Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - Suspense "Beware Of The Quiet Man" (08-12-48)

Beware Of The Quiet Man (Aired August 12, 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:

August 12, 1948. CBS network. "Beware The Quiet Man". Sponsored by: Auto-Lite. A two-timing wife learns that her meek, bank-teller husband is planning to kill her. Ann Sothern, William Conrad, Paul Frees (announcer), Toby Hall (writer), Anton M. Leader (producer, director), Harlow Wilcox (commercial spokesman), Betty Lou Gerson (commercial spokeswoman), Jerry Hausner (commercial spokesman), Lucien Moraweck (composer), Lud Gluskin (conductor). 29:25.

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Boxcars711 Overnight Western "Fort Laramie" - Winter Soldier (06-17-56)

Boxcars711 Overnight Western "Fort Laramie" - Winter Soldier (Aired June 17, 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. He had begun his career in 1939, alternating between the stage and radio. He turned to Hollywood, and from 1946 until he got the part of Captain Lee Quince in Fort Laramie in 1956, he had appeared in thirty-seven films. A few were excellent (Rear Window, The Blue Gardenia) some were average (Walk a Crooked Mile, A Place in the Sun) but many were plain awful (Bride of Vengeance, Red Light, and Abandoned). With Burr in the lead, Macdonnell selected two supporting players: Vic Perrin as "Sgt. Goerss" and Jack Moyles as "Major Daggett", the commanding officer of the post. (The original Fort Laramie usually had a Lieutenant Colonel as the C.O. but Macdonnell probably preferred a shorter military title.)

THIS EPISODE:

June 17, 1956. CBS network origination, AFRTS rebroadcast. "The Winter Soldier". A soldier becomes a "snowbird" and deserts the army in the springtime. The program was recorded May 24, 1956. Raymond Burr, Les Crutchfield (writer), Joseph Cranston, Paul Dubov, James Nusser, Howard Culver. 1/2 hour.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - Lux Radio Theater "To The Ends Of The Earth" (05-23-49)

To The Ends Of The Earth (Aired May 23, 1949)


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:

May 23, 1949. CBS network. "To The Ends Of The Earth". Sponsored by: Lux (aluminum self-draining sauce pan premium). An action-adventure as a T-Man tracks down an opium crop in the Middle East. William Keighley (host), John Milton Kennedy (announcer), Louis Silvers (music director), Barbara Jean Wong, Herb Butterfield, Vernon Steele, Edgar Barrier, Alan Reed (doubles), William Johnstone (doubles), Howard McNear (doubles), Norman Field, Edward Marr, Lou Krugman, Ivan Triesault, Don Diamond, Dick Powell, Signe Hasso, Jack Kruschen, Lawrence Dobkin, Donald Randolph, George Neise, Dorothy Lovett (commercial spokesman: as "Libby"), Lola Albright (intermission guest), Jay Richard Kennedy (screenwriter), Fred MacKaye (director), Sanford Barnett (adaptor), Charlie Forsyth (sound effects). 59:07.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - Ports Of Call "England" (1936)

England (1936)

Ports Of Call - An obscure series from 1935 or 1936 in which each episode deals with a voyage to a different country where events of that country's history are dramatized. They each begin with the low moan of a tramp steamer's whistle and the announcement of the series title, followed by a musical interlude.

THIS EPISODE:

1936. Transco syndication. "England". Music fill for local commercial insert. King John signs the Magna Carta, Elizabeth and Essex: a romance gone bad. Lord Nelson wins the battle of Trafalgar. Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. The first World War. Edward, Prince of Wales, becmes the king. He was proclaimed King Edward VIII on January 20, 1936. No mention is made of his abdication, which took place on December 11, 1936 and would therefore date this program during 1936. The identity of the syndicator is subject to correction. . 30:21.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - Rocky Fortune "Catskills Cover-Up" (02-09-54)

Catskills Cover-Up (Aired February 9, 1954)


