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Podcast title	Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod
Website URL	http://boxcars711.libsyn.com
Description	Offers the best of Old Time Radio, Oldies, Easy Listening and Talk. Broadcasting from the heart of Germantown, on WPNM radio, and over the Shoutcast Network, host Bob Camardella mixes his vast collection of entertainment, with news and events.
Updated	Mon, 22 Mar 2010 03:21:10 +0000
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Category	Kids & Family Comedy
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Episodes
1. The Adventures Of Frank Race - The Three On A Match (09-18-49) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.46Mb) Description: 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: September 18, 1949. Program #21. Broadcasters Program Syndicate syndication. "The Adventure Of Three On A Match". Commercials added locally. In Bordeaux, the European Children's Fund has been cheated out of its relief funds. The beautiful Marie Vartell holds the clue to the missing $2 million dollars. Tom Collins, Tony Barrett, Buckley Angel (writer, director), Joel Murcott (writer, director), Bruce Eells (producer), Ivan Ditmars (organist), Art Gilmore (announcer), Gerald Mohr, Jeanne Bates, Paul Dubov, Michael Ann Barrett. 26:53.
2. Box 13 - The Haunted Artist (12-12-48) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.19Mb) Description: Box 13 was a syndicated radio series about the escapades of mystery novelist Dan Holiday (Alan Ladd), a former newsman. Created by Mayfair Productions, the series premiered August 22, 1948, on New York's WOR and aired in syndication on the East Coast from August 22, 1948, to August 14. 1949. On the West Coast, Box 13 was heard from March 15, 1948 to March 7, 1949. To seek out new ideas for his fiction, Holiday ran a classified ad in the Star-Times newspaper. "Adventure wanted, will go anywhere, do anything -- Box 13." The stories followed Holiday's adventures when he responded to the letters sent to him by such people as a psycho killer and various victims. THIS EPISODE: December 12, 1948. Program #17. Mayfair syndication. "The Haunted Artist". Commercials added locally. An artist's latest canvas seems to be haunted. A stone quarry keeps appearing on one side of the canvas. The date is approximate. Alan Ladd, Edmond MacDonald, Richard Sanville (director), Rudy Schrager (composer, conductor), Russell Hughes (writer), Sylvia Picker, Vern Carstensen (production supervisor). 26:56.
3. The FBI In Peace & War Dumb Luck (1944) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 4.57Mb) Description: The FBI in Peace and War was a radio crime drama inspired by Frederick Lewis Collins' book, The FBI in Peace and War. The idea for the show came from Louis Pelletier who wrote many of the scripts. Among the show's other writers were Jack Finke, Ed Adamson and Collins. Airing on CBS from November 25, 1944 to September 28, 1958, it had a variety of sponsors (including Lava Soap, Wildroot Cream Oil, Lucky Strike, Nescafe and Wrigley's) over the years. Martin Blaine and Donald Briggs headed the cast. THIS EPISODE: September 22, 1957 CBS network. "Dumb Luck". Commercials deleted. A dumb blonde tries to pull an inheritance swindle and winds up marrying the insurance man she's trying to gyp! Jackson Beck (narrator), Charita Bauer, Arthur Winters, Louis Pelletier (writer), Betty Mandeville (producer, director), Warren Sweeney (announcer), Frederick L. Collins (creator). 20:04.
4. CBS Radio Mystery Theater - A Message From Space (02-28-78) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 10.48Mb) Description: CBS Radio Mystery Theater - 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!
5. Fibber McGee & Molly - Installing A Wall Safe (2-03-53) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.57Mb) Description: 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: February 3, 1953. NBC network. Sponsored by: Reynolds Aluminum. The program originates from the N. R. E. C. A. Convention, The Civic auditorium in San Francisco. Fibber is chopping a hole in the wall. He's planning to install a wall safe! Not auditioned. Jim Jordan, Marian Jordan, Harlow Wilcox, Billy Mills and His Orchestra, The King's Men, Phil Leslie (writer), Keith Fowler (writer), Max Hutto (director), Bill Thompson, Gale Gordon, Arthur Q. Bryan, Richard LeGrand. 27:40.
6. The Adventures Of Philip Marlowe - The Hard Way Out (11-28-48) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.68Mb) Description: The Adventures Of Philip Marlowe - The first portrayal of Phillip 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: November 28, 1948. CBS network. "The Hard Way Out". Sustaining. Murder at the Quigg and Slater Construction Company, and a surprising amount of luxury on $175 a week! Barbara Fuller, William Lally, Edgar Barrier, Gene Levitt (writer), Gerald Mohr, Jeff Corey, Luis Van Rooten, Mel Dinelli (writer), Norman Macdonnell (producer, director), Raymond Chandler (creator), Richard Aurandt (music), Robert Mitchell (writer). 29:39.
7. Ellery Queen Master Detective - Vanishing Magician (11-06-43) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.84Mb) Description: Ellery Queen Master Detective - On radio, The Adventures of Ellery Queen was heard on all three networks from 1939 to 1948. During the 1970s, syndicated radio fillers, Ellery Queen's Minute Mysteries, began with an announcer saying, "This is Ellery Queen..." and contained a short one-minute case. The radio station encouraged callers to solve the mystery and win a sponsor's prize. Once a winner was found, the solution was broadcast as confirmation. A complete episode guide and history of this radio program can be found in the book "The Sound of Detection: Ellery Queen's Adventures in Radio" from OTR Publishing, 2002. THIS EPISODE: November 6, 1943. NBC network. "The Adventure Of The Vanishing Magician". Sponsored by: Bromo Seltzer. A has-been vaudevillian promises to disappear from a house to win a $25,000 bet. A good wartime mystery! This is the East Coast broadcast. The West Coast broadcast took place on November 4, 1943. The script was previously used on "Ellery Queen" on September 15, 1940. Sydney Smith, Helen Lewis, Santos Ortega, Ted de Corsia, Charles Paul (organ), Edward Pawley ("Guest Armchair Detective," star of "Big Town"), S. Bigman ("Guest Armchair Detective," editor of "Time" magazine), Ernest Chappell (announcer), Frederic Dannay (writer), Manfred B. Lee (writer), Bruce Kamman (producer, director). 29:04.
8. The Hollywood Radio Theater - The Awful Truth (01-18-55) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 13.27Mb) Description: The Hollywood Radio Theater (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 to Hollywood in 1936 that it eased back from adapting stage shows and toward adaptations of films. The first Lux film adaptation was The Legionnaire and the Lady, with Marlene Dietrich and Clark Gable, based on the film Morocco. That was followed by a Lux adaptation of The Thin Man, featuring the movie's stars, Myrna Loy and William Powell. THIS EPISODE: The Awful Truth from Hollywood Radio Theater aired January 18, 1955 starring Irene Dunne and Cary Grant. This is the radio version taken from the classic 1937 romantic comedy film. The plot concerns the machinations of a soon-to-be-divorced couple, played by Dunne and Grant, who go to great lengths to try to ruin each other's romantic escapades. The bright, zesty, and carefree film was nominated for six Academy Awards.
9. Bold Venture - Tappard Of Pizzaro (1951) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 5.68Mb) Description: Bold Venture - 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. THIS EPISODE: Program #39. ZIV Syndication. "Tabbard Of Pizarro". Commercials added locally. Shannon and Sailor become involved with "The Tabbard Of Pizarro." David Rose (composer, conductor), Jester Hairston, Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall. 27:25.
10. Casey Crime Photographer - Acquitted (7-03-47) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.87Mb) Description: The Adventures Of Casey, Crime 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: July 3, 1947. CBS network. "Acquitted". Sponsored by: Anchor Hocking Glass. Big Mike Ryan, a swell cop, is suspended for arresting and then beating up Lenny Waldo. When Lenny and his cohort are found shot to death, Big Mike is of course the prime suspect. Alonzo Deen Cole (writer), Archie Bleyer (music), Herman Chittison (piano), Jan Miner, John Dietz (director), John Gibson, Staats Cotsworth, Tony Marvin (announcer), George Harmon Coxe (creator). 29:34.
11. A Date With Judy - Aunt Lilly Needs A Date (08-11-42) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.84Mb) Description: 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.
12. The Damon Runyon Theater - Leopard's Spots (05-01-49) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.49Mb) Description: Damon Runyon Theater - Broadcast from January to December 1949, "The Damon Runyon Theatre" dramatized 52 of Runyon's short stories for radio. Damon Runyon (October 4, 1884 – December 10, 1946) was a newspaperman and writer. He was best known for his short stories celebrating the world of Broadway in New York City that grew out of the Prohibition era. He spun tales of gamblers, petty thieves, actors and gangsters; few of whom go by "square" names, preferring instead to be known as "Nathan Detroit", "Big Jule", "Harry the Horse", "Good Time Charlie", "Dave the Dude", and so on. These stories were written in a very distinctive vernacular style: a mixture of formal speech and colorful slang, almost always in present tense, and always devoid of contractions. THIS EPISODE: 1948. Program #18. Mayfair syndication. "Leopard's Spots". Commercials added locally. Spider McCoy invites Broadway to travel to Philadelphia where Pigsfoot Grudy is going to fight Chester Nubs. Along comes a bad appendix and Caswell Fish, also known as "The Leopard Kid." Damon Runyon (author), Jeff Chandler, John Brown, Richard Sanville (director), Russell Hughes (adaptor), Vern Carstensen (production supervisor). 27:58.
13. The Couple Next Door - 2 Episodes From 1958 http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.61Mb) Description: The Couple Next Door was a Peg Lynch series which began in 1953-57 on Chicago's WGN, moving to the Mutual Broadcasting System in the summer of 1957. The married couple was played by Olan Soule and Elinor Harriot. It was revived on CBS Radio (December 30, 1957-November 25, 1960) with Peg Lynch and Alan Bunce as the unnamed married couple---essentially, it reprised Ethel and Albert but the new name was necessitated because Lynch had long since lost the rights to the original title. That still wasn't the end of the show---Lynch and Bunce brought the show to NBC's legendary weekend programming block Monitor in 1963, performing three- to four-minute vignettes not unlike the original fifteen-minute shows. Their presence continued a kind-of Monitor tradition of offering new material from classic radio favourites (including James and Marian Jordan of Fibber McGee and Molly fame, until Marian Jordan's death). Even more, it returned yet again in the 1970s, as a syndicated radio feature known as The Little Things in Life. TODAYS SHOW: The Painter Quits (11-17-58) and Painting Party (11-18-58) CBS network. Sponsored by: Glamorene, Beechnut Baby Foods.The system cue is added live. Peg Lynch (writer, performer, commercial spokesman), Alan Bunce (performer, commercial spokesman), Walter Hart (producer), Ted Pearson (announcer), Francie Meyers, Dawsa Duckworth.
14. Martin & Lewis Show - Guest Burl Ives (06-12-49) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 7.21Mb) Description: The Martin & Lewis Show - 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.
15. Arch Oboler's Plays - Mr. Ten Percent (5-17-45) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.93Mb) Description: 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: May 17, 1945. Mutual network. "Mr. Ten-Percent". Sustaining. A good story about a Hollywood agent who finally finds a movie star to manage...and how he contributed $1 million dollars to the war effort! Mary Jane Croft, Bob Bailey, Earle Ross, Harry Lang, Everett Allen, Arch Oboler (writer), Bruce Elliott, Roseanne Murray, Evelyn Scott. 1/2 hour.
16. Big Town - The Mask Of Evil (01-04-49) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.81Mb) Description: 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. January 4, 1949. NBC network. "The Mask Of Evil". Sponsored by: Lifebuoy Soap, Rinso. Mystery writer Hannah Harper, and her nervous companion, summon Steve Wilson and Lorelei to the lighthouse in which they're living. They are hearing noises and explosions. Listen for a monosyllabic moron, a 7 foot rabbit, a Chinese dentist named Dr. Fu, and a real red herring! Edward Pawley, Fran Carlon, Jerry McGill (writer, producer), Hugh James (announcer). 29:35.
17. Escape - Ancient Sorceries (02-15-48) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.82Mb) Description: 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!” THIS EPISODE: February 15, 1948. CBS network. "Ancient Sorceries". Sustaining. East coast version, the program was also broadcast on the West coast on February 21, 1948. A tale of the supernatural and witchcraft in a small Welsh town. Algernon Blackwood (author), Anne Morrison, Cy Feuer (composer, conductor), Kaye Brinker, Les Crutchfield (adaptor), Paul Frees, William Conrad, William N. Robson (director). 29:43.
18. Philo Vance - The Case Of The Cellini Cup (04-29-43) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.78Mb) Description: Philo Vance was the detective creation of S. S. Van Dine first published in the mid 1920s. Vance, in the original books, is an intellectual so highly refined he seems he might be ghostwritten by P. G. Wodehouse. Take this quote from The Benson Murder Case, 1924, as Vance pontificates in his inimitable way: "That's your fundamental error, don't y' know. Every crime is witnessed by outsiders, just as is every work of art. The fact that no one sees the criminal, or the artist, actu'lly at work, is wholly incons'quential." Thankfully, the radio series uses only the name, and makes Philo a pretty normal, though very intelligent and extremely courteous gumshoe. Jose Ferrer played him in 1945. From 1948-1950, the fine radio actor Jackson Beck makes Vance as good as he gets. George Petrie plays Vance's constantly impressed public servant, District Attorney Markham. Joan Alexander is Ellen Deering, Vance's secretary and right-hand woman. The organist for the show is really working those ivories, and fans of old time radio organ will especially enjoy this series. Perhaps one reason the organist "pulls out all the stops" is because there seems to be little, if any, sound effects on the show. Philo Vance, the radio series, does pay homage to the original books in that both were, even in their own time, a bit out of date and stilted. (OTRR) THIS EPISODE: April 29, 1943 - ZIV Syndication. "The Case of The Cellini Cup". Commercials added locally. Jackson Beck. 28:10.
19. Crime Classics - Old Sixtoes (03-17-54) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 7.07Mb) Description: Crime Classics was a U. S. radio docudrama which aired over CBS from June 15, 1953 to June 30, 1954. Created, produced, and directed by radio actor/director Elliott Lewis, the program was basically a historical true crime series, examining crimes, and especially murders, from the past. It grew out of Lewis's personal interest in famous murder cases, and took a documentary-like approach to the subject, carefully recreating the facts, personages, and feel of the time period. Comparatively little dramatic license was taken with the facts and events, but the tragedy was leavened with humor, expressed largely through the narration. THIS EPISODE: March 17, 1954. CBS network. "Old Sixtoes: How He Stopped Construction On The B. B. C. and I". Sustaining. An old man and a young wife is old India. A recipe for murder most foul. Lou Merrill (host), Morton Fine (writer), David Friedkin (writer), Bernard Herrmann (composer, conductor), Elliott Lewis (producer, director), Ben Wright, Bob Lemond (announcer), Herb Butterfield, Jack Edwards, Jack Kruschen, Jane Webb. 30:21.
20. Ozzie & Harriet - March 3rd Dilemna (03-02-47) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 5.66Mb) Description: 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. THIS EPISODE: March 3rd Dilemna - March 2, 1947. ABC network origination, AFRS rebroadcast. Not auditioned. School report card day. Some good, some not so good. Ozzie Nelson, Harriet Hilliard, David Nelson, Ricky Nelson, Verne Smith (announcer), John Brown. 25:31.
21. 21st Precinct - The Cure (02-24-54) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.03Mb) Description: 21ST PRECINCT was one of the realistic police drama series of the early- to mid-1950's that were aired in the wake of DRAGNET. In 1953 CBS decided to use New York City as the backdrop for their own half-hour police series and focus on the day-to-day operation of a single police precinct. Actual cases were used as the basis for stories. The Precinct Captain acted as the narrator for the series.The official title of the series according to the series scripts and the CBS series promotional materials was 21ST PRECINCT and not TWENTY-FIRST PRECINCT or TWENTY FIRST PRECINCT which appears in many Old-Time Radio books. In 1953 CBS decided to use New York City as the backdrop for their own half-hour police series and focus on the day-to-day operations of a single police precinct. Actual cases would be used as the basis for stories. It was mentioned in each episode's closing by the announcer that, "Twenty-firstPrecinct is presented with the official cooperation of the Patrolmen's Benevolent Association an organization of more than 20,000 members of the Police Department, City of New York." THIS EPISODE: February 24, 1954. CBS network origination, AFRTS rebroadcast. "Pop" is caught sleeping in a hallway, but he refuses to reveal his name! He's really John W. Lofield, seventy-eight years old, and he doesnt want to return home! Everett Sloane, John Ives (producer), Stanley Niss (writer, director). 30:29.
22. Dragnet - Benny Trounsel (8-04-49) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.79Mb) Description: 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. THIS EPISODE: August 4, 1949. Program #9. NBC network. Sustaining. A small-time narcotics user named Benny Trounsel has been beaten to death shortly after tipping the cops to a new narcotics ring in town. Jack Webb, Barton Yarborough, Raymond Burr. 29:18.
23. The Halls Of Ivy - Knockwurst Society (03-31-50) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.56Mb) Description: The Halls of Ivy was an NBC radio sitcom that ran from 1950-1952. It was created by Fibber McGee & Molly co-creator/writer Don Quinn before being adapted into a CBS television comedy (1954-55) produced by ITC Entertainment and Television Programs of America. Quinn developed the show after he had decided to leave Fibber McGee & Molly. The audition program featured radio veteran Gale Gordon (then co-starring in Our Miss Brooks) and Edna Best in the roles that ultimately went to British husband-and-wife actors Ronald Colman and Benita Hume. The Colmans had shown a flair for radio comedy in recurring roles on The Jack Benny Program in the late 1940s, and they landed the title roles in the new show. The Halls of Ivy featured Colman as William Todhunter Hall, the president of small, Midwestern Ivy College, and his wife, Victoria, a former British musical comedy star who sometimes felt the tug of her former profession, and followed their interactions with students, friends and college trustees. Others in the cast included Herbert Butterfield as testy Clarence Wellman, Willard Waterman (then starring as Harold Peary's successor as The Great Gildersleeve) as John Merriweather, and Elizabeth Patterson and Gloria Gordon as the Halls' maid. THIS EPISODE: March 31, 1950. NBC netqoek. Sponsored by: Schlitz Beer. Will Dr. Hall be invited to join the "Ivy Chamber Music and Knockwurst Society" to play the Piffleflute? The program may be dated April 7, 1950. Alan Reed, Benita Hume, Cliff Arquette, Don Quinn (creator, writer), Frank Martin (announcer), Gloria Gordon, Henry Russell (composer, conductor), Ken Carpenter (announcer), Nat Wolff (director), Ronald Colman, Walter Newman (writer). 29:31.
24. The Adventures Of Frank Race - The Fourth Round Knockout (09-11-49) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.36Mb) Description: 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: September 11, 1949. Program #20. Broadcasters Program Syndicate syndication. "The Adventure Of The Fourth Round Knockout". Commercials added locally. A prize-fighter dies during a fight...from poison! A big-time gambler, who only bets on a sure thing, is found dead too! Tom Collins, Tony Barrett, Buckley Angel (writer, director), Joel Murcott (writer, director), Bruce Eells (producer), Ivan Ditmars (organist), Art Gilmore (announcer), Frank Lovejoy, Florence Halop, Jack Kruschen, Theodore Von Eltz, Tom Holland, Michael Ann Barrett. 26:25.
25. CBS Radio Mystery Theater - The Island On Silvertree Lake (10-19-77) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 9.71Mb) Description: The CBS Radio Mystery Theater (or CBSRMT) was an ambitious and sustained attempt to revive the great drama of old-time radio in the 1970s. Created by Himan Brown (who had by then become a radio legend due to his work on Inner Sanctum Mysteries and other shows dating back to the 1930s), and aired on affiliate stations across the CBS Radio network, the series began its long run on January 6, 1974. The final episode ran on December 31, 1982. The show was broadcast nightly and ran for one hour, including commercials. Typically, a week consisted of three to four new episodes, with the remainder of the week filled out with reruns. There were a total of 1399 original episodes broadcast. The total number of broadcasts, including reruns, was 2969. The late E.G. Marshall hosted the program every year but the final one, when actress Tammy Grimes took over. Each episode began with the ominous sound of a creaking door, slowly opening to invite listeners in for the evening's adventure. At the end of each show, the door would swing shut, with Marshall signing off, "Until next time, pleasant...dreams?" THIS EPISODE: October 19, 1977. Program #725. CBS network. "The Island On Silver Tree Lake". Commercials deleted. E. G. Marshall (host), Victoria Dann (writer), Patricia Elliot, Lloyd Batista, Teri Keane, Earl Hammond. 46 minutes.
26. Nightfall - The Stone Ship (10-03-80) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.54Mb) Description: 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 stories. THIS EPISODE: October 3, 1980. Program #14. CBC, Toronto. "The Stone Ship". Not auditioned. A chilling horror story. Henry Ramer (host), William Hope Hodgson (writer), Len Peterson (adaptor), Chris Wiggins, Arch McDonnell, Graham Haley, Eric House, John Jessop (recording engineer), Bill Robinson (sound effects), Nina Callaghan (production assistant), John Douglas (script editor), Earle Toppings (script editor), Bill Howell (producer, director). 28:00.
