Radio Retropolis

A macabre tale of an artist whose insane love for his soon to be ex-wife turns into the most vicious hate when he asks her to pose for his sculpture of her bust. Commentary on star Lee Bowman. Plus , Lipton Tea lady Mary Bennett promoting Lipton Chicken Soup as the meal of the week!

A man who embezzled $2 million from his bank fakes his death and hides out on a secluded island off the coast of Nova Scotia. The Shadow has figured out the scam and heads out to find him.Commentary on the Wellesian approach to this episode and Johnstone's approach to this Welles inspired script, the formula of writing comic book villains, and the real threat in Europe in 1938.

A man accepts an easy job answering phones for a horse betting operation from a woman he met in a bar only to find the woman dead the next day and he is the prime suspect! JR speaks on stars Edmond O'Brien and Ann Blyth and O'Brien's real life brush with the mob world on one of his films.

Jimmy goes along with what he thought was a joke until he finds himself in a round rocket ship hurtling through space to the planet Utopia. JR speaks on who in the Bible Superman was really based on.

After listening to Liz explain how she balances her checkbook, George sends her to night school to learn arithmetic. Commentary on why George, a banker, would let his mathematically challenged wife continue to mishandle their bank book. Plus we look at Liz' creative math and compare it to a similar routine by Abbott and Costello. Also, we discuss the Curly and Shemp Howard connection as well as tonight's guest star who was blacklisted as a purported communist.

The owner of an apartment building signs leases for the apartments then he threatens to kill the tenants if they move in. Commentary on how arson was legally received back in 1952 and whether an individual could legally burn his own building down.

What may sound like a joke to Jimmy is serious business with Anthar which only means Jimmy is in for a big, unsettling surprise. JR speaks on the rise of old time radio enthusiasts thanks to...podcasts.

This episode takes a little bit of active listening due to its less than ideal quality, but I hope you enjoy this next episode about two guys driving across the desert pick up three hitch-hikers who turn out to be escaped Nazi prisoners. Commentary on the Nazi's last attempt to overtake the Allies with the Battle of the Bulge, plus Hitler begins to mentally lose it causing some dissension in ranks.

A criminal lawyer clears his clients only to force them into a series of robberies. Commentary on great voice actors of the day and the art form of being a radio actor at that time. Plus, we discuss the logic of The Shadow as to how mass hypnosis would work if he really existed.

John Garfield stars as a man in the criminal underworld who is given a literal "death sentence" by a mob boss. He is told he has exactly one week to live. JR speaks on Garfield's tragic career and his controversial death at age 39.

Jimmy Olsen encounters a strange man named Anthar who claims to be from a "lost planet" called Utopia and warns of an invasion of Earth. Commentary on this serial which is an exact remake of the "lost" serial Planet Utopia from 1944.

When Liz gets a traffic ticket on the day George is "Safety Week" chairman, George decides to lock the car in the to garage and hide the key. Commentary on why Lucille Ball allowed her character Liz to be naive and prone to deceitful tactics which are normally not admirable, sympathetic characteristics. Also discussed are real driving statistics based on gender that may surprise you.

A narcotics dealer has been badly beaten and claims his assailant was a young police officer. Extended commentary on an email we received based on the concerns of a listener from a previous podcast commentary.

Lois manages to break free of her binds and sets fire to the room hoping to attract outside attention before she and Bucky are executed. But will they be saved before they succumb to the very flames? JR speaks on who fans believe is the best live action Superman of all time. Will your favorite be on the list?

While Lamont and Margot are visiting a friend in Haiti, a local voodoo cult kidnaps their friend's child. With the help of The Shadow, Margot must convince the natives that she is a powerful priestess to try and save the child. We discuss the practice of voodoo in the 1930s as well as today in comparison to Christianity. Plus, this was Margo's big episode played exceptionally well by Agnes Moorehead.

A chemist develops a substance that supposedly allows colorblind people to perceive colors, but it has dangerous side effects leading to madness and death. JR speaks on villains and the intent of the plot.

William Powell stars as a criminal who escapes a prison train after a crash but remains handcuffed, leading to a frantic, isolated struggle to break free to collect the $250,000 he has stashed away. JR speaks on actor William Powell, his connection to Jean Harlow, and his powerful performance in this episode.

