Special Guest Is Groucho Marx (Aired February 20, 1944)
Benny had been only a minor vaudeville performer, but he became a national figure with The Jack Benny Program, a weekly radio show which ran from 1932 to 1948 on NBC and from 1949 to 1955 on CBS. It was consistently among the most highly rated programs during most of that run. With Canada Dry Ginger Ale as a sponsor, Benny came to radio on The Canada Dry Program, beginning May 2, 1932, on the NBC Blue Network and continuing there for six months until October 26, moving the show to CBS on October 30. With Ted Weems leading the band, Benny stayed on CBS until January 26, 1933. Arriving at NBC on March 17, Benny did The Chevrolet Program until April 1, 1934. He continued with sponsor General Tire through the end of the season. In October, 1934, General Foods, the makers of Jell-O and Grape-Nuts, became the sponsor most identified with Jack, for the next ten years. American Tobacco's Lucky Strike was his longest-lasting radio sponsor, from October, 1944, through the end of his original radio series. THIS EPISODE: February 20, 1944. Red network. Sponsored by: Grape-Nuts, Grape-Nuts Flakes, Grape-Nuts Wheat Meal. "Special Guest Groucho Marx"'s ad libs have Jack cracking up within two minutes of Groucho's appearance. The cast does, "The Gilroy Murder Case." Rochester helps Don deliver one of the commercials. "L.S.M.F.T." is mentioned. Jack Benny, Don Wilson, Groucho Marx, Eddie Anderson, Mary Livingstone, Butterfly McQueen, Dennis Day, Phil Harris, John Brown, Ed Beloin (writer, performer), Mahlon Merrick (conductor). 30:42. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

Murder Shows A Card (1952) *The Exact Date Is Unknown.
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: The Fat Man. 1952. ABC network. "Murder Shows A Card" Sponsored by: Pepto Bismol, Unguentine. - J. Scott Smart, Dick Beals (commercial spokesman), Clark Andrews (director), Bernard Green (conductor), Bryna Raeburn, Charles Irving (announcer), Lawrence Klee (writer), Jean Ellen. 25:59. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

Chrome Yellow Death (1956) *The Exact Date Is Unknown.
It's a Crime, Mr. Collins was a half-hour mystery/adventure radio program broadcast weekly from August, 1956 to February, 1957 by Mutual Broadcasting System in the United States that was a "flagrant rip-off of The Adventures of the Abbotts in which only the names had been changed." San Francisco private detective Greg Collins was played by Mandel Kramer (who had previously been heard as Lieutenant Tragg in the radio version of Perry Mason) and his wife, Gail Collins, was played by namesake Gail Collins. Each week, Gail Collins, "the gumshoe's gorgeous spouse -- with green-eyed predilections emerging as curvaceous damsels in distress frequently petitioned her husband -- shared his investigative exploits with her Uncle Jack and thereby with the listeners at home." THIS EPISODE: 1956. Mutual network origination, syndicated. "The Chrome Yellow Death". Commercials added locally. Mr. and Mrs. Collins are in tropical Argentina, where they find death by "bolas" and "marijuana" cigarettes. The date is approximate. Mandel Kramer, Gail Collins, Richard Denning. 28:33. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

The Case Of Blackie Thompson (Aired December 8, 1945)
Gangbusters 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. THIS EPISODE: December 8, 1945. Program #411. ABC network origination, WRVR-FM, New York rebroadcast. "The Case Of Blackie Thompson". Participating sponsors. The story of bank-robber Blackie Thompson, and his all-too-loyal girlfriend, Lila. WRVR rebroadcast date: May 16, 1974. The script was used previously on Gangbusters of February 24, 1940. Phillips H. Lord (producer). 21:22. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

The Railway Children [Aired March 5, 1977]
The General Mills Radio Adventure Theater was a 1977 anthology radio drama series with Tom Bosley as host. Himan Brown, already producing the CBS Radio Mystery Theater for the network, added this twice-weekly (Saturdays and Sundays) anthology radio drama series to his workload in 1977. It usually aired on weekends, beginning in February 1977 and continuing through the end of January 1978, on stations which cleared it. General Mills's advertising agency was looking for a means of reaching children that would be less expensive than television advertising. Brown and CBS were willing to experiment with a series aimed at younger listeners, reaching that audience through ads in comic books. Apart from Christian or other religious broadcasting, this may have been the only nationwide attempt in the U.S. in the 1970s to air such a series. General Mills did not continue as sponsor after the 52 episodes had first aired over the first 26 weekends (February 1977 through July 1977), and the series (52 shows) was then repeated over the next 26 weekends (August 1977 through the end of January 1978), as The CBS Radio Adventure Theater, with a variety of sponsors for the commercials. THIS EPISODE: March 5, 1977. Program #9. CBS network. "The Railroad Children". From the novel by Edith Nesbit and sponsored by: General Mills. The program was repeated on September 4, 1977. Tom Bosley (host), Edith Nesbit (author), Robert Newman (adaptor), Sarah Parker, Toby Parker, Himan Brown (producer, director), Ian Martin, Teri Keane, Gilbert Mack. 39:35. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

