Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - The Jack Benny Program "The Train Porter" (03-28-37)

The Train Porter (Aired March 28, 1937)


The Jack Benny Program is a classic comedy that is truly one of the best-loved programs from the Golden Age of Radio. It started life as The Canada Dry Program in 1932 on the Blue Network and finished off as The Lucky Strike Program on CBS in 1955. In between, it kept the audience in stitches and established Benny as one of America's all-time great comedians. The format of the show, and the personality of its star, so well honed in two decades on radio, made the transition to television almost intact. Jack's stinginess, vanity about his supposed age of 39, basement vault where he kept all his money, ancient Maxwell automobile, and feigned ineptness at playing the violin were all part of the act. Added to Jack's famous pregnant pause and exasperated "Well!" were a rather mincing walk, an affected hand to the cheek, and a painted look of disbelief when confronted by life's little tragedies.

THIS EPISODE:

The Jell-O Program Starring Jack Benny. March 28, 1937. Red net, KFI, Los Angeles aircheck. Sponsored by: Jell-O. Jack is taking a cross-country train trip back to Los Angeles. This is Rochester's first appearance on the program (as a Pullman porter who first line is, "Yes, Mr. Bunny"). Kenny Baker sings, "Trust Me" (and hits a sour note!). Eddie Anderson, Andy Devine, Kenny Baker, Harry Baldwin, Pat C. Flick, Joe Franz (triples), John Gibson, Hilliard Marks, William Royale (doubles), Blanche Stewart, Jack Benny, Ed Beloin (writer), Bill Morrow (writer), Don Wilson, Phil Harris and His Orchestra, Verna Felton, Mary Livingstone. 30:02.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - Ellery Queen Master Detective "Mr. Short & Mr. Long" (01-14-43)

Mr Short & Mr Long (Aired January 14, 1943)


On radio, The Adventures of Ellery Queen was heard on all three networks from 1939 to 1948. During the 1970s, syndicated radio fillers, Ellery Queen's Minute Mysteries, began with an announcer saying, "This is Ellery Queen..." and contained a short one-minute case. The radio station encouraged callers to solve the mystery and win a sponsor's prize. Once a winner was found, the solution was broadcast as confirmation. A complete episode guide and history of this radio program can be found in the book "The Sound of Detection: Ellery Queen's Adventures in Radio" from OTR Publishing, 2002.

THIS EPISODE:

January 14, 1943. NBC network. "Mr. Short and Mr. Long". Sponsored by: Bromo Seltze. Sydney Smith, Helen Lewis, Santos Ortega, Ted de Corsia, Charles Paul (organ), Edward Pawley ("Guest Armchair Detective," star of "Big Town"), S. Bigman ("Guest Armchair Detective," editor of "Time" magazine), Ernest Chappell (announcer), Frederic Dannay (writer), Manfred B. Lee (writer), Bruce Kamman (producer, director). 29:04.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - Starlight Mystery Theater (Matt Slade) "A Sweet Scent Of Mystery" (1949)

Matt Slade, Private Investigator - A Sweet Scent Of Mystery (1949)


Another Detective show that aired on AFRS, apparently under the name of Starlight Mystery Theater in the 1949 time frame. Mat Slade was similar in many ways to other more notable sleuths of this era, "rough & tumble", always in the right place but at the wrong time, a lady's man, educated and "All American". Certainly the show deserved more notoriety and popularity, the acting was supurb and the scripts well written, yet little more information is available and only a half a dozen shows seemed to have servived.

THIS EPISODE:

Matthew Slade, Private Investigator. KPFA, Berkeley, California. "Sweet Scent Of Mystery". Sustaining. A mystery show by the KPFK players (Pacifica Radio). . 1/2 hour.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - Whitehall 1212 "The Case Of Dr. Duncan Allen" (03-09-52)

The Case Of Dr. Duncan Allen (Aired March 9, 1952)


WHITEHALL 1 2, 1 2 Tweaked Jan. 12, 2006 This series was very similar to the Black Museum that was hosted by Orson Welles. Both the Black Museum and Whitehall 1212 drew their material from the files of Scotland Yard. The stories were true in every respect except that the names were changed to protect the innocent, as they say. The Whitehall 1212 series boasted that for the first time Scotland Yard opened its files and the producers promised to bring to the public authentic true stories of some of the most celebrated cases. Permission for these records came from Sir Harold Scott, Commissioner of the yard at that time. There is actually a Black Museum. This area is located on the lower ground floor of Scotland Yard and it does indeed contain articles that are closely associated with the solving of a crime. And "Whitehall 1212" was the actual emergency phone number for the yard at the time. The research for the shows was done by Percy Hoskins, chief crime reporter for the London Daily Express. For the benefit of American audiences, Wyllis Cooper of Quiet Please fame was hired as script writer. Interestingly enough both the Black Museum and Whitehall 1212 had all-British casts; both ran concurrently. Whereby Mutual Broadcasting System aired the Orson Welles version, NBC offered the Wyllis Cooper one.

