Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - Philco Radio Time "Christmas Show" (12-24-47)

Christmas Show (Aired December 24, 1947)


PHILCO RADIO TIME starring Bing Crosby (108 broadcasts). Remarkably Bing Crosby had a regular radio series for almost 25 years. Starting out as a band vocalist he used this talent as the star and host for the Woodbury Show on Sep 2, 1931. During the ensuing years he was THE man for the Kraft Music Hall, The Philco Radio Time, The Bing Crosby Show for Chesterfields and then General Electric and finally in the middle 1955s, a daily show for CBS. You have to remember that he also had a highly successful career in the movies and then when television came along he appeared in The Bing Crosby Show for the 1964-1965 season. And then there were his great TV Christmas shows when his entire family partcipated.

THIS EPISODE:

December 24, 1947. ABC network. Sponsored by: Philco. A Christmas program. The first tune is, "Adeste Fideles." A rebroadcast of the program of December 25, 1946. Bing tells the story of, "The Small One." Bing Crosby, The Charioteers, Skitch Henderson, John Scott Trotter and His Orchestra, Ken Carpenter, Bill Morrow (producer, transcriber), Murdo McKenzie (producer, transcriber), Charles Tazewell (writer). 29:01.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - The Halls Of Ivy "Knockwurst Society" (03-31-50)

Knockwurst Society (Aired March 31, 1950)


The Halls of Ivy was an NBC radio sitcom that ran from 1950-1952. It was created by Fibber McGee & Molly co-creator/writer Don Quinn before being adapted into a CBS television comedy (1954-55) produced by ITC Entertainment and Television Programs of America. Quinn developed the show after he had decided to leave Fibber McGee & Molly. The audition program featured radio veteran Gale Gordon (then co-starring in Our Miss Brooks) and Edna Best in the roles that ultimately went to British husband-and-wife actors Ronald Colman and Benita Hume. The Colmans had shown a flair for radio comedy in recurring roles on The Jack Benny Program in the late 1940s, and they landed the title roles in the new show. The Halls of Ivy featured Colman as William Todhunter Hall, the president of small, Midwestern Ivy College, and his wife, Victoria, a former British musical comedy star who sometimes felt the tug of her former profession, and followed their interactions with students, friends and college trustees. Others in the cast included Herbert Butterfield as testy Clarence Wellman, Willard Waterman (then starring as Harold Peary's successor as The Great Gildersleeve) as John Merriweather, and Elizabeth Patterson and Gloria Gordon as the Halls' maid.

THIS EPISODE:

March 31, 1950. NBC network. Sponsored by: Schlitz Beer. Will Dr. Hall be invited to join the "Ivy Chamber Music and Knockwurst Society" to play the Piffleflute? The program may be dated April 7, 1950. Alan Reed, Benita Hume, Cliff Arquette, Don Quinn (creator, writer), Frank Martin (announcer), Gloria Gordon, Henry Russell (composer, conductor), Ken Carpenter (announcer), Nat Wolff (director), Ronald Colman, Walter Newman (writer). 29:31.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - The Black Museum "The Raincoat" (1952)

The Raincoat (1952)*Actual Air Date Is Unknown


Opening in 1875, the Crime Museum at Scotland Yard is the oldest museum in the world purely for recording crime. The name Black Museum was coined in 1877 by a reporter from The Observer, a London newspaper, although the museum is still referred to as the Crime Museum. The idea of a crime museum was conceived by Inspector Neame who had already collected together a number of items, with the intention of giving police officers practical instruction on how to detect and prevent burglary. It is this museum that inspired the Black Musuem radio series. The museum is not open to members of the public but is now used as a lecture theatre for the curator to lecture police and like bodies in subjects such as Forensic Science, Pathology, Law and Investigative Techniques. A number of famous people have visited the musuem including Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Harry Houdini, Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy. Orsen Welles hosted and narrated the shows. Following the opening, Mr. Welles would introduce the museum's item of evidence that was central to the case, leading into the dramatization. He also provided narration during the show and ended each show with his characteristic closing from the days of his Mercury Theater on the Air, 'remaining obediently yours'.

