Boxcars711 Old Time Radio

Nick Carter Master Detective - Nick Carter is the name of a popular fictional detective who first appeared in in a dime novel entitled "The Old Detective's Pupil" on September 18, 1886. In 1915, Nick Carter Weekly became Street & Smith's Detective Story Magazine. Novels featuring Carter continued to appear through the 1950s, by which time there was also a popular radio show, Nick Carter, Master Detective, which aired on Mutual from 1943 to 1955. Nick Carter first came to radio as The Return of Nick Carter. Then Nick Carter, Master Detective, with Lon Clark in the title role, began April 11, 1943, on Mutual, continuing in many different timeslots for well over a decade. Jock MacGregor was the producer-director of scripts by Alfred Bester, Milton J. Kramer, David Kogan and others. Background music was supplied by organists Hank Sylvern, Lew White and George Wright. Patsy Bowen, Nick's assistant, was portrayed by Helen Choate until mid-1946 and then Charlotte Manson stepped into the role. Nick and Patsy's friend was reporter Scubby Wilson (John Kane). Nick's contact at the police department was Sgt. Mathison (Ed Latimer). The supporting cast included Raymond Edward Johnson, Bill Johnstone and Bryna Raeburn. Michael Fitzmaurice was the program's announcer. THIS EPISODE: April 8, 1944. Mutual network. "Murder By Magic". Sustaining. "Nick Carter and The Mystery Of The Missing Identity." Lon Clark, Helen Choate, John Kane, Humphrey Davis, Jock MacGregor (producer, director, occasional writer), Lew White (musician). 1/2 hour.

John Steele Adventurer - This drama thriller series was heard over the Mutual radio network from 04/26/49 to 07/16/56 and starred Don Douglas in the title role. John Steele treks sweaty-browed through jungles and deserts, fighting lions and saving women. Thrilling indeed. Also heard throughout the program were John Larkin, Jack Edwards, and Bryna Raeburn. THIS EPISODE: July 12, 1949. Mutual network. "Cargo Unknown". Sustaining. Not auditioned. Two men are in an open boat, with a beautiful woman. Elliott Drake (writer, director), Ross Martin, Connie Lembcke, Earl George, Sylvan Levin (conductor), Walt Shaver (sound effects), Ted Mallie (announcer), Don Douglas, Robert Monroe (producer). 29:36.

The Adventures of Nero Wolf came to radio in the spring of 1943 in a short-lived series starring J. B. Williams over a New England network. The series moved onto ABC with Santos Ortega starring in a summer series (July 5, 1943-September 27, 1943) with John Gibson as Archie Goodwin. Luis Van Rooten moved into the title role when the series was revived the following year (January 21, 1944-July 14, 1944). Francis X. Bushman starred as The Amazing Nero Wolfe in a 1945-46 Mutual series, with Elliott Lewis as Archie. NBC's The New Adventures of Nero Wolfe aired from October 20, 1950 through April 27, 1951 and starred Sydney Greenstreet. The actor had made his film debut at age 61 in Dashiell Hammett's The Maltese Falcon, receiving a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination for his performance as Casper Gutman (a.k.a. "The Fat Man"). Though the series ran only six months, five different veteran radio detective stars were heard as Archie Goodwin: Gerald Mohr (radio's Philip Marlowe and The Lone Wolf), Wally Maher (Michael Shayne), Harry Bartell (announcer of Sherlock Holmes), Herb Ellis (Dragnet's Frank Smith) and Lawrence Dobkin (Ellery Queen). THIS EPISODE: March 23, 1951. NBC network. "The Case Of The Final Page". Sustaining. Nero Wolfe and Archie attend a dinner at the home of Arthur Merle, only to find him knifed in the back. Sydney Greenstreet, Don Arthur (writer), Rex Stout (creator), William Johnstone, Don Stanley (announcer), Edwin Fadiman (producer), J. Donald Wilson (director), Harry Bartell, Evelyn Eaton, Lucille Alex, Peter Leeds, Monica Nealy, Herb Butterfield. 29:27.

The Bob Hope Show - From the age of twelve, Bob Hope worked at a wide variety of odd jobs at a local board walk. When not doing this he would busk, doing dance and comedy patter to make extra money. He entered many dancing and amateur talent contests, and won prizes for his impersonation of Charlie Chaplin. He also boxed briefly and unsuccessfully under the name Packy East, making it once as far as the semi-finals of the Ohio novice championship. Fallen silent film comedian Fatty Arbuckle saw one of his performances and in 1925 got him steady work with Hurley's Jolly Follies. A year later Hope had formed an act called the Dancemedians with George Burns (who would also live to see his own 100th birthday) and the Hilton Sisters, conjoined twins who had a tap dancing routine. Hope and his partner George Byrne had an act as a pair of Siamese twins as well, and both danced and sang while wearing blackface before friends advised Hope that he was funnier as himself.. After five years on the Vaudeville circuit, by his own account Hope was surprised and humbled when he and his partner Grace Louise Troxell failed a 1930 screen test for Pathé at Culver City, California. (Hope had been on the screen in small parts, 1927's The Sidewalks of New York and 1928's Smiles. Hope returned to New York City and subsequently appeared in several Broadway musicals including Roberta, Say When, the 1936 Ziegfeld Follies, and Red, Hot and Blue with Ethel Merman. His performances were generally well-received and critics noted his keen sense of comedic timing. He changed his name from "Leslie" to "Bob", reportedly because people in the US were calling him "Hopelessly", although in the 1920s he sometimes used the name "Lester Hope".

Panic in the Streets from Lux Radio Theater aired March 5, 1951. After brawling over a card game in the wharf area of New Orleans, a man named Kochak, suffering visibly from a flu-like illness, is killed by gangster Blackie and his two flunkies, Kochak's cousin Poldi and a man named Fitch. They leave the body on the docks, and later when the dead man, who carries no identification, is brought to the morgue, the coroner grows suspicious about the bacteria present in his blood and calls his superior, Dr. Clinton Reed, (played by Richard Widmark) a uniformed doctor working for the U.S. Public Health Service. Dr. Reed and a police captain (Paul Douglas) have only a day or two in which to prevent an epidemic. Can a doctor turn detective?

