Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - Hancocks Half Hour "Michelangelo Hancock" (11-18-56)

Michelangelo Hancock (Aired November 18, 1956)

Hancock's Half-Hour is the yardstick against which all subsequent British sitcoms have been measured, the vast majority failing to size up to its extremely high standards. Based on his famous radio show of the same name, the TV run consolidated Tony Hancock's standing as Britain's leading comic of the day, the entertainer providing ample proof that his wonderfully flexible face could be as expressive as his dextrous radio voice. Tony Hancock was at the height of his powers during the late 1950s, squeezing every comic ounce out of his lines, pulling off perfectly judged pauses and demonstrating a sense of timing to match the great Jack Benny's. His character - Anthony Aloysius St John Hancock - was invariably a loser, whose aspirations and plans were dashed by fate, circumstance, Sid James or, more often than not, his own pomposity or unfettered ambition. Hancock suffered the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune ruefully, occasionally lamenting his lot with the heartfelt phrase 'Stone me, what a life'. The screen Hancock's misery was the viewer's delight - the many millions who watched the shows saw something in the frustrated funster with which they could identify while consoling themselves that their lot wasn't as bad as his. Hancock's genius, coupled with Galton and Simpson's fabulously rich scripts, resulted in a very fine series indeed and a bunch of classic half-hours.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - Leonidas Witherall "Resort" (09-07-43)

Resort (Aired September 7, 1943)


Adventures of Leonidas Witherall was a radio mystery series broadcast on Mutual in the mid-1940s. Based on the novels of Phoebe Atwood Taylor (writing as Alice Tilton), the 30-minute dramas were produced by Roger Bower and starred Walter Hampden as Leonidas Witherall, a New England boys' school instructor in Dalton, Massachusetts, a fictional Boston suburb. Witherall, who resembled William Shakespeare, is an amateur detective and the accomplished author of the "popular Lieutenant Hazeltine stories." His housekeeper Mrs. Mollett was played by Ethel Remey (1895-1979) and Jack MacBryde appeared as Police Sgt. McCloud. The announcer was Carl Caruso. Milton Kane supplied the music. The series began June 4, 1944 and continued until May 6, 1945.

THIS EPISODE:

September 7, 1943. CBS network. Sustaining. This series deals with a college professor who looks like Shakespeare and is very good at solving murders. This story takes place at a mountain resort where a murder has been committed by someone very adept at throwing knives. Walter Hampden, Agnes Moorehead. 1/2 hour.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - Your's Truly Johnny Dollar "The Search For Michelle March" (09-25-49)

The Search For Michelle March (Aired September 25, 1949)


For over twelve years, from 1949 through 1962 (including a one year hiatus in 1954-1955), this series recounted the cases "the man with the action-packed expense account, America’s fabulous freelance insurance investigator, Johnny Dollar". Johnny was an accomplished 'padder' of his expense account. The name of the show derives from the fact that he closed each show by totaling his expense account, and signing it "End of report... Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar". Terry Salomonson in his authoritative "A Radio Broadcast Log of the Drama Program Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar", notes that the original working title was "Yours Truly, Lloyd London". Salomonson writes "Lloyd London was scratched out of the body of (the Dick Powell) audition script and Johnny Dollar was written in. Thus the show was re-titled on this script and the main character was renamed. Why this was done was unclear – possibly to prevent a legal run-in with Lloyd’s of London Insurance Company." Although based in Hartford, Connecticut, the insurance capital of the world, freelancer Johnny Dollar managed to get around quite a bit – his adventures taking him all over the world.

THIS EPISODE:

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

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - Crime And Peter Chambers "Abigail Chrisenberry" (05-04-54)

Abigail Chrisenberry (Aired May 4, 1954)

This program was born from a detective book series and inspired by author Henry Kane who became the director and producer for the radio show. The series only ran five months, 30 minutes each episode, from April 6, 1954 to September 7, 1954. Peter Chambers was played by Dane Clark who also appeared on the Suspense radio shows. Chambers acted the role of a playboy detective with an eye for solving crime and a taste for the women. Bill Zuckert, who went on to guest star in many 1970s shows including The Mary Tyler Moore Show and the Partridge Family, plays Lt. Parker.

