Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod

Dark Fantasy - Pennsylvania Turnpike (03-20-42)

Bob Camardella — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 00:10:17 GMT

Pennsylvania Turnpike (Aired March 20, 1942)
Dark Fantasy was an series dedicated to dealings with the unknown. Originating from radio station WKY, Oklahoma City, it was written by Scott Bishop (of Mysterious Traveler and The Sealed Book fame) and was heard Fridays over stations. Keith Paynton served as announcer. The shows covered horror, science fiction and murder mysteries. Although a short series, the shows are excellent with some stories way ahead of their time.

THIS EPISODE: March 20, 1942. Program #18. NBC network, WKY, Oklahoma City origination. "Pennsylvania Turnpike". Sustaining. An aged hitch-hiker who refused to ride in any car which did not have an occupant with red hair. Scott Bishop (writer), Ben Morris, Fred Wayne, Muir Hite, Tom Paxton (announcer). 26:34.

Stars Over Hollywood - Time For Christmas (12-12-53)

Bob Camardella — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 14:21:51 GMT

Time For Christmas (Aired December 12, 1953)
Stars Over Hollywood was a Saturday morning radio program that became an instant sucess and ran for thirteen years and dispite strong suggestions against it's acceptence in such a time slot. The program, sponsored by Dari-Rich, Carnation Milk and Armour, was informal and light-hearted. Stars such as Alan Ladd, Joan Crawford, Mary Astor, Phil Harris, and Basil Rathbone starred, often showing up to the set in pajamas or bathrobes. The tone of this series seems to be similar to that of soap operas: often sentimental material, very clearly-conveyed characters and motivations, very little ambiguity. Director Paul Pierce, refused to accept the negative predictions of hollywood critics.

THIS EPISODE: December 12, 1953. CBS network. "Time For Christmas". Sponsored by: Carnation Milk. The case of Santa Claus and the three cuckoo clocks! Anita Louise, Art Ballinger (announcer), Isa Ashdown, John Stevenson, Rex Koury (composer, performer), Rosemary De Camp, Stanley Farrar. 30:03.

The New Adventures Of Nero Wolf - The Case Of The Slaughtered Santas (12-22-50)

Bob Camardella — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 03:37:35 GMT

The Case Of The Slaughtered Santas (Aired December 22, 1950)
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, Wolfe 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. Wolfe 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 Wolfe 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: December 22, 1950. NBC network. "The Case Of The Slaughtered Santas". Sustaining. Who is killing off the sidewalk Santas...and why? The closing promotional announcement has been deleted. Sydney Greenstreet, Lawrence Dobkin, Howard McNear, Jeanne Bates, Herb Butterfield, William Johnstone, Don Stanley (announcer). 29 minutes.

Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Presents - A Little Bit Of Christmas 2009

Bob Camardella — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 17:43:34 GMT

A Little Bit Of Christmas 2009
A Little Bit of Christmas 2009, is 40 minutes in length. Download size is 9.6 megs. There are fifteen songs as listed below.

Jackson 5 - I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Clasus

Beach Boys - Little Saint Nick

Andy Williams - Most Wonderfull Time Of The Year

Dean Martin - Baby It's Cold Outside

Bobby Helms- Jingle Bell Rock

Elvis Presley - Silver Bells (With Anne Murray)

Gloria Estefan - Let It Snow, Let It Snow

Johnny Mathis - It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas

Frank Sinatra - A Jolly Christmas Jingle Bells

Jose Feliciano - Feliz Navidad

Bing Crosby - White Christmas

Tony Bennett- My Favorite Things

The Chipmunks - Chipmunk Song

Nat King Cole - Frosty The Snowman

Louis Armstrong - Winter Wonderland

Bing Crosby - White Christmas

You Bet Your Life - Secret Word Is 'Roof' (11-14-51)

Bob Camardella — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 05:59:26 GMT

Secret Word Is 'Roof' (Aired November 14, 1951)
Groucho Marx matches wits with the American public in four episodes of this classic game show. Starting on the radio in 1947, You Bet Your Life made its television debut in 1950 and aired for 11 years with Groucho as host and emcee. Sponsored rather conspicuously by the Dodge DeSoto car manufacturers, the show featured two contestants working as a team to answer questions for cash prizes. Another mainstay of these question and answer segments was the paper mache duck that would descend from the ceiling with one hundred dollars in tow whenever a player uttered the "secret word." The quiz show aspect of "You Bet Your Life" was always secondary, to the clever back-and-forth between host and contestant, which found Groucho at his funniest. It's in these interview segments that "You Bet Your Life" truly makes its mark as one of early television's greatest programs. Directed by: Robert Dwan.

THIS EPISODE: Syndicated, WNEW-TV, New York audio aircheck. Secret word is Roof. Participating sponsors. The first contestant is Anna Lingren. Syndicated rebroadcast date: March 21, 1975. Anna Lingren, Groucho Marx, George Fenneman (announcer), Jack Meakin (music). 1/2 hour.

Hancock's Half Hour - Bill & Father Christmas (12-25-58)

Bob Camardella — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 03:09:51 GMT

Bill & Father Christmas (Aired December 25, 1958)
Tony Hancock starred as an exaggerated version of his own character, a down-at-heel comedian living at the dilapidated 23 Railway Cuttings in East Cheam. Sid James played a criminally-inclined confidante who usually managed to con Hancock, while Bill Kerr appeared as Hancock's dim-witted Australian lodger. Moira Lister also appeared in the first series before being replaced by Andrée Melly for the next two, both playing love interests for Hancock's character. In the fourth and fifth series, Hattie Jacques played Griselda Pugh, live-in secretary to Hancock and occasional girlfriend of Sid James. The series broke from the variety tradition dominant in British radio comedy into the sitcom or Situation comedy genre. Instead of sketches, guest stars and musical interludes, humour developed from the characters and situations. Hancock's experiences were based in reality and observation. From the playlet "Look Back In Hunger" in The East Cheam Drama Festival episode, Galton and Simpson showed they were in touch with developments in the British theatre, the use of sighs and silent pauses in common with the work of Harold Pinter which began to emerge towards the end of the series' run. The measured pacing of these episodes were groundbreaking in the days of fast-talking Ted Ray, where every second of airtime had to be filled. With Galton and Simpson writing scripts prolifically, continuity was not priority, with details changed to suit the episode. The domestic situation varied, Hancock usually portrayed as unemployed or a hopeless, down-at-heel comedian. Sid was always on the fiddle in some way. Bill was dim and virtually unemployable (though he started as a fast-talking American-type Australian). Miss Pugh, Hancock's secretary, had such a loose job description that she cooked Sunday lunch.

Casebook Of Gregory Hood -The Sad Clown (10-07-46)

Bob Camardella — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 20:19:28 GMT

The Sad Clown (Aired October 7, 1946)
The Casebook of Gregory Hood, starring Gale Gordon in the title role, took over where Sherlock Holmes had left off. Sponsored by Petri wine, it used the same "weekly visit" format and the same team of Anthony Boucher and Dennis Green that had written The New Adventured of Sherlock Holmes. Gregory Hood was modelled after true-life San Francisco importer Richard Gump, and many of the stories revolve around a mystery surrounding some particular imported treasure. Hood's sidekick Sanderson "Sandy" Taylor was played by Bill Johnstone. The show aired from June, 1946 through August, 1950. There were an additional couple of shows aired in October 1951. Hood and Sanderson were played in later episodes by Elliott Lewis and Howard McNear, respectively.

THIS EPISODE: October 7, 1946. Mutual network. "The Sad Clown". Sponsored by: Petri Wines. A set of stolen cameos and a clown that doesn't speak (he honks like Harpo Marx) leads Hood to the circus. The sad clown is murdered during his act...he dies smiling of strychnine. Hood accuses a fellow detective of the crime, then decides to buy the stolen cameos. The system cue has been deleted. Hollywood origination. Elliott Lewis, Howard McNear, Anthony Boucher (writer), Denis Green (writer), Ned Bliss (producer), Lee Bowen (director), Arthur Fulton (sound effects), Art Surrence (sound effects), Dean Fosler (composer, conductor). 29:23.

Jimmy Durante Show - Christmas Program (12-22-44)

Bob Camardella — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 05:54:37 GMT

Christmas Program (Aired December 22, 1944)
On September 10, 1933 Jimmy Durante appeared on Eddie Cantor's popular The Chase and Sanborn Hour, continuing until November 12 of that year. When Cantor departed, Durante took over the NBC show as its star from April 22 to September 30, 1934, moving on to The Jumbo Fire Chief Program (1935-36). He teamed with Garry Moore for The Durante-Moore Show in 1943. Durante's comic chemistry with the young, brushcut Moore brought Durante an even larger audience. "Dat's my boy dat said dat!" became an instant catchphrase. The duo became one of the nation's favorites for the rest of the decade, including a well-reviewed Armed Forces Radio Network command performance with Frank Sinatra that remains a favorite of radio collectors today. Moore left in mid-1947, and the program returned October 1, 1947 as The Jimmy Durante Show. Durante worked in radio for three years after Moore's 1947 departure, including a reunion of Clayton, Jackson and Durante on his April 21, 1948 broadcast.

Arch Oboler's Plays - History Of A Mug (08-09-45)

Bob Camardella — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 01:11:10 GMT

History Of A Mug (Aired August 9, 1945)
Arch Oboler's Plays was a radio drama series written, produced and directed by Arch Oboler. Minus a sponsor, it ran for one year, airing Saturday evenings on NBC from March 25, 1939 to March 23, 1940 and revived five years later on Mutual for a sustaining summer run from April 5, 1945 to October 11, 1945. Leading film actors were heard on this series, including Gloria Blondell, Eddie Cantor, James Cagney, Ronald Colman, Joan Crawford, Greer Garson, Edmund Gwenn, Van Heflin, Katharine Hepburn, Elsa Lanchester, Peter Lorre, Frank Lovejoy, Raymond Massey, Burgess Meredith, Paul Muni, Alla Nazimova, Edmond O'Brien, Geraldine Page, Gale Sondergaard, Franchot Tone and George Zucco.

THIS EPISODE: August 9, 1945. Mutual network. "History Of A Mug". Sustaining. An old Italian immigrant woman tells the story of her son's life...standing by his grave. Very well-written and superbly performed by Bea Benaderet. The program may be dated September 6, 1945. Arch Oboler (writer, director, producer), Bea Benaderet, Elliott Lewis, John Alden, Leo Cleary, Gerald Mohr, Jay Novello, Roseanne Murray, Dorothy Scott, Theodore Von Eltz. 1/2 hour.

Spy Catcher - Game Set Match (03-10-60)

Bob Camardella — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 20:25:20 GMT

Game Set Match (Aired March 10, 1960)
Spy Catcher - American producers Paramount Pictures, who backed creator Roger Mirams to begin production without having seen a script. He made the pilot episode, Spy Catcher, which impressed Paramount, and the Nine Network immediately bought the local rights. The first episode aired in Sydney on August 8, 1971, and the rest of Australia on August 26, 1971. It was originally intended to produce 26 episodes, but following the success of the first series, Mirams held talks with both Nine Network and Paramount Pictures who backed him for a second series. In all 42 episodes were produced. The series was last aired on Australian television in Adelaide on September 21, 1976, but has been re-run several times since. Famous antipodean actor Russell Crowe appeared briefly in one episode as a child actor at the age of seven. The record of Colonel Pinto and his team in trapping the spies who came to Britain is exceptional and is fully described in Colonel Pinto's two excellent books Spycatcher and Friend Or Foe? which tell in exciting detail both the methods and intentions of the spies and the patience and experience required to trap them. Every efficient spy, says Colonel Pinto, would have a plausible and well-supported story. Only the ability of the interrogator to probe beneath the surface could succeed in breaking the spy's story. Colonel Pinto lists the following qualifications "for a successful spycatcher": a phenomenal memory, patience and regard for detail, a gift for languages, courage, a detailed knowledge of the capitals and towns of the world, a thorough knowledge of international law, a gift for detection, and a long experience of the methods and tricks of spies.

The Lux Radio Theater - It's AWonderful Life (03-10-47)

Bob Camardella — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 06:16:46 GMT

It's AWonderful Life (Aired March 10, 1947)
Lux Radio Theater 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 City 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. Many of the greatest names in film appeared in the series, most in the roles they made famous on the screen, including Abbott and Costello, Lauren Bacall, Lucille Ball, Ingrid Bergman, Humphrey Bogart, Charles Boyer, Claudette Colbert, Gary Cooper, Joseph Cotton, Bing Crosby, Dan Duryea, Ava Gardner, Cary Grant, Bob Hope, Vivien Leigh, Agnes Moorehead, Vincent Price, Donna Reed, Frank Sinatra, Ann Sothern, Barbara Stanwyck, James Stewart, Gene Tierney, John Wayne, Jane Wyman, Orson Welles and Loretta Young.

THIS EPISODE: March 10, 1947. CBS network. "It's A Wonderful Life". Sponsored by: Lux Soap, Spry. Tired of his life on Earth, a man finds out what it's like never to have been born. Edwin Maxwell, Janet Scott, Noreen Gammill, Cliff Clark, Norma Jean Nilsson, Leo Cleary, Charlie Forsyth (sound effects), Jimmy Stewart, Donna Reed, Victor Moore, William Keighley (host), John Milton Kennedy (announcer), Louis Silvers (music director), William Johnstone, John McIntire, Philip Van Doren (author), Fred MacKaye (director), Sanford Barnett (adaptor), Frank Capra (screenwriter), Frances Goodrich (screenwriter), Albert Hackett (screenwriter), Jo Swerling (screenwriter), Susan Blanchard (intermission guest), Norman Field, Franklyn Parker, Ann Carter, Charles Seel, Doris Singleton (commercial spokesman: as "Libby"), Edward Marr. 1 hour.

Father Knows Best - Paper Drive (05-21-53)

Bob Camardella — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 00:44:06 GMT

Paper Drive (Aired May 21, 1953)
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.

The Mysterious Traveler - Christmas Story (12-25-51)

Bob Camardella — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 15:16:28 GMT

Christmas Story (Aired December 25, 1951)
Written and directed by Robert A. Arthur and David Kogan, the series began on the Mutual Broadcasting System, December 5, 1943, continuing in many different timeslots until September 16, 1952. Unlike many other shows of the era, The Mysterious Traveler was without a sponsor for its entire run. The lonely sound of a distant locomotive heralded the arrival of the malevolent narrator, portrayed by Maurice Tarplin, who introduced himself each week in the following manner. This is the Mysterious Traveler, inviting you to join me on another journey into the strange and terrifying. I hope you will enjoy the trip, that it will thrill you a little and chill you a little. So settle back, get a good grip on your nerves and be comfortable -- if you can! Cast members included Jackson Beck, Lon Clark, Roger DeKoven, Elspeth Eric, Wendell Holmes, Bill Johnstone, Joseph Julian, Jan Miner, Santos Ortega, Bryna Raeburn, Frank Readick, Ann Shepherd, Lawson Zerbe and Bill Zuckert. Sound effects were by Jack Amrhein, Jim Goode, Ron Harper, Walt McDonough and Al Schaffer.

THIS EPISODE: December 25, 1951. Mutual network. "Christmas Story". Sustaining. A man driving across the country with a stranger decides to impersonate him to collect his inheritance when he dies suddenly. David Kogan (writer, producer, director), Maurice Tarplin, Robert A. Arthur (writer). 1/2 hour.

The Chase - Killer At Large (1953)

Bob Camardella — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 06:32:10 GMT

Killer At Large (1953)
The Chase is an exciting Old Time Radio series in which every episode contains, well, a chase. Tales, highly melodramatic and often improbable, of people on the run. The concept of "hunter and hunted" was built into the signatures. with the lone bugle of a fox hunt, the braying of dogs, the sounds of a man running, a gunshot, and the slowing footsteps and eventual fall of the victim. It may be an adventure story, a crime story, or even science fiction, but there will always be a suspense filled chase.

Calling All Cars - Missing Mexican Sheiks (01-03-34)

Bob Camardella — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 01:32:26 GMT

Missing Mexican Sheiks (Aired January 3, 1934)
Calling All Cars was one of radio’s earliest cop shows, dramatizing true crime stories and introduced by officers from the Los Angeles and other police departments. The narrator of the program was speech professor Charles Frederick Lindsley, and the only other regular voice heard on the program week after week belonged to that of Sergeant Jesse Rosenquist of the L.A.P.D., whose name and voice were so unusually distinctive that he was retained for the show’s entire run. None of the actors on the show ever received on-air credit, but among the talent OTR fans can hear the likes of Elvia Allman, Jackson Beck, Charles Bickford, John Gibson, Richard LeGrand and Hanley Stafford, just to name a few.