The Adventures Of Ellery Queen - Tuska cited Ellery Queen, Master Detective (1940) and Ellery Queen's Penthouse Mystery (1941) as the best of the Bellamy-Lindsay pairings. "The influence of The Thin Man series was apparent in reverse", Tuska noted about Ellery Queen's Penthouse Mystery. "Ellery and Nikki are unmarried but obviously in love with each other. Probably the biggest mystery... is how Ellery ever gets a book written. Not only is Nikki attractive and perfectly willing to show off her figure", Tuska wrote, "but she also likes to write her own stories on Queen's time, and gets carried away doing her own investigations." In Ellery Queen, Master Detective, "the amorous relationship between Ellery and Nikki Porter was given a dignity, and therefore integrity", Tuska wrote, "that was lacking in the two previous entries in the series", made at Republic Pictures before Bellamy and Lindsay were signed by Columbia. THIS EPISODE: January 7, 1943. NBC network. "The Adventure Of The Singing Rat". Sponsored by: Bromo Seltzer. Racketeer Musso has been set up by a stool pigeon. A hollow cigarette holds the secret of murder. This is the West Coast broadcast, the East cast broadcast took place on January 9, 1943. The system cue has been deleted. Carleton Young, Marian Shockley, Santos Ortega, Ted de Corsia, Ann Corio (guest armchair detective), Alfred McKelvey ("a prominent Eastern manufacturer" second guest armchair detective), Ernest Chappell (announcer), Frederic Dannay (writer), Manfred B. Lee (writer), Bruce Kamman (producer, director), Charles Paul (organ). 29:30.

Diary of Fate is a mystery and horror program where "Fate" narrates and always wins by the end of the story. These are great suspense filled stories about average people who are subject to the mysteries of their 'Fate'. THIS EPISODE: June 22, 1948. Program #28. Finley syndication. "Janice Bennet". Commercials added locally. Book 701, page 327. Not auditioned. A woman always takes the easy way out. The date is subject to correction. Herb Lytton, Ginny Johnson, Gloria Gordon, Doug Young, James Murphy, Ray Ehrlenborn, Hal Sawyer, Larry Finley (producer). 26:21.

Duffy's Tavern, an American radio situation comedy (CBS, 1941-1942; NBC-Blue Network, 1942-1944; NBC, 1944-1952), often featured top-name stage and film guest stars but always hooked those around the misadventures, get-rich-quick-scheming, and romantic missteps of the title establishment's malaprop-prone, metaphor-mixing manager, Archie, played by the writer/actor who co-created the show, Ed Gardner. In the show's familiar opening, "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling," either solo on an old-sounding piano or by a larger orchestra, was interrupted by the ring of a telephone and Gardner's New Yorkese accent as he answered, "Duffy's Tavern, where the elite meet to eat. Archie the manager speakin'. Duffy ain't here — oh, hello, Duffy." Duffy, the owner, was never heard (or seen, when a film based on the show was made in 1945 or when a bid to bring the show to television was tried in 1954). But Archie always was — bantering with Duffy's man-crazy daughter, Miss Duffy (played by several actresses, beginning with Gardner's real-life first wife, Shirley Booth); with Eddie, the waiter/janitor (Eddie Green); and, especially, with Clifton Finnegan (Charlie Cantor), a likeable soul with several screws loose and a knack for falling for every other salesman's scam. THIS EPISODE: November 2, 1943. Program #25. Blue network origination, AFRS rebroadcast. Guest Charles Coburn is enticed into a poker game down at the tavern. Charles Coburn, Ed Gardner, Florence Halop, Peter Van Steeden and His Orchestra. 1/2 hour.

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?"

Dark Fantasy was an series dedicated to dealings with the unknown. Originating from radio station WKY, Oklahoma City, it was written by Scott Bishop (of Mysterious Traveler and The Sealed Book fame) and was heard Fridays over stations. Keith Paynton served as announcer. The shows covered horror, science fiction and murder mysteries. Although a short series, the shows are excellent with some stories way ahead of their time. TODAY'S SHOW: "The Man Who Came Back" (11-14-41) and "Death Is A Savage Diety" (01-30-42) November 14, 1941. NBC network, WKY, Oklahoma City origination. "The Man Who Came Back". Sustaining. A killing after an argument about a man's wife leads to a promise to return from the grave for vengeance. Scott Bishop (writer), Muir Height, Eugene Frances, Ben Morris, Eleanor Naylor Corin (?), Fred Wayne, Murillo Scofield (?). 24:41 January 30, 1942. Program #11. NBC network"Death Is A Savage Diety". Sustaining. A tale of witchcraft and black magic, based on the novel by Scott Bishop. The system cue has been deleted. Scott Bishop (writer), Tom Paxton (announcer). 24:25.

The Abbott and Costello Show mixed comedy with musical interludes (usually, by singers such as Connie Haines, Marilyn Maxwell, the Delta Rhythm Boys, Skinnay Ennis, and the Les Baxter Singers). Regulars and semi-regulars on the show included Artie Auerbrook, Elvia Allman, Iris Adrian, Mel Blanc, Wally Brown, Sharon Douglas, Verna Felton, Sidney Fields, Frank Nelson, Martha Wentworth, and Benay Venuta. Ken Niles was the show's longtime announcer, doubling as an exasperated foil to Abbott & Costello's mishaps (and often fuming in character as Costello insulted his on-air wife routinely); he was succeeded by Michael Roy, with annoncing chores also handled over the years by Frank Bingman and Jim Doyle. THIS EPISODE: May 3, 1945. NBC network. Sponsored by: Camels, Prince Albert. Costello wants to become a dramatic actor from Brazil...another Carmen Veranda! Bob Matthews (an ex-aerial gunner) sings for the first time on the show (and sounds like an off-key Mel Torme). Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Will Osborne and His Orchestra, Bob Matthews, Connie Haines, Ken Niles (announcer), Mel Blanc. 29:28.