"Rocky Fortune" about a wanderer that took odd jobs to support himself and never stayed in one place too long. He almost always seemed to meet beautiful women along with trouble. Sinatra was good and was proving to Hollywood that he could do serious work. When casting began for the movie "From Here To Eternity", Frank campaigned tirelessly for a part and because of that and a good word put in for him by Gardner, who he was now separated from, he won a part that would mark his return to Hollywood. Sadly for us, it also meant he didn't have time to do radio and "Rocky Fortune" was rather short lived, although it was popular. It only ran from 1953 - 1954, but" It was a very good year.
THIS EPISODE:

February 9, 1954. NBC network. "Catskills Cover-Up". Sustaining. Not auditioned. Rocky becomes a Borscht Belt social director to help a man involved in a post office robbery. Don't miss the straight-faced line, "Okay Louie, drop the blintz!". Frank Sinatra, Barney Phillips. 24:36.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - The Adventures Of Maisie "Clothes For The Poor" (02-16-50)

Clothes For The Poor (Aired February 16, 1950)


Maisie, the first in 1939, was from the book "Dark Dame" by the writer Wilson Collison,who did decades of scripting for the silver screen along with Broadway plays and magazine fiction. From the first, MGM wanted Ann Sothern to play Maisie. She began in Hollywood as an extra in 1927. "Maisie and I were just together - I just understood her," Sothern, born Harriette Arlene Lake, said after several of the films made her a star. Throughout the 1930s and '40s, Ann Sothern and Lucille Ball, like many performers in Hollywood, had not one but two careers - one in motion pictures and one on radio. MGM Studios had created the series of ten motion pictures based on a brash blonde with a heart "of spun gold." Maisie, the first in 1939, was from the book "Dark Dame" by the writer Wilson Collison, who did decades of scripting for the silver screen along with Broadway plays and magazine fiction. From the first, MGM wanted Ann Sothern to play Maisie. She began in Hollywood as an extra in 1927. "Maisie and I were just together - I just understood her," Sothern, born Harriette Arlene Lake, said after several of the films made her a star.In July, 1945, Ann took Maisie to radio in a half-hour weekly radio for CBS. Famed radio actor Elliott Lewis co-starred as boyfriend Bill, with other parts going to such seasoned radio players as John Brown and Lurene Tuttle. The series ran two seasons, and was revived in 1949 as a syndicated program, now called The Adventures of Maisie. Included in the repertory cast were Hans Conreid (later on Life with Liugi), Sheldon Leonard, Joan Banks, Elvia Allman, Bea Benadaret, and Sandra Gould.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - The Mysterious Traveler "They Struck It Rich" (03-16-48)

They Struck It Rich (March 16, 1948)


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! Cast members included Jackson Beck, Lon Clark, Roger DeKoven, Elspeth Eric, Wendell Holmes, Bill Johnstone, Joseph Julian, Jan Miner, Santos Ortega, Bryna Raeburn, Frank Readick, Ann Shepherd, Lawson Zerbe and Bill Zuckert. Sound effects were by Jack Amrhein, Jim Goode, Ron Harper, Walt McDonough and Al Schaffer.

THIS EPISODE:

March 16, 1948. Mutual network. "They Struck It Rich". Sustaining. A fascinating story about two bank robbers who find themselves aboard a ship...filled with treasure! Robert A. Arthur (writer, producer, director), David Kogan (writer, producer, director), Joe DeSantis, Frank Thomas, Paul Taubman (music), Carl Caruso (announcer). 29:06.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - The Devil & Mr. O "The Hungry One" (01-14-72)

The Hungry One (Aired January 14, 1972)