THIS EPISODE: January 3, 1934. Program #6. CBS Pacific network (Don Lee net). "The Missing Mexican Sheiks". Sponsored by: Rio Grande Oil ("Junior Police" kit premium). A hold-up has taken place on Terminal island. The robbers are both dark, one of them a Filipino. The program opening is upcut. The system cue has been deleted. Charles Frederick Lindsley (narrator). 30:37.

The Phil Harris & Alice Faye Show - The Christmas Present (12-26-48)

Bob Camardella — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 20:26:28 GMT

The Christmas Present (December 26, 1948)
Phil Harris was on the Jack Benny Show since 1934, playing the jive-talking hipster bandleader of questionable repute. His band members were hep in the sarcastic, fast-talking department, too. So when Phil Harris (in real life) married the glamorous and talented movie star Alice Faye, it seemed more like a match made in Hollywood than in Heaven. They knew each other from the old days of the Rudy Vallee Show, and were both radio veterans when they decided, in the Benny tradition, to work together professionally, using their own show-biz personnas. Hey, Ozzie and Harriett had done well with it! This show isn't like Ozzie and Harriett. Beside fame and glamour, Phil and Alice had two big things in their life, their lovely daughters. Jeanine Roose played Alice Jr. and Anne Whitfield was little Phyllis. Both took after Phil in the wisecrack department. The big headache in their lives - Phil's Band! It was a congregation with enough wiseguys to make Abbott and Costello sit up and start take notes.

THIS EPISODE: December 26, 1948. NBC network. Sponsored by: Rexall. How come everyone has gotten a Christmas Present from Rexall...except Phil. When the present finaly arrives...it's in pieces! What was it? Phil sings, "Keep in The Middle Of The Road." Phil Harris, Alice Faye, Ray Singer (writer), Dick Chevillat (writer), Robert North, Elliott Lewis, Walter Scharf and His Orchestra, Gale Gordon, Bill Forman (announcer), Jeanine Roos, Lois Corbett, Anne Whitfield, Paul Phillips (producer, director). 29:31.

The Great Gildersleeve - Christmas Show (12-20-42)

Bob Camardella — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 06:18:38 GMT

Christmas Show (Aired December 20, 1942)
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. On Fibber McGee and Molly, Peary's Gildersleeve was a pompous windbag who became a consistent McGee nemesis. "You're a haa-aa-aa-aard man, McGee!" became a Gildersleeve catch phrase. The character was given several conflicting first names on Fibber McGee and Molly, and on one episode his middle name was revealed as Philharmonic. Gildy admits as much at the end of "Gildersleeve's Diary" on the Fibber McGee and Molly series (10/22/40). 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: December 20, 1942. NBC network. Sponsored by: Kraft Parkay. Christmas Program. As Leila leaves for the South, Gildersleeve buys a present for Judge Hooker, the old goat! Arthur Q. Bryan, Billy Mills (composer, conductor), Earle Ross, Harold Peary, John Whedon (writer), Ken Carpenter (announcer), Lillian Randolph, Lurene Tuttle, Richard LeGrand, Shirley Mitchell (?), Verna Felton, Walter Tetley. 29:28.

Duffy's Tavern - Christmas Show (12-23-48)

Bob Camardella — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 02:13:34 GMT

Christmas Show (Aired December 23, 1948)
Duffy's Tavern, an American radio situation comedy (CBS, 1941-1942; NBC-Blue Network, 1942-1944; NBC, 1944-1952), often featured top-name stage and film guest stars but always hooked those around the misadventures, get-rich-quick-scheming, and romantic missteps of the title establishment's malaprop-prone, metaphor-mixing manager, Archie, played by the writer/actor who created the show, Ed Gardner.

THIS EPISODE: December 23, 1948. NBC network. Sponsored by: Bristol Myers. "A Christmas Show. Archie is depressed after not getting a Christmas bonus until a stranger pays him a visit. Jeff Chandler, Ed Gardner, Gloria Erlanger, Eddie Green, Charlie Cantor. 29:25.

The New Adventures Of Sherlock Holmes - The Night Before Christmas (12-24-45)

Bob Camardella — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 20:39:48 GMT

The Night Before Christmas (Aired December 24, 1945)
Sherlock Holmes detective stories appeared on radio for more than 25 years, with a long list of performers playing the parts of Holmes and Dr Watson. FIRST BROADCAST: October 20th 1930 LAST BROADCAST: September 4th 1956. The stories were written by Edith Meiser, a self-confessed Holmes addict. These were so well written that she was warmly praised by Arthur Conan Doyle’s widow and son.

THIS EPISODE: December 24, 1945. Mutual network. "The Night Before Christmas". Sponsored by: Petri Wines. A Christmas story with two Santas (one of them "Lou the Lisper," a henchman of Professor Moriarty)! The story is based on, "The Adventure Of The Blue Carbuncle." Anthony Boucher (writer), Basil Rathbone, Nigel Bruce, Harry Bartell (announcer), Denis Green (writer), Arthur Conan Doyle (author), Dean Fosler (music), Edna Best (producer). 29:29.

Abbott & Costello - Christmas Program (12-24-47)

Bob Camardella — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 06:52:35 GMT

Christmas Program (Aired December 24, 1947)
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: December 24, 1947. ABC network. Sustaining. Susan Miller sings, Costello tells a "Christmas Story" and meets Santa Claus! The boys trim the tree. Santa drives "fogdeer" (this is California!). Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Matty Malneck and His Orchestra, Susan Miller, Alan Reed, Michael Roy (announcer). 29:32.

Truth Or Consequences - Christmas Show (12-20-47)

Bob Camardella — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 03:38:46 GMT

Christmas Show (Aired December 20, 1947)
Truth or Consequences, an American quiz show, was originally hosted on NBC radio by Ralph Edwards (1940-57) and later on television by Edwards (1950-54), Jack Bailey (1954-55), Bob Barker (1956-75), Bob Hilton (1975-78) and Larry Anderson (1987-88). The television show ran on CBS, NBC and also in syndication. The premise of the show was to mix the original quiz element of game shows with wacky stunts. The daily syndicated show was produced by Ralph Edwards Productions (later Ralph Edwards/Stu Billett Productions), in associated with and distributed by Metromedia Television (1966-78) and Lorimar-Telepictures (1987-88). Ralph Edwards would say later that he got the idea for a new radio program after playing the parlor game Forfeits. The show premiered on NBC radio in March, 1940 and was an instant hit with listeners. On the show, people had to answer a trivia question correctly (usually an off-the-wall question that no one would be able to answer correctly, or a bad joke) and had about two seconds to do so before "Beulah the Buzzer" was sounded (in the rare occasion that the contestant answered the question correctly before Beulah was heard, another question was asked). If the contestant could not complete the "Truth" portion, there would be "Consequences," usually a zany and embarrassing stunt. From the start, most contestants preferred to answer the question wrong in order to perform the stunt.

The Milton Berle Show - A Salute To Christmas (12-23-47)

Bob Camardella — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 22:26:24 GMT

A Salute To Christmas (Aired December 23, 1947)
The Milton Berle Show brought Berle together with Arnold Stang, later a familiar face as Berle's TV sidekick. Others in the cast were Pert Kelton, Mary Schipp, Jack Albertson, Arthur Q. Bryan, Ed Begley, vocalist Dick Forney and announcer Frank Gallop. The Ray Bloch Orchestra provided the music for the series. Sponsored by Philip Morris, it aired on NBC from March 11, 1947, until April 13, 1948. His last radio series was The Texaco Star Theater, which began September 22, 1948 on ABC and continued until June 15, 1949, with Berle heading the cast of Stang, Kelton and Gallop, along with Charles Irving, Kay Armen and double-talk specialist Al Kelly. It employed top comedy writers (Nat Hiken, brothers Danny and Neil Simon, Aaron Ruben), and Berle later recalled this series as "the best radio show I ever did... a hell of a funny variety show." It served as a springboard for Berle's rise as television's first major star.

THIS EPISODE: December 23, 1947. NBC network. Sponsored by: Philip Morris. "A Salute To Christmas". Al Kelly reads "The Night Before Christmas." Uncle Miltie buys a fur coat for his wife. Al Kelly, Frank Gallop (announcer), Milton Berle, Ray Bloch and His Orchestra. 1/2 hour.

Big Town - Prelude To Christmas (12-21-48)

Bob Camardella — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 05:28:01 GMT

Prelude To Christmas (Aired December 21, 1948)
Big Town is a radio show that aired from 1937 to 1952. Edward G. Robinson had the lead role of Steve Wilson from 1937 to 1942. Claire Trevor was Wilson's society editor sidekick Lorelei Kilbourne, with Ona Munson taking over that role in 1940. Edward J. Pawley portrayed Wilson from 1942 until 1952 when Walter Greaza was heard as Wilson in the final episodes in the radio series. When Big Town moved to television, the program was telecast live, but in 1952 the production switched to film after the move from New York City to Hollywood. The television series ran on CBS from 1950 through 1954, continuing on NBC from 1955 through 1956. Repeat episodes aired on the DuMont Network (under the title City Assignment) while Big Town was still showing first-run episodes on CBS. Reruns were also shown under the titles Heart of the City, Headline and Byline Steve Wilson.

THIS EPISODE: Big Town. December 21, 1948. NBC network. "Prelude To Christmas". Sponsored by: Rinso, Lifebuoy. Not auditioned. "The story of a child's simple faith." Edward Pawley, Fran Carlon, Jerry McGill (producer, writer), Casey Allen, Donald McDonald, Larry Haines, Bill Adams, Stefan Schnabel, Michael O'Day, Jimsey Sommers, Gloria Stegney (?), Jack Payne (engineer), John Powers (sound effects), Westin Conan (sound effects), James Hayes (NBC producer), Jon Gart (music arrangement), Hugh James (announcer). 29:51.

This Is Your FBI - Innocent Santa Claus (12-21-51)

Bob Camardella — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 00:24:29 GMT

Innocent Santa Claus (Aired December 21, 1951)
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 EPISODE: This Is Your FBI. December 21, 1951. ABC network. "The Innocent Santa Claus". Sponsored by: The Equitable Life Assurance Society. A washed up vaudevillian finally gets a job as a children's party Santa Claus. He finds himself accused of a crime by the FBI. The system cue is added live. Stacy Harris, William Woodson (narrator), Larry Keating (announcer), Jerry D. Lewis (writer), Jerry Devine (producer), Frederick Steiner (composer, conductor), Tony Barrett, Walter Catlett, Jay C. Flippen, Tony Hughes, William Johnstone, Anne Whitfield. 29:18.

The Unexpected - 2 Episodes From 1948

Bob Camardella — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 18:28:37 GMT

"Horoscope" (Aired June 13, 1948) and "Eavesdropper" (Aired June 20, 1948
The fifteen minute format lends itself to quickly drawn weird stories, with a twist ending, so that the listener gets a sudden shock, like all good scary tales should deliver. The trick is to make the "unexpected" something the listen doesn't expect. Excellent actors like Barry Sullivan, Lurene Tuttle and Virginia Gregg, who played Helen Asher in The Adventures of Richard Diamond, make the quickie a little less abrupt. Director Frank Danzig kept the show, for the most part, on the highroad to thrilling, like Suspense, Lights Out, or Quiet Please that came before The Unexpected.

TWO EPISODES: June 13, 1948. Program #109. Hamilton Whitney syndication. "Horoscope". Music fill for local commercial insert. The horoscope of a woman shows that she's destined to commit murder. The date is approximate. Frank Burt (writer), Frank Danzig (director), Marjorie Riordan, Robert Libbott (writer). 15:19.

June 20, 1948. Program #110. Hamilton Whitney syndication. "Eavesdropper". Music fill for local commercial insert. An American is involved in a planned revolution is El Hondas. The date is approximate. Barry Sullivan, Frank Burt (writer), Frank Danzig (director), Robert Libbott (writer). 15:03.

The Fred Allen Show - Christmas Program With Jack Benny (12-22-37)

Bob Camardella — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 06:14:10 GMT

Christmas Program With Jack Benny (Aired December 22, 1937)
Born John Florence Sullivan on May 31, 1894, Fred Allen began his career in vaudeville before becoming one of radio’s most acerbic and admired wits. Allen and his wife, former chorus girl Portland Hoffa, began their radio career on October 23, 1932, starring on The Linit Bath Club Revue. By 1934, Allen was starring on Town Hall Tonight, a one-hour show which featured Allen examining current events and interviewing unusual guests. It was here that Allen began radio’s longest-running “feud” in 1937, when he made a series of jokes about fellow comedian Jack Benny. Allen's best-remembered feature was “Allen's Alley,” a weekly segment in which he would discuss issues of the day with eccentric creations like the blustery Senator Claghorn, Brooklyn housewife Pansy Nussbaum and stoic New Englander Titus Moody. Allen was known to read up to nine newspapers a day and often spent 12 to 14 hours a day writing and re-writing his scripts. Poor health forced Allen off the air in 1944, but he returned in the fall of 1945 with The Fred Allen Show, which lasted until June 26, 1949. Fred Allen died on March 17, 1956. Fred Allen was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 1988.

Beyond Midnight - Let Me See Your Face (1950)

Bob Camardella — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 02:53:46 GMT

Let Me See Your Face (1950)
Let us journey “into the land that lies beyond midnight,” into a world of ghost hunters, men going mad, and DEATH DEATH DEATH! Written by the masterful Michael McCabe, these well-done South African radio shows will capture your attention and keep you up listening to them well beyond midnight. Date Unknown. A replacement series for SF 68, this South African horror anthology was far more successful than its predecessor. Its success may have been due in part to producer Michael McCabe - who also produced SF 68 - honing his talents to a higher degree. Little else is known about it, including the number of shows produced. As far as I can discover, there were at least 43 episodes, all in half-hour format.

Pete Kelly's Blues - Dr. Jonathan Budd (09-19-51)

Bob Camardella — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 20:43:30 GMT

Dr. Jonathan Budd (Aired September 19, 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: September 19, 1951. Program #13. NBC network. Sustaining. Dr. Jonathan Budd is on the run from "The Dutchman," who plans to kill him. Pete Kelly tries to help. Good radio. Dick Cathcart (cornet), Jack Webb, Joe Eisinger (writer), Matty Matlock. 29:24.

Dragnet - A Rifle For Christmas (12-21-09)

Bob Camardella — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 11:57:55 GMT

A Rifle For Christmas (Aired December 21, 1950)
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. A single minute of "A Gun For Christmas" is a representative example of the evocative sound effects featured on "Dragnet". While Friday and others investigate bloodstains in a suburban backyard, the listener hears a series of overlapping effects: a squeaking gate hinge, footsteps, a technician scraping blood into a paper envelope, the glassy chime of chemical vials, bird calls and a dog barking in the distance. Scripts tackled a number of topics, ranging from the thrilling (murders, missing persons and armed robbery) to the mundane (check fraud and shoplifting), yet "Dragnet" made them all interesting due to fast-moving plots and behind-the-scenes realism. In "The Garbage Chute" (15 December 1949), they even had a locked room mystery.

The Whistler - Wedding Gift (12-10-47)

Bob Camardella — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 04:11:12 GMT

Wedding Gift (Aired December 10, 1947)
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: December 10, 1947. CBS Pacific network. "Wedding Gift". Sponsored by: Signal Oil. This program marks the start of the program's fifth year on the air. Chris is about to marry John Gray. But Marion suddenly appears and there's going to be trouble. Betty Lou Gerson, Wilbur Hatch (music), Marvin Miller (announcer), Jeanette Nolan, John McIntire, Arnold Moss, George W. Allen (producr), Merrick Stone (writer), David Clark (writer). 29:51.

Radio City Playhouse - Machine (02-07-49)

Bob Camardella — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 22:07:42 GMT

Machine (Aired February 7, 1949)
A Half-hour drama, sometimes comedy, often very exciting and suspenseful. The cast were made up of New York veterans of radio and stage, including Jan Minor and John Larkin as featured performers. The director, Harry W. Junkin, also served as the show's host and narrator. Each week the show introduced a new story, often written by well-known writers of fantasy and suspense such as Ray Bradbury, Cornell Woolrich, Agatha Christie and Paul Gallico. They were dramatized with a full orchestral soundtrack and excellent sound effects.

