evader. WRVR-FM, New York City aircheck. Syndicated rebroadcast date: June 27, 1973. Robert Hall, George W. Trendle (creator, producer), Charles D. Livingstone (director), Lee Allman, Gilbert Shea, Rollon Parker, Dan Beattie (writer), Bill Morgan (announcer). 25:58.

Dangerous Assignment - The Greek Connection (02-20-50)

Bob Camardella — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 20:14:48 GMT

The Greek Connection (Aired February 20, 1950)
This thirty-minute international spy adventure featured Steve Mitchell (Brian Donlevy), and investigator of crimes in exotic locations. 60 episodes. Herb Butterfield played the Commissioner and Betty Moran was the Commissioner's secretary. Other cast members were GeGe Pearson, Ken Peters, Betty Lou Gerson, Dan O’Herlihy. The director was Bill Cairn and the writer for the series was Robert Ryf. The opening was the same every week “Yeah, danger is my assignment. I get sent to a lot of places I can’t even pronounce. They all spell the same thing though, trouble.” He would be summoned to his boss’s office where he would be given his assignment; he would then fly halfway across the globe to save the day! The worldwide locations are dealt up with a feeling of local, and the characters that inhabit these far-away places with strange sounding names are solid and capably acted by veterans. Music is an almost harsh orchestra. Donlevy carries the plots with a world-weary and wary tone that makes sense, based on his occupation. THIS EPISODE: February 20, 1950. "The Greek Connection" - NBC network. Sustaining. Steve Mitchell is sent to Athens to try to recover stolen radar plans. The program may be dated February 2, 1950. Brian Donlevy, Robert Ryf (writer), Bill Cairn (director), Bruce Ashley (music). 30:21.

The Adventures Of Frank Race - The Adventure Of The Violent Virtuoso (09-04-49)

Bob Camardella — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 14:07:47 GMT

The Adventure Of The Violent Virtuoso (Aired September 4, 1949)
Race is aided by his associate, former cab driver, Marcus 'Marc' Donovan portrayed by Tony Barrett. Lurene Tuttle is also featured in the audition. The audition lays out the premise for the contemplated series. Frank Race has returned to civilian life after a wartime stint as an operative for the Office of Strategic Services (O.S.S.) the progenitor of the Central Intelligence Agency (C.I.A.). Somewhat disenchanted with the prospect of returning to practice Law, Race forms his own investigations firm, specializing in industrial, State, and international crimes of fraud and espionage. The premise was not new to 1949 Radio. Ned Jordan (Secret Agent) had aired over Mutual from 1938 and iniitally dealt with railroad espionage. Secret Agent K-7 had aired from 1939. The Man Called X had been successfully airing over CBS for almost six years. Dangerous Assignment began airing the same year as The Adventures of Frank Race. NBC also launched Richard Diamond, Private Detective in April 1949, its premise establishing detective Richard Diamond as having an O.S.S. background as well. Let George Do It's (1946) George Valentine is also hinted at having connections with the O.S.S. during his war service. The O.S.S. patina leant Frank Race instant credibility as a serious, versatile--and potentially deadly--operator and his operations training comes into use in virtually every episode of the series. Show note from the Digital Deli THIS EPISODE: September 4, 1949. Program #19. Broadcasters Program Syndicate syndication. "The Adventure Of The Violent Virtuoso". Commercials added locally. An ex-O. S. S. officer turned insurance investigator takes on a case leading to murder. A cool blonde on a hot night needs help finding a stolen ring. Tom Collins, Tony Barrett, Art Gilmore (announcer), Buckley Angel (writer, director), Joel Murcott (writer, director), Ivan Ditmars (organist), Art Gilmore (announcer), Lillian Buyeff, Tom Holland, Michael Ann Barrett, Wilms Herbert. 27:02.

The Devil & Mr. O - Gravestone (10-22-71)

Bob Camardella — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 03:09:02 GMT

Gravestone (Aired October 22, 1971)
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: October 22, 1971. Program #6. "Gravestone" - CBS network origination, syndicated rebroadcast. Commercials added locally. How'd you like to have your head squashed flat by a tombstone? Syndicated program name: "The Devil and Mr. O." The story is also known as, "Poltergeist". Arch Oboler (writer, host). 31:40.

The Great Gildersleeve - City Employee's Picnic (05-21-44)

Bob Camardella — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 22:24:42 GMT

City Employee's Picnic (Aired May 21, 1944)
The Great Gildersleeve (1941-1957), initially written by Leonard Lewis Levinson, was one of broadcast history's earliest spin-off programs. Built around a character who had been a staple on the classic radio situation comedy Fibber McGee and Molly, The Great Gildersleeve enjoyed its greatest success in the 1940s. Actor Harold Peary played the character during its transition from the parent show into the spin-off and later in a quartet of feature films released at the height of the show's popularity. He soon became so popular that Kraft Foods — looking primarily to promote its Parkay margarine spread — sponsored a new series with Peary's Throckmorton P. Gildersleeve as the central, slightly softened, and slightly befuddled focus of a lively new family. THIS EPISODE: May 21, 1944. "City Employee's Picnic" - NBC network. Sponsored by: Pabst-Ett. At the city employees picnic, Eve Goodwin is still cold to Gildersleeve, all because of one kiss! Harold Peary sings, "Shine On Harvest Moon," and parts of several other tunes. Bea Benaderet, Claude Sweeten (music), Earle Ross, Harold Peary, John Whedon (writer), Ken Carpenter (announcer), Lillian Randolph, Lurene Tuttle, Richard LeGrand, Sam Moore (writer), Walter Tetley. 29:49.

The Adventures Of Sam Spade - The Dog Bed Caper (12-01-50)

Bob Camardella — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 19:07:45 GMT

The Dog Bed Caper (Aired December 1, 1950)
The Adventures of Sam Spade was a radio series based loosely on the private detective character Sam Spade, created by writer Dashiell Hammett for The Maltese Falcon. The show ran for 13 episodes on ABC in 1946, for 157 episodes on CBS in 1946-1949, and finally for 51 episodes on NBC in 1949-1951. The series starred Howard Duff (and later, Steve Dunne) as Sam Spade and Lurene Tuttle as his secretary Effie, and took a considerably more tongue-in-cheek approach to the character than the novel or movie. The series was largely overseen by producer/director William Spier. In 1947, scriptwriters Jason James and Bob Tallman received an Edgar Award for Best Radio Drama from the Mystery Writers of America. Before the series, Sam Spade had been played in radio adaptations of The Maltese Falcon by both Edward G. Robinson (in a 1943 Lux Radio Theater production) and by Bogart himself (in a 1946 Academy Award Theater production), both on CBS. Dashiell Hammett's name was removed from the series in the late 1940s because he was being investigated for involvement with the Communist Party. Later, when Howard Duff's name appeared in the Red Channels book, he was not invited to play the role when the series made the switch to NBC in 1950. In 1961 Broadcasting reported that Four Star Productions planned to film a Sam Spade television pilot with Peter Falk in the title role, but no such series ever arrived on TV. THIS EPISODE: December 1, 1950. NBC network. "The Dog Bed Caper". Sustaining. A complex story of murder and extortion...having nothing at all to do with dog beds. Dick Powell, John Michael Hayes (writer), Lud Gluskin, Lurene Tuttle, Robert Armbruster (conductor), Steve Dunne, William Spier (producer, director, editor), Dashiell Hammett (creator). 27:56.

The Screen Guild Theater - A Great Man Votes (11-03-40)

Bob Camardella — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 03:44:47 GMT

A Great Man Votes (Aired November 3, 1940)
The Screen Guild Theater was a popular radio anthology series during the Golden Age of Radio broadcast from 1939 until 1952 with leading Hollywood actors performing in adaptations of popular motion pictures such as Going My Way and The Postman Always Rings Twice. The show had a long run, lasting for 14 seasons and 527 episodes. It initially was heard on CBS from January 8, 1939 until June 28, 1948, continuing on NBC from October 7, 1948 until June 29, 1950. It was broadcast on ABC from September 7, 1950 to May 31, 1951 and returned to CBS on March 13, 1952. It aired under several different titles: The Gulf Screen Guild Show, The Gulf Screen Guild Theater, The Lady Esther Screen Guild Theater and The Camel Screen Guild Theater. Actors on the series included Ethel Barrymore, Lionel Barrymore, Ingrid Bergman, Humphrey Bogart, Eddie Cantor, Gary Cooper, Bing Crosby, Bette Davis, Jimmy Durante, Nelson Eddy, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Clark Gable, Judy Garland, Gene Kelly, Johnny Mercer, Agnes Moorehead, Gregory Peck, Fred Astaire, Frank Sinatra and Dinah Shore. Fees these actors would typically charge were donated to the Motion Picture Relief Fund, in order to support the creation and maintenance of the Motion Picture Country Home for retired actors. The series came to an end on CBS June 29, 1952. THIS EPISODE: November 3, 1940. CBS network. "A Great Man Votes". Sponsored by: Gulf Oil. Roger Pryor (host), John Barrymore, Thomas Mitchell, Virginia Weidler, The Oscar Bradley Orchestra, Frank Tours (conductor), Bud Hiestand (announcer), Norman Corwin (adaptor). 29:53.

Nightfall - The Thinking Room (08-06-82)

Bob Camardella — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 20:49:13 GMT

The Thinking Room (Aired August 6, 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.) Show Notes From Calfkiller. THIS EPISODE: August 6, 1982. Program #51. CBC network origination, NPR net, WPBH-FM, Middlefield, Conn. aircheck. "The Thinking Room". Sustaining. A modern visit to "The Suicide Club," and a toast to no-one. The WPBH-FM rebroadcast date is May 16, 1982. Henry Ramer (host), Tom Wynne-Jones (writer). 28:06.