As Lois and Bucky face an uncertain fate as prisoners of The Man without a Face, Kent makes the discovery that two world peace organization leaders on the hit list are to appear at a state department reception ending at midnight. JR speaks on if James Gunn's Superman (2025) is now a financial success.

George has invited ten dinner guests on Katy's day off, and Liz is determined to prove to George's mother that she can prepare a dinner for twelve without any help. Commentary on who Liz Cooper really is and the fact that we don't really know much about her. Also listen for a young Richard Crenna who plays a young delivery boy infatuated by Liz.

A woman disappears and her husband, Chester Abbott, becomes suspect. The man's stepson then disappears. Commentary on similar plot lines in previous episodes. Plus, an inside look at the producer/director side of Jack Webb and his big gamble for television.

When Superman finds the two photographs of major world leaders in the possession of the Man Without a Face, he realizes the dire situation for all involved, including the now missing Lois and Bucky. JR speaks on the end of the movie going experience as we know it and what many will pay a fortune to see that will replace it.

A voice on the phone and a strange melody warn a woman that she will die at midnight. Commentary on new sponsor Colgate Tooth Powder.

Pirates sink their boat on purpose in order to fool another ship to "rescue" them. The ruse works and with Cranston and Margot Lane on board, the hi-jacked ship sets sail to a small island where the pirates harbor an even deadlier purpose. Commentary of the real Pirates of the Caribbean and the eerie foreshadowing of the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis.

Lucille Ball returns to Suspense playing a con artist who preys on strange men for financial gain until one day she targets a man who happens to be a serial killer. Commentary on Lucy's hit comedy series My Favorite Husband and the chance of luck that changed television forever.

Herbert Calkins of Scotland Yard provided a tip for Lois, but has put both Lois and Bucky in danger as the house they are staking out belongs to The Man Without a Face. JR speaks on Kellogg's Rice Krispies as a sponsor. Plus why villains feel they need to disclose their entire plan to their captives.

Liz thinks George's Christmas stag party is just an excuse to ditch the wives and hang with the boys. Not letting that sit well, Liz decides to crash the party in disguise. Commentary on why a certain joke got a huge laugh plus musical conductor Wilbur Hatch.

A trail of pornography infiltrating Los Angeles high schools leads to a run-down Hollywood studio and a movie has-been. Commentary on sexuality and the law in the 1950s. Plus, guest star Ralph Moody.

Kent may have figured out that the Man Without a Face is looking to benefit from creating even more devastation by setting the stage for another World War! JR speaks on why it is difficult to get modern audiences to the cinema.

Inner Sanctum host Raymond becomes the subject matter in a story about a man named Gideon Blake who was burned to death ten years ago and just happens to show up on Raymond's door. Commentary on the falling out between series producer Himan Brown and Raymond Edward Johnson who played Raymond the host.

The city is in a panic after being blackmailed by a criminal using a stolen black fog machine. He threatens to add a poisonous gas to the fog and kill everyone if $5 Million isn't paid. Commentary on why Johnstone's Shadow seems to want to make sure he's just a regular guy unlike Welles'Shadow as being more supernatural. Plus, we'll discuss the other big broadcast on this very night given by Winston Churchill to the United States following the Munich Crisis.

Ray Milland stars as an old-time, highly successful officer who has trouble adapting to modern police methods. In pursuit, he accidentally kills an innocent suspect and is faced with trying to cover-up his misdeed. JR speaks on star Ray Miland and the comparisons of this episodes connection to Death of a Salesman.

Superman and Bucky are shocked and dismayed by the disappearance of Bucky's father's letter naming all those who oppose the World Peace Organization. So, they fly back to France to get answers. JR speaks on how the comics enlisted Superman in the war effort. Plus, the racial bias displayed through Superman propoganda towards Japanese-Americans.

Liz and George have their pictures taken for their Christmas cards, but then can't agree on which shot to use. Commentary on why I Love Lucy only did one holiday episode, plus we look at series sponsor Sanka.

A jewelry salesman is slugged and robbed of 20-thousand dollars in precious stone. Friday knows who did it. He just needs to prove it. Commentary on the brilliant writing and performances and why this is a standout episode. Plus, a rare Jack Webb blooper and the long, difficult road transitioning to television.