THIS EPISODE:

March 9, 1952. NBC network. Sustaining. A bottle of The Glenlivet in the Black Museum is the exhibit in a case of stolen uranium! Part of the final public service announcement and the system cue has been deleted. Percy Hoskins (researcher), Wyllis Cooper (writer, director). 29:18.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - Cloak & Dagger "Recommendation From Rommell" (08-06-50)

Recommendation From Rommell (Aired August 6, 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:

August 6, 1950. NBC network. "Recommendation From Rommel". Sustaining. 4:00 P. M. A spy for the O. S. S. in northern Italy has the misfortune to find himself in the train compartment of Field Marshal Rommel himself! Jan Miner, Boris Aplon, Jon Gart (music), Louis G. Cowan (director), Arnold Moss, Jerry Jarrett, Raymond Edward Johnson, Karl Weber, Winifred Wolfe (writer), Jack Gordon (writer), Alfred Hollander (director), Sherman Marks (director, supervisor), Ralph Bell, Berry Kroeger. 29:34.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - The CBS Radio Workshop "Subways Are For Sleeping" (08-03-56)

Subways Are For Sleeping (Aired August 3, 1956)


Broadcast from 1936 through to 1947 with just an occasional break. Revived again from January 1956 to September 1957 as CBS Radio Workshop with pretty much the same format. Broadcast from 1936 through to 1947 with just an occasional break. Revived again from January 1956 to September 1957 as CBS Radio Workshop with pretty much the same format. This was drama with a difference. Columbia Workshop was not everybody’s cup of tea and in terms of audience popularity it was always noted that it was never a strong contender for the title “Radios Top Rated Drama Series” and yet it was always considered to be the drama program that led the way in radio standards. Columbia was the first to mexperiment with what radio drama was all about, introducing new techniques never before used in over the airwaves drama and because it received little encouragement from established writers, actors, etc., it was only by breaking new ground with new ideas and new techniques from writers who were not versed in the old ways that it was going to survive. Unlike theater drama which required scenery to stage the settings of a play. Radio drama relied only on the imagination of the listener to interpret the scene. But without the right kind of writer the whole thing could fall flat on it’s face.

THIS EPISODE:
August 3, 1956. CBS network. "Subways Are For Sleeping". Sustaining. A fine adaptation of the fascinating short story about a homeless man (but not a bum!) in New York. Edmund G. Love (author), William N. Robson (producer, director), Byron Kane, Fran Van Hartesfeldt (adaptor), William Caneely (narrator), Sarah Selby, Helene Burke, Edwin Bruce, Frank Gerstle, Court Falkenberg, Tony Barrett, Ted Bliss, Alan Reed, Frederick Steiner (composer, conductor). 28:57.

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Boxcars711 Overnight Westen "Gunsmoke" - Gentleman's Disagreement (07-26-52)

Boxcars711 Overnight Westen "Gunsmoke" - Gentleman's Disagreement (Aired July 26, 1952)


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:

Gunsmoke. July 26, 1952. CBS network. "Gentlemen's Disagreement". Sustaining. Ed Beaudry comes to Dodge to kill Bert Wells. A showdown seems inevitable, but Beaudry is found dead! The script was used again on the program on September 20, 1959, and on the Gunsmoke television series on April 30, 1960. William Conrad, Parley Baer, Georgia Ellis, Howard McNear, Norman Macdonnell (director), Les Crutchfield (writer), Tom Tully, Lynn Allen, Barney Phillips, Roy Rowan (announcer), Rex Koury (composer, conductor), Lawrence Dobkin. 30:28.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - The New Adventures Of Sherlock Holmes "Unfortunate Tobacconist" (04-30-45)

Unfortunate Tobacconist (Aired April 30, 1945)


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.

