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Episodes
- Screen Directors Playhouse - The Night Has A Thousand Eye (02-17-49)
(8mb)
Fri, 29 Aug 2008 21:38:39 GMT
The Night Has A Thousand Eye (Aired February 17, 1949)
From 01/09/49 to 09/28/51 this series was greatly enjoyed by the radio listening audience. It opened as NBC Theater and was also known as The Screen Director?s Guild and The Screen Director?s Assignment. But most people remember it simply as Screen Director?s Playhouse. Many of the Hollywood elite were heard recreating their screen roles over the radio. John Wayne in his rare radio appearances, Cary Grant, Edward G. Robinson, Lucille Ball, Claire Trevor, Tallulah Bankhead and many others were on the air week after week during these broadcasts. Many of Hollywood?s directors were also heard in the recreation of their movies. The President of the Screen Director?s Guild appeared on 02/13/49, and Violinist Isaac Stern supplied the music for the 04/19/51 broadcast.THIS EPISODE: February 27, 1949. NBC network. "Night Has A Thousand Eyes". Sustaining. A good story about a man who can see into the future, and can even see his own death! Bill Cairn (director), Cornell Woolrich (writer), Edward G. Robinson, Frank Barton (announcer), Henry Russell (composer, conductor), Howard Wiley (producer), Milton Geiger (adaptor), Paul Frees, William Demarest. 29:46.
- Nick Carter Master Detective - Death In The Pool (11-05-44) (6mb)
Fri, 29 Aug 2008 17:49:04 GMT
Death In The Pool (Aired November 5, 1944)
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.THIS EPISODE: November 5, 1944. Mutual network. "Death In The Pool," or "The Mystery Of The Mink Coat". Sponsored by: Lin-X Home Brighteners. Lon Clark, Helen Choate, John Kane, Humphrey Davis, Jock MacGregor (producer, director, occasional writer), Lew White (musician). 1/2 hour.
- Boxcars711 Overnight Western - Tom Mix " Vanishing Village" 1945 (11mb)
Fri, 29 Aug 2008 05:51:20 GMT
Boxcars711 Overnight Western - The Tom Mix Ralston Straightshooters "Vanishing Village" (3 Ep. Complete)
In 1933 Ralston-Purina obtained his permission to produce a Tom Mix radio series,Tom Mix Ralston Straight Shooters, which, except for one year during World War II, was popular throughout most of the 1930s and into the early 1950s. (Mix never appeared on these broadcasts and was instead played by voice actors.) His last screen appearance was a 15 episode serial for Mascot Pictures called The Miracle Rider (1935), for which he was paid $40,000 for four weeks of filming. Also that year, Texas governor James Allred named Mix an honorary Texas Ranger. Mix went back to circus performing, this time with his eldest daughter Ruth who had appeared in some of his films. In 1938 Mix went to Europe on a promotional trip, while his daughter Ruth stayed behind to manage his circus, which soon failed. He later excluded her from his will. He had reportedly made over $6,000,000 (approaching $400 million in early 21st century, inflation adjusted values) during his 26 year career in the movies.
- The CBS Radio Workshop - The Ex-Urbanites (3-30-56) (7mb)
Thu, 28 Aug 2008 22:43:40 GMT
The Ex-Urbanites (Aired March 30, 1956)
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.
- You Are There - The Surrender Of Sitting Bull (05-02-48) (7mb)
Thu, 28 Aug 2008 18:36:08 GMT
The Surrender Of Sitting Bull (Aired May 2, 1948)
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.
- Boxcars711 Overnight Western - Gunsmoke "Arsolom" (03-07-53) (7mb)
Thu, 28 Aug 2008 06:51:51 GMT
Boxcars711 Overnight Western - Gunsmoke "Arsolom" (Aired March 7, 1953)
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.THIS EPISODE: 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.
- The Falcon - The Case Of The Raw Deal (12-10-50) (7mb)
Thu, 28 Aug 2008 01:59:48 GMT
The Case Of The Raw Deal (Aired December 10, 1950)
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: December 10, 1950. NBC network. "The Case Of The Raw Deal". Sponsored by: Kraft. A gunman robs a hotel room poker game of $65,000. The victims hire "The Falcon" to find the gunman, but Mike Waring suspects that one of the card players was in on the deal. Les Damon, Ed Herlihy (announcer), Drexel Drake (creator). 29:34.
- Screen Directors Playhouse - Lets Live A Little (01-16-49) (7mb)
Wed, 27 Aug 2008 20:48:53 GMT
Lets Live A Little (01-16-49)
From 01/09/49 to 09/28/51 this series was greatly enjoyed by the radio listening audience. It opened as NBC Theater and was also known as The Screen Director?s Guild and The Screen Director?s Assignment. But most people remember it simply as Screen Director?s Playhouse. Many of the Hollywood elite were heard recreating their screen roles over the radio. John Wayne in his rare radio appearances, Cary Grant, Edward G. Robinson, Lucille Ball, Claire Trevor, Tallulah Bankhead and many others were on the air week after week during these broadcasts. Many of Hollywood?s directors were also heard in the recreation of their movies. The President of the Screen Director?s Guild appeared on 02/13/49, and Violinist Isaac Stern supplied the music for the 04/19/51 broadcast.THIS EPISODE: January 16, 1949. NBC network. "Let's Live A Little". Sustaining. A light comedy about a harried advertising executive, his love life, his nerves, and his beautiful doctor. The sereis is also refered to as, "Screen Director's Playhouse" and "NBC Theatre." Robert Cummings, Richard Wallace (guest screen director), Betty Lou Gerson, Virginia Gregg, Tom Collins, Constance Crowder, John Dehner, Sarah Selby, Dan Riss, Richard Allen Simmons (writer), Henry Russell (composer, conductor), Howard Wiley (production supervisor), Frank Barton (announcer). 29:25.