The Mouse (Aired March 14, 1947)
The Alan Young Show was a radio and television series presented in diverse formats over a nine-year period and starring Canadian-English actor Alan Young. It began on NBC radio as a summer replacement situation comedy in 1944, featuring vocalist Bea Wain. It moved to ABC with Jean Gillespie portraying Young's girlfriend Betty. The program was next broadcast by NBC for a 1946-47 run and was off in 1948. When it returned to NBC in 1949, Louise Erickson played Betty and Jim Backus was heard as snobbish playboy Hubert Updike III. In 1950 The Alan Young Show moved to television as a variety, sketch comedy show, taking an 11-month hiatus in 1952. THIS EPISODE: March 14, 1947. "The Mouse" - NBC network. Sponsored by: Ipana Toothpaste, Minit-Rub, Vitalis. Alan visits a psychiatrist who convinces him to be ruthless and aggressive. When Alan tries to kill a mouse, Hubert Updike thinks Alan is going to kill him. The program ending is filled with errors as broadcast. The show runs short, the orchestra stops playing, an announcer makes a stand-by announcement and then an off-mike system cue is heard! Dick Lane, Jim Backus, Sarah Selby, Veola Vonn, Alan Young, Hans Conried, Charlie Cantor, Jimmy Wallington (announcer), Al Schwartz (writer), Sherwood Schwartz (writer). 33:29. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

Prisoner Of The Night (Aired July 24, 1947)
The final Radio Reader's Digest show was broadcast on 3rd June 1948, with the now vacant radio slot being filled the following week with the launch of The Hallmark Playhouse, which although followed the same format, was a huge break from the Radio Reader's Digest because the stories were adapted from literary best sellers, with some stories that were obscure such as the leprechaun tales in O’Halloran’s Luck by Stephen Vincent Benet - rather than the true stories from the Reader's Digest magazine, such as The Baron of Arizona, the story of a man who actually convinced the United States Government that he owned the state of Arizona. Conrad Nagel hosted the Radio Reader's Digest series until December 10, 1944 and also played a character in some of the stories that Reader's Digest provided. Other hosts included Quinton Reynolds, Richard Kollmar, and Les Tremayne. Stars for the shows on The Hallmark Playhouse included Irene Dunn, Bob Hope, Gregory Peck and Lionel Barrymore. Show Notes From RUSC.Com. THIS EPISODE: July 24, 1947. CBS network. "Prisoner Of The Night". Sponsored by: Hallmark Cards. The greatest French detective solves the most difficult murder of his career. Roger De Koven, John Nesbitt, Tom Shirley (host), Fred Uttal (announcer), Lyn Murray and His Orchestra. 31:03. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

Killer At Large (1953) *The Exact Date Is Unknown.
NBC first envisioned The Chase as a new Television feature. This was not uncommon during the later 1940s and early 1950s. Several Radio features straddled both media, with varying success. Developed as a psychological drama, the premise was that many life situations place their subjects in a 'chase' of one type or another. A chase for fame. A chase from peril. A chase to beat the clock. A chase to escape death. The added twist was the question of who is the hunter or the hunted in these situations. The scripts were faced paced, starred quality east coast talent and were well written. The series' plots and themes focused primarily on predominantly fear inducing pursuits of one form or another. Thus most of the scripts were fraught with tension of one type or another. Whether mental tension, physical peril or a mix of both, the abiding theme throughout the series was the the contrasts between the 'hunter' and the 'hunted' in such Life situations. NBC's Television version of The Chase was in production during May 1953. It was to star Doug Fowley as both narrator and performer. Apparently the powers to be eventually decided to abandon the production. It would also appear that the TV production was abandoned at about the same time the Radio version was pulled, to be replaced by NBC's prestigious NBC Summer Symphony series.

The Case Of The Green-Eyed Monster (Aired May 29, 1950)
In an earlier time, just prior to and following the Second World War, the general public was fascinated by the subject of crime. Numerous magazines of "True Crime Stories" filled the newsstands. Radio also helped fill the need with fictional heroes such as Johnny Dollar and The Saint. Few true crime dramas, other than Gangbusters or Dragnet, sustained long term success on radio. The Secrets of Scotland Yard was a successful crime drama series, initially airing internationally between 1949 and 1951. Selected episodes finally came to a US radio network for a brief run much later in 1957 over the Mutual Broadcasting System. The series boasted well over 100 episodes. THIS EPISODE: May 29, 1950. Program #78. Towers Of London syndication. "The Case Of The Green-Eyed Monster". Commercials added locally. When jealousy rears its head in 1930's British society, the result is murder! The date above is known to be accurate (for LM Radio). Clive Brook (host), Percy Hoskins (writer, performer), Harry Alan Towers (producer). 27:57. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

Gus Fowler (Aired July 21, 1947)
The show was bought by the ABC network in the States, although the ABC on the CD label (below) stands for the Australian Broadcast Company. The settings were usually generic and the actors tried to speak without a perceptible accent and for that reason the program sounded sort of "American". They occasionally slipped up on a few words, using 'boot' instead of 'trunk' when referring to a car. At the end of the fifteen month series run it continued for another 13 weeks but now with an All-American cast with new scripts and the entire crew including the cast, directors, musicians, etc., Americans. The series aired beyond this 13 week time period because some time after May 1948 there are at least three circulating "The Clock" programs from late 1948. There is some confusion as to whether the American version originated from New York and then moved to Los Angeles, or just broadcast from Los Angeles for the complete American run. THIS EPISODE: July 21, 1947. Syndicated, WRVR-FM, New York aircheck. "Gus Fowler". Participating sponsors. A man with a month to live and a strange bargain. WRVR rebroadcast date: August 31, 1973. The date above is the date of the first broadcast on ABC. 26:38. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.