Wyllis Cooper, who created, wrote, and produced The Devil and Mr. O, was then a 36-year-old staffer in Chicago's NBC Studios. Cooper created his horror "by raiding the larder." For the purposed of Lights Out sound effects, people were what they ate. The sound of a butcher knife rending a piece of uncooked pork was, when accompanied by shrieks and screams, the essence of murder to a listener alone at midnight. Real bones were broken - spareribs snapped with a pipe wrench. Bacon in a frypan gave a vivid impression of a body just electrocuted. And the cannibalism effect was actually a zealous actor. Gurgling and smacking his lips as he slurped up a bowl of spaghetti. Cabbages sounded like human heads when chopped open with a cleaver, and carrots had the pleasant resonance of fingers being lopped off. Arch Oboler's celebrated tale of a man turned inside-out by a demonic fog was accomplished by soaking a rubber glove in water and stripping it off at the microphone while a berry basket was curshed at the same instant. The listener saw none of this. The listener saw carnage and death. Cooper left the show in 1936 and Oboler was given the job. Oboler lost no time establishing himself as the new master of the macabre. Between May 1936 and July 1938, he wrote and directed more than 100 Lights Out plays. To follow Cooper was a challenge: he was "the unsung pioneer of radio dramatic techniques," but Oboler had passed the test with his first play. His own name soon became synonymous with murder and gore, though horror as a genre had always left him cold. Oboler aspired to more serious writing. Oboler's shows are well represented -- this series of Lights Out was syndicated in The Devil and Mr. O offerings of 1970 - 73. A transcribed syndication of original broadcasts from 1942 - 43 with Arch Oboler as the host.

THIS EPISODE:

January 14, 1972. Program #18. CBS network origination, syndicated rebroadcast. "The Hungry One". Commercials added locally. An monster-from-outer-space story. This one has a sinister appetite. Syndicated program name: "Lights Out" The story is also known as "Meteor Man." Arch Oboler (writer, host). 25 minutes.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - The CBS Radio Mystery Theater "The Oblong Box" (01-08-75)

The Oblong Box (Aired January 8, 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:

January 8, 1975. Program #199. CBS network. "The Oblong Box". Sponsored by: Buick, Sine-Off. E. G. Marshall (host), Edgar Allan Poe (author), George Lowther (adaptor), Richard Mulligan, Grace Matthews, Bryna Raeburn, Court Benson. 52 minutes.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - The Lineup "The Case Of The Roxy Mob" (12-28-50)

The Case Of The Roxy Mob (Aired December 28, 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:

Case Of The Roxy Mob - December 28, 1950. CBS network. Sustaining. William Johnstone, Wally Maher, Blake Edwards (writer), Raymond Burr, Ed Begley, Clayton Post, Robert Griffin, Earl Lee, Hy Averback. 29:27.

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Boxcars711 Overnight Western "Gunsmoke" - Lukes Law (01-10-60)

Boxcars711 Overnight Western "Gunsmoke" - Lukes Law (01-10-60)


Gunsmoke - 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:

January 10, 1960. CBS network origination, AFRTS rebroadcast. "Luke's Law". Smed Moley beats up Luke Burris and then kills his son. Luke doesn't need Marshal Dillon's help, he plans to settle things with Moley himself! The public service announcements and the program closing has been deleted. William Conrad, Marian Clark (writer), Parley Baer, Richard Crenna, Ralph Moody, Lawrence Dobkin, Georgia Ellis (billed as "Georgia Hawkins"), Howard McNear, Norman Macdonnell (producer, director), John Meston (editorial supervisor), George Walsh (announcer). 25:22.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - Philo Vance "The Bulletin Murder Case" (10-05-48)

The Bulletin Murder Case (Aired October 5, 1948)


Philo Vance was the detective creation of S. S. Van Dine first published in the mid 1920s. Vance, in the original books, is an intellectual so highly refined he seems he might be ghostwritten by P. G. Wodehouse. Take this quote from The Benson Murder Case, 1924, as Vance pontificates in his inimitable way: "That's your fundamental error, don't y' know. Every crime is witnessed by outsiders, just as is every work of art. The fact that no one sees the criminal, or the artist, actu'lly at work, is wholly incons'quential." Thankfully, the radio series uses only the name, and makes Philo a pretty normal, though very intelligent and extremely courteous gumshoe. Jose Ferrer played him in 1945. From 1948-1950, the fine radio actor Jackson Beck makes Vance as good as he gets. George Petrie plays Vance's constantly impressed public servant, District Attorney Markham. Joan Alexander is Ellen Deering, Vance's secretary and right-hand woman. The organist for the show is really working those ivories, and fans of old time radio organ will especially enjoy this series. Perhaps one reason the organist "pulls out all the stops" is because there seems to be little, if any, sound effects on the show. Philo Vance, the radio series, does pay homage to the original books in that both were, even in their own time, a bit out of date and stilted.