- Voyage Of The Scarlet Queen - Redbeard And The Bag Of Pearls (12-17-47) (7mb)
Wed, 27 Aug 2008 14:21:44 GMT
Redbeard And The Bag Of Pearls (Aired December 17, 1947)
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: December 17, 1947. Mutual network. "Red Beard and The Bag Of Pearls". Sustaining. A gang steals several pearls from a Bay in the Gilbert Islands and causes the natives to become restless. Possibly dated December 10, 1947. Elliott Lewis, Edwin Max, Richard Aurandt (music), Charles Arlington (announcer). 1/2 hour.
- People Are Funny - Could You Buy A Hamburger (10-15-54) (7mb)
Wed, 27 Aug 2008 05:28:15 GMT
Could You Buy A Hamburger (Aired October 15, 1954)
People are Funny was a television game show that premiered and ended on NBC from 1954-1961. It was shot in the outside world and dared people to do stunts for fun for spectators. This was done to "reveal the true nature" of their guests. This show was considered a predecessor to most of the reality game shows we know today, such as "Survivor" and MTV's "Jackass." Art Linkletter was the more well-known host of the show. Viewers grew up with him, but not just on People are Funny. He was also seen on Life With Linkletter (1950-52 & 1969-70), Art Linkletter's House Party (1952-69), and The Art Linkletter Show (1963.
- The Story Of Dr. Kildare - Glaucoma (06-15-50) (7mb)
Wed, 27 Aug 2008 01:35:25 GMT
Glaucoma (Aired June 15, 1950)
Dr. James Kildare was a fictional character, the primary character in a series of American theatrical films in the late 1930s and early 1940s, an early 1950s radio series, a 1960s television series of the same name and a comic book based on the TV show. The character was invented by the author Frederick Schiller Faust (aka Max Brand). The character began in the film series as a medical intern; after becoming a doctor he was mentored by an older physician, Dr. Leonard Gillespie. After the first ten films, the series eliminated the character of Kildare and focused instead on Gillespie.THIS EPISODE: June 15, 1950. Program #21. WMGM, New York-Mutual network 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.
- Great Gildersleeve - Leroy Smokes A Cigar (11-23-41) (7mb)
Tue, 26 Aug 2008 18:33:23 GMT
Leroy Smokes A Cigar (Aired November 23, 1941)
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: November 23, 1941. NBC network. Sponsored by: Kraft Parkay. The day Leroy and his friend sampled Gilderlseeve's cheap cigars. Harold Peary, Walter Tetley, Lurene Tuttle, Lillian Randolph, Leonard L. Levinson (writer), William Randolph (composer, conductor), Jim Bannon (announcer). 29:32.
- The Witch's Tale - Rockabye Baby (07-25-32) (7mb)
Tue, 26 Aug 2008 06:02:20 GMT
Rockabye Baby (Aired July 25, 1932)
A seminal series which established the standard of a host-based anthology series, and the first horror series produced for radio. WOR, New York origination, Air Features Syndicate syndication. Music fill for local commercial insert. 9:30 P. M. lonzo Deen Cole (writer, producer, performer), Marie O'Flynn, Adelaide Fitz-Allen (as "Old Nancy"). John Dunning in his "On the Air, The Encyclopedia of Old Time Radio," relates the odd tale of getting the replacement for the original Nancy, Adelaide Fitz-Allen, who died at 79 in 1935. A radio veteran, only a mere 13 years old, Miriam Wolfe by name, was then on the fine children's program, Let's Pretend. Of course, she wasn't considered for the part. She stayed in the studio during a late-night broadcast by Witch's Tale writer/director, Alonzo Deen Cole, and began her "Nancy" without warning. Cole was so chilled by her mimicry of an ancient crone that she got the part on the spot. Later in the show's run, the role was taken by Martha Wentworth.THIS EPISODE: July 25, 1932. WOR, New York origination, Air Features Syndicate syndication. "Rockabye Baby". Music fill for local commercial insert. 9:30 P. M. "Spooks in the house"?? A couple accepts the challenge to sleep there. This story program was "produced by "Air Features Syndicate" but was advertised and distributed by "All-Star Broadcasts" (which was owned by Billy Jones and Ernie Hare). Alonzo Deen Cole (writer, producer, performer), Marie O'Flynn, Adelaide Fitz-Allen (as "Old Nancy"). 30:33.
- Mysterious Traveler - The Accusing Corpse (04-16-44) (7mb)
Tue, 26 Aug 2008 00:38:33 GMT
The Accusing Corpse (Aired April 16, 1944)
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: April 16, 1944. Mutual network. "The Accusing Corpse". Sustaining. A journey to the grave to learn the secrets of the dead. An old scam leads to an accusation by a dead body. The show will switch to Sunday at 3:30 P. M. (EST) next week. The script was also used on "The Sealed Book" on April 29, 1945. Don Randolph, Phillip Clark, Maurice Tarplin, Doc Whipple (music), Jock MacGregor (director), Robert A. Arthur (writer), David Kogan (writer). 29:45.
- Murder By Experts - The Creeper (07-18-49) (7mb)
Mon, 25 Aug 2008 18:43:51 GMT
The Creeper (Aired July 18, 1949)
(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.
- The Six Shooter - Sheriff Billy (11-29-53) (21mb)
Mon, 25 Aug 2008 06:16:32 GMT
Sheriff Billy (Aired November 29, 1953)
The Six Shooter brought James Stewart to the NBC microphone on September 20, 1953, in a fine series of folksy Western adventures. Stewart was never better on the air than in this drama of Britt Ponset, frontier drifter created by Frank Burt. The epigraph set it up nicely: "The man in the saddle is angular and long-legged: his skin is sun dyed brown. The gun in his holster is gray steel and rainbow mother-of-pearl. People call them both The Six Shooter." Ponset was a wanderer, an easy-going gentleman and -- when he had to be -- a gunfighter. Stewart was right in character as the slow-talking maverick who usually blundered into other people's troubles and sometimes shot his way out. His experiences were broad, but The Six Shooter leaned more to comedy than other shows of its kind. Ponset took time out to play Hamlet with a crude road company. He ran for mayor and sheriff of the same town at the same time. He became involved in a delighful Western version of Cinderella, complete with grouchy stepmother, ugly sisters, and a shoe that didn't fit. And at Christmas he told a young runaway the story of A Christmas Carol, Substituting the original Dickens characters with Western heavies.THIS EPISODE: November 29, 1953. NBC network. Sustaining. Sheriff Bill Riddle is the law in Dawson. He faces down an escaped killer without a gunfight...and with good reason. Jimmy Stewart, Alan Reed, Frank Burt (creator, writer), James McCallion, Ken Christy, Basil Adlam (music), Jack Johnstone (director), Hal Gibney (announcer), Howard McNear. 29:35.