THIS EPISODE: February 7, 1949. Program #25. NBC network. "Machine". Sustaining. Don't miss the evocative music score. The protagonist is fat and ugly, and so is the machine she operates. The program is also known as, "NBC Short Story." Harry W. Junkin (host, writer, director), Bob Warren (announcer), Elspeth Eric, Adelaide Klein, Grace Keddy, Phil Sterling, Ann Pitoniak, Richard P. McDonough (NBC supervisor), Roy Shield (composer, conductor). 29:39.

Candy Matson - The Insurance Crash (01-02-50)

Bob Camardella — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 14:40:29 GMT

The Insurance Crash (Aired January 2, 1950)
Candy Matson, YUkon 2-8209 - Candy Matson was the private eye star of Candy Matson, YUkon 2-8208, an NBC West Coast show which first aired in March 1949 and was created by Monty Masters. He cast his wife, Natalie Parks, in the title role of this sassy, sexy PI. Her understated love interest, Lt. Ray Mallard, was played by Henry Leff while her assistant and best pal, aptly named Rembrandt Watson, was the voice of Jack Thomas. Every show opened with a ringing telephone and our lady PI answering it with "Candy Matson, YU 2-8209" and then the organ swung into the theme song, "Candy". Each job took Candy from her apartment on Telegraph Hill into some actual location in San Francisco. The writers, overseen by Monty, worked plenty of real Bay Area locations into every plot.

THIS EPISODE: January 2, 1950. The Insurance Crash - NBC network, San Francisco origination. Sustaining. Candy investigates a plane crash and is asked to certify the safety of an airport. Bill Brownell (sound effects), Dudley Manlove (announcer), Eloise Rowan (organist), Harry Bechtel, Henry Leff, Jack Cahill, Jay Rendon (sound effects), Lou Tobin, Monte Masters (writer, producer), Natalie Masters. 29:38.

Hallmark Hall Of Fame - A Christmas Carol (12-19-54)

Bob Camardella — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 06:00:47 GMT

A Christmas Carol (Aired December 19, 1954)
Hallmark Hall of Fame is an anthology program on American television and radio. It has had a historically long run, beginning on TV in 1951. From 1954 onward, all of their productions have been shown in color, although color television productions were extremely rare in 1954. Many TV-movies have been shown on the program since its debut, though the program began with live telecasts of dramas and then moved into videotaped productions before finally turning to filmed ones. The series has received seventy-eight Emmy Awards, twenty-four Christopher Awards, eleven Peabody Awards, nine Golden Globes, and four Humanitas Prizes.

THIS EPISODE: December 19, 1954 - A Christmas Carol (full title: A Christmas Carol in Prose, Being a Ghost Story of Christmas) is Charles Dickens' "little Christmas Book" . First published on December 19, 1843 and illustrated by John Leech. The story met with instant success, selling six thousand copies within a week. Originally written as a potboiler to enable Dickens to pay off a debt, the tale has become one of the most popular and enduring Christmas stories of all time. In fact, contemporaries of the time noted that the popularity of the story played a critical role in redefining the importance of Christmas and the major sentiments associated with the holiday.

The Falcon - The Worried Wife (04-01-51)

Bob Camardella — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 02:42:25 GMT

The Worried Wife (Aired April 1, 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: April 1, 1951. NBC network. "The Case Of The Worried Wife". Sponsored by: Kraft. Arnold Sheffield's old girlfriend tries to shoot him. Sheffield's new wife hires the Falcon in case she tries it again, but Michael Waring is too late to save him. The old girlfriend then attempts suicide. Les Damon, Ed Herlihy (announcer), Drexel Drake (creator), Bernard L. Schubert (producer), Richard Lewis (director), Jerome Epstein (writer), Arlo (music), Ken Lynch. 30:38.

Pat Novak For Hire - Marcia Halper (02-27-49)

Bob Camardella — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 21:56:08 GMT

Marcia Halper (Aired February 27, 1949)
Pat Novak, played by Jack Webb, was a private detective working out of Pier 19, a waterfront office in San Francisco. The stories were always very similar: Someone would hire him, (if not a beautiful woman, the job would lead to a beautiful woman) someone would get murdered, he would investigate the case, get beaten up by the thugs, and then the case would be solved and end with glorious violence. The closing was always the same; the listener would be told who had done what, to whom and why they had done it.

THIS EPISODE: February 27, 1949. ABC network. Sustaining. Possibly a rehearsal recording or unedited tape, recorded, February 7, 1949. Pat meets a girl with amnesia late one rainy night. After a cup of coffee, Marcia Halper in drops dead in a restaurant. The next day, the woman's father has a fatal auto accident in Sacramento. Jack Webb, William Conrad (announcer, performer), Jack Lewis, Basil Adlam (composer, conductor), Raymond Burr, Tudor Owen. 27:37.

The Adventures Of Ozzie & Harriet - A Visit From Bing Crosby (12-05-48)

Bob Camardella — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 06:42:36 GMT

A Visit From Bing Crosby (Aired December 5, 1948)
The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet launched on CBS October 8, 1944, making a mid-season switch to NBC in 1949. The final years of the radio series were on ABC (the former NBC Blue Network) from October 14, 1949, to June 18, 1954.The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, an American radio and television series, was once the longest-running, live-action situation comedy on American television, having aired on ABC from 1952 to 1966 after a ten-year run on radio. Starring Ozzie Nelson and his wife, singer Harriet Hilliard (she dropped her maiden name after the couple ended their music career), the show's sober, gentle humor captured a large, sustaining audience, although it never rated in the top ten programs, and later critics tended to dismiss it as fostering a slightly unrealistic picture of post-World War II American family life. When Skelton was drafted, Ozzie Nelson was prompted to create his own family situation comedy. The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet launched on CBS October 8, 1944, making a mid-season switch to NBC in 1949. The final years of the radio series were on ABC (the former NBC Blue Network) from October 14, 1949, to June 18, 1954. In an arrangement that amplified the growing pains of American broadcasting, as radio "grew up" into television (as George Burns once phrased it), the Nelsons' deal with ABC gave the network itself the right to move the show to television whenever it wanted to do it---they wanted, according to the Museum of Broadcast Communications, to have talent in the bullpen and ready to pitch, so to say, on their own network, rather than risk it defecting to CBS (where the Nelsons began) or NBC. Their sons, David and Ricky, did not join the cast until five years after the radio series began. The two boys felt frustrated at hearing themselves played by actors and continually requested they be allowed to portray themselves. Prior to April 1949, the role of David was played by Joel Davis (1944-45) and Tommy Bernard, and Henry Blair appeared as Ricky. Since Ricky was only nine years old when he began on the show, his enthusiasm outstripped his ability at script reading, and at least once he jumped a cue, prompting Harriet to say, "Not now, Ricky." Other cast members included John Brown as Syd "Thorny" Thornberry, Lurene Tuttle as Harriet's mother, Bea Benaderet as Gloria, Janet Waldo as Emmy Lou, and Dick Trout as Roger. Vocalists included Harriet Nelson, the King Sisters, and Ozzie Nelson. The announcers were Jack Bailey and Verne Smith. The music was by Billy May and Ozzie Nelson. The producers were Dave Elton and Ozzie Nelson.

The Silent Men - Little White Lies (01-13-52)

Bob Camardella — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 02:02:27 GMT

Little White Lies (Aired January 13, 1952)
The Silent Men - NBC, 30 min. "This is Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.... In a moment, it will be my pleasure to introduce to you stories of the Silent Men, the special agents of federal law-enforcement who silently, and for little material reward, daily risk their lives to protect the lives of all of us. Their tradition is long and proud, yet to guard our welfare and our liberties, they must remain nameless..." Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. played the parts of "special agents. At each episode, Fairbanks checked in with his chief, played by either William Conrad or Herb Butterfield.

THIS EPISODE: January 13, 1952. NBC network. "Little White Lies". Sustaining. A counter-intelligence agent fights a gang of diamond smugglers. The system cue has been deleted. Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Don Stanley (announcer), Joel Murcott (writer), Warren Lewis (producer, director), William Conrad, Bertram Tanzewell, Frank Gerstle, Jeff Corey, Vivi Janis. 30:54.

My Favorite Husband - Christmas Card Pictures (12-16-50)

Bob Camardella — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 14:59:44 GMT

Christmas Card Pictures (Aired December 16, 1950)
My Favorite Husband began as a radio sitcom on CBS Radio. The show starred Lucille Ball and Richard Denning as Liz and George Cooper (Liz and George Cugat in early episodes). The couple lived at 321 Bundy Drive in the ficticious city of Sheridan Falls, and were billed as "two people who live together and like it." The main sponsor was Jell-O, and an average of 3 "plugs" for Jell-O were made in each episode. The program ran from 1948 through 1951, throughout which 124 episodes were aired. The program initially portrayed the couple as being a well-to-do banker and his socially prominent wife. Shortly into the show's run, three new writers, Bob Carroll, Jr., Madelyn Pugh, and Jess Oppenheimer took over the scripting tasks, and the characterization of the couple was altered somewhat. Along with the change of the couple's last name to Cooper, the couple was also portrayed as being more middle-class, and thus more accessible to the average listener. When Lucille Ball was asked to do a television version of the show (with Jell-O remaining as sponsor), CBS insisted on Richard Denning continuing as her co-star. However, she said that she would not do a husband-and-wife sitcom without her real-life husband Desi Arnaz being the husband. The network reluctantly agreed to this (thus reworking the concept into "I Love Lucy"), but Jell-O dropped out.

THIS EPISODE: December 16, 1950. CBS network origination, AFN rebroadcast. Mrs. Cugat finally gets George to buy Christmas Cards..from HER! Lucille Ball, Richard Denning, Dave Scofield (AFN producer), Bea Benaderet, Hans Conried, Brad Scott (AFN announcer), Florence Halop, Herb Vigran, Isabel Scott Rorick (creator). 23:54.

The Lux Radio Theater - Miracle Of The Bells (05-31-48)

Bob Camardella — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 05:46:58 GMT

Miracle Of The Bells (05-31-48)
The Lux Radio Theater was first heard on NBC October 14, 1934 as a Sunday afternoon show. On July 19, 1935, it moved to CBS and into it's long running Monday night time slot. All shows were one hour long. Less than a year after it's arrival on the air, the series' ratings began to drop. Danny Danker, an executive working for the advertising agency handling the Lux account, was given the responsibility to improve the show. What the show needed was extravaganza, and what the show got was Cecil B. DeMille. With DeMille as host, THE LUX RADIO THEATER brought in big name stars and brought the show back up to the top of the charts. DeMille became an institution on the show, conveying an almost frantic "the show must go on" attitude. Mr. DeMille left after the Jan. 22, 1945 show. The role of show host changed a number of times through the remainder of the show's history. William Keightley was the last host, remaining for the show's last curtain call on June 7, 1955. The CBS series ran through the Summer initially. It was off for the Summer every season after the first season. In 1953, CBS offered the Lux Summer Theater, a series of 14 hour-long shows, that aired in the same time slot as the regular Lux series. Both times that Lux was heard on NBC was for a single season.

THIS EPISODE: May 31, 1948. CBS network. "The Miracle Of The Bells". Sponsored by: Lux. A religious melodrama about a newly deceased movie star whose body is brought back to her Pennsylvania home town. Fred MacMurray, Jeff Chandler, Gerald Mohr, Lawrence Dobkin, Carlton KaDell (doubles), George Neise, Jack Carrington, Frank Sinatra, William Keighley (host), John Milton Kennedy (announcer), Louis Silvers (music director), William Johnstone, Herb Butterfield, Veronica Pataky, Howard McNear, Alida Valli (billed as "Valli"), Norman Field, Virginia Apollo, Dorothy Lovett (commercial spokesman: as "Libby"), Jean Ruth (intermission guest), Ben Hecht (screenwriter), Quentin Reynolds (screenwriter), Russell Janney (author), Fred MacKaye (director), Sanford Barnett (adaptor), Charlie Forsyth (sound effects). 1 hour.

Richard Diamond Private Detective - Hat Without A Body (07-02-49)

Bob Camardella — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 01:46:08 GMT

Hat Without A Body (Aired July 2, 1949)
Richard Diamond, Private Detective was a radio show starring Dick Powell which aired from 1949 to 1953, first on NBC, then ABC and finally on CBS. The title character was a rather light-hearted detective who often ended the episodes singing to his girlfriend, Helen. The television series was produced by Powell's company, Four Star Television, and that series ran for 3 years from 1957 to 1960. On TV, David Janssen played the hard boiled private eye and his secretary renamed “Sam”, was only ever shown on camera from the waist down, most assurardidly to display her beautiful legs. It was later leared that the legs belonged to Mary Tyler Moore. Original music by Frank DeVol and pete rugolo and later by richard shores. Good scripts, a solid cast and Powell’s exceptional talent made a good time 30 minute program that was quite popular during that Golden Age of Radio. So Let’s sit back now, relax and enjoy this truly otr radio classic.,…, Dick powell as Richard Diamond.., Private Detective.

THIS EPISODE: July 2, 1949. "Hat Without A Body" NBC network. Sustaining. The program switches to Saturdays at 10:00 P. M. Burt Kalmas is framed for murder in an early version of a classic scam. Dick Powell sings, "A, You're Adorable." Dick Powell, Virginia Gregg, Ed Begley, Wilms Herbert, Byron Kane, Lurene Tuttle, Paul Frees, Wally Maher, Frank Worth (music director), Blake Edwards (writer), William P. Rousseau (director), Edward King (announcer). 29:09.

Gangbusters - Bilanski & Tillitson Gang (1949)

Bob Camardella — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 20:19:11 GMT

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

Boxcars711 Overnight Western "Hopalong Cassidy" - Stagecoach West (03-29-50)

Bob Camardella — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 06:00:03 GMT

Boxcars711 Overnight Western "Hopalong Cassidy" - Stagecoach West (Aired March 29, 1950)
William Boyd was Hoppy and his sidekick was played by either Andy Clyde or Joe DuVal. Boyd who began his movie career in the days of silent films was a forgotten man until he was asked to portray Hopalong Cassidy in the movies of the 1940s. By 1946 or so he had been in over 60 Hoppy movies and was crowned the king of the cowboys. He became the hero of kids around the world and this lasted until another resurgence in the form of the Hoppy radio series. Once more he attained the fame and regards of kids and adults. During the radio years, TV versions of his early films began appearing on televison. His early movies were edited for televison of the day and once more Bill Boyd entertained his fans. There's more - with the success of these old movies, still another series of original TV films came. And once again Bill Boyd as Hoppy was an immediate success.

THIS EPISODE: March 29, 1950. Program #68. Commodore syndication. "Stagecoach West". Commercials added locally. Hoppy rides shotgun on the stagecoach after the Apaches burn down a change station, kill a guard, and threaten the gold and the passengers. William Boyd, Andy Clyde, Barton Yarborough, Walter White Jr. (producer, transcriber), Buckley Angel (writer). 26:45.

The Crime Club - Fear Came First (03-13-47)

Bob Camardella — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 03:25:03 GMT

Fear Came First (Aired March 13, 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: March 13, 1947. Mutual network. "Fear Came First". Sustaining. 10:00 P. M. Four women fight over an inheritance in a deserted house. Two murders have just been committed. Roger Bower (producer, director), Sydney Smith, Helen Shields, Grace Copen, Irene Hubbard, Cameron Prud'Homme, Vera Kelsey (author), Stedman Coles (adaptor). 28:48.

Burns & Allen Maxwell House Coffee Time - George Gets Gracie A Christmas Gift (12-18-47)

Bob Camardella — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 23:06:27 GMT

George Gets Gracie A Christmas Gift (Aired December 18, 1947)
Burns and Allen are one of the most beloved couple in old time radio. They got started, like many of the greats of old time radio, in vaudeville, which is really just the touring popular entertainment in America prior to movies. Gracie was the sparkplug of the act, always the center of attention. George played the foil, the guy vainly trying to make sense of the ditzy world of Gracie. By the early 30s, Gracie was probably the best known woman on radio. Gracie often sang in a voice that showed she was also an excellent comedienne songstress. The shows had names after the sponsors, such as Maxwell House Coffee Time, or The Ammident Show - it was the Burns and Allen show to the public. Other fine radio actors were a part of the fun. Mel Blanc did the happy postman, and was also famous for his zany characters on The Jack Benny Show, and his own Mel Blanc Show. Elliott Lewis, a veteran of many radio dramas, played many of the bit parts on the Burns and Allen shows of the 40s. Burns & Allen were touring England in 1929 when they made their first radio appearance on the BBC. Gracie Allen died on August 27, 1964. George Burns died on March 9, 1996. First Broadcast date february 15th 1932. Last Broadcast date may 17th 1950.