27. The Amos & Andy Show - Andy The Sailor (05-25-45) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 7.85Mb) Description: Amos 'n' Andy was officially transferred by NBC from the Blue Network to the Red Network in 1935, although the vast majority of stations carrying the show remained the same. Several months later, Gosden and Correll moved production of the show from NBC's Merchandise Mart studios in Chicago to Hollywood. After a long and successful run with Pepsodent, the program changed sponsors in 1938 to Campbell's Soup; because of Campbell's closer relationship with CBS, the series switched to that network on April 3, 1939. In 1943, after 4,091 episodes, the radio program went from a 15-minute CBS weekday dramatic serial to an NBC half-hour weekly comedy. While the five-a-week show often had a quiet, easygoing feeling, the new version was a full-fledged sitcom in the Hollywood sense, with a regular studio audience (for the first time in the show's history) and an orchestra. More outside actors, including many African American comedy professionals, were brought in to fill out the cast. Many of the half-hour programs were written by Joe Connelly and Bob Mosher, later the writing team behind Leave It To Beaver and The Munsters. In the new version, Amos became a peripheral character to the more dominant Andy and Kingfish duo, although Amos was still featured in the traditional Christmas show where he explains the Lord's Prayer to his daughter. THIS EPISODE: May 25, 1945. NBC network. Commercials deleted. Andy impersonates a sailor and is lucky enough to be the millionth visitor to the "Harlem Canteen." Harlow Wilcox (announcer), Freeman Gosden, Charles Correll. 27 minutes.
28. The Adventures Of Sam Spade - The Quarter Eagle Caper (11-28-48) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 5.69Mb) Description: The Adventures of Sam Spade was a radio series based loosely on the private detective character Sam Spade, created by writer Dashiell Hammett for The Maltese Falcon. The show ran for 13 episodes on ABC in 1946, for 157 episodes on CBS in 1946-1949, and finally for 51 episodes on NBC in 1949-1951. The series starred Howard Duff (and later, Steve Dunne) as Sam Spade and Lurene Tuttle as his secretary Effie, and took a considerably more tongue-in-cheek approach to the character than the novel or movie. In 1947, scriptwriters Jason James and Bob Tallman received an Edgar Award for Best Radio Drama from the Mystery Writers of America. Before the series, Sam Spade had been played in radio adaptations of The Maltese Falcon by both Edward G. Robinson (in a 1943 Lux Radio Theater production) and by Bogart himself (in a 1946 Academy Award Theater production), both on CBS. THIS EPISODE: November 28, 1948. CBS network origination, AFRS rebroadcast. "The Quarter Eagle Caper". The owner of a gum-machine company is murdered, giving Sam plenty to chew on! Howard Duff, Lurene Tuttle, Dashiell Hammett (creator). 24:44.
29. Suspense - Hands Of Dr. Ottermole (12-02-48) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.70Mb) Description: Suspense was one of the premier programs of the Golden Age of Radio (aka old-time radio), and advertised itself as "radio's outstanding theater of thrills." It was heard in one form or another from 1942 through 1962. There were approximately 945 episodes broadcast during its long run, over 900 of which are extant in mostly high-quality recordings. Suspense went through several major phases, characterized by different hosts, sponsors and director/producers. There were a few rules which were followed for all but a handful of episodes: Protagonists were usually a normal person suddenly dropped into a threatening or bizarre situation. Evildoers must be punished in the end. The program made only occasional forays into science fiction and fantasy. Among its science fiction entries were "The Man who Went Back to Save Lincoln" (a time travel fantasy), and an adaptation of "Donovan's Brain". THIS EPISODE: December 2, 1948. CBS network. "The Hands Of Mr. Ottermole". Sponsored by: Auto-Lite. A "strangler" is prowling the streets of London, killing at will. A police sergeant is suspicious of "Mr. Newspaperman," who always seems to be nearby when the "strangler" strikes. Claude Rains, Thomas Burke (author), Ken Crossen (adaptor), Vincent Price, Verna Felton, Raymond Lawrence, Paul Frees (announcer), Harlow Wilcox (commercial spokesman), William Johnstone (commercial spokesman), Lucien Moraweck (composer), Lud Gluskin (conductor). 29:45.
30. the Story Of Dr. Kildare - Glaucoma (06-15-50) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.47Mb) Description: The Story Of Doctor Kildare - In the summer of 1949, MGM reunited Lew Ayres and Lionel Barrymore to record the radio series, The Story of Dr. Kildare, scripted by Les Crutchfield, Jean Holloway and others. After broadcasts on WMGM New York from February 1, 1950 to August 3, 1951, the series was syndicated to other stations during the 1950s. The supporting cast included Ted Osborne as hospital administrator Dr. Carough, Jane Webb as nurse Mary Lamont and Virginia Gregg as Nurse Parker, labeled "Nosy Parker" by Gillespie, with appearances by William Conrad, Stacy Harris, Jay Novello, Isabel Jewell and Jack Webb. THIS EPISODE: June 15, 1950. Program #21. WMGM, New York-Mutual net origination, MGM syndication. Commercials added locally. A newly blinded man loses his will to live. Dr. Kildare tries to help. Lew Ayres, Lionel Barrymore, Isabel Jewell, William Johnstone, Peggy Webber, Dick Joy (announcer), Gene Holloway (writer), Walter Schumann (composer, conductor), William P. Rousseau (director). 28:11.
31. Murder At Midnight - The Black Swan (08-18-47) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.01Mb) Description: The Murder at Midnight series was a thirty-minute broadcast featuring tales of the supernatural. The actors included Mercedes McCambridge and Lawson Zerbe and the show was narrated using the spooky, creepy voice of Raymond Morgan and always opened using the same gripping signature; “the witching hour, when night is darkest, our fears are the strongest, our strength at its lowest ebb… Midnight! … when graves gape open and death strikes!” THIS EPISODE: August 18, 1947. Syndicated. "The Black Swan". Commercials added locally. A ship is "launched in blood" and continues to kill. Lawson Zerbe, Leon Meadow (writer), Charles Paul (music), Anton M. Leader (director), Louis G. Cowan (producer). 27:12.
32. Night Beat - Harlan Matthews Stamp Dealer (05-29-50) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.72Mb) Description: Nightbeat - Broadcast on NBC, Nightbeat ran from 1949 to 1952 and starred Frank Lovejoy as Randy Stone, a tough and streetwise reporter who worked the nightbeat for the Chicago Star looking for human interest stories. He met an assortment of people, most of them with a problem, many of them scared, and sometimes he was able to help them, sometimes he wasn’t. It is generally regarded as a ‘quality’ show and it stands up extremely well. Frank Lovejoy (1914-1962) isn’t remembered today, but he was a powerful and believable actor with a strong delivery, and his portrayal of Randy Stone as tough guy with humanity was perfect. The scripts were excellent, given that they had to pack in a lot in a short time, and there was a good supporting cast, orchestra, and sound effects. ‘The Slasher’, broadcast on 10 November 1950, the last show of season one, has a very loosely Ripper-derived plot in which Stone searches for an artist. Supporting actors included Parley Baer, William Conrad, Jeff Corey, Lawrence Dobkin, Paul Frees, Jack Kruschen, Peter Leeds, Howard McNear, Lurene Tuttle and Martha Wentworth. THIS EPISODE: May 29, 1950. NBC netWORK. Sponsored by: Wheaties, Crust-Quik. Harlan Matthews, a Stamp Dealer with memories of a murder he committed long ago, attempts murder, suicide and more! An "alienist" and Randy Stone try to help. The system cue has been deleted. Frank Worth (music), Ben Wright, Junius Matthews, Warren Lewis (producer, director), Larry Marcus (editor), Irwin Ashkenazie (writer), Jeanette Nolan, Frank Lovejoy, Frank Martin (commercial spokesman), Jeff Corey. 29:23.
33. Command Performance - Christmas Special (12-24-45) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 28.67Mb) Description: 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 and more. Each show consisted of several stars who get together and perform comedy routine. All talent for this program was donated, and valued at $75,000 a week. There were more than 400 shows. Announcers : Paul Douglas, Ken Carpenter . Creator : Lous G. Cowan . Producers : Vick Knight, Maury Holland, Cal Kuhl . Director : Glenn Wheaton . Writers : Melvin Frank, Norman Panama.
34. Macabre - Final Resting Place (11-13-61) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.08Mb) Description: 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. All 8 episodes are currently in circulation.
35. The Mysterious Traveler - New Year's Nightmare (01-05-47) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.75Mb) Description: The Mysterious Traveler - 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: January 5, 1947. Mutual network. "New Year's Nightmare". Sustaining. A man goes on a year-end bender and wakes up a year later married to a strange woman. David Kogan (writer, producer, director), Maurice Tarplin, Robert A. Arthur (writer). 1/2 hour.
36. Richard Diamond Private Detective - The Man Who Hated Women (7-16-49) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.70Mb) Description: 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 16, 1949. "The Man Who Hated Women" NBC net. Sustaining. A serial killer is on the loose, slashing women and threatening Lt. Levinson's job! A good, serious cops and robbers story. Dick Powell sings, "Cruising Down The River" after the story. Dick Powell, Edward King (announcer), William P. Rousseau (director), Frank Worth (music director), Blake Edwards (writer), Wilms Herbert, Sidney Miller, William Conrad, Virginia Gregg, Ed Begley, Lurene Tuttle, Jack Kruschen. 29:19.
37. Secrets Of Scotland Yard - Murderer Without Motive (1946) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 5.57Mb) Description: The Secrets of Scotland Yard was initially hosted by Clive Brook, probably for the first year or so. To add to the air of authenticity, Brook sometimes discusses matters with Percy Hoskins, a 1950s crime expert and reporter for the London Daily Express. Hoskins knew every nook and cranny in London’s seedier districts and personally reported on many of the major crimes of the day. A student of crime, Hoskins was also one of the founders of the Saints and Sinners Club of London, an educational organization dedicated to true crime investigation methods and results. Brook had his own Scotland Yard experience previously when he played retired naval commander Stevenson in the 1936 film, "Scotland Yard Commands". American audiences will however probably more familiar with Brooks’ portrayal of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes in the 1932 film of the same name. Brook was eventually replaced by an actor portraying the character Superintendent X of Scotland Yard.
38. Voyage Of The Scarlet Queen - Tattooed Beaver & Baby Food (10-09-47) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.33Mb) Description: The Voyage Of The Scarlet Queen - First heard on Mutual featuring Elliott Lewis, who as Leonard Maltin writes in "The Great American Broadcast, "…wore every hat imaginable-actor, producer, and director-also penned a good number of scripts for series he supervised, including Suspense." And Maltin says of this show, "On the terrific late-1940's high-adventure series The Voyage of the Scarlet Queen he held down both jobs simultaneously as director and star." As Maltin continues, “Lewis had the ability to make you believe whatever he said. Cast as the skipper on the high-adventure series The Voyage of the Scarlet Queen, he was completely convincing as seagoing ship's master Philip Carney-never corny or overblown." So let a master captain of drama chart a course to exotic ports of call and thrilling adventures. All you have to do is step aboard The Scarlet Queen. THIS EPISODE: October 9, 1947. Mutual network origination, AFRTS rebroadcast. "Tatooed Beaver and Baby Food For Pare Pare". A strange group of passengers for the Celebes, things aren't what they seem! Elliott Lewis, Edwin Max, Gil Doud (writer), Robert Tallman (writer), James Burton (producer), Richard Aurandt (music), Ben Wright, John Dehner, Frank Gerstle. 29:44.
39. A Man Called X - Timber (10-16-47) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.20Mb) Description: A Man Called X - Sponsored by Frigidaire and later General Motors, this spy series starred Herbert Marshall as Ken Thurston, Intelligence Agent. 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.
40. The Jello Program With Jack Benny - Christmas Shopping (12-11-38) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.70Mb) Description: Jack Benny - Benny was remarkable in many ways, but in none more than this: he built a character of every sour ingredient in life, but somehow his real personality trickled through and made it wonderful. Would a real miser act that way before 30 million people each week? The Benny of the air was a fraud, a myth, a creation. It should have surprised no one to learn — after years of toupee jokes that played so well into the vanity theme — that Benny never wore one. He overtipped in restaurants, gave away his time in countless benefit performances, and was lavish in his praise of almost everyone else. THIS EPISODE: December 12, 1937. Red network. Sponsored by: Jell-O. Mary reads a letter from Mama. Kenny sings, "Am I In Love?" Rochester appears as an elevator operator. Shlepperman as a singing Santa Claus, is joined in song by the rest of the cast. Jack and Mary go Christmas Shopping in a department store (the start of a December tradition). Andy Devine, Don Wilson, Jack Benny, Kenny Baker, Mary Livingstone, Phil Harris and His Orchestra, Eddie Anderson, Sam Hearn, Elvia Allman (quadruples), Harry Baldwin (doubles), Ed Beloin (writer, performer), Bea Benaderet, Frank Nelson (as two different floorwalkers), Blanche Stewart (triples), Bill Morrow (writer), Sidney Miller. 29:46.
41. Nick Carter - Nick Carter's Christmas Adventure (12-25-43) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 5.04Mb) Description: Nick Carter, Master Detective - Nick Carter is the name of a popular fictional detective who first appeared in in a dime novel entitled "The Old Detective's Pupil" on September 18, 1886. In 1915, Nick Carter Weekly became Street & Smith's Detective Story Magazine. Novels featuring Carter continued to appear through the 1950s, by which time there was also a popular radio show, Nick Carter, Master Detective, which aired on Mutual from 1943 to 1955. Nick Carter first came to radio as The Return of Nick Carter. Then Nick Carter, Master Detective, with Lon Clark in the title role, began April 11, 1943, on Mutual, continuing in many different timeslots for well over a decade. Jock MacGregor was the producer-director of scripts by Alfred Bester, Milton J. Kramer, David Kogan and others. Background music was supplied by organists Hank Sylvern, Lew White and George Wright. Patsy Bowen, Nick's assistant, was portrayed by Helen Choate until mid-1946 and then Charlotte Manson stepped into the role. Nick and Patsy's friend was reporter Scubby Wilson (John Kane). Nick's contact at the police department was Sgt. Mathison (Ed Latimer). The supporting cast included Raymond Edward Johnson, Bill Johnstone and Bryna Raeburn. Michael Fitzmaurice was the program's announcer. The series ended on September 25, 1955. Chick Carter, Boy Detective was a serial adventure that aired weekday afternoons on Mutual. Chick Carter, the adopted son of Nick Carter, was played by Bill Lipton (1943-44) and Leon Janney (1944-45). The series aired from July 5, 1943 to July 6, 1945.
42. The Hallmark Playhouse - The Old Nest (08-12-48) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.46Mb) Description: The Hallmark Playhouse - was heard over CBS stations Thursday evenings. This drama anthology of 30-minute shows was sponsored by, of course, Hallmark Greeting Cards. It was preceded by the RADIO READER'S DIGEST, which ran from September 13, 1942 thorugh June 3, 1948. Hallmark sponsored the RADIO READER'S DIGEST from January 13, 1946 to it's end. On Feb. 8, 1953, the series name and format was changed. It was now called THE HALLMARK HALL OF FAME and presented biographal sketches of famous persons, past and present. The new format was used until the end of the 1955 season. The exception to the new format was the broadcast each Christmas season of "A Christmas Carol". Like other dramatic series of this time, this one made use of major screen actors in the productions. James Hilton, author of "Random Harvest", "Lost Horizon" and "Goodbye, Mr. Chips" plus others, served as host and Narrator. Dee Engelbach produced and directed the shows. Jean Holloway was the writer. Sound Effects were by Harry Essman and Gene Twombly. Musical conductor was Lyn Murray. The show's theme was "Dream of Olwne" by Charles Williams. THIS EPISODE: August 12, 1948. CBS network, KMBC, Kansas City aircheck. "The Old Nest". Sponsored by: Hallmark Cards. Not auditioned. A sentimental story about the relationship between parents and children. Jane Morgan, Earle Ross, William Johnstone, Gloria Blondell, Sharon Douglas, Tony Barrett, Rupert Hughes (author), James Hilton (host), Frank Goss (announcer), Lyn Murray (composer, conductor), Milton Geiger (adaptor). 29:20.
43. Weird Circle - Strange Judgement Ep.30 1947 http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 5.79Mb) Description: The Weird Circle - Presented 30 minute tales of horror, frequently inspired by classic horror or ghost stories, frequently done by French authors. It opened with the sound of the surf and the chant-like opening, "In this cave by the restless sea, we are met to call from out of past, stories strange and weird. Bell keeper, toll the bell, so that all may know that we are gathered again in the Weird Circle". The show was heard on Mutual stations November, 1943 through October, 1947 and very briefly in September/October of 1947 on ABC. THIS EPISODE: Program #30. NBC syndication. "The Strange Judgment". Commercials added locally. An honest fisherman and his good wife have an evil son, not worthy of his parents. A judgment must be made! . 25:05.
44. The Burns & Allen Show - Gracie Hires Harpo Marx As Reporter (05-09-46) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.92Mb) Description: Burns and Allen were an American comedy duo consisting of George Burns and his wife, Gracie Allen.Burns wrote most of the material, and played the straight man. Allen played a silly, addleheaded woman. Both attributed their success to the other, to the ends of their lives. Early on, the team had played the opposite roles until they noticed that the audience was laughing at Gracie's straight lines, so they made the change. Burns and Allen developed their popular routine over more than three decades of stage, radio, film, and television. Historians of popular culture have often stated that Allen was a brilliant comedian, whose entire career consisted of engaging in dialogues of "illogical logic" that left her verbal opponents dazed and confused, and her audiences in stitches. During a typical 23-minute episode of the Burns and Allen show, the vast majority of the dialogue and speaking parts were written for Allen, who was credited with having the genius to deliver her lengthy diatribes in a fashion that made it look as though she was making her arguments up on the spot. (One running gag on the TV show was the existence of a closet full of hats belonging to various visitors to the Burns household, where the guests would slip out the door unnoticed, leaving their hats behind, rather than face another round with Gracie.) A continuing joke on the show was that George would say, "Say good night, Gracie," and Gracie would say, "Good night Gracie!" Ralph Pape used the catchphrase for the title of his play, Say Goodnight, Gracie, produced by Steppenwolf in 1983, and the phrase lives on as a title of other books and stage productions. THIS EPISODE: Maxwell House Coffee Time. May 9, 1946. NBC network. Sponsored by: Maxwell House Coffee, Jell-O Pudding. Gracie's planning to write a newspaper column about national affairs. Guest Harpo Marx is going to be her assistant (he's heard whistling and honking, not talking of course). Harp also plays, "Stardust." Not auditioned. George Burns, Gracie Allen, Bill Goodwin, Meredith Willson and His Orchestra, Mel Blanc, Harpo Marx. 29:56.
45. The Creaking Door - Inn Spectre (1953) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.02Mb) Description: 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 OTR.
46. The Family Doctor - 2 Episodes From 1932 http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.55Mb) Description: The Family Doctor was a story about Dr. Grant Adams, a small town doctor who doubled as the community’s moral rectifier. He was more than just respected, he was loved by all. Each week he confronted issues from robbery to suicide, and always with common sense and gentle moral judgment. Though his old-fashioned remedies for sicknesses are outdated compared to modern medical practicing, The Family Doctor's attitude towards life's daily issues transcend time. Of the 39 intended episodes, only 12 were aired. Boxcars711 supports the efforts of the Old Time Radio Researchers Group (OTRR) whose goals include restoring, preserving and sharing the classic shows from what is commonly known as the "Golden Age of Radio" (1930-1960). Please visit and support this great organization at : http://www.otrr.org/ TODAY'S SHOW - Episodes7 (Glass Houses) and Episode8 (Race With The Stork) 1932
47. Boston Blackie - Oscar Wolfe Case (06-11-45) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.11Mb) Description: The Boston Blackie radio series, also starring Morris, began June 23, 1944, on NBC as a summer replacement for The Amos 'n' Andy Show. Sponsored by Rinso, the series continued until September 15 of that year. Unlike the concurrent films, Blackie had a steady romantic interest in the radio show: Lesley Woods appeared as Blackie's girlfriend Mary Wesley. Harlow Wilcox was the show's announcer. On April 11, 1945, Richard Kollmar took over the title role in a radio series syndicated by Frederic W. Ziv to Mutual and other network outlets. Over 200 episodes of this series were produced between 1944 and October 25, 1950. Other sponsors included Lifebuoy Soap, Champagne Velvet beer, and R&H beer. While investigating mysteries, Blackie invaribly encountered harebrained Police Inspector Farraday (Maurice Tarplin) and always solved the mystery to Farraday's amazement. Initially, friction surfaced in the relationship between Blackie and Farraday, but as the series continued, Farraday recognized Blackie's talents and requested assistance. Blackie dated Mary Wesley (Jan Miner), and for the first half of the series, his best pal Shorty was always on hand. The humorless Farraday was on the receiving end of Blackie's bad puns and word play. Kent Taylor starred in the half-hour TV series, The Adventures of Boston Blackie. Syndicated in 1951, it ran for 58 episodes, continuing in repeats over the following decade. THIS EPISODE: June 13, 1945. Program #10. Mutual network origination, Ziv syndication. Commercials added locally. After Janice Larson almost kills herself, Blackie threatens Oscar Wolfe. His threat is recorded on a dictating machine. When Wolfe is killed the next day, Blackie becomes a fugitive wanted for murder! Richard Kollmar, Frank Lovejoy, John Gibson (?). 26:18.
48. The Chase - Blackout (11-23-52) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.71Mb) Description: 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. THIS EPISODE: November 23, 1952. NBC network. "Blackout". Sustaining. The title may be incorrect. Am amnesiac trying to discover his past life finds out he was some louse. Don MacLaughlin, Fred Collins (announcer), Fred Weihe (director, transcriber), Joan Tompkins, Lawrence Klee (creator, writer), Linda Watkins, Ned Wever, William Keene. 29:27.
49. Calling All Cars - Fingerprints Don't Lie (07-11-34) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.50Mb) Description: 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: July 11, 1934. Program #33. CBS Pacific network (Don Lee net). "Fingerprints Don't Lie". Sponsored by: Rio Grande Oil. Officer #734 has been held up, shot and robbed by two men who escaped in a Hudson. The Department of Records and Identification uses fingerprints to apprehend the criminals. The system cue has been deleted. Not auditioned. William N. Robson (writer, producer), Charles Frederick Lindsley (narrator). 29:28.