Pete Kelly's Blues - Dutch Courtney (02-20-51)

Bob Camardella — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 15:34:46 GMT

Dutch Courtney (Aired February 20, 1951)
Pete Kelly's Blues was an American radio drama which aired over NBC as an unsponsored summer replacement series on Wednesday nights at 8pm(et) from July 4 through September 19, 1951. The series starred Jack Webb as Pete Kelly and was created by writer Richard L. Breen, who had previously worked with Webb on Pat Novak for Hire; James Moser and Jo Eisinger wrote most of the other scripts. Set in Kansas City in the 1920s, the series was a crime drama with a strong musical atmosphere (Webb was a noted Dixieland jazz enthusiast). Pete Kelly was a musician, a cornet player who headed his own jazz combo, "Pete Kelly's Big Seven." They worked at 417 Cherry Street, a speakeasy run by George Lupo, often mentioned but never heard. Kelly, narrating the series, described Lupo as a "fat, friendly little guy." The plots typically centered around Kelly's reluctant involvement with gangsters, gun molls, FBI agents, and people trying to save their own skins. The endings were often downbeat. The series inspired a 1955 film version of Pete Kelly's Blues, in which Jack Webb produced, directed and starred. It used many of the same musicians, including Cathcart, and Ella Fitzgerald was cast as Maggie Jackson. A lesser-known television version, still produced and directed by Webb but with William Reynolds in the lead, aired in 1959, using scripts originally written for the radio version. THIS EPISODE: February 20, 1951. Program #7. "Dutch Courtney" - NBC network. Sustaining. Dutch Courtney has been murdered. Gus Trudeau goes on the lam from Courtney's men and the cops. The first tune is, "Sensation Rag." Another recording of this program has a different cast and begins with, "Jazz Me Blues." Dick Cathcart (cornet), Jack Webb, James Moser (writer), Matty Matlock, Richard Breen (creator), Matty Matlock (scoring), Richard Green (creator). 27:27.

Boxcars711 Overnight Western "Fort Laramie" - Spotted Tail's Return (07-22-56)

Bob Camardella — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 03:16:29 GMT

Boxcars711 Overnight Western "Fort Laramie" - Spotted Tail's Return (Aired July 22, 1956)
Fort Laramie opened with "Specially transcribed tales of the dark and tragic ground of the wild frontier. The saga of fighting men who rode the rim of empire and the dramatic story of Lee Quince, Captain of Cavalry". When Norman Macdonnell created Fort Laramie in late 1955, he made it clear to his writers that historical accuracy was essential to the integrity of the series. Correct geographic names, authentic Indian practices, military terminology, and utilizing actual names of the original buildings of the real fort, was insisted upon. So when the radio characters referred to the sutler's store (which is what the trading post was called prior to 1870), the surgeon's quarters, Old Bedlam (the officers' quarters) or the old bakery, they were naming actual structures in the original fort. While Macdonnell planned to use the same writers, soundmen, and supporting actors in Fort Laramie that he relied upon in Gunsmoke, he naturally picked different leads. Heading up the cast was a 39 year old, Canadian-born actor with a long history in broadcasting and the movies, Raymond Burr. THIS EPISODE: July 22, 1956. CBS network. "Spotted Tail's Return". Sustaining. Spotted Tail has suddenly moved off the reservation with his whole tribe. Captain Quince and sixty troopers ride out after him to find out why. The program was recorded June 28, 1956. The writer of the script is reported to be Les Crutchfield. Raymond Burr, Kathleen Hite (writer), John Dehner, Tim Graham, Lou Krugman, Ralph Moody, Joe Cranston. 30:15.

Father Knows Best - The Missing Pipes (11-13-52)

Bob Camardella — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 21:09:44 GMT

The Missing Pipes (Aired November 13, 1952)
Father Knows Best, a family comedy of the 1950s, is perhaps more important for what it has come to represent than for what it actually was. In essence, the series was one of a slew of middle-class family sitcoms in which moms were moms, kids were kids, and fathers knew best. Today, many critics view it, at best, as high camp fun, and, at worst, as part of what critic David Marc once labeled the "Aryan melodramas" of the 1950s and 1960s. The brainchild of series star Robert Young, who played insurance salesman Jim Anderson, and producer Eugene B. Rodney, Father Knows Best first debuted as a radio sitcom in 1949.The series began August 25, 1949, on NBC Radio. Set in the Midwest, it starred Robert Young as General Insurance agent Jim Anderson. His wife Margaret was first portrayed by June Whitley and later by Jean Vander Pyl. The Anderson children were Betty (Rhoda Williams), Bud (Ted Donaldson) and Kathy (Norma Jean Nillson). Others in the cast were Eleanor Audley, Herb Vigran and Sam Edwards. Sponsored through most of its run by General Foods, the series was heard Thursday evenings on NBC until March 25, 1954.P>

People Are Funny - Mink Stole (10-10-54)

Bob Camardella — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 16:23:32 GMT

Mink Stole (Aire October 10, 1954)
People are Funny is a long-running American radio and television game show, created by John Guedel that remained popular throughout the 1940s. The program ran from 1942 to 1960. The program's stunts and audience participation were calculated to reveal the humorous side of human nature. After contestants were sent from the studio to perform a task in public, the audience was told how the contestant was being double-crossed. The series began in 1938 when Guedel made an audition recording, and the following year, his concept of a comedy stunt show aired in Los Angeles as Pull Over, Neighbor, later reworked into All Aboard. Watching a bored, unreceptive audience listening to an after-dinner speaker, Guedel scribbled "People are funny, aren't they?" on a napkin, and he had his title. In 1942, learning of a show that was canceled, he pitched People are Funny to NBC, and it went on the air April 10, 1942 with Art Baker as host. In a popular first-season stunt, a man was assigned to register a trained seal at the Knickerbocker Hotel while explaining that the seal was his girlfriend. On October 1, 1943 Baker was replaced by Art Linkletter, who continued for the rest of the series. THIS EPISODE: October 10, 1954. "Mink Stole" - NBC network. Sponsored by: Pamper Shampoo, Prom Home Permanent, Forever Yours. A man is told to give a mink coat to a strange woman, and then take it back! A widowed school teacher returns from her trip around the world. This program is either TV audio or a simulcast. Art Linkletter, John Guedel (producer). 33:03.

Mr. Keen - Skull & Crossbones Murder Case (06-15-50)

Bob Camardella — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 05:55:55 GMT

Skull & Crossbones Murder Case (Aired June 15, 1950)
Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons was one of radio's longest running shows, airing (October 12, 1937 to April 19, 1955), continuing well into the television era. It was produced by Frank and Anne Hummert. The sponsors included Whitehall Pharmacal (as in Anacin, Kolynos Toothpaste, BiSoDol antacid mints, Hill's cold tablets and Heet liniment), Dentyne, Aerowax, RCA Victor and Chesterfield cigarettes. It aired on the NBC Blue network until 1947, when it switched to CBS. Bennett Kilpack began as Mr. Keen in 1937 with Phil Clarke stepping into the role late in the series. For 18 years the kindly Keen and his faithful assistant, Mike Clancy (Jim Kelly), entertained followers with their intuitive perception that kept listeners coming back for more. With 1690 nationwide broadcasts, Mr. Keen was the most resilient private detective in a namesake role. The nearest competitors were Nick Carter, Master Detective (726 broadcasts), The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (657) and The Adventures of the Falcon (473). THIS EPISODE: June 15, 1950. CBS network. "The Skull and Crossbones Murder Case". Sponsored by: Anacin, Kolynos, Heet, Kriptin, Bisodol, Hills Cold Tabs. A murder victim receives the skull and crossbones from a poison bottle before being murdered. His wife then receives the same warning. Frank Hummert (originator, producer), Anne Hummert (originator, producer), Richard Leonard (director), Lawrence Klee (dialogue), Bennett Kilpack, Larry Elliott (announcer). 28:38.

Box 13 - Much Too Lucky (05-01-49)

Bob Camardella — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 23:49:33 GMT

Much Too Lucky (Aired May 1, 1949)
Box 13 was a syndicated radio series about the escapades of mystery novelist Dan Holiday (Alan Ladd), a former newsman. Created by Mayfair Productions, the series premiered August 22, 1948, on New York's WOR and aired in syndication on the East Coast from August 22, 1948, to August 14. 1949. On the West Coast, Box 13 was heard from March 15, 1948 to March 7, 1949. To seek out new ideas for his fiction, Holiday ran a classified ad in the Star-Times newspaper. "Adventure wanted, will go anywhere, do anything -- Box 13." The stories followed Holiday's adventures when he responded to the letters sent to him by such people as a psycho killer and various victims. THIS EPISODE: May 1, 1949. Program #37. Mayfair syndication. "Much Too Lucky". Commercials added locally. How to find out the winner of a horse race before it starts. Alan Ladd, Richard Sanville (director), Robert Light (writer), Rudy Schrager (composer, conductor), Sylvia Picker, Vern Carstensen (production supervisor). 26:46.

The Whisperer - Taken For A Ride (08-26-51)

Bob Camardella — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 14:35:37 GMT

Taken For A Ride (Aired August 26, 1951)
The Whisperer was an American old-time radio show broadcast from July 8 to September 30, 1951 on NBC. It ran for only 13 episodes. The premise of the series was as improbable as its storylines. The protagonist was Philip Gault (Carleton G. Young), a lawyer who, due to some unexplained accident, lost his voice and could only speak in an eerie whisper. Gault infiltrates "the syndicate" in his native Central City to bring down organized crime from within; to the underworld, he becomes known as the Whisperer. Later, his voice is restored through surgery, but he continues to lead a double life as the Whisperer, relaying instructions from the syndicate bosses in New York (who don't know he's a mole) to their lackeys in Central City, whom Gault is actually setting up. By today's standards, the stories are dated and their message-mongering usually criticized as ham-fisted, the product of what might be considered the unenlightened attitudes of the time. The first episode ("Tea Time for Teenagers") is typical, an overwrought "it can happen here" melodrama about a syndicate plot to create "200 regular marijuana addicts" among high school students. The episode makes a blatant appeal to the moral indignation of its audience, ending with Gault advising PTA's to "show some of the fine educational films available on marijuana and how it leads to a worse addiction." Carleton G. Young, who played Gault, is sometimes confused with the actor Carleton Young. Betty Moran portrayed his girlfriend Ellen, the only other person who knew Gault's double identity. THIS EPISODE: August 26, 1951. "Taken For A Ride" - NBC net. Sustaining. The Ace Trucking Company refuses to buy insurance from, "The Syndicate." One of their trucks is ordered wrecked, the driver is ordered killed if necessary. The system cue has been deleted. Carleton Young, Betty Moran, Stetson Humphrey (creator), John Duffy (original music), Bill Cairn (producer, director), Don Rickles (announcer), Julius Crowlbein, Herb Ellis, James Nusser, James Bush, Jonathan Twice (writer). 30:05.