THIS EPISODE: December 18, 1947. NBC network. Sponsored by: Maxwell House Coffee, Jell-O. What does Gracie really want for Christmas? George is forced to guess. The Maxwell House production commercial is based on the tune, "Glow Worm." Gracie misreads her last line, on which the whole program was based. Tobe Reed (announcer), Hans Conried, Meredith Willson and His Orchestra, Bill Goodwin, Gale Gordon, Paul Henning (writer), Keith Fowler (writer), George Burns, Gracie Allen. 29:18.

Zero Hour - A Shortage Story With Jackie Cooper (05-06-74)

Bob Camardella — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 17:58:40 GMT

A Shortage Story With Jackie Cooper (Aired May 6, 1974)
Syndicated by the Mutual Broadcasting System, the series debuted September 3, 1973. The original format featured five-part dramas broadcast Monday through Friday with the story coming to a conclusion on Friday. Including commercials, each part was approximately 30 minutes long. Since Mutual affiliates could broadcast the programs at convenient timeslots on any suitable dates, the series did not begin in certain areas until late fall or early winter of 1973. In 1974, still airing five days a week, the program changed to a full story in a single 30-minute installment with the same actor starring throughout the week in all five programs. That format was employed from late April 1974 to the end of the series on July 26, 1974. Producer J.M. Kholos was a Los Angeles advertising man who acquired the rights to suspense novels, including Tony Hillerman's The Blessing Way, for radio adaptations. In some cases, the titles were changed. For example, the five-part "Desperate Witness" was an adaptation of The Big Clock by Kenneth Fearing. To create a strong package, Kholos followed through by lining up top actors, including John Astin, Edgar Bergen, Joseph Campanella, Richard Crenna, John Dehner, Howard Duff, Patty Duke, Nina Foch, George Maharis, Susan Oliver, Jackie Cooper, Brock Peters and Lurene Tuttle.

The New Adventures Of Michael Shayne - The Hate That Killed (08-27-49)

Bob Camardella — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 05:54:28 GMT

The Hate That Killed (Aired August 27, 1949)
Michael Shayne was a fictional sleuth created by Brett Halliday (a pen name for author Davis Dresser) who was first initiated into the fraternity for detectives in the 1939 novel "Dividend of Death". Dresser based the character on a “tall and rangy” brawler who once saved his life during a braw in a Mexican cantina. The Shayne character would go on to appear in 69 novels, plus a long-running mystery magazine—and in 1941, was brought to the silver screen in Paramount’s Michael Shayne, Private Detective, an adaptation of Dividend of Death that starred Lloyd Nolan, and paved the way for six additional B-mysteries to follow. The New Adventures of Michael Shayne—premiered on July 15, 1948 starring Jeff Chandler.

THIS EPISODE: Program #5. Broadcaster's Guild syndication, AFRTS rebroadcast. "The Case Of The Hate That Killed". Why has a life insurance company refused to issue a policy on the life of Mark Sanderson? It looks like murder from beyond the grave! William Conrad, Jeff Chandler, Stanley Kramer (film director: public service announcement), William P. Rousseau (host, director), John Duffy (composer, conductor), Brett Halliday (creator). 28:36.

The Raleigh Cigarette Program Starring Red Skelton - Christmas Show (12-25-45)

Bob Camardella — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 01:59:46 GMT

Christmas Show (Aired December 25, 1945)
The Red Skelton Show, which premiered on 30 September 1951, was not only one of the longest running variety series on television, but also one of the first variety shows to make the successful transition from radio to television. Despite his popularity as an entertainer in nightclubs, vaudeville, radio and 26 feature films, Skelton was unsure of the new medium. Consequently, he continued his weekly radio broadcasts while simultaneously working on the first two season of his television show. The series originally aired in a half-hour format on NBC. Despite an outstanding first year in which his show was ranked fourth in the Nielsens and won two Emmy awards, the series' ratings toppled in its second season. When NBC canceled the show, it was immediately picked up by CBS, and The Red Skelton Show became a Tuesday night staple from 1954 to 1970.

THIS EPISODE: The Raleigh Cigarette Program Starring Red Skelton. December 25, 1945. NBC network, Hollywood origination. Sponsored by: Raleigh Cigarettes, Sir Walter Raleigh Tobacco. "The Skelton Scrapbook Of Satire, Chapter 35: Christmas Trees." With Clem Kadiddlehopper, The Mean Widdle Kid. Red Skelton, Rod O'Connor (announcer), David Forrester and His Orchestra, Anita Ellis, Pat McGeehan, GeGe Pearson, Verna Felton, Arthur Q. Bryan (guest). 29:28.

The Creaking Door - Like Blood Sisters (1950)

Bob Camardella — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 22:58:50 GMT

Like Blood Sisters (1950)
The Creaking Door was an old-time radio series of horror and suspense shows originating in South Africa. There are at present anywhere from 34-37 extant episodes in MP3 circulation, yet no currently available program logs for the series indicate the year of the series' broadcast (though it was likely sometime in the 1950s, given the generally high audio quality of the available shows), or the total number of episodes, and only a handful of them are known by their broadcast order. The stories are thrillers in the Inner Sanctum vein, and generally thought of favorably by most fans of Old Time Radio.

Boxcars711 Overnight Western "Gunsmoke" - A Christmas Story (12-20-52)

Bob Camardella — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 07:01:00 GMT

Boxcars711 Overnight Western "Gunsmoke" - A Christmas Story (Aired December 20, 1952)
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 as a prostitute 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: December 20, 1952. CBS network. "Christmas Story". Sustaining. A good Christmas story, told by Marshal Dillon to a stranger on a strange horse out on the prairie. Christmas in Dodge City. An excellent script, great radio! William Conrad, Parley Baer, Georgia Ellis, Lawrence Dobkin, Harry Bartell, John Dehner, Howard McNear, Roy Rowan (announcer), Antony Ellis (writer), Norman Macdonnell (producer, director), Rex Koury (music). 30:02.

Our Miss Brooks - The Twin Orphans (08-05-55)

Bob Camardella — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 04:34:20 GMT

The Twin Orphans (Aired August 5, 1955)
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.

The Martin & Lewis Show - Christmas (12-12-49)

Bob Camardella — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 01:03:04 GMT

Christmas (Aired December 12, 1949)
On July 25, 1946, Jerry began a show business partnership with Dean Martin, an association that would soon skyrocket both to fame. It started when Jerry was performing at the 500 Club in Atlantic City and one of the other entertainers quit suddenly. Lewis, who had worked with Martin at the Glass Hat in New York City, suggested Dean as a replacement. At first they worked separately, but then ad-libbed together, improvising insults and jokes, squirting seltzer water, hurling bunches of celery and exuding general zaniness. In less than eighteen weeks their salaries soared from $250.00 a week to $5,000.00. For ten years Martin and Lewis sandwiched sixteen money making films between nightclub engagements, personal appearances, recording sessions, radio shows, and television bookings. Their last film together was "Hollywood or Bust" (1956). On July 25th of that year the two made their last nightclub appearance together at the Copacabana, exactly ten years to the day since they became a team.

THIS EPISODE: December 12, 1949. "The Christmas Show" - NBC network. Sustaining. The program originates from Chicago. The boys get a job at a suburban resort. Madness follows, funny in spite of the mayhem. The cast does a skit called, "Love In Darkest Africa." Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, Flo McMichaels, Sheldon Leonard, Dick Stabile and His Orchestra, Charlie Isaacs (writer), Ben Star (writer), Jack Douglas (writer), Robert L. Redd (producer), Charles Martin (announcer). 29:35.

Let George Do It - Destination Dead End (02-14-49)

Bob Camardella — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 16:26:29 GMT

Destination Dead End (February 14, 1949)
Let George Do It was a radio drama series produced by Owen and Pauline Vinson from 1946 to 1954. It starred Bob Bailey as detective-for-hire George Valentine (with Olan Soule stepping into the role in 1954). Clients came to Valentine's office after reading a newspaper carrying his classified ad: "Personal notice: Danger's my stock in trade. If the job's too tough for you to handle, you've got a job for me. George Valentine." Valentine's secretary was Claire Brooks, aka Brooksie (Frances Robinson, Virginia Gregg, Lillian Buyeff). As Valentine made his rounds in search of the bad guys, he usually encounted Brooksie's kid brother, Sonny (Eddie Firestone), Lieutenant Riley (Wally Maher) and elevator man Caleb (Joseph Kearns). Sponsored by Standard Oil, the program was broadcast on the West Coast Mutual Broadcasting System from October 18, 1946 to September 27, 1954, first on Friday evenings and then on Mondays. In its last season, transcriptions were aired in New York, Wednesdays at 9:30pm, from January 20, 1954 to January 12, 1955. John Hiestand was the program's announcer. Don Clark directed the scripts by David Victor and Jackson Gillis. The background music was supplied by Eddie Dunstedter on the organ.

THIS EPISODE: February 14, 1949. Mutual-Don Lee network. "Destination Dead End". Sponsored by: Standard Oil, Chevron. A private detective is in danger of being rubbed out by the mob, but Richard Pebbleman has his own ideas for a solution. Bob Bailey, Frances Robinson, Wally Maher, Tony Barrett, Jeanette Nolan, James Nusser, Joe Forte, David Victor (writer), Herbert Little Jr. (writer), Don Clark (director), Eddie Dunstedter (composer, conductor), Bud Hiestand (announcer). 29:31.

The Screen Guild Players - The Dark Mirror (02-02-48)

Bob Camardella — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 06:05:34 GMT

The Dark Mirror (Aired February 2, 1948)
The theatrical society in U.S.A. is termed as Theater Guild. Founded in New York City in 1918 by Lawrence Langner (1890-1962) and others, the group proposed to produce high-quality, noncommercial plays. Its board of directors shared responsibility for choice of plays, management, and production. After the premiere of George Bernard Shaw’s Heartbreak House in 1920, the Guild became his U.S. agent and staged 15 of his plays. It also produced successful plays by Eugene O’Neill, Maxwell Anderson, and Robert Sherwood and featured actors such as the Lunts and Helen Hayes. It helped develop the American musical by staging Porgy and Bess (1935), Oklahoma! (1943), and Carousel (1945); later also producing the radio series Theater Guild on the Air (1945-53) and even presented plays on television.

THIS EPISODE: February 2, 1948. NBC network. "The Dark Mirror". Sponsored by: RCA. Loretta Young appears in a tour de force performance as twin sisters, one of whom is a homicidal maniac. Loretta Young, Olivia De Havilland, John Dehner, Francis X. Bushman, David Ellis, Jimmy Wallington (announcer). 1/2 hour.

The Charlie McCarthy Show - Christmas Program (12-24-44)

Bob Camardella — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 04:23:41 GMT

Christmas Program (Aired December 24, 1944)
Chase and Sanborn found a gold mine with a wooden dummy when Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy began an 11-year run, starting May 9, 1937. The 1945 summer replacement series, with Spike Jones and Frances Langford as co-hosts, was titled The Chase and Sanborn Program. Although the series ended December 26, 1948, it was followed by a compilation show on NBC, The Chase and Sanborn 100th Anniversary Show (November 15, 1964), assembled by writer Carroll Carroll and narrated by Bergen. This became an annual event with The Chase and Sanborn 101st Anniversary Show (November 14, 1965), a Fred Allen tribute, followed by The Chase and Sanborn 102nd Anniversary Show (November 13, 1966), which turned out to be the last of the series.

THIS EPISODE: December 24, 1944. NBC network origination, AFRS rebroadcast. Charlie tries to recite, "The Night Before Christmas."Don Ameche as "Professor Gozola" gives Charlie a singing lesson. The first tune is "Don't Fence Me In." AFRS program name: "Christmas Program #3." Bill Forman (announcer), Don Ameche, Edgar Bergen, Joan Merrill, Ray Noble and His Orchestra, The Chorus Of The Great Lakes Naval Training Station. 30:15.

Barry Craig Confidential Investigator - Corpse On The Town (03-09-55)

Bob Camardella — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 23:19:45 GMT

Corpse On The Town (Aired March 9, 1955)
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.

THIS EPISODE: March 9, 1955. NBC network. "Corpse On The Town". Sustaining. A dishonest Broadway producer is saved by marrying his main investor. The new Mrs. Stanton Bishop is found dead almost immediately thereafter...with a broken neck! Frank Gerstle, Vivi Janis, William Gargan, Parley Baer, Joe Forte, John Roeburt (writer), Andrew C. Love (director). 24:27.

Lights Out - A Knock At The Door (12-15-42)

Bob Camardella — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 16:09:46 GMT

A Knock At The Door (Aired December 15, 1942)
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. Adhesive tape, stuck together and pulled apart, simulated the sound of a man's skin being ripped off. Pulling the leg off a frozen chicken gave the illusion of an arm being torn out of its socket. A raw egg dropped on a plate stood in for an eye being gouged; poured corn syrup for flowing blood; cleavered cabbages and cantalopes for beheadings; snapped pencils and spareribs for broken fingers and bones. The sound of a hand crushed? A lemon, laid on an anvil, smashed with a hammer.

THIS EPISODE: December 15, 1942. CBS network. "Knock At The Door". Sponsored by: Energene Cleaning Fluid. All commercials for Ironized Yeast deleted. A woman murders her impossible mother-in-law, but she refuses to stay dead! There's a good good, grisly conclusion. Arch Oboler (host), Frank Martin (announcer). 27:19.

A Date With Judy - Going To A Frank Sinatra Movie (03-20-45)

Bob Camardella — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 04:21:40 GMT

Going To A Frank Sinatra Movie (Aired March 20, 1945)
A Date with Judy was a comedy radio series aimed at a teenage audience which had a long run from 1941 to 1950. The show began as a summer replacement for Bob Hope's show, sponsored by Pepsodent and airing on NBC from June 24 to September 16, 1941, with 14-year-old Ann Gillis in the title role. Dellie Ellis portrayed Judy when the series returned the next summer (June 23d to September 15, 1942). Louise Erickson took over the role the following summer (June 30th to September 22, 1943) when the series, with Bristol Myers as its new sponsor, replaced The Eddie Cantor Show for the summer. Louise Erickson continued in the role of Judy over the next seven years as the series, sponsored by Tums, aired from January 18, 1944 to January 4, 1949. Ford Motors and Revere Cameras were the sponsors for the final season of the radio series on ABC from October 13, 1949 to May 25, 1950. Teenagers could relate to Judy and her problems with school, boyfriends and parental rules and adults enjoyed remembering their youth as seen through the eyes of a typical teenager. A delighful comedy that ended in 1950, A Date with Judy remains a favorite even today as we realize that teenagers will always face the same problems growing up as Judy and her friends did.A Date with Judy remains a favorite even today as we realize that teenagers will always face the same problems growing up as Judy and her friends did.

THIS EPISODE: March 20, 1945. NBC network. Sponsored by: Tums. "Guest Frank Sinatra sings, "Night and Day" and "I Don't Know Why I Love You Like I Do." Judy and Oogie go to a Sinatra movie. Afterwards, Judy dreams about Frankie. Richard Crenna sings, "Got A Date With Judy." The system cue has been deleted. Richard Crenna, Dix Davis, Frank Sinatra, Louise Erickson, John Brown, Aleen Leslie (writer). 29:52.

The Lives Of Harry Lime (Third Man) - An Old Moorish Custom (12-14-51)

Bob Camardella — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 23:19:22 GMT

An Old Moorish Custom (Aired December 14, 1951)
The Third Man (The Lives of Harry Lime) was a old-time radio adventure series that ran in 1951 and 1952. It was based on the 1949 film of the same name. Orson Welles stars as Harry Lime, a perpetually broke confidence man, smuggler, and general scoundrel. He will participate in virtually any criminal activity to make a fast buck, but uses his wits rather than a gun. He draws the line short of murder, blackmail, or drugs. Even so, Harry is an endearing character and listeners love to hear of his one-step-ahead-of-the-law misadventures as he hops around the globe looking for his next pigeon. The zither music of Anton Karas adds a wonderful Viennese ambience to each episode and really makes this show special.

THIS EPISODE: December 14, 1951. Program #20. Lang-Worth syndication. "An Old Moorish Custom". Commercials added locally. Harry's in Algiers, on the trail of golden cups and gold dust lost since 1504. Harry has just twenty four hours to find the loot! Orson Welles, Anton Karas (zither), Harry Alan Towers (producer), Tig Roe (director). 27:16.