THIS EPISODE:

The Black Museum. 1952. Program #34. Syndicated, AFRTS rebroadcast. "The Raincoat". A man's wife is found murdered. The husband is suspected and found guilty, but reasonable doubt spares him from death. The date is approximate. Orson Welles (narrator), Harry Alan Towers (producer), Sidney Torch (composer, conductor), Ira Marion (writer). 1/2 hour.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - CBS Radio Mystery Theater "Circle Of Evil" (08-21-75)

Circle Of Evil (Aired August 21, 1975)


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:

August 21, 1975 - Circle Of Evil. A woman is hired to care for two very child-like adults who have been secluded from society. While there, she is contacted by a ghost that wants her to avenge the murder of his wife.Marian Seldes, Kristoffer Tabori, Mary Jane Higby, Ian Martin, Rosemary Rice.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - Duffy's Tavern "Christmas Cards With Dorothy Shaye" (12-22-48)

Christmas Cards With Dorothy Shaye (Aired December 22, 1948)


Duffy's Tavern, an American radio situation comedy (CBS, 1941-1942; NBC-Blue Network, 1942-1944; NBC, 1944-1952), often featured top-name stage and film guest stars but always hooked those around the misadventures, get-rich-quick-scheming, and romantic missteps of the title establishment's malaprop-prone, metaphor-mixing manager, Archie, played by the writer/actor who created the show, Ed Gardner.

THIS EPISODE:

December 22, 1948. NBC network. Sponsored by: Bristol Myers. A Christmas show. Archie is depressed after not getting a Christmas bonus until a stranger pays him a visit. Jeff Chandler, Ed Gardner, Gloria Erlanger, Eddie Green, Charlie Cantor. 29:25.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - Ellery Queen Master Detective "One Diamond" (05-06-48)

One Diamond (Aired May 6, 1948)


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.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - Suspense "A Korean Christmas Carol" (12-20-59)

A Korean Christmas Carol (Aired December 20, 1959)


Suspense was one of the premier programs of the Golden Age of Radio (aka old-time radio), and advertised itself as "radio's outstanding theater of thrills." It was heard in one form or another from 1942 through 1962. There were approximately 945 episodes broadcast during its long run, over 900 of which are extant in mostly high-quality recordings. Suspense went through several major phases, characterized by different hosts, sponsors and director/producers. There were a few rules which were followed for all but a handful of episodes: Protagonists were usually a normal person suddenly dropped into a threatening or bizarre situation. Evildoers must be punished in the end.

THIS EPISODE:

December 20, 1959. CBS network origination, AFRTS rebroadcast. "Korean Christmas Carol". the story of a strange G. I., his A. W. O. L. bag, and an even stranger Christmas battle. Bill Lipton, Lyle Sudrow, Allen Manson, Phil Meader, Santos Ortega, Guy Repp, Larry Robinson, Lawson Zerbe, Stuart Metz (announcer), George Walsh (announcer), George Bamber (writer), Paul Roberts (producer, director), Ethel Huber (music supervisor). 24:54.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - The Amos & Andy Show "Annual Christmas Show" (12-19-54)

Annual Christmas Show (Aired December 19, 1954)


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.

THIS EPISODE:

December 19, 1945. CBS network. Sponsored by: Campbell's Soup. The annual Christmas show. Andy works as Santa so he can raise money for a special gift and for a special person. Bill Hay gives a warm Christmas greeting. The Paul Taylor Chorus, Bill Hay (announcer), Freeman Gosden, Charles Correll. 27:37.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - The Dinah Shore Ford Show "Guest Dennis Day" (11-27-46)

Guest Dennis Day (Aired November 27, 1946)