- Arch Oboler's Plays - Another World (7-29-39) (7mb)
Sun, 24 Aug 2008 21:54:07 GMT
Another World (Aired July 29, 1939)
Arch Oboler's Plays was a radio drama series written, produced and directed by Arch Oboler. Minus a sponsor, it ran for one year, airing Saturday evenings on NBC from March 25, 1939 to March 23, 1940 and revived five years later on Mutual for a sustaining summer run from April 5, 1945 to October 11, 1945. Leading film actors were heard on this series, including Gloria Blondell, Eddie Cantor, James Cagney, Ronald Colman, Joan Crawford, Greer Garson, Edmund Gwenn, Van Heflin, Katharine Hepburn, Elsa Lanchester, Peter Lorre, Frank Lovejoy, Raymond Massey, Burgess Meredith, Paul Muni, Alla Nazimova, Edmond O'Brien, Geraldine Page, Gale Sondergaard, Franchot Tone and George Zucco.THIS EPISODE: July 29, 1939. NBC network. "Another World". Sustaining. An eerie story about a woman's battle with the voice inside her...trying to take over her body! The story is also known as, "The Voice Within Me." Arch Oboler, Arnold Moss, Betty Garde, Frank Lovejoy, Gilbert Mack, Hester Sondergaard, John Brown. 29:28.
- Bold Venture - Six Crates Of Apples (1951) (7mb)
Sun, 24 Aug 2008 14:44:04 GMT
Six Crates Of Apples (1951)
The Hollywood husband and wife team of Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall set sail for adventure in the Bold Venture radio series in early 1951. There were well over 400 stations that aired the program. Since thiswas syndicated * the starting date varied from station to station but Mar 26, 1951 was the official date of the first show. Humphrey Bogart portrayed Slate Shannon, owner of a rundown Havana hotel, Shannon's Place. The action took place on land as well aboard Slate's boat, The Bold Venture, thus the title of the series. Lauren Bacall was his ward Sailor Duval, a stubborn and flirtatious young woman whose late father had willed her to Slate for her protection. Together the duo found adventure, intrigue, mystery and romance in the sultry settings of tropical Havana and the mysterious islands of the Caribbean.
- The General Electric Theater - The Enchanted Cottage (9-24-53) (7mb)
Sun, 24 Aug 2008 05:53:08 GMT
The Enchanted Cottage (Aired September 24, 1953)
General Electric Theater featured a mix of romance, comedy, adventure, tragedy, fantasy and variety music. Occupying the Sunday evening spot on CBS following the Toast of the Town/Ed Sullivan Show from 1 February 1953 to 27 May 1962, the General Electric Theater presented top Hollywood and Broadway stars in dramatic roles calculated to deliver company voice advertising to the largest possible audience. Despite a long technical and practical experience with television production, GE's previous attempts to establish a Sunday evening company program had fared poorly. In the fall of 1948 GE entered commercial television for the first time with the Dennis James Carnival, a variety show dropped after one performance.THIS EPISODE: September 24, 1953. CBS network. "The Enchanted Cottage". Sponsored by: General Electric. Not auditioned. A plain woman and a criplled man fall in love and see a magic transformation in each other. The story was previously used on, "The Gulf Screen Guild Theater" on November 26, 1939. Joan Fontaine, William Johnstone, Tom Tully, Gloria Gordon, Lurene Tuttle, Dan O'Herlihy, Arthur Wing Pinero (author), Jaime del Valle (director, transcriber), Ken Carpenter (announcer, host), Walter Newman (adaptor), Hett Manheim (editorial supervisor), Wilbur Hatch (music). 29:43.
- Boston Blackie - Alice Manweather (08-04-44) (7mb)
Sat, 23 Aug 2008 23:44:58 GMT
Alice Manweather (Aired August 4, 1944)
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.THIS EPISODE: August 4, 1944. NBC network. Sponsored by: Rinso, Lifebuoy Soap. Alice Manletter meets Boston Blackie in a hotel lobby, then disappears. But it wasn't really Blackie and Alice is soon found dead, killed by Blackie's gun! After escaping from police headquarters, Blackie tracks down the real killer and a Nazi named Adolf! Chester Morris, Richard Lane, Bea Benaderet (doubles), Charles Cornell (music), Harlow Wilcox (announcer). 29:43.
- The Mutual (Sears) Radio Theater - Death Warmed Over (09-24-80) (10mb)
Sat, 23 Aug 2008 18:07:12 GMT
Death Warmed Over (Aired September 24, 1980)
in 1979, sponsored by the department-store chain; in its second year, 1980, it moved to the Mutual Broadcasting System and became the Mutual Radio Theater; the MBS series was repeats from the CBS run, until September of 1980, when a short season of new dramas was presented. The Mutual run was still most often sponsored by Sears. Often paired with The CBS Radio Mystery Theater on those stations which cleared it in its first season, the SRT offered a different genre of drama for each day's broadcast.Monday was "Western Night" and was hosted by Lorne Greene. Tuesday was "Comedy Night", hosted by Andy Griffith. Wednesday was "Mystery Night" with Vincent Price as host. Thursday was "Love And Hate Night" with Cicely Tyson doing honors as host. Finally, Friday brought "Adventure Night", first hosted by Richard Widmark and later by Howard Duff and then by Leonard Nimoy. Though less long-lived than NPR's Earplay or the Mystery Theater, it was an ambitious if not particularly critically-favored attempt to reinvigorate a neglected field.