50. Lux Radio Theater - King Solomon's Mines (12-01-52) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 13.80Mb) Description: Lux Radio Theater - 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: King Solomon's Mines aired December 01, 1952 starring Deborah Kerr and Stewart Granger in their original roles from the1950 film. Adventure stories don’t come more ripping than King Solomon’s Mines, the classic Great White Hunter tale. Novelist H. Rider Haggard’s hero, Allan Quatermain (Stewart Granger), reluctantly agrees to lead an Englishwoman (Deborah Kerr) and her brother deep into uncharted territory in Africa, in search of the lady’s lost husband. Stewart Granger plays Allan Quatermain, the intrepid hero of a whole series of adventure novels by Haggard over a period of almost thirty years. Quartermain is a big-game hunter and guide, brave, resourceful, wise, weary, cynical, and very, very British. Granger is perfect for the role; he sounds, and acts like the Quatermain of the novels. It's a spectacular adventure story with romance, while they fight with wild animals and cannibals.
51. Inspector Thorne - The Nickles And Dimes Murder Case (09-06-51) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.91Mb) Description: Inspector Thorne - By the 1940's, Frank and Ann Hummert controlled four and a half hours of national weekday broadcast schedules. Their features reportedly spawned more that 5 million pieces of correspondence annually from steadfast fans. Simultaneously they brought in more than half of the national radio chain's advertising revenues generated during the daylight hours. The couple broadcast 18 quarter-hour serials five times weekly, a total of 90 original episodes for 52 weeks per year, with none of those ever repeated. Some shows were "Amanda of Honeymoon Hill", "Backstage Wife","Chaplin Jim USA", "David Harum", "Easy Aces", "Front Page Farrell", "John's Other Wife", "Just Plain Bill", "The Life of Mary Sothern","Lora Lawton", "Lorenzo Jones", "Ma Perkins", "Mrs Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch", "Our Gal Sunday", "The Romance of Helen Trent" and "Young Widder Brown".
52. The Whistler - Lie Or Consequences (12-25-44) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 7.06Mb) Description: 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 25, 1944. CBS Pacific network. "Lie Or Consequences" ("Christmas Bonus). Sponsored by: Signal Oil. An ex-convict is fired from his job in a department store after $10,000 is stolen. As long as he's considered guilty, he might as well steal some more, but he is saved by a music box! Ken Christy, George W. Allen (producer), Bob Anderson (announcer), Wilbur Hatch (music). 29:47.
53. Challenge Of The Yukon - Thanksgiving In The Wilderness (11-28-46) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 3.51Mb) Description: 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.
54. The Great Gildersleeve - Thanksgiving (11-22-42) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 7.04Mb) Description: 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.
55. The Lives Of Harry Lime - Double Double Cross (01-18-52) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.57Mb) Description: 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: January 18, 1952 - The Double Double Cross - Lang-Worth syndication. A Love Affair. Commercials added locally. In a remote Saudi Arabian town, Harry finds a murder and a double-cross in oil. Harry has the oil concession rights and two foreign agents set to buy. Orson Welles, Anton Karas (zither), Harry Alan Towers (producer), Tig Roe (director). 27:00.
56. Hear It Now - Episode 02 (12-22-50) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 13.66Mb) Description: Hear It Now, an American radio program on CBS, began in 1950 and was hosted by Edward R. Murrow and produced by Fred Friendly. It ran for one hour on Fridays at 9 p.m. One of the most popular and best selling records of 1948 was I Can Hear It Now 1933-1945. The record was a collaboration between Edward R. Murrow and Fred W. Friendly. The record interwove historical events with speeches and Murrow's narration and marked the beginning of one of the most famous pairings in journalism history. The huge success of the record prompted the pair to parlay it into a weekly radio show for CBS. That show was Hear It Now. The show had a "magazine format." It drove to include a variety of sounds from current events such as an atom smasher at work or artillery fire from Korea. It was the artillery fire that produced one of the show's more poignant moments as it backdropped the words of American soldiers fighting the Korean War. The entire premise of the show was to include the "actual sound of history in the making," according to Murrow. Some of the show's audio was what Time Magazine called "fairly routine" in 1950. Such audio soundbites as Communist China's General Wu and Russia's Vishinsky along with the U.S. Delegate Warren Austin were included among the routine group of audio use. Television, by 1955, usurped radio in terms of audience share and a reluctant Murrow, in 1951, set about doing a TV version of the radio show called See It Now. With the inception of the television version of the show in 1951 Hear It Now ended its on air run. THIS EPISODE: December 22, 1950. Program #2. CBS network. Sustaining. Abe Burrows reviews Santa Claus, Peoria, Illnois and mobilization: how a small town is affected by the Korean war. The final 29:32 of the program only. Edward R. Murrow (narrator, editor, producer), Abe Burrows, Fred Friendly (editor, producer), Joseph Wershba ("active assistant"), Brooks Watson (Peoria), David Diamond (composer), Warren Sweeney (announcer). 29:22.
57. Candy Matson - 26NC9-8012 (01-02-50) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.80Mb) Description: 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. NBC net, San Francisco origination. Sustaining. Candy investigates a plane crash and is asked to certify the safety of an airport. Bill Brownell (sounworkd 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.
58. Author's Playhouse - The Kracken (07-08-44) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.79Mb) Description: 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, etc. THIS EPISODE: July 8, 1944. NBC network. "The Kraken". Sustaining. A science fiction tale about a British submarine captured by a huge sea monster. Frederick Englehart (author). 1/2 hour.
59. Barry Craig Confidential Investigator - The Deadly Fight (01-23-52) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 5.05Mb) Description: Barry Craig, Confidential Investigator(AKA Barry Crane" and then "Barrie Craig) 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 CRAIGwhile 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: Barrie Craig, Confidential Investigator. January 23, 1952. NBC network. "The Deadly Fight". Sustaining. Not auditioned. "A widow who can't find tears, an obituary notice in search of a cough and a boxing champ whose biggest win is a fight, strictly off the record." Fran Carlon, Himan Brown (director), William Gargan, John Roeburt (writer), Don Pardo (announcer). 29:44.
60. The Life Of Riley - Uncle Baxter Moves In (01-31-48) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.92Mb) Description: 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: January 31, 1948. NBC network. Sponsored by: Prell Shampoo, Ivory Snow. Not auditioned. The return of Uncle Baxter, once again. Will Babs get a schaolarship when the college Dean comes to visit? William Bendix, Irving Brecher (producer, director), Hans Conried, Paula Winslowe, Alan Lipscott (writer), Reuben Ship (writer), Lou Coslowe (music), John Brown, Tommy Cook, Barbara Eiler, Regina Wallace, Ken Niles (announcer). 29:02.
61. General Mills Radio Adventure Theater - Journey To The Center Of The Earth http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 9.23Mb) Description: General Mills Radio Adventure Theater - 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: A Journey to the Centre of the Earth (French: Voyage au centre de la Terre), also translated as A Journey to the Interior of the Earth, is a classic 1864 science fiction novel by Jules Verne. The story involves a professor who leads his nephew and hired guide down a volcano in Iceland to the "centre of the Earth". They encounter many adventures, including prehistoric animals and natural hazards, eventually coming to the surface again in southern Italy. The living organisms they meet reflects the geological time; just as the rock layers become older and older the deeper one gets, the animals get more and more ancient the closer the characters come to the center. From a scientific point of view, this story has not aged quite as well as other Verne stories, since most of his ideas about what the interior of the Earth contains have since been proven wrong. However, a redeeming point to the story is Verne's own belief, told within the novel from the viewpoint of a character, that the inside of the Earth does indeed differ from that which the characters encounter. A Journey to the Centre of the Earth (French: Voyage au centre de la Terre), also translated as A Journey to the Interior of the Earth, is a classic 1864 science fiction novel by Jules Verne. The story involves a professor who leads his nephew and hired guide down a volcano in Iceland to the "centre of the Earth". They encounter many adventures, including prehistoric animals and natural hazards, eventually coming to the surface again in southern Italy. The living organisms they meet reflects the geological time; just as the rock layers become older and older the deeper one gets, the animals get more and more ancient the closer the characters come to the center. From a scientific point of view, this story has not aged quite as well as other Verne stories, since most of his ideas about what the interior of the Earth contains have since been proven wrong. However, a redeeming point to the story is Verne's own belief, told within the novel from the viewpoint of a character, that the inside of the Earth does indeed differ from that which the characters encounter.
62. Your's Truly Johnny Dollar - Expiring Nickels & Egyptian Jacket (09-04-49) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.82Mb) Description: Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar - For over twelve years, from 1949 through 1962 (including a one year hiatus in 1954-1955), this series recounted the cases "the man with the action-packed expense account, America’s fabulous freelance insurance investigator, Johnny Dollar". Johnny was an accomplished 'padder' of his expense account. The name of the show derives from the fact that he closed each show by totaling his expense account, and signing it "End of report... Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar". Terry Salomonson in his authoritative "A Radio Broadcast Log of the Drama Program Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar", notes that the original working title was "Yours Truly, Lloyd London". Salomonson writes "Lloyd London was scratched out of the body of (the Dick Powell) audition script and Johnny Dollar was written in. Thus the show was re-titled on this script and the main character was renamed. Why this was done was unclear – possibly to prevent a legal run-in with Lloyd’s of London Insurance Company." Although based in Hartford, Connecticut, the insurance capital of the world, freelancer Johnny Dollar managed to get around quite a bit – his adventures taking him all over the world. There were some unusual devices used in the show that help set it apart from other shows. There was no partner, assistant, or secretary for Johnny. The character closest to a continuing role was that of Pat McCracken of the Universal Adjustment Bureau, who assigned Johnny many of his cases. Another atypical aspect gave the show additional credibility – frequently, characters on the show would mention that they had heard about Johnny’s cases on the radio. Johnny often used his time when filling out his expense accounts to give the audience background information or to express his thoughts about the current case.No fewer than eight actors played Johnny Dollar. Dick Powell, of Rogue’s Gallery fame, cut the original audition tape, but chose to do Richard Diamond, Private Detective instead. Gerald Mohr, of The Adventures of Philip Marlowe fame, auditioned in 1955, prior to Bob Bailey getting the title role. Through the first three actors to play Johnny Dollar (Charles Russell, Edmond O'Brien, and John Lund), there was little to distinguish the series from many other radio detective series. Dollar was just another hard-boiled detective in a medium that was overloaded with the stereotype. Charles Russell, the first to play the role, would throw silver dollars to bellboys and waiters. Luckily, this trite gimmick did not survive long. THIS EPISODE: September 4, 1949. CBS network. "The Expiring Nickle and The Egyptian Jackpot". Sustaining. A leper in India and a lady stowaway on an airplane add up to adventure in the Middle East. The announcer states that this is the last Johnny Dollar show until October 1, 1949, which wasn't true. Charles Russell, Georgia Ellis, Gil Doud (writer), Gordon T. Hughes (director), Jack Edwards, Leith Stevens (composer, conductor), Parley Baer, Paul Dubov, Paul Dudley (writer), Roy Rowan (announcer). 30:17.
63. CBS Radio Mystery Theater - The Hands Of Mrs Mallory (08-19-74) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 13.35Mb) Description: The CBS Radio Mystery Theater (or CBSRMT) was an ambitious and sustained attempt to revive the great drama of old-time radio in the 1970s. Created by Himan Brown (who had by then become a radio legend due to his work on Inner Sanctum Mysteries and other shows dating back to the 1930s), and aired on affiliate stations across the CBS Radio network, the series began its long run on January 6, 1974. The final episode ran on December 31, 1982. The show was broadcast nightly and ran for one hour, including commercials. Typically, a week consisted of three to four new episodes, with the remainder of the week filled out with reruns. There were a total of 1399 original episodes broadcast. The total number of broadcasts, including reruns, was 2969. The late E.G. Marshall hosted the program every year but the final one, when actress Tammy Grimes took over. Each episode began with the ominous sound of a creaking door, slowly opening to invite listeners in for the evening's adventure. At the end of each show, the door would swing shut, with Marshall signing off, "Until next time, pleasant...dreams?" THIS EPISODE: August 19, 1974. Program #135. CBS network. "The Hands Of Mrs. Mallory". Sponsored by: Budweiser, Buick. There is a brief loss of audio during two public service announcements. E. G. Marshall (host), Henry Slesar (writer), Celeste Holm, Patricia Elliot, Evie Juster, Arnold Moss, Leon Janney. 52 minutes.
64. CBS Radio Workshop - Grief Drives A Black Sedan (09-01-57) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.06Mb) Description: CBS Radio Workshop - Broadcast from 1936 through to 1947 with just an occasional break. Revived again from January 1956 to September 1957 as CBS Radio Workshop with pretty much the same format. Broadcast from 1936 through to 1947 with just an occasional break. Revived again from January 1956 to September 1957 as CBS Radio Workshop with pretty much the same format. This was drama with a difference. Columbia Workshop was not everybody’s cup of tea and in terms of audience popularity it was always noted that it was never a strong contender for the title “Radios Top Rated Drama Series” and yet it was always considered to be the drama program that led the way in radio standards. Columbia was the first to mexperiment with what radio drama was all about, introducing new techniques never before used in over the airwaves drama and because it received little encouragement from established writers, actors, etc., it was only by breaking new ground with new ideas and new techniques from writers who were not versed in the old ways that it was going to survive. THIS EPISODE: September 1, 1957. CBS network origination, AFRTS rebroadcast. "Grief Drives A Black Sedan". A motorist has hit someone on a dark road, and has kept on driving. AFRTS rebroadcast name: "Mystery Theatre." Alice Frost, Jay Johnson, Larry Haines, Lee Vines, Ralph Bell, Bill Mason. 25 minutes.
65. Casebook Of Gregory Hood - The Delphene Bloggs Case (10-30-46) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.80Mb) Description: 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.
66. The Crime Club - Death At 7-10 (07-03-47) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.83Mb) Description: 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: July 3, 1947. Mutual network. "Death At 7:10". Sustaining. Susan Ward Steel, a woman everybody hated is dies of atropine poisoning in the compartment of a mystery writer on a train. Her story is told through flashbacks. H. F. S. Moore (author), Stedman Coles (adaptor), Roger Bower (producer, director), Raymond Edward Johnson, Helen Shields, Cameron Prud'Homme, Ted Osborne, Eleanor Phelps, Pierce Carlton, Reese Taylor. 29:40.
67. The Black Museum - Claw Hammer (1952) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.03Mb) Description: The Black Museum - 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. Syndicated, WRVR-FM, New York aircheck. "The Claw Hammer". Sustaining. An old lady's handyman demands fifty pounds and kills her when he doesn't get it. The date is approximate. Syndicated rebroadcast date: January 8, 1975. Harry Alan Towers (producer), Orson Welles (narrator), Ira Marion (writer), Sidney Torch (composer, conductor). 32:34.
68. Gunsmoke - Double Feature (01-30-54) (04-26-59) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 11.50Mb) Description: Gunsmoke - The radio show first aired on April 26, 1952 and ran until June 18, 1961 on the CBS radio network. The series starred William Conrad as Marshal Matt Dillon, Howard McNear as Doc Charles Adams, Georgia Ellis as Kitty Russell, and Parley Baer as Deputy Chester Proudfoot. Doc's first name and Chester's last name were changed for the television program. Gunsmoke was notable for its critically acclaimed cast and writing, and is commonly regarded as one of the finest old time radio shows. Some listeners (such as old time radio expert John Dunning) have argued that the radio version of Gunsmoke was far more realistic than the television program. Episodes were aimed at adults, and featured some of the most explicit content of the day. TODAY'S SHOW: Double Feature - "Gun Smuggler" (01-30-54) and "The Badge" (04-26-59) January 30, 1954. CBS network. "Gun Smuggler". Sustaining. The Pawnees have killed a family of homesteaders using guns smuggled to them by a white man. Marshal Dillon, Chester and an Indian scout track the Indians, hoping to find the white gun smuggler. The script was used on the Gunsmoke television series on September 27, 1958. William Conrad, Georgia Ellis, John Dehner, Lawrence Dobkin, Harry Bartell, Barney Phillips, Jack Edwards, Norman Macdonnell (director), Rex Koury (composer, conductor), Howard McNear, George Walsh (announcer), John Meston (writer). 24:43. April 26, 1959. CBS network. "*The Badge*". Commercials deleted. A not-too-bright bank robber named Augie shoots Marshal Dillon just because he wants his badge! His pal Rack does his thinking for him, and plans to keep Dillon alive for his own reasons! The program closing has been deleted after the cast credits. The script was used on the Gunsmoke television series on November 12, 1960. William Conrad, Parley Baer, Howard McNear, Georgia Ellis, Norman Macdonnell (producer, director), Marian Clark (writer), John Meston (editorial supervisor), Harry Bartell, Vic Perrin. 24:22.
69. Duffy's Tavern - Archie Wants To Patent Electricity (02-23-49) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.59Mb) Description: 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: February 23, 1949. NBC network origination, Nostalgia Broadcasting Corporation syndication. Commercials added locally. Slippery McGuire sells Archie a patent on electricity! Alan Reed appears as "Slippery McGuire." Ed Gardner, Eddie Green, Charlie Cantor, Alan Reed, Gloria Erlanger. 24:20.
70. Adventures Of Frank Merriwell - Sold At Auction 7-24-48) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 7.31Mb) Description: Frank Merriwell, the much-loved fictional hero of Street and Smith's Tip Top Weekly, was first introduced to readers on April 18, 1896. Merriwell was the creation of writer Burt L. Standish (real name: Gilbert Patten), and embodied a new type of dime novel hero, one who relied as much upon mental as physical prowess. The Yale-educated Merriwell possessed "a body like Tarzan's and a head like Einstein's," wrote one admiring writer, and thus represented "the perfect union of brain and brawn." The show First ran on NBC radio from March 26 to June 22, 1934 as a 15-minute serial airing three times a week at 5:30pm. Sponsored by Dr. West's Toothpaste, this program starred Donald Briggs in the title role. Harlow Wilcox was the announcer. After a 12-year gap, the series returned October 5, 1946 as a 30-minute NBC Saturday morning show, continuing until June 4, 1949. Lawson Zerbe starred as Merriwell, Jean Gillespie and Elaine Rostas as Inza Burrage, Harold Studer as Bart Hodge and Patricia Hosley as Elsie Belwood. The announcer was Harlow Wilcox, and the Paul Taubman Orchestra supplied the background music. There are at least three generations of Merriwells: Frank, his half-brother Dick, and Frank's son, Frank Jr. There is a marked difference between Frank and Dick. Frank usually handled challenges on his own. Dick has mysterious friends and skills that help him, especially an old Indian friend without whom the stories would not have been quite as interesting.
71. The Ford Theater - The Late Christopher Bean (06-20-48) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 13.78Mb) Description: The FORD THEATER, sponsored by the Ford Motor Company, presented hour long dramas first on NBC for one only season. The series moved to CBS for its second and last season. There were 39 NBC and 39 CBS hour- long shows (not verified). The show initially received an unfavorable review from the New York Times for poor script adaptation but was still highly rated for the actors' performance and overall production. The show was supposed to feature only original scripts but had to forgo that plan due to lack of quality material. The first season on NBC used radio actors under the direction of George Zachary. Martin Gabel announced the first show but was soon replaced by Kenneth Banghart. The second season, on CBS, used Hollywood screen actors in the lead roles, supported by radio actors. Fletcher Markle, who previously produced CBS's STUDIO ONE series, was the producer for the second season. Although a short series, it still has some of radio's best dramas. THIS EPISODE: June 20, 1948. NBC network. "The Late Christopher Bean". Sponsored by: Ford. A good story about a rural housekeeper whose one great love was a long-dead artist, whose paintings have suddenly become VERY popular. Alice Goodkin, Beatrice Pons, Warren Brian, Louis Calhern (substitute host), Kenneth Banghart (announcer), Richard Gordon, Jane Houston, Jo Ann McCoy, James Van Dyke, Harry Worth, Barbara Weeks, Cameron Prud'Homme, Sidney Howard (author), Sylvia Berger (adaptor), Howard Teichman (editor), Amadeo Di Filipi (composer), Howard Barlow (conductor), George Zacher (director). 1 hour.
72. It's A Crime Mr. Collins - Pink Elephant (1956) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 5.86Mb) Description: It's A Crime Mr. Collins. 1956. Mutual net origination, syndicated. "The Case Of The Pink Elephant". Commercials added locally. A racketeer just out of jail threatens the crusading newspaperman who "sent him up the river." But then, the racketeer is shot in, "The Pink Elephant" (that must have hurt). The date is approximate. Mandel Kramer, Gail Collins, Richard Denning. 25:32.
73. Lineup - Eddie Gaynor Framed For Murder (07-20-50) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.94Mb) Description: The Lineup is a realistic police drama that gives radio audiences a look behind the scenes at police headquarters. Bill Johnstone plays Lt. Ben Guthrie, a quiet, calm-as-a-cupcake cucumber. Joseph Kearns (and from 1951 to 1953, Matt Maher) plays Sgt. Matt Grebb, a hot-tempered hot plate who is easily bored. The director and script writer often rode with police on the job and sat in on the police lineups to get ideas for The Lineup. They also read dozens of newspapers daily and intermeshed real stories with those that they used in the show. With Dragnet a smash hit, realism in police dramas was popular at the time this show aired. Don’t be caught without this radio show in your collection! THIS EPISODE: July 20, 1950. CBS network. Sustaining. Eddie Gaynor has been framed for the murder of Johnny Taranto, and Eddie's no choir boy either! After Eddie is sprung on a writ, his body is found the next morning. Elliott Lewis (producer, director), Morton Fine (writer), David Friedkin (writer), William Johnstone, Wally Maher, Eddie Dunstedter (composer, conductor), Virginia Gregg, Howard McNear, Junius Matthews, Edgar Barrier, Tony Barrett, Paul Frees, Clayton Post. 29:39.