In March 1939, Dinah debuted on national radio on the Sunday afternoon CBS radio program, Ben Bernie's Orchestra. In February 1940, Dinah Shore became a featured vocalist on the NBC Radio program The Chamber Music Society of Lower Basin Street, a showcase for traditional Dixieland and Blues songs. With Shore, the program became so popular that it was moved from 4:30 Sunday afternoon to a 9:00 Monday night time slot in September. In her prime-time debut for "the music of the Three Bs, Barrelhouse, Boogie-woogie and the Blues", she was introduced as "Mademoiselle Dinah 'Diva' Shore, who starts a fire by rubbing two notes together!". She recorded with the two Basin Street bands for RCA Victor; one of her records was the eponymous "Dinah's Blues." Shore soon became a successful singing star with her own radio show in 1943, Call to Music. Also in 1943, she appeared in her first movie, Thank Your Lucky Stars. The movie starred Eddie Cantor, and she soon went to another radio show, Paul Whiteman Presents. During this time, the United States was involved in World War II and Shore became a favorite with the troops.

THIS EPISODE:

November 27, 1946. CBS network. Sponsored by: Ford. The first tune is, "Sooner Or Later." Last minute Thanksgiving hints. The cast performs an old-fashioned operetta. Peter Lind Hayes outdoes himself on this show. Henry Lacossette does a Ford commercial from New York about Ford's "Tele-Autograph" and the automatic assembly line at Dearborn, Michigan. Dinah Shore, Peter Lind Hayes, Robert Emmett Dolan and His Orchestra, Dennis Day (guest), Henry Lacossette (commercial spokesman), Tom Hanlon (announcer)29:47.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - Richard Diamond Private Detective "A Contempory Christmas Carol" (12-24-49)

A Contempory Christmas Carol (Aired 12-24-49)


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:

December 24, 1949. NBC network. "A Christmas Carol". Sustaining. The famous story by Charles Dickens, but done by Richard Diamond, the private detective, and his friends. See the same script, broadcast two years later. Dick sings, "Mele Kalikimaka," after the story. Dick Powell, Edward King (announcer), Charles Dickens (author), Blake Edwards (writer). 29:36.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - Your's Truly Johnny Dollar "How I Played Santa Claus" (12-24-49)

How I Played Santa Claus (Aired December 24, 1949)


Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar was a radio drama about a freelance insurance investigator that aired from February 11, 1949 to September 30, 1962 on CBS. There were 811 episodes in the 12-year run, and over 720 still exist today. Charles Russell was the first to star as Johnny Dollar, the smart and tough detective who tossed silver dollar tips to bellhops. With the first three actors to play Johnny Dollar there was little to distinguish it 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. He was willing to let some things slide to satisfy his own sense of justice, as long as the interests of his employer were protected.

THIS EPISODE:

December 24, 1949. CBS network. "Small Time Swindlers Of Big Time Department Stores". Sustaining. What do you do when the bad guy is really Santa Claus? Ho, ho! Bob Stevens, Charles Russell, Constance Crowder, Georgia Ellis, Jay Novello, Leith Stevens (composer, conductor), Marlene Ames, Parley Baer, Paul Dubov. 29:34.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - Escape "Back For Christmas" (12-24-47)

Back For Christmas (Aired December 24, 1947)


Escape was radio's leading anthology series of high adventure, airing on CBS from July 7, 1947 to September 25, 1954. Since the program did not have a regular sponsor like Suspense, it was subjected to frequent schedule shifts and lower production budgets, although Richfield Oil signed on as a sponsor for five months in 1950. Despite these problems, Escape enthralled many listeners during its seven-year run. The series' well-remembered opening combined Mussorgsky's Night on Bald Mountain with the introduction, intoned by Paul Frees and William Conrad: “Tired of the everyday routine? Ever dream of a life of romantic adventure? Want to get away from it all? We offer you... Escape!” Of the more than 230 Escape episodes, most have survived in good condition. Many story premises, both originals and adaptations, involved a protagonist in dire life-or-death straits, and the series featured more science fiction and supernatural tales than Suspense. Some of the memorable adaptations include Algernon Blackwood's "Confession", Ray Bradbury's oft-reprinted "Mars Is Heaven," George R. Stewart's Earth Abides, Richard Connell's "The Most Dangerous Game," F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Diamond as Big as the Ritz," John Collier's "Evening Primrose", later adapted to TV as a Stephen Sondheim musical starring Anthony Perkins. Vincent Price and Harry Bartell were heard in the chilling "Three Skeleton Key," the tale of three men trapped in an isolated lighthouse by thousands of rats. The half-hour was adapted from an Esquire short story by the French writer George Toudouze.