- Have Gun Will Travel - Monster On Moon Ridge (03-08-59) (6mb)
Sat, 23 Aug 2008 05:51:18 GMT
Monster On Moon Ridge (Aired March 8, 1959)
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.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. 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.
- Danger Doctor Danfield - Murder Of Cora Rogers (09-01-46) (6mb)
Fri, 22 Aug 2008 22:02:52 GMT
Murder Of Cora Rogers (Aired September 1, 1946)
Danger, Dr Danfield was first broadcast on August 18, 1946 and consisted of 26 episodes with the last one being April 13, 1947. All episodes are available. It starred Michael Dunn as Dr. Danfield, with JoAnne Johnson as Rusty Fairfax, his secretary. The series was written by Ralph Wilkinson and produced by Wally Ramsey. This series consistently featured some of the worst acting and writing of any detective show to reach the airwaves. The show had a formula with the crime usually being committed in the first third of the program, the good doctor solving it in the second third, and then pedantically explaining the solution to someone (usually his "pretty, young" secretary, Rusty) in the conclusion. Dr. Daniel Danfield was an obnoxious unlicensed private investigator/criminal psychologist with an ego complex. Why Rusty would put up with this guy is beyond understanding. In this case, love is not only blind, but also deaf and dumb.Show Notes Thanks To The OTR Researcher's Group (http://otrr.org/)
- Mr. & Mrs. North - The Last Escape (04-01-52) (6mb)
Fri, 22 Aug 2008 16:59:54 GMT
The Last Escape (Aired April 1, 1952)
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.
- Father Knows Best - Time For A New Car (06-08-50) (7mb)
Fri, 22 Aug 2008 04:03:23 GMT
Time For A New Car (Aired June 8, 1950)
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.
- Amos & Andy Show - Sunday Monday Or Always (02-25-44) (6mb)
Thu, 21 Aug 2008 22:28:16 GMT
Sunday Monday Or Always (Aired February 25, 1944)
Amos Jones and Andy Brown worked on a farm near Atlanta, Georgia, and during the episodes of the first week, they made plans to find a better life in Chicago, despite warnings from a friend. With four ham and cheese sandwiches and $24, they bought train tickets and headed for Chicago where they lived in a State Street rooming house and experienced some rough times before launching their own business, the Fresh Air Taxi Company. With the listening audience increasing in the spring and summer of 1928, the show's success prompted the Pepsodent Company to bring it to the NBC Blue Network on August 19, 1929. At this time the Blue Network was not heard on stations in the West. Western listeners complained to NBC, they wanted to hear the show. Under special arrangements Amos 'n' Andy debuted coast-to-coast November 28, 1929 on NBC's Pacific Orange Network and continued on the Blue. At the same time, the serial's central characters -- Amos, Andy and George "The Kingfish" Stevens -- relocated from Chicago to Harlem.THIS EPISODE: February 25, 1944. NBC network origination, AFRS rebroadcast. Replacing "The Great Gildersleeve." Andy is convinced that he's written the hit tune, "Sunday, Monday, Or Always." He and The Kingfish go into the song writing business! Guests are Kay Kyser, Harry Babbitt. Also Johnny Burke and Jimmy Van Heusen (the real composers of the tune). Freeman Gosden, Charles Correll, Harlow Wilcox (announcer), Kay Kyser, Harry Babbitt, Johnny Burke, Jimmy Van Heusen, Kay Kyser and His Orchestra (music fill), Georgia Carroll (vocal). 29:42.
- The Milton Berle Show - Salute To Gambling (02-03-48) (7mb)
Thu, 21 Aug 2008 16:32:01 GMT
Salute To Gambling (Aired February 3, 1948)
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.THIS EPISODE: February 3, 1948. NBC net. 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.
- Gunsmoke - Doc's Reward (04-29-56) (6mb)
Thu, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:25 GMT
Doc's Reward (Aired April 29, 1956)
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.THIS EPISODE: April 29, 1956. CBS network. "Doc's Reward". Sponsored by: L & M, Chesterfield. Doc kills a stranger trying to stop him from seeing a patient. The stranger's brother arrives in town and starts keeping his eye on Doc. The script was used on the Gunsmoke television series on December 14, 1957. The system cue has been deleted. William Conrad, Howard McNear, John Meston (writer), John Dehner, Vic Perrin, Parley Baer, Georgia Ellis, George Fenneman (announcer), Norman Macdonnell (producer, director), Rex Koury (composer, conductor), Ray Kemper (sound patterns), Bill James (sound patterns). 24:43.
- Suspense - A Plain Case Of Murder (10-10-46) (7mb)
Thu, 21 Aug 2008 01:54:27 GMT
A Plain Case Of Murder (Aired October 10, 1946)
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: October 10, 1946. CBS network. "A Plane Case Of Murder". Sponsored by: Roma Wines. A scheming woman and her pre-war lover plan to kill her wealthy husband. A private aircraft figures in the murder plot. Robert L. Richards (writer), Joseph Kearns (announcer), William Johnstone, Hans Conried, Jerry Hausner, Ken Niles (commercial spokesman), William Spier (producer, director), John Lund, Cathy Lewis, Lucien Moraweck (composer), Lud Gluskin (conductor). 29:45.
- Rocky Fortune - Catskills Cover-Up (02-09-54) (6mb)
Wed, 20 Aug 2008 20:46:21 GMT
Catskills Cover-Up (Aired February 9, 1954)
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: February 9, 1954. NBC network. "Catskills Cover-Up". Sustaining. Not auditioned. Rocky becomes a Borscht Belt social director to help a man involved in a post office robbery. Don't miss the straight-faced line, "Okay Louie, drop the blintz!" This is a network version of cat. #24622. Frank Sinatra, Barney Phillips. 24:36.