74. Dangerous Assignment - Little White Pill (05-31-50) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.64Mb) Description: Dangerous Assignment – 1950-1954 -This thirty-minute international spy adventure featured Steve Mitchell (Brian Donlevy), and investigator of crimes in exotic locations. 60 episodes. Herb Butterfield played the Commissioner and Betty Moran was the Commissioner's secretary. Other cast members were GeGe Pearson, Ken Peters, Betty Lou Gerson, Dan O’Herlihy. The director was Bill Cairn and the writer for the series was Robert Ryf. The opening was the same every week “Yeah, danger is my assignment. I get sent to a lot of places I can’t even pronounce. They all spell the same thing though, trouble.” He would be summoned to his boss’s office where he would be given his assignment; he would then fly halfway across the globe to save the day! The worldwide locations are dealt up with a feeling of local, and the characters that inhabit these far-away places with strange sounding names are solid and capably acted by veterans. Music is an almost harsh orchestra. Donlevy carries the plots with a world-weary and wary tone that makes sense, based on his occupation.
75. Let George Do It - Murder For Two (03-19-51) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 7.34Mb) Description: Let George Do It - Bob Bailey played George Valentine as a detective handy man, who got his jobs from responses to a newspaper ad. Part-time detective and writer Dan Holiday in Box 13 also used the premise. It pays to advertise! The shows follow the usual formats of crime caper shows, with toughs, mysterious rendezvous and people who aren't who they say they are. THIS EPISODE: March 19, 1951. Mutual-Don Lee network. "Murder For two". Sustaining. Mrs. Ruth Jennings has been murdered. Lou Jennings is suspected of the killing...and he doesn't seem to be very upset by the suspicions. Bob Bailey, Bud Hiestand (announcer), Eddie Dunstedter (composer, conductor), Don Clark (director, writer), Howard McNear, Ken Christy, Virginia Gregg, Michael Ann Barrett, Jack Kruschen, Tony Barrett. 29:52.
76. The Falcon - Case Of The Practical Joker (02-25-51) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.75Mb) Description: The Falcon - 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: February 25, 1951. NBC network. "The Case Of The Practical Choker". Sponsored by: Kraft Cheese Spreads. Red Davis has been murdered. Chuck Morgan had been bragging that he's going to kill Morgan. Mrs. Davis remarries only twelve hours after Red's deat! This is a case for Mike Waring...The Falcon! Les Damon, Ed Herlihy (announcer), Eugene Wang (writer), Ann Williams (a drama student at Sarah Lawrence College), Drexel Drake (creator), Arlo (music), Bernard L. Schubert (producer), Richard Lewis (director), Ken Lynch. 29:30.
77. The Falcon - Case Of The Practical Joker (02-25-51) http://boxcars711.rnn.libsynpr... download (, 0.00Mb) Description: The Falcon - 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: February 25, 1951. NBC network. "The Case Of The Practical Choker". Sponsored by: Kraft Cheese Spreads. Red Davis has been murdered. Chuck Morgan had been bragging that he's going to kill Morgan. Mrs. Davis remarries only twelve hours after Red's deat! This is a case for Mike Waring...The Falcon! Les Damon, Ed Herlihy (announcer), Eugene Wang (writer), Ann Williams (a drama student at Sarah Lawrence College), Drexel Drake (creator), Arlo (music), Bernard L. Schubert (producer), Richard Lewis (director), Ken Lynch. 29:30.
78. Big Town - Death At The Wheel (2-08-49) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 5.78Mb) Description: 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.
79. Escape - The Most Dangerous Game (10-01-47) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.93Mb) Description: 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: October 1, 1947. CBS network. "The Most Dangerous Game". Sustaining. A big game hunt for the biggest game of all...man! Hans Conried, Irving Ravetch (adaptor), Paul Frees, Richard Connell (writer), William N. Robson (producer), Richard Sanville (director), Cy Feuer (music conceiver, conductor). 1/2 hour.
80. The Adventures Of Sam Spade - The Fairly-Bright Caper (10-31-48) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.87Mb) Description: The Adventures of Sam Spade was a radio series based loosely on the private detective character Sam Spade, created by writer Dashiell Hammett for The Maltese Falcon. The show ran for 13 episodes on ABC in 1946, for 157 episodes on CBS in 1946-1949, and finally for 51 episodes on NBC in 1949-1951. The series starred Howard Duff (and later, Steve Dunne) as Sam Spade and Lurene Tuttle as his secretary Effie, and took a considerably more tongue-in-cheek approach to the character than the novel or movie. In 1947, scriptwriters Jason James and Bob Tallman received an Edgar Award for Best Radio Drama from the Mystery Writers of America. Before the series, Sam Spade had been played in radio adaptations of The Maltese Falcon by both Edward G. Robinson (in a 1943 Lux Radio Theater production) and by Bogart himself (in a 1946 Academy Award Theater production), both on CBS. THIS EPISODE: October 31, 1948. CBS network. "The Fairly Bright Caper". Sponsored by: Wildroot Cream Oil. Spade is hired to protect a Halloween party, which is only slightly complicated by a witch and a murder! Howard Duff, Lurene Tuttle, Dick Joy (announcer), Dashiell Hammett (creator). 29:28.
81. Dragnet - The Big Pair (09-21-50) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.79Mb) Description: 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. THIS EPISODE: September 21, 1950. Program #67. NBC network. "The Big Pair". Sponsored by: Fatima Cigarettes. A couple run a racket of selling all the furniture in the houses of families out of town, starting with a little girl and her grandfather. Jack Webb, Barton Yarborough. 29:31.
82. CBS Radio Mystery Theater - The Oblong Box (01-08-75) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 12.02Mb) Description: The CBS Radio Mystery Theater - 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! THIS EPISODE: January 8, 1975. Program #199. CBS network. "The Oblong Box". Sponsored by: Buick, Sine-Off. E. G. Marshall (host), Edgar Allan Poe (author), George Lowther (adaptor), Richard Mulligan, Grace Matthews, Bryna Raeburn, Court Benson. 52 minutes.
83. Confession - Leo J Fowler Case (08-30-53) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.69Mb) Description: Confession - NBC 30 minutes Sunday at 9:30PM.Cast Paul Frees, James Edwards, Jester Hairston, Jay Loughlin, Jonathan Hole, Mady Norman, Don Brinkley (writer), Michael Samoge (? music), Warren Lewis (script supervisor), Homer Canfield (director), John Wald (announcer). Had a texture and sound not unlike Dragnet, indeed the influence was realized throughout the show. These were true stories of Crime and Punishment, the obvious difference that Dragnet began with the crime while Confession unfolded in reverse order, from the end. Confession was less noisy, it's theme was played on a single piano, but there was still the deadpan dialogue, the thief or killer giving his confession with an air of resignation and defeat. The criminal thus became a stream-of-consciousness narrator, with the action frequently cutting away into drama. "Names were changed to protect the legal rights of the subject".
84. The Amos & Andy Show - Raiding The Piggy Bank (09-09-47) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.46Mb) Description: The Amos 'n' Andy Show - Amos 'n' Andy was a situation comedy popular in the United States from the 1920s through the 1950s. The show began as one of the first radio comedy serials, written and voiced by Freeman Gosden and Charles Correll and originating from station WMAQ in Chicago, Illinois. After the series was first broadcast in 1928, it grew in popularity and became a huge influence on the radio serials that followed. Amos 'n' Andy creators Gosden and Correll were white actors familiar with minstrel traditions. They met in Durham, North Carolina in 1920, and by the fall of 1925, they were performing nightly song-and-patter routines on the Chicago Tribune's station WGN. Since the Tribune syndicated Sidney Smith's popular comic strip The Gumps, which had successfully introduced the concept of daily continuity, WGN executive Ben McCanna thought the notion of a serialized drama could also work on radio. He suggested to Gosden and Correll that they adapt The Gumps to radio. They instead proposed a series about "a couple of colored characters" and borrowed certain elements of The Gumps. Their new series, Sam 'n' Henry, began January 12, 1926, fascinating radio listeners throughout the Midwest. That series became popular enough that in late 1927 Gosden and Correll requested that it be distributed to other stations on phonograph records in a "chainless chain" concept that would have been the first use of radio syndication as we know it today. When WGN rejected the idea, Gosden and Correll quit the show and the station that December. Contractually, their characters belonged to WGN, so when Gosden and Correll left WGN, they performed in personal appearances but could not use the character names from the radio show. THIS EPISODE: September 30, 1947. Program #72. NBC network origination, AFRS rebroadcast. "Piggy Bank Show". The Stevens' twenty fifth anniversary piggy bank is empty and must be refilled...quickly! Freeman Gosden, Charles Correll, Jeff Alexander and His Orchestra, The Jubalaires, James Basquette, Eddie Green, Ernestine Wade, Art Gilmore (nouncer). 30:09.
85. Cloak & Dagger - Behind The Lines (05-07-50) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.87Mb) Description: Cloak & Dagger - "Are you willing to undertake a dangerous mission for the United States, knowing in advance you may never return alive?" Cloak and Dagger first aired over the NBC network on May 7, 1950. It had a short run through the Summer on Sundays, changing to Fridays after its Summer run. The last show aired Oct. 22, 1950. This is the story of the WWII special governmental agency, the OSS, or Office of Strategic Services. Its mission was to develop and maintain spy networks throughout Europe and into Asia, while giving aid to underground partisan groups and developing espionage activities for Allied forces overseas.The show is based on the book of the same name by Lt. Col. Corey Ford and Major Alastair MacBain (who were associated with the OSS from its early days.) The dramas are not Hollywood-style, in that they sometimes end with plans foiled or leading characters dead. THIS EPISODE: May 7, 1950 "Behind The Lines" - NBC network. Sustaining. 4:00 P. M. Colonel Corey Ford introduces the series before the story. An announcement is made that this is the first show of the series, but in an ambigiuous way. The stories are based on a book by Corey Ford and Alistair McBain. An American O. S. S. member parachutes into occupied Austria on a spying mission, but makes a serious mistake. Keep your eye on the button! The story is untitled in NBC records. The program of May 14, 1950 was pre-empted for a speech by President Truman. Joseph Julian, Berry Kroeger, Raymond Edward Johnson, Karl Weber (announcer), Winifred Wolfe (writer), Louis G. Cowan (producer), Ross Martin, Bernard Philips (?), Dolly Haas, Sherman Marks (director, supervisor), Jon Gart (music director), Corey Ford (host, author), Alistair MacBain (author). 29:50.
86. Academy Award Theater - Pride Of The Marines (06-15-46) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.68Mb) Description: Academy Award Theater - Stars and movies with Oscars were the idea - in most cases, the movie stars recreated their academy award roles for the show, or in other cases, fine actors played the parts and gave it a different character. Both ways make for great radio drama and first class Hollywood motion picture star entertainment. The Lux Radio Theater had been doing this kind of radio show in the grandest manner for many years, but sponsor Squibb had the hubris and deep pockets to take on the competition by doing Academy Award Theater right after the Second World War. The year 1946 was pre-television, and so movies were still the major American visual art form, with radio the other popular network entertainment. In this final pre-TV time, Academy Award Theater was thought of as a premier radio production, a wow show, much like CinemaScope was to be in the 1950's when Hollywood felt the box office blow of early TV.All text on OTRCAT.com are ©2006 OTRCAT INC - All Rights Reserved. Reproduction is prohibited. THIS EPISODE: June 15, 1946. CBS netword. "Pride Of The Marines". Sponsored by: Squibb. A marine blinded in the war finally returns to the girl he left behind. John Garfield, Rosemary De Camp, Frank Wilson (adaptor), Leith Stevens (composer, conductor), Dee Englebach (producer, director), Hugh Brundage (announcer). 29:43.
87. The General Mills Radio Adventure Theater - A Different Ghost Story (04-30-77 http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 9.17Mb) Description: The General Mills Radio Adventure Theater - 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 30, 1977. Program #25. CBS network. "A Different Ghost Story". Sponsored by: General Mills. The program was repeated on October 30, 1977 as, "The CBS Radio Adventure Theater." Tom Bosley (host), Elizabeth Pennell (writer), Corinne Orr, Skip Hinnant, Himan Brown (producer, director).
88. Radio City Playhouse - Deception (11-20-49) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.68Mb) Description: The Radio City Playhouse - 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: November 20, 1949. Program #62. NBC network, WIS, Columbia, South Carolina origination. "Deception". Sustaining. Not auditioned. The first network origination from WIS. The program is announced as, "Attraction #61). With the exception of Jan Miner, all the cast is from South Carolina. Harry W. Junkin (writer, director, host), Jan Miner, Roy Shield (composer, conductor from New York City), Mackie Quave (?), Josephine Brown, Tom Lentin, Roy Lind, Sam Zurich, Phil Lagraska (? announcer). 29:37.
89. The Adventures Of Maisie - Barber Shop Horse (3-09-50) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.72Mb) Description: Maisie, the first in 1939, was from the book "Dark Dame" by the writer Wilson Collison,who did decades of scripting for the silver screen along with Broadway plays and magazine fiction. From the first, MGM wanted Ann Sothern to play Maisie. She began in Hollywood as an extra in 1927. "Maisie and I were just together - I just understood her," Sothern, born Harriette Arlene Lake, said after several of the films made her a star. Throughout the 1930s and '40s, Ann Sothern and Lucille Ball, like many performers in Hollywood, had not one but two careers - one in motion pictures and one on radio. MGM Studios had created the series of ten motion pictures based on a brash blonde with a heart "of spun gold." Maisie, the first in 1939, was from the book "Dark Dame" by the writer Wilson Collison, who did decades of scripting for the silver screen along with Broadway plays and magazine fiction.
90. I Was A Communist For The FBI - The Dangerous Dollars (07-09-52) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.34Mb) Description: I Was a Communist for the FBI was an American espionage thriller radio series with 78 episodes syndicated by Ziv to more than 600 stations in 1952-54. Made without FBI cooperation, the series was adapted from the book by undercover agent Matt Cvetic, who was portrayed by Dana Andrews.The series was crafted to warn people about the threat of Communist subversion of American society. The tone of the show is very jingoistic and ultra-patriotic. Communists are evil incarnate and the FBI can do no wrong. As a relic of the Joe McCarthy era, this show is a time capsule of American society during the Second Red Scare. THIS EPISODE: I Was A Communist For The FBI. Program #12. ZIV Syndication. "The Dangerous Dollars". Commercials added locally. Cvetic visits the Skyline Rancho, a resort run by the Communists. He finds a mysterious airplane ready to leave the country with money owned by The Party. Dana Andrews, Truman Bradley (announcer). 27:32.
91. The Story Of Butch Cassidy & Sundance Kid (1979) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 9.10Mb) Description: Story Of Butch Cassidy & Sundance Kid (1979) - Parker's first brush with the law was a petty affair. Around 1880, he made a long journey to a clothier's shop in another town only to find the shop closed. He entered the shop and removed a pair of jeans, leaving an IOU that he would pay for it upon his next visit. However, the clothier took down the details which Parker had included in the IOU and reported him. After a stubborn resistance to the resultant charges in court, he was acquitted. He continued to do ranch work until 1884 when he briefly moved to Telluride, Colorado, ostensibly to find work but possibly to deliver stolen horses to buyers there. He then returned to ranch work, in Wyoming and in Montana, before returning again to Telluride in 1887, where he then met Matthew Warner, the owner of a race horse. Together the two raced the horse at various events, dividing the profits between them. Through this line of enterprise he soon met, again in Telluride, William and Thomas McCarty, who may have been instrumental in introducing Parker to the ideas and strategies of train and bank robbery. Parker, Warner and Thomas McCarty may have been responsible for the robbery, on November 3, 1887, of a train near Grand Junction, Colorado, where the train's safe-master had assured them that nobody aboard had the safe's combination, and so, gathering together what other spoils they could, they had made off with a modest $150. Western historian Charles Kelly closed the chapter "Is Butch Cassidy Dead?" in his 1938 book, Outlaw Trail, by observing that if Parker "is still alive, as these rumors claim, it seems exceedingly strange that he has not returned to Circleville, Utah, to visit his old father, Maximillian Parker, who died on July 28, 1938, at the age of 94 years". Kelly is thought to have interviewed Parker's father, but no known transcript of such an interview exists.
92. The Beulah Show - The Building Permit (03-23-53) and Cutting Onions (10-09-53) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.65Mb) Description: The Beulah Show is an American situation-comedy series that ran in radio on CBS from 1945 to 1954, and in television on ABC from 1950 to 1953. It is notable for being the first sitcom to star an African American. Originally portrayed by Caucasian actor Marlin Hurt, Beulah Brown first appeared in 1939 when Hurt introduced and played the character on the Hometown Incorporated radio series and in 1940 on NBC radio's Show Boat series. In 1943, Beulah moved over to That's Life and then became a supporting character on the popular Fibber McGee and Molly radio series in late 1944. In 1945, Beulah was spun off into her own radio show, The Marlin Hurt and Beulah Show, with Hurt still in the role. Beulah was employed as a housekeeper and cook for the Henderson family: father Harry, mother Alice and son Donnie. After Hurt died of a heart attack in 1946, he was replaced by another white actor, Bob Corley, and the series was retitled The Beulah Show. When black actress Hattie McDaniel took over the role on November 24, 1947, she earned $1000 a week for the first season, doubled the ratings of the original series and pleased the NAACP which was elated to see a historic first: a black woman as the star of a network radio program. McDaniel continued in the role until she became ill in 1952 and was replaced by Lillian Randolph, who was in turn replaced for the 1953-54 radio season by her sister, Amanda Randolph. TODAY'S SHOW: "The Building Permit" (03-23-53) and "Cutting Onions" (10-09-53)
93. Jeff Regan Investigator - The Man n The Door (08-28-48) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 7.26Mb) Description: 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. THIS EPISODE: August 28, 1948. CBS network. "The Man In The Door". Sustaining. A murdered architect is seen alive and well! Jeff looks into a complicated story of murder and embezzlement. Jack Webb, Wilms Herbert, Lou Krugman, Lurene Tuttle, Betty Lou Gerson, Dave Henderson, William Conrad, E. Jack Neuman (writer), Sterling Tracy (producer), Bob Stevenson (announcer), Richard Aurandt (music). 29:36.
94. The Adventures Of Horatio Hornblower - The Guerilla Action (10-03-52) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 5.01Mb) Description: The Adventures Of Horatio Hornblower - Broadcast 1952; Transcribed in England for the BBC; aired in U.S. on CBS, then again on ABC in 1954 and Mutual in 1957. Starring Michael Redgrave as Horatio Hornblower. a captain in the British Royal Navy during the Napoleonic era. The radio series was based on twelve Horatio Hornblower novels written by C.S. Forester. These novels were, and still are, well liked due to their realistic tone and historical accuracy in telling the tales of Naval life in the late 1700s through the mid 1800s. C.S. Forester was well known for his novels about military and naval life, including such fine titles as The African Queen, The Gun, The Barbary Pirates, and The General.
95. Crime Classics - The Torment Of Henrietta Robinson (09-07-53) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.96Mb) Description: Crime Classics was a U. S. radio docudrama which aired over CBS from June 15, 1953 to June 30, 1954. Created, produced, and directed by radio actor/director Elliott Lewis, the program was basically a historical true crime series, examining crimes, and especially murders, from the past. It grew out of Lewis's personal interest in famous murder cases, and took a documentary-like approach to the subject, carefully recreating the facts, personages, and feel of the time period. Comparatively little dramatic license was taken with the facts and events, but the tragedy was leavened with humor, expressed largely through the narration. THIS EPISODE: September 7, 1953. CBS network. "The Torment Of Henrietta Robinson and Why She Killed". Sustaining. A lady of Troy New York in 1845, and her doll Cecily. Very insane and very homicidal. The last show of "the summer series." Ben Wright, Bernard Herrmann (composer, conductor), Betty Harford, Bob Lemond (announcer), David Friedkin (writer), Elliott Lewis (producer, director), Joseph Kearns, Lamont Johnson, Lou Merrill (host), Morton Fine (writer), Paula Winslowe, Sam Edwards, Sammie Hill. 29:54.
96. Case Dismissed - Installment Buying (02-27-54) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.56Mb) Description: Case Dismissed - Thus with the pounding of the gavel, the fate of men and women have been decided by the judge. This is the story of our legal rights, the battle to preserve and protect them, and how easily they can be lost. The program shows us just how fragile liberty and justice can be. These stories of everyday events are still interesting, even after 50 years. Stories of criminal liability, legal wills, buying on installment, and leasing an apartment. Each story is well written, and the acting, though dated and a bit hokey by today’s standards, still manages to achieve the desired effect. Not much information is available for this series, it was apparently broadcast on a limited basis, and originated on WMAQ Chicago, an NBC station. It was comprised of thirteen episodes, twelve of which are currently available, and was heard from January 30, 1954 through April 24, 1954. THIS EPISODE: February 27, 1954. NBC network, WMAQ, Chicago origination. Sustaining. Not auditioned. The program is produced in co-operation with the Chicago Bar Association. The legal problems of installment buying. Herbert Littow (director), John C. Fitzgerald (host, Dean of the Law School, Loyola University), Betty Ross (producer), Tom Evans (sound), Harold Witteberry (engineer), Robert Carmen (writer), Lee Bennett (announcer), Sondra Gair, Jack Bivens, Harry Elders, Stanley Gordon, Arthur Peterson, Charles Flynn. 28:31.