THIS EPISODE:

May 4, 1954. NBC network. Sustaining. Peter meets beautiful Abigail Christenberry in a bar. He soon finds himself accused of Abigail's murder! Fred Collins (announcer), Fred Weihe (director), William Zuckert, Elaine Rost, Joe DeSantis, David Clark, Henry Kane (creator, writer). 24:22.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - Diary Of Fate "Victor Wakeman" (6-29-48)

Victor Wakeman (Aired June 29, 1948)


Diary of Fate is a mystery and horror program where “Fate” narrates and always wins by the end of the story. These are great suspense filled stories about average people who are subject to the mysteries of their ‘Fate’. In This episode, Program #29, "Victor Wakeman" Book 54, page 806, an American citizen works in Berlin for U. S. government intelligence. The date is subject to correction. Commercials added locally. Not auditioned. Finley syndication. Herb Lytton, Mary Lansing, Barney Phillips, Walter Craig, Ray Ehrlenborn, Hal Sawyer, Gene Twombley, Larry Finley (producer). 26:07.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - The Story Of Dr. Kildare "Benjamin Barkley" (2-15-50)

Benjamin Barkley (Aired February 15, 1950)


Dr. James Kildare was a fictional character, the primary character in a series of American theatrical films in the late 1930s and early 1940s, an early 1950s radio series, a 1960s television series of the same name and a comic book based on the TV show. The character was invented by the author Frederick Schiller Faust (aka Max Brand). The character began in the film series as a medical intern; after becoming a doctor he was mentored by an older physician, Dr. Leonard Gillespie. After the first ten films, the series eliminated the character of Kildare and focused instead on Gillespie.

In the summer of 1949, MGM reunited Lew Ayres and Lionel Barrymore to record the radio series, The Story of Dr. Kildare, scripted by Les Crutchfield, Jean Holloway and others. After broadcasts on WMGM New York from February 1, 1950 to August 3, 1951, the series was syndicated to other stations during the 1950s. The supporting cast included Ted Osborne as hospital administrator Dr. Carough, Jane Webb as nurse Mary Lamont and Virginia Gregg as Nurse Parker, labeled "Nosy Parker" by Gillespie, with appearances by William Conrad, Stacy Harris, Jay Novello, Isabel Jewell and Jack Webb.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - Nightfall "They Bite" (1-16-81)

They Bite (Aired January 16, 1981)


Nightfall is the title of a radio drama series produced and aired by CBC Radio ( Canadian Broadcasting Corporation ) from July 1980 to June 1983. While primarily a supernatural/horror series, Nightfall featured some episodes in other genres, such as science fiction, mystery, fantasy, and human drama. One episode was even adapted from a folk song by Stan Rogers. Some of Nightfall's episodes were so terrifying that the CBC registered numerous complaints and some affiliate stations dropped it. Despite this, the series went on to become one of the most popular shows in CBC Radio history, running 100 episodes that featured a mix of original tales and adaptations of both classic and obscure short stories.

THIS EPISODE:

January 16, 1981. Program #29. CBC origination, NPR network, WPBH-FM, Middlefield, Conn. aircheck. "They Bite". Sustaining. An excellent thriller about a half-crazed Vietnam veteran battling pre-historic creatures...with very sharp teeth. The WPBH-FM rebroadcast date is January 24, 1982. Anthony Boucher (author), Henry Ramer (host), Bill Howell (producer, director), Earle Toppings (story editor), Len Peterson (adaptor), John Stocker, Maver Moore, Tom Shipton (recording engineer), Earle Toppings (story editor), Nancy MacIlvene (production assistant), David Calderisi, Robert Haley, Ken James, Matt Wilcox (sound effects). 29:24.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - Theater Five "Terror From Beyond" (8-05-64)

Terror From Beyond (Aired August 5, 1964)


Theater Five was ABC's attempt to revive radio drama during the early 1960s. The series name was derived from its time slot, 5:00 PM. Running Monday through Friday, it was an anthology of short stories, each about 20 minutes long. News programs and commercials filled out the full 30 minutes. There was a good bit of science fiction and some of the plots seem to have been taken from the daily newspaper. Fred Foy, of The Lone Ranger fame, was an ABC staff announcer in the early 60s, who, among other duties, did Theater Five.