- Tales Of The Texas Rangers - Dead Give Away (10-15-50) (7mb)
Wed, 20 Aug 2008 06:39:26 GMT
OVERNIGHT WESTERN - Dead Give Away (Aired October 15, 1950)
Tales of the Texas Rangers, a western adventure old-time radio drama, premiered on July 8, 1950, on the NBC radio network and remained on the air through September 14, 1952. Movie star Joel McCrea starred as Texas Ranger Jayce Pearson, who used the latest scientific techniques to identify the criminals and his faithful horse, Charcoal, to track them down. The shows were reenactments of actual Texas Ranger cases. The series was produced and directed by Stacy Keach, Sr., and was sponsored for part of its run by Wheaties. Captain Manuel T. "Lone Wolf" Gonzaullas, a Ranger for 30 years and who was said to have killed 31 men during his career, served as consultant for the series. The series was adapted for television from 1955 to 1957. During the opening and closing credits of the TV show, the actors would march toward the camera and sing the theme song, "We are the Texas Rangers", to the tune of "The Eyes of Texas Are Upon You", which is also the tune of "I've Been Working on the Railroad".THIS EPISODE: December 2, 1951. NBC network. "Dead Giveaway". Sustaining. A boxer named Johnny Buck is poisoned...in the middle of a fight. The date and story title are subject to correction. Joel McCrea, Will Gould (adaptor), Tony Barrett, Herb Ellis, Herb Vigran, Peggy Webber, Nestor Paiva, Parley Baer, Stacy Keach (producer, director), Hal Gibney (announcer). 29:32.
- X Minus One - Death Wish (10-10-57) (5mb)
Wed, 20 Aug 2008 03:35:01 GMT
Death Wish (Aired October 10, 1957)
X MINUS ONE was an NBC science fiction series that was an extension, or revival, of NBC's earlier science fiction series, DIMENSION X. which ran from Apr. 8, 1950 through Sept. 29, 1951. Both are remembered for bringing really first rate science fiction to the air. The first X MINUS ONE shows used scripts from DIMENSION X, but soon created new shows from storied from the pages of Galaxy Magazine. A total of 125 programs were broadcast, some repeats or remakes, until the last show of Jan. 9, 1958. There was a one-program revival attempt in 1973, shown at the end of the log.THIS EPISODE: October 10, 1957. Program #110. NBC network origination, AFRTS rebroadcast. "Death Wish". Three guys in a wrecked space ship are looking for the answer to a really tough question. Fred Collins (announcer), George Voutsas (director), Joseph Bell, Maurice Tarplin, Ned Lang (author), Ralph Camargo, Walter Black, William Welch (supervisor, adaptor, producer). 20 minutes.
- Secrets Of Scotland Yard - Just A Matchstick & Duster (1945) (7mb)
Tue, 19 Aug 2008 22:42:00 GMT
Just A Matchstick & Duster (1945)
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. Murders, forgery, and robberies all get a through review on the program. Each time, Scotland Yard detectives are afoot to solve the crime mystery! The Secrets of Scotland Yard was initially hosted by Clive Brook.Show Notes From The Old Time Radio Researcher's Group.
- Calling All Cars - Murder At Southgate (5-02-34) (8mb)
Tue, 19 Aug 2008 06:34:39 GMT
Murder At Southgate (Aired May 2, 1934)
Calling All Cars was one of radio?s earliest cop shows, dramatizing true crime stories and introduced by officers from the Los Angeles and other police departments. The narrator of the program was speech professor Charles Frederick Lindsley, and the only other regular voice heard on the program week after week belonged to that of Sergeant Jesse Rosenquist of the L.A.P.D., whose name and voice were so unusually distinctive that he was retained for the show?s entire run. None of the actors on the show ever received on-air credit, but among the talent OTR fans can hear the likes of Elvia Allman, Jackson Beck, Charles Bickford, John Gibson, Richard LeGrand and Hanley Stafford, just to name a few.THIS EPISODE: May 2, 1934. Program #23. CBS Pacific network (Don Lee network). "Murder At Southgate". Sponsored by: Rio Grande Oil. A disturbance has taken place on San Gabriel Avenue in Southgate. A dramatization of the first murder ever to take place in Southgate. The system cue has been deleted. Not auditioned. Ann Sawyer, Martha Wentworth, True Boardman, Charlie Lung (triples), Caranina Burt (?), Hanley Stafford, Sam Pierce, Richard LeGrand, Robert Frazer, Wade Ling (?). 28:11.
- Hollywood Radio Theater - I Confess (09-21-53) (14mb)
Tue, 19 Aug 2008 00:42:24 GMT
I Confess (Aired September 21, 1953)
Lux Radio Theater (Hollywood Radio Theater) one of the genuine classic radio anthology series (NBC Blue Network, 1934-1935; CBS 1935-1955), adapted first Broadway stage and then (and especially) films to hour-long live radio presentations and became the standard by which future radio and early television anthologies would be judged. Cecil B. DeMille was the host of the series each Monday evening from June 1, 1936 until January 22, 1945.THIS EPISODE: September 21, 1953. Program #92. CBS network origination, AFRS rebroadcast. "I Confess". A priest hears the confession of a murderer. Because he cannot reveal the killer's identity, the priest finds himself accused of the crime. AFRS program name: "Hollywood Radio Theatre." Cary Grant, Phyllis Thaxter, Irving Cummings (host), Ken Carpenter (announcer), Rudy Schrager (music director), Jack Kruschen, Leonard Penn, Edgar Barrier, Shepard Menken, George Baxter, Anne Morrison, Charlie Lung, Jill Oppenheim, William Johnstone, Herb Butterfield, Tony Michaels, Edward Marr, George Tabori (screenwriter), William Archibald (screenwriter), Paul Anthelme (author), Earl Ebi (director), Sanford Barnett (adaptor), Charlie Forsyth (sound effects). 55 minutes.