THIS EPISODE:

December 24, 1947. CBS network. "Back For Christmas". Sustaining. A botany professor digging a "Devil's Garden" in the basement, decides to kill his wife and bury her in it. John Collier (author), Paul Frees, Robert Tallman (adaptor), William N. Robson (director). 1/2 hour.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - Screen Directors Playhouse "It's A Wonderful Life" (05-08-49)

It's A Wonderful Life (Aired May 8, 1949)


From 01/09/49 to 09/28/51 this series was greatly enjoyed by the radio listening audience. It opened as NBC Theater and was also known as The Screen Director’s Guild and The Screen Director’s Assignment. But most people remember it simply as Screen Director’s Playhouse. Many of the Hollywood elite were heard recreating their screen roles over the radio. John Wayne in his rare radio appearances, Cary Grant, Edward G. Robinson, Lucille Ball, Claire Trevor, Tallulah Bankhead and many others were on the air week after week during these broadcasts. Many of Hollywood’s directors were also heard in the recreation of their movies. The President of the Screen Director’s Guild appeared on 02/13/49, and Violinist Isaac Stern supplied the music for the 04/19/51 broadcast.

THIS EPISODE:

May 8, 1949. NBC network. "It's A Wonderful Life". Sustaining. Screen director Frank Capra appears as host. The program is also known as "NBC Theatre." Arthur Q. Bryan, Barbara Eiler, Frank Barton (announcer), Frank Capra, Georgia Backus, Hans Conried, Herb Butterfield, Irene Tedrow, Jimmy Stewart, Joseph Granby, Milton Geiger (adaptor). 29:34

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - The Archie Andrews Show "Christmas Shopping" (12-13-45)

Christmas Shopping (Aired December 13, 1945)


With all the time spent looking for it throughout history, who would have thought the secret of eternal youth would be found in Riverdale? That's where it is, though, and Archie Andrews and his friends seem happy enough to keep that secret to themselves while sharing their trials, tribulations and milkshakes with generations of readers. Montana's characters were heard on radio in the early 1940s. Archie Andrews began on the Blue Network on May 31, 1943, switched to Mutual in 1944, and then continued on NBC from 1945 until September 5, 1953. Archie was first played by Charles Mullen, Jack Grimes and Burt Boyar, with Bob Hastings as the title character during the NBC years.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - The Eddie Cantor Christmas Show "Guest Ida Lupino" (12-23-42)

Guest Ida Lupino (12-23-42)


Cantor appeared on radio as early as February 3, 1922, as indicated by this news item from Connecticut's Bridgeport Telegram: Local radio operators listened to one of the finest programs yet produced over the radiophone last night. The program of entertainment which included some of the stars of Broadway musical comedy and vaudeville was broadcast from the Newark, N. J. station WDY and the Pittsburgh station KDKA, both of the Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing company. The Newark entertainment started at 7 o'clock: a children's half-hour of music and fairy stories; 7:[35?], Hawaiian airs and violin solo; 8:00, news of the day; and at 8:20 a radio party with nationally known comedians participating; 9:55, Arlington time signals and 10:01, a government weather report. G. E. Nothnagle, who conducts a radiophone station at his home 176 Waldemere Avenue said last night that he was delighted with the program, especially with the numbers sung by Eddie Cantor. The weather conditions are excellent for receiving, he continued, the tone and the quality of the messages was fine.