THIS EPISODE:

Program #13. ZIV Syndication. "The Bulletin Murder Case". Commercials added locally. A lady reporter on "The Bulletin" is assigned to interview Philo Vance, but is murdered! Then, the cab driver who discovered the body is bumped off! Jackson Beck. 27:12.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - The Story Of Dr. Kildare "Barnie McClure" (08-10-50)

Barnie McClure (Aired August 10, 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 - Tom Corbett Space Cadet "Operation Hide & Seek" (01-29-52)

Operation Hide & Seek (Aired January 29, 1952)


Tom Corbett is the main character in a series of Tom Corbett — Space Cadet stories that were depicted in television, radio, books, comic books, comic strips, coloring books, punch-out books and View-Master reels in the 1950s. The stories followed the adventures of Tom Corbett, Astro, and Roger Manning, cadets at the Space Academy as they train to become members of the elite Solar Guard. The action takes place at the Academy in classrooms and bunkroom, aboard their training ship the rocket cruiser Polaris, and on alien worlds, both within our solar system and in orbit around nearby stars. The Tom Corbett universe partook of pseudo-science, not equal to the standards of accuracy set by John W. Campbell in the pages of Astounding. And yet, by the standards of the day, it was much more accurate than most media science fiction. Mars was a desert, Venus a jungle, and the asteroids a haunt of space pirates, but at least planets circled suns and there was no air in space. Contrast this with Twilight Zone, years later, where people could live on asteroids wearing ordinary clothes, or Lost in Space, years after that, where a spaceship could be passing "Jupiter and Andromeda" at the same time. Before Star Trek, Tom Corbett — Space Cadet was the most scientifically accurate series on television, in part due to official science advisor Willy Ley, and later due to Frankie Thomas. Thomas read up on science and everyone on the set turned to him for advice on matters scientific.

THIS EPISODE:

January 29, 1952. ABC network, WJZ, New York aircheck. "Operation Hide and Seek". Sponsored by: Kellogg's Pep, Kellogg's Raisin Bran. The cadets track down a gang of vanadium hijackers to the dark side of Mercury. Edward Bryce, Frank Thomas Jr., Jackson Beck (announcer), Jan Merlin, James McCallion, Gilbert Braun (writer), Al Markim, Drex Hines (director), Jon Gart (organist). 24:18.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - You Bet Your Life "Secret Word Is Name" (12-28-49)

Secret Word Is Name (Aired December 28, 1949)


Groucho Marx matches wits with the American public in four episodes of this classic game show. Starting on the radio in 1947, You Bet Your Life made its television debut in 1950 and aired for 11 years with Groucho as host and emcee. Sponsored rather conspicuously by the Dodge DeSoto car manufacturers, the show featured two contestants working as a team to answer questions for cash prizes. Another mainstay of these question and answer segments was the paper mache duck that would descend from the ceiling with one hundred dollars in tow whenever a player uttered the "secret word." The quiz show aspect of "You Bet Your Life" was always secondary, to the clever back-and-forth between host and contestant, which found Groucho at his funniest. It's in these interview segments that "You Bet Your Life" truly makes its mark as one of early television's greatest programs. Directed by: Robert Dwan.