Vanishing Point - Closing Night (05-26-86)

Bob Camardella — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 04:01:42 GMT

Closing Night (Aired May 26, 1986)
Vanishing Point is the title of a science fiction anthology series that ran on Canadian Broadcasting Corporation Radio from 1984 until 1986, although the show would continue under different names and formats. A descriptive intro declared that Vanishing Point. The series was produced by Bill Lane in the CBC's Toronto studios. 1984-1986 There were 69 episodes in the original series. The series continued after that under various names and formats. "The point between reality and fantasy. Where imagination holds the key to new worlds. That point of no return---The Vanishing Point." Favorably compared to Rod Sterling's classic TV series, The Twilight Zone, these finely tuned radio dramas from the CBC provide compelling excursions into the realm of mystery and fantasy.

Rogue's Gallery - Favor For A Condemned Man (04-04-46)

Bob Camardella — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 20:28:18 GMT

Favor For A Condemned Man (Aired April 4, 1946)
The gimmick in Rogue's Gallery was the presence of an alter ego, "Eugor," who arrived in the middle of the show to give Rogue enough information for his final deduction. Eugor was a state of mind, achieved when Rogue was knocked unconcious. Eugor would appear cackling like the host of Hermit's Cave and imparted some vital information the hero had overlooked. Rogue would then awaken with a vague idea of what to do next. Rogue's Gallery also starred different actors as Rogue, in later incarnations of the series, but Richard Powell was the most popular. This series preceded Richard Powell's most famous series, Richard Diamond, Private Detective. Rogue trailed lovely blondes and protected witnesses in the new tough guy persona of Dick Powell. This was the transition series for Powell in his quest to be recognized as an actor rather than a singer. THIS EPISODE: April 4, 1946. "Favor For A Condemned Man" - Mutual network. Sponsored by: Fitch's Shampoo, Fitch's Shaving Cream. Mike Royal is about to die in the electric chair. He asks Richard Rogue to return gems he had stolen for the reward. An interesting story. Dee Englebach (producer, director), Dick Powell, Gerald Mohr, Jim Doyle (announcer), Leith Stevens (composer, conductor), Ray Buffum (writer), Peter Leeds, Ken Christy. 28:21.

The Screen Director's Playhouse - Shadow Of A Doubt (11-09-50)

Bob Camardella — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 15:43:03 GMT

Shadow Of A Doubt (Aired November 9, 1950)
From 01/09/49 to 09/28/51 this series was greatly enjoyed by the radio listening audience. It opened as NBC Theater and was also known as The Screen Director’s Guild and The Screen Director’s Assignment. But most people remember it simply as Screen Director’s Playhouse. Many of the Hollywood elite were heard recreating their screen roles over the radio. John Wayne in his rare radio appearances, Cary Grant, Edward G. Robinson, Lucille Ball, Claire Trevor, Tallulah Bankhead and many others were on the air week after week during these broadcasts. Many of Hollywood’s directors were also heard in the recreation of their movies. The President of the Screen Director’s Guild appeared on 02/13/49, and Violinist Isaac Stern supplied the music for the 04/19/51 broadcast. THIS EPISODE: November 9, 1950. Shadow Of A Doubt (An Alfred Hitchcock Thriller) (Stars: Carey Grant) - Uncle Charlie relies heavily on his relationship with his niece and name sake Charlie to make him appear like butter wouldn't melt. However, as soon as Niece Charlie puts two and two together and comes to realise the truth about her Uncle the close relationship between them deteriorates at a rapid pace. But, it is less the fact that niece Charlie realises what her uncle really is, but it is because she is growing into a woman that Charlie doesn't like. In becoming a woman niece Charlie now represents all that her uncle can't abide. And it is this misogynistic streak in Uncle Charlie that compels him to attempt to murder his niece, as opposed to what she knows of him.

Boxcars711 Overnight Western "Gunsmoke" - Doc Quits (08-27-55)

Bob Camardella — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 04:00:53 GMT

Boxcars711 Overnight Western "Gunsmoke" - Doc Quits (Aired August 27, 1955)
The radio show first aired on April 26, 1952 and ran until June 18, 1961 on the CBS radio network. The series starred William Conrad as Marshal Matt Dillon, Howard McNear as Doc Charles Adams, Georgia Ellis as Kitty Russell, and Parley Baer as Deputy Chester Proudfoot. Doc's first name and Chester's last name were changed for the television program. Gunsmoke was notable for its critically acclaimed cast and writing, and is commonly regarded as one of the finest old time radio shows. Some listeners (such as old time radio expert John Dunning) have argued that the radio version of Gunsmoke was far more realistic than the television program. Episodes were aimed at adults, and featured some of the most explicit content of the day: there were violent crimes and scalpings, massacres and opium addicts. Miss Kitty's occupation was made far more obvious on the radio version than on television. Many episodes ended on a down-note, and villains often got away with their crimes. THIS EPISODE: August 27, 1955. CBS network. "Doc Quits". Sponsored by: L & M, Chesterfield. The last show of the season. Doc Betchell comes to practice medicine in Dodge and gives Doc Adams a bit of competition. So much in fact, that Doc Adams quits! The script was used on the Gunsmoke television series on February 21, 1959. This is a network, sponsored version. The system cue is added live. William Conrad announces that "Gunsmoke" is coming to television in two weeks. William Conrad, Parley Baer, Georgia Ellis, Howard McNear, Lawrence Dobkin, James Nusser, Anne Morrison, Frank Cady, John Meston (writer), Norman Macdonnell (producer, director), Rex Koury (composer, conductor), Tom Hanley (sound patterns), Bill James (sound patterns), George Walsh (announcer). 30:15.

The Damon Runyon Theater - The Lily of St. Pierre (7-24-49)

Bob Camardella — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 21:42:59 GMT

The Lily of St. Pierre (Aired July 24, 1949)
Damon Runyon Theatre - Broadcast from January to December 1949, "The Damon Runyon Theatre" dramatized 52 of Runyon's short stories for radio. Damon Runyon (October 4, 1884 – December 10, 1946) was a newspaperman and writer. He was best known for his short stories celebrating the world of Broadway in New York City that grew out of the Prohibition era. He spun tales of gamblers, petty thieves, actors and gangsters; few of whom go by "square" names, preferring instead to be known as "Nathan Detroit", "Big Jule", "Harry the Horse", "Good Time Charlie", "Dave the Dude", and so on. These stories were written in a very distinctive vernacular style: a mixture of formal speech and colorful slang, almost always in present tense, and always devoid of contractions. THIS EPISODE: July 24, 1949. Program #30. Mayfair syndication. "The Lily Of Ste. Pierre". Commercials added locally. A Runyonesque love story about an unsavory Broadway type and an innocent Canadian girl. John Brown, Damon Runyon (author), Russell Hughes (adaptor), Vern Carstensen (production supervisor), Richard Sanville (director), Frank Gallop (announcer). 26:40.

The Jack Benny Program - 2 Episodes (09-05-43) (01-15-50)

Bob Camardella — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 16:32:10 GMT

2 Ep. "Guest Is Louie Armstong" (Aired September 5, 1943) "Jack Meets Fred Allen (Aired January 15, 1950)
Benny had been only a minor vaudeville performer, but he became a national figure with The Jack Benny Program, a weekly radio show which ran from 1932 to 1948 on NBC and from 1949 to 1955 on CBS. It was consistently among the most highly rated programs during most of that run. With Canada Dry Ginger Ale as a sponsor, Benny came to radio on The Canada Dry Program, beginning May 2, 1932, on the NBC Blue Network and continuing there for six months until October 26, moving the show to CBS on October 30. With Ted Weems leading the band, Benny stayed on CBS until January 26, 1933. Arriving at NBC on March 17, Benny did The Chevrolet Program until April 1, 1934. He continued with sponsor General Tire through the end of the season. In October, 1934, General Foods, the makers of Jell-O and Grape-Nuts, became the sponsor most identified with Jack, for the next ten years. American Tobacco's Lucky Strike was his longest-lasting radio sponsor, from October, 1944, through the end of his original radio series. The show returned to CBS on January 2, 1949, as part of CBS president William S. Paley's notorious "raid" of NBC talent in 1948–49. There it stayed for the remainder of its radio run, which ended on May 22, 1955. CBS aired repeats of old radio episodes from 1956 to 1958 as The Best of Benny. Benny's stage character was just about everything the actual Jack Benny was not: cheap, petty, vain, and self-congratulatory. His comic rendering of these traits became the linchpin to the Benny show's success. Benny set himself up as the comedic foil, allowing his supporting characters to draw laughs at the expense of his character's flaws. By allowing such a character to be seen as human and vulnerable, in an era where few male characters were allowed such obvious vulnerability, Benny made what might have been a despicable character into a lovable Everyman character. Benny himself said on several occasions: "I don't care who gets the laughs on my show, as long as the show is funny."

Manhunt - 2 Episodes - Legal Loophole (10-03-45) and Gloomy Room (10-12-45)

Bob Camardella — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 02:22:23 GMT

Legal Loophole (Aired October 3, 1945) and Gloomy Room (Aired October 12, 1945)
Manhunt was a 15-minute crime drama anthology. The scripts ran twelve and a half minutes, so as to allow stations to insert their own commercial messages and announcements in the remaining two and a half minutes. Starring Larry Haines and featuring Frances Robinson, the series was introduced and narrated by Maurice Tarplin. Having instilled a sense of foreboding in the listener, the script would launch into the dramatic exposition necessary to frame the ensuing plot. Each episode posed a crime puzzle of one kind or another--usually a murder under impossible conditions. Larry Haines portrays Andrew 'Drew' Stevens, a police lab forensic detective and Frances Robinson portrays his secretary--and love interest--Patricia 'Pat' O'Connor. Homicide Detective Sergeant Bill Morton is Stevens' local police contact. The format is tight by mystery standards of the era. The introductory exposition usually provides enough intrigue to involve the listener. Show Notes From The Digital Deli

My Friend Irma - Show Business (02-10-52)

Bob Camardella — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 21:23:27 GMT

Show Business (Aired February 10, 1952)
The show was sponsored by Swan Soap, and Irma would usually make a silly remark about it so the name could be advertised. Frank Bingman was the announcer for Swan Soap. The program was also sponsored by EMMD's which got rid of breath and body odors and each tiny capsule was said to contain 100g (nearly four ounces) of chlorophyll, which is a miracle in itself. Pepsodent was also a sponsor. Because of the popularity of the show, early in the series (shows 41-43), a contest was run for the services of Irma/Marie Wilson to act as a secretary for the highest bidder for one day, with her willing to travel anywhere in America. The money was to go to the March of Dimes charity to fight polio. Three business men bid $1,000, but the winner was the Coca Cola Bottling Company of Fort Worth, Texas which bid $5,000 to have Irma as their secretary for a day. The TV version, seen on CBS from January 8, 1952 until June 25, 1954, was the first series telecast from the CBS Television City facility in Hollywood. The film My Friend Irma (1949) starred Marie Wilson and Diana Lynn but is mainly remembered today for introducing Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis to moviegoers, resulting in even more screen time for Martin and Lewis in the sequel, My Friend Irma Goes West (1950). THIS EPISODE: February 10, 1952. "Show Business" AKA: "Dictation System" - CBS network. Sponsored by: Ennds, Eye-Gene. Irma is tired of her job as a stenographer and gets a job in show business...being sawed in half by a magician! Alan Reed, Carl Caruso (announcer), Cathy Lewis, Cy Howard (writer, producer, director), Hans Conried, Leif Erickson, Lud Gluskin, Marie Wilson, Parke Levy (writer), Pat Burton (associate producer), Sara Berner, Stanley Adams (writer). 30:52.