Calling All Cars was one of radio's earliest cop shows, dramatizing true crime stories and introduced by officers from the Los Angeles and other police departments. The narrator of the program was speech professor Charles Frederick Lindsley, and the only other regular voice heard on the program week after week belonged to that of Sergeant Jesse Rosenquist of the L.A.P.D., whose name and voice were so unusually distinctive that he was retained for the show's entire run. None of the actors on the show ever received on-air credit, but among the talent OTR fans can hear the likes of Elvia Allman, Jackson Beck, Charles Bickford, John Gibson, Richard LeGrand and Hanley Stafford, just to name a few. THIS EPISODE: December 18, 1934. Program #56. CBS Pacific network (Don Lee network). "The Moving Picture Murder". Sponsored by: Rio Grande Oil. A hold-up and murder has taken place in San Diego. The system cue has been deleted. Not auditioned. William N. Robson (writer, producer), Charles Frederick Lindsley (narrator). 30:35.

Jeff Regan, Investigator was one of the three detective shows Jack Webb did before Dragnet (see also Pat Novak For Hire and Johnny Modero: Pier 23). It debuted on CBS in July 1948. Webb played JEFF REGAN, a tough private eye working in a Los Angeles investigation firm run by Anthony J. Lyon. Regan introduced himself on each show "I get ten a day and expenses...they call me the Lyon's Eye." The show was fairly well-plotted, Webb's voice was great, and the supporting cast were skillful. Regan handled rough assignments from Lion, with whom he was not always on good terms. He was tough, tenacious, and had a dry sense of humor. The voice of his boss, Anthony Lion, was Wilms Herbert. The show ended in December 1948 but was resurrected in October 1949 with a new cast; Frank Graham played Regan (later Paul Dubrov was the lead) and Frank Nelson portrayed Lion. This version ran on CBS, sometimes as a West Coast regional, until August 1950. Both versions were 30 minutes, but the day and time slot changed several times. A total of 29 episodes from this series are in trading currency. DOUBLE FEATURE: The Diamond Quartet (8-14-48) Little Man's Lament (11-09-49)

The Third Man (The Lives of Harry Lime) was a old-time radio adventure series that ran in 1951 and 1952. It was based on the 1949 film of the same name. Orson Welles stars as Harry Lime, a perpetually broke confidence man, smuggler, and general scoundrel. He will participate in virtually any criminal activity to make a fast buck, but uses his wits rather than a gun. He draws the line short of murder, blackmail, or drugs. Even so, Harry is an endearing character and listeners love to hear of his one-step-ahead-of-the-law misadventures as he hops around the globe looking for his next pigeon. The zither music of Anton Karas adds a wonderful Viennese ambience to each episode and really makes this show special. THIS EPISODE: September 28, 1951. Program #9. Lang-Worth syndication. "Work Of Art". Commercials added locally. In Buenos Aires in July, 1944, Harry is hired to swindle an original Rubens from its beautiful owner. Orson Welles, Anton Karas (zither), Harry Alan Towers (producer), Tig Roe (director). 27:13.

Command Performance was one of the few radio shows that were sent overseas to boost the morale of US Troops during World War 2. In March 1942 it became a weekly show featuring famous people such as Bob Hope, Fred Allen, Dinah Shore, Frank Sinatra and more. Each show consisted of several stars who get together and perform comedy routine. All talent for this program was donated, and valued at $75,000 a week. There were more than 400 shows. Announcers : Paul Douglas, Ken Carpenter . Creator : Lous G. Cowan . Producers : Vick Knight, Maury Holland, Cal Kuhl . Director : Glenn Wheaton . Writers : Melvin Frank, Norman Panama

The CBS Radio Mystery Theater (or CBSRMT) was an ambitious and sustained attempt to revive the great drama of old-time radio in the 1970s. Created by Himan Brown (who had by then become a radio legend due to his work on Inner Sanctum Mysteries and other shows dating back to the 1930s), and aired on affiliate stations across the CBS Radio network, the series began its long run on January 6, 1974. The final episode ran on December 31, 1982. The show was broadcast nightly and ran for one hour, including commercials. Typically, a week consisted of three to four new episodes, with the remainder of the week filled out with reruns. There were a total of 1399 original episodes broadcast. The total number of broadcasts, including reruns, was 2969. The late E.G. Marshall hosted the program every year but the final one, when actress Tammy Grimes took over. Each episode began with the ominous sound of a creaking door, slowly opening to invite listeners in for the evening's adventure. At the end of each show, the door would swing shut, with Marshall signing off, "Until next time, pleasant...dreams?" THIS EPISODE: March 31, 1977. Program #625. CBS network. "Death Is Blue". Sponsored by: True Value Hardware, Buick, True Temper Tools, Mogen David Wines. Allied Van Lines. E. G. Marshall (host), Sam Dann (writer), Frances Sternhagen, Marian Seldes, Bryna Raeburn, Ralph Bell, Ian Martin. 52 minutes.

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: September 17, 1944. NBC network. Sponsored by: Kraft Foods. Gildersleeve and Fibber McGee (who does not appear on the show) decide to go into business with McGee's new invention. The date is subject to correction. Harold Peary. 1/2 hour.

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). TODAY'S DOUBLE FEATURE: Al Goes To A Psychiatrist - April 2, 1951. CBS network. Sponsored by: Pepsodent, Lifebuoy. Irma decides that Al needs a psychiatrist to make him want to work. The script was subsequently used on "My Friend Irma" on August 2, 1954. Marie Wilson, John Brown, Cathy Lewis, Cy Howard (creator, producer), Parke Levy (writer), Stanley Adams (writer), Rhoda MacLain (writer), Hans Conried, Gloria Gordon, Lud Gluskin (music director), Wendell Niles (announcer). 29:34. 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.

Manhunt - CRIME DRAMA 1945-1946 15 Minutes transcribed syndication (ZIV network), with crime stories complete in each episode. CAST: Larry Haines as Drew Stevens. New York players were in support. The shows were well written and, for the time period, quite well performed. TODAY'S SHOW: 2 Episodes - "Murder Maestro" and "Stairway Slaying" (1946)

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. THIS EPISODE: August 21, 1946. CBS network. "The Keys Of The Kingdom". Sponsored by: Squibb. A story about the deep faith of a missionary to China, and his life of service. The show receives an award from "Motion Picture Magazine." Gregory Peck, Leith Stevens (composer, conductor), Dee Englebach (producer, director), Hugh Brundage (announcer), Erskine Johnson (Motion Picture Magazine). 29:31.