97. Father Knows Best - Superstitous Folk (05-25-50) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.76Mb) Description: 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. In the audio version the title of the show ended with a question mark, suggesting that father's role as family leader and arbiter was dubious. The partner's production company, Rodney-Young Enterprises, transplanted the series to television in 1954--without the questioning marker--where it ran until 1963, appearing at various times on each of the three networks. Young and Rodney, friends since 1935, based the series on experiences each had with wives and children; thus, to them, the show represented "reality." Indeed, careful viewing of each of the series' 203 episodes reveals that the title was actually more figurative than literal. Despite the lack of an actual question mark, father didn't always know best. Jim Anderson could not only lose his temper, but occasionally be wrong. Although wife Margaret Anderson, played by Jane Wyatt, was stuck in the drudgery of domestic servitude, she was nobody's fool, often besting her husband and son, Bud (played by Billy Gray). Daughter Betty Anderson (Elinor Donahue)--known affectionately to her father as Princess--could also take the male Andersons to task, as could the precocious Kathy (Lauren Chapin), the baby of the family.
98. Damon Runyon Theater - Princess O'Hara (02-20-49) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.77Mb) Description: Damon Runyon Theater - Broadcast from January to December 1949, "The Damon Runyon Theatre" dramatized 52 of Runyon's short stories for radio. Damon Runyon (October 4, 1884 – December 10, 1946) was a newspaperman and writer. He was best known for his short stories celebrating the world of Broadway in New York City that grew out of the Prohibition era. He spun tales of gamblers, petty thieves, actors and gangsters; few of whom go by "square" names, preferring instead to be known as "Nathan Detroit", "Big Jule", "Harry the Horse", "Good Time Charlie", "Dave the Dude", and so on. These stories were written in a very distinctive vernacular style: a mixture of formal speech and colorful slang, almost always in present tense, and always devoid of contractions. THIS EPISODE: 1948. Program #8. Mayfair syndication. "Princess O'Hara". Commercials added locally. Broadway and his pals "borrow" a champion race horse to pull a hansom cab in order to help a doll in distress. The story was previously used in an audition recording. Damon Runyon (author), John Brown, Richard Sanville (director), Russell Hughes (adaptor), Vern Carstensen (production supervisor). 26:35.
99. The Weird Circle - The House And The Brain (1943) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.09Mb) Description: 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". THIS EPISODE: Program #2. NBC syndication. "The House and The Brain". Commercials added locally. An evil spirit kept alive 400 years haunts a house and murders the old woman living there. Edward Bulwer-Lytton (author). 25 minutes.
100. Campbell Playhouse - Counsellor At Law (01-06-39) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 13.28Mb) Description: 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: January 6, 1939. CBS network. "Counselor At Law". Sponsored by: Campbell's Soup. A good story about a powerful attorney with a secret past. Announced as the first radio performance by Gertrude Berg in a program other than, "The Goldbergs." Attorney Sam Liebowitz also appears. Orson Welles, Gertrude Berg, Aline MacMahon, Elmer Rice (author), Sam Liebowitz, Joseph Cotten. 58:26.
101. In The Name Of The Law - Nothing Ever Happens In Chinatown (07-26-36) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 5.52Mb) Description: In the Name of the Law was a True Crime radio show from 1936. It says "In the name of the law, we bring you another of the thrilling stories in this exciting series, taken from actual police case files. "In the name of the Law, we bring you another of the thrilling stories in this exciting series, taken from actual police case files."Mrs Mary James found dead in her pool 8-05-35. Her husband Bob is suspected. He had been married several times before and a previous wife was also found dead under suspicious circumstances. Police investigation led to the Killer's arrest. Was it Bob James? THIS EPISODE: Nothing Ever Happens in Chinatown (7-26-36) - Syndicated. Commercials added locally. In Chicago's Chinatown, merchant Wong Fu has been shot to death. A detective, who speaks Chinese, sees that truth and justice will triumph. . 25:12.
102. Blondie - The Gypsy Queen (04-22-40) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 7.18Mb) Description: 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. Ann Rutherford took over the radio role of Blondie in 1949, and at times, Patricia Van Cleve and Alice White were also heard as Blondie. In its final season, the series was on ABC from October 6, 1949, to July 6, 1950, first airing Thursdays at 8pm and then (from May) 8:30pm. The radio show ended the same year as the Blondie film series (1938-50) THIS EPISODE: April 22, 1940. CBS network. Sponsored by: Camels. Not auditioned. Dagwood has bought a trailer and names it, "The Gypsy Queen." Arthur Lake, Penny Singleton, Bill Goodwin (announcer), Leone LeDoux, Hanley Stafford, Ashmead Scott (writer, director), Billy Artz (conductor). 29:32.
103. Gangbusters - The Case Of The Golf Course Murder (08-07-48) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 5.41Mb) Description: 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. The initial series was on NBC Radio from July 20 - October 12, 1935. It then aired on CBS from January 15, 1936 to June 15, 1940, sponsored by Colgate-Palmolive and Cue magazine. From October 11, 1940 to December 25, 1948, it was heard on the Blue Network, with various sponsors that included Sloan's Liniment, Waterman pens and Tide. Returning to CBS on January 8, 1949, it ran until June 25, 1955, sponsored by Grape-Nuts and Wrigley's chewing gum. The final series was on the Mutual Broadcasting System from October 5, 1955 to November 27, 1957. It was once narrated by Norman Schwarzkopf, Sr., former head of the New Jersey State Police. The radio series was adapted for DC Comics, Big Little Books and a 1942 movie serial. The 1952 Gang Busters TV series was reedited into two feature films, Gang Busters (1954) and Guns Don't Argue (1957). THIS EPISODE: August 7, 1948. Program #541. ABC network origination, syndicated, WRVR-FM, New York rebroadcast. "The Case Of The Golf Course Murder". Sponsored by: Arrow Audio. The head of a car-theft ring branches out into murder. WRVR rebroadcast date: April 11, 1974. Anne Burr, Frank Readick. 1/2 hour.
104. The Blue Beetle - Sabotage Incorporated (Parts 1 and 2) 07-24-40 http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 5.84Mb) Description: The Blue Beetle - The standard opening for all episodes is: (three whistles) "The Blue Beetle! (organ music up) Leaping down upon the underworld to smash gangland, comes the friend of the unfortunate, enemy of criminals, a mysterious all-powerful character. A problem to the police, but a crusader for law; in reality Dan Garrett, a rookie patrolman. Loved by everyone, but suspected by none of being "The Blue Beetle." As "The Blue Beetle," he hides behind a strange mask and a suit of impenetrable blue chain armor, flexible as silk but stronger than steel!" Giving The Green Hornet a run for his money, Dan Garrett's father was killed by "a gangster's bullet." Dr. Franz, an apothecary on a side street, is the only one who knows the secret identity of "The Blue Beetle." Syndicated in 1938, "The Blue Beetle" also appeared in "Mystery Men" and "Blue Beetle" magazines. The show aired twice a week. Frank Lovejoy played the lead for the first ten episodes, the Police Commissioner sounds like Paul Ford. To make the picture complete, "The Beetle" also uses a magic ray and leaves little blue beetles behind! There is some confusion about the dates for this series. The program was heard twice a week (Wednesday and Friday according to one source). The dates may be recording session dates from the discs, or they may be the dates of first broadcast on a network or station. In fact, the dates may be incorrect and the series was originally heard in 1938.
105. The Diary Of Fate - John Haynes (07-13-48) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.27Mb) Description: 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, July 13, 1948. Program #31. Finley syndication. "John Haines". Commercials added locally. Book 82, page 509. Not auditioned. A man shoots his brother-in-law to get $50,000. Beware the stray cat. The date is subject to correction. Herb Lytton, Lurene Tuttle, Benny Rubin, Tyler McVey, Michael Stewart, Lou Lane, Ray Ehrlenborn, Hal Sawyer, Larry Finley (producer). 26:20.
106. Academy Award Theater - A Star Is Born (06-29-46) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 7.03Mb) Description: Academy Award Theater - Stars and movies with Oscars were the idea - in most cases, the movie stars recreated their academy award roles for the show, or in other cases, fine actors played the parts and gave it a different character. Both ways make for great radio drama and first class Hollywood motion picture star entertainment. The Lux Radio Theater had been doing this kind of radio show in the grandest manner for many years, but sponsor Squibb had the hubris and deep pockets to take on the competition by doing Academy Award Theater right after the Second World War. The year 1946 was pre-television, and so movies were still the major American visual art form, with radio the other popular network entertainment. In this final pre-TV time, Academy Award Theater was thought of as a premier radio production, a wow show, much like CinemaScope was to be in the 1950's when Hollywood felt the box office blow of early TV.All text on OTRCAT.com are ©2006 OTRCAT INC - All Rights Reserved. Reproduction is prohibited. THIS EPISODE: June 29, 1946. CBS network. "A Star Is Born". Sponsored by: Squibb Drugs. A Star Is Born (1937) is a romantic drama film produced by David O. Selznick and directed by William A. Wellman, with a script by Wellman, Robert Carson, Dorothy Parker and Alan Campbell. It stars Janet Gaynor as an aspiring actress who travels to Hollywood to become a movie star. Other members of the cast include Fredric March, Adolphe Menjou, May Robson, Andy Devine and Lionel Stander. Vicki Lester, played by Janet Gaynor, meets actor Norman Maine (Fredric March) and they marry but soon after his career develops difficulties while hers flourishes.
107. Abbott & Costello - Cattle Ranch Sketch (4-25-46) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 5.88Mb) Description: Abbott and Costello - William (Bud) Abbott and Lou Costello (born Louis Francis Cristillo) were an American comedy duo whose work in radio, film and television made them one of the most popular teams in the history of comedy. Thanks to the endurance of their most popular and influential routine, "Who's on First?"---whose rapid-fire word play and comprehension confusion set the preponderant framework for most of their best-known routines---the team are also the only comedians known to have been inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Bud Abbott was born in Asbury Park, NJ, October 2, 1897 and died April 24, 1974 in Woodland Hills, California. Lou Costello was born in Paterson, NJ, March 6, 1906 and died March 3, 1959 in East Los Angeles, California. After working as Allen's summer replacement, Abbott and Costello joined Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy on The Chase and Sanborn Hour in 1941, while two of their films (Buck Privates and Hold That Ghost) were adapted for Lux Radio Theater. They launched their own weekly show October 8, 1942, sponsored by Camel cigarettes. The Abbott and Costello Show mixed comedy with musical interludes (usually, by singers such as Connie Haines, Marilyn Maxwell, the Delta Rhythm Boys, Skinnay Ennis, and the Les Baxter Singers). 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. The show went through several orchestras during its radio life, including those of Ennis, Charles Hoff, Matty Matlock, Jack Meaking, Will Osborne, Freddie Rich, Leith Stevens, and Peter van Steeden. The show's writers included Howard Harris, Hal Fimberg, Parke Levy, Don Prindle, Ed Cherokee, Len Stern, Martin Ragaway, Paul Conlan, and Ed Forman, as well as producer Martin Gosch. Sound effects were handled mostly by Floyd Caton. Abbott and Costello moved the show to ABC (the former NBC Blue Network) five years after they premiered on NBC. During their ABC period they also hosted a 30-minute children's radio program(The Abbott and Costello Children's Show), which aired Saturday mornings with vocalist Anna Mae Slaughter and announcer Johnny McGovern.
108. Broadway Is My Beat - Sherman Gates Case (12-03-49) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.54Mb) Description: 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: Sherman Gates Case - December 3, 1949. CBS network origination, AFRTS rebroadcast. Sherman Gates is found poisoned in the loge of a movie theater, which leads to a murdered photographer. A network recording of this broadcast Elliott Lewis (producer, director), Alexander Courage (composer), Larry Thor, Charles Calvert, Paul Dubov, Junius Matthews, Mary Jane Croft, Elliott Lewis (producer, director), Morton Fine (writer), David Friedkin (writer), Alexander Courage (composer), Wilbur Hatch (conductor), Herbert Rawlinson, Joyce McCluskey, Joe Forte. 30:27.
109. The Challenge Of The Yukon - 2-Episodes (1943) (1944) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.85Mb) Description: Challenge of the Yukon was a long-running radio series that began on Detroit's station WXYZ (as had The Lone Ranger and The Green Hornet). The series was first heard on February 3, 1938. Under the title Sergeant Preston of the Yukon, it later transferred to television. The program was an adventure series about Sergeant William Preston of the Northwest Mounted Police and his lead sled dog, Yukon King, as they fought evildoers in the Northern wilderness during the Gold Rush of the 1890s. Preston, according to radio historian Jim Harmon, first joined the Mounties to capture his father's killer, and when he was successful he was promoted to Sergeant. Preston worked under the command of Inspector Conrad, and in the early years was often assisted by a French-Canadian guide named Pierre. Preston's staunchest ally, who was arguably the true star of the show and indeed often did more work than he did, was the brave Alaskan husky, Yukon King. Typical plots involved the pair helping injured trappers, tracking down smugglers, or saving cabin dwellers from wolverines. Sgt. Preston's faithful steed was Rex, used primarily in the summer months, but generally Yukon King and his dog team were the key mode of transportation (as signalled by Preston's cry of "On, King! On, you huskies!." TODAY'S SHOW: "Return To Crime" (11-20-43) AND "Revenge In The Yukon" (01-06-44) November 18, 1943. Program #303. WXYZ, Detroit origination, The Michigan Radio Network. "Return To The Crime". Sustaining. Will Conover is shot for his gold dust by Cass Fenton. King's nose smells out the killer. Possible recording date: October 1, 1943. Not auditioned. Jay Michael, Bill Morgan (announcer), Betty Joyce (writer), Fran Striker (writer). 14:11. January 6, 1944. Program #310. WXYZ, Detroit origination, The Michigan Radio Network. "Revenge In The Yukon". Sustaining. At the Black Crow Cafe, Les Peterson meets Lucky Wally. The Doc would like to meet him too...to kill him! Possible recording date: December 28, 1943. Not auditioned. Jay Michael, Bob Hite (announcer), Betty Joyce (writer), Fran Striker (writer). 14:30.
110. You Bet Your Life - Secret Word Tree (05-24-50) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.94Mb) Description: You Bet Your Life - 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. TODAY'S SHOW - Secret Word Today Is "TREE"
111. The Great Gildersleeve - College Chum Visits (05-17-42) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 7.38Mb) Description: The Great Gildersleeve - (1941-1957) was the arguable founding father of the spin-off program, as well as one of the first true situation comedies (as opposed to sketch programs) in broadcast history. Hooked around a character who had been a staple on the classic radio hit Fibber McGee and Molly, The Great Gildersleeve enjoyed its greatest period in the 1940s, when Harold Peary graduated the character from the earlier show into the sitcom and in a quartet of likeable feature films at the height of the show's popularity. THIS EPISIODE: May 17, 1942. NBC network. Sponsored by: Kraft Foods. Gildersleeve's old college chum comes to visit and starts selling shares in a magnesium mine! Harold Peary, Lurene Tuttle, Lillian Randolph, Walter Tetley, William Randolph (composer, conductor), Jim Bannon, Leonard L. Levinson (writer). 29:28.
112. Hallmark Playhouse - Free Land (11-25-48) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 7.17Mb) Description: THE HALLMARK PLAYHOUSE was heard over CBS stations Thursday evenings. This drama anthology of 30-minute shows was sponsored by, of course, Hallmark Greeting Cards. It was preceded by the RADIO READER'S DIGEST, which ran from September 13, 1942 thorugh June 3, 1948. Hallmark sponsored the RADIO READER'S DIGEST from January 13, 1946 to it's end. On Feb. 8, 1953, the series name and format was changed. It was now called THE HALLMARK HALL OF FAME and presented biographal sketches of famous persons, past and present. The new format was used until the end of the 1955 season. The exception to the new format was the broadcast each Christmas season of "A Christmas Carol". Like other dramatic series of this time, this one made use of major screen actors in the productions. James Hilton, author of "Random Harvest", "Lost Horizon" and "Goodbye, Mr. Chips" plus others, served as host and Narrator. Dee Engelbach produced and directed the shows. Jean Holloway was the writer. Sound Effects were by Harry Essman and Gene Twombly. Musical conductor was Lyn Murray. The show's theme was "Dream of Olwne" by Charles Williams. THIS EPISODE: November 25, 1948. CBS network. "Free Land". Sponsored by: Hallmark Cards. A good story about the tribulations of a pioneering couple in the Dakota Territory. Martha Scott, Jack Kirkwood. 1/2 hour.
113. CBS Radio Mystery Theater - Witches Almanac (05-26-75) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 10.39Mb) Description: CBS Radio Mystery Theater - 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! THIS EPISODE: May 26, 1975. Program #280. CBS net. "The Witch's Almanac". Sponsored by: Buick. E. G. Marshall (host), Ian Martin (writer), Virginia Payne, Robert Dryden, Jada Rowland, Marshall Borden, Dan Ocko. 52 minutes.
114. The Milton Berle Show - Salute To Gambling (02-03-48) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.44Mb) Description: The Milton Berle Show - In 1934-36, Berle was heard regularly on The Rudy Vallee Hour, and he got much publicity as a regular on The Gillette Original Community Sing, a Sunday night comedy-variety program broadcast on CBS from September 6, 1936 to August 29, 1937. In 1939, he was the host of Stop Me If You've Heard This One with panelists spontaneously finishing jokes sent in by listeners. Three Ring Time, a comedy-variety show sponsored by Ballantine Ale was followed by a 1943 program sponsored by Campbell's Soups. The audience participation show Let Yourself Go (1944-45) could best be described as slapstick radio with studio audience members acting out long suppressed urges (often directed at host Berle). Kiss and Make Up, on CBS in 1946, featured the problems of contestants decided by a jury from the studio audience with Berle as the Judge. He also made guest appearances on many comedy-variety radio programs during the 1930s and 1940s. Scripted by Hal Block and Martin Ragaway, 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. THIS EPISODE: February 3, 1948. NBC network. Sponsored by: Philip Morris. A salute to gambling. Miltie has a friendly poker game with the boys. Frank Gallop (announcer), Milton Berle, Ray Bloch and His Orchestra. 1/2 hour.
115. Amos & Andy - Kingfish Thinks Sapphire Wants To Kill Him (05-11-45) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.72Mb) Description: Amos 'n' Andy was a situation comedy popular in the United States from the 1920s through the 1950s. The show began as one of the first radio comedy serials, written and voiced by Freeman Gosden and Charles Correll and originating from station WMAQ in Chicago, Illinois. After the series was first broadcast in 1928, it grew in popularity and became a huge influence on the radio serials that followed. Amos 'n' Andy creators Gosden and Correll were white actors familiar with minstrel traditions. They met in Durham, North Carolina in 1920, and by the fall of 1925, they were performing nightly song-and-patter routines on the Chicago Tribune's station WGN. Since the Tribune syndicated Sidney Smith's popular comic strip The Gumps, which had successfully introduced the concept of daily continuity, WGN executive Ben McCanna thought the notion of a serialized drama could also work on radio. He suggested to Gosden and Correll that they adapt The Gumps to radio. They instead proposed a series about "a couple of colored characters" and borrowed certain elements of The Gumps. Their new series, Sam 'n' Henry, began January 12, 1926, fascinating radio listeners throughout the Midwest. That series became popular enough that in late 1927 Gosden and Correll requested that it be distributed to other stations on phonograph records in a "chainless chain" concept that would have been the first use of radio syndication as we know it today. When WGN rejected the idea, Gosden and Correll quit the show and the station that December. Contractually, their characters belonged to WGN, so when Gosden and Correll left WGN, they performed in personal appearances but could not use the character names from the radio show. THIS EPISODE: May 11, 1945. NBC network. Commercials deleted. The Kingfish is convinced that Sapphire plans to kill him for the insurance money. Freeman Gosden, Charles Correll, Ernestine Wade, Lou Lubin, Harlow Wilcox (announcer). 23:05.<P>
116. Arch Oboler's Plays - The Ivory Tower (7-08-39) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 7.90Mb) Description: 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.
117. Strike It Rich - August 21, 1951 http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 7.39Mb) Description: Strike It Rich - The show made it's debut on CBS radio in 1947. Strike it rich was on CBS's primetime schedule July 4, 1951 through January 12, 1955. There were two attempts to revive the show, with Bert Parks as host in 1973 and Tom Kelly as host in 1978. Neither revival was successful. A syndicated game show of the same name with host Joe Garagiola was aired 1986-1987, but it had a different format. Known as "The quiz show with a heart" and the contestants who appeared on the show were people in need of money or down on their luck. A player was given $30 and bet part of his or her bank on the ability to answer four general knowledge questions. If unable to answer the questions correctly, the contestant could turn to the "heart line" where viewers would call in and donate money or merchandise. When needy families desparate to become contestants began arriving in New York on one-way tickets, the city's Welfare Department labeled the game show "a national disgrace."
118. Richard Diamond Private Detective - Red Rose (03-02-51) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.89Mb) Description: 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: March 2, 1951. ABC network. Sponsored by: Camels, Prince Albert tobacco. Diamond is hired by a man who has hired a killer to murder him, then changes his mind. He hires Diamond to protect him from the assassin, who wears a red rose. Listen for Diamond interviewing a dance instructor named, "Belle de Canto!" Arthur Q. Bryan, Dick Powell, Frank Worth (music), Helen Mack (director), Blake Edwards (writer), Virginia Gregg, Wilms Herbert. 29:43.
119. Life With Luigi - Luigi Needs A Driver's License (02-27-49) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.99Mb) Description: Life with Luigi was a radio comedy-drama series which began September 21, 1948 on CBS. The story concerned Italian immigrant Luigi Basco, and his experiences as an immigrant in Chicago. Many of the shows take place at the US citizenship classes that Luigi attends with other immigrants from different countries, as well as trying to fend off the repeated advances of the morbidly-obese daughter of his landlord/sponsor. Luigi was played by J. Carrol Naish, an Irish-American. Naish continued in the role on the short-lived television version in 1952, and was later replaced by Vito Scotti. With a working title of The Little Immigrant, Life with Luigi was created by Cy Howard, who earlier had created the hit radio comedy, My Friend Irma. The show was often seen as the Italian counterpart to the radio show The Goldbergs, which chronicled the experience of Jewish immigrants in New York. THIS EPISODE: CBS network. Sustaining. Not auditioned. Luigi wants a driver's license. J. Carrol Naish, Alan Reed, Cy Howard (creator, producer), Mac Benoff (writer, director), Lou Derman (writer), Hans Conried, Mary Shipp, Joe Forte, Ken Peters, Jody Gilbert, Lyn Murray (music director). 29:14.