Murder By Experts - Two Coffins To Fill (07-04-49)

Bob Camardella — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 13:35:03 GMT

Two Coffins To Fill (Aired July 4, 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: July 4, 1949. Mutual network. "Two Coffins To Fill". Sustaining. The story of a man who decides to kill his rich wife, but all his plans backfire. John Dickson Carr (host). 28:12.

I Was A Communist For The FBI - Hate Song (12-31-52)

Bob Camardella — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 02:34:59 GMT

Hate Song (Aired December 31, 1952)
Throughout most of the 1940's, Matt Cvetic worked as a volunteer undercover agent for the FBI, infiltrating the Communist Party in Pittsburgh. In 1949, his testimony helped to convict several top Party members of conspiracy to overthrow the U.S. government. Cvetic sold his account to "The Saturday Evening Post" and it was serialized under the title "I Posed as a Communist for the FBI". It later became a best-selling book. In 1951, Warner Brothers released a film based on these accounts entitled "I Was A Communist For The FBI", starring with Frank Lovejoy as Cvetic. In 1952, in the midst of the Red scare of the 1950's, the Frederick W. Ziv Company produced the syndicated radio series with the same title as the movie. It was produced without assistance from the FBI, which refused to cooperate. I Was a Communist for the FBI consisted of 78 episodes syndicated by the Frederick W. Ziv Company to more than 600 stations, including KNX in Los Angeles, California, with original episodes running from April 23, 1952 to October 14, 1953. Each episode ended with Dana Andrew's well-remembered words, ""I was a Communist for the FBI. I walk alone". The show had a budget of $12,000 a week, a very high cost to produce a radio show at the time. THIS EPISODE: December 31, 1952. Program #37. ZIV Syndication. "Hate Song". Commercials added locally. The Party tries to take over "Boys Inc.," a youth organization. Dana Andrews, Jeffrey Silver, Virginia Gregg, David Rose (composer, conductor), Truman Bradley (announcer), Henry Hayward (director). 26:33.

Crime Classics - The Torment Of Henrietta Robinson & Why She Killed (09-07-53)

Bob Camardella — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 21:33:59 GMT

The Torment Of Henrietta Robinson & Why She Killed (Aired September 7, 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: September 7, 1953. CBS network. "The Torment Of Henrietta Robinson and Why She Killed". Sustaining. A lady of Troy New York in 1845, and her doll Cecily. Very insane and very homicidal. The last show of "the summer series." Ben Wright, Bernard Herrmann (composer, conductor), Betty Harford, Bob Lemond (announcer), David Friedkin (writer), Elliott Lewis (producer, director), Joseph Kearns, Lamont Johnson, Lou Merrill (host), Morton Fine (writer), Paula Winslowe, Sam Edwards, Sammie Hill. 29:24.

The Ford Theater - The Late Christopher Bean (06-20-48)

Bob Camardella — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 16:06:44 GMT

The Late Christopher Bean (Aired June 20, 1948)
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: June 20, 1948. NBC network. "The Late Christopher Bean". Sponsored by: Ford. A good story about a rural housekeeper whose one great love was a long-dead artist, whose paintings have suddenly become VERY popular. Alice Goodkin, Beatrice Pons, Warren Brian, Louis Calhern (substitute host), Kenneth Banghart (announcer), Richard Gordon, Jane Houston, Jo Ann McCoy, James Van Dyke, Harry Worth, Barbara Weeks, Cameron Prud'Homme, Sidney Howard (author), Sylvia Berger (adaptor), Howard Teichman (editor), Amadeo Di Filipi (composer), Howard Barlow (conductor), George Zacher (director). 1 hour.

The Adventures Of Ozzie & Harriet - The 3rd Degree (11-21-48)

Bob Camardella — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 02:44:15 GMT

The 3rd Degree (Aired November 21, 1948)
The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet is an American sitcom, airing on ABC from October 3, 1952 to September 3, 1966, starring the real life Nelson family. After a long run on radio, the show was brought to television where it continued its success, running on both radio and TV for a couple of years. The series starred Ozzie Nelson and his wife, singer Harriet Nelson (née Hilliard), and their young sons, David Nelson and Eric Nelson, better known as Ricky. Don DeFore had a recurring role as the Nelsons' friendly neighbor "Thorny". The series attracted large audiences, and although it was never a top-ten hit, it became synonymous with the 1950s ideal American family life. It is the longest-running "live-action"/non-animated sitcom in US TV history. In the early 1930s, a booking at the Glen Island Casino landed Ozzie Nelson's orchestra national network radio exposure. After three years together with the orchestra, Ozzie and Harriet signed to appear regularly on The Baker's Broadcast (1933-1938), hosted first by Joe Penner, then by Robert L. Ripley, and finally by cartoonist Feg Murray. The couple married on October 8, 1935 during this series run, and realized working together in radio would keep them together more than continuing their musical careers separately. THIS EPISODE: November 21, 1948. "The 3rd Degree" - NBC network. Sponsored by: International Silver. Who is more curious...Ozzie or Harriet? And who is that beautiful girl that complimented Ozzie? A funny show. Ozzie Nelson, Harriet Hilliard. 29:29.

The CBS Radio Mystery Theater - Murder One (06-14-77)

Bob Camardella — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 21:32:18 GMT

Murder One (Aired June 14, 1977)
A host of prominent actors from radio and screen performed on the series, including Agnes Moorehead, Joan Hackett, Mercedes McCambridge, Morey Amsterdam, Roy Thinnes, Keir Dullea, Fred Gwynne, Richard Crenna, Kim Hunter, Larry Haines, Morgan Fairchild, John Lithgow, and even a very young Sarah Jessica Parker. Actors were paid union scale at around $73.92 per show. Writers earned a flat rate of $350.00 per show. The production took place with assembly-line precision. Brown would meet with actors at 9:00 AM for the first reading of the script. He would then assign roles and recording would begin. By noon the recording of the actors was complete and Brown handed everyone their checks. Post-production would take place in the afternoon. In 1975, CBSRMT won the prestigious Peabody Award, and in 1990 it was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame. In 1998, the still-active Brown attempted a brief revival of the series, rebroadcasting selected old episodes with his own introductions replacing Marshall's. THIS EPISODE: June 14, 1977. Program #664. CBS network. "Murder One". Commercials deleted. The story of a wealthy widow who may have considerably more on her mind than the loss of her husband. E. G. Marshall (host), J. Frederick Lewis (writer), Tammy Grimes, Teri Keane, Leon Janney. 43:57.

Author's Playhouse - The Mysterious Stranger (07-14-44)

Bob Camardella — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 15:39:50 GMT

The Mysterious Stranger (Aired July 14, 1944)
Author's Playhouse was an anthology radio drama series, created by Wynn Wright, that aired on the NBC Blue Network from March 5, 1941 until October 1941. It then moved to the NBC Red Network where it was heard until June 4, 1945. Philip Morris was the sponsor in 1942-43. Premiering with "Elementals" by Stephen Vincent Benét, the series featured adaptations of stories by famous authors, such as “Mr. Mergenthwirker’s Lobbies” by Nelson Bond, "The Snow Goose" by Paul Gallico, "The Monkey's Paw" by W.W. Jacobs, "The Piano" by William Saroyan and "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" by James Thurber. Cast members included Curley Bradley, John Hodiak, Marvin Miller, Nelson Olmsted, Fern Persons, Olan Soule and Les Tremayne. Orchestra conductors for the program were Joseph Gallicchio, Rex Maupin and Roy Shield. Directors included Norman Felton, Homer Heck and Fred Weihe. The series was a precursor to several NBC radio programs of the late 1940s and early 1950s: The World's Great Novels, NBC Presents: Short Story and The NBC University Theater. THIS EPISODE: July 14, 1944. NBC network. "The Mysterious Stranger". Sustaining. A fantasy about a boy who gets out of a sick bed of a day on the town with a strange yet somehow familiar man. Zachary Gold (writer). 28:30.

Boxcars711 Overnight Western "Cisco Kid" - Rodeo At Calico Corners (01-11-55)

Bob Camardella — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 04:44:55 GMT

Boxcars711 Overnight Western "Cisco Kid" - Rodeo At Calico Corners (Aired January 11, 1955)
The Cisco Kid refers to a character found in numerous film, radio, television and comic book series based on the fictional Western character created by O. Henry in his 1907 short story "The Caballero's Way", published in the collection Heart of the West. In movies and television, the Kid was depicted as a heroic Mexican caballero, even though he was originally a cruel outlaw. The Cisco Kid came to radio October 2, 1942, with Jackson Beck in the title role and Louis Sorin as Pancho. With Vicki Vola and Bryna Raeburn in supporting roles and Michael Rye announcing, this series continued on Mutual until 1945. It was followed by another Mutual series in 1946, starring Jack Mather and Harry Lang, who continued to head the cast in the syndicated radio series of more than 600 episodes from 1947 to 1956. The radio episodes ended with one or the other of them making a corny joke about the adventure they had just completed. They would laugh, saying, "'oh, Pancho!" "'oh, Cisco!", before galloping off, while laughing. Renaldo returned to the role for the popular 156-episode Ziv Television series The Cisco Kid (1950–1956), notable as the first TV series filmed in color. The Cisco Kid's sidekick Pancho was portrayed by Leo Carrillo for the 1950s TV series. THIS EPISODE: January 11, 1955. Program #259. Mutual-Don Lee network, KHJ, Los Angeles origination, Ziv syndication. "Rodeo At Calico Corners". Commercials added locally. Bruce Taber and Cannon Ray plan to rob the bank during the town's rodeo. Jack Mather, Harry Lang. 27:38.

