Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - Chandu The Magician "Ep.09 (3-17-32) Ep.13 (3-23-32)"

Episode9 "Transferred To Egypt" (03-17-32) and Episode13 "The Slave Auction" (03-23-32)


One of the longest running juvenile adventure serials on radio, CHANDU, THE MAGICIAN was heard as a local program beginning in 1931 on KHJ in Los Angeles until 1932. It was then heard, starting in February 1932, over WOR in the East. Nationally, it aired over MUTUAL starting 10/08/32 with Gayne Whitman in the title role, it was sponsored by White King Soap on the West Coast and Beech Nut on the East Coast. Howard Hoffman also took over the lead role for a period of time. Many scripts were later redone in a new series with Tom Collins in the title role beginning 06/28/48 again as a 15 minute program. This new series lasted 154 episodes ending on 01/28/49. The following week, on 02/03/49, the broadcasts were expanded to a full 30 minutes each, and each script was a self contained story line instead of a serial, but this time heard over only over the MUTUAL DON LEE network. Starting on 11/19/49 and running until 09/06/50, programs were heard over ABC.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - Crime Classics "The Final Day Of General Ketchum And How He Died" (07-27-53)

The Final Day Of General Ketchum And How He Died (Aired July 27, 1953)


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:

July 27, 1953. CBS network. "The Final Day Of General Ketchum and How He Died". Sustaining. How did the General die? Damned if we know! Bernard Herrmann (composer, conductor), Bill Bissell, David Friedkin (writer), David Young, Elliott Lewis (transcriber, director), George Walsh (announcer), Herb Butterfield, Hy Averback, Lou Merrill (host), Morton Fine (writer), Paula Winslowe, Russell Simpson, Sarah Selby. 29:52.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - The Mutual RadioTheater "The Blind Gun" (03-24-80)

The Blind Gun (Aired March 24, 1980)


The Mutual Radio Theater (Sears Radio Theater)(SRT) was an anthology series of radio drama which ran weeknightly on CBS Radio in 1979, sponsored by the department-store chain; in its second year, 1980, it moved to the Mutual Broadcasting System and became the Mutual Radio Theater; the MBS series was repeats from the CBS run, until September of 1980, when a short season of new dramas was presented. The Mutual run was still most often sponsored by Sears. Often paired with The CBS Radio Mystery Theater on those stations which cleared it in its first season, the SRT offered a different genre of drama for each day's broadcast.

THIS EPISODE:

The Blind Gun from Mutual Radio Theater aired March 24, 1980 starring Corey Burton and Vic Perrin hosted by Lorne Greene. A 19 year old boy overcomes an affliction in order to avenge his father's death. THIS IS MUCH MORE THAN JUST A WESTERN

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - My Friend Irma "Irma's Boss Buys A Race Horse" (06-02-53)

Irma's Boss Buys A Race Horse (Aired June 2, 1953)


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).

THIS EPISODE:

June 2, 1953. CBS network origination, AFRTS rebroadcast. "Laughing Boy". Irma's boss has purchased a race horse named, "Laughing Boy." Marie Wilson, Mary Shipp, Gloria Gordon, John Brown. 25:57.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - Cloak & Dagger "War Of Words" (09-01-50)

War Of Words (Aired September 1, 1950)


"Are you willing to undertake a dangerous mission for the United States, knowing in advance you may never return alive?" Cloak and Dagger first aired over the NBC network on May 7, 1950. It had a short run through the Summer on Sundays, changing to Fridays after its Summer run. The last show aired Oct. 22, 1950. This is the story of the WWII special governmental agency, the OSS, or Office of Strategic Services. Its mission was to develop and maintain spy networks throughout Europe and into Asia, while giving aid to underground partisan groups and developing espionage activities for Allied forces overseas.The show is based on the book of the same name by Lt. Col. Corey Ford and Major Alastair MacBain (who were associated with the OSS from its early days.) The dramas are not Hollywood-style, in that they sometimes end with plans foiled or leading characters dead.