THIS EPISODE:

ugust 5, 1964. Program #3. ABC network origination, AFRTS rebroadcast. "Terror From Beyond". Creatures from Demos mentally invade the Earth, planning to take over. Robert Newman (writer), Warren Somerville (director), Robert Dryden, Ralph Camargo, Gilbert Mack, Marty Folia (audio engineer), Bill Sandreuter (audio engineer), Ed Blainey (sound technician), M. C. Brock (sound technician), Edward A. Byron (executive producer), Fred Foy (announcer), Alexander Vlas Datsenko (composer), Glenn Osser (conductor). 24:18.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - Screen Director's Playhouse "The Sky Is The Limit" (4-24-49)

The Sky Is The Limit (Aired April 24, 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:

Flying Tiger fred Atwell sneaks away from his famous squadron's personal appearance tour and goes incognito for several days of leave. He quickly falls for photographer Joan Manion, pursuing her in the guise of a carefree drifter. CAST: Fred Astaire., Joan Leslie., Robert Benvchley., and Robert Ryan.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - Richard Diamond Private Detective "The Man Who Hated Women" (7-16-49)

The Man Who Hated Women (Aired July 16, 1949)


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.

THIS EPISODE:

July 16, 1949. NBC network. Sustaining. A serial killer is on the loose, slashing women and threatening Lt. Levinson's job! A good, serious cops and robbers story. Dick Powell sings, "Cruising Down The River" after the story. Dick Powell, Edward King (announcer), William P. Rousseau (director), Frank Worth (music director), Blake Edwards (writer), Wilms Herbert, Sidney Miller, William Conrad, Virginia Gregg, Ed Begley, Lurene Tuttle, Jack Kruschen. 29:19.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - Duffy's Tavern "Archie Has Three Days To Live" (2-09-49)

Archie Has Three Days To Live (Aired February 9, 1949)


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

THIS EPISODE:

February 9, 1949. NBC network origination, Nostalgia Broadcasting Corporation syndication. Commercials added locally. Archie's doctor has told him that he only has three days to live...or did he? Archie keeps the true diagnosis from the gang down at the tavern. The system cue has been deleted. Ed Gardner, Eddie Green, Charlie Cantor, Hazel Shermet. 24:37.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - Suspense "Life Ends At Midnight" (5-08-48)

Life Ends At Midnight (Aired May 8, 1948)


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

THIS EPISODE:

February 17, 1944. CBS network. "Life Ends At Midnight". Sponsored by: Roma Wines. A throughly bad son returns to his mother for a visit. He soon turns to thoughts of murder. The story was subsequently produced on "Suspense" on May 8, 1948. Fay Bainter, Ralph Morgan, Dane Clark, Joseph Kearns ("The Man In Black"), Robert Tallman (writer), Hans Conried, William Johnstone, Robert Tallman (writer), William Spier (producer, director), Frank Martin (commercial spokesman), Lucien Moraweck (composer), Lud Gluskin (conductor). 1/2 hour.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - The Haunting Hour "Hands Of Mr Smith" (1945)

Hands Of Mr Smith (1945)


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."

THIS EPISODE:

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.

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Boxcars711 Overnight Western - The Six Shooter "The New Sheriff" (06-10-54)

Boxcars711 Overnight Western - The Six Shooter "The New Sheriff" (Aired June 10, 1954)


This juvenile western followed the same format as the TV show of the same name that ran throughout the same years. This format certainly was not new as the charismatic hero and comic side-kick was something that had been done before with Hopalong Cassidy and The Cisco Kid, and to some extent with the Lone Ranger. FIRST BROADCAST: May 17, 1951 LAST BROADCAST: February 12, 1956 SPONSORS: Kellog CAST: Guy Madison and Andy Devine. ANNOUNCERS: Charlie Lyon PRODUCERS/DIRECTORS: Paul Pierc. The storylines for Wild Bill Hikock are anything but challenging. The basic plot is usually along the lines of Hickock and his sidekick, Jingles, blundering into trouble, fighting their way out of it somehow, and then riding off into the sunset in readiness for next weeks trials and tribulations.