THIS EPISODE:

December 28, 1949. NBC network Sponsored by: Elgin-American. One of the contestants is tackle for the Green Bay Packards". Secret Word "Name." The system cue is added live. Groucho Marx, George Fenneman (announcer), Mike Wallace (commercial spokesman, billed as "Myron Wallace"), Robert Dwan (director), Bernie Smith (director), Jerry Fielding (music), John Guedel (producer), Henrietta Adair. 30:12.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - Pat Novak For Hire "The Agnes Bolton Case" (06-04-49)

The Agnes Bolton Case (Aired June 4, 1949)


Pat Novak, played by Jack Webb, was a private detective working out of Pier 19, a waterfront office in San Francisco. The stories were always very similar: Someone would hire him, (if not a beautiful woman, the job would lead to a beautiful woman) someone would get murdered, he would investigate the case, get beaten up by the thugs, and then the case would be solved and end with glorious violence. The closing was always the same; the listener would be told who had done what, to whom and why they had done it.

THIS EPISODE:

Sam Tolliver -April 9, 1949. Program #4. ABC network origination, AFRS rebroadcast. Going on an errand for a friend, Pat gets a beating, a package, and a corpse or two, or three. Jack Webb. 30:22.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - NBC University Theater "The Patrician" (02-24-50)

The Patrician (Aired February 24, 1950)


The “Worlds Great Novels” came to radio in 1944 as NBC began offering adaptations of some of the great works of literature. NBC moved the show to Hollywood in 1948 and renamed the show to NBC University Theater on the Air. Actual college credits could be earned in combination with the Broadcasts. If you don’t have the time to read some of the classics here is your Chance to listen to them.

THIS EPISODE:

February 24, 1950. NBC network. "The Patrician". Sustaining. A wealthy man's political career is endangered by his love for a beautiful-but-divorced woman. Even worse...she's not even divorced! Alec Harford, Andrew C. Love (director), Don Stanley (announcer), Donald Morrison, Doris Lloyd, Eric Snowden, John Galsworthy (author), Margaret Webster (intermission commentator), Marla Caneely, Monty Margetts, Norma Varden, Ramsay Hill, Richard E. Davis (adaptor), Robin Hughes. 59:32.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - The Black Museum "The Notes" (Kilroy Was Here) 1952

The Notes (Kilroy Was Here) 1952


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:

1952. Program #16. Syndicated, WRVR-FM, New York aircheck. "The Notes" AKA-"Kilroy Was Here". Sustaining. The famous slogan is found on two notes and a butcher block near murder victims. The date is approximate. Syndicated rebroadcast date: January 1, 1975. Harry Alan Towers (producer), Orson Welles (narrator), Ira Marion (writer), Sidney Torch (composer, conductor). 29:55.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - The Great Gildersleeve "The Fortune Teller" (03-01-42)

The Fortune Teller (Aired March 31, 1942)


The Great Gildersleeve (1941-1957), initially written by Leonard Lewis Levinson, [1] was one of broadcast history's earliest spin-off programs. Built around a character who had been a staple on the classic radio situation comedy Fibber McGee and Molly, The Great Gildersleeve enjoyed its greatest success in the 1940s. Actor Harold Peary played the character during its transition from the parent show into the spin-off and later in a quartet of feature films released at the height of the show's popularity. On Fibber McGee and Molly, Peary's Gildersleeve was a pompous windbag who became a consistent McGee nemesis. "You're a haa-aa-aa-aard man, McGee!" became a Gildersleeve catch phrase. The character was given several conflicting first names on Fibber McGee and Molly, and on one episode his middle name was revealed as Philharmonic. Gildy admits as much at the end of "Gildersleeve's Diary" on the Fibber McGee and Molly series (10/22/40). He soon became so popular that Kraft Foods — looking primarily to promote its Parkay margarine spread — sponsored a new series with Peary's Throckmorton P. Gildersleeve as the central, slightly softened, and slightly befuddled focus of a lively new family.