THIS EPISODE:
September 1, 1950. NBC network. "A War Of Words". Sustaining. An American agent is asked to deliver a message to the commandant of a Japanese camp. An exciting adventure in the jungle. The system cue has been deleted. Alistair MacBain (creator), Jon Gart (music director), Louis G. Cowan (producer), Alfred Hollander (producer), Sherman Marks (director, supervisor), Chuck Webster, Ralph Bell, Raymond Edward Johnson, Winifred Wolfe (writer), Eric Dressler, Karl Weber, Jerry Jarrett, Joan Alison, Maurice Tarplin, Guy Repp, Jack Gordon (writer), Manny Segal (sound effects), Norman Gruenfelder (engineer), Corey Ford (creator). 29:15.

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Boxcars711 Overnight Western - Fort Laramie "Lost Child" (04-01-56)

Boxcars711 Overnight Western - Fort Laramie "Lost Child" (Aired April 1, 1956)


Fort Laramie opened with "Specially transcribed tales of the dark and tragic ground of the wild frontier. The saga of fighting men who rode the rim of empire and the dramatic story of Lee Quince, Captain of Cavalry". When Norman Macdonnell created Fort Laramie in late 1955, he made it clear to his writers that historical accuracy was essential to the integrity of the series. Correct geographic names, authentic Indian practices, military terminology, and utilizing actual names of the original buildings of the real fort, was insisted upon. So when the radio characters referred to the sutler's store (which is what the trading post was called prior to 1870), the surgeon's quarters, Old Bedlam (the officers' quarters) or the old bakery, they were naming actual structures in the original fort. While Macdonnell planned to use the same writers, soundmen, and supporting actors in Fort Laramie that he relied upon in Gunsmoke, he naturally picked different leads. Heading up the cast was a 39 year old, Canadian-born actor with a long history in broadcasting and the movies, Raymond Burr.

THIS EPISODE:

April 1, 1956. CBS network origination, AFRTS rebroadcast. "Lost Child". Major Barlow believes in treating Indians as Captain Custer does...harshly. The story is also known as "Major Barlow's Survey." The program was recorded March 1, 1956 and originally scheduled for broadcast April 8, 1956. The writer is reported to be Les Crutchfield, not Gil Doud. The program may also be dated March 15, 1956. Raymond Burr, Vic Perrin, Norman Macdonnell (producer, director), Gil Doud (writer), Bill James (sound patterns), Ray Kemper (sound patterns), Amerigo Moreno (music supervisor), Lawrence Dobkin, Clayton Post, Ralph Moody, Jack Moyles, Dick Beals. 1/2 hour.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - The Jack Parr Show "Spoof On Fan Magazine Interviews" (6-22-47)

Spoof On Fan Magazine Interviews (Aired June 22, 1947)


Television and radio pioneer Jack Par has been called the most imitated personality in broadcasting. He virtually created the late-night talk show format as the host of The Tonight Show , one of television's longest continuously running programs. The Washington Post said, "Jack Paar was genuine, and the footprints he left on the loony moonscape of television are enormous; they will be there forever." As the stars of stage and screen were rising around him, Paar was becoming an icon himself, on television sets in the homes of millions of Americans across the country. During the Golden Age of television, Paar was its golden boy, charming guests and viewers alike. From 1957 to 1962, Paar was the king of late-night television as host of The Tonight Show, which NBC eventually renamed The Jack Paar Show. He turned it from a typical variety format into something very different. With a rare combination of intelligence, irreverence and intuition, he invented a new genre of programming that would become ubiquitous to television. Paar helped launch the careers of such performers as Carol Burnett, Woody Allen and Liza Minnelli, but his guests weren't limited to the glitterati. He discussed religion with Billy Graham, visited Albert Schweitzer in Africa, and talked politics with Richard Nixon, all before the transfixed eyes of the American television audience.Paar's career was not without turbulence and controversy. He was criticized for his interview with Fidel Castro in Cuba, and he caused an international incident when he broadcast his show from Berlin as the Wall went up.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - The Hallmark Playhouse "Cimarron" (09-09-48)

Cimarron (Aired September 9, 1948)


THE HALLMARK PLAYHOUSE was heard over CBS stations Thursday evenings. This drama anthology of 30-minute shows was sponsored by, of course, Hallmark Greeting Cards. It was preceded by the RADIO READER'S DIGEST, which ran from September 13, 1942 thorugh June 3, 1948. Hallmark sponsored the RADIO READER'S DIGEST from January 13, 1946 to it's end. On Feb. 8, 1953, the series name and format was changed. It was now called THE HALLMARK HALL OF FAME and presented biographal sketches of famous persons, past and present. The new format was used until the end of the 1955 season. The exception to the new format was the broadcast each Christmas season of "A Christmas Carol". Like other dramatic series of this time, this one made use of major screen actors in the productions.