Bulldog Drummond - Dinner Of Death (04-23-45)

Bob Camardella — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 02:23:12 GMT

Dinner Of Death (Aired April 23, 1945)
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.

Tom Corbett Space Cadet - Double Cross In Space Part.2 of 2 (04-03-52)

Bob Camardella — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 19:56:49 GMT

Double Cross In Space Part.2 of 2 (Aired April 3, 1952)
Tom's career covered every media outlet of the 1950's, except the movies. There were eight hardback books published by Grosset and Dunlap from 1952 to 1956, fourteen comics published by Dell & Prize comics from 1952 to 1955, a daily and Sunday newspaper strip written by Paul S. Newman and drawn by Ray Bailey from September 1951 to September 1953 , a six month run of radio shows in 1952 and the TV series from Oct 1950 to 1956. The TV series began on CBS (October 2, 1950 - December 29, 1950 ), then moved to ABC from January 1, 1951 to September 26, 1952. While on ABC, there were repeats on NBC (as a summer replacement for Victor Borge) from July 1951 to September 1951 . Then, after Kelloggs canceled the series, it returned on alternate Saturdays for one season on the DuMont network from August 29, 1953 to May 22, 1954. The last season, for Kraft, ran on NBC from December 11, 1954 to June 25, 1955. The show was broadcast in a Monday, Wed and Friday format with 30 minute shows on Saturday.

The Amos & Andy Show - Andy Inflates His Tax Return (03-02-45)

Bob Camardella — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 17:02:50 GMT

Andy Inflates His Tax Return (Aired March 2, 1945)
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: March 2, 1945. "Andy Inflates His Tax Return" - NBC network. Sponsored by: Rinso, Lifebuoy. Andy is going to have to pay income tax on the $250 he made in 1944. "The Mystic Knights Of The Sea Quartet" do a great "Way Down Yonder In New Orleans." Freeman Gosden, Charles Correll, Harlow Wilcox (announcer), The Mystic Knights Of The Sea Quartet, Lou Lubin, James Basquette. 23:23.

Crime & Peter Chambers - Cemetery Attack (04-20-54)

Bob Camardella — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 03:14:58 GMT

Cemetery Attack (Aired April 20, 1954)
Peter Chambers, the dashing playboy private eye, came from the pen of Henry Kane. The output of his writing career included over 60 novels, including about 30 featuring Peter Chambers. In an interest- ing twist, Mr. Kane became the writer, director and producer for the radio series based on his characters. Crime and Peter Chambers aired in 1954 on NBC stations, running from April to September, 1954. A total of 23 30-minute shows were broad- cast of which 21 are in circulation, according to Jay Hickerson's "Ultimate Guide" (see References section below). The part of Peter Chambers was played Dane Clark. Clark previously acted tough guy parts in a number of movies, starting in 1942. He made a fairly convincing detective. Bill Zuckert played Lt. Parker in the series.

Tom Corbett Space Cadet - Double Cross In Space Part.1 of 2 (04-01-52)

Bob Camardella — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 22:00:30 GMT

Double Cross In Space Pt.1 of 2 (Aired April 1, 1952)
Tom Corbett is the main character in a series of Tom Corbett — Space Cadet stories that were depicted in television, radio, books, comic books, comic strips, coloring books, punch-out books and View-Master reels in the 1950s. The stories followed the adventures of Tom Corbett, Astro, and Roger Manning, cadets at the Space Academy as they train to become members of the elite Solar Guard. The action takes place at the Academy in classrooms and bunkroom, aboard their training ship the rocket cruiser Polaris, and on alien worlds, both within our solar system and in orbit around nearby stars. The Tom Corbett universe partook of pseudo-science, not equal to the standards of accuracy set by John W. Campbell in the pages of Astounding. And yet, by the standards of the day, it was much more accurate than most media science fiction. Mars was a desert, Venus a jungle, and the asteroids a haunt of space pirates, but at least planets circled suns and there was no air in space. Contrast this with Twilight Zone, years later, where people could live on asteroids wearing ordinary clothes, or Lost in Space, years after that, where a spaceship could be passing "Jupiter and Andromeda" at the same time. Before Star Trek, Tom Corbett — Space Cadet was the most scientifically accurate series on television, in part due to official science advisor Willy Ley, and later due to Frankie Thomas. Thomas read up on science and everyone on the set turned to him for advice on matters scientific.

Let George Do It - The Money Maker (08-02-48)

Bob Camardella — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 15:00:56 GMT

The Money Maker (Aired August 2, 1948)
Bob Bailey played George Valentine as a detective handy man, who got his jobs from responses to a newspaper ad. Part-time detective and writer Dan Holiday in Box 13 also used the premise. It pays to advertise! The shows follow the usual formats of crime caper shows, with toughs, mysterious rendezvous and people who aren't who they say they are. Francis Robinson first played Brooksie, then Virginia Gregg took the role through its best years. Both ladies played Brooksie smart and sassy. Brooksie took every occasion to make it clear to George that the case he was the most off base on was the "Case of the Missing Engagement Ring." In the late '40's, an organist was used for the scene transitions, and sound effects were fairly minimal, as the show was loaded with snappy patter. In the 1950's, the music turns orchestral, and the production values are a little more thorough. Let George Do It was an excellent show in its own right, but it just so happened that it was to be the warm-up act for Bob Bailey's most masterful radio role, that of "the man with the action-packed expense account." He joined Yours Truly Johnny Dollar in 1955, and made the show golden as a classic of the final years of Old Time Radio. THIS EPISODE: August 2, 1948. - Mutual-Don Lee network. Sponsored by: Standard Oil, Chevron. Martin Kirsch of The Bonded Paper Company hires George Valentine to recover reams of very valuable paper which has been stolen from the mill. The fate of a country is at stake! Bob Bailey, Frances Robinson, Wally Maher, Herb Butterfield, Eddie Fields, Clayton Post, Don Clark (director), Joe Forte, Charlie Lung, Bud Hiestand (announcer), David Victor (writer), Herbert Little Jr. (writer), Eddie Dunstedter (composer, conductor). 31:10.

The Red Skelton Show - Three Cent Stamp (01-14-51)

Bob Camardella — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 02:53:11 GMT

Three Cent Stamp (Aired January 14, 1951)
In 1951, NBC beckoned Skelton to bring his radio show to television. His characters worked even better on screen than on radio. TV also led to one of his best-remembered characters, "Freddie the Freeloader," a traditional tramp whose appearance suggested the elder brother of the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus clown Emmett Kelly. Announcer and voice actor Art Gilmore, who voiced numerous movie trailers in Hollywood in the 1940s and 1950s, became the announcer on the show, with David Rose and his orchestra providing the music. A hit instrumental for Rose, called "Holiday for Strings", was used as Skelton's TV theme song. During the 1951–52 season, Skelton broadcast live from a converted NBC radio studio. When he complained about the pressures of doing a live show, NBC agreed to film his shows in the 1952–53 season at Eagle Lion Studios, next to the Sam Goldwyn Studio, on Santa Monica Boulevard in Hollywood. Later the show was moved to the new NBC television studios in Burbank. THIS EPISODE: January 14, 1951. CBS network origination, AFRTS rebroadcast. "The Three-Cent Stamp." Red is looking for a postage stamp. Also, "World of Wheels." for network, sponsored, quality upgrade version. Red Skelton, Lurene Tuttle, Rod O'Connor (announcer), David Rose and His Orchestra, Dick Ryan, Pat McGeehan, John Holbrook (commercial spokesman). 29:28.

Family Doctor - 2 Episodes From 1932

Bob Camardella — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 21:21:33 GMT

2 Episodes "New York" and "Out Of Control" (1932)
Over the years, many television series, books, and movies have taken a longing look at the past in programs such as Little House on the Prairie and The Waltons which served as a reminder of old fashioned values and a time when a sense of community was a reality. The quest for this sort of world continues in the 21st Century with the rise of Amish fiction stories. Family Doctor is not taking a look back, but is set in the then-present which is widely believed to be 1932 when the shows were produced. Like the other syndicated 15 minute shows we examined the last two weeks, Family Doctor's 39 episodes were syndicated to various radio stations and sold as a package. Unlike the other shows, Family Doctor had regular character and story archs. The show follows the adventures of Grant Adams, the longtime physician of the small town of Cedarton. Cedarton is a three-dimensional town brimming with wonderful characters who Doc Adams tries to help and encourage including Pete who runs the drugstore and Griff, the workaholic boat renter who works too hard and always promises that he'll find a younger man to do his hard work. Then there are two teenage girls who compete for the hear of a clerk at the drug store and then when he leaves, they fight for the next clerk hired. Show Notes From Great Detectives (greatdetectives.net)

Escape - The Man Who Stole The Bible (05-05-50)

Bob Camardella — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 16:48:51 GMT

The Man Who Stole The Bible (Aired May 5, 1950)
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 Suspense. THIS EPISODE: May 5, 1950. CBS network. "The Man Who Stole The Bible". Sponsored by: Richfield Oil (baseball book premium). It's Mardi Gras time in New Orleans, and a salesman has a date with the devil! The story was subsequently produced on Escape on August 30, 1951 and on "Suspense" on November 25, 1956. Ben Wright, Gwen Bagni (writer), Harry Bartell, John Bagni (writer), Lou Merrill, Mary Shipp, Nan Boardman, Paul Frees, Peter Leeds, Rick Vallin, Will Geer, William N. Robson (producer, director), Ivan Ditmars (special music arranger, performer). 29:00.