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."Two home invaders pick the wrong house and force the home owner (John Snyder) to take them to the targeted neighbors, two elderly brothers who were rumored to have cash and bonds. During the hold up, one of the brothers was shot to death. An angry town insisted on immediate results. The State Police joined the local Sherif and the search was on. THIS EPISODE: August 01, 1936 - Program #13. Syndicated. "I Didn't Do Nothing". Commercials added locally. Two robbers take the life savings from two old farmers. One of them is killed, the other is beaten unmercifully. 26:29.

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. TODAY'S SHOW: Sapphire's Sister Floresca - December 17, 1943. NBC network origination, AFRS rebroadcast. (Replacing Great Gildersleeve AFRS #25). When The Kingfish and Andy secretly go into the laundry business, Sapphire decides to leave him. See cat. #57314 for a network version of this broadcast, but with the commercials deleted. Robert Benchley (guest), Freeman Gosden, Charles Correll, Ernestine Wade, Harlow Wilcox (announcer). 29:49. Porch Wreckers - December 30, 1951. CBS network. Sponsored by: Rexall. Sapphire has told the Kingfish, "get a job...or else!" The Kingfish and Andy are hired to demolish a porch, and proceed to do so...on the wrong house! Freeman Gosden, Charles Correll, Joe Connelly (writer), Bob Mosher (writer), Ernestine Wade, Johnny Lee, Amanda Randolph, Fred Clark, Leo Cleary, Reese Williams, Jeff Alexander (music), Harlow Wilcox (announcer), Griff Barnett (commercial spokesman). 29:39.

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

Crime Classics was a U. S. radio docudrama which aired over CBS from June 15, 1953 to June 30, 1954. Created, produced, and directed by radio actor/director Elliott Lewis, the program was basically a historical true crime series, examining crimes, and especially murders, from the past. It grew out of Lewis's personal interest in famous murder cases, and took a documentary-like approach to the subject, carefully recreating the facts, personages, and feel of the time period. Comparatively little dramatic license was taken with the facts and events, but the tragedy was leavened with humor, expressed largely through the narration. THIS EPISODE: January 20, 1954. CBS network origination, AFRS rebroadcast. "Madeline Smith, Maid Or Murderess...Which?". A lovely lady is also a liberal user of arsenic. Lou Merrill (host), Betty Harford, William Johnstone, John Dehner, Bernard Herrmann (composer), Wilbur Hatch (conductor), Florence Wolcott, Morton Fine (writer), David Friedkin (writer), Elliott Lewis (producer, director), Gil Warren (announcer). 1/2 hour.

Charlie Chan was the Chinese detective created by Earl Derr Biggers. Over 40 Charlie Chan movies were done from the early 1930's through 1949, all of which starred non-Chinese actors as Charlie. Supposedly working as a Honolulu police detective, Charlie was almost always somewhere else, like Paris, Rio, LA, even Treasure Island…but he did have a wonderful home life, too, with a reported 14 children, including his famous #1, #2 etc. sons, ever intent on helping "pop" solve the case. Still, it's fun to hear ABC radio's daytime serial version of the Hawaiian family man who gave us all a little exotic wit and wisdom while uncovering dishonorable culprit. The other shows are more of "the incomparable" at work. Unfortunately, Chan on radio is very rare, the very opposite of the ubiquitous Charlie Chan movie reruns on TV. This is a mysterious absence even the great Charlie Chan might be needed to solve! Many mystery lovers sniff at Chan. But here's one more from Charlie that might apply…"Mind, like parachute, only function when open."

The Avengers was a British television series featuring secret agents in 1960s Britain. The programmes were made by TV company Associated British Corporation, and created by its Head of Drama Sydney Newman. It was an early example of the spy-fi genre, combining secret agent storylines with science fiction elements. Running from 1961 to 1969, it is the longest running espionage series produced for English-language television, though the American series Mission: Impossible had more episodes. The Avengers was a successor (but not, as sometimes stated, a direct sequel) to Hendry's earlier series Police Surgeon, in which he played Police Surgeon Geoffrey Brent. While Police Surgeon did not last long, viewer letters had praised Hendry's work in it. Hendry was considered the star of the new series, receiving top billing over Macnee, and Steed did not even appear in two of the episodes. Because of the practice in the British television industry (followed until the 1970s) of junking and deleting episodes of old programmes deemed no longer of commercial value, most episodes of the first series are considered lost, save for two complete episodes recently located and the first 15 minutes or so of the premiere episode. In the first series broadcast in 1961, Steed began as a secondary character, the protagonist being Keel; as the series progressed, Steed began to be established as a co-star, carrying the final episode solo. While the two stars used wry wit while discussing the crimes and dangers, the series benefited from the interplay — and, often, the tension — between Keel's idealism and Steed's hard professionalism. As seen in the surviving episode The Frighteners, Steed also had a group of helpers scattered among the general population who provided information, not unlike the "Baker Street Irregulars" of Sherlock Holmes.

The Martin and Lewis Show - On July 25, 1946, Jerry began a show business partnership with Dean Martin, an association that would soon skyrocket both to fame. It started when Jerry was performing at the 500 Club in Atlantic City and one of the other entertainers quit suddenly. Lewis, who had worked with Martin at the Glass Hat in New York City, suggested Dean as a replacement. At first they worked separately, but then ad-libbed together, improvising insults and jokes, squirting seltzer water, hurling bunches of celery and exuding general zaniness. In less than eighteen weeks their salaries soared from $250.00 a week to $5,000.00. For ten years Martin and Lewis sandwiched sixteen money making films between nightclub engagements, personal appearances, recording sessions, radio shows, and television bookings. Their last film together was "Hollywood or Bust" (1956). On July 25th of that year the two made their last nightclub appearance together at the Copacabana, exactly ten years to the day since they became a team. THIS EPISODE: August 30, 1949. NBC network. Sustaining. Dean's first tune is, "Your Lips Tell Me No, No, But There's Yes, Yes, In Your Eyes." After Florence quits, Dean and Jerry hire Guest Jane Russell to be their new secretary. Don't miss the line where Jerry says "I'd know Jane Russell if I were within a hundred yards of her...blindfolded!" At this point, the audience cracks up! Jane Russell, Dick Stabile and His Orchestra, Flo McMichaels, Ben Alexander (announcer), Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, Robert L. Redd (producer, director), Dick McKnight (writer), Ray Allen (writer), Mort Lachman (writer), Sy Rose (writer), Sheldon Leonard. 29:37.