THIS EPISIODE:

March 1, 1942. NBC network origination, AFRTS rebroadcast. Gildersleeve offers to help in fund raising and is minipulated into becoming a Fortune Teller. Andy White (writer), Bud Hiestand (announcer), Earle Ross, Jack Meakin (music), John Elliotte (writer), Lillian Randolph, Marylee Robb, Richard LeGrand, Walter Tetley, Willard Waterman. 28:38.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - Rocky Jordan "Fall Guy" (05-01-49)

Fall Guy (Aired May 1, 1949)


ROCKY JORDAN was the title character of one of the better and more exotic radio detective series. In fact, it's one of the best detective series I have ever heard. The series had two separate incarnations. The first, A Man Named Jordan, started as a daily 15 minute show and after about six months changed to a weekly 30 minute show. It took place in Istanbul and the Cafe was described as "a small restaurant in a narrow street off Istanbul's Grand Bazaar, permeated with by the smoke of Oriental tobacco, alive with the babble of many tongues, and packed with intrigue." The second incarnation, Rocky Jordan, was a weekly 30 minute series took place in Cairo - "the gateway to the ancient East where adventure and intrigue unfold against the backdrop of antiquity." Jordan was a hard-boiled owner of the Cafe Tambourine who spent most of his time solving mysteries that he usually became involved in by accident. During the Cairo-based run, he often encountered Captain Sam Sabaaya of the Cairo police.

THIS EPISODE:

May 1, 1949. CBS Pacific network. "Fall Guy". Sustaining. Johnny Serbie is on the run from the cops. He's been framed for stealing a diplomat's attache case. Rocky tries to help his pal, which leads him into the desert and two murders. Jack Moyles, Larry Thor (announcer), E. Jack Neuman (writer), Gomer Cool (story editor), Larry Roman (story editor), Richard Aurandt (composer, conductor), Cliff Howell (producer, director). 29:43.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - Fibber McGee & Molly - Trolley Rider (11-01-49)

Trolley Rider (Aired November 1, 1949)


Fibber McGee and Molly premiered in 1935. The program struggled in the ratings until 1940, when it became a national sensation. Within three years, it was the top-rated program in America. Few radio shows were more beloved than Fibber McGee and Molly. The program’s lovable characters included Mayor LaTrivia, Doc Gamble, Mrs. Uppington, Wallace Wimple, Alice Darling, Gildersleeve, Beulah, Myrt, and the Old Timer. 79 Wistful Vista was one of America’s most famous addresses and Molly’s warning to Fibber not to open the hall closet door (and his subsequent decision to do it) created one of radio’s best remembered running gags that audiences expected each week. Jim Jordan (Fibber) was born on a farm on November 16, 1896, near Peoria, Illinois. Marian Driscoll (Molly), a coal miner’s daughter, was born in Peoria on November 15, 1898. After years of hardship and touring in obscurity on the small-time show biz circuit, they arrived in Chicago in 1924, where they eventually performed on thousands of shows and developed 145 different voices and characters. Broadcast to the nation from WMAQ/Chicago, the show entertained America until March 1956, and continued on NBC’s Monitor until 1959. Jim Jordan died on April 1, 1988. Marian Jordan died on April 7, 1961. Fibber McGee and Molly was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 1989. First Broadcast date April 16, 1935. Last Broadcast date September 6, 1959.

THIS EPISODE:

November 1, 1949. NBC network, WMAQ, Chicago aircheck. Sponsored by: Johnson's Wax. Fibber and Molly ride the trolleys all day to win a prize for the best suggestion. Jim Jordan, Marian Jordan, Harlow Wilcox, Billy Mills and His Orchestra, The King's Men, Gale Gordon, Arthur Q. Bryan, Richard LeGrand, Bill Thompson. 29:34.

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Boxcars711 Overnight Western "Cavalcade Of America" - Kansas Marshall (03-31-47)

Boxcars711 Overnight Western "Cavalcade Of America" - Kansas Marshall (Aired March 31, 1947)


Cavalcade of America is an anthology drama series that was sponsored by the DuPont Company. It was initially broadcast on radio from 1935 to 1953, and later on television from 1952 to 1957. Originally on CBS the series pioneered the use of anthology drama for company audio advertising. Cavalcade of America documented historical events using stories of individual courage, initiative and achievement, often with feel-good dramatizations of the human spirit's triumph against all odds. This was consistent with DuPont's overall conservative philosophy and legacy as an American company dating back to 1802. The company's motto, "Maker of better things for better living through chemistry," was read at the beginning of each program, and the dramas emphasized humanitarian progress, particularly improvements in the lives of women, often through technological innovation.The show started as part of a successful campaign to reinvigorate DuPont.