THIS EPISODE:

Cimarron from Hallmark Playhouse aired on September 9, 1948 starring Irene Dunne. Cimarron is the title of a novel published by popular historical fiction author Edna Ferber in 1929. Ferber was also the author of Giant that starred James Dean. This epic Western won the 1931 Academy Award for Best Picture and was the first Western to win an Oscar, the only western to win until The Unforgiven. The desperation of the settlers provides for great drama and and outstanding story. How many westerns have been made where every settler is desperate to stake his claim on the best piece of land with water?

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - The Lux Radio Theater "Virginia City" (05-26-41)

Virginia City (Aired May 26, 1941)


Lux Radio Theater strove to feature as many of the original stars of the original stage and film productions as possible, usually paying them $5,000 an appearance to do the show. It was when sponsor Lever Brothers (who made Lux soap and detergent) moved the show from New York to Hollywood in 1936 that it eased back from adapting stage shows and toward adaptations of films. The first Lux film adaptation was The Legionnaire and the Lady, with Marlene Dietrich and Clark Gable, based on the film Morocco. That was followed by a Lux adaptation of The Thin Man, featuring the movie's stars, Myrna Loy and William Powell.

THIS EPISODE:

Virginia City from Lux Radio Theater aired May 26, 1941 starring Earl Flynn and Martha Scott. Towards the end of the Civil War, Union spy Errol Flynn is sent to Virginia City to stop a secret Confederate shipment of gold from reaching its destination, thus giving the South money to finance its failing war effort.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - Your's Truly Johnny Dollar "The Prize Hog Bodyguard" (8-21-49)

The Prize Hog Bodyguard (Aired August 21, 1949)


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. 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. After a year-long break (August 1954 to August 1955), the show changed from a 30-minute, one-episode-per-week affair to a 15-minute, five-nights-a-week serial that introduced the most successful Johnny Dollar: Bob Bailey, who had just come off another network detective series, Let George Do It. With a new lead and 75 minutes of air time (minus commercials), it became possible to develop more complex story lines with interesting characters. Bob Bailey was exceptionally good in this format, making Johnny more sensitive and thoughtful in addition to his other attributes. It is agreed by many that this single season of five-part stories constitute some of the greatest drama in vintage radio. The serial scripts were usually written by radio veterans Jack Johnstone or Les Crutchfield, and always produced and directed by Johnstone.

THIS EPISODE:

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.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - WaysideTheater "Rest Cure" (11-06-38)

Rest Cure (Aired November 6, 1938)


The Wayside Theater - November 6, 1938. WBBM, Chicago. "Rest Cure". Sponsored by: The Chicago Motor Club. A playwright is looking for peace and quiet. The girl next door is looking for a wealthy husband. This is obviously a match made in heaven! Olan Soule, Patricia Dunlap, Verne Smith (announcer), James Drew (writer), Mary Jane Morrow, Forrest Lewis, Bill Bouchey, Harriet Widmer, Percy Hemus, Herb Butterfield. 29:39.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - The Hollywood Radio Theater "The Awful Truth" (01-18-55)

The Awful Truth (Aired January 18, 1955)


Lux Radio Theater strove to feature as many of the original stars of the original stage and film productions as possible, usually paying them $5,000 an appearance to do the show. It was when sponsor Lever Brothers (who made Lux soap and detergent) moved the show from New York to Hollywood in 1936 that it eased back from adapting stage shows and toward adaptations of films. The first Lux film adaptation was The Legionnaire and the Lady, with Marlene Dietrich and Clark Gable, based on the film Morocco. That was followed by a Lux adaptation of The Thin Man, featuring the movie's stars, Myrna Loy and William Powell.
THIS EPISODE:

The Awful Truth from Hollywood Radio Theater aired January 18, 1955 starring Irene Dunne and Cary Grant. This is the radio version taken from the classic 1937 romantic comedy film. The plot concerns the machinations of a soon-to-be-divorced couple, played by Dunne and Grant, who go to great lengths to try to ruin each other's romantic escapades. The bright, zesty, and carefree film was nominated for six Academy Awards.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - Dick Tracy "Ep71 ( 04-11-38) and Ep72 (04-12-38)"

Episode071 "Mounties At Pitchblend" (04-11-38) and Episode072 "Snow Slide" (04-12-38)



Dick Tracy had a long run on radio, from 1934 weekdays on NBC's New England stations to the ABC network in 1948. Bob Burlen was the first radio Tracy in 1934, and others heard in the role during the 1930s and 1940s were Barry Thompson, Ned Wever and Matt Crowley. The early shows all had 15-minute episodes. On CBS, with Sterling Products as sponsor, the serial aired four times a week from February 4, 1935 to July 11, 1935, moving to Mutual from September 30, 1935 to March 24, 1937 with Bill McClintock doing the sound effects. NBC's weekday afternoon run from January 3, 1938 to April 28, 1939 had sound effects by Keene Crockett and was sponsored by Quaker Oats, which brought Dick Tracy into primetime (Saturdays at 7pm and, briefly, Mondays at 8pm) with 30-minute episodes from April 29, 1939 to September 30, 1939. The series returned to 15-minute episodes on the ABC Blue Network from March 15, 1943 to July 16, 1948, sponsored by Tootsie Rolls, which used the music theme of "Toot Toot, Tootsie" for its 30-minute Saturday ABC series from October 6, 1945 to June 1, 1946. Sound effects on ABC were supplied by Walt McDonough and Al Finelli. Directors of the series included Mitchell Grayson, Charles Powers and Bob White. Cast members at various times included Walter Kinsella as Pat Patton, Helen Lewis as Tess Trueheart and Andy Donnelly and Jackie Kelk as Junior Tracy. Announcers were Ed Herlihy and Dan Seymour.

TODAY'S SHOW:

April 11, 1938. NBC network. Sponsored by: Quaker Cereals. Not auditioned. The announcer mentions that the program is "electrically transcribed." It is therefore possible that even though the series was being broadcast on NBC at this time, these might be syndicated versions, as no system cues are heard. Vernon Kyle is terrorizing the citizens of the Yukon to getting their radium ore (pitchblende). 14:56.

April 12, 1938. NBC network. Sponsored by: Quaker Cereals (Dick Tracy Club offer). Not auditioned. The system cue has been deleted. Vernon Kyle continues to terrorize the Yukon town of Pitchblende. What was the weird cry in the night? "The Purple Rider" offers to help Dick Tracy and the Mounties. As the dog teams pass through "Dead Man's Pass," Vernon Kyle causes an avalanche. 15:01.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - Paul Temple Intervenes "The Marquis" (10-30-42)

The Marquis (Aired October 30, 1942)


Paul Temple, novellist and amateur detective, and his glamorous and intuitive wife, Steve, provided listeners to the BBC with some first rate radio serials from 1938 to 1968, all of which were scripted by writer Francis Durbridge. Paul and Steve inhabited a sophisticated, well-dressed world of cocktails and fast cars, where women are chic and men still wear cravats. The couple are frequently called in to help solve crimes by Sir Graham Forbes of Scotland Yard. Paul Temple was first played on the BBC by Hugh Morton, who was followed over the years by Carl Bernard, Richard Williams, Barry Morse, Howard Marion Crawford, Kim Peacock, and ultimately by Peter Coke (pronounced Cook), who is today the best remembered of the actors who portrayed Paul Temple. The first Steve was played by Bernadette Hodgson. Marjorie Westbury took over the role in the fifth serial and then played the part in every serial until 1968. She had already appeared in the earlier productions in other parts; she even played a minor role in the very first one in 1938. This serial, 'Paul Temple Intervenes', is a wartime production from 1942. Carl Bernard and Bernadette Hodgson are the leads, but Marjorie Westbury is also among the cast. This is the earliest complete 'Paul Temple' serial now known to exist.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - Let George Do It "Mayhem By Experts" (01-31-49)

Mayhem By Experts (Aired January 31, 1949)


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. To his secretary, Virginia Brooks, it was a developing relationship. Radio's competing Adventures of Sam Spade featured banters between Spade and his stenographer Effie in similar manner. The constant patter between George and "Brooksie" sounds a great deal like an old time radio version of much-later TV series like "Hart to Hart,".