CBS Radio Adventure Theater Known as "General Mills Radio Adventure Theater" the first time this series aired in 1977, and then renamed CBSRAT for the repeat season later that year and into early 1978, there were only 52 episodes for this series geared toward younger listeners, hosted by Tom Bosley. The series was an excellent presentation, always well acted and notably produced. THIS EPISODE: Remember The Alamo - The Battle of the Alamo was fought in February and March 1836 in San Antonio, Texas. The conflict, a part of the Texas Revolution, was the first step in Mexican President Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna's attempt to retake the province of Texas after an insurgent army of Texan settlers and adventurers from the United States had driven out all Mexican troops the previous year. Mexican forces began a siege of the Texian forces garrisoned at the Alamo Mission on Tuesday, February 23. For the next twelve days, Mexican cannons advanced slowly to positions nearer the Alamo walls, while Texian soldiers worked to improve their defenses. Alamo co-commander William Travis sent numerous letters to the acting Texas government, the remaining Texas army under James Fannin, and various Texas communities, asking for reinforcements, provisions, and ammunition. Several times small groups of Texians ventured outside the Alamo walls, occasionally skirmishing with Mexican soldiers. Mexican forces received reinforcements on March 3. The Texians were reinforced at least once, when 32 men from Gonzales entered the fort, and may have received additional reinforcements. Additional Texas settlers and American adventurers gathered at Gonzales to prepare for the march to San Antonio.

The Murder at Midnight series was a thirty-minute broadcast featuring tales of the supernatural. The actors included Mercedes McCambridge and Lawson Zerbe and the show was narrated using the spooky, creepy voice of Raymond Morgan and always opened using the same gripping signature; "the witching hour, when night is darkest, our fears are the strongest, our strength at its lowest ebb… Midnight! … when graves gape open and death strikes!" TODAY'S DOUBLE FEATURE: September 21, 1946. Program #14. Syndicated. "Murder's A Lonely Business". Commercials added locally. Uncle Edward plans to change his will, leaving Grace and Fred Tilson without a penny. Grace and Fred kill the old man, but Uncle Edward gets the last laugh! William Moorewood (writer), Helen Shields, Carl Emory, Anton M. Leader (director), Charles Paul (music), Wendell Holmes, Louis G. Cowan (producer). 26:47. October 19, 1946. Program #18. Syndicated. "The House That Time Forgot". Commercials added locally. A couple buy a house with invisible tenants, and time runs backwards too! A good story of the supernatural. Albert Buhrman (music), Anton M. Leader (director), Elsie Hitz (?), Sigmund Miller (writer), Vinton Hayworth, Louis G. Cowan (producer). 26:53.

The Adventures of Frank Merriwell first ran on NBC radio from March 26 to June 22, 1934 as a 15-minute serial airing three times a week at 5:30pm. Sponsored by Dr. West's Toothpaste, this program starred Donald Briggs in the title role. Harlow Wilcox was the announcer. After a 12-year gap, the series returned October 5, 1946 as a 30-minute NBC Saturday morning show, continuing until June 4, 1949. Lawson Zerbe starred as Merriwell, Jean Gillespie and Elaine Rostas as Inza Burrage, Harold Studer as Bart Hodge and Patricia Hosley as Elsie Belwood. The announcer was Harlow Wilcox, and the Paul Taubman Orchestra supplied the background music. There are at least three generations of Merriwells: Frank, his half-brother Dick, and Frank's son, Frank Jr. There is a marked difference between Frank and Dick. Frank usually handled challenges on his own. Dick has mysterious friends and skills that help him, especially an old Indian friend without whom the stories would not have been quite as interesting. THIS EPISODE: October 9, 1948. NBC network. "The Yale Bulldog". Sustaining. Frank and Bart find a "stray" English bulldog and make him the Yale mascot, but there's a dognapping before the big game! Gilbert Braun (writer), William Welsh (writer), Elaine Rost, Frank Milano, Burt L. Standish (creator), Hal Studer, Lawson Zerbe, Leon Janney, Mel Brandt (announcer), Paul Taubman (music), Roger De Koven, Tony Randall, Edward King, Richard Keith, Ruth Braun (writer). 29:26.

Lights Out was an American old-time radio program featuring "tales of the supernatural and the supernormal." It was immensely popular, and was one of the first horror programs, predating Suspense and Inner Sanctum. In its heydey, Lights Out rivalled the popularity of those shows. Lights Out ran through several series and networks, from January 1, 1934 to August 6, 1947. The principal sponsor was Ironized Yeast. Most episodes were broadcast at midnight. Lights Out then made the transition to television in 1949, where it was broadcast until 1952. Created in Chicago by writer Wyllis Cooper in 1934.

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. Clitheroe was a very private person, and the shows became a sort of escape for him, as well as the release from the worries of his diminutive size, but despite this, his popularity increased and increased, making this series one of the longer running on the radio - a total of 17 series. It is surprising then that with such a success, and with such a long run that the shows are rarely broadcast. The humour was very obvious and probably wouldn't stand up in todays climes, but there has been one release from the BBC radio collection, so if you wanted to hear some of the shows, you can hunt this down in the shops. I would like to thank Tony Lang for the following information about the series. I do not have any of this series on tape myself, so if anyone has comments to make I would be most grateful. The scripts were generally written by James Casey and Frank Roscoe, with the shows production by James Casey. The series sprang from a single show broadcast on 24-4-56 as part of a Variety Playhouse series The pilot series did not have individual names for the episodes. The producer was Geoff Lawrence, with the music supplied by the BBC Northern Dance Orchestra, conducted by Alyn Ainsworth, and broadcast in the North of England only.