THIS EPISODE:

"Kansas Marshall" from Cavalcade Of America aired March 31, 1947 starring Henry Fonda. The story of Wyatt Earp, Marshall of Wichita Kansas, a town that needed cleaning up. The script was based on the 1939 film, Frontier Marshal, and remade by John Ford as "My Darling Clementine" in 1946. This radio version is one you will definitely enjoy!

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - The Shadow "The Plot Murder" (02-27-38)

The Plot Murder (Aired 27, 1938)


One of the most popular radio shows in history debuted in August 1930 when "The Shadow" went on the air. "Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows!" The opening lines of the "Detective Story" program captivated listeners and are instantly recognizable even today. Originally the narrator of the series of macabre tales, the eerie voice known as The Shadow became so popular to listeners that "Detective Story" was soon renamed "The Shadow," and the narrator became the star of the old-time mystery radio series, which ran until 1954. A figure never seen, only heard, the Shadow was an invincible crime fighter. He possessed many gifts which enabled him to overcome any enemy. Besides his tremendous strength, he could defy gravity, speak any language, unravel any code, and become invisible with his famous ability to "cloud men's minds."

THIS EPISODE:

February 27, 1938. Mutual network. "The Plot Murder". Sponsored by: Blue Coal. A hypnotist has sabotaged an aerial torpedo to destroy America's military experts. An early guided missile! The award given to the show by, "The American Police Review" is read on the air. Orson Welles, Agnes Moorehead, Ken Roberts (announcer). 30:06.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - Theater Five "The Stranger" (08-14-64)

The Stranger (Aired August 14, 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:

August 8, 1964 - The Stranger - A middle class couple wakes up to find someone sleeping in their guest room. The stranger claims he was invited for a week by one of the two. A crazy "mind twister" that leads to a surprise ending. Abby Lewis, Alexander Vlas Datsenko (composer), Arthur Kohl, Bernard Grant, Ed Blainey (sound technician), Fred Foy (announcer), Gilbert Mack, Glenn Osser (conductor), Ian Martin, Jack C. Wilson (preparer), John McGovern, Lee Bowman, Marty Folia (audio engineer), Neal Pultz (audio engineer), Ralph Bell, Warren Somerville (director).

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - Blair Of The Mounties "The Clover Creek Mystery" (2 Parts Complete) 1938

The Clover Creek Mystery (2 Parts Complete) 1938


Blair of the Mounties is the story of the Royal Northwest Mounted Police -- a fictional series based on the work of the Northwest Mounted Police before the World War I. It was a fifteen minute weekly serial heard every Monday for 36 weeks beginning January 31st, 1938 and running through the 3rd of October of 1938. It may have been on the air as early as 1935, although there’s no actual proof of this. Little is known of the series other than it followed the exploits of Sgt. Blair of the Northwest Mounted Police. and probably was the inspiration for Trendell, Campbell and Muir's Challenge of the Yukon. The series was written by Colonel Rhys Davies, who also played the Colonel Blair in the series. Jack Abbot played the Constable. Jack French, one of OTR’s best researchers says this about the series: “Blair is not restricted to Canada, as other Mounties, as we find him, in a few cases, in Great Britain, solving cases. Overall the series is amateurishly written, with the actor playing Blair coming accros as a bit stuffy.”

TODAY'S SHOW:

May 9, 1938. Program #15. Walter Biddick syndication. "The Clover Creek Mystery" Part one. Blair's assistant, spots a boat rigged for murder! . 12 1/2 minutes.

May 16, 1938. Program #16. Walter Biddick syndication. "The Clover Creek Mystery" Part two. Did brother kill brother? The boat hold the clue. . 12 1/2 minutes.

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