THIS EPISODE:

April 30, 1945. Mutual network. "The Unfortunate Tobacconist". Sponsored by: Petri Wines. Three murders in an East End cigar store have an elementary solution. One commercial and the preview of the following week's program have been deleted. Basil Rathbone, Nigel Bruce, Bill Forman (announcer), Denis Green (writer), Anthony Boucher (writer), Glenhall Taylor (producer), Arthur Conan Doyle (creator). 26 1/2 minutes.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - Adventures By Morse "City Of The Dead 08-15-44" (Episode 2)

City Of The Dead 08-15-44 (Episode 2)


From January 16, 1939 to January 26, 1952, stories from the pen of Carlton E. Morse graced the airwaves. The main ones remembered are One Man's Family, I Love A Mystery, and Adventures by Morse. Adventures by Morse related the escapades of Captain Bart Friday and Skip Turner, two San Francisco private investigators. Friday was a no-nonsense type, raised in the California. Turner was quite a bit the lady's man, complete with a laconic Southern accent. Their occasional work for U.S. Military Intelligence takes them around the globe. The series consisted of eight serials that ran from October 26, 1944 to October 18, 1945. The first serial, "City of the Dead", consisted of ten episodes. The second serial was done in three episodes. The remainder of the series alternated between ten and three 30-minute episodes. The adventures cover the world as well as the world of adventure. They take place on a South Pacific island, South America, Cambodia, and South Carolina plus other locations. They deal with murder, espionage, Nazi secret bases, kidnappers, voodoo and even snake worshippers. If you're looking for adventure, you'll find it here.

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Boxcars711 Overnight Westen "The Six Shooter" - Crises At Easter Creek (4-15-54)

Boxcars711 Overnight Westen "The Six Shooter" - Crises At Easter Creek (Aired April 15, 1954)


The Six Shooter brought James Stewart to the NBC microphone on September 20, 1953, in a fine series of folksy Western adventures. Stewart was never better on the air than in this drama of Britt Ponset, frontier drifter created by Frank Burt. The epigraph set it up nicely: "The man in the saddle is angular and long-legged: his skin is sun dyed brown. The gun in his holster is gray steel and rainbow mother-of-pearl. People call them both The Six Shooter." Ponset was a wanderer, an easy-going gentleman and -- when he had to be -- a gunfighter. Stewart was right in character as the slow-talking maverick who usually blundered into other people's troubles and sometimes shot his way out. His experiences were broad, but The Six Shooter leaned more to comedy than other shows of its kind. Ponset took time out to play Hamlet with a crude road company. He ran for mayor and sheriff of the same town at the same time. He became involved in a delighful Western version of Cinderella, complete with grouchy stepmother, ugly sisters, and a shoe that didn't fit. And at Christmas he told a young runaway the story of A Christmas Carol, Substituting the original Dickens characters with Western heavies. Britt even had time to fall in love, but it was the age-old story of people from different worlds, and the romance was foredoomed despite their valiant efforts to save it. So we got a cowboy-into-the-sunset ending for this series, truly one of the bright spots of radio. Unfortunately, it came too late, and lasted only one season. It was a transcribed show, sustained by NBC and directed by Jack Johnstone. Basil Adlam provided the music and Frank Burt wrote the scripts. Hal Gibney announced. Information from John Dunning’s "Tune In Yesterday The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio".

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - Box 13 "Much Too Lucky" (05-01-49)

Much Too Lucky (Aired May 1, 1949)


Box 13 was a syndicated radio series about the escapades of mystery novelist Dan Holiday (Alan Ladd), a former newsman. Created by Mayfair Productions, the series premiered August 22, 1948, on New York's WOR and aired in syndication on the East Coast from August 22, 1948, to August 14. 1949. On the West Coast, Box 13 was heard from March 15, 1948 to March 7, 1949. To seek out new ideas for his fiction, Holiday ran a classified ad in the Star-Times newspaper. "Adventure wanted, will go anywhere, do anything -- Box 13." The stories followed Holiday's adventures when he responded to the letters sent to him by such people as a psycho killer and various victims.
THIS EPISODE:

May 1, 1949. Program #37. Mayfair syndication. "Much Too Lucky". Commercials added locally. How to find out the winner of a horse race before it starts. Alan Ladd, Richard Sanville (director), Robert Light (writer), Rudy Schrager (composer, conductor), Sylvia Picker, Vern Carstensen (production supervisor). 26:45.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - Adventures By Morse "City Of The Dead 08-01-44 (Episode 1)"