Let George Do It - Bob Bailey played George Valentine as a detective handy man, who got his jobs from responses to a newspaper ad. Part-time detective and writer Dan Holiday in Box 13 also used the premise. It pays to advertise! The shows follow the usual formats of crime caper shows, with toughs, mysterious rendezvous and people who aren't who they say they are. Network was Mutual, Sponson was Standard Oil. STARS:Bob Bailey,Eddie Firestone jr, Francis Robinson, Joe Kearn PRODUCER:Owen Vinson WRITER: Polly Hopkins MUSIC: Eddie Dunstedter. TODAY'S SHOW: Double Feature - "Mayhem By Experts" (01-31-49) and "Most Likely To Die" (06-26-50) Mutual-Don Lee network. "Mayhem By Experts". Sponsored by: Standard Oil, Chevron. Lt. Riley and five famous mystery writers plan a birthday practical joke on George Valentine with a phoney corpse...but the joke's on death! Bob Bailey, Frances Robinson, Wally Maher, Jeanette Nolan, Fred Howard, Roland Morris, Junius Matthews, Ruth Perrott, Luis Van Rooten, David Victor (writer), Herbert Little Jr. (writer), Don Clark (director), Eddie Dunstedter (composer, conductor), Bud Hiestand (announcer). 29:48. June 26, 1950. Mutual-Don Lee network. "Most Likely To Die". Sponsored by: Standard Oil. A practical joke at a college backfires into a not-so-funny murder. Bob Bailey, Virginia Gregg, David Victor (writer), Jackson Gillis (writer), Bud Hiestand (announcer), Don Clark (director), Eddie Dunstedter (composer, conductor), Wally Maher, Bill Bouchey, Alan Reed, Sarah Selby, Lee Patrick, Lawrence Dobkin. 29:43.

Beat the Band---with Garry Moore hosting, Ted Weems (featuring a vocalist named Perry Como) leading the band, Marvel Maxwell also singing, longtime Easy Aces announcer Ford Bond in the same slot here, and General Mills sponsoring the show for its new corn cereal Kix---premieres on NBC, based in Chicago. A precedent to the later, somewhat landscape-changing hit Stop the Music, Beat the Band listeners will receive ten dollars if their question is used on the air, and the answer is always the title of a song. If they can beat the band they land twenty dollars and a case of Kix, with the musicians who miss the answer having to "feed the kitty"---tossing half dollars onto the bass drum, with the musician scoring the most points answering the listeners' questions getting to take the money home. Folks, listen for the boom of the ol' bass drum---that means the question beat the band.---Country Washburn, bassist with the Weems orchestra. Beat the Band's first incarnation will expire in 1941, but the show will be reborn in 1943, out of New York, with "The Incomparable Hildegarde" (Walter Winchell hung that tag upon the famed cabaret/supper club singer) as hostess, Harry Sosnik joining Ted Weems in handling the music, Marilyn Thorne joining Marvel Maxwell in the singing, and a slight change in the rules, tied to the new sponsor, Raleigh cigarettes. Listeners sent in musical questions and it was up to the band to identify songs from a few clues. Prizes of twenty-five dollars and a carton of the sponsor's cigarettes . . . went to contestants whose questions did not beat the band. If the question did beat the band, the contestant received fifty dollars and two cartons of cigarettes, and the boys in the band had to throw a pack of cigarettes "on the old bass drum for the men in service overseas."

ABC Mystery Time was hosted by Don Dowd and starred Sir Laurence Olivier. Great special effects will grab your attention, accented by creepy organ rips. Stories are offered such as death gathered round a card table at a local chapter of The Suicide Club, or a man who desperately tries to hire a 24 hour bodyguard all the while trying to make himself the victim of a murder, and other baffling peculiar tales of yore. Also known as Mystery Time and Mystery Time Classics, this one is sure to excite and mystify. THIS EPISODE: ABC network. "Four Fatal Jugglers". Not auditioned. The program is also known as, "Mystery Time," "Mystery Time Classics" and "Masters Of Mystery." The date is approximate. Don Dowd (host). 23:48.

Damon Runyon Theater - Broadcast from January to December 1949, "The Damon Runyon Theater" dramatized 52 of Runyon's short stories for radio. Damon Runyon (October 4, 1884 – December 10, 1946) was a newspaperman and writer. He was best known for his short stories celebrating the world of Broadway in New York City that grew out of the Prohibition era. He spun tales of gamblers, petty thieves, actors and gangsters; few of whom go by "square" names, preferring instead to be known as "Nathan Detroit", "Big Jule", "Harry the Horse", "Good Time Charlie", "Dave the Dude", and so on. These stories were written in a very distinctive vernacular style: a mixture of formal speech and colorful slang, almost always in present tense, and always devoid of contractions. TODAY'S DOUBLE FEATURE: 1948. Program #28. Mayfair syndication. "Earthquake". Commercials added locally. A cop trails a very strong killer all the way to South America, and then fails to return to the States with his prisoner! Damon Runyon (author), John Brown, Richard Sanville (director), Russell Hughes (adaptor), Vern Carstensen (production supervisor). 27:23. April 4, 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.

Mr. and Mrs. North received the first Best Radio Drama Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America (in a tie with CBS's Ellery Queen). Also in 1946, producer-director Fred Coe brought the Owen Davis play to television (on New York City's WNBT) with John McQuade and Maxine Stewart in the leads and Don Haggerty, Joan Marlowe and Millard Mitchell repeating their Broadway roles. Barbara Britton and Richard Denning starred in the TV adaptation seen on CBS from 1952 to 1953 and on NBC in 1954. The series was unusual in that it was Mrs North who solved the cases while Mr North was just background most times. Guest appearances on this series included Raymond Burr, Hans Conried, Mara Corday, Carolyn Jones, Katy Jurado, Jimmy Lydon, Julia Meade, William Schallert and Gloria Talbott. Sixteen episodes of the TV series have been released in the "Best of TV Detectives" box set. Mr. and Mrs. North were resurrected in spirit with ABC's Hart to Hart, the 1979-84 crime drama about a wealthy husband (Robert Wagner) and wife (Stefanie Powers) who spent as much time solving murders as romancing each other and pursuing careers as an industrialist and a journalist, played the crime theme with wry wit reminiscent of the Norths in their heyday. TODAY'S SHOW: The Last Escape (04-01-52) and Diamond Noose (08-04-53)