Boxcars711 Overnight Western "Have Gun Will Travel" - So True Mr. Barnum (04-10-60)

Bob Camardella — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 06:32:45 GMT

Boxcars711 Overnight Western "Have Gun Will Travel" - So True Mr. Barnum (Aired April 10, 1960)
The show followed the adventures of Paladin, a gentleman-turned-gunfighter (played by Richard Boone on television, and by John Dehner on radio), who preferred to settle problems without violence, yet, when forced to fight, excelled. Paladin lived in the Carlton Hotel in San Francisco, where he dressed in semi-formal wear, ate gourmet food, and attended opera. In fact, many who initially met him mistook him for a dandy from the East. When working, he dressed in black, used calling cards and wore a holster which carried characteristic chess knight emblems, and carried a derringer under his belt. The knight symbol is in reference to his name — possibly a nickname or working name — and his occupation as a champion-for-hire (see paladin). The theme song of the series refers to him as "a knight without armor." In addition, Paladin drew a parallel between his methods and the chess piece's movement: "It's a chess piece, the most versatile on the board. It can move in eight different directions, over obstacles, and it's always unexpected." Paladin was a former Army officer and a graduate of West Point. He was a polyglot, capable of speaking any foreign tongue required by the plot. He also had a thorough knowledge of ancient history and classical literature, and he exhibited a strong passion for legal principles and the rule of law. THIS EPISODE: April 10, 1960. CBS network. "So True, Mr. Barnum". Sponsored by: Winston, Doan's Pills. Hey Boy and the Celestial Dragon Society have spent $2000 on a phoney Mexican treasure map...or is it a phoney? This is a quality upgrade, network, sponsored version. John Dehner, Ben Wright, Virginia Gregg, Hugh Douglas (announcer), Lawrence Dobkin, Barney Phillips, Sam Edwards, Frank Paris (producer, director), Ann Doud (writer), Bill James (sound effects), Tom Hanley (sound effects), Sam Rolfe (creator), Herb Meadow (creator). 24:33.

Pat Novak For Hire - Rubin Callaway's Pictures (3-13-49)

Bob Camardella — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 22:09:11 GMT

Rubin Callaway's Pictures (Aired March 13, 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 13, 1949. Program #5. "Rubin Callaway's Pictures" - ABC network origination, AFRS rebroadcast. A dying man in the harbor, a bunch of photos in a locker, and lots of trouble for Novak in the form of Alma Biggs. There was a rehearsal recording of this program, dated March 1, 1949. Jack Webb, William P. Rousseau (producer), Tudor Owen, Raymond Burr, Basil Adlam (composer, conductor). 29:30.

NBC Radio City Playhouse - Luck (03-28-49)

Bob Camardella — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 15:46:14 GMT

Luck (Aired March 28, 1949)
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: March 28, 1949. Program #32. NBC network. "Luck". Sustaining. The program is referred to as, "Attraction #30." The story of a troubled man who feels he has bad luck. Harry W. Junkin (director, host), Bob Warren (announcer), Wilbur Daniel Steel (writer), John McGovern. 32:19.

Dragnet - The Big Informant (03-27-56)

Bob Camardella — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 00:50:32 GMT

The Big Informant (Aired March 27, 1956)
Dragnet was a long-running radio and television police procedural drama about the cases of a dedicated Los Angeles police detective, Sergeant Joe Friday, and his partners. The show takes its name from an actual police term, a "dragnet", meaning a system of coordinated measures for apprehending criminals or suspects. Dragnet debuted inauspiciously. The first several months were bumpy, as Webb and company worked out the program’s format and eventually became comfortable with their characters (Friday was originally portrayed as more brash and forceful than his later usually relaxed demeanor). Gradually, Friday’s deadpan, fast-talking persona emerged, described by John Dunning as "a cop's cop, tough but not hard, conservative but caring." (Dunning, 210) Friday’s first partner was Sgt. Ben Romero, portrayed by Barton Yarborough, a longtime radio actor. When Dragnet hit its stride, it became one of radio’s top-rated shows. While most radio shows used one or two sound effects experts, Dragnet needed five; a script clocking in at just under 30 minutes could require up to 300 separate effects. Accuracy was underlined: The exact number of footsteps from one room to another at Los Angeles police headquarters were imitated, and when a telephone rang at Friday’s desk, the listener heard the same ring as the telephones in Los Angeles police headquarters. THIS EPISODE: March 27, 1956. Program #196. NBC network. "The Big Informant". Sponsored by: Chesterfield. Three safe burglars are in operation, one of them is under observation by the cops. But where's Shorty? Network, sponsored version. Jack Webb, Ben Alexander, Vic Perrin, Stacy Harris, John Robinson (writer), Walter Schumann (music). 30:01.

Hollywood Radio Theater - Bullets Or Ballets (04-16-39)

Bob Camardella — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 15:23:00 GMT

Bullets Or Ballets (Aired April 16, 1939)
Lux Radio Theater (Hollywood Radio) strove to feature as many of the original stars of the original stage and film productions as possible, usually paying them $5,000 an appearance to do the show. It was when sponsor Lever Brothers (who made Lux soap and detergent) moved the show from New York to Hollywood in 1936 that it eased back from adapting stage shows and toward adaptations of films. The first Lux film adaptation was The Legionnaire and the Lady, with Marlene Dietrich and Clark Gable, based on the film Morocco. That was followed by a Lux adaptation of The Thin Man, featuring the movie's stars, Myrna Loy and William Powell. THIS EPiSODE: April 16, 1939. CBS network. "Bullets Or Ballots". Sponsored by: Lux. A tough cop pretends to leave the force to break up a gang. Edward G. Robinson, Mary Astor, Humphrey Bogart, Cecil B. DeMille, Chester Clute, Edward Marr, Galan Galt (doubles), Lindsay MacHarrie, Melville Ruick (announcer), Otto Kruger, Wallis Clark, Wally Maher, Seton Miller (author, screenwriter), Martin Mooney (author), Frank Gomphert (intermission guest: criminologist and motion picture technical advisor), Lou Merrill (doubles), Earle Ross, Ross Forrester (doubles), Frank Nelson (program opening announcer), Frank Woodruff (director), George Wells (adaptor), Charlie Forsyth (sound effects). 53:03.

Boxcars711 Overnight Western "Luke Slaughter Of Tombstone" - Wagon Train (04-13-58)

Bob Camardella — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 05:03:16 GMT

Boxcars711 Overnight Western "Luke Slaughter Of Tombstone" - Wagon Train (Aired April 13, 1958)
CBS started the year 1958 off with the introduction on January 1, 1958 of Frontier Gentleman. That series lasted 41 broadcasts. Near the end of the year, the network launched Have Gun, Will Travel on November 11, 1958, which continued for 106 programs. In between, a very short series was offered and discontinued after only 16 broadcasts, Luke Slaughter Of Tombstone. Sam Buffington starred as Luke Slaughter, a Civil War cavalryman who turned to cattle ranching in post war Arizona territory near Fort Huachuca. William N. Robson, known from his work with such series as Escape, Suspense and The CBS Radio Workshop, directed. Sam Buffington enacted the title role on Luke Slaughter of Tombstone, another of CBS's prestigious adult Westerns. The series was produced and directed by William N. Robson, one of radio's greatest dramatic directors and Robert Stanley producer was aired from February 23 through June 15, 1958. Buffington portrayed the hard-boiled cattleman with scripts overseen by Gunsmoke sound effects artist (and sometimes scriptwriter) Tom Hanley. Each program had an authoritative opening statement: "Slaughter's my name, Luke Slaughter. Cattle's my business. It's a tough business, it's a big business. I got a big stake in it. And there's no man west of the Rio Grande big enough to take it away from me." Junius Matthews was heard as Slaughter's sidekick, Wichita. THIS EPISODE: April 13, 1958. "Wagon Train" - CBS network. Sustaining. Carl Justice has been robbed of $10,000, an attempt has been made to rob the bank, and Wichita has been pistol whipped! Suspicion falls on a small wagon train. This is a network version. Sam Buffington, William N. Robson (director), Tom Hanley (editorial supervisor), Don Clark (writer), Amerigo Moreno (composer, conductor), Lawrence Dobkin, Jean Carson, Junius Matthews, Chester Stratton. 25:42.

The Chase - Circumstantial Evidence (05-03-53)

Bob Camardella — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 02:29:13 GMT

Circumstantial Evidence (Aired May 3, 1953)
NBC first envisioned The Chase as a new Television feature. This was not uncommon during the later 1940s and early 1950s. Several Radio features straddled both media, with varying success. Developed as a psychological drama, the premise was that many life situations place their subjects in a 'chase' of one type or another. A chase for fame. A chase from peril. A chase to beat the clock. A chase to escape death. The added twist was the question of who is the hunter or the hunted in these situations. The scripts were faced paced, starred quality east coast talent and were well written. The series' plots and themes focused primarily on predominantly fear inducing pursuits of one form or another. Thus most of the scripts were fraught with tension of one type or another. Whether mental tension, physical peril or a mix of both, the abiding theme throughout the series was the the contrasts between the 'hunter' and the 'hunted' in such Life situations. NBC's Television version of The Chase was in production during May 1953. It was to star Doug Fowley as both narrator and performer. Apparently the powers to be eventually decided to abandon the production. It would also appear that the TV production was abandoned at about the same time the Radio version was pulled, to be replaced by NBC's prestigious NBC Summer Symphony series. THIS EPISODE: May 3, 1953. NBC network. "Circumstantial Evidence". Sustaining. A series of strange coincidences finds a traveling salesman accused of murder. Lawrence Klee (creator, writer), Fred Weihe (director, transcriber), Fred Collins (announcer), Don Briggs, Joe Latham, Jane Webb, Ted Osborne, Ken Williams. 29:08.

This Is Your FBI - Bobby Sox Bandit (11-23-45)

Bob Camardella — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 22:50:54 GMT

Bobby Sox Bandit (Aired November 23, 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.

Boston Blackie - A New Face For Joe Harvey (11-05-46)

Bob Camardella — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 15:08:59 GMT

A New Face For Joe Harvey (Aired November 5, 1946)
The Boston Blackie radio series, also starring Morris, began June 23, 1944, on NBC as a summer replacement for The Amos 'n' Andy Show. Sponsored by Rinso, the series continued until September 15 of that year. Unlike the concurrent films, Blackie had a steady romantic interest in the radio show: Lesley Woods appeared as Blackie's girlfriend Mary Wesley. Harlow Wilcox was the show's announcer. On April 11, 1945, Richard Kollmar took over the title role in a radio series syndicated by Frederic W. Ziv to Mutual and other network outlets. Over 200 episodes of this series were produced between 1944 and October 25, 1950. Other sponsors included Lifebuoy Soap, Champagne Velvet beer, and R&H beer. While investigating mysteries, Blackie invaribly encountered harebrained Police Inspector Farraday (Maurice Tarplin) and always solved the mystery to Farraday's amazement. Initially, friction surfaced in the relationship between Blackie and Farraday, but as the series continued, Farraday recognized Blackie's talents and requested assistance. Blackie dated Mary Wesley (Jan Miner), and for the first half of the series, his best pal Shorty was always on hand. The humorless Farraday was on the receiving end of Blackie's bad puns and word play. Kent Taylor starred in the half-hour TV series, The Adventures of Boston Blackie. Syndicated in 1951, it ran for 58 episodes, continuing in repeats over the following decade.