City Of The Dead 08-01-44 (Episode 1)


From January 16, 1939 to January 26, 1952, stories from the pen of Carlton E. Morse graced the airwaves. The main ones remembered are One Man's Family, I Love A Mystery, and Adventures by Morse. Adventures by Morse related the escapades of Captain Bart Friday and Skip Turner, two San Francisco private investigators. Friday was a no-nonsense type, raised in the California. Turner was quite a bit the lady's man, complete with a laconic Southern accent. Their occasional work for U.S. Military Intelligence takes them around the globe. The series consisted of eight serials that ran from October 26, 1944 to October 18, 1945. The first serial, "City of the Dead", consisted of ten episodes. The second serial was done in three episodes. The remainder of the series alternated between ten and three 30-minute episodes. The adventures cover the world as well as the world of adventure. They take place on a South Pacific island, South America, Cambodia, and South Carolina plus other locations. They deal with murder, espionage, Nazi secret bases, kidnappers, voodoo and even snake worshippers. If you're looking for adventure, you'll find it here.

THIS EPISODE:

August 1, 1944 - City of the dead - Episode 1 "The Adventure Begins"

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - The Life Of Riley "A Statue For The Piano" (09-27-47)

A Statue For The Piano (Aired September 27, 1947)


The Life of Riley, with William Bendix in the title role, was a popular radio situation comedy series of the 1940s that was adapted into a 1949 feature film and continued as a long-running television series during the 1950s. The show began as a proposed Groucho Marx radio series, The Flotsam Family, but the sponsor balked at what would have been essentially a straight head-of-household role for the comedian. Then producer Irving Brecher saw Bendix as taxicab company owner Tim McGuerin in the movie The McGuerins from Brooklyn (1942). The Flotsam Family was reworked with Bendix cast as blundering Chester A. Riley, riveter at a California aircraft plant, and his frequent exclamation of indignation---"What a revoltin' development this is!"---became one of the most famous catch phrases of the 1940s. The radio series also benefited from the immense popularity of a supporting character, Digby "Digger" O'Dell (John Brown), "the friendly undertaker."Beginning October 4, 1949, the show was adapted for television for the DuMont Television Network, but Bendix's film contracts prevented him from appearing in the role. Instead, Jackie Gleason starred along with Rosemary DeCamp as wife Peg, Gloria Winters as daughter Barbara (Babs), Lanny Rees as son Chester Jr. (Junior), and Sid Tomack as Gillis, Riley's manipulative best buddy and next-door neighbor. John Brown returned as the morbid counseling undertaker Digby (Digger) O'Dell ("Well, I guess I'll be... shoveling off"; "Business is a little dead tonight"). Television's first Life of Riley won television's first Emmy (for "Best Film Made For and Shown on Television"). However, it came to an end on March 28, 1950 because of low ratings and because Gleason left the show, thinking he could find a better showcase for his unique abilities. Groucho Marx received a credit for "story."

THIS EPISODE:

September 27, 1947. NBC network. Sponsored by: Prell, Ivory Snow. Riley buys a statue of Venus de Milo, with a clock and a radio in her stomach, lights in her hair, and a cigar lighter in her nose. She's just beautiful! The date above may not be accurate. William Bendix, Ken Carpenter (announcer), Alan Reed, John Brown, Barbara Eiler, Tommy Cook. 29:23.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - X Minus One "The Roads Must Roll" (01-04-56)

The Roads Must Roll (Aired January 4, 1956)


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:

January 4, 1956. NBC network. "The Roads Must Roll". Sustaining. The story of the rebellion of the engineers that keep the roads rolling. The script was used previously on "Dimension X" on September 1, 1950. Al Collins, Audrey Blum, Bob Hastings, Jack Orrison, Joe DeSantis, John Larkin, Mercer McLeod, Richard Hamilton, Robert Heinlein (author), Rosemary Murphy, Santos Ortega, Sidney Paul, Ernest Kinoy (adaptor), William Welch (producer), Daniel Sutter (director), Fred Collins (announcer). 28:24.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - Your's Truly Johnny Dollar "Murder Of Loyal B. Martin" (02-03-50)

Murder Of Loyal B. Martin (Aired February 3, 1950)


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:

February 3, 1950. CBS network. "The Murder Of Loyal B. Martin". Sustaining. A murdered man has been killed by a gun fired from a long distance, but the powder burns show that the gun was fired from close up! The first show of the series starring Edmond O'Brien. Edmond O'Brien, Irene Tedrow, Ted de Corsia, John Dehner, Walter Burke, Jeanne Bates, Ed Begley. 29:29.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - You Bet Your Life "Secret Word 'Ink' (11-09-49)"

Secret Word 'Ink' (Aired November 9, 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:

November 9, 1949. NBC network. Secret word is 'Ink'. Sponsored by: Elgin American. The first contestant is "Mary Cool." The system cue is added live. Groucho Marx, George Fenneman (announcer), Mary Cool, Robert Dwan (director), Bernie Smith (director), John Guedel (producer). 29:34.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - The Sears Radio Theater "Two Faces Of Evil" (07-13-79)

Two Faces Of Evil (Aired July 13, 1979)


Sears Radio Theater - Clearly one of the last big attempts to produce radio programming, with many of Hollywood's best. The series premiered on Monday 02/05/79 and offered a different genre each weekday night. Each genre was hosted by a different celebrity. The program was produced on Paramount's Stage F in Hollywood. These first 130 programs were broadcast over a six month period and then rebroadcast over the following six months. From 02/14/80 to 12/19/81 this series was heard again, this time over Mutual, as The Mutual Radio Theater. This was clearly one of the last big attempts to produce radio programming, with many of radio’s best talents, the way radio was heard in its “golden days.” Despite budget and talent, it just wasn’t to be.

THIS EPISODE:

July 13, 1979 - Program #115. CBS network. "Two Faces Of Evil". Sponsored by: Sears Roebuck and Company. Mark Trella (writer), Howard Duff (host), Barney Phillips, Howard Culver, Byron Kane, Marvin Miller, Peggy Webber, Fletcher Markle (producer, director). 52 minutes.

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Boxcars711 Overnight Western "Gunsmoke" - Beekers Barn (12-23-56)

Boxcars711 Overnight Western "Gunsmoke" - Beekers Barn (Aired December 23, 1956).


Gunsmoke was created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. 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:

December 23, 1956. CBS network. "Beeker's Barn". Sponsored by: L & M, Chesterfield. A young couple take shelter in her estranged father's barn, just before she has a baby! The script was used again on the series on December 20, 1959. The system cue is added live. William Conrad, Les Crutchfield (writer), Parley Baer, Ralph Moody, Vic Perrin, Virginia Gregg, Georgia Ellis, Howard McNear, Norman Macdonnell (producer, director), John Meston (editorial supervisor), Rex Koury (composer, conductor), Ray Kemper (sound patterns), Tom Hanley (sound patterns), George Fenneman (announcer), George Walsh (announcer). 25:17.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - Amos & Andy "Radio & TV Delivery Job" (04-04-54)

Radio & TV Delivery Job (Aired April 4, 1954)


Amos 'n' Andy was a situation comedy popular in the United States from the 1920s through the 1950s. The show began as one of the first radio comedy serials, written and voiced by Freeman Gosden and Charles Correll and originating from station WMAQ in Chicago, Illinois. After the series was first broadcast in 1928, it grew in popularity and became a huge influence on the radio serials that followed. Amos 'n' Andy creators Gosden and Correll were white actors familiar with minstrel traditions. 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:

April 4, 1954. CBS network origination, AFRS rebroadcast. "Television Job". The Kingfish gets Andy into the TV repair business. After disaster strikes, Andy tells it to the judge whose nickname is, "Twenty-Year Johnson." Freeman Gosden, Charles Correll, Jeff Alexander (music), Harlow Wilcox (announcer), Joe Connelly (writer), Bob Mosher (writer), Ernestine Wade, Johnny Lee, Amanda Randolph, Cliff Howell (director), Tommy Moore, Jean Vander Pyl, Will Wright, Ken Christy. 25 minutes.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - Blondie & Dagwood "The Poker Game" (08-18-44)

The Poker Game (Aired August 18, 1944)