The New Adventures Of Michael Shayne was a fictional sleuth created by Brett Halliday (a pen name for author Davis Dresser) who was first initiated into the fraternity for detectives in the 1939 novel "Dividend of Death". Dresser based the character on a "tall and rangy" brawler who once saved his life during a braw in a Mexican cantina. The Shayne character would go on to appear in 69 novels, plus a long-running mystery magazine—and in 1941, was brought to the silver screen in Paramount's Michael Shayne, Private Detective, an adaptation of Dividend of Death that starred Lloyd Nolan, and paved the way for six additional B-mysteries to follow. The New Adventures of Michael Shayne—premiered on July 15, 1948 starring Jeff Chandler. THIS EPISODE: October 2, 1948 - Broadcaster's Guild syndication, AFRTS rebroadcast. "The Case Of The Wandering Fingerprints". Mr. Zeigler can actually move fingerprints from one place to another...which gives him the idea for a clever blackmail racket. The date is approximate. See cat. #65397 for a syndicated version of this broadcast. Jeff Chandler, Jack Webb, William P. Rousseau (director, host), John Duffy (composer, conductor), Brett Halliday (creator), Don W. Sharp (producer). 1/2 hour. October 12, 1949 - Broadcaster's Guild syndication, AFRS rebroadcast. "The Case Of The Phantom Gun". Ballistics say Shayne's gun has killed twice, but that's impossible! The date is approximate, the public service announcements have been deleted. William P. Rousseau (host, director), Jeff Chandler, John Duffy (composer, performer), William Conrad. 28:01.

The Hardy Family - Andy Hardy was a fictional character played by Mickey Rooney in an extremely successful MGM film series from 1937 to 1958. Spanning over 20 years, the 16 movies were based on characters in the play Skidding by Aurania Rouverol. The initial Hardy film, A Family Affair (1937), was made before a series was contemplated. It featured Lionel Barrymore as Judge Hardy and Spring Byington as Mrs. Hardy, Andy's parents, and Margaret Marquis as Andy's on-again-off-again sweetheart, Polly Benedict. But when the series was launched, most of the cast was changed, with the notable exceptions of Rooney and Sara Haden as his Aunt Milly. The series entries starred Lewis Stone as Judge Hardy, Fay Holden as Mrs. Hardy, Cecilia Parker as Andy's older sister Marian Hardy, and Ann Rutherford as Polly. Most of the movies were set in the Hardys' fictional hometown of Carvel, located in Idaho in the original play but described in the films as being in the Midwest. All of the films were sentimental comedies celebrating ordinary American life. The people in Carvel, by and large, were pious, patriotic, generous and tolerant. The town represented movie mogul Louis B. Mayer's idealized vision of his adopted country. Some writers have compared Carvel to Mayberry, the setting of The Andy Griffith Show a generation later. THIS EPISODE: Program #1. MGM syndication. "Junior Chamber of Commerce". Sponsored by: Commercials added locally.. Andy finds himself "forced" to entertain a famous and beautiful athlete. She stands 6'2" tall. Mickey Rooney, Fay Holden, Lewis Stone, Jack Rubin (writer), Jameson Brewer (writer), Thomas A. McAvity (director), Jerry Fielding (composer, conductor), Aurania Rouverol (creator). 27:26.

Gunsmoke was created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. 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. TODAY'S SHOW: May 24, 1952. CBS netWORK. "Ben Slade's Saloon". Sustaining. A series of murders of men who have been lucky while gambling leads Marshal Dillon to a most unusual killer. William Conrad, Parley Baer, Georgia Ellis, Howard McNear, Norman Macdonnell (director, writer), Hy Averback, Jack Kruschen, Dick Beals, Anne Morrison, Herb Ellis, Rex Koury (composer, conductor), Roy Rowan (announcer). 30:22. 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.

Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar was a radio drama about a freelance insurance investigator "with the action-packed expense account." The show aired on CBS Radio from February 11, 1949 to September 30, 1962. There were 811 episodes in the 12-year run, and over 720 still exist today. As originally conceived, Johnny Dollar was a smart, tough, wisecracking detective who tossed silver-dollar tips to waiters and bellhops. Dick Powell starred in the audition show, recorded in 1948, but withdrew from the role in favor of other projects. The role went instead to Charles Russell. With the first three actors to play Johnny Dollar -- radio actor Russell and movie tough-guy actors Edmond O'Brien and John Lund -- there was little to distinguish Johnny Dollar from other detective series at the time (Richard Diamond, Philip Marlowe and Sam Spade). While always a friend of the police, Johnny wasn't necessarily a stickler for the strictest interpretation of the law. TODAY'S SHOW August 21, 1949. CBS network. "The Prize Hog," or "Out Of the Fire, Into The Frying Pan". Sustaining. Johnny travels to Iowa to protect a prized porker. Charles Russell, Parley Baer, Jack Kruschen, Sammie Hill, John Dehner, Junius Matthews, Anne Morrison, Paul Dubov, Leith Stevens (music), Pinto Colvig (as the pig!), Roy Rowan (announcer). 30:02. September 25, 1949. CBS network. "The Search For Michelle March". Sustaining. Johnny goes to Boston for the search...and finds murder! Bill Bouchey, Charles Russell, Charles Seel, Dorothy Lovett, Gil Doud (writer), Gordon T. Hughes (director), Lawrence Dobkin, Leith Stevens (composer, conductor), Myra Marsh, Paul Dudley (writer), Roy Rowan (announcer), Vic Ryan. 29:48.

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. TODAY'S SHOW: Time For A New Car (06-08-50) and The Skunk Must Go (10-12-50)

Box 13The 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. TODAY'S SHOW: October 17, 1948. Program #9. Mayfair syndication. "Book Of Poems". Commercials added locally. Robert N. Chase sends Dan Holiday a book of poetry by Sir Walter Scott, but Chase has been dead for ten years. Or has he? Alan Ladd, Sylvia Picker, Russell Hughes (director), Rudy Schrager (composer, conductor), Frank Hertosig (writer). 27:39. October 31, 1948. Program #11. Mayfair syndication. "Suicide Or Murder". Commercials added locally. A woman asks Dan Holiday to look into the death of her son who was killed in a drunken brawl. What really happened to Arthur Daily? Russell Hughes (writer), Richard Sanville (director), Alan Ladd, Sylvia Picker, Edmond MacDonald, Rudy Schrager (composer, conductor). 26:51.