The New Adventures Of Nero Wolf - The Case Of The Disappearing Diamonds (03-09-51)

Bob Camardella — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 02:41:11 GMT

The Case Of The Disappearing Diamonds (Aired March 9, 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. 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: March 9, 1951. NBC network. "The Case Of The Disappearing Diamonds". Sustaining. Willie Inch needs Wolf's help, He's a professional sneak thief accused of the murder of wealthy Mrs. Florence Avery Marsh. The final promotional announcement and the system cue have been deleted. Sydney Greenstreet, Mandred Lloyd (writer), J. Donald Wilson (producer, director), GeGe Pearson, William Johnstone, Don Stanley (announcer), Rex Stout (creator), Edwin Fadiman (producer), Harry Bartell, Bud Hiestand, Grace Stafford, Dick Ryan. 28:41.

Lights Out - Organ (06-08-43)

Bob Camardella — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 21:50:56 GMT

Organ (Aired June 8, 1943)
Lights Out was created in Chicago by writer Wyllis Cooper in 1934, and the first series of shows (each 15 minutes long) ran on a local NBC station, WENR. By April 1934, the series was expanded to a half hour in length and moved to midnight Wednesdays. In January 1935, the show was discontinued in order to ease Cooper's workload (he was then writing scripts for the network's prestigious Immortal Dramas program), but was brought back by huge popular demand a few weeks later. After a successful tryout in New York City, the series was picked up by NBC in April 1935 and broadcast nationally, usually late at night and always on Wednesdays. Cooper stayed on the program until June 1936, when another Chicago writer, Arch Oboler, took over. By the time Cooper left, the series had inspired about 600 fan clubs. Cooper's run was characterized by grisly stories spiked with dark, tongue-in-cheek humor, a sort of radio Grand Guignol. A character might be buried or eaten or skinned alive, vaporized in a ladle of white-hot steel, absorbed by a giant slurping amoeba, have his arm torn off by a robot, tortured or decapitated -- always with the appropriate blood-curdling acting and sound effects. THIS EPISODE: June 8, 1943. CBS network. "Organ". Sponsored by: Ironized Yeast. The story of a strange summer house and its even stranger secrets. This is a network, sponsored version. The story is also known as, "Vacation With Death." The script was used previously on "Lights Out" on May 12, 1937. Arch Oboler (writer, host), Frank Martin (commercial spokesman). 29:04.

The Burns & Allen Show - Tax Time Again (03-15-50)

Bob Camardella — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 16:29:44 GMT

Tax Time Again (Aired March 15, 1950)
Burns and Allen were an American comedy duo consisting of George Burns and his wife, Gracie Allen.Burns wrote most of the material, and played the straight man. Allen played a silly, addleheaded woman. Both attributed their success to the other, to the ends of their lives. Early on, the team had played the opposite roles until they noticed that the audience was laughing at Gracie's straight lines, so they made the change. Burns and Allen developed their popular routine over more than three decades of stage, radio, film, and television. Historians of popular culture have often stated that Allen was a brilliant comedian, whose entire career consisted of engaging in dialogues of "illogical logic" that left her verbal opponents dazed and confused, and her audiences in stitches. During a typical 23-minute episode of the Burns and Allen show, the vast majority of the dialogue and speaking parts were written for Allen, who was credited with having the genius to deliver her lengthy diatribes in a fashion that made it look as though she was making her arguments up on the spot. (One running gag on the TV show was the existence of a closet full of hats belonging to various visitors to the Burns household, where the guests would slip out the door unnoticed, leaving their hats behind, rather than face another round with Gracie.) A continuing joke on the show was that George would say, "Say good night, Gracie," and Gracie would say, "Good night Gracie!" Ralph Pape used the catchphrase for the title of his play, Say Goodnight, Gracie, produced by Steppenwolf in 1983, and the phrase lives on as a title of other books and stage productions.

The Creaking Door - The Cat Woman (07-13-64)

Bob Camardella — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 01:27:23 GMT

The Cat Woman (Aired July 13, 1964)
The Creaking Door was an old-time radio series of horror and suspense shows originating in South Africa. The Old Time Radio Researchers Group reports 42 extant episodes in MP3 circulation. The series was first aired in 1964-65. The stories are thrillers in the Inner Sanctum vein, and generally thought of favorably by most fans of OTR. It was sponsored by State Express 555 (pronounced "State Express Three Fives") cigarettes, a British American Tobacco product. One episode, "Face to Face" -- about a planned first landing on the moon -- refers to "Cape Kennedy" as the launch site, placing the broadcast between 1964 (when Cape Canaveral was renamed Cape Kennedy) and 1969 (the actual first moon landing). The Pumamouse website indicates a series run duration of three years (1966-1968). Other apocryphal sources indicate a possible run duration of seven years (1963-1970). As a weekly programme, there may have been a theoretical minimum of between 140 to 300+ episodes and/or re-broadcasts. The Creaking Door productions remain a highly engaging tribute to the supernatural thriller genre and, as such, continue to be a highly sought after series. Definitely still a compelling, 'lights-out' listening experience for young and old alike.

Philo Vance - Checkerboard Murder Case (09-13-49)

Bob Camardella — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 22:16:42 GMT

Checkerboard Murder Case (Aired September 13, 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: September 13, 1949. Program #62. ZIV Syndication. "The Checkered Murder Case". Commercials added locally. A man in a checkered suit commits a robbery, shoots the victim and then vanishes! This crook then commits three crimes at the same time in three different places...and vanishes from each place! A better-than-usual plot for this series. Jackson Beck, Joan Alexander, S. S. Van Dine (creator), Jeanne K. Harrison (director), Henry Sylvern (organist), Frederick W. Ziv (producer). 27:36.

Crime Does Not Pay - Trigger Man's Moll (11-07-49)

Bob Camardella — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 16:03:35 GMT

Trigger Man's Moll (Aired November 7, 1949)
MGM produced Crime Does Not Pay shorts through 1948, at which time WMGM began airing the Crime Does Not Pay radio program. While some of the Film version themes found their way into the Radio version, almost all seventy-eight Radio Crime Does Not Pay topics are original to the series. Many have theorized that some or all of the Crime Does Not Pay radio scripts had been works-in-progress for the Film version, or perhaps even envisioned for Television, where many of the Film shorts were already airing from time to time. Whatever the medium, Crime Does Not Pay seems to have touched a nerve with the American public. With another world war looming, suspected 'fifth columnists' around every corner, and scams from the post-Depression years still running their course throughout the country, there was plenty of material from which to draw for MGM's Shorts Division. All of this prologue is by way of explaining what appears to be an anomaly in Golden Age Radio--a series of radio programs recorded almost exclusively by movie actors. With the possible exception of Ed Begley, Everett Sloane, Lionel Stander and Joan Lorring, none of the other featured actors in the series ever played a major role in Radio. THIS EPISODE: November 7, 1949. Program #5. MGM syndication. "Trigger Man's Moll". Commercials added locally. Tootsie "gets a conscience" and is rubbed out by the mob. After the "disposal squad" gets rid of the body, two years go by and Tootsie's "moll" realizes he's worth more dead than alive and she refuses to identify his killer! Ira Marion (writer), Jon Gart (music), Marx B. Loeb (director), Nancy Kelly, Burton B. Turkas (technical advisor), Bob Williams (announcer). 25:51.

Jeff Regan Investigator - The Little Man's Lament (11-09-49)

Bob Camardella — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 02:38:23 GMT

The Little Man's Lament (Aired November 9, 1949)
Jeff Regan, Investigator was one of the three detective shows Jack Webb did before Dragnet (see also Pat Novak For Hire and Johnny Modero: Pier 23). It debuted on CBS in July 1948. Webb played JEFF REGAN, a tough private eye working in a Los Angeles investigation firm run by Anthony J. Lyon. Regan introduced himself on each show "I get ten a day and expenses...they call me the Lyon's Eye." The show was fairly well-plotted, Webb's voice was great, and the supporting cast were skillful. Regan handled rough assignments from Lion, with whom he was not always on good terms. He was tough, tenacious, and had a dry sense of humor. The voice of his boss, Anthony Lion, was Wilms Herbert. The show ended in December 1948 but was resurrected in October 1949 with a new cast; Frank Graham played Regan (later Paul Dubrov was the lead) and Frank Nelson portrayed Lion. This version ran on CBS, sometimes as a West Coast regional, until August 1950. Both versions were 30 minutes, but the day and time slot changed several times.

Easy Aces - 2 Episodes From 1940

Bob Camardella — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 23:10:22 GMT

#094 "Jane Opens A Checking Account" and #95 "Jane Has Problems With Her Checking Account" (1940)
Easy Aces, a long-running American serial radio comedy (1930–1945), was trademarked by the low-keyed drollery of creator and writer Goodman Ace and his wife, Jane, as an urbane, put-upon realtor and his malaprop-prone wife. A 15-minute program, airing as often as five times a week, Easy Aces wasn't quite the ratings smash that such concurrent 15-minute serial comedies as Amos 'n' Andy, The Goldbergs or Vic and Sade were. But its unobtrusive, conversational, and clever style, and the cheerful absurdism of its storylines, built a loyal enough audience of listeners and critics alike to keep it on the air for 15 years.

The Clitheroe Kid - Whatever Happened To Grandad (05-16-71)

Bob Camardella — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 17:40:07 GMT

Whatever Happened To Grandad (Aired May 16, 1971)
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.