120. Barry Craig Confidential Investigator - The Moving Target (2-16-55) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 5.73Mb) Description: 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: February 16, 1955. NBC network. "The Moving Target". Sustaining. Not auditioned. A high-flying globe trotter finds that sheer elbow room is no insurance for survival when a felonious blonde makes a passionate effort to bring him down to earth...realy deep down, that is." William Gargan, John Roeburt (writer), Howard McNear, Andrew C. Love (director), Lynn Allen, Jerry Hausner. 24:55.
121. Blair Of The Mounties - Kittilake Lagoon (2 Ep. Complete) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.00Mb) Description: Blair of the Mounties is the story of the Royal Northwest Mounted Police -- a fictional series based on the work of the Northwest Mounted Police before the World War I. It was a fifteen minute weekly serial heard every Monday for 36 weeks beginning January 31st, 1938 and running through the 3rd of October of 1938. It may have been on the air as early as 1935, although there’s no actual proof of this. Little is known of the series other than it followed the exploits of Sgt. Blair of the Northwest Mounted Police. and probably was the inspiration for Trendell, Campbell and Muir's Challenge of the Yukon. The series was written by Colonel Rhys Davies, who also played the Colonel Blair in the series. Jack Abbot played the Constable. Jack French, one of OTR’s best researchers says this about the series: “Blair is not restricted to Canada, as other Mounties, as we find him, in a few cases, in Great Britain, solving cases. Overall the series is amateurishly written, with the actor playing Blair coming accros as a bit stuffy.” TODAY'S SHOW: (2 Episodes that aired May 23, 1938 and May 30, 1938) Walter Biddick syndication. "Kittilake Lagoon". "A Story Of Dope Smuggling In British Columbia". A plainclothes job for Blair and Sgt. Marshall, breaking up a narcotics ring.
122. The Zero Hour - Bye Bye Narco (MelTorme) 04-29-74 http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 5.59Mb) Description: The Zero Hour, a.k.a. the Hollywood Radio Theater The series was syndicated by Mutual and the programs were allowed to be aired when convenient. Therefore, broadcast dates vary around the country. Broadcast dates start on the premier date and continue until completion without break. Host was Rod Serling. The Cast included Edgar Bergen, Richard Crenna, Howard Duff, John Dehner, Lurene Tuttle, George Maharis, Susan Oliver, Joseph Campanella, John Astin, Patty Duke. The Music Theme played by Ferreane and Teicher. The Producer was J.M. Kholos and the Director was Elliott Lewis. Broadcast history was September 10th - December 7th, 1973 and April 29th - July 26th 1974.
123. Meet Miss. Sherlock - The Case Of The Deadman's Chest (7-07-46) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.86Mb) Description: Meet Miss. Sherlock - During World War II no more women sleuths arrived on the scene but 1946 was a banner year when three new ones debuted on network radio. One was as much comedienne as crime solver, Meet Miss Sherlock. This was a CBS summer sustainer that recounted the adventures of Jane Sherlock, a scatterbrained amateur detective, and her boyfriend, Peter Blossom, a civil attorney who occasionally fainted. There were two separate versions of this show; the first ran from July 3, 1946 to September 26, 1946 while the second one ran from Sept 28, 1947 to Oct 26, 1947. Both series were produced and directed by David Vaile, with scripts by E. Jack Neuman and Don Thompson. The announcer was Murray Wagner and the live orchestra was headed by Milton Charles. Sondra Gair had the title lead in the 1946 version, Captain Dingle of the NYPD was a youthful Bill Conrad and Joe Petruzzi played Peter Blossom. When the series resumed in the fall of 1947, Betty Moran did the first epiosde but her voice was not “dithery” enough so Monty Margetts was brought in and she played the lead until it went off the air two months later. Barney Phillips was the voice of Captain Dingle. This series was more comedy than adventure, although crimes were eventually solved. Only two episodes have survived; both feature Gair in the 1946 version.
124. Your's Truly Johnny Dollar - The Baltimore Matter (01-02-53) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.27Mb) Description: Your's Truly Johnny Dollar - 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. THIS EPISODE: January 2, 1953. CBS network. "The Baltimore Matter". Sustaining. An ex-con offers Johnny a deal on the recovery of big money from a bank job...which gets Johnny two bullets and a hospital bed. John Lund, Dan Cubberly (announcer), Jaime del Valle (transcriber), E. Jack Neuman (writer), Eddie Dunstedter (organ), Tony Barrett, Joseph Du Val, Clayton Post, John McIntire, Jeanette Nolan. 30:25.
125. The Man Called X - A Man A Girl A Plot (05-25-51) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 4.82Mb) Description: The Man Called X - Sponsored by Frigidaire and later General Motors, this spy series starred Herbert Marshall as Ken Thurston, Intelligence Agent. 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. THIS EPIOSDE: May 25, 1951. Syndicated. Commercials deleted. An associate of Ken Thurston's is in Hong Kong, trying to stop a scheme to smuggle pharmaceuticals into Red China. Van Heflin substitutes for Herbert Marshall. Van Heflin, Leon Belasco. 25:28.
126. Have Gun Will Travel - Monster On Moon Ridge (03-08-59) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 5.57Mb) Description: Have Gun Will Travel was a popular American Western television series that aired on CBS from 1957 through 1963. It was the #4 show in the Nielsen ratings in its first year, and #3 for the next three years.[citation needed] It was one of the few television shows to spawn a successful radio version. The radio series debuted on November 23, 1958. The show followed the adventures of Paladin, a gentleman-turned-gunfighter played by John Dehner on radio, who preferred to settle problems without violence, yet, when forced to fight, excelled. Paladin lived in the Carlton Hotel in San Francisco, where he dressed in semi-formal wear, ate gourmet food, and attended opera. In fact, many who initially met him mistook him for a dandy from the East. When working, he dressed in black, used calling cards and wore a holster which carried characteristic chess knight emblems, and carried a derringer under his belt. The knight symbol is of course in reference to his name — possibly a nickname or working name — and his occupation as a champion-for-hire. The theme song of the series refers to him as "a knight without armor." In addition, Paladin drew a parallel between his methods and the chess piece's movement: "It's a chess piece, the most versatile on the board. It can move in eight different directions, over obstacles, and it's always unexpected." Paladin was a former Army officer and a graduate of West Point. He was a polyglot, capable of speaking any foreign tongue required by the plot. He also had a thorough knowledge of ancient history and classical literature, and he exhibited a strong passion for legal principles and the rule of law. THIS EPISODE: March 8, 1959. CBS network origination, AFRTS rebroadcast. "The Monster Of Moon Ridge". Paladin discovers the secret of the half-man, half-bear spotted on Moon Ridge. See cat. #62802 for a network, sponsored version of this program. The script was used on the "Have Gun, Will Travel" television show on February 28, 1959. John Dehner, Herb Meadow (creator), Sam Rolfe (creator), Norman Macdonnell (producer, director), Ben Wright, Gene Roddenberry (writer), John Dawson (adaptor), Lawrence Dobkin, Virginia Christine, Jess Kirkpatrick, Jeanne Bates (doubles), Hugh Douglas (announcer), Bill James (sound effects), Tom Hanley (sound effects). 25 minutes.
127. The Aldrich Family - Henry's Engagement (10-10-39) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.96Mb) Description: The Aldrich Family, a popular radio teenage situation comedy (1939-1953), is remembered first and foremost for its unforgettable introduction: awkward teen Henry's mother calling, "Hen-reeeeeeeeeeeee! Hen-ree Al-drich!" A top-ten ratings hit within two years of its birth (in 1941, the showm carried a 33.4 Crossley rating, landing it solidly alongside Jack Benny and Bob Hope), the show is considered a prototype for teen-oriented situation comedies to follow on radio and television and is a favourite if dated find for old-time radio collectors today. The Aldrich Family as a separate radio show was born as a summer replacement for Jack Benny in NBC's Sunday night lineup, July 2, 1939, and it stayed there until October 1, 1939, when it moved to Tuesday nights at 8 p.m., sponsored by General Foods's popular gelatin dessert Jell-O---which also sponsored Jack Benny at the time. The Aldriches ran in that slot from October 10, 1939 until May 28, 1940, moving to Thursdays, from July 4, 1940 until July 20, 1944. After a brief hiatus, the show moved to CBS, running on Fridays from September 1, 1944 until August 30, 1946 with sponsors Grape Nuts and Jell-O,.before moving back to NBC from September 05, 1946 to June 28, 1951 on Thursdays and, then, its final run of September 21, 1952 to April 19, 1953 on Sundays. THIS EPISODE: October 10, 1939 - Henry's Engagement - NBC network. Sponsored by: Postum. Trying to get Doris Townsend jealous, Henry's parents naturally conclude that Henry's engaged. The date is approximate. The system cue has been deleted. Ezra Stone, Clifford Goldsmith (writer), Harry Von Zell (announcer), Jack Miller (composer, conductor). 29:21.
128. Inner Sanctum Mysteries - The Skull That Walked (1946) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.63Mb) Description: 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 dreaaaaammmmssss!" 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. In interviews, EC publisher Bill Gaines stated that he based EC's three horror hosts not on Raymond but on Old Nancy, host of radio's earlier The Witch's Tale (1931-38). When Johnson left the series in 1945, he was replaced by Paul McGrath, who did not keep the "Raymond" name and was known only as "your host" or "Mr. Host." Beginning in 1945, Lipton Tea sponsored the series, pairing first Raymond and then McGrath with its cheery commercial spokeswoman, Mary Bennett, whose pitches for Lipton contrasted sharply with the subject matter of the stories, and who would primly chide the host for his dark humor and creepy manner. THIS EPISODE: April 15, 1944. CBS network origination, AFRS rebroadcast. "The Walking Skull". A skull is dug up from an old Indian burial ground. It then finds its way into the house. Even after it's reburied, it comes back! This skull also bites! The drama lasts less than twenty minutes, the fill recording is a crime drama, called, "Death In The Doghouse." Willard Dexter is killed in a crowded bar. The story is also known as, "The Skull That Walked." Raymond Edward Johnson (host), Howard Duff (AFRS announcer), Jackson Beck (in the fill drama), Berry Kroeger, Lesley Woods, Alan Devitt. 29:50.
129. Box 13 - Death Is A Doll (03-13-49) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.41Mb) Description: Box 13 - 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. 25 minutes.
130. Manhattan Playhouse - The Perfect Secretary (06-24-49) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.12Mb) Description: Manhattan Playhouse - The show lasted for four episodes and was broadcast on the Mutual Network on Saturdays at 3:00 p.m. in the New York City area. Two episodes of the show were also syndicated to the Los Angeles market in January 1949. The dates of the original broadcasts were 48/12/04, 48/12/11, 48/12/18, and 49/01/08. A television anthology series under the same name would later air from April to November 1951 on the NYC television station WABD (DuMont Television Network). In addition, another television series with the same name aired two episodes in September and October 1953 on the same station. THIS EPISODE: January 8, 1949. Mutual network. "The Perfect Secretary". Sustaining. A comedy about a young executive who always falls in love with his secretary. Paul Ford, Leonard T. Holton (writer), Peggy French, John Harvey, Wynn Wright (director), Jerry Hausner, Robert Monroe (composer), Sylvan Levin (conductor), Jack O'Reily (announcer). 29:30.
131. The Adventures Of Superman - Hans Holbins Doll Factory(1940) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 7.88Mb) Description: The Adventures Of Superman - This juvenile adventure series was first broadcast on Mutual in 1940 with Clayton (Bud) Collyer starring as Superman/Clark Kent. It first began as a fifteen-minute show but later, in 1949, it moved to ABC as a thirty-minute Saturday show with Michael Fitzmaurice as Superman. At the end of its thirteen-year run it had totalled over 1600 episodes. The opening for the show was one of radio’s best, setting the stage for those flights into fantasy with a cascade of voices, narration and sound effects. “Faster than a speeding bullet! More powerful than a locomotive! Able to leap tall buildings at a single bound!” “Look! Up in the sky!” “It’s a bird!” “It’s a plane!” “It’s Superman! TODAY'S SHOW: Hans Holbin's Doll Factory (3 Episodes-Complete)
132. The Lux Radio Theater - The Man Who Came To Dinner (03-27-50) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 14.86Mb) Description: The 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 to Hollywood in 1936 that it eased back from adapting stage shows and toward adaptations of films. The first Lux film adaptation was The Legionnaire and the Lady, with Marlene Dietrich and Clark Gable, based on the film Morocco. That was followed by a Lux adaptation of The Thin Man, featuring the movie's stars, Myrna Loy and William Powell. THIS EPISODE: March 27, 1950. CBS network. "The Man Who Came To Dinner". Sponsored by: Lux. Not auditioned. Clifton Webb, Lucille Ball, Betty Lou Gerson, Steve Dunne, William Johnstone, Nelson Welch, Jay Novello, Eleanor Audley, Arthur Q. Bryan, Margaret Brayton, Lois Corbett, Ruth Perrott, Walter Craig, Rhoda Williams, George Neise, Herb Butterfield, Edward Marr, Julius Epstein (screenwriter), Philip Epstein (screenwriter), George Kaufman (playwright), Moss Hart (playwright), William Keighley (host), John Milton Kennedy (announcer), Dorothy Lovett (commercial spokesman, as "Libby"), Earl Ebi (director), Charlie Forsyth (sound effects), Rudy Schrager (music director), Sanford Barnett (adaptor), Joan Miller (intermission guest). 59:51.
133. The Sealed Book - Murderer Unknown (08-19-45) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.67Mb) Description: The Sealed Book starred Philip Clarke as the keeper of the book, a croaking, cackling hermit, with knowledge of the black arts, who in each show unlocked the great padlock that kept the sealed book safe from prying eyes. There was a spook story each week with tales of secrets and mysteries of mankind through the ages. This MUTUAL network entry in the horror and mystery genre was far from the best remembered, such as Suspense, Quiet Please, and Inner Sanctum. The Sealed Book begins with a classic intro, in which when gonged, we are escorted by the tuxedoed announcer with unseen organist as the keeper of the book opens the ponderous, albeit squeaky door "to the secret vault wherein is kept the great sealed book, in which is recorded all the secrets and mysteries of mankind through the ages, Here are tales of every kind, tales of murder, of madness, of dark deeds strange and terrible beyond all belief." First broadcast date march 18th 1945. Last broadcast date september 9th 1945. Narrated by Philip Clarke and written by Bob Arthur and David Kogan, this mystery anthology was aired over the MUTUAL network Sunday nights at 10:30 p.m. THIS EPISODE: August 19, 1945. Program #23. Mutual network origination, syndicated. "Murderer Unknown". Commercials added locally. A successful businessman gets black-bordered letters that threaten his life. Robert A. Arthur (writer), David Kogan (writer), Phillip Clark (host). 1/2 hour.
134. The Molle Mystery Theater - Radio Patrol (11-29-46) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 7.13Mb) Description: The Molle Mystery Theater - Although Molle Mystery Theatre was initially sponsored by Molle Shaving Cream, other sponsors (such as Bayer Aspirin, Ironized Yeast, Phillips Milk of Magnesia) also sponsored the program. Sometimes, when it was not sponsored by Molle, the program was called "Mystery Theater". The show was first heard on NBC, on 9/7/43. Time slot was originally Sunday nights at 9:00 PM, but was later moved to Tuesday at 9:00 PM, and Friday at 10:00 PM. In 1948, the show moved to CBS (Tues, 8:00 PM), and in 1951, it moved to ABC, where it was called "Mark Sabre", and heard on Wednesdays at either 8:00 PM or 9:30 PM. The shows were tight and tension filled, with a fine orchestra score and solid production values. Classic tales from well-known authors, as well as modern unknowns were presented, and the endings were often twists or shockers. THIS EPISODE: November 29, 1946. NBC network. "Radio Patrol". Sponsored by: Molle, Double Dandereen. A man found dying on the docks confesses to a radio patrolman that he killed a man at the order of Councilman Carmichael. The cop is not going to let an innocent man hang, even though his career will be ruined if it helps the con on death row who was convicted of the crime. Dan Seymour (announcer), Leslie T. White (writer), Richard Coogan, Leon Meadow (adaptor), Jack Miller (music), Bernard Lenrow (host, as "Geoffrey Barnes"). 29:31.
135. You Are There - The Surrender Of Sitting Bull 05-02-48) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 7.08Mb) Description: You Are There - Imagine if CBS radio news existed when the Bastille was stormed in 1789, or if radio reporters were stationed in Ford Theater as Lincoln was assassinated, or again at the Battle of Gettysburg? Indeed, such was the premise behind the CBS series, You Are There. Audiences witnessed history through the present-tense accounts of newsmen allegedly witnessing historical events transpiring before their eyes. Don Hollenbeck and John Daley (known for his TV game show panelist appearances) played the lead anchors, while real-life newsman provided the remote commentaries as the dramas unfolded. As show opened, an anchor would describe the present situation with "As it stands now…" and segue into commentaries, live remote feeds or analysis as the story unfurled.The show was well received, but perhaps was doomed to eventual failure in part due John Daly's emoting. Bernard DeVoto in Harper Magazine lamented: "We have heard his (Daly) voice vibrate with the real emotion, and our memory of the real simply turns the imagined to ham." THIS EPISODE: January 2, 1949. CBS network. "The Surrender Of Sitting Bull". Sustaining. The events of July 21, 1881. The last great chief of the Sioux Nation decides to parlay with the white man. A day for which Americans should be ashamed. Karl Swenson, John Daly, Robert Lewis Shayon (writer, producer, director), Ken Roberts, Don Hollenbeck, Mikedja Wren (writer), Peter Hobbs, Julian Noa, Crazy Bull (billed as "Chief Crazy Bull, grandson of Sitting Bull" did the war chant and was a consultant for the broadcast), Canada Lee, Raymond Edward Johnson. 29:26.
136. Theater Five - Dream Of Death (08-25-64) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 4.92Mb) Description: Theater Five was ABC's attempt to revive radio drama during the early 1960s. The series name was derived from its time slot, 5:00 PM. Running Monday through Friday, it was an anthology of short stories, each about 20 minutes long. News programs and commercials filled out the full 30 minutes. There was a good bit of science fiction and some of the plots seem to have been taken from the daily newspaper. Fred Foy, of The Lone Ranger fame, was an ABC staff announcer in the early 60s, who, among other duties, did Theater Five. THIS EPISODE: August 25, 1964. Program #20. ABC network origination, AFRTS rebroadcast. "Dream Of Death". A suspense filled episode observing the reactions of a volunteer experimenting with hallucinogenic drugs. William N. Robson (writer), Ralph Camargo, Fred Foy (announcer), Ted Bell (director), George Petrie, Joan Shea, Cliff Carpenter, Richard Hurd, Jack Manning, Bill Sandreuter (audio engineer), Ed Blainey (sound technician), Jack C. Wilson (script editor), Alexander Vlas Datsenko (composer), Glenn Osser (conductor), Edward A. Byron (execuitve producer). 26:34.
137. The Chase & Sanborn Hour - Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy (05-09-37 http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 13.74Mb) Description: The Chase and Sanborn Hour was the umbrella title for a series of US comedy and variety shows, sponsored by Standard Brands' Chase and Sanborn Coffee, usually airing Sundays on NBC from 8pm to 9pm during the years 1929 to 1948. The series began in 1929 as The Chase and Sanborn Choral Orchestra, a half-hour musical variety show heard Sundays at 8:30pm on NBC. When Maurice Chevalier became the show's star, he received a record-breaking salary of $5000 a week. Violinist David Rubinoff (September 13, 1897 – October 06, 1986), became a regular in January 1931, introduced as "Rubinoff and His Violin." 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.
138. The New Adventures Of Michael Shayne - The Man Who Lived Forever (05-07-49) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.40Mb) Description: The New Adventures Of Michael Shayne was a fictional private detective character created by writer Brett Halliday during the late 1930's. Shayne debuted in the novel Dividend on Death first published in 1939, written by David Dresser, a pseudonym of Halliday. Dresser wrote fifty Shayne novels, with the help of Ryerson Johnson. Twenty seven more were written by Robert Terrall for a total of seventy seven; three hundred short stories, a dozen films, radio and television shows, and a few comic book appearances have resulted from the character. The books were typically very well plotted, with Shayne always gathering the suspects at the end and explaining the crime and naming the murderer. Shayne was initially married in the novels, his wife being Phyllis Shayne, who was a somewhat limited character, and was often out of town. Dresser "killed her off" when he sold the movie rights to the series. In the book, Blood on the Black Market, comedy disappears, and Shayne is forced to deal with his wife's death. Halliday later created "Michael Shayne Mystery Magazine", first introduced in 1956 by Renown Publications. The magazine continued for over three decades, always having at least one Michael Shayne short story included in each edition. Halliday stopped writing the Michael Shayne novels after Murder and the Wanton Bride in 1958. Shayne novels continued, however, written by Ryserson Johnson, Robert Terrell, and David Lynds. In 1960, the Michael Shayne television series began, with actor Richard Denning playing the lead role. Dell Comics soon picked up the character for a comic book series. Michael Shayne Mysteries, and a film series starring Lloyd Nolan, is available on DVD. THIS EPISODE: 1949. Program #1. Broadcaster's Guild syndication. "The Man Who Lived Forever". Commercials added locally. The man's name was Anthony Correll and he is supposed to never die. What does the coiled snake on his forehead mean? A Peter Lorre clone shoots Michael Shayne! The program closing has been deleted. The date is approximate. Jeff Chandler, William P. Rousseau (host, director), John Duffy (composer, performer), Brett Halliday (creator), Don W. Sharp (producer). 26:50.