The Adventures Of Horatio Hornblower 1952-1953 Series - Broadcast 1952; Transcribed in England for the BBC; aired in U.S. on CBS, then again on ABC in 1954 and Mutual in 1957. Starring Michael Redgrave as Horatio Hornblower. a captain in the British Royal Navy during the Napoleonic era. The radio series was based on twelve Horatio Hornblower novels written by C.S. Forester. These novels were, and still are, well liked due to their realistic tone and historical accuracy in telling the tales of Naval life in the late 1700s through the mid 1800s. C.S. Forester was well known for his novels about military and naval life, including such fine titles as The African Queen, The Gun, The Barbary Pirates, and The General. TODAY'S SHOW: "Protecting The Convoy" (09-01-52) "The 43rd Marines" (04-17-53)

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: March 3, 1950. CBS network origination, AFRTS rebroadcast. A tough guy just out of prison named Joe Quito is knifed in the subway, just after talking to Danny. This program is possibly dated June 5, 1949 or January 27, 1950. Larry Thor, Morton Fine (writer), David Friedkin (writer), Alexander Courage (composer, conductor), Elliott Lewis (producer, director), Charles Calvert. 1/2 hour.

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!" 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. TODAY'S SHOW: January 24, 1949. CBS net origination, AFRS rebroadcast. "The Deadly Dummy". The ventriloquist's wife and her lover kill the man but not the mannequin. Edward Adamson (writer), Elspeth Eric, Mason Adams, Paul McGrath (host), Robert Sloane (writer), Ted Osborne, Santos Ortega. 25:14. May 23, 1949. CBS net origination, AFRS rebroadcast. "Strange Passenger". Not auditioned. The story name and date are subject to correction (the story seems to have no connection to the story title. A man inherits a decaying old house, supposed to have a fortune hidden somewhere. Following the clues, not even murder will keep him from his goal. Paul McGrath (host), Mason Adams. 23:09.

Dark Venture - Have you ever wondered what it might be like inside the mind of a criminal? The stories of Dark Venture try to imagine. In this thrilling drama series, you will be drawn in to the murky calculations behind sinister acts. How much money would make stealing worthwhile? If your business partner caught you stealing $50,000 from your company, would he turn you in to the authorities? Would you let yourself be blackmailed? Or, would you let yourself commit another, more serious crime? On the verge of breaking the law, or taking a life, all risks and dangers must be considered. THIS EPISODE: May 20, 1946. ABC network origination, AFRS rebroadcast. "Turnabout". When a man is caught by his partner after stealing $50,000 from the company, murder seems the only way out. Howard Duff is heard in three different minor roles. AFRS program name: "Mystery Playhouse." The system cue has been deleted. The date is approximate. Howard Duff, Elliott Lewis. 24:30.

The Boston Blackie radio series, also starring Morris, began June 23, 1944, on NBC as a summer replacement for The Amos 'n' Andy Show. Sponsored by Rinso, the series continued until September 15 of that year. Unlike the concurrent films, Blackie had a steady romantic interest in the radio show: Lesley Woods appeared as Blackie's girlfriend Mary Wesley. Harlow Wilcox was the show's announcer. On April 11, 1945, Richard Kollmar took over the title role in a radio series syndicated by Frederic W. Ziv to Mutual and other network outlets. Over 200 episodes of this series were produced between 1944 and October 25, 1950. Other sponsors included Lifebuoy Soap, Champagne Velvet beer, and R&H beer. While investigating mysteries, Blackie invaribly encountered harebrained Police Inspector Farraday (Maurice Tarplin) and always solved the mystery to Farraday's amazement. Initially, friction surfaced in the relationship between Blackie and Farraday, but as the series continued, Farraday recognized Blackie's talents and requested assistance. Blackie dated Mary Wesley (Jan Miner), and for the first half of the series, his best pal Shorty was always on hand. The humorless Farraday was on the receiving end of Blackie's bad puns and word play. Kent Taylor starred in the half-hour TV series, The Adventures of Boston Blackie. Syndicated in 1951, it ran for 58 episodes, continuing in repeats over the following decade. TODAY'S SHOW: Alice Manweather (08-04-44) and Hipnotic Murder (08-06-45)

The Haunting Hour - The shows are classic chills from the old school, with creepy organ, overwrought women and over the top men. Perhaps not the highest of melodrama, but obsessively workmanlike. After all, they might have known they were a skeleton staff toiling relentlessly without a ghost of a chance of fame. Thanks to transcription, these unknowns are still with us. John Dunning, succinctly states in "On the Air, The Encyclopedia of Old Time Radio," "There were no credits, so casts and production crews are unknown." TODAY'S SHOW 1848 Program #3. NBC syndication. "The Hands Of Mr. Smith". Commercials added locally. A fine story with an unexpected ending about Tiny, a big guy whose hands have a mind of their own! The date is approximate . 28:10. 1948. Program #33. NBC syndication. "The Mystery Of The Southern Star". Commercials added locally. A missing diamond aboard ship, and a dead body in a trunk. 27:42.

The Adventures Of The Falcon - This hard boiled spy drama began as an RKO Radio Pictures theatrical serial in the 1940s, went on radio in 1945, and then came to TV ten years later in this Syndicated series produced for distribution by NBC Films; Charles McGraw had been in many motion pictures before and after including "The Killers", "Spartacus" and "Cimarron"; in this series he played the title role of a man whose real name was supposedly Mike Waring, an American agent whose code name was "Falcon"; Later Charles McGraw starred in a short lived TV version of "Casablanca" (1955 - 1956) in the character of Rick; He also had a role on the detective drama "Staccato" (1959) Actor McGraw (whose birth name was Charles Butters) met an unfortunate death in real life when he fell through a shower glass door in 1980 at his home in Studio City, CA. TODAY'S SHOW: November 5, 1950. NBC network. "The Case Of The Rich Racketeer". Sponsored by: Kraft. A gangster double crosses his lawyer and slaps his wife, right after being acquitted of tax evasion. Later, he bears up his girlfriend's brother. Not-too-surprisingly, he's soon found murdered. Les Damon, Ed Herlihy (announcer), Drexel Drake (creator). 29:30. March 4, 1951. NBC network. "The Case Of The Gangster's Girl". Sponsored by: Kraft Velveeta. Not auditioned. A girl tries to break off with her boyfriend, but he loves her too much to let her go. Will he love her to death? Les Damon, Ed Herlihy (announcer), Drexel Drake (creator), Bernard L. Schubert (producer), Richard Lewis (director), Jerome Epstein (writer), Arlo (music), Jan Miner. 30:56.