Blondie - Christmas Scrooge (12-25-39)

Bob Camardella — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 21:01:26 GMT

Christmas Scrooge (Aired December 25, 1939)
Blondie was a radio situation comedy adapted from the long-run Blondie comic strip by Chic Young. The radio program had a long run on several networks from 1939 to 1950. After Penny Singleton was cast in the title role of the feature film Blondie (1938), co-starring with Arthur Lake as Dagwood, she and Lake repeated their roles December 20, 1938, on The Bob Hope Show. The appearance with Hope led to their own show, beginning July 3, 1939, on CBS as a summer replacement for The Eddie Cantor Show. However, Cantor did not return in the fall, so the sponsor, Camel Cigarettes chose to keep Blondie on the air Mondays at 7:30pm. Camel remained the sponsor through the early WWII years until June 26, 1944. In 1944, Blondie was on the Blue Network, sponsored by Super Suds, airing Fridays at 7pm from July 21 to September 1. The final three weeks of that run overlapped with Blondie's return to CBS on Sundays at 8pm from August 13, 1944, to September 26, 1948, still sponsored by Super Suds. Beginning in mid-1945, the 30-minute program was heard Mondays at 7:30pm. Super Suds continued as the sponsor when the show moved to NBC on Wednesdays at 8pm from October 6, 1948, to June 29, 1949.

EPISODE: December 25, 1939. CBS network. Sponsored by: Camels. Not auditioned. "Scrooge," by Charles Dickens, as through the eyes of Dag Cratchit. Mr. Dithers is Ebenezer Scrooge, of course. Bill Goodwin (announcer), Leone LeDoux, Hanley Stafford, Billy Artz (conductor), Arthur Lake, Penny Singleton. 29:29.

CBS Radio Mystery Theater - The Philosopher's Stone (11-28-79)

Bob Camardella — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 06:05:44 GMT

The Philosopher's Stone (Aired November 28, 1979).
As you walk through the creaking door you enter into another world, the world of imagination. This world is inside you, a part of you, and you take this journey alone. Each person hears and then sees with his or her mind's eye the events portrayed within these dramas. All of us interprets what they hear differently. The images we see is unique to ourselves. A voice becomes a person, living, breathing they come alive. They take on a physical form and characteristics that we assign to them. The wonders of your own mind are boundless. Scary thoughts? Perhaps, but what powers they bring us! To exercise one's imagination is to exercise one's soul. These dramas provide us with an escape from reality. To adventures beyond our own lives. Enjoy them. And pleasant dreams!

Escape - Back For Christmas (12-24-47)

Bob Camardella — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 01:37:41 GMT

Back For Christmas (Aired December 24, 1947)
Escape was radio's leading anthology series of high adventure, airing on CBS from July 7, 1947 to September 25, 1954. Since the program did not have a regular sponsor like Suspense, it was subjected to frequent schedule shifts and lower production budgets, although Richfield Oil signed on as a sponsor for five months in 1950. Despite these problems, Escape enthralled many listeners during its seven-year run. The series' well-remembered opening combined Mussorgsky's Night on Bald Mountain with the introduction, intoned by Paul Frees and William Conrad: “Tired of the everyday routine? Ever dream of a life of romantic adventure? Want to get away from it all? We offer you... Escape!” Of the more than 230 Escape episodes, most have survived in good condition. Many story premises, both originals and adaptations, involved a protagonist in dire life-or-death straits, and the series featured more science fiction and supernatural tales than Suspense. Some of the memorable adaptations include Algernon Blackwood's "Confession", Ray Bradbury's oft-reprinted "Mars Is Heaven," George R. Stewart's Earth Abides, Richard Connell's "The Most Dangerous Game," F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Diamond as Big as the Ritz," John Collier's "Evening Primrose", later adapted to TV as a Stephen Sondheim musical starring Anthony Perkins. Vincent Price and Harry Bartell were heard in the chilling "Three Skeleton Key," the tale of three men trapped in an isolated lighthouse by thousands of rats. The half-hour was adapted from an Esquire short story by the French writer George Toudouze.

THIS EPISODE: December 24, 1947. CBS network. "Back For Christmas". Sustaining. A botany professor digging a "Devil's Garden" in the basement, decides to kill his wife and bury her in it. John Collier (author), Paul Frees, Robert Tallman (adaptor), William N. Robson (director). 1/2 hour.

The Life of Riley - Christmas Present (12-17-44)

Bob Camardella — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 19:29:25 GMT

Christmas Present (Aired December 17, 1944)
The Life of Riley, with William Bendix in the title role, was a popular radio situation comedy series of the 1940s that was adapted into a 1949 feature film and continued as a long-running television series during the 1950s. The show began as a proposed Groucho Marx radio series, The Flotsam Family, but the sponsor balked at what would have been essentially a straight head-of-household role for the comedian. Then producer Irving Brecher saw Bendix as taxicab company owner Tim McGuerin in the movie The McGuerins from Brooklyn (1942). The Flotsam Family was reworked with Bendix cast as blundering Chester A. Riley, riveter at a California aircraft plant, and his frequent exclamation of indignation---"What a revoltin' development this is!"---became one of the most famous catch phrases of the 1940s. The radio series also benefited from the immense popularity of a supporting character, Digby "Digger" O'Dell (John Brown), "the friendly undertaker."Beginning October 4, 1949, the show was adapted for television for the DuMont Television Network, but Bendix's film contracts prevented him from appearing in the role. Instead, Jackie Gleason starred along with Rosemary DeCamp as wife Peg, Gloria Winters as daughter Barbara (Babs), Lanny Rees as son Chester Jr. (Junior), and Sid Tomack as Gillis, Riley's manipulative best buddy and next-door neighbor. John Brown returned as the morbid counseling undertaker Digby (Digger) O'Dell ("Well, I guess I'll be... shoveling off"; "Business is a little dead tonight"). Television's first Life of Riley won television's first Emmy (for "Best Film Made For and Shown on Television"). However, it came to an end on March 28, 1950 because of low ratings and because Gleason left the show, thinking he could find a better showcase for his unique abilities. Groucho Marx received a credit for "story."

THIS EPISODE: December 17, 1944. Blue network, KECA, Los Angeles aircheck. Sponsored by: American Meat Institute. Riley has gotten a mysterious Christmas Present. It's from Walla, Walla. Who is it from? William Bendix, John Brown, Ken Niles (announcer), Don Bernard (director), Lou Coslowe (music). 29:29.

Casey Crime Photographer - Christmas Shopping (12-19-46)

Bob Camardella — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 14:51:34 GMT

Christmas Shopping (Aired December 19. 1946)
The adventures of Casey, crack photographer for The Morning Express, were told in this series, which moved to television after a highly successful run on radio in the 1940’s. Casey hung out at the Blue Note Café, where the music was provided by the Tony Mottola Trio, and was friendly with Ethelbert, the bartender, to whom he recounted his various exploits. Richard Carlyle and John Gibson portrayed the roles when the series premiered in April, 1951, but by June they were replaced by Darren McGavin and Cliff Hall. Ann Williams, a reporter on The Morning Express, was Casey’s girlfriend. During the summer of 1951 he acquired a partner in cub reporter Jack Lipman, who wrote copy to go with Casey’s pictures. This live series was set in and broadcast from, New York City.

THIS EPISODE: December 19, 1946. CBS network. "Christmas Shopping". Sponsored by: Anchor Hocking Glass. Casey uses the nimble fingers of a pick pocket and a 10 ton truck to catch a pair of murderers. Tony Marvin (announcer), Staats Cotsworth, John Gibson, George Harmon Coxe (creator), Herman Chittison (piano), Alonzo Deen Cole (writer). 1/2 hour.

The Clock - Behind The Mask (06-29-47)

Bob Camardella — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 04:42:17 GMT

Behind The Mask (Aired June 29, 1947)
The Clock, Imported from Austrailia, was a dramatic thirty-minute suspense and mystery series. It was written by Lawrence Klee and was first broadcast in November 1946. The story always began the same; “Sunrise and sunset, promise and fulfilment, birth and death … the whole drama of life is written in the sands of time”. This is a great series where the main theme seems to be Retribution. Stories as told by Father Time.

THIS EPISODE: June 29, 1947. Syndicated, WRVR-FM, New York aircheck. "Behind The Mask". Participating sponsors. A man uses a pathological liar to help him murder his invalid wife, but the plan backfires. WRVR rebroadcast date: June 22, 1973. The date above is the date of broadcast on the ABC net. . 1/2 hour.

Fibber McGee & Molly - Mailing Christmas Packages (12-10-40)

Bob Camardella — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 02:55:23 GMT

Mailing Christmas Packages (Aired December 10, 1940)
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: December 10, 1940. NBC network, WMAQ, Chicago aircheck. Sponsored by: Johnson's Wax. A visit to the post office to Mail Christmas Packages. We learn "The Old Timer's" first name is Roy. Jim Jordan, Marian Jordan, Harlow Wilcox, Don Quinn (writer), Billy Mills and His Orchestra, The King's Men, Harold Peary, Bill Thompson, Isabel Randolph. 29:36.

Command Performance - Host Vincent Price (11-30-48)

Bob Camardella — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 00:06:32 GMT

Host Vincent Price (Aired November 30, 1948)
From March 1st, 1942 To December 20th, 1949. Special Services Division of the War Department, Armed Forces Radio Service from 1943. From October 7th, 1945 To. April 21st, 1946, on CBS. Announcers : Paul Douglas, Ken Carpenter . Creator : Lous G. Cowan . Producers : Vick Knight, Maury Holland, Cal Kuhl . Director : Glenn Wheaton . Writers : Melvin Frank, Norman Panama. All talent for this program was donated, and valued at $75,000 a week. There were more than 400 shows. AFRS Production for the entertainment of Armed Forces troops. The first name listed was designated the "Master of Cermonies". Dates listed should be taken with a grain of salt. Sometimes the AFRS scripts listed mastering date, sometimes release date, sometimes air date, and sometimes nothing at all. Command Performance was one of the few radio shows that were sent overseas to boost the morale of US Troops during World War 2. In March 1942 it became a weekly show featuring famous people such as Bob Hope, Fred Allen, Dinah Shore, Frank Sinatra, Vincent Price and more. Each show consisted of several stars who get together and perform comedy routine.

Your's Truly Johnny Dollar - The Mickey McQueen Matter (08-07-50)

Bob Camardella — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 05:21:20 GMT

The Mickey McQueen Matter (Aired August 7, 1950)
For over twelve years, from 1949 through 1962 (including a one year hiatus in 1954-1955), this series recounted the cases "the man with the action-packed expense account, America’s fabulous freelance insurance investigator, Johnny Dollar". Johnny was an accomplished 'padder' of his expense account. The name of the show derives from the fact that he closed each show by totaling his expense account, and signing it "End of report... Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar". Terry Salomonson in his authoritative "A Radio Broadcast Log of the Drama Program Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar", notes that the original working title was "Yours Truly, Lloyd London". Salomonson writes "Lloyd London was scratched out of the body of (the Dick Powell) audition script and Johnny Dollar was written in. Thus the show was re-titled on this script and the main character was renamed. Why this was done was unclear – possibly to prevent a legal run-in with Lloyd’s of London Insurance Company." Although based in Hartford, Connecticut, the insurance capital of the world, freelancer Johnny Dollar managed to get around quite a bit – his adventures taking him all over the world. There were some unusual devices used in the show that help set it apart from other shows. There was no partner, assistant, or secretary for Johnny.

THIS EPISODE: August 17, 1950. CBS network. "The Mickey McQueen Matter". Sustaining. An old friend of Johnny's calls to say that he needs help. Mickey's a Hartford cop who is found hanged the next day. Edmond O'Brien, Gil Doud (writer), Leith Stevens (composer, conductor), Jaime del Valle (producer, director), William Conrad, Ben Wright, James Nusser, Dan O'Herlihy. 29:44.

The Alan Young Show - Old Love Letters (04-03-45)

Bob Camardella — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 19:34:04 GMT

Old Love Letters (Aired April 3, 1945)
Alan Young Show (born November 19, 1919) is an actor best known for his television role opposite a talking horse, Mister Ed. Born in North Shields,Tyne and Wear, England, with the given name Angus Young, he was raised in Edinburgh, Scotland and in Canada. He grew to love radio when bedbound as a child because of severe asthma and became a radio broadcaster on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. In 1944, he made the leap to American radio with The Alan Young Show, NBC's summer replacement for Eddie Cantor. Following a move to ABC in the fall (1944-46), he returned to NBC (1946-49).

THIS EPISODE: April 3, 1945. ABC Blue network. Sponsored by: Sal Hepatica, Mum. Carlotta Bullfinch, Alan's old sweetheart, wants Alan to be the best man at her wedding. Carlotta thinks Alan's going to be the groom! Possibly dated September 3, 1945. Alan Young, Kenny Delmar (announcer), The Tune Twisters, Peter Van Steeden and His Orchestra, Minerva Pious, Jean Gillespie. 29:35.

In The Name Of The Law - Who Killed Francis Baumhold (06-07-36)

Bob Camardella — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 05:12:57 GMT

Who Killed Francis Baumhold (Aired June 7, 1936)
In the Name of the Law was a True Crime radio show from 1936. "In the name of the Law, we bring you another of the thrilling stories in this exciting series, taken from actual police case files." Who killed Frances Baumhold?. A complex family relationship leads police on an interesting murder investigation. Who would do such a thing to Poor Aunt Frances?

The Adventures Of Frank Race - Gold Worshipper (12-25-49)

Bob Camardella — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 22:46:08 GMT

Gold Worshipper (Aired December 25, 1949)
The Adventures of Frank Race, by Bruce Ells Productions, was first heard in May of 1949. The main character, Frank Race, was an attorney before World War II. As a result of his activities in the war, when it was over, he traded his law books for a career with the OSS. There, "Adventure" became his business. Tom Collins played the role of Frank Race initially, immediately following his stint as Chandu, The Magician. The lead role was taken over later by Paul Dubof.

THIS EPISODE: December 25, 1949. Program #35. Broadcasters Program Syndicate syndication. "The Adventure Of The Gold Worshipper". Commercials added locally. Frank travels to Macao to retrieve the kidnapped daughter of a wealthy gold dealer. The search for a man with his arm in a sling. Paul Dubov, Tony Barrett, Buckley Angel (writer, director), Joel Murcott (writer, director), Bruce Eells (producer), Ivan Ditmars (organist), Art Gilmore (announcer), Michael Ann Barrett, Jack Kruschen, Clark Gordon, Gunnar Peterson, Wilms Herbert. 26:51.

Mutual Radio Theater - Freeze Frame (10-01-80)

Bob Camardella — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 03:48:46 GMT

Freeze Frame (Aired October 1, 1980)
In December 1979 the Mutual Broadcasting System acquired the Sears Radio Theater renaming it, the MUTUAL Radio Theater. It retained the same format as before with the same theme for different nights of the week. Lorne Greene remained host for Monday's Western night, Andy Griffith handled Tuesday's Comedy, Vincent Price still was host for Mystery on Wednesdays, Cicely Tyson did Love on Thurs- day, while Leonard Nimoy was now the Friday night Adventure host. As before the series aired week nights, Monday through Friday. The Mutual Radio Theater debuted Mar 3, 1980 and was to run for 13 weeks on almost 300 stations. The shows were then to be repeated over the summer and fall. It proved to be fairly successful and another 8 weeks of original programs were added; this was followed by another 8 weeks of repeats. The series was broadcast in stereo, making it the only commercial radio network drama program in the nation to use this technology at the time. Great writers were employed for this series including Arch Oboler and Norman Corwin. Good choices were made when it came to cast members. Old familiar voices and names included Janet Waldo, John Dehner, Vic Perrin, Mary Jane Croft, Hans Conried, Marvin Miller, Parley Baer, Elliot Lewis, Jeff Corey, Virginia Gregg, Lesley Woods, Robert Rockwell and Lurene Tuttle. Then from movies and TV - Eve Arden, Keith Andes, Harriet Nelson, Aan Young, Tom Bosley and Marian Ross, Lloyd Bochner, Rick Jason, Frank Campanella, Toni Tennille, Arthur Hill, Dan O'Herlihy, Jesse White and Frank Nelson.