THIS EPISODE:

The Eddie Cantor Christmas Show. December 23, 1942. Christmas Seals syndication. Sponsored by: Christmas Seals fund appeal. Eddie's first tune is, "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town." Guest is Ida Lupino. Eddie Cantor, Harry Von Zell (announcer).

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - Casey Crime Photographer "Christmas Shopping" (12-19-46)

Christmas Shopping (December 19, 1946)


The adventures of Casey, crack photographer for The Morning Express, were told in this series, which moved to television after a highly successful run on radio in the 1940’s. Casey hung out at the Blue Note Café, where the music was provided by the Tony Mottola Trio, and was friendly with Ethelbert, the bartender, to whom he recounted his various exploits. Richard Carlyle and John Gibson portrayed the roles when the series premiered in April, 1951, but by June they were replaced by Darren McGavin and Cliff Hall. Ann Williams, a reporter on The Morning Express, was Casey’s girlfriend. During the summer of 1951 he acquired a partner in cub reporter Jack Lipman, who wrote copy to go with Casey’s pictures. This live series was set in and broadcast from, New York City.

THIS EPISODE:

December 19, 1946. CBS network. "Christmas Shopping". Sponsored by: Anchor Hocking Glass. Casey uses the nimble fingers of a pick pocket and a 10 ton truck to catch a pair of murderers. Tony Marvin (announcer), Staats Cotsworth, John Gibson, George Harmon Coxe (creator), Herman Chittison (piano), Alonzo Deen Cole (writer). 1/2 hour.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - The MercuryTheater "A Christmas Carol" (12-24-39)

A Christmas Carol (Aired December 24, 1939)


The Mercury Theatre was a theatre company founded in New York City by Orson Welles and John Houseman. They had initial success in the theatre, then went to radio, and one of the most notable radio broadcasts of all time, The War of the Worlds. Welles had already worked extensively in radio drama, playing the Shadow for a year, and directing a seven-part adaptation of Victor Hugo's Les Misérables. In 1938, he was offered a chance to direct his own weekly, hour-long radio series, initially called First Person Singular, then The Mercury Theatre on the Air. Welles insisted his Mercury company--actors and crew--be involved in the radio series. This was an unprecedented and expensive request, especially for one so young as Welles. He won out, however, and went on to produce some of the finest radio drama of any era. The Mercury Theatre on the Air was an hour-long dramatic radio program which began in the summer of 1938 on the CBS radio network. Most episodes dramatized many works of classic and contemporary literature. Houseman wrote the early scripts for the series himself, turning the job over to Howard Koch at the beginning of October. Music for the program was conducted by Bernard Herrmann.

THIS EPISODE:

A Christmas Carol is a Victorian morality tale of an old and bitter miser, Ebenezer Scrooge, who undergoes a profound experience of redemption over the course of one night. If the experience doesn't change Scrooge's ways, he will end up walking the Earth forever being nothing but invisible and lonely, like his friend Jacob Marley. Mr. Scrooge is a financier/moneychanger who has devoted his life to the accumulation of wealth. He holds anything other than money in contempt, including friendship, love, and the Christmas season.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - The Lux Radio Theater "Dixie" (12-20-43)

Dixie (Aired December 20, 1943)


In October of 1934, "Lux Radio Theater" debuted in New York on NBC's Blue radio network. Presenting audio versions of popular Broadway plays, the show failed to garner an audience and soon ran out of material. After switching networks to CBS and moving to Hollywood, Lux found its true market. The show began featuring adaptations of popular films, performed by as many of the original stars as possible. With an endless supply of hit films scripts and an audience of more than 40 million, Lux enjoyed a prosperous run until the curtain fell in 1956

THIS EPISODE:

A popular musical stage show of the early and mid 19th Century was minstrelsy. Minstrel shows a variety of comical skits in which both black as well as white people painted their faces black. The film Dixie, directed by A. Edward Sutherland was a story about the intertwining characters and their production of a Minstrel show, Though Minstrel shows content embodied racial hatred they were the first form of musical theatre that was American-born and bred. It was embraced by all colors despite its ignorant and obnoxious slander of African Americans. Minstrelsy had an initial structure normally broken into a three act performance. A dance sequence was first on stage. Singing songs and preparing the audience for the second part which included a coordinate speech said by "Mr. Interlocutor". This pun-filled speech in Dixie was said by Mr. Cook, played by Raymond Walburn, while he was in the center of the stage. The final act in the show was a song almost like one slaves would sing while working at the plantation. In the film the characters refer to African Americans as "darkies". To accomplish "blackface" performers would burned corks and painted their face black with the soot, and then extenuated their lips with red paint, with the objective to appear as black as possible. Minstrelsy typical distastefully portrayed African Americans as lazy and moronic people gallivanting around. Though enjoyed by audiences of all colors minstrelsy began to lose popularity with the gain of social rights against racism. In the 1930's it was considered suitable portrayal of black America by White America, with blind bigotry. The film Dixie did not have African American's performing in the Minstrel show they were all white. But during this era that was acceptable and considered comic relief.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - The Adventures Of Horatio Hornblower "The Guerilla Action" (10-03-52)

The Guerilla Action (Aired October 3, 1952)

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.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - The Bob Hope Show "Christmas Presents With Frank Sinatra" (12-24-52)

Christmas Presents With Frank Sinatra (Aired December 24, 1952)


Hope first appeared on television in 1932 during a test transmission from an experimental CBS studio in New York. His career in broadcasting spanned sixty-four years and included a long association with NBC. Hope made his network radio debut in 1937 on NBC. His first regular series for NBC Radio was the Woodbury Soap Hour. A year later The Pepsodent Radio Show Starring Bob Hope began, and would run through 1953. Hope did many specials for the NBC television network in the following decades and these were often sponsored by Chrysler and Hope served as a spokesman for the firm for many years. Hope's Christmas specials were popular favorites and often featured a performance of "Silver Bells" (from his 1951 film The Lemon Drop Kid) done as a duet with an often much younger female guest star (such as Olivia Newton-John or Brooke Shields). His final television special was in 1996 with Tony Danza helping Hope present a retrospective about presidents of the United States. He also made a guest appearance on the NBC show "The Golden Girls" in the late 1980s.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - The Mysterious Traveler "New Year's Nightmare" (01-05-47)

New Year's Nightmare (Aired January 5, 1947)


Written and directed by Robert A. Arthur and David Kogan, the series began on the Mutual Broadcasting System, December 5, 1943, continuing in many different timeslots until September 16, 1952. Unlike many other shows of the era, The Mysterious Traveler was without a sponsor for its entire run. The lonely sound of a distant locomotive heralded the arrival of the malevolent narrator, portrayed by Maurice Tarplin, who introduced himself each week in the following manner. This is the Mysterious Traveler, inviting you to join me on another journey into the strange and terrifying. I hope you will enjoy the trip, that it will thrill you a little and chill you a little. So settle back, get a good grip on your nerves and be comfortable -- if you can!

THIS EPISODE:

January 5, 1947. Mutual network. "New Year's Nightmare". Sustaining. A man goes on a year-end bender and wakes up a year later married to a strange woman. David Kogan (writer, producer, director), Maurice Tarplin, Robert A. Arthur (writer). 1/2 hour.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - Big Town "Lost And Found" (12-07-48)

Lost And Found (Aired December 7, 1948)


Big Town is a radio show that aired from 1937 to 1952. Edward G. Robinson had the lead role of Steve Wilson from 1937 to 1942. Claire Trevor was Wilson's society editor sidekick Lorelei Kilbourne, with Ona Munson taking over that role in 1940. Edward J. Pawley portrayed Wilson from 1942 until 1952 when Walter Greaza was heard as Wilson in the final episodes in the radio series. When Big Town moved to television, the program was telecast live, but in 1952 the production switched to film after the move from New York City to Hollywood. The television series ran on CBS from 1950 through 1954, continuing on NBC from 1955 through 1956. Repeat episodes aired on the DuMont Network (under the title City Assignment) while Big Town was still showing first-run episodes on CBS. Reruns were also shown under the titles Heart of the City, Headline and Byline Steve Wilson.