- This Is Your FBI - The Surplus Swindle (06-28-46) (7mb)
Mon, 18 Aug 2008 19:24:20 GMT
The Surplus Swindle (Aired June 6, 1946)
This Is Your FBI was a radio crime drama which aired in the United States on ABC from April 6, 1945 to January 30, 1953. FBI chief J. Edgar Hoover gave it his endorsement, calling it "the finest dramatic program on the air." Producer-director Jerry Devine was given access to FBI files by Hoover, and the resulting dramatizations of FBI cases were narrated by Frank Lovejoy (1945), Dean Carleton (1946-47) and William Woodson (1948-53). Stacy Harris had the lead role of Special Agent Jim Taylor. Others in the cast were William Conrad, Bea Benaderet and Jay C. Flippen.THIS EPISODE: June 28, 1946. ABC network. "The Surplus Swindle". Sponsored by: The Equitable Life Assurance Society. A phoney army officer and his moll offer a not-so-honest store owner two hundred radios that belong to the army. John Gibson, Frederick Steiner (composer, conductor), Dean Carlton (narrator), Carl Frank (announcer), Frank Faries (writer). 29:31.
- Nightfall - The Stone Ship (10-03-80) (7mb)
Sun, 17 Aug 2008 22:24:04 GMT
The Stone Ship (Aired October 03, 1980)
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.
- You Bet Your Life - Secret Word Spoon (01-18-50) (7mb)
Sun, 17 Aug 2008 14:19:26 GMT
Secret Word Spoon (Aired January 18, 1950)
Groucho Marx matches wits with the American public in four episodes of this classic game show. Starting on the radio in 1947, You Bet Your Life made its television debut in 1950 and aired for 11 years with Groucho as host and emcee. Sponsored rather conspicuously by the Dodge DeSoto car manufacturers, the show featured two contestants working as a team to answer questions for cash prizes. Another mainstay of these question and answer segments was the paper mache duck that would descend from the ceiling with one hundred dollars in tow whenever a player uttered the "secret word." The quiz show aspect of "You Bet Your Life" was always secondary, to the clever back-and-forth between host and contestant, which found Groucho at his funniest. It's in these interview segments that "You Bet Your Life" truly makes its mark as one of early television's greatest programs. Directed by: Robert Dwan.THIS EPISODE: January 18, 1950. NBC network. Spoon. Sponsored by: Elgin-American. The secret word is "spoon". Groucho Marx, George Fenneman (announcer), Mike Wallace (commercial spokesman, billed as "Myron Wallace"), Jerry Fielding (music), John Guedel (producer), Robert Dwan (director), Bernie Smith (director), Frank Martuccio. 29:45.
- Blair Of The Mounties - Cherry Hill Mystery (2 Parts - Complete) (6mb)
Sun, 17 Aug 2008 06:14:49 GMT
Cherry Hill Mystery - 2 Episodes Complete - April 4, 1938. Program #10) and April 11, 1938. Program #11
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.?
- The CBS Radio Mystery Theater - Speak Of The Devil (01-25-74) (11mb)
Sun, 17 Aug 2008 02:41:31 GMT
Speak Of The Devil (January 25, 1974)
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?"
- Damon Runyon Theater - Blonde Mink (04-24-49) (7mb)
Sat, 16 Aug 2008 21:35:25 GMT
Blonde Mink (Aired April 24, 1949)
He was born Alfred Damon Runyan in Manhattan, Kansas, and grew up in Pueblo, Colorado, where Runyon Field and Runyon Lake are named after him. He was a third-generation newspaperman, and started in the trade under his father in Pueblo. He worked for various newspapers in the Rocky Mountain area; at one of those, the spelling of his last name was changed from "Runyan" to "Runyon", a change he let stand. After a notable failure in trying to organize a Colorado minor baseball league, Runyon moved to New York City in 1910. For the next ten years he covered the New York Giants and professional boxing for the New York American. In his first New York byline, the American editor dropped the "Alfred", and the name "Damon Runyon" appeared for the first time. Broadcast from January to December 1949, "The Damon Runyon Theatre" dramatized 52 of Runyon's short stories for radio.THIS EPISODE: April 24, 1949 - Program #17. Mayfair syndication. "Blonde Mink". Commercials added locally. Beatrice Jordan, the girlfriend of Slats Savin, wants a special kind of fur coat. When Slats dies, "Julie The Shtarker" finds out what kind of doll Beatrice really is. Damon Runyon (author), Jeff Chandler, John Brown, Richard Sanville (director), Russell Hughes (adaptor), Vern Carstensen (production supervisor). 27:37.
- Duffys Tavern - No More IOU's (04-13-49) (7mb)
Sat, 16 Aug 2008 07:01:07 GMT
No More IOU's (Aired April 13, 1949)
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: April 13, 1949. NBC network origination, Nostalgia Broadcasting Corporation syndication. Commercials added locally. Suspecting that one of his non-paying customers is really a millionaire, Archie holds an open house at Duffy's. Duffy himself enters his tavern, but is not heard. Ed Gardner, Eddie Green, Charlie Cantor, Alan Reed, Ken Christy. 26:02.
- Superman - Airplane Disaster - 6 Episodes Complete (1940) (15mb)
Sat, 16 Aug 2008 00:31:39 GMT
Airplane Disaster (04-29-40)(05-01-40)(05-03-40)(05-06-40)(05-08-40)(05-10-40)
This juvenile adventure series was first broadcast on Mutual in 1940 with Clayton (Bud) Collyer starring as Superman/Clark Kent. It first began as a fifteen-minute show but later, in 1949, it moved to ABC as a thirty-minute Saturday show with Michael Fitzmaurice as Superman. At the end of its thirteen-year run it had totalled over 1600 episodes. The opening for the show was one of radio?s best, setting the stage for those flights into fantasy with a cascade of voices, narration and sound effects. ?Faster than a speeding bullet! More powerful than a locomotive! Able to leap tall buildings at a single bound!? ?Look! Up in the sky!? ?It?s a bird!? ?It?s a plane!? ?It?s Superman!?