The Green Hornet - Escape For Revenge (01-29-46)

Bob Camardella — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 00:00:25 GMT

Escape For Revenge (Aired January 29, 1946)
The Green Hornet program began in January of 1936 and played to December 5, 1952. The shows typically ran thirty minutes and ran twice a week in the beginning years. They later reverted to being broadcast once a week. The last season of the show in 1952 the show reverted back to a twice a week schedule. Al Hodge played the role of Britt Reid for seven years. Fran Striker, a co-creator of the Lone Ranger, wrote all of the scripts for the Green Hornet until April 1944. After that, several other writers were brought in to script the show. The writing output of Fran Striker was incredible. While he was scripting the Green Hornet he was also writing the scripts for the Lone Ranger program. Following Al Hodge, three other radio actors played Britt Reid. Donovan Faust took the role for the 1943 season. Robert Hall played the part for three years, from 1943 to 1946. Jack McCarthy finished the last years of the series from 1946 through 1952. Thus ended a tremendous 16-year radio program full of action, high-speed chases, and the overcoming of evil by the Green Hornet.

THIS EPISODE: January 29, 1946. ABC network origination, Michelson syndication, WFAA, Dallas aircheck. "Escape For Revenge". Commercials deleted. A condemned murderer escapes and commits more killings disguised as the Hornet. 1/2 hour.

Boxcars711 Overnight Western "The Lone Ranger" - Thirteen Steps To Freedom (02-08-50)

Bob Camardella — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 06:00:23 GMT

Boxcars711 Overnight Western "The Lone Ranger" - Thirteen Steps To Freedom (Aired February 8, 1950)
The Lone Ranger was an American long-running early radio and television show created by George W. Trendle (with considerable input from station staff members), and developed by writer Fran Striker. The titular character is a masked Texas Ranger in the American Old West, who gallops about righting injustices, usually with the aid of a clever and laconic American Indian sidekick called Tonto, and his horse Silver. He would famously say "Hi-yo Silver, away!" to get the horse to gallop. On the radio and TV-series, the usual opening announcement was: “ A fiery horse with the speed of light, a cloud of dust, and a hearty 'Hi-yo Silver!' The Lone Ranger! ”In later episodes the opening narration ended with the catch phrase "Return with us now to those thrilling days of yesteryear.... The Lone Ranger Rides Again!" Episodes usually ended with one of the characters lamenting the fact that they never found out the hero's name ("Who was that masked man?"), only to be told, "Why, that was the Lone Ranger!" as he and Tonto ride away. The theme music was the "cavalry charge" finale of Gioacchino Rossini's William Tell Overture, now inseparably associated with the series, which also featured many other classical selections as incidental music including Wagner, Mendelssohn, Liszt, and Tchaikovsky. The theme was conducted by Daniel Perez Castaneda. Inspiration for the name may have come from The Lone Star Ranger, a novel by Zane Grey. Karl May's tales of Old Shatterhand and Chief Winnetou may have influenced the creation of the concept; they in turn were influenced by The Leatherstocking Tales of James Fenimore Cooper. The legends of Robin Hood and the popular character Zorro were also a likely inspiration.

Cathy & Elliot Lewis On Stage - Fifth Of Tears (02-26-53)

Bob Camardella — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 00:12:19 GMT

Fifth Of Tears (Aired February 26, 1953)
After working together for years on such shows as Suspense, and Sam Spade, Cathy and Elliot Lewis created On Stage in 1953. Two of the busiest people on the air, they were known as "Mr. and Mrs. Radio." On Stage provides a hodge podge of both classics and original stories, including mystery, drama, comedy, satire, and adventure. Although created at a time when radio was going out of style, On Stage is evidence of how good old time radio shows can be. With fewer constraints and less pressure due to the lack of financially-driven scripts, the Lewis duo let their creativity and talent explode into one of the greatest anthology shows of all time.

THIS EPISODE: March 5, 1953. CBS network. "A Fifth Of Tears". Sustaining. A good story about an undercover policewoman trying to get evidence on a skid row bar thought to be employing "B-Girls," and a juvenile one at that! Barbara Whiting, Bob Sweeney, Byron Kane, Cathy Lewis, Charlotte Lawrence, Elliott Lewis, Frederick Steiner (composer, conductor), George Walsh (announcer), Hy Averback (announcer), Irene Tedrow, Joseph Granby, Lud Gluskin, Ray Noble (theme composer). 30:29.

That Hammer Guy - Jim Gordon Murdered (1953)

Bob Camardella — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 15:15:43 GMT

Jim Gordon Murdered (1953)
Mickey Spillane wrote violent, sex-filled tales that epitomized the hard-boiled detective genre of tough guys, fist fights and sultry dames. That Hammer Guy was a detective drama well inside the hard-boiled tradition. This was the rough and rugged series that hit hard and fast and it was unlike some other shows, such as, "Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar" or "Richard Diamond" that where more upbeat with humor and sly wit. Mike Hammer believes in justice, rough justice... his justice. The show didn't have a long run, only from January 6, 1953 and until October 5, 1953. Much tamer than the novels (it was radio after all) the show petered out with the advent of TV and the general fading of radio's golden age.

THIS EPISODE: 1953. Mutual network. Sustaining. Mike finds out that his old war buddy Jim Gordon has been killed, but the cops insist it was a suicide. The story is complete, but some public service announcements and the program closing have been deleted. Mickey Spillane (creator). 25:58.

The First Nighter Program - Oh Bury Me Not (02-19-48)

Bob Camardella — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 04:59:01 GMT

Oh Bury Me Not (Aired February 19, 1948)
The First Nighter Program aired on the Blue Network and on Thursday nights at 8:30PM till 9:00PM, sponsored by Campana and starring Don Ameche and June Meredith. On October 4, 1942, The First Nighter program switched over from CBS to Mutual and was broadcast from 6:00 to 6:30 on Sunday evenings. At the end of the regular season for The First Nighter, on May 2, 1942, Murder Clinic switched time periods and came on three hours earlier as the summer replacement for the other program.

THIS EPISODE: February 19, 1948. CBS network. "Oh, Bury Me Not". Sponsored by: Campana cosmetics, DDD Prescription. A radio cowboy finds himself on a real ranch, mistaken for a real cowboy. Barbara Luddy, Olan Soule, Bud Baldus Jr. (writer), Dick Bell (writer), Herb Butterfield, Barton Yarborough, Hugh Studebaker, Frank Worth (conductor), Larry Keating (announcer). 29:48.

The Adventures Of Archie Andrews - Plumbing Woes (10-19-46)

Bob Camardella — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 23:00:46 GMT

Plumbing Woes (Aired October 19, 1946)
Archie Andrews, created in 1941 by Bob Montana, is a fictional character in an American comic book series published by Archie Comics, a long-run radio series, a syndicated comic strip and animation -- The Archie Show, a Saturday morning cartoon television series by Filmation, plus Archie's Weird Mysteries. Archie Andrews began on the Blue Network on May 31, 1943, switched to Mutual in 1944, and then continued on NBC from 1945 until September 5 1953. Archie was first played by Charles Mullen, Jack Grimes and Burt Boyar, with Bob Hastings as the title character during the NBC years.The sponsor was Swift Products. The Cast: Harlan Stone, Alice Yourman, Arthur Kohl, Gloria Mann, Rosemary Rice.

THIS EPISODE: October 19, 1946. "Plumbing Woes" - NBC network. Sustaining. Archie is going to a dance and Dad is trying to take a bath, not at all as easy as it sounds. Bob Hastings, Harlan Stone, Alice Yourman, Ian Martin, Gloria Mann, Rosemary Rice. 1/2 hour.

Inner Sanctum Mysteries - The Dead Laugh (09-23-46)

Bob Camardella — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 02:17:06 GMT

The Dead Laugh (Aired September 23, 1946)
Inner Sanctum Mysteries was a popular old-time radio program that aired from January 7, 1941 to October 5, 1952. Created by Himan Brown, the anthology series featured stories of mystery, terror and suspense. The tongue-in-cheek introductions were in sharp contrast to shows like Suspense and The Whistler. A total of 526 episodes are known to have been produced. The early 1940s programs opened with Raymond Edward Johnson introducing himself as, "Your host, Raymond," in a mocking sardonic voice. A spooky melodramatic organ score punctuated Raymond's many morbid jokes and playful puns. Raymond's closing was an elongated "Pleasant dreeeammsss?!" His tongue-in-cheek style and ghoulish relish of his own tales became the standard for many such horror narrators to follow, from fellow radio hosts like Ernest Chappell (on Cooper's later series, Quiet, Please) and Maurice Tarplin (on The Mysterious Traveler) to EC Comics' Crypt-Keeper in various incarnations of Tales from the Crypt.

THIS EPISODE: September 23, 1946. CBS network origination, AFRS rebroadcast. "The Dead Laugh". An unmerciful judge is unconcerned when a condemned man swears revenge. The shoe slowly changes to another foot! The story is also known as, "Ghosts Always Get The Last Laugh." Santos Ortega, Mercedes McCambridge, Berry Kroeger, Lawson Zerbe, Paul McGrath (host). 25:58.

The Weird Circle - The Shadow (1945)

Bob Camardella — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 21:07:14 GMT

The Shadow (1945)
The Weird Circle was a syndicated series that was heard on Mutual stations November, 1943 through October, 1947 and very briefly in September/October of 1947 on ABC. The show presented 30 minute tales of horror, frequently inspired by classic horror or ghost stories, frequently done by French authors. It opened with the sound of the surf and the chant-like opening, "In this cave by the restless sea, we are met to call from out of past, stories strange and weird. Bell keeper, toll the bell, so that all may know that we are gathered again in the Weird Circle". Very little is known about this series. Neither Dunnings OTR Encyclopedia nor the many OTR log sites carry any information about the sponsors, actors, or production crew associated with The Weird Circle. All that can be said is this. The Weird Circle strived to bring the listener on a new, horrific adventure every week. Often taking its stories from popular fiction, Fall of the House of Usher and Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde for instance, the series promised top of the line dramatic tetnsion each and every week. The Weird Circle is classic OTR horror in every sense of the word, and remains one of the most listened to series created during the golden age of radio.

THIS EPISODE: 1945. Program #72. NBC syndication. "The Shadow". Commercials added locally. A man's shadow becomes another person and tries to control his life. The date is approximate. Hans Christian Andersen (author). 25 minutes.

Boxcars711 Overnight Western "Frontier Gentleman" - Daddy Bigbucks (05-04-58)

Bob Camardella — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 05:58:08 GMT

Boxcars711 Overnight Western "Frontier Gentleman" - Daddy Bigbucks (Aired May 4, 1958)
Frontier Gentleman was a radio Western series heard on CBS from February 2 to November 16, 1958. Written and directed by Antony Ellis, it followed the adventures of J.B. Kendall (John Dehner), a London Times reporter, as he roamed the Western United States, encountering various outlaws and well-known historical figures, such as Jesse James and Calamity Jane. Written and directed by Antony Ellis, it followed the adventures of journalist Kendall as he roamed the Western United States in search of stories for the Times. Along the way, he encountered various fictional drifters and outlaws in addition to well-known historical figures, such as Jesse James, Calamity Jane and Wild Bill Hickok. Music for the series was by Wilbur Hatch and Jerry Goldsmith, who also supplied the opening trumpet theme. The announcers were Dan Cubberly, Johnny Jacobs, Bud Sewell and John Wald. Supporting cast: Harry Bartell, Lawrence Dobkin, Virginia Gregg, Stacy Harris, Johnny Jacobs, Joseph Kearns, Jack Kruschen, Jack Moyles, Jeanette Nolan, Vic Perrin and Barney Phillips.

THIS EPISODE: May 4, 1958. CBS network. "Daddy Bigbucks". Sustaining. A rich man named Buck Wharton and his private train are held up by Willy Ringo and his gang of badmen. The public service announcements have been partially deleted. John Dehner, Parley Baer, Jack Kruschen, Eddie Firestone, Harry Bartell, Virginia Gregg, Antony Ellis (writer, producer, director), Dan Cubberly (announcer). 25 minutes.

The Jack Parr Show - Children's Adventure Shows (07-13-47)

Bob Camardella — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 03:30:37 GMT

Children's Adventure Shows (Aired July 13, 1947)
Paar began his career in broadcasting as a young radio announcer in Cleveland and throughout the Midwest. During World War II, as part of a special services company that entertained troops in the South Pacific, he honed his talents as a monologist. In the early 1950s as an actor and comedian, he briefly tried his talents in the movies, including an appearance in the 1951 film Love Nest with then relatively unknown actress Marilyn Monroe. Paar made numerous appearances on such programs as The Ed Sullivan Show. An impressive stint as a replacement host on Jack Benny's radio show led to the offer to host the Tonight Show.

The Black Museum - The Canvas Bag (1952)

Bob Camardella — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 23:33:10 GMT

The Canvas Bag (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: 1952. Program #9. Syndicated, WRVR-FM, New York aircheck. "The Canvas Bag". Sustaining. A young lady is swindled by an evil gent. The date is approximate. Syndicated rebroadcast date: November 13, 1974. Harry Alan Towers (producer), Orson Welles (narrator), Ira Marion (writer), Sidney Torch (composer, conductor). 27:00.

The Fat Man - Murder Is The Medium (07-22-49)

Bob Camardella — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 05:18:08 GMT

Murder Is The Medium (Aired July 22, 1949)
"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: July 22, 1949. ABC network origination, CBC rebroadcast. "Murder Is The Medium". Sponsored by: Pepto Bismol. A ten-inch knife cuts a murder during a seance and later a poisoning or two leads the Fat Man to the killer. The middle commercial has been deleted. J. Scott Smart. 1/2 hour.

The Man Called X - Italian Art Collection (08-15-48)

Bob Camardella — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 03:19:12 GMT

Italian Art Collection (Aired August 15, 1948)
The Man Called X was an espionage radio drama which aired on CBS and NBC from July 10, 1944 to May 20, 1952. Herbert Marshall had the lead role of agent Ken Thurston who took on dangerous cases in a variety of exotic locations. Gordon Jenkins Orchestra supplied the background music. Leon Belasco played Mr. X's comedic sidekick, Pagan Zeldchmidt, who always turned up in remote parts of the world because he had a "cousin" there. Pagan would annoy and help Mr. X. Sponsored by Frigidaire and later General Motors. Marshall, British by birth, starred in films with many of the greatest, especially Detreich in Blonde Venus, Bette Davis in The Virgin Queen, Vincent Price in The Fly, and a great cast in The Razor's Edge, where he portrayed W. Somerset Maugham. Ziv Television later adapted The Man Called X as a 39 episode syndicated series (1956-57) starring Barry Sullivan as Thurston.

THIS EPISODE: August 15, 1948. CBS network. Sponsored by: Frigidaire. Ken Thurston tries to recover a Stolen "Italian Art Collection" to help the war orphans. Herbert Marshall, Leon Belasco, Lawrence Dobkin, Rita Lynn, Wendell Niles (announcer). 29:41.

Diary Of Fate - Marvin Thomas Entry (06-08-48)

Bob Camardella — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 21:05:37 GMT

Marvin Thomas Entry (Aired June 8, 1948)
Diary of Fate is a mystery and horror program where “Fate” narrates and always wins by the end of the story. These are great suspense filled stories about average people who are subject to the mysteries of their ‘Fate’. In This episode, June 8, 1948 Program #26 Finley syndication Book 83 page 947, "Marvin Thomas", the meek secretary of a wealthy businessman murders his boss on a voyage to Australia and assumes his identity! The date is subject to correction. No cast credits given. Larry Finley (producer). 26:02.

Challenge Of The Yukon - Thanksgiving In The Wilderness (11-28-46)

Bob Camardella — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 02:50:40 GMT

Thanksgiving In The Wilderness (Aired November 28, 1946)
Challenge of the Yukon was a long-running radio series that began on Detroit's station WXYZ (as had The Lone Ranger and The Green Hornet). The series was first heard on February 3, 1938. Under the title Sergeant Preston of the Yukon, it later transferred to television. The program was an adventure series about Sergeant William Preston of the Northwest Mounted Police and his lead sled dog, Yukon King, as they fought evildoers in the Northern wilderness during the Gold Rush of the 1890s. Preston, according to radio historian Jim Harmon, first joined the Mounties to capture his father's killer, and when he was successful he was promoted to Sergeant. Preston worked under the command of Inspector Conrad, and in the early years was often assisted by a French-Canadian guide named Pierre.

THIS EPISODE: November 28, 1946. WXYZ, Detroit origination, The Michigan Radio Network. "Thanksgiving In The Wilderness". Sustaining. A flashback story: Father Haley has been kidnapped, along with the church funds. The townspeople suspect that the new priest may have stolen the money. Father Haley's dog Shep helps Sergeant Preston solve the mystery. The system cue has been deleted. Jay Michael, Mildred Merrill (writer), Larry McCann (announcer). 14:20.