THIS EPISODE:

January 31, 1949. 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.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - The Adventures Of Sherlock Holmes "The Black Peter" (3-21-48)

The Black Peter (Aired March 21, 1948)


Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, who first appeared in publication in 1887. He is the creation of Scottish born author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. A brilliant London-based detective, Holmes is famous for his intellectual prowess, and is renowned for his skillful use of deductive reasoning (somewhat mistakenly - see inductive reasoning) and astute observation to solve difficult cases. He is arguably the most famous fictional detective ever created, and is one of the best known and most universally recognisable literary characters in any genre. Conan Doyle wrote four novels and fifty-six short stories that featured Holmes. All but four stories were narrated by Holmes' friend and biographer, Dr. John H. Watson, two having been narrated by Holmes himself, and two others written in the third person. The first two stories, short novels, appeared in Beeton's Christmas Annual for 1887 and Lippincott's Monthly Magazine in 1890. The character grew tremendously in popularity with the beginning of the first series of short stories in The Strand Magazine in 1891; further series of short stories and two serialized novels appeared almost right up to Conan Doyle's death in 1930. The stories cover a period from around 1878 up to 1903, with a final case in 1914.Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, who first appeared in publication in 1887. He is the creation of Scottish born author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. A brilliant London-based detective, Holmes is famous for his intellectual prowess, and is renowned for his skillful use of deductive reasoning (somewhat mistakenly - see inductive reasoning) and astute observation to solve difficult cases. He is arguably the most famous fictional detective ever created, and is one of the best known and most universally recognisable literary characters in any genre. Conan Doyle wrote four novels and fifty-six short stories that featured Holmes. All but four stories were narrated by Holmes' friend and biographer, Dr. John H. Watson, two having been narrated by Holmes himself, and two others written in the third person. The first two stories, short novels, appeared in Beeton's Christmas Annual for 1887 and Lippincott's Monthly Magazine in 1890. The character grew tremendously in popularity with the beginning of the first series of short stories in The Strand Magazine in 1891; further series of short stories and two serialized novels appeared almost right up to Conan Doyle's death in 1930. The stories cover a period from around 1878 up to 1903, with a final case in 1914. Sherlock Holmes detective stories appeared on radio for more than 25 years, with a long list of performers playing the parts of Holmes and Dr Watson. FIRST BROADCAST: October 20th 1930 LAST BROADCAST: September 4th 1956. The stories were written by Edith Meiser, a self-confessed Holmes addict. These were so well written that she was warmly praised by Arthur Conan Doyle’s widow and son.

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Boxcars711 Overnight Western - Gunsmoke "The Badge" (4-26-59)

Boxcars711 Overnight Western - Gunsmoke "The Badge" (Aired April 26,1959)


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. Some listeners (such as old time radio expert John Dunning) have argued that the radio version of Gunsmoke was far more realistic than the television program. Episodes were aimed at adults, and featured some of the most explicit content of the day: there were violent crimes and scalpings, massacres and opium addicts. Miss Kitty's occupation as a prostitute was made far more obvious on the radio version than on television. Many episodes ended on a down-note, and villains often got away with their crimes.

THIS EPISODE:

April 26, 1959. CBS network. "The Badge". Commercials deleted. A not-too-bright bank robber named Augie shoots Marshal Dillon just because he wants his badge! His pal Rack does his thinking for him, and plans to keep Dillon alive for his own reasons! The program closing has been deleted after the cast credits. The script was used on the Gunsmoke television series on November 12, 1960. William Conrad, Parley Baer, Howard McNear, Georgia Ellis, Norman Macdonnell (producer, director), Marian Clark (writer), John Meston (editorial supervisor), Harry Bartell, Vic Perrin. 24:22.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - The Adventures Of Frank Race "The Fourth Round Knockout" (09-11-49)

The Fourth Round Knockout (Aired September 11, 1949)


The Adventures of Frank Race, by Bruce Ells Productions, was first heard in May of 1949. The main character, Frank Race, was an attorney before World War II. As a result of his activities in the war, when it was over, he traded his law books for a career with the OSS. There, "Adventure" became his business. Tom Collins played the role of Frank Race initially, immediately following his stint as Chandu, The Magician. The lead role was taken over later by Paul Dubof.