THIS EPISODE:

February 8, 1952. Program #51. Mutual network. "The Treasure Of The Old Number Nine". Sponsored by: Kellogg's Rice Krispies. The "Choya Gang" specializes in robbing trains. The clue to their identity comes from a telegraph key, and a Morse code message sent by Wild Bill himself! The system cue is added live. Guy Madison, Andy Devine, Charles Lyon (announcer), Richard Aurandt (music), David Hire (producer), Paul Pierce (director), Frederick Shields, Lou Marcell, Bill Baukum. 25:00.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - Big Town "Death At The Wheel" (2-08-49)

Death At The Wheel (Aired February 8, 1949)


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.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - Molle Mystery Theater "Radio Patrol" (11-29-46)

Radio Patrol (Aired November 29, 1946)


Although Molle Mystery Theatre was initially sponsored by Molle Shaving Cream, other sponsors (such as Bayer Aspirin, Ironized Yeast, Phillips Milk of Magnesia) also sponsored the program. Sometimes, when it was not sponsored by Molle, the program was called "Mystery Theater". The show was first heard on NBC, on 9/7/43. Time slot was originally Sunday nights at 9:00 PM, but was later moved to Tuesday at 9:00 PM, and Friday at 10:00 PM. In 1948, the show moved to CBS (Tues, 8:00 PM), and in 1951, it moved to ABC, where it was called "Mark Sabre", and heard on Wednesdays at either 8:00 PM or 9:30 PM. The shows were tight and tension filled, with a fine orchestra score and solid production values. Classic tales from well-known authors, as well as modern unknowns were presented, and the endings were often twists or shockers.

THIS EPISODE:

November 29, 1946. NBC network. "Radio Patrol". Sponsored by: Molle, Double Dandereen. A man found dying on the docks confesses to a radio patrolman that he killed a man at the order of Councilman Carmichael. The cop is not going to let an innocent man hang, even though his career will be ruined if it helps the con on death row who was convicted of the crime. Dan Seymour (announcer), Leslie T. White (writer), Richard Coogan, Leon Meadow (adaptor), Jack Miller (music), Bernard Lenrow (host, as "Geoffrey Barnes"). 29:31.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - Barry Craig Confidential Investigator "The Moving Target" (2-16-55)

The Moving Target (Aired February 16, 1955)


Barry Craig, Confidential Investigator is one of the few detective radio series that had separate versions of it broadcast from both coasts. Even the spelling changed over the years. It was first "Barry Crane" and then "Barrie Craig". NBC produced it in New York from 1951 to 1954 and then moved it to Hollywood where it aired from 1954 to 1955. It attracted only occasional sponsors so it was usually a sustainer.William Gargan, who also played the better known television (and radio) detective Martin Kane, was the voice of New York eye BARRY CRAIG while Ralph Bell portrayed his associate, Lt. Travis Rogers. Craig's office was on Madison Avenue and his adventures were fairly standard PI fare. He worked alone, solved cases efficiently, and feared no man. As the promos went, he was "your man when you can't go to the cops. Confidentiality a speciality."Like Sam Spade, Craig narrated his stories, in addition to being the leading character in this 30 minute show. Nearly sixty episodes are in trading circulation today.

THIS EPISODE:

February 16, 1955. NBC network. "The Moving Target". Sustaining. Not auditioned. A high-flying globe trotter finds that sheer elbow room is no insurance for survival when a felonious blonde makes a passionate effort to bring him down to earth...realy deep down, that is." William Gargan, John Roeburt (writer), Howard McNear, Andrew C. Love (director), Lynn Allen, Jerry Hausner. 24:55.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - The Clitheroe Kid "One Jump Behind" (11-22-64)

One Jump Behind (Aired November 22, 1964)


The Clitheroe Kid was James Robertson Clitheroe, Jimmy Clitheroe to most, who by some strange coincidence did come from the town of that name without having to change his family name! At his full height he was 4ft 3in, and played the naughty schoolboy from 1958 to 1972. Although plausable from a distance, he was not really able to pass himself off as a youngster close up, so a TV career did not really take off too well, but at the peak of his fame the radio show was raking in about 10 million listeners, although by the end this had dropped to a tenth of that figure. 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.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - Boston Blackie "Jack Meer Prison Break" (5-05-48)