- The Clitheroe Kid - One Hundred Not Out (2-02-64) (7mb)
Fri, 15 Aug 2008 20:35:24 GMT
One Hundred Not Out (Aired February 2, 1964)
The Clitheroe Kid was James Robertson Clitheroe, Jimmy Clitheroe to most, who by some strange coincidence did come from the town of that name without having to change his family name! At his full height he was 4ft 3in, and played the naughty schoolboy from 1958 to 1972. Although plausable from a distance, he was not really able to pass himself off as a youngster close up, so a TV career did not really take off too well, but at the peak of his fame the radio show was raking in about 10 million listeners, although by the end this had dropped to a tenth of that figure.
- The 13th Juror - Whatever Happened To John Wilkes Booth (04-23-49) (7mb)
Fri, 15 Aug 2008 02:08:58 GMT
Whatever Happened To John Wilkes Booth (Aired April 23, 1949)
Vincent Price was born in St. Louis, Missouri, the son of Marguerite Cobb (née Willcox) and Vincent Leonard Price, Sr., who was the president of the National Candy Company. His grandfather, Vincent Clarence Price, invented "Dr. Price's Baking Powder", the first cream of tartar baking powder, and secured the family's fortune. Price attended St. Louis Country Day School. He was further educated at Yale in art history and fine art. He was a member of Alpha Sigma Phi Fraternity and the Courtauld Institute, London. He became interested in theater in the 1930s, appearing professionally on stage from 1935. He made his film debut in 1938 with Service de Luxe and established himself as a competent actor, notably in Laura (1944), opposite Gene Tierney, directed by Otto Preminger. He also played Joseph Smith, Jr. in the movie Brigham Young (1940), as well as a pretentious priest in The Keys of the Kingdom (1944). Price's first venture into the horror genre was in the 1939 Boris Karloff film Tower of London in which his character was murdered by Karloff's. The following year he portrayed the title character in the film The Invisible Man Returns (a role he reprised in a vocal cameo at the end of the 1948 horror-comedy spoof Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein).THIS EPISODE: August 20, 1953. NBC network. "What Happened To John Wilkes Booth?". Sustaining. Announced as the first show of the series. The mystery of the man who shot Abraham Lincoln. What ever happened to John Wilkes Booth? Interesting listening. The script and an almost identical recording) was used four years previously (possibly an audition). Arnold Marquis (author, director), Vincent Price, Henry Russell (composer, conductor), Hans Conried, John Storm (announcer). 26:36.
- Dragnet - The Big Pair (09-21-50) (7mb)
Thu, 14 Aug 2008 20:11:56 GMT
The Big Pair (Aired September 21, 1950)
Dragnet was a long-running radio and television police procedural drama about the cases of a dedicated Los Angeles police detective, Sergeant Joe Friday, and his partners. The show takes its name from an actual police term, a "dragnet", meaning a system of coordinated measures for apprehending criminals or suspects. Dragnet debuted inauspiciously. The first several months were bumpy, as Webb and company worked out the program?s format and eventually became comfortable with their characters (Friday was originally portrayed as more brash and forceful than his later usually relaxed demeanor). Gradually, Friday?s deadpan, fast-talking persona emerged, described by John Dunning as "a cop's cop, tough but not hard, conservative but caring." (Dunning, 210) Friday?s first partner was Sgt. Ben Romero, portrayed by Barton Yarborough, a longtime radio actor. When Dragnet hit its stride, it became one of radio?s top-rated shows. While most radio shows used one or two sound effects experts, Dragnet needed five; a script clocking in at just under 30 minutes could require up to 300 separate effects. Accuracy was underlined.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.
- Challenge Of The Yukon - Two Episodes From 1943 (7mb)
Thu, 14 Aug 2008 06:36:32 GMT
"Bank Robbery" (10-30-43) and "The Old Mans Will" (11-06-43)
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.
- My Friend Irma - The Way To A Man's Heart (4-11-47) (6mb)
Thu, 14 Aug 2008 00:11:21 GMT
The Way To A Man's Heart (Aired April 11, 1947)
My Friend Irma, created by writer-director-producer Cy Howard, was a top-rated, long-run radio situation comedy, so popular in the late 1940s that its success escalated to films and television, while Howard scored with another radio comedy hit, Life with Luigi. Dependable and level-headed Jane Stacy (Cathy Lewis) narrated the misadventures of her innocent and bewildered roommate, Irma Peterson (Marie Wilson), a dim-bulb stenographer. Wilson portrayed the character on radio, in two films and a TV series. The successful radio series with Marie Wilson ran on CBS Radio from April 11, 1947 to August 23, 1954. The TV version, seen on CBS from January 8, 1952 until June 25, 1954, was the first series telecast from the CBS Television City facility in Hollywood. The movie My Friend Irma (1949) starred Marie Wilson and Diana Lynn but is mainly remembered today for introducing Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis to moviegoers, resulting in even more screen time for Martin and Lewis in the sequel, My Friend Irma Goes West (1950).THIS EPISODE: April 21, 1953. CBS network origination, AFRTS rebroadcast. "Way To A Man's Heart". Irma decides to improve her cooking skills: hold onto your stomach! Cathy Lewis, Hans Conried, John Brown, Leif Erickson, Marie Wilson. 25:48.
- Escape - Confession (12-31-47) (7mb)
Wed, 13 Aug 2008 18:27:18 GMT
Confession (Aired December 31, 1947)
Escape was radio's leading anthology series of high adventure, airing on CBS from July 7, 1947 to September 25, 1954. Since the program did not have a regular sponsor like Suspense, it was subjected to frequent schedule shifts and lower production budgets, although Richfield Oil signed on as a sponsor for five months in 1950. Despite these problems, Escape enthralled many listeners during its seven-year run. The series' well-remembered opening combined Mussorgsky's Night on Bald Mountain with the introduction, intoned by Paul Frees and William Conrad: ?Tired of the everyday routine? Ever dream of a life of romantic adventure? Want to get away from it all? We offer you... Escape!?THIS EPISODE: December 31, 1947. CBS network. "Confession". Sustaining. A good story about a shell-shocked soldier walking the fog-filled streets of London...finding murder and terror! Algernon Blackwood (author), William Conrad, Peggy Webber, William N. Robson (producer, director), John Dunkel (adaptor), Cy Feuer (music conceiver, conductor), Ramsay Hill. 29:40.