THIS EPISODE:

September 11, 1949. Program #20. Broadcasters Program Syndicate syndication. "The Adventure Of The Fourth Round Knockout". Commercials added locally. A prize-fighter dies during a fight...from poison! A big-time gambler, who only bets on a sure thing, is found dead too! Tom Collins, Tony Barrett, Buckley Angel (writer, director), Joel Murcott (writer, director), Bruce Eells (producer), Ivan Ditmars (organist), Art Gilmore (announcer), Frank Lovejoy, Florence Halop, Jack Kruschen, Theodore Von Eltz, Tom Holland, Michael Ann Barrett. 26:25.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - Boston Blackie "Star Of The Nile" (7-14-44)

Star Of The Nile (Aired July 14, 1944)


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.

THIS EPISODE:

July 14, 1944. NBC network. Sponsored by: Rinso, Lifebuoy Soap. A fabulous gem called "The Star Of The Nile" disappears from a train between Chicago and New York. It's an emerald worth $200,000...or does it? The burglary is scheduled to take place at the jewelry store's vault at midnight. The story has one of the corniest conclusions ever broadcast! The organist jumps his cue at the end of the concluding public service announcement. Chester Morris, Shirley Mitchell, Richard Lane, Tony Barrett, Ralph Moody, Charles Cornell (organ), Harlow Wilcox (announcer). 29:36.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - The Shadow "Society Of The Living Dead" (01-23-39)

Society Of The Living Dead (Aired January 23, 1939)


On July 31, 1930 a sinister voice came over the radio into American Homes. The voice of the Shadow appeared for the first time. In the beginning the Shadow was not a crime fighter. He was a mysterious narrator of mystery tales taken from the pages of Street & Smith's Detective Story Magazine. The publisher Street & Smith began to use radio as an advertising medium to promote their fiction publications. The Shadow was a perfectly creepy teller of tales promoting Street & Smith. This format continued until 1935 when creative differences between Street & Smith and NBC called a halt to the Shadow on the air. On September 26, 1937, the Shadow reappeared on radio with the voice of Orson Welles playing the part. The Shadow was now a full-fledged character on radio, not just narrating and introducing stories. The Shadow had an identity as Lamont Cranston, a wealthy man about town. He was accompanied by Margo Lane, originally played by Agnes Moorehead. Margo Lane was the only person who knew that Lamont Cranston and the Shadow were one and the same. No other agents assisted the Shadow, as did in the Walter Gibson fictional accounts. This radio Shadow had hypnotic power to make himself invisible to those around him and he possessed mental telepathy to read minds. Orson Welles played the Shadow from 1937 through March 1938. The Shadow became the highest rated radio show on the air at that time.

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Suspense - Ghost Hunt (06-23-49)Ghost Hunt (Aired June 23, 1949) Suspense was one of the premier programs of the Golden Age of Radio (aka old-time r

Ghost Hunt (Aired June 23, 1949)


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.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - Candid Microphone "Allen Funt Double Feature" (1947)

Allen Funt Double Feature (1947)


Candid Microphone is a 1940s radio show which soon became the long-running TV series "Candid Camera". The show involved scenarios in which unwitting members of the public would be placed in a situation where unusual things began happening (caused by actors hired by the producers as well as various props). The victim of the prank's reactions would be recorded and at some stage the joke is finally revealed to them. Introduced by Allen Funt, this is a rare bit of broadcasting history, perfect for radio buffs and Candid Camera fans who wish to revisit the program's roots. Candid Microphone was first heard on Saturday, June 28, 1947, at 7:30pm on ABC radio. Funt's concept came to television on August 10, 1948.