Jack Meer Prison Break (Aired May 5, 1948)


Blackie was a tough, wisecracking private detective working in New York, billed as "enemy to those who make him an enemy, friend to those who have no friend." His speciality was making fools of the police, a simple task with Inspector Farraday heading the official investigations. "An enemy to those who call him an enemy, a friend to those who have no friends." Boston Blackie is a reformed jewel thief who is never far from trouble. Inspector Farraday of the homicide squad tries to pin Blackie for the crime in every episode. To save his own skin, with the help of his girlfriend Mary and sidekick Shorty, Blackie ends up solving the case.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - The Whistler "Lady On A Yacht" (11-29-53)

Lady On A Yacht (Aired November 29, 1953)


The Whistler was one of radio's most popular mystery dramas, with a 13-year run from May 16, 1942 until September 22, 1955. If it now seems to have been influenced explicitly by The Shadow, The Whistler was no less popular or credible with its listeners, the writing was first class for its genre, and it added a slightly macabre element of humor that sometimes went missing in The Shadow's longer-lived crime stories. Writer-producer J. Donald Wilson established the tone of the show during its first two years, and he was followed in 1944 by producer-director George Allen. Other directors included Sterling Tracy and Sherman Marks with final scripts by Joel Malone and Harold Swanton. A total of 692 episodes were produced, yet despite the series' fame, over 200 episodes are lost today. In 1946, a local Chicago version of The Whistler with local actors aired Sundays on WBBM, sponsored by Meister Brau beer.

THIS EPISODE:
November 29, 1953. CBS network origination, United States Air Forces In Europe rebroadcast. "Lady On A Yacht". A German woman, pretending to be from Argentina, plans to wed a fabulously wealthy American. An artist on a small Italian island presents a considerable complication. It sounds like John Dehner is in the cast. John Dehner (?). 23:04.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - The Lineup "Eddie Gaynor Framed For Murder" (07-20-50)

Eddie Gaynor Framed For Murder (Aired July 20, 1950)


The Lineup is a realistic police drama that gives radio audiences a look behind the scenes at police headquarters. Bill Johnstone plays Lt. Ben Guthrie, a quiet, calm-as-a-cupcake cucumber. Joseph Kearns (and from 1951 to 1953, Matt Maher) plays Sgt. Matt Grebb, a hot-tempered hot plate who is easily bored. The director and script writer often rode with police on the job and sat in on the police lineups to get ideas for The Lineup. They also read dozens of newspapers daily and intermeshed real stories with those that they used in the show. With Dragnet a smash hit, realism in police dramas was popular at the time this show aired. Don’t be caught without this radio show in your collection!

THIS EPISODE:

The Line-Up. July 20, 1950. CBS network. Sustaining. Eddie Gaynor has been framed for the murder of Johnny Taranto, and Eddie's no choir boy either! After Eddie is sprung on a writ, his body is found the next morning. Elliott Lewis (producer, director), Morton Fine (writer), David Friedkin (writer), William Johnstone, Wally Maher, Eddie Dunstedter (composer, conductor), Virginia Gregg, Howard McNear, Junius Matthews, Edgar Barrier, Tony Barrett, Paul Frees, Clayton Post. 29:39.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - The Devil & Mr. O "Official Killer" (01-07-72)

Official Killer (Aired January 7, 1972)


THE DEVIL AND MR. O was a syndicated collection of some of Arch Obler's more memorable shows from his famous LIGHTS OUT series. The shows were the originals broadcast in the era of radio's golden age. Only the openings and closing were changed. Mr. Obler serves as narrator for all shows. With its premiere on the nationwide NBC hookup in 1935, Lights Out was billed "the ultimate in horror." Never had such sounds been heard on the air. Heads rolled, bones were crushed, people fell from great heights and splattered wetly on pavement. There were garrotings, choking, heads split by cleavers, and, to a critic at Radio Guide, "the most monstrous of all sounds, human flesh being eaten." Few shows had ever combined the talents of actors and imaginative writers so well with the graphic art of the sound technician.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - The Devil & Mr. O -Official Killer" (01-07-72)

Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - X Minus One "The Snowball Effect" (08-14-46)

The Snowball Effect (Aired August 14, 1946)


X MINUS ONE was an NBC science fiction series that was an extension, or revival, of NBC's earlier science fiction series, DIMENSION X. which ran from Apr. 8, 1950 through Sept. 29, 1951. Both are remembered for bringing really first rate science fiction to the air. The first X MINUS ONE shows used scripts from DIMENSION X, but soon created new shows from storied from the pages of Galaxy Magazine. A total of 125 programs were broadcast, some repeats or remakes, until the last show of Jan. 9, 1958. There was a one-program revival attempt in 1973, shown at the end of the log.