Witch's Tale - Graveyard Mansion 2 Parts - COMPLETE (03-06-33)

Bob Camardella — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 03:04:23 GMT

Graveyard Mansion 2 Parts - COMPLETE (Aired March 6, 1933)
A seminal series which established the standard of a host-based anthology series, and the first horror series produced for radio. WOR, New York origination, Air Features Syndicate syndication. Music fill for local commercial insert. 9:30 P. M. lonzo Deen Cole (writer, producer, performer), Marie O'Flynn, Adelaide Fitz-Allen (as "Old Nancy"). John Dunning in his "On the Air, The Encyclopedia of Old Time Radio," relates the odd tale of getting the replacement for the original Nancy, Adelaide Fitz-Allen, who died at 79 in 1935. A radio veteran, only a mere 13 years old, Miriam Wolfe by name, was then on the fine children's program, Let's Pretend. Of course, she wasn't considered for the part. She stayed in the studio during a late-night broadcast by Witch's Tale writer/director, Alonzo Deen Cole, and began her "Nancy" without warning. Cole was so chilled by her mimicry of an ancient crone that she got the part on the spot. Later in the show's run, the role was taken by Martha Wentworth. THIS EPISODE: March 6, 1933. WOR, Newark, New Jersey, Air Features Syndicate syndication. "Graveyard Mansion". Music fill for local commercial insert. 9:30 P. M. Old Nancy is 103 years old today. Two brothers inherit a suspicious old house in Louisiana and meet a beautiful woman who's been dead for one hundred years! Are there vampires within the mansion? A ghost perhaps? This story program was "produced by "Air Features Syndicate" but was advertised and distributed by "All-Star Broadcasts" (which was owned by Billy Jones and Ernie Hare). Alonzo Deen Cole is listed for each program as a performer. he played many roles, but was always, "Saten, The Wize Black Cat." Alonzo Deen Cole (writer, producer, performer), Marie O'Flynn, Adelaide Fitz-Allen (as "Old Nancy"). 30:50.

The Fibber McGee & Molly Show - Putting Up A Porch Swing (06-13-44)

Bob Camardella — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 22:22:20 GMT

Putting Up A Porch Swing (Aired June 13, 1944)
Fibber McGee and Molly premiered in 1935. The program struggled in the ratings until 1940, when it became a national sensation. Within three years, it was the top-rated program in America. Few radio shows were more beloved than Fibber McGee and Molly. The program’s lovable characters included Mayor LaTrivia, Doc Gamble, Mrs. Uppington, Wallace Wimple, Alice Darling, Gildersleeve, Beulah, Myrt, and the Old Timer. 79 Wistful Vista was one of America’s most famous addresses and Molly’s warning to Fibber not to open the hall closet door (and his subsequent decision to do it) created one of radio’s best remembered running gags that audiences expected each week. Jim Jordan (Fibber) was born on a farm on November 16, 1896, near Peoria, Illinois. Marian Driscoll (Molly), a coal miner’s daughter, was born in Peoria on November 15, 1898. After years of hardship and touring in obscurity on the small-time show biz circuit, they arrived in Chicago in 1924, where they eventually performed on thousands of shows and developed 145 different voices and characters. Broadcast to the nation from WMAQ/Chicago, the show entertained America until March 1956, and continued on NBC’s Monitor until 1959. Jim Jordan died on April 1, 1988. Marian Jordan died on April 7, 1961. Fibber McGee and Molly was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 1989. First Broadcast date April 16, 1935. Last Broadcast date September 6, 1959. THIS EPISODE: June 13, 1944. "Putting Up A Porch Swing" - NBC network. Sponsored by: Johnson's Wax. Fibber tries to put up the porch swing, with borrowed tools. The closet is heard. Jim Jordan, Marian Jordan, Harlow Wilcox, Billy Mills and His Orchestra, The King's Men, Ransom Sherman, Shirley Mitchell, Arthur Q. Bryan, Marlin Hurt, Don Quinn (writer), Phil Leslie (writer). 28:15.

The Baby Snooks Show - Report Card Blues (5-01-51)

Bob Camardella — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 15:55:26 GMT

Report Card Blues (Aired May 1, 1951)
Fanny Brice as Baby Snooks. Henley Stafford as Lancelot “Daddy” Higgins, Baby Snooks father. Lalive Brownell as “Mommy” Higgins (later played by Lois Corbet and Arlene Harris).Leone Ledoux as Snook’s little brother Roberspierre. ANNOUNCERS: John Conte (late 30s and early 40s). Tobe Reed (1944-45), Harlow Willcox (mid to late 1940s), Dick Joy, Don Wilson and Ken Wilson. VOCALIST: Bob Graham MUSIC: Meredith Willson (37-44), Carmen Dragon. PRODUCER-DIRECTORS: Mann Holiner (early 1940s), Al Kaye (1944), Ted Bliss, Walter Bunker, Arthur Stander. WRITERS: Phil Rapp, Jess Oppenheimer, Everett Freeman, Bill Danch, Sid Dorfman, Arthur Stander, Robert Fisher. SOUND EFFECTS: Clark Casey, David Light. Baby Snooks became a character for Fanny Brice at some point in the early 30s, nobody seems to know exactly when. What is for sure is that by 1934 Fanny was appearing on-stage in her baby costume as part of the Follies show on Broadway. In 1936, at 45 years of age, she used this baby persona to great effect on the CBS show The Ziegfield Follies of the Air and a radio legend was born. After various format and slot changes Snooks eventually got her very own show in 1944. Lalive Brownell took on the role of “Mommy” Higgins alongside the now well entrenched part of Lancelot “Daddy” Higgins played by Hanley Stafford. The half-an-hour slot was initially aired at 6:30pm on Sundays, but later to moved to an 8pm slot on Friday and then in Nov 1949 to an 8:30pm slot on Tuesday evenings. THIS EPISODE: May 1, 1951. "Report Card Blues" - NBC network. Sponsored by: Tums. Snooks signs Daddy's name on her report card and gets spanked for doing it. She gets her revenge when Daddy's boss and his wife come to dinner. Fanny Brice loses her place in the script during the final commercial, she died May 29, 1951. Arthur Stander (writer, producer), Don Wilson (announcer), Arlene Harris, Frank Nelson, Elvia Allman, Ken Christy, Vivi Janis, Fanny Brice, Hanley Stafford, Sid Dorfman (writer). 31:09.

Boxcars711 Overnight Western "Wild Bill Hickock" - Nobeards Treasure (12-16-53)

Bob Camardella — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 02:56:49 GMT

Boxcars711 Overnight Western "Wild Bill Hickock" - Nobeards Treasure (Aired December 16, 1953)
Wild Bill Hickock was a real life Civil War soldier, sharpshooter, gunfighter and lawman of the Old West. He was an adventurer who had many brushes with death, but they were greatly exaggerated by the stories told about him in various media. His fame lives on, not so much for his real life tales, but because he was the first dime novel hero, he appears in various movies, television shows, and this old time radio program. His tale comes to a sad, yet iconoclastic end. He was killed while playing a round of poker. His hand was aces and eights. For those who know poker, that’s known as the ‘Dead Man’s Hand.’ Wild Bill started on the radio in 1951 as a kids western show. It emphasized the tracking down the bad guys and fighting for the law rather than the shootin, poker playin, rough and tumble Civil War vet, who lies about his life to get good publicity aspects of Wild Bill’s life. The show is in the tradition of the Lone Ranger and the Cisco Kid. Guy Madison starred as Bill with Andy Devine as his sidekick, Jingles. (Now there’s a name you want to go through Hollywood with.) This Wild Bill Hickock was quick with his fists and a quip, but Jingles (dear god that nickname) got all his glory by using his immense girth to fight the bad guys. THIS EPISODE: December 16, 1953. Program #192. Mutual network. "Nobeard's Treasure". Sponsored by: Kellogg's Corn Pops, Kellogg's Variety Pack. What is the meaning of the picture of Nobeard's saddle blanket? Whay are the two bad guys so eager to get their hands on it? The answer lies out in the badlands of the Indian reservation. The system cue is added live. Guy Madison, Andy Devine, Charles Lyon (announcer), Richard Aurandt (music), David Hire (producer), Paul Pierce (director), Sam Edwards, Joseph Du Val, Howard Culver, Jack Moyles, Larry Hayes (writer). 25:52.

Inner Sanctum Mysteries - Detour To Terror (05-21-46)

Bob Camardella — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 19:58:30 GMT

Detour To Terror (Aired May 21, 1946)
Taking its name from a popular series of mystery novels, Inner Sanctum Mysteries debuted over NBC’s Blue Network in January 1941. Inner Sanctum Mysteries featured one of the most memorable and atmospheric openings in radio history: an organist hit a dissonant chord, a doorknob turned and the famous “creaking door” slowly began to open. Every week, Inner Sanctum Mysteries told stories of ghosts, murderers and lunatics. Produced in New York, the cast usually consisted of veteran radio actors, with occasional guest appearances by such Hollywood stars Boris Karloff, Peter Lorre and Claude Rains. What made Inner Sanctum Mysteries unique among radio horror shows was its host, a slightly-sinister sounding man originally known as “Raymond.” The host had a droll sense of humor and an appetite for ghoulish puns, and his influence can be seen among horror hosts everywhere, from the Crypt-Keeper to Elvira. Raymond Edward Johnson was the show’s host until 1945; Paul McGrath took over the role until the show left the air in 1952. Producer Hiram Brown would utilize the creaking door again in the 1970s, when he produced and directed The CBS Radio Mystery Theater. Inner Sanctum Mysteries was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 1988. THIS EPISODE: May 21, 1946. CBS network. "Detour To Terror". Sponsored by: Lipton Tea, Lipton Soup. A man and his twin sister are lured from a country road where they meet a strange blind man and his brother. Mason Adams, Emile Tepperman (writer), Mercedes McCambridge, Himan Brown (director), Paul McGrath (host), Mary Bennett (commercial spokesman), Berry Kroeger, Santos Ortega, Donald Dane. 28:42.

The Lineup - Grieving Families (07-15-52)

Bob Camardella — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 16:08:23 GMT

Grieving Families (Aired July 15, 1952)
The Lineup is a realistic police drama that gives radio audiences a look behind the scenes at police headquarters. Bill Johnstone plays Lt. Ben Guthrie, a quiet, calm-as-a-cupcake cucumber. Joseph Kearns (and from 1951 to 1953, Matt Maher) plays Sgt. Matt Grebb, a hot-tempered hot plate who is easily bored. The director and script writer often rode with police on the job and sat in on the police lineups to get ideas for The Lineup. They also read dozens of newspapers daily and intermeshed real stories with those that they used in the show. With Dragnet a smash hit, realism in police dramas was popular at the time this show aired.