THIS EPISODE:

December 7, 1948. NBC network. "The Case Of The Lost and Found". Sponsored by: Lifebuoy Soap, Rinso. Dick Rutter, the star reporter of a competing paper, disappears. Steve Wilson of the Illustrated Press suspects a connection to the "Lucky Louie" murder. The program has also been dated December 1, 1948. Edward Pawley, Fran Carlon, Jerry McGill (writer, producer), Hugh James (announcer). 29:37.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - First Nighter "Oh Little Town Of Bethlehem" (12-23-52)

Oh Little Town Of Bethlehem (Aired December 23, 1952)


The First Nighter Program aired on the Blue Network and on Thursday nights at 8:30PM till 9:00PM, sponsored by Campana and starring Don Ameche and June Meredith. On October 4, 1942, The First Nighter program switched over from CBS to Mutual and was broadcast from 6:00 to 6:30 on Sunday evenings. At the end of the regular season for The First Nighter, on May 2, 1942, Murder Clinic switched time periods and came on three hours earlier as the summer replacement for the other program.

THIS EPISODE:

December 1949. CBS network. "Oh, Little Town Of Bethlehem". Sponsored by: Campana cosmetics. The ninth presentation of the show's annual Christmas show. The show may be dated December, 1945. Anthony Wayne (author), Barbara Luddy, Herb Butterfield, Hugh Studebaker, Olan Soule, Phillips H. Lord, Willard Waterman. 1/2 hour.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - Dimension X "Competition" (11-19-50)

Competition (Aired November 19, 1950)


Dimension X was first heard on NBC April 8, 1950, and ran until September 29, 1951. Strange that so little good science fiction came out of radio; they seem ideally compatible, both relying heavily on imagination. Some fine isolated science fiction stories were developed on the great anthology shows, Suspense and Escape. But until the premiere of Dimension X -- a full two decades after network radio was established -- there were no major science fiction series of broad appeal to adults. This show dramatized the work of such young writers as Ray Bradbury, Robert (Psycho) Bloch, Robert Heinlein, Isaac Asimov, and Kurt Vonnegut. In-house script writer was Ernest Kinoy, who adapted the master works and contributed occasional storied of his own. Dimension X was a very effective demonstration of what could be done with science fiction on the air. It came so late that nobody cared, but some of the stories stand as classics of the medium. Bradbury's "Mars Is Heaven" is as gripping today as when first heard. His "Martian Chronicles" was one of the series' most impressive offerings. Dimension X played heavily on an "adventures in time and space, told in future tense" theme. Actors who worked regularly on the show included Joe Di Santis, Wendell Holmes, Santos Ortega, Joseph Julian, Jan Miner, Roger De Koven, John Gibson, Ralph Bell, John Larkin, Les Damon, and Mason Adams. It was directed by Fred Weihe and Edward King. The deep-voiced narrator was Norman Rose. The series played heavily on the "X" factor in the title, as did X-Minus One a few years later. The signature was boomed out of and echo chamber as "DIMENSION X X X X X x x x x x . . . "

THIS EPISODE:

November 19, 1950. NBC net. "Competition". Sustaining. A spaceship filled with women emigrating to the stars find themselves taken to a planet not of their choosing. Miss Travis finds herself an innocent pawn in a high stakes game of intrigue. The final public service announcement and system cue have been deleted. Albert Buhrman (music), Bill Chambers (engineer), E. M. Hull (author), Edward King (director), Elaine Rost, Ernest Kinoy (adaptor), Les Tremayne, Norman Rose (host), Van Woodward (producer), Bob Warren (announcer), Joseph Julian, Ed Latimer, Staats Cotsworth, John McGovern, Peter Capell. 27:47.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - Box 13 "Death Is A Doll" (03-13-49)

Death Is A Doll (Aired March 13, 1949)


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:

arch 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.

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