THIS EPISODE:

August 14, 1956. NBC network. "The Snowball Effect". Sustaining. A funny story about a sociological experiment that leads to a world government. The program is followed by five minutes of news. Ted Osborne, Wendell Holmes, Warren Parker, Audrey Blum, Mary Patton, Patsy O'Shea, Peggy Allenby, Katherine MacLean (author), Ernest Kinoy (adaptor), William Welch (producer), Daniel Sutter (director), Fred Collins (announcer). 1/2 hour.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - Inner Sanctum "The Deadly Dummy" (1-24-49)

The Deadly Dummy (Aired January 24, 1949)


Inner Sanctum Mysteries was a popular old-time radio program that aired from January 7, 1941 to October 5, 1952. Created by Himan Brown, the anthology series featured stories of mystery, terror and suspense. The tongue-in-cheek introductions were in sharp contrast to shows like Suspense and The Whistler. A total of 526 episodes are known to have been produced. The early 1940s programs opened with Raymond Edward Johnson introducing himself as, "Your host, Raymond," in a mocking sardonic voice. A spooky melodramatic organ score punctuated Raymond's many morbid jokes and playful puns. Raymond's closing was an elongated "Pleasant dreaaaaammmmssss!" His tongue-in-cheek style and ghoulish relish of his own tales became the standard for many such horror narrators to follow, from fellow radio hosts like Ernest Chappell (on Cooper's later series, Quiet, Please) and Maurice Tarplin (on The Mysterious Traveler) to EC Comics' Crypt-Keeper in various incarnations of Tales from the Crypt. In interviews, EC publisher Bill Gaines stated that he based EC's three horror hosts not on Raymond but on Old Nancy, host of radio's earlier The Witch's Tale (1931-38). When Johnson left the series in 1945, he was replaced by Paul McGrath, who did not keep the "Raymond" name and was known only as "your host" or "Mr. Host." Beginning in 1945, Lipton Tea sponsored the series, pairing first Raymond and then McGrath with its cheery commercial spokeswoman, Mary Bennett, whose pitches for Lipton contrasted sharply with the subject matter of the stories, and who would primly chide the host for his dark humor and creepy manner.

THIS EPISODE:

January 24, 1949. CBS networek 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.

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The Amos & Andy Show - Sapphire Is Out To Kill Kingfish (05-11-45)

The Amos & Andy Show - Sapphire Is Out To Kill Kingfish (May 11, 1945)


Amos 'n' Andy was officially transferred by NBC from the Blue Network to the Red Network in 1935, although the vast majority of stations carrying the show remained the same. Several months later, Gosden and Correll moved production of the show from NBC's Merchandise Mart studios in Chicago to Hollywood. After a long and successful run with Pepsodent, the program changed sponsors in 1938 to Campbell's Soup; because of Campbell's closer relationship with CBS, the series switched to that network on April 3, 1939. In 1943, after 4,091 episodes, the radio program went from a 15-minute CBS weekday dramatic serial to an NBC half-hour weekly comedy. While the five-a-week show often had a quiet, easygoing feeling, the new version was a full-fledged sitcom in the Hollywood sense, with a regular studio audience (for the first time in the show's history) and an orchestra. More outside actors, including many African American comedy professionals, were brought in to fill out the cast. Many of the half-hour programs were written by Joe Connelly and Bob Mosher, later the writing team behind Leave It To Beaver and The Munsters. In the new version, Amos became a peripheral character to the more dominant Andy and Kingfish duo, although Amos was still featured in the traditional Christmas show where he explains the Lord's Prayer to his daughter.

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