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Boxcars711 Overnight Western - Lone Ranger "Marked For Death" (10-27-50)

Boxcars711 Overnight Western - Lone Ranger "Marked For Death" (Aired 10-27-5o)


The Lone Ranger was an American long-running early radio and television show created by George W. Trendle (with considerable input from station staff members), and developed by writer Fran Striker. The titular character is a masked Texas Ranger in the American Old West, who gallops about righting injustices, usually with the aid of a clever and laconic American Indian sidekick called Tonto, and his horse Silver. He would famously say "Hi-yo Silver, away!" to get the horse to gallop. On the radio and TV-series, the usual opening announcement was: “ A fiery horse with the speed of light, a cloud of dust, and a hearty 'Hi-yo Silver!' The Lone Ranger! ”In later episodes the opening narration ended with the catch phrase "Return with us now to those thrilling days of yesteryear.... The Lone Ranger Rides Again!" Episodes usually ended with one of the characters lamenting the fact that they never found out the hero's name ("Who was that masked man?"), only to be told, "Why, that was the Lone Ranger!" as he and Tonto ride away. The theme music was the "cavalry charge" finale of Gioacchino Rossini's William Tell Overture, now inseparably associated with the series, which also featured many other classical selections as incidental music including Wagner, Mendelssohn, Liszt, and Tchaikovsky. The theme was conducted by Daniel Perez Castaneda. Inspiration for the name may have come from The Lone Star Ranger, a novel by Zane Grey. Karl May's tales of Old Shatterhand and Chief Winnetou may have influenced the creation of the concept; they in turn were influenced by The Leatherstocking Tales of James Fenimore Cooper. The legends of Robin Hood and the popular character Zorro were also a likely inspiration.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - The Amos & Andy Show "Porch Wreckers" (12-30-51)

Porch Wreckers (Aired December 30, 1951)


Amos 'n' Andy was a situation comedy popular in the United States from the 1920s through the 1950s. The show began as one of the first radio comedy serials, written and voiced by Freeman Gosden and Charles Correll and originating from station WMAQ in Chicago, Illinois. After the series was first broadcast in 1928, it grew in popularity and became a huge influence on the radio serials that followed. Amos 'n' Andy creators Gosden and Correll were white actors familiar with minstrel traditions. They met in Durham, North Carolina in 1920, and by the fall of 1925, they were performing nightly song-and-patter routines on the Chicago Tribune's station WGN. Since the Tribune syndicated Sidney Smith's popular comic strip The Gumps, which had successfully introduced the concept of daily continuity, WGN executive Ben McCanna thought the notion of a serialized drama could also work on radio. He suggested to Gosden and Correll that they adapt The Gumps to radio. They instead proposed a series about "a couple of colored characters" and borrowed certain elements of The Gumps. Their new series, Sam 'n' Henry, began January 12, 1926, fascinating radio listeners throughout the Midwest. That series became popular enough that in late 1927 Gosden and Correll requested that it be distributed to other stations on phonograph records in a "chainless chain" concept that would have been the first use of radio syndication as we know it today. When WGN rejected the idea, Gosden and Correll quit the show and the station that December. Contractually, their characters belonged to WGN, so when Gosden and Correll left WGN, they performed in personal appearances but could not use the character names from the radio show.

THIS EPISODE:

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.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - Calling All Cars "San Quentin Prison Break" (01-16-35)

San Quentin Prison Break (Aired January 16, 1935)


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:

January 22, 1935. Program #61. CBS Pacific network (Don Lee net). "The San Quentin Prison Break". Sponsored by: Rio Grande Oil. Four convicts have just escaped from San Quentin prison, they are reported heading north with four members of the prison board as hostages. The actual prison break happened just "last Wednesday." The program has also been dated January 16, 1935. The initial dramatization of the event (also on the Don Lee net, which was used as the CBS Pacific net) took place just a half hour after the capture of the escaped convicts. William N. Robson dramatized how this story was produced on "The Columbia Workshop" on September 5, 1936. The system cue has been deleted. Not auditioned. District Attorney Albert Bagshaw speaks from KFRC, San Francisco. William N. Robson (writer, producer), Charles Frederick Lindsley (narrator), Albert Bagshaw (may be impersonated). 29:05.

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