- New Adventures Of Sherlock Holmes - Uneasy Easy Chair (05-13-46) (7mb)
Wed, 13 Aug 2008 05:24:55 GMT
Uneasy Easy Chair (Aired May 13, 1946)
Sherlock Holmes detective stories appeared on radio for more than 25 years, with a long list of performers playing the parts of Holmes and Dr Watson. FIRST BROADCAST: October 20th 1930 LAST BROADCAST: September 4th 1956. The stories were written by Edith Meiser, a self-confessed Holmes addict. These were so well written that she was warmly praised by Arthur Conan Doyle?s widow and son.THIS EPISODE: 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.
- Adventures Of Frank Merriwell - The Ransomed Football (10-02-48) (7mb)
Wed, 13 Aug 2008 00:36:14 GMT
The Ransomed Football (Aired October 2, 1948)
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." First broadcast over NBC from 03/26/34 to 06/22/34 and again, on NBC, from 10/05/46 until 06/04/49. A 1946 Movie was also made.This Episode: October 2, 1948. NBC network. "The Ransomed Football". Sustaining. After a hard-fought football game against Rutgers, the victory football disappears. Frank vows to return the ball before returning to Yale. The University Of Denver "Youth Month" scholarship premium is a four-year full tuition scholarship. Mr. Atwater Kent has donated an additional $500 for expenses while the winner attends college. The program closing has been partially deleted. Elaine Rost, Paul Taubman (composer, conductor), Ruth Braun (writer), Gilbert Braun (writer), William Welch (writer), Edward King (director), William Griffis, David Alexander, Ed Latimer, Lawson Zerbe, Hal Studer, Burt L. Standish (creator). 28:48.
- Crime And Peter Chambers - Stoney Carter (06-15-54) (6mb)
Tue, 12 Aug 2008 17:48:38 GMT
Stoney Carter (Aired June 15, 1954)
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.THIS EPISODE: June 15, 1954. NBC network. Sustaining. Peter Chambers is called on to speak to a murder suspect, a boy Chambers knows. Did he do it? Dane Clark, Henry Kane (creator, writer, producer), Fred Collins (announcer), Fred Weihe (director), William Zuckert, Fran Carlon, Everett Sloane.
- Encore Theater - Yellowjack (06-18-46) (7mb)
Tue, 12 Aug 2008 04:09:01 GMT
Yellowjack (Aired June 18, 1946)
ENCORE THEATER was a 1946 Summer replacement series, sponsored by Schenley Labs, Inc. All shows had a medical theme, some concerned medical research, some covered personal stories of people in the medical field but all based on true stories. Schenley Labs, Inc. was the sponsor for the series. The shows aired Tuesday evenings from 9:30 to 10:00 PM over CBS affiliated stations. Members of the cast were typically well-known radio or screen actors, such as Lurene Tuttle, Eric Snowden, Gerald Mohr, Ronald Colman, Robert Young or Lionel Barrymore. Producer for series was Bill Lawrence, who also directed the series. The announcer was Frank Graham. Music was by Leith Stevens. Scripts were written and adapted by Jean Holloway, Lloyd C. Douglas, Sidney Kingsley and Milton Geiger. Twelve of the thirteen scripts were adapted by Jean Holloway. The 1946 Summer series ended with the August 27th show, replaced by "Cresta Blanca Hollywood Players" (possibly known as "The Hollywood Players Company". There was a second ENCORE THEATER Summer series in 1949, however there is little information on it. It aired on Sundays. Eight shows are known to be in circulation. Known air dates are April 17, April 24, May 8 and June 5.THIS EPISODE: June 18, 1946. CBS network. "Yellowjack". Sponsored by: Schenley Laboratories. The story of how Dr. Reed discovered the cause of Yellow Fever. Ronald Colman, Edwin Max, Norman Field, Frank Nelson, Ken Christy, Jerry Hausner, Bill Lawrence (producer, director), Frank Graham (announcer), Leith Stevens (music), Jean Holloway (writer), Sidney Howard (author). 29:16.
- Barry Craig Confidential Investigator - The Girl On The Doorstep (02-15-53) (7mb)
Mon, 11 Aug 2008 17:59:34 GMT
The Girl On The Doorstep (Aired February 15, 1953)
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 15, 1953. NBC network. "The Girl On The Doorstep". Sponsored by: Bromo Seltzer. Not auditioned. "I wonder if murderers, like other people, worry about their income taxes. When they make a killing, for example, do they always report it, or do they just their list victims under 'buried assets'?" William Gargan, Louis Vittes (writer), Carl Caruso (announcer). 30:12.
- Danger With Granger - Clever Criminologist (1957) (6mb)
Mon, 11 Aug 2008 04:17:35 GMT
Clever Criminologist(1957)
Danger With Granger arrived too late in the Golden Age of Radio to have any real impact on the listening public. Mutual aired this show, starting in 1956, on Monday nights at 8:30 pm. It was a half hour show that featured a private eye in New York City, STEVE GRANGER. His two primary companions were Cal Hendrix, a reporter who served as an all-purpose source of criminal info, and Jake Rankin, a police detective with whom he had a grudging rivalry. The writing on the show seemed to incorporate most of the standard cliche's of the P.I. world. Granger, who was both the star and the first-person narrator of the show (not an uncommon practice with radio gumshoes), never saw a woman, instead "he gave the doll the once-over." He didn't kick with his foot, he "lifted a size 10." Instead of paying cash, he "forked over numbered lettuce."THIS EPISODE: Clever Criminologist-(1957)Mutual network. Commercials deleted. The story of a man who believed he could get away with murder, and very nearly did! Mr. Milroy is a criminologist who thinks he's very clever. The date is approximate. . 27:07.
- The Adventures Of Ellery Queen - The Circus Train (03-25-43) (6mb)
Sun, 10 Aug 2008 20:16:45 GMT
The Circus Train (Aired March 25, 1943)
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 i