Superman and Bucky arrive at the former concentration camp where Bucky buried his father's letter to keep the Nazis from finding it only to discover it is now gone. JR comments on his personal experience while visiting the concentration camp in Dachau.

Peter Lorre here plays an unattractive comedian in love from afar with his best friend's fiancé, and through an odd series of circumstances involving murder, with a twist, that leads him to act in a way he would never have otherwise contemplated. In this version, the man who introduces our host Raymond just happens to be Peter Lorre. Commentary on the dramatic twists upon twists in this episode.

A convict on death row asks to see The Shadow before he goes to the chair. He confesses how his crooked lawyer is planning an insurance scam. The Shadow goes after the attorney, but becomes trapped by an electric photo beam in a death chamber. Commentary on Johnstone's performance so far and the fact that this version of The Shadow tries to distance itself from the Welles' version.

Edward G. Robinson plays a man named Homer J. Hubbard who wants to solve a really, really big problem and believes the only way he can solve it is if he was...Edward G. Robinson! JR comments on the star himself and the process of recording dual roles with one actor at that time.

Bucky, who was close to being drowned, decided to stall his fate by agreeing to reveal what the man without a face wants to know. In the meantime, Superman races along the French coast upon getting his tip in Germany to where young Bucky might be. JR comments on how the US alliance with Russia was coming to an end.

Liz decides that she needs a hobby, and the proprietor of the local arts & crafts store convinces her she's a natural artistic genius when it comes to sculpting clay. Special podcast where all commercials were left in including a special recipe for Jello Mincemeat.

A woman kills herself after her fiance', a serial swindler, has disappeared with her $10,000. Commentary on this being the first broadcast in which Dragnet experienced technical difficulties. Listen for the announcement and then the show in progress. Plus, the Dragnet phenomenon from 1950-1970 and if the LAPD used the series as a propaganda tool to dispel complaints of brutality which eventually led to the Watts Riots in 1965.

Superman is led to the Russian headquarters in Germany to get more information on "the man without a face" to track down Bucky who is being held captive and tortured by this same man in France as he refuses to give up the location of the letter that exposes the group looking to destroy The World Peace Organization. JR speaks on post-World War II anxieties about fascism and global peace that inspired this serial.

A woman is a suspect in a murder case in which three men have been strangled and pushed over a cliff. Commentary on Mary Astor's wild backstory. Plus, silent superstar Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle's scandalous trial of rape and murder that cost him his career.

While an old church is being repaired, a ghostly monk begins to murder the church committee. Commentary on the character choices the writers made in the Shadow with Bill Johnstone as well as the darker tone of the series.

Suspense breaks format with two lead narratives each recounting their versions of the events leading up to murder. The story revolves around a 1929 true life story of murder-suicide that occured in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Commentary on stars Robert Young and Viginia Bruce. Plus, the disappointing ending of what started off as a gripping tale.

Phillipe was reported to be in a warehouse on the docks. Kent, as Superman, races to the location hoping to find him and Bucky Taylor. JR speaks on the streaming results of Superman 2025 and news of its upcoming 2027 sequel Man of Tomorrow.

Liz and Iris decide to teach husbands a lesson about looking like slobs, but ended up taking it a little too far. Commentary on the short final season leading to the creation of I Love Lucy. Plus commentary on the real adaptation of My Favorite Husband to television and finally we discuss this new rising star Liz and Iris are very excited about -Marlon Brando.

A woman reports her brother missing and although it's only been just two days, his disappearance was in an unusually suspicious way. Friday's investigation comes to a startling revelation. Commentary on the inflation crisis of 1951 and how the recession of 1953 was created from this inflationary period.

After Kent and Calkins place the sketch of the possible perpetrator behind the missing boy and Phillippe in the French newspaper, Kent receives a call the next night from someone who recognized the man in the sketch. JR compares the Superman films from 1978 and 2025.

A gypsy violinist warns a newly betrothed woman of a melody she must not hear as bad luck or she must hear it forever and be forced to do what the music tells her to do. Even kill. Commentary on sponsor Palmolive Soaps, gas rationing during WWII, Mussolini and Hitler, and the #1 song on this day.