139. The Shadow - Message From The Hills (07-31-38) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 5.17Mb) Description: 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: 1938. Syndicated. "The Message From The Hill". Sponsored by: B. F. Goodrich Tires. The Shadow foils a plot to rob a diamond mine. Orson Welles, Margot Stevenson, Ken Roberts (announcer). 1/2 hour.
140. Mr. & Mrs. North - Milkmans Ring (07-15-47) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 4.17Mb) Description: Mr. and Mrs. North are fictional American amateur detectives. Created by Frances and Richard Lockridge, the couple were featured in a series of twenty-six Mr. and Mrs. North novels, a Broadway play, a motion picture, and several different radio and television series. Mr. and Mrs. North was a radio mystery series that aired on CBS from 1942 to 1954. Alice Frost and Joseph Curtin had the title roles when the series began in 1942. Publisher Jerry North and his wife Pam lived in Greenwich Village at 24 St. Anne's Flat. They were not professional detectives but simply an ordinary couple who stumbled across a murder or two every week for 12 years. The radio program eventually reached nearly 20 million listeners. The characters originated in 1930s vignettes written by Richard Lockridge for the New York Sun, and he brought them back for short stories in The New Yorker. THIS EPISODE: July 15, 1947. CBS network. Sponsored by: Halo Shampoo, Cashmere Bouquet, Colgate Toothpowder. Murder, mayhem, and a missing diamond ring, all aboard a milk wagon in the early morning. Alice Frost, Joseph Curtin, Charles Stark (announcer), Frances Lockridge (creator), Richard Lockridge (creator). 24:49.
141. The Jack Benny Program - Little Red Riding Hood (12-19-37) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.91Mb) Description: The Jell-O Program Starring Jack Benny - Jack Benny was remarkable in many ways, but in none more than this: he built a character of every sour ingredient in life, but somehow his real personality trickled through and made it wonderful. Would a real miser act that way before 30 million people each week? The Benny of the air was a fraud, a myth, a creation. It should have surprised no one to learn — after years of toupee jokes that played so well into the vanity theme — that Benny never wore one. He overtipped in restaurants, gave away his time in countless benefit performances, and was lavish in his praise of almost everyone else. 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. THIS EPISODE: December 19, 1937. Red net. Sponsored by: Jell-O. Kenny sings, "Once In A While." The cast does its version of, "Little Red Riding Hood," with Andy Devine as Grandma! Jack Benny, Don Wilson, Phil Harris and His Orchestra, Mary Livingstone, Kenny Baker, Andy Devine, Harry Baldwin, Ed Beloin (writer, performer), Blanche Stewart, Bill Morrow (writer). 29:32.
142. Crime & Peter Chambers - Donald Sloane Embezzler (07-20-54) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 5.52Mb) Description: Crime & Peter Chambers - This program was born from a detective book series and inspired by author Henry Kane who became the director and producer for the radio show. The series only ran five months, 30 minutes each episode, from April 6, 1954 to September 7, 1954. Peter Chambers was played by Dane Clark who also appeared on the Suspense radio shows. Chambers acted the role of a playboy detective with an eye for solving crime and a taste for the women. Bill Zuckert, who went on to guest star in many 1970s shows including The Mary Tyler Moore Show and the Partridge Family, plays Lt. Parker.
143. The New Adventures Of Sherlock Holmes - Uneasy Easy Chair (05-13-46) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.49Mb) Description: 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 born 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 - 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 were narrated by Holmes' friend and biographer, Dr. John H. Watson, two having been narrated by Holmes himself, and two others 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 serialized 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: May 13, 1946. Mutual network. "The Uneasy Easy Chair". Sponsored by: Petri Wines. Holmes works on a murder in which the murder weapon is a diabolical chair. Inspector Lestrade has the last laugh! The story is based on, "The Musgrove Ritual." Basil Rathbone, Nigel Bruce, Harry Bartell (announcer), Denis Green (writer), Anthony Boucher (writer), Arthur Conan Doyle (author), Dean Fosler (music), Edna Best (producer). 29:27.
144. The Chase - The Hold-Up (1953) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.83Mb) Description: 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. THIS EPISODE: 1953. The Hold-Up - NBC network. Sustaining. An employee of a contracting company blackmails his boss to secure a higher paying position in the accounting department. Doris Smith, Fred Collins (announcer), Fred Weihe (director, transcriber), Ivor Francis, John Stanley, Cathleen Cordell, Lawrence Klee (creator, writer), Leona Powers, Ted Osborne, William Podmore. 29:52.
145. Let George Do It - No Way Out (10-01-51) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.91Mb) Description: 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: October 1, 1951. Mutual-Don Lee network. "No Way Out". Sponsored by: Standard Oil. A frightened young man is mixed up in a racket and a shooting. He then is arrested and jailed. Let George do it! Bob Bailey, Virginia Gregg, Jonathan Hole, Ted de Corsia, Kenneth Webb (director), Ken Christy, Don Clark (writer), Louise Arthur, Bud Hiestand (anouncer), Eddie Dunstedter (composer, conductor). 29:42.
146. The Amazing Mr. Malone - Early To Bed Early To Rise (06-15-51) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.77Mb) Description: The Amazing Mr. Malone radio series aired 1947-1951 based on the John Malone series of mystery novels by Craig Rice, the author of fourteen novels, countless short stories, and a number of true crime pieces. She once rivaled Agatha Christie in sales,and was on the cover of Time Magazine in 1946. John J. Malone, socialite and ladies man, is a brilliant criminal lawyer taking up a new case in every episode. Using his finely-honed deductive and persuasive skills, he never gives up until justice is done. THIS EPISODE: June 15, 1951. NBC network. "Early To Bed and Early To Rise". Sustaining. Jeff Lewis, the famous bandleader, has been murdered. Suspicion falls on his insanely jealous wife. George Petrie, Larry Haines, Fred Collins (announcer), Craig Rice (creator), Bernard L. Schubert (producer), Richard Lewis (director), Eugene Wang (writer). 29:37.
147. Pat Novak For Hire - Sam Tolliver (04-09-49) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 7.14Mb) Description: 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: Sam Tolliver -April 9, 1949. Program #4. ABC network origination, AFRS rebroadcast. Going on an errand for a friend, Pat gets a beating, a package, and a corpse or two, or three. Jack Webb. 30:22.
148. The Adventures Of Sam Spade - Sam And Psyche (08-02-46) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.66Mb) Description: The Adventures of Sam Spade was a radio series based loosely on the private detective character Sam Spade, created by writer Dashiell Hammett for The Maltese Falcon. The show ran for 13 episodes on ABC in 1946, for 157 episodes on CBS in 1946-1949, and finally for 51 episodes on NBC in 1949-1951. The series starred Howard Duff (and later, Steve Dunne) as Sam Spade and Lurene Tuttle as his secretary Effie, and took a considerably more tongue-in-cheek approach to the character than the novel or movie. In 1947, scriptwriters Jason James and Bob Tallman received an Edgar Award for Best Radio Drama from the Mystery Writers of America. Before the series, Sam Spade had been played in radio adaptations of The Maltese Falcon by both Edward G. Robinson (in a 1943 Lux Radio Theater production) and by Bogart himself (in a 1946 Academy Award Theater production), both on CBS. THIS EPISODE: August 2, 1946. ABC network. "Sam and Psyche". Sponsored by: Wildroot Cream Oil. The fourth show of the series. The story title above is probably correct, although it's announced indirectly. The program has also been referred to as "The Death Of Dr. Denoff." A psychiatrist being blackmailed is killed by doing "a Brody" from his apartment window. His blackmailer is later found strangled! Howard Duff, Lurene Tuttle, Dick Joy (announcer), Dashiell Hammett (creator), William Spier (producer, director), Fred Esler. 29:30.
149. The CBS Radio Workshop - The Ex-Urbanites (3-30-56) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.50Mb) Description: The CBS Radio Workshop - Broadcast from 1936 through to 1947 with just an occasional break. Revived again from January 1956 to September 1957 as CBS Radio Workshop with pretty much the same format. Broadcast from 1936 through to 1947 with just an occasional break. Revived again from January 1956 to September 1957 as CBS Radio Workshop with pretty much the same format. This was drama with a difference. Columbia Workshop was not everybody’s cup of tea and in terms of audience popularity it was always noted that it was never a strong contender for the title “Radios Top Rated Drama Series” and yet it was always considered to be the drama program that led the way in radio standards. Columbia was the first to mexperiment with what radio drama was all about, introducing new techniques never before used in over the airwaves drama and because it received little encouragement from established writers, actors, etc., it was only by breaking new ground with new ideas and new techniques from writers who were not versed in the old ways that it was going to survive. THIS EPISODE: March 30, 1956. CBS network. "The Exurbanites". Sustaining. A chilling (but true) horror story about the problems of living in the suburbs. Eric Sevareid (narrator). 1/2 hour.
150. Inspector Thorne - The Golden Girl Murder Case (08-03-51) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.76Mb) Description: Inspector Thorne - Another radio detective from the pen of Frank and Ann Hummert was Inspector Thorne. The series was short-lived and also had two stars portraying the lead. The first was Karl Weber and the second was Staats Cotsworth. By the 1940's, Frank and Ann Hummert controlled four and a half hours of national weekday broadcast schedules. Their features reportedly spawned more that 5 million pieces of correspondence annually from steadfast fans. Simultaneously they brought in more than half of the national radio chain's advertising revenues generated during the daylight hours. The couple broadcast 18 quarter-hour serials five times weekly, a total of 90 original episodes for 52 weeks per year, with none of those ever repeated. Some shows were "Amanda of Honeymoon Hill", "Backstage Wife","Chaplin Jim USA", "David Harum", "Easy Aces", "Front Page Farrell", "John's Other Wife", "Just Plain Bill", "The Life of Mary Sothern","Lora Lawton", "Lorenzo Jones", "Ma Perkins", "Mrs Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch", "Our Gal Sunday", "The Romance of Helen Trent" and "Young Widder Brown".
151. Dangerous Assignment - Missing Japanese Weapons (02-06-50) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.72Mb) Description: Dangerous Assignment - This thirty-minute international spy adventure featured Steve Mitchell (Brian Donlevy), and investigator of crimes in exotic locations. 60 episodes. Herb Butterfield played the Commissioner and Betty Moran was the Commissioner's secretary. Other cast members were GeGe Pearson, Ken Peters, Betty Lou Gerson, Dan O’Herlihy. The director was Bill Cairn and the writer for the series was Robert Ryf. The opening was the same every week “Yeah, danger is my assignment. I get sent to a lot of places I can’t even pronounce. They all spell the same thing though, trouble.” He would be summoned to his boss’s office where he would be given his assignment; he would then fly halfway across the globe to save the day! THIS EPISODE: February 6, 1950. NBC network. Sustaining. The first show of the season. Missing Japanese Weapons . Steve Mitchell flies to Panama to recover missing Japanese weapons and solve the murder of his friend, Bill Thorne. Brian Donlevy, Robert Ryf (writer), Bill Cairn (director), Bruce Ashley (music). 29:40.
152. Murder By Experts - The Creeper (07-18-49) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.83Mb) Description: Murder By Experts - 1949-51, Mutual. 130 30-minute episodes. Created by David Kogan. Writers: David Kogan. Directors/Producers: David Kogan And Robert A. Arthur. Hosts: John Dickson Carr (June 13, 1949-March 13, 1950) and Brett Halliday (March 20, 1950-December 17, 1951) Sound Effects: Mario Siletti. Guest experts: Alfred Hitchcock, Craig Rice. Guest stars: Ann Shepard, Larry Haines, Carl Eastman, Ann Sheperd, Bill Zuckert, Ralph Camargo, Burt Cullen, Lawson Zerbe, Marilyn Erskin. THIS EPISODE: July 23, 1949. Mutual network, WOR, New York aicheck. "The Creeper". Sponsored by: Sustaining, Bulova Watch (local). A suspense story about a mad killer who strangles his red-headed victims. The program moved to Sundays at 10:00 P. M., being replaced in this time slot by, "The Damon Runyon Theatre." John Dickson Carr (host, narrator), Joseph Ruscoll (writer), Marilyn Erskine. 29:17.
153. Escape -Wild Oranges (12-17-47) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.61Mb) Description: 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: Escape. December 17, 1947. CBS network. "Wild Oranges". Sustaining. A good story about a beautiful girl and her father, trapped on an island by a homicidal maniac. The script was previously used on "The Orson Welles Theatre" on November 3, 1941 and subsequently used on the program on September 28,l 1949 and on "Romance" on July 25, 1950 . Cy Feuer (music conceiver, conductor), William N. Robson (producer), Richard Sanville (director), Joseph Hergeshimer (author), William Conrad, Jack Kruschen, John Dunkel (adaptor), Paul Frees, Jeanette Nolan, Sherry Hall. 29:43.
154. Author's Playhouse - Reunion (05-14-45) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.79Mb) Description: 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, etc. THIS EPISODE: May 14, 1945. NBC network, Chicago origination. "Reunion". Sustaining. Henry Sinkin is a quiet accountant who inherits $500 and decides to make a big impression at his college reunion. Arthur Hern, Art Van Harvey, Charles Egleston, Elwyn Owen (organist), Inez Arsher (adaptor), Kay Miller, Kay Miller, Michael Romano, Nick Reikert, Norman Felton (producer), Phillips H. Lord, Stanley Gordon, Thomas Post, Vincent Sheean (author), William Fein. 29:28.
155. The Green Hornet - Justice Wears A Blindfold (03-05-36) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.39Mb) Description: The Green Hornet - On January 31, 1936, the Green Hornet radio program aired on WXYZ in Detroit, Michigan. Al Hodge played the part of the Green Hornet from 1936 through January of 1943. The program was created by George W. Trendle, the same man associated with the creation of the Lone Ranger radio show. The premise of the Green Hornet was that of a modern day Lone Ranger. The main character was Britt Reid, a newspaper publisher of the Daily Sentinel by day and the Green Hornet by night. Britt Reid was the great-nephew of the Lone Ranger. Britt Reid's war against crime was an extension of his family history. The Green Hornet fought crime with his high-powered car, the Black Beauty. THIS EPISODE: June 15, 1939. Mutual network originaion, Michelson syndication, WJBK, Detroit aircheck. "Justice Wears A Blindfold". Sponsored by: Archway Cookies. The date is approximate. Al Hodge, Fran Striker (writer), George W. Trendle (creator). 1/2 hour.
156. The Fat Man - Murder Makes A Ham (04-01-49) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 4.48Mb) Description: The Fat Man - "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: April 1, 1949. ABC network. "Murder Makes A Ham". Sponsored by: Pepto Bismol, Unguentine. An actress hires Runyon to find a photograph. J. Scott Smart, Dick Beals (commercial spokesman), Clark Andrews (director), Bernard Green (conductor), Bryna Raeburn, Charles Irving (announcer), Lawrence Klee (writer), Jean Ellen. 29:30.
157. Mr. Keen Tracer Of Lost Persons - 2 Episodes (11-16-44) (05-23-46) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 13.86Mb) Description: Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons was one of network radio's longest running detectives, although listening to it now would hardly explain why. This kind, elderly, boring sleuth, in company with his bumbling assistant, Mike Clancy, was on the airwaves from 1937 to 1955, logging nearly 20 years of fighting crime. The series came out of the soap opera fiction factory of Frank and Anne Hummert and encompassed most of the trite dialogue and snail plotting of daytime serials. TODAY'S DOUBLE FEATURE: November 16, 1944. CBS network. "The Case Of The Frightened Child". Sponsored by: Anacin, Kolynos Toothpaste, Hill's Cold Tablets, Aerowax. A five year old boy has been left to die in a dark, abandoned warehouse. Bennett Kilpack, Larry Elliott (announcer), Frank Hummert, Anne Hummert. 29:40. May 23, 1946. CBS network. "The Case Of The Glamorous Widow". Sponsored by: Anacin, Kolynos Toothpaste, Old English Wax. Which one of her four boyfriends did her in? Bennett Kilpack, Frank Hummert (originator, producer), Anne Hummert (originator, producer), Larry Elliott (announcer). 29:34.
158. Gunsmoke - Double Feature (1-10-53) and (03-07-53) http://boxcars711.rnn.libsynpr... download (, 0.00Mb) Description: Gunsmoke - The radio show first aired on April 26, 1952 and ran until June 18, 1961 on the CBS radio network. The series starred William Conrad as Marshal Matt Dillon, Howard McNear as Doc Charles Adams, Georgia Ellis as Kitty Russell, and Parley Baer as Deputy Chester Proudfoot. Doc's first name and Chester's last name were changed for the television program. Gunsmoke was notable for its critically acclaimed cast and writing, and is commonly regarded as one of the finest old time radio shows. Some listeners (such as old time radio expert John Dunning) have argued that the radio version of Gunsmoke was far more realistic than the television program. Episodes were aimed at adults, and featured some of the most explicit content of the day: there were violent crimes and scalpings, massacres and opium addicts. Miss Kitty's occupation 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. TODAY'S DOUBLE FEATURE: January 10, 1953. CBS network. "Word Of Honor". Sustaining. After treating a wounded man, Doc gives his word of honor not to reveal the identity or hiding place of the killers. The script was used on the Gunsmoke television series October 1, 1955. William Conrad, Howard McNear, Parley Baer, John Dehner, Lawrence Dobkin, Harry Bartell, Roy Rowan (announcer), John Meston (writer). 30:12. March 14, 1953. CBS network. "Cyclone". Sustaining. The program includes a message of praise for the show from the Governor of Kansas. The Cyclone Ranch has been sold under strange circumstances. Marshal Dillon suspects foul play. George Walsh (announcer), Georgia Ellis, Harry Bartell, Howard McNear, Jerry Hausner, Joe Cranston, Lawrence Dobkin, Les Crutchfield (writer), Norman Macdonnell (producer, director), Parley Baer, Vivi Janis, William Conrad. 30:00.
159. Rocky Fortune - Hauling Nitro (01-26-54) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 5.42Mb) Description: "Rocky Fortune" about a wanderer that took odd jobs to support himself and never stayed in one place too long. He almost always seemed to meet beautiful women along with trouble. Sinatra was good and was proving to Hollywood that he could do serious work. When casting began for the movie "From Here To Eternity", Frank campaigned tirelessly for a part and because of that and a good word put in for him by Gardner, who he was now separated from, he won a part that would mark his return to Hollywood. Sadly for us, it also meant he didn't have time to do radio and "Rocky Fortune" was rather short lived, although it was popular. It only ran from 1953 - 1954, but" It was a very good year". THIS EPISODE: January 26, 1954. NBC network origination, AFRTS rebroadcast. "Hauling Nitro". Rocky's explosive job (in more ways than one!) is driving a truckload of nitroglycerine. Frank Sinatra, Frank Gerstle, George Lefferts (writer), Lynn Allen, Bill Justine, Howard Culver, Jack Carroll, Maurice Hart, Andrew C. Love (director). 25 minutes.
160. Exploring Tomorrow - Time Heals (1958) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 5.35Mb) Description: Exploring Tomorrow - Starting as a replacement show for Gangbusters and Counterspy, the series premiered December 11, 1957 and it ran until June 13, 1958. Quoting from Astounding Magazine, "Exploring Tomorrow is the first science fiction radio show of science-fictioneers, by science- fictioneers, and for science-fictioneers" The shows were narrated by the editor of Astounding Magazine, John W. Campbell, Jr., with scripts written by Gordon Dickson, Robert Silverberg and many other notable science fiction writers. THIS EPISODE: 1958. Mutual network. "Time Heals". Sponsored by: L & M, Kraft foods, Cape Coral. A man with an incurable disease is sent into the future, where the problem has surely been solved. The date is approximate. Sam Grane (?), Sanford Marshall (director and producer), Lawson Zerbe, Bill Mahr (announcer), Poul Anderson (writer), John Campbell Jr. (host), Connie Lembcke. 24:59.
161. The Mysterious Traveler - Death Is My Caller (10-21-47) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.94Mb) Description: The Mysterious Traveler - 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: October 21, 1947. Mutual network. "Death Is My Caller". Sustaining. A wealthy stockbroker named Henry Norton is visted by his old partner, Charles Blair. Blair is just out of jail after seven years...and is seeking revenge. Robert A. Arthur (writer, producer, director), David Kogan (writer, producer, director), Maurice Tarplin, Santos Ortega, Neal O'Malley, Paul Taubman (music), Carl Caruso (announcer), Agnes Young, Ted Jewett. 29:36.
162. Cloak & Dagger - Delay On Route (10-06-50) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.84Mb) Description: Cloak and Dagger - "Are you willing to undertake a dangerous mission for the United States, knowing in advance you may never return alive?" Cloak and Dagger first aired over the NBC network on May 7, 1950. It had a short run through the Summer on Sundays, changing to Fridays after its Summer run. The last show aired Oct. 22, 1950. This is the story of the WWII special governmental agency, the OSS, or Office of Strategic Services. Its mission was to develop and maintain spy networks throughout Europe and into Asia, while giving aid to underground partisan groups and developing espionage activities for Allied forces overseas.The show is based on the book of the same name by Lt. Col. Corey Ford and Major Alastair MacBain (who were associated with the OSS from its early days.) The dramas are not Hollywood-style, in that they sometimes end with plans foiled or leading characters dead. THIS EPISODE: October 6, 1950. NBC network. "Delay En Route". Sustaining. 8:00 P. M. An O. S. S. agent is sent to Italy to help the Partisans wipe out the remaining Fascists. The agent is forced to help a Fascist scientist escape from the country with plans for a new submarine, and an aerial torpedo. The final promotional announcement and system cue have been deleted. Max Russell (sound effects), Sherman Marks (director, supervisor), Arnold Moss, Ken Field (writer), Jon Gart (music director), Al Fanelli (sound effets), Don Abbott (engineer), Corey Ford (creator), Alistair MacBain (creator), Louis G. Cowan (producer), Alfred Hollander (producer), Grant Richards, Luis Van Rooten. 29:18.