The Great Gildersleeve - Thanksgiving (11-22-42)

Bob Camardella — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 15:32:25 GMT

Thanksgiving (Aired November 22, 1942)
The Great Gildersleeve (1941-1957), initially written by Leonard Lewis Levinson, [1] 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. On Fibber McGee and Molly, Peary's Gildersleeve was a pompous windbag who became a consistent McGee nemesis. "You're a haa-aa-aa-aard man, McGee!" became a Gildersleeve catch phrase. The character was given several conflicting first names on Fibber McGee and Molly, and on one episode his middle name was revealed as Philharmonic. Gildy admits as much at the end of "Gildersleeve's Diary" on the Fibber McGee and Molly series (10/22/40). 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 EPISIODE: November 22, 1942. NBC network. Sponsored by: Kraft Parkay, Kraft Dinner. "Thanksgiving" program. Gildersleeve tries to get a "B" ration book. Billy Mills (composer, conductor), Earle Ross, Harold Peary, John Whedon (writer), Ken Carpenter (announcer), Lillian Randolph, Lurene Tuttle, Richard LeGrand, Shirley Mitchell (?), Verna Felton, Walter Tetley. 29:27.

2000 Plus - The Marching Morons (1951)

Bob Camardella — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 03:44:04 GMT

The Marching Morons (1951)
2000 AD (2000 Plus) is known as the first of the network science fiction shows, although it ran on Mutual just a month prior to the introduction of the landmark series, Dimension X. It was a half hour of science fiction wonder in an exciting package. The stories have a charm that is always present in science fiction of the future that is written in the past. "When The Worlds Met" takes place "at the giant space port in Washington, temporary capitol of the federated world government as in April 21, 2000 Plus 20 (2020) crowds throng as audio and televox networks cover a space ship carrying in its space hold the first load of uranium taken from the pits of Luna, satellite of Earth.

THIS EPISODE: "The Marching Morons" is a science fiction story written by Cyril M. Kornbluth, originally published in Galaxy in April, 1951. It was included in The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume Two after being voted one of the best novellas up to 1965. The story is set hundreds of years in the future: the date is 7-B-936. John Barlow, a man from the past put into suspended animation by a freak accident involving a dental drill and anesthesia, is revived in this future. The world seems mad to Barlow until Tinny-Peete explains the Problem of Population: Due to a combination of intelligent people not having children and excessive breeding by less intelligent people, the world is full of morons, with the exception of an elite few who work slavishly to keep order. Barlow, who was a shrewd con man in his day, has a solution to sell to the elite.

The Campbell Playhouse - Craig's Wife (03-10-40)

Bob Camardella — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 17:52:14 GMT

Craig'sWife (Aired March 10, 1940)
The Campbell Playhouse was a sponsored continuation of the Mercury Theater on the Air, a direct result of the instant publicity from the War of the Worlds panic. The switch occurred on December 9, 1938. In spite of using the same creative staff, the show had a different flavor under sponsorship, partially attributed to a guest star policy in place, which relegated the rest of the Mercury Players to supporting cast for Orson Welles and the Hollywood guest of the week. There was a growing schism between Welles, still reaping the rewards of his Halloween night notoriety, and his collaborator John Houseman, still in the producer's chair but feeling more like an employee than a partner. The writer, as during the unsponsored run, was Howard Koch.

THIS EPISODE: March 10, 1940. CBS network. "Craig's Wife". Sponsored by: Campbell's Soup. Good story about a determined wife, more concerned with her house than her home and her husband. Pulitzer Prize winning play. Ann Harding, Orson Welles, Janet Beecher, George Coulouris, Bea Benaderet, Regis Toomey, Mary Taylor, Richard Bear, Clara Blandick, Dan Seymour (announcer). 60:25.
In Craig's Wife, the second of three filmings of George Kelly's play, Rosalind Russell plays the cold-hearted, scheming wife of a good guy named Walter Craig (John Boles). He doesn't realize it yet, but she's been attempting for the entire length of their marriage to isolate the Craigs from the rest of town. Harriet's goal is to create a sanctum sanctorum from their house, a little corner of perfection where she can have everything exactly the way she wants it. It takes a murder subplot to reveal the extent of Harriet's scheming, and for Walter Craig to realize the extent of his emasculation at her hands.

Boxcars711 Overnight Western "Dr. Six Gun" - Deed To Fort Land (12-12-54)

Bob Camardella — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 06:18:08 GMT

Boxcars711 Overnight Western "Dr. Six Gun" - Deed To Fort Land (Aired December 12, 1954)
Karl Weber as Dr. Ray Matson, "the guntoting frontier doctor who roamed the length and breadth of the old Indian territory, friend and phsycian to white man and Indian alike, the symbol of justice and mercy in the lawless west of the 1870s. This legendary figure was known to all as Dr. Sixgun." Bill Griffis as Pablo, the doctor's typsy sidekick, who told the stories.

THIS EPISODE: December 12, 1954 - "Deed To Fort Land". Program #16. NBC network origination, AFRTS rebroadcast. Willie Wyman, son of the first settler in Frenchman's Ford, claims ownership of the entire town...and can prove it! A good story. Ernest Kinoy (writer), Fred Weihe (director, transcriber), George Lefferts (writer), Karl Weber, William Griffis. 1/2 hour.

The Jack Benny Program - Going To The Racetrack (02-09-58)

Bob Camardella — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 00:44:41 GMT

Going To The Racetrack (Aired February 9, 1958)
The Jack Benny Program is a classic comedy that is truly one of the best-loved programs from the Golden Age of Radio. It started life as The Canada Dry Program in 1932 on the Blue Network and finished off as The Lucky Strike Program on CBS in 1955. In between, it kept the audience in stitches and established Benny as one of America's all-time great comedians. The format of the show, and the personality of its star, so well honed in two decades on radio, made the transition to television almost intact. Jack's stinginess, vanity about his supposed age of 39, basement vault where he kept all his money, ancient Maxwell automobile, and feigned ineptness at playing the violin were all part of the act. Added to Jack's famous pregnant pause and exasperated "Well!" were a rather mincing walk, an affected hand to the cheek, and a painted look of disbelief when confronted by life's little tragedies.

THIS EPISODE: February 9, 1958. Syndicated, WNEW-TV, New York aircheck. Participating sponsors. Jack and Mary at the racetrack. Syndicated rebroadcast date: May 5, 1978. A similar script was used on the Jack Benny radio show on January 15, 1953, January 23, 1955 and January 27, 1957. Joe Besser, Mel Blanc, Sheldon Leonard, Eddie Anderson, Mary Livingstone, Jack Benny, Dennis Day. 30:54.

Duffy's Tavern - Chant Of The Jungle (03-23-43)

Bob Camardella — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 18:03:26 GMT

Chant Of The Jungle (Aired March 23, 1943
Duffy's Tavern, an American radio situation comedy (CBS, 1941-1942; NBC-Blue Network, 1942-1944; NBC, 1944-1952), often featured top-name stage and film guest stars but always hooked those around the misadventures, get-rich-quick-scheming, and romantic missteps of the title establishment's malaprop-prone, metaphor-mixing manager, Archie, played by the writer/actor who created the show, Ed Gardner.

THIS EPISODE: March 23, 1943. Program #19. Blue network origination, AFRS rebroadcast. Archie the big game hunter. Don't miss Miss Duffy's version of, "Chant Of The Jungle." Frank Buck looks at Miss Duffy and remarks, "I'd never bring her back alive." Susan Hayward, Frank Buck, Clark Dennis (vocal), Ed Gardner, Shirley Booth, Peter Van Steeden and His Orchestra, Howard Duff (AFRS announcer), Charlie Cantor, Alan Reed. 30:05.

Encore Theater - Now Voyager (07-16-46)

Bob Camardella — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 03:15:52 GMT

Now Voyager (Aired July 16, 1946)
Encore Theater was a 1946 Summer replacement series, sponsored by Schenley Labs, Inc. All shows had a medical theme, some concerned medical research, some covered personal stories of people in the medical field but all based on true stories. Schenley Labs, Inc. was the sponsor for the series. The shows aired Tuesday evenings from 9:30 to 10:00 PM over CBS affiliated stations. Members of the cast were typically well-known radio or screen actors, such as Lurene Tuttle, Eric Snowden, Gerald Mohr, Ronald Colman, Robert Young or Lionel Barrymore. Producer for series was Bill Lawrence, who also directed the series. The announcer was Frank Graham. Music was by Leith Stevens. Scripts were written and adapted by Jean Holloway, Lloyd C. Douglas, Sidney Kingsley and Milton Geiger. Twelve of the thirteen scripts were adapted by Jean Holloway. The 1946 Summer series ended with the August 27th show, replaced by "Cresta Blanca Hollywood Players" (possibly known as "The Hollywood Players Company". There was a second ENCORE THEATER Summer series in 1949, however there is little information on it. It aired on Sundays. Eight shows are known to be in circulation. Known air dates are April 17, April 24, May 8 and June 5.

THIS EPISODE: July 16, 1946. CBS network. "Now Voyager". Sponsored by: Schenley Laboratories. A woman, deeply troubled by her life with a domineering mother, finds romance and growth while on an ocean voyage. Maureen O'Sullivan replaced Loretta Young on short notice. Maureen O'Sullivan, George Zucco, Jeanine Roos, Elliott Lewis, Jane Morgan, Cathy Lewis, Frank Graham (announcer), Bill Lawrence (producer, director), Jean Holloway (adaptor), Leith Stevens (conductor). 29:34.

Amos & Andy Show - Andy The Bodyguard (03-15-52)

Bob Camardella — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 20:35:42 GMT

Andy The Bodyguard (Aired March 15, 1952)
The Amos and Andy Show - No other TV or radio show has ever equaled its hold on the American public," wrote Yale civil rights professor Melvin Patrick Ely."They depicted Afro-American life while minimizing references to race." The radio audience, white and black, tuned in each night to listen to the adventures of characters they all cared about. Amos 'n' Andy had"all the pathos, humor, vanity, glory , problems and solutions that beset ordinary mortals and therein lies its universal appeal," explained journalist Roy Wilkins in 1931.

THIS EPISODE: March 15, 1953. CBS network. "Andy The Bodyguard". Sponsored by: Rexall. Andy is wistful that his marriage plans have fallen through again. When he gets a job as a chauffer (despite the copyright title above), his client turns out to be Madame Queen! Freeman Gosden, Charles Correll, Bob Mosher (writer), Joe Connelly (writer), Ernestine Wade, Johnny Lee, Amanda Randolph, Roy Glenn, Corny Anderson, Lillian Randolph, Jeff Alexander (music), Harlow Wilcox (announcer), Griff Barnett (announcer), Cliff Howell (director). 29:39.

Macabre - Man In The Mirror (11-27-61)

Bob Camardella — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 04:22:55 GMT

Man In The Mirror (Aired November 27, 1961)
Macabre - Macabre made the scene in November 13th 1961 and ran until January 8th 1962. Spooky and supernatural theme, Macabre was a Tokyo Studios, Far East Network of the Armed Forces Radio Service production. Creators of the series were William Verdier, who also starred in the series, and John F. Buey Jr., a program director with FEN Tokyo.

THIS EPISODE: November 27, 1961. Program #3. AFRTS-FEN origination. "The Man In The Mirror". A man injured in a traffic accident and about to die is given a chance to live by a strange voice. A good story of blood and the supernatural. John Buey (?), Mitzi Hennessey, William Virdier (performer, writer, director), Walt Sheldon, Carolyn Johnston, Milton Radmilovich, Larry Clemons (technical supervisor), Bob Eddy (technical supervisor), Al Lepage (announcer). 29:54.

The Adventures Of Sherlock Holmes - Case Of The Lucky Shilling (01-18-48)

Bob Camardella — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 23:48:35 GMT

Case Of The Lucky Shilling (Aired January 18, 1948)
Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, who first appeared in publication in 1887. He is the creation of Scottish author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. A brilliant London-based detective, Holmes is famous for his intellectual prowess, and is renowned for his skillful use of deductive reasoning (somewhat mistakenly so called — see inductive reasoning) and astute observation to solve difficult cases. He is arguably the most famous fictional detective ever created, and is one of the best known and most universally recognisable literary characters in any genre. Conan Doyle wrote four novels and fifty-six short stories that featured Holmes. All but four stories are narrated by Holmes' friend and biographer, Dr. John H. Watson; two are narrated by Holmes himself, and two others are written in the third person. The first two stories, short novels, appeared in Beeton's Christmas Annual for 1887 and Lippincott's Monthly Magazine in 1890. The character grew tremendously in popularity with the beginning of the first series of short stories in The Strand Magazine in 1891; further series of short stories and two serialised novels appeared almost right up to Conan Doyle's death in 1930. The stories cover a period from around 1878 up to 1903, with a final case in 1914.

THIS EPISODE: January 18, 1948. Mutual network, WOR, New York aircheck. "The Case Of The Lucky Shilling". Sponsored by: Clipper Craft Clothes, Eastern Airlines (local). A cleverly written story about Holmes and Watson playing Whist against a card cheat, and Holmes winning with the help of his lucky shilling...and a swarm of flies. Based on an incident in, "The Empty House." John Stanley, Alfred Shirley, Cy Harrice (announcer), Arthur Conan Doyle (creator, Edith Meiser (writer), Basil Loughrane (producer, director), Hal Reid (sound effects), Don Williamson (engineer), Michael Fitzmaurice (local New York commercial spokesman), Barry Thompson, Albert Buhrman (music). 29:45.

Mysterious Traveler - Behind The Locked Doors (11-06-51)

Bob Camardella — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 06:23:54 GMT

Behind The Locked Doors (Aired November 6, 1951)
Written and directed by Robert A. Arthur and David Kogan, the series began on the Mutual Broadcasting System, December 5, 1943, continuing in many different timeslots until September 16, 1952. Unlike many other shows of the era, The Mysterious Traveler was without a sponsor for its entire run. The lonely sound of a distant locomotive heralded the arrival of the malevolent narrator, portrayed by Maurice Tarplin, who introduced himself each week in the following manner. This is the Mysterious Traveler, inviting you to join me on another journey into the strange and terrifying. I hope you will enjoy the trip, that it will thrill you a little and chill you a little. So settle back, get a good grip on your nerves and be comfortable -- if you can!

THIS EPISODE: November 6, 1951. Mutual network. "Behind The Locked Door". Sustaining. A gripping story about a man lost in a pitch black cave with a strangely affectionate creature he cannot see! David Kogan (writer, producer, director), Maurice Tarplin, Robert A. Arthur (writer). 1/2 hour.

Jeff Regan Investigator - The Lady From Brazil (10-19-49)

Bob Camardella — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 02:17:39 GMT

The Lady From Brazil (Aired October 19, 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. A total of 29 episodes from this series are in trading currency.

The Damon Runyon Theater- Neat Strip (12-11-49)

Bob Camardella — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 03:24:14 GMT

Neat Strip (Aired December 11, 1949)
The Damon Runyon Theater was a 52 show series that was syndicated across the USA beginning in early 1949. Damon Runyon was a gifted sports writer in New York City as well as being a great journalist and great short story writer. His stories were humorous ones, written in the "dem" and "dose" vernacular of the city's loveable and not so loveable characters of Broadway, the prize ring and the underworld. His most famous collection of short stories, Guys and Dolls, was on Broadway and later made into a movie. Many of his stories were filmed including Sorrowful Jones, A Pocketful of Miracles, Lady for a Day, Blue Plate Special, The Lemon Drop Kid (twice) and Little Miss Marker (four times). In addition to this The Damon Runyon Theater was syndicated for television in the mid 1950s.

THIS EPISODE: December 11, 1949 - Program #50. Mayfair syndication. "Neat Strip". Commercials added locally. A burlesque queen falls for an ivy league type. John Brown, Damon Runyon (author), Russell Hughes (adaptor), Vern Carstensen (production supervisor), Richard Sanville (director). 1/2 hour.

Broadway Is My Beat - Ernie Lane Case (04-18-53)

Bob Camardella — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:34:02 GMT

Ernie Lane Case (Aired April 18, 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: April 18, 1953. CBS network. Sponsored by: *Sustaining. Myra Fuller is in love with Ernie Lane, but the cops tell her that Ernie is wanted for murder! Larry Thor, Charles Calvert, Jack Kruschen, Morton Fine (writer), David Friedkin, Alexander Courage (composer, conductor), Elliott Lewis (producer, director), Charlotte Lawrence, James McCallion, Bill Anders (announcer), Howard McNear, Georgia Ellis, Clayton Post. 30:46.

Nightfall - Wildcats (02-27-81)

Bob Camardella — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:05:45 GMT

Wildcats (Aired February 27, 1981)
Nightfall is the title of a radio drama series produced and aired by CBC Radio ( Canadian Broadcasting Corporation ) 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 storie.

