Boxcars711 Old Time Radio

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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"

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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."

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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)

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.

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.

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.

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.

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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".