163. Confession - George S Decker (8-16-53) http://boxcars711.rnn.libsynpr... download (, 0.00Mb) Description: Confession - Had a texture and sound not unlike Dragnet, indeed the influence was realized throughout the show. These were true stories of Crime and Punishment, the obvious difference that Dragnet began with the crime while Confession unfolded in reverse order, from the end. Confession was less noisy, it's theme was played on a single piano, but there was still the deadpan dialogue, the thief or killer giving his confession with an air of resignation and defeat. The criminal thus became a stream-of-consciousness narrator, with the action frequently cutting away into drama. "Names were changed to protect the legal rights of the subject". NBC 30 minutes Sunday at 9:30PM.Cast Paul Frees, virginia Christine,Herb Butterfield, Parley Bear and other Hollywood radio actors. Announcer John Wald.
164. CBS Radio Mystery Theater - Circle Of Evil (08-21-75) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 9.88Mb) Description: CBS Radio Mystery Theater - 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! THIS EPISODE: Circle Of Evil August 21, 1975 - A woman is hired to care for two very child-like adults who have been secluded from society. While there, she is contacted by a ghost that wants her to avenge the murder of his wife.Marian Seldes, Kristoffer Tabori, Mary Jane Higby, Ian Martin, Rosemary Rice.
165. The Adventures Of Frank Race - The Fat Mans Loot (08-21-49) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.25Mb) Description: The Adventures of Frank Race was a 1949-50 radio adventure serial syndicated by Bruce Ellis Productions. The 30-minute program was first broadcast in some markets beginning May 1, 1949. An attorney who turned international adventurer after WWII, Frank Race (Tom Collins, Paul Dubov) mainly investigated insurance scams. After the first 22 shows, Dubov took over the title role. Tony Barnett portrayed Mark Donovan. The series was written and directed by Joel Murcott and Buckley Angel. The announcer was Art Gilmore, and Ivan Ditmars provided the background organ music. THIS EPISODE: August 21, 1949. Program #17. Broadcasters Program Syndicate syndication. "The Adventure Of The Fat Man's Loot". Commercials added locally. Race is off to Berlin and Monte Carlo in search of missing diamonds, stolen by the Nazis. Tom Collins, Buckley Angel (writer, director), Joel Murcott (writer, director), Art Gilmore (announcer), Bruce Eells (producer, Ivan Ditmar (organ), Tony Barrett, Lillian Buyeff, Jack Kruschen, Wilms Herbert, Michael Ann Barrett, Harry Lang. 26:47.
166. The Creaking Door - I See Ghosts (1950) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.72Mb) Description: 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 OTR.
167. The Adventures Of Ozzie & Harriet - David Sells Ozzie's Suit (8-26-45) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.55Mb) Description: 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.
168. The Ford Theater - Its A Gift (03-21-48) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 13.84Mb) Description: The FORD THEATER, sponsored by the Ford Motor Company, presented hour long dramas first on NBC for one only season. The series moved to CBS for its second and last season. There were 39 NBC and 39 CBS hour- long shows (not verified). The show initially received an unfavorable review from the New York Times for poor script adaptation but was still highly rated for the actors' performance and overall production. The show was supposed to feature only original scripts but had to forgo that plan due to lack of quality material. The first season on NBC used radio actors under the direction of George Zachary. Martin Gabel announced the first show but was soon replaced by Kenneth Banghart. The second season, on CBS, used Hollywood screen actors in the lead roles, supported by radio actors. Fletcher Markle, who previously produced CBS's STUDIO ONE series, was the producer for the second season. Although a short series, it still has some of radio's best dramas. THIS EPISODE: March 21, 1948. CBS network. *"It's A Gift"*. Sponsored by: Ford. A comedy about a wounded war vet who gets dizzy and has to "concentrate." When he "concentrates," he can make people do whatever he wants them to do. A new industry is born! Howard Lindsay (host), Kenneth Banghart (commercial spokesman), Lee Bloomgarten (author), Cliff Carpenter, Carl Eastman, William Zuckert, George Faulkner (continuity), Helen Lewis, James Van Dyke, Elspeth Eric, Howard Teichman (editor), Lyn Murray (composer, conductor), Frank Dane, Ivor Francis, George Zacherle (director), Rod Hendrickson. 59:28.
169. The Secrets Of Scotland Yard - Just A Matchstick And A Duster (1945) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.28Mb) Description: 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, one of which, "The Bone From A Voice Box", apparently served as the prototype for another well remembered Towers Of London dramatic series, The Black Museum. In both series, well known actors were employed as host / narrator, Orson Welles in The Black Museum and Clive Brook here. In fact, the shows were so similar that some of the same actual Scotland Yard cases were dramatized for both series (with totally different scripts, and casts). The Secrets of Scotland Yard was an independent production of the Towers of London syndicate in England for world wide distribution. Each week, an audience of anxious radio-listeners tuned in to hear these true crime stories of the London Metropolitan Police unfold, as the detectives at the Yard investigated some of England’s most famous criminals. Their trials have become legendary. Stories presented in the series include the theft of the British crown jewels by Colonel Thomas Blood; the story of a man who finds an armless and legless body wrapped in ribbons and lace; or the strange story of two close brothers who love one another enough to contemplate the murder of a brother’s affluent, yet unsightly and ignorant, wife.
170. Perry Mason - Case Of The Baited Hook (12-21-57) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 10.70Mb) Description: Perry Mason is the longest running lawyer show in American television history. Its original run lasted nine years and its success in both syndication and made-for-television movies confirm its impressive stamina. Mason's fans include lawyers and judges who were influenced by this series to enter their profession. The Mason character was created by mystery writer Erle Stanley Gardner and delivered his first brief in the novel The Case of the Velvet Claws (1933). From 1934 to 1937 Warners produced six films featuring Mason. A radio series also based on Mason ran every weekday afternoon on CBS radio from 1944 to 1955 as a detective/soap opera. When the CBS television series was developed as an evening drama, the radio series was changed from Perry Mason to The Edge of Night and the cast renamed so as not to compete against the television series. This Episode: *Case of the Baited Hook* from Perry Mason adapted for radio aired December 21, 1957. Robert Dawson confronts Albert Tydings, his partner, about $80K missing from Carol Stanley's trust account. Albert Tydings admits he embezzled the money and blackmails Robert Dawson to keep quiet or he will reveal some scandalous facts about Carol. Later, Carol calls and makes an appointment to meet Albert Tydings at his office to discuss the trust account. She arrives to find Albert Tydings dead.
171. Cavalcade Of America - Kansas Marshall (03-31-47) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.78Mb) Description: Cavalcade of America is an anthology drama series that was sponsored by the DuPont Company. It was initially broadcast on radio from 1935 to 1953, and later on television from 1952 to 1957. Originally on CBS the series pioneered the use of anthology drama for company audio advertising. Cavalcade of America documented historical events using stories of individual courage, initiative and achievement, often with feel-good dramatizations of the human spirit's triumph against all odds. This was consistent with DuPont's overall conservative philosophy and legacy as an American company dating back to 1802. The company's motto, "Maker of better things for better living through chemistry," was read at the beginning of each program, and the dramas emphasized humanitarian progress, particularly improvements in the lives of women, often through technological innovation.The show started as part of a successful campaign to reinvigorate DuPont. In the early 1930s, the Nye Committee investigations concluded that DuPont had made a fortune profiteering in World War I. The company stood accused of encouraging an arms race between WWI enemies, after being heavily subsidized by the Allies to increase black powder production. The negative effects of the investigation left the company demoralized, directionless and with a tarnished corporate image in the middle of the Great Depression. DuPont's products were primarily not for public consumption, so there was no purpose in promoting them through advertising. As a solution to DuPont's troubles, Roy Durstine, then creative director of Batten, Barton, Durstine & Osborn, proposed the creation of Cavalcade of America using the company motto. This was to be an important element in the successful re-branding of DuPont as an American legacy engaged in making products for the well-being of Americans and humanity in general. THIS EPISODE: *"Kansas Marshall"* from Cavalcade Of America aired March 31, 1947 starring Henry Fonda. The story of Wyatt Earp, Marshall of Wichita Kansas, a town that needed cleaning up. The script was based on the 1939 film, Frontier Marshal, and remade by John Ford as "My Darling Clementine" in 1946. This radio version is one you will definitely enjoy!
172. Air Adventures Of Jimmy Allen - Episode 20 and Episode 21 http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.60Mb) Description: The Air Adventures Of Jimmy Allen - This series included the boy wonder and pilot, Jimmie Allen, his best teenage buddy, Speed Robertson, and mechanic Flash Lewis. As a team they would solve crimes often at the hands of their enemies the corrupt Black Pete and the dishonorable Digger Dawson. Young listeners could join the very popular Jimmie Allen Flying club, complete with a "personal letter" from the boy wonder himself. Jimmie Allen was so popular a character that Paramount shot the feature film The Sky Parade. Cast: Jimmie Allen, Robert Fiske.
173. Nick Carter Master Detective - Murder By Magic (04-08-44) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.67Mb) Description: Nick Carter Master Detective - Nick Carter is the name of a popular fictional detective who first appeared in in a dime novel entitled "The Old Detective's Pupil" on September 18, 1886. In 1915, Nick Carter Weekly became Street & Smith's Detective Story Magazine. Novels featuring Carter continued to appear through the 1950s, by which time there was also a popular radio show, Nick Carter, Master Detective, which aired on Mutual from 1943 to 1955. Nick Carter first came to radio as The Return of Nick Carter. Then Nick Carter, Master Detective, with Lon Clark in the title role, began April 11, 1943, on Mutual, continuing in many different timeslots for well over a decade. Jock MacGregor was the producer-director of scripts by Alfred Bester, Milton J. Kramer, David Kogan and others. Background music was supplied by organists Hank Sylvern, Lew White and George Wright. Patsy Bowen, Nick's assistant, was portrayed by Helen Choate until mid-1946 and then Charlotte Manson stepped into the role. Nick and Patsy's friend was reporter Scubby Wilson (John Kane). Nick's contact at the police department was Sgt. Mathison (Ed Latimer). The supporting cast included Raymond Edward Johnson, Bill Johnstone and Bryna Raeburn. Michael Fitzmaurice was the program's announcer. THIS EPISODE: April 8, 1944. Mutual network. *"Murder By Magic"*. Sustaining. "Nick Carter and The Mystery Of The Missing Identity." Lon Clark, Helen Choate, John Kane, Humphrey Davis, Jock MacGregor (producer, director, occasional writer), Lew White (musician). 1/2 hour.
174. John Steele Adventurer - Cargo Unknown (07-12-49) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 7.26Mb) Description: John Steele Adventurer - This drama thriller series was heard over the Mutual radio network from 04/26/49 to 07/16/56 and starred Don Douglas in the title role. John Steele treks sweaty-browed through jungles and deserts, fighting lions and saving women. Thrilling indeed. Also heard throughout the program were John Larkin, Jack Edwards, and Bryna Raeburn. THIS EPISODE: July 12, 1949. Mutual network. *"Cargo Unknown"*. Sustaining. Not auditioned. Two men are in an open boat, with a beautiful woman. Elliott Drake (writer, director), Ross Martin, Connie Lembcke, Earl George, Sylvan Levin (conductor), Walt Shaver (sound effects), Ted Mallie (announcer), Don Douglas, Robert Monroe (producer). 29:36.
175. The Adventures Of Nero Wolf - Case Of The Final Page (03-23-51) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.64Mb) Description: The Adventures of Nero Wolf came to radio in the spring of 1943 in a short-lived series starring J. B. Williams over a New England network. The series moved onto ABC with Santos Ortega starring in a summer series (July 5, 1943-September 27, 1943) with John Gibson as Archie Goodwin. Luis Van Rooten moved into the title role when the series was revived the following year (January 21, 1944-July 14, 1944). Francis X. Bushman starred as The Amazing Nero Wolfe in a 1945-46 Mutual series, with Elliott Lewis as Archie. NBC's The New Adventures of Nero Wolfe aired from October 20, 1950 through April 27, 1951 and starred Sydney Greenstreet. The actor had made his film debut at age 61 in Dashiell Hammett's The Maltese Falcon, receiving a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination for his performance as Casper Gutman (a.k.a. "The Fat Man"). Though the series ran only six months, five different veteran radio detective stars were heard as Archie Goodwin: Gerald Mohr (radio's Philip Marlowe and The Lone Wolf), Wally Maher (Michael Shayne), Harry Bartell (announcer of Sherlock Holmes), Herb Ellis (Dragnet's Frank Smith) and Lawrence Dobkin (Ellery Queen). THIS EPISODE: March 23, 1951. NBC network. *"The Case Of The Final Page"*. Sustaining. Nero Wolfe and Archie attend a dinner at the home of Arthur Merle, only to find him knifed in the back. Sydney Greenstreet, Don Arthur (writer), Rex Stout (creator), William Johnstone, Don Stanley (announcer), Edwin Fadiman (producer), J. Donald Wilson (director), Harry Bartell, Evelyn Eaton, Lucille Alex, Peter Leeds, Monica Nealy, Herb Butterfield. 29:27.
176. The Bob Hope Show - Guest - Basil Rathbone (1-28-41) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.31Mb) Description: The Bob Hope Show - From the age of twelve, Bob Hope worked at a wide variety of odd jobs at a local board walk. When not doing this he would busk, doing dance and comedy patter to make extra money. He entered many dancing and amateur talent contests, and won prizes for his impersonation of Charlie Chaplin. He also boxed briefly and unsuccessfully under the name Packy East, making it once as far as the semi-finals of the Ohio novice championship. Fallen silent film comedian Fatty Arbuckle saw one of his performances and in 1925 got him steady work with Hurley's Jolly Follies. A year later Hope had formed an act called the Dancemedians with George Burns (who would also live to see his own 100th birthday) and the Hilton Sisters, conjoined twins who had a tap dancing routine. Hope and his partner George Byrne had an act as a pair of Siamese twins as well, and both danced and sang while wearing blackface before friends advised Hope that he was funnier as himself.. After five years on the Vaudeville circuit, by his own account Hope was surprised and humbled when he and his partner Grace Louise Troxell failed a 1930 screen test for Pathé at Culver City, California. (Hope had been on the screen in small parts, 1927's The Sidewalks of New York and 1928's Smiles. Hope returned to New York City and subsequently appeared in several Broadway musicals including Roberta, Say When, the 1936 Ziegfeld Follies, and Red, Hot and Blue with Ethel Merman. His performances were generally well-received and critics noted his keen sense of comedic timing. He changed his name from "Leslie" to "Bob", reportedly because people in the US were calling him "Hopelessly", although in the 1920s he sometimes used the name "Lester Hope".
177. Lux Radio Theater - Panic In The Streets (03-05-51) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 12.01Mb) Description: Panic in the Streets from Lux Radio Theater aired March 5, 1951. After brawling over a card game in the wharf area of New Orleans, a man named Kochak, suffering visibly from a flu-like illness, is killed by gangster Blackie and his two flunkies, Kochak's cousin Poldi and a man named Fitch. They leave the body on the docks, and later when the dead man, who carries no identification, is brought to the morgue, the coroner grows suspicious about the bacteria present in his blood and calls his superior, Dr. Clinton Reed, (played by Richard Widmark) a uniformed doctor working for the U.S. Public Health Service. Dr. Reed and a police captain (Paul Douglas) have only a day or two in which to prevent an epidemic. Can a doctor turn detective?
178. The Adventures Of Ellery Queen - The Singing Rat (1-07-43) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.50Mb) Description: The Adventures Of Ellery Queen - Tuska cited Ellery Queen, Master Detective (1940) and Ellery Queen's Penthouse Mystery (1941) as the best of the Bellamy-Lindsay pairings. "The influence of The Thin Man series was apparent in reverse", Tuska noted about Ellery Queen's Penthouse Mystery. "Ellery and Nikki are unmarried but obviously in love with each other. Probably the biggest mystery... is how Ellery ever gets a book written. Not only is Nikki attractive and perfectly willing to show off her figure", Tuska wrote, "but she also likes to write her own stories on Queen's time, and gets carried away doing her own investigations." In Ellery Queen, Master Detective, "the amorous relationship between Ellery and Nikki Porter was given a dignity, and therefore integrity", Tuska wrote, "that was lacking in the two previous entries in the series", made at Republic Pictures before Bellamy and Lindsay were signed by Columbia. THIS EPISODE: January 7, 1943. NBC network. *"The Adventure Of The Singing Rat"*. Sponsored by: Bromo Seltzer. Racketeer Musso has been set up by a stool pigeon. A hollow cigarette holds the secret of murder. This is the West Coast broadcast, the East cast broadcast took place on January 9, 1943. The system cue has been deleted. Carleton Young, Marian Shockley, Santos Ortega, Ted de Corsia, Ann Corio (guest armchair detective), Alfred McKelvey ("a prominent Eastern manufacturer" second guest armchair detective), Ernest Chappell (announcer), Frederic Dannay (writer), Manfred B. Lee (writer), Bruce Kamman (producer, director), Charles Paul (organ). 29:30.
179. Diary Of Fate - Janice Bennett (6-22-48) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.31Mb) Description: 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’. THIS EPISODE: June 22, 1948. Program #28. Finley syndication. *"Janice Bennet"*. Commercials added locally. Book 701, page 327. Not auditioned. A woman always takes the easy way out. The date is subject to correction. Herb Lytton, Ginny Johnson, Gloria Gordon, Doug Young, James Murphy, Ray Ehrlenborn, Hal Sawyer, Larry Finley (producer). 26:21.
180. Duffy's Tavern - Poker Game (11-02-43) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.65Mb) Description: 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 co-created the show, Ed Gardner. In the show's familiar opening, "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling," either solo on an old-sounding piano or by a larger orchestra, was interrupted by the ring of a telephone and Gardner's New Yorkese accent as he answered, "Duffy's Tavern, where the elite meet to eat. Archie the manager speakin'. Duffy ain't here — oh, hello, Duffy." Duffy, the owner, was never heard (or seen, when a film based on the show was made in 1945 or when a bid to bring the show to television was tried in 1954). But Archie always was — bantering with Duffy's man-crazy daughter, Miss Duffy (played by several actresses, beginning with Gardner's real-life first wife, Shirley Booth); with Eddie, the waiter/janitor (Eddie Green); and, especially, with Clifton Finnegan (Charlie Cantor), a likeable soul with several screws loose and a knack for falling for every other salesman's scam. THIS EPISODE: November 2, 1943. Program #25. Blue network origination, AFRS rebroadcast. Guest Charles Coburn is enticed into a *poker game* down at the tavern. Charles Coburn, Ed Gardner, Florence Halop, Peter Van Steeden and His Orchestra. 1/2 hour.
181. CBS Radio Mystery Theater - Absolute Zero (10-28-76) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 10.45Mb) Description: The CBS Radio Mystery Theater (or CBSRMT) was an ambitious and sustained attempt to revive the great drama of old-time radio in the 1970s. Created by Himan Brown (who had by then become a radio legend due to his work on Inner Sanctum Mysteries and other shows dating back to the 1930s), and aired on affiliate stations across the CBS Radio network, the series began its long run on January 6, 1974. The final episode ran on December 31, 1982. The show was broadcast nightly and ran for one hour, including commercials. Typically, a week consisted of three to four new episodes, with the remainder of the week filled out with reruns. There were a total of 1399 original episodes broadcast. The total number of broadcasts, including reruns, was 2969. The late E.G. Marshall hosted the program every year but the final one, when actress Tammy Grimes took over. Each episode began with the ominous sound of a creaking door, slowly opening to invite listeners in for the evening's adventure. At the end of each show, the door would swing shut, with Marshall signing off, "Until next time, pleasant...dreams?"
182. Dark Fantasy - Double Feature (11-14-41) and (01-30-42) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 11.96Mb) Description: 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. TODAY'S SHOW: "The Man Who Came Back" (11-14-41) and "Death Is A Savage Diety" (01-30-42) November 14, 1941. NBC network, WKY, Oklahoma City origination. *"The Man Who Came Back"*. Sustaining. A killing after an argument about a man's wife leads to a promise to return from the grave for vengeance. Scott Bishop (writer), Muir Height, Eugene Frances, Ben Morris, Eleanor Naylor Corin (?), Fred Wayne, Murillo Scofield (?). 24:41 January 30, 1942. Program #11. NBC network"Death Is A Savage Diety". Sustaining. A tale of witchcraft and black magic, based on the novel by Scott Bishop. The system cue has been deleted. Scott Bishop (writer), Tom Paxton (announcer). 24:25.
183. Abbott & Costello Show - Spanish Acting School (05-03-45) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.67Mb) Description: 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: May 3, 1945. NBC network. Sponsored by: Camels, Prince Albert. Costello wants to become a dramatic actor from Brazil...another Carmen Veranda! Bob Matthews (an ex-aerial gunner) sings for the first time on the show (and sounds like an off-key Mel Torme). Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Will Osborne and His Orchestra, Bob Matthews, Connie Haines, Ken Niles (announcer), Mel Blanc. 29:28.
184. Calling All Cars - Moving Picture Murder (12-18-34) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 6.76Mb) Description: 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: December 18, 1934. Program #56. CBS Pacific network (Don Lee network). *"The Moving Picture Murder"*. Sponsored by: Rio Grande Oil. A hold-up and murder has taken place in San Diego. The system cue has been deleted. Not auditioned. William N. Robson (writer, producer), Charles Frederick Lindsley (narrator). 30:35.
185. Jeff Regan Investigator - Two Episodes (08-14-48) (11-09-49) http://traffic.libsyn.com/boxc... download (audio/mpeg, 14.50Mb) Description: 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 c