THIS EPISODE: February 27, 1981. Program #31. CBC, Toronto origination, NPR network, WPBH-FM, Middlefield, CT. aircheck. "Wildcats". Sustaining. Two little old ladies and their little old hotel...arsenic and old lace? The WPBH-FM rebroadcast date is February 7, 1982. Earle Toppings (story editor), Christian Noack (author), Otto Lowy (adaptor), Jane Mellick, Ruth Springford, Neil Dainard, Sandy Webster, John Jessop (recording engineer), Bill Robinson (sound effects), Nancy McElvene (production assistant), Earle Toppings (story editor), Henry Ramer (host), Bill Howell (producer, director). 29:38.

Dad's Army - Present Arms (07-18-74)

Bob Camardella — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:39:26 GMT

Present Arms (Aired July 18, 1974)
Dad’s Army was a British sitcom about the Home Guard in the Second World War. It was written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft and broadcast on BBC television between 1968 and 1977. The British Home Guard consisted of local volunteers otherwise ineligible for military service, usually owing to age, and as such the series starred several veterans of British film, television and stage, including Arthur Lowe (1915–82), John Le Mesurier (1912–83), Arnold Ridley (also a veteran playwright; 1896–1984) and John Laurie (1897–1980). Relative youngsters in the regular cast were Ian Lavender (b.1946), Clive Dunn (b.1920), who was made-up to play the elderly Jones, and James Beck (1929–1973), the latter dying suddenly part way through the programme’s long run despite being one of the youngest cast members. Popular at the time and still repeated, it was voted into fourth place in a 2004 BBC poll for Britain’s Best Sitcom. Previously, in a list of the 100 Greatest British Television Programmes. drawn up by the British Film Institute in 2000, voted for by industry professionals, it was placed thirteenth.

Box 13 - Death Is A Doll (03-13-49)

Bob Camardella — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 04:59:27 GMT

Death Is A Doll (Aired March 13, 1949)
The premise of the program was that Dan Holiday was an author who wrote mystery novels. To get ideas for his novels he placed an advertisement in a newspaper saying "Adventure wanted, will go anywhere, do anything, Box 13." The ads always brought fun adventures of all kinds: from racketeer's victim to psychotic killer looking for fun. Most of the episodes were based on Dan Holiday replying to a letter he received at Box 13. He would generally solve a mystery in the process, and return to his office in time to enjoy a hearty laugh at the expense of Suzy, his amusingly stupid secretary. He would certainly not meet the strictest requirements for private eyes (not licensed, collected no fees from clients), but the definition should stretch to sneak him in under the rope. It was heard over the Mutual Broadcasting System as well as being syndicated. The series was produced by Mayfair Productions. Box 13, starring Alan Ladd as Dan Holiday. Sylvia Picker played Suzy, Dan Holiday's secretary and Edmond MacDonald as Lt. Kling. Other stars in the series were Betty Lou Gerson, Lurene Tuttle, Alan Reed, Luis Van Rooten, John Beal and Frank Lovejoy. Music was by Rudy Schrager and the writer was Russell Hughes. Announcer/Director was Vern Carstensen. The series was produced by Richard Sanville with Alan Ladd as co-producer.

THIS EPISODE: March 13, 1949. Program #30. Mayfair syndication. "Death Is A Doll". Commercials added locally. A man is slowly dying of what appears to be witchcraft. The date is approximate. Alan Ladd, Sylvia Picker, Rudy Schrager (composer, conductor). 25 minutes.

Ray Bradbury Short Story - The Rocket (01-04-52)

Bob Camardella — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:13:36 GMT

The Rocket (Aired January 4, 1952)
NBC Presents Short Story (AKA: Short Story) - Stories were dramatizations of the works of Ray Bradbury. Each show features a brief introduction by Ray Bradbury, often relating how the story came to be. In this episode, "The Rocket", A poor man who runs a junkyard wants nothing more in life than to travel to Mars...which is just what he does! David DuVal, Don Diamond (producer, host, performer), Dorothy Brown, Ernest Kinoy (adaptor), Joel Nessler, John Wald (announcer), Margaret Brayton, Andrew C. Love (director), Kurt Martell, Ralph Moody, Ray Bradbury (author), Stan Waxman (narrator), William Welch (script editor), Margaret Cuthbert (supervisor of Public Affairs programming), Wade Arnold (executive producer). 29:30.

Boxcars711 Overnight Western "Have Gun Will Travel" - Stopover In Tombstone (10-11-59)

Bob Camardella — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 05:55:32 GMT

Boxcars711 Overnight Western "Have Gun Will Travel" - Stopover In Tombstone (Aired October 11, 1959)
One of the last radio shows and one of the few to go from TV to radio, HAVE GUN, WILL TRAVEL started its 106 show run on November 23, 1958. These Sunday afternoon shows were radio adaptations of the previous nights TV script with John Dehner replacing Richard Boone. Paladin, the lead character, played by John Dehner, was a man with a short temper and a fast gun.

THIS EPISODE: October 11, 1959. CBS network. "Stopover In Tombstone". Sponsored by: Fitch Shampoo, Ex-Lax, Watchmakers Of Switzerland (vacation contest). Paladin becomes a deputy assistant sheriff of Cochise County...a lawman of Tombstone. An accused murderer with a dying wife proves a tragic responsibility. The system cue is added live. John Dehner, Virginia Gregg, Sam Rolfe (creator), Herb Meadow (creator), Frank Paris (producer, director), Hugh Douglas (announcer), Ann Doud (writer), Bartlett Robinson, Betty Garde, Joe Cranston, Harry Bartell, Bill James (sound effects), Tom Hanley (sound effects). 25:15.

Author's Playhouse - Minstrels Of The Mist (08-04-44)

Bob Camardella — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 03:26:41 GMT

Minstrels Of The Mist (Aired August 4, 1944)
Author’s Playhouse - Famous stories by celebrated authors: among them, Elementals (Stephen Vincent Benet), The Piano (William Saroyan), and The Snow Goose (Paul Gallico).March 5, 1941 till June 4, 1945, NBC; Blue Network until mid-October 1941, then the Red Network. Many briefly held 30m timeslots, including Sundays at 11:30, 1941-42; Wednesdays at 11:30, 1942-44; Mondays at 11:30, 1944-45. Sponsor was Philip Morris, 1942-43. Cast: John Hodiak, Fern Persons, Arthur Kohl, Laurette Fillbrandt, Kathryn Card, Bob Jellison, Nelson Olmsted, Marvin Miller, Olan Soule, Les Tremayne, Clarence Hartzell, Curley Bradley, etc. Orchestra: Rex Maupin, Roy Shield, J6seph Gallicchio. Creator: Wynn Wright. Directors: Norman Felton, Fred Weihe, Homer Heck.

THIS EPISODE: August 4, 1944. NBC network. "Minstrels Of The Mist". Sustaining. A very well-done, if somewhat strange story of two flute players. Ben Lucien Berman (author). 1/2 hour.

The Amazing Mr. Malone - Hard Work Never Killed Anyone (06-22-51)

Bob Camardella — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 22:35:16 GMT

Hard Work Never Killed Anyone (Aired June 22, 1951)
Based on Craig Rice’s (a female crime novelist who rivaled Agatha Christie in book sales) novels of crime drama, Frank Lovejoy (and later Gene Raymond and George Petrie) plays “fiction’s most famous criminal lawyer,” John J. Malone. Mr. Malone is our amazing hero, a Chicago lawyer whose bar is more famous than Cheers. His hobby is collecting clichés, and each weeks show is based off of one: cleanliness is next to Godliness, a strong offense is the best defense, seek and ye shall find, and so on. Stories are gripping, from tales of Chicago’s biggest operator who runs a nightclub and his right hand man, to a man looking for trouble in a hotel and finds it in room 419, to a story of a man who owns the most luscious gambling joint this side of Vegas. So brush up on your one liners, and grab your gun, because you’ll want to tune in for this exciting half hour of mystery!

THIS EPISODE: June 22, 1951. NBC network. "Hard Work Never Killed Anyone". Sustaining. Danny Braden tries a little blackmail on a former wife and gets a bullet for his trouble. George Petrie, Larry Haines, Craig Rice (creator), Eugene Wang (writer), Richard Lewis (director), Bernard L. Schubert (producer), Fred Collins (announcer). 29:43.

The Adventures Of Philip Marlowe - Man On The Roof (04-04-50)

Bob Camardella — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 05:35:03 GMT

Man On The Roof (Aired April 4, 1950)
The first portrayal of Philip Marlowe on the radio was by Dick Powell, when he played Raymond Chandler's detective on the Lux Radio Theater on June 11, 1945. This was a radio adaptation of the 1944 movie, from RKO, in which Mr. Powell played the lead. Two years later, Van Heflin starred as Marlowe in a summer replacement series for the Bob Hope Show on NBC. This series ran for 13 shows. On September 26, 1948, Gerald Mohr became the third radio Marlowe, this time on CBS. It remained a CBS show through its last show in 1951.

THIS EPISODE: April 4, 1950. CBS network. "The Man On The Roof". Sustaining. A young man is trapped on a roof as the cops close in. Marlowe tells this story of murder and robbery in flashback before trying to talk him down. Gerald Mohr, Virginia Gregg, Jack Edwards, Lillian Buyeff, Doris Singleton, Jack Kruschen, Lawrence Dobkin, Raymond Chandler (creator), Norman Macdonnell (producer, director), Robert Mitchell (writer), Gene Levitt (writer), Richard Aurandt (composer, conductor), Roy Rowan (announcer). 29:41.

The Shadow - The The Man Who Murdered Time (01-01-39)

Bob Camardella — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 23:27:05 GMT

The Man Who Murdered Time (Aired 01-01-39)
The Shadow - One of the most popular radio shows in history debuted in August 1930 when "The Shadow" went on the air. "Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows!" The opening lines of the "Detective Story" program captivated listeners and are instantly recognizable even today. Originally the narrator of the series of macabre tales, the eerie voice known as The Shadow became so popular to listeners that "Detective Story" was soon renamed "The Shadow," and the narrator became the star of the old-time mystery radio series, which ran until 1954. A figure never seen, only heard, the Shadow was an invincible crime fighter. He possessed many gifts which enabled him to overcome any enemy. Besides his tremendous strength, he could defy gravity, speak any language, unravel any code, and become invisible with his famous ability to "cloud men's minds."

THIS EPISODE: January 1, 1939. Program #22. Syndicated. "The Man Who Murdered Time". Sponsored by: B. F. Goodrich Tires. Popssibly a syndicated version of the network program of January 1, 1939. A mad scientist, about to die, invents a time machine with the ability to repeat December 31st eternally. William Johnstone, Agnes Moorehead. 29:34.

Bold Venture - The High Price Of Treason (06-25-51)

Bob Camardella — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 05:15:50 GMT

The High Price Of Treason (Aired June 25, 1951)
The Hollywood husband and wife team of Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall set sail for adventure in the Bold Venture radio series in early 1951. There were well over 400 stations that aired the program. Since thiswas syndicated * the starting date varied from station to station but Mar 26, 1951 was the official date of the first show. Humphrey Bogart portrayed Slate Shannon, owner of a rundown Havana hotel, Shannon's Place. The action took place on land as well aboard Slate's boat, The Bold Venture, thus the title of the series. Lauren Bacall was his ward Sailor Duval, a stubborn and flirtatious young woman whose late father had willed her to Slate for her protection. Together the duo found adventure, intrigue, mystery and romance in the sultry settings of tropical Havana and the mysterious islands of the Caribbean.

The FBI In Peace & War - The Bungler (09-14-55)

Bob Camardella — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 23:51:18 GMT

The Bungler (Aired September 14, 1955)
The FBI in Peace and War was a radio crime drama inspired by Frederick Lewsis Collins' book, The FBI in Peace and War. The idea for the show came from Louis Pelletier who wrote many of the scripts. Among the show's other writers were Jack Finke, Ed Adamson and Collins. Airing on CBS from November 25, 1944 to September 28, 1958, it had a variety of sponsors (including Lava Soap, Wildroot Cream Oil, Lucky Strike, Nescafe and Wrigley's) over the years. Martin Blaine and Donald Briggs headed the cast. Theme music was "The Love for Three Oranges" (Prokofiev.

THIS EPISODE: September 14, 1955. CBS network origination, AFRTS rebroadcast. "The Bungler". The bank embezzler and stickup man who couldn't seem to do anything right. Rosemary Rice, Robert Readick, Frederick L. Collins (creator). 25 minutes.

Blair Of The Mounties - The Robbery At The Canada Western (06-06-38)

Bob Camardella — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 04:55:01 GMT

The Robbery At The Canada Western (06-06-38)
Blair of the Mounties is the story of the Royal Northwest Mounted Police -- a fictional series based on the work of the Northwest Mounted Police before the World War I. It was a fifteen minute weekly serial heard every Monday for 36 weeks beginning January 31st, 1938 and running through the 3rd of October of 1938. It may have been on the air as early as 1935, although there’s no actual proof of this. Little is known of the series other than it followed the exploits of Sgt. Blair of the Northwest Mounted Police. and probably was the inspiration for Trendell, Campbell and Muir's Challenge of the Yukon. The series was written by Colonel Rhys Davies, who also played the Colonel Blair in the series. Jack Abbot played the Constable. Jack French, one of OTR’s best researchers says this about the series: “Blair is not restricted to Canada, as other Mounties, as we find him, in a few cases, in Great Britain, solving cases. Overall the series is amateurishly written, with the actor playing Blair coming accros as a bit stuffy.”

Lux Radio Theater - Lady In The Lake (02-09-48)

Bob Camardella — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 23:41:26 GMT

Lady In The Lake (Aired February 9, 1948)
In October of 1934, "Lux Radio Theater" debuted in New York on NBC's Blue radio network. Presenting audio versions of popular Broadway plays, the show failed to garner an audience and soon ran out of material. After switching networks to CBS and moving to Hollywood, Lux found its true market. The show began featuring adaptations of popular films, performed by as many of the original stars as possible. With an endless supply of hit films scripts and an audience of more than 40 million, Lux enjoyed a prosperous run until the curtain fell in 1956.

THIS EPISODE: February 9, 1948. CBS network. "The Lady In The Lake". Sponsored by: Lux, Pepsodent. A two-fisted detective yarn. Philip Marlowe tries to track down the murderer of a woman found at the bottom of a lake...and of a man shot to death in the shower. Tom Tully, William Keighley (host), John Milton Kennedy (announcer), Louis Silvers (music director), Gerald Mohr, William Johnstone, Frances Robinson, George Neise, Edward Marr, Robert Griffin, Janet Scott, Herb Butterfield, Marie Windsor, Steve Fisher (screenwriter), Raymond Chandler (creator), Fred MacKaye (director), Sanford Barnett (adaptor), Charlie Forsyth (sound effects), Robert Montgomery, Audrey Totter. 59:44.

Dragnet - The Big Poison (09-07-50)

Bob Camardella — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 04:27:45 GMT

The Big Poison (Aired September 7, 1950)
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: September 7, 1950. Program #65. NBC network. "The Big Poison". Sponsored by: Fatima. Mr. and Mrs. Apperson, an elderly couple, have disappeared. A bottle of cyanide points to a grim conclusion. Abbreviated closing theme. Jack Webb, Barton Yarborough. 29:54.

General Mills Radio Adventure Theater - Three Swords (04-16-77)

Bob Camardella — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 22:43:24 GMT

Three Swords (Aired April 16, 1977)
The series had it origins in the meeting of two minds: the ad agency for General Mills at the time, Dancer-Fitzgerald-Sample was looking for a different means to reach a child audience besides television, which was decreasing commercial minutes and increasing costs; and Himan Brown, producer-director of the CBS Radio Mystery Theater, who wanted to introduce new audiences to the dramatic form on radio. Tom Bosley was chosen as the host because of his television recognition from a kid’s oriented series, Happy Days. CBS chose to produce 52 original broadcasts followed by 52 repeat broadcasts. I believe they had hoped to maintain General Mills sponsorship during the complete 104 episodes, but General Mills dropped their sponsorship after the original broadcasts. The series continued for the next 52 repeats as the CBS Radio Adventure Theater.

THIS EPISODE: April 16, 1977. Program #21. CBS network. "Three Swords":. Sponsored by: General Mills. The program was repeated on October 16, 1977. Tom Bosley (host), Elspeth Eric (adaptor from a traditional story), Kristoffer Tabori, Ian Martin, Himan Brown (producer, director.