Blondie was a radio situation comedy adapted from the long-run Blondie comic strip by Chic Young. The radio program had a long run on several networks from 1939 to 1950. After Penny Singleton was cast in the title role of the feature film Blondie (1938), co-starring with Arthur Lake as Dagwood, she and Lake repeated their roles December 20, 1938, on The Bob Hope Show. The appearance with Hope led to their own show, beginning July 3, 1939, on CBS as a summer replacement for The Eddie Cantor Show. However, Cantor did not return in the fall, so the sponsor, Camel Cigarettes chose to keep Blondie on the air Mondays at 7:30pm. Camel remained the sponsor through the early WWII years until June 26, 1944. In 1944, Blondie was on the Blue Network, sponsored by Super Suds, airing Fridays at 7pm from July 21 to September 1. The final three weeks of that run overlapped with Blondie's return to CBS on Sundays at 8pm from August 13, 1944, to September 26, 1948, still sponsored by Super Suds. Beginning in mid-1945, the 30-minute program was heard Mondays at 7:30pm. Super Suds continued as the sponsor when the show moved to NBC on Wednesdays at 8pm from October 6, 1948, to June 29, 1949. Ann Rutherford took over the radio role of Blondie in 1949, and at times, Patricia Van Cleve and Alice White were also heard as Blondie. In its final season, the series was on ABC from October 6, 1949, to July 6, 1950, first airing Thursdays at 8pm and then (from May) 8:30pm. The radio show ended the same year as the Blondie film series (1938-50).

THIS EPISODE:

August 18, 1944. Program #19. AFRS. When will Dagwood and Mr. Dithers learn to tell Blondie the truth? Will it be a poker game or a sick friend? Arthur Lake, Hanley Stafford. 1/2 hour.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - Crime Club "The Grey Mist Murders" (04-10-47)

The Grey Mist Murders (Aired April 10, 1947)


Crime club was a Mutual Network murder and mystery series, a product of the Doubleday Crime Book Club imprints found weekly in bookstores everywhere. The telephone rings"Hello, I hope I haven't kept you waiting. Yes, this is the Crime Club. I'm the Librarian. Murder Rents A Room? Yes, we have that Crime Club story for you.Come right over. (The organist in the shadowed corner of the Crime Club library shivers the ivories) The doorbell tones sullenly"And you are here. Good. Take the easy chair by the window. Comfortable? The book is on this shelf." (The organist hits the scary chord) "Let's look at it under the reading lamp." The Librarian, played by Raymond E. Johnson, begins reading the tale. Veteran Willis Cooper (Lights Out, Quiet Please) did some of the scripts from the Crime Club books.

THIS EPISODE:

April 10, 1947. Mutual network "The Grey Mist Murders". Sustaining. A pleasure cruise to Hawaii on a private yacht becomes the scene of several murders. Constance Baker (writer, billed as Constance Little), Gwenyth Hemming-Jones (writer, billed as Gwenyth Little), Sidney Smith, Helen Shields. 1/2 hour.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - Dick Tracy "3 Episodes From 1938"

3 Episodes - "Black Pearl Of Osirus" (02-08-38) "Pat Goes Overboard" (02-09-38) and "Mystery In The Hotel" (02-10-38)


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: "Black Pearl Of Osirus" (02-08-38) "Pat Goes Overboard" (02-09-38) and "Mystery In The Hotel" (02-10-38)

February 8, 1938. Program #27. NBC network. Sponsored by: Quaker cereals. The reappearance of "The Man With The Yellow Face." A message from an invisible hand. "The Black Pearl Of Osiris" must shine again! At the nineteenth meeting of "The Dick Tracy Secret Service Patrol," a secret code message is delivered. 14:23.

February 9, 1938. Program #28. NBC network. Sponsored by: Quaker cereals. The man with the yellow face strikes again, and Pat goes overboard! The twentieth meeting of "The Dick Tracy Secret Service Patrol." A secret code message is given. 14:27.

February 10, 1938. Program #29. NBC network. Sponsored by: Quaker cereals. What is the secret of the man with the yellow face? Tracy tries a bluff! The twenty-first meeting of the "Dick Tracy Secret Service Patrol" is held with a secret code message. 14:32.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - The Avengers "The Fantasy Game" ( Episodes 5-6 and 7 of 7 Total) 1972

The Fantasy Game ( Episodes 5-6 and 7 of 7 Total) 1972


Steed came to represent the traditional Englishman of an earlier era. By contrast, his female counterparts (Gale, Peel, King) were youthful, forward-looking, and always dressed in the latest mod fashions. Gale's innovative leather outfits originally came about for practical reasons due to the many athletic fight scenes. Blackman became a star in Britain with her black leather fighting suit and high-heeled boots (nicknamed "kinky boots") and her high-kicking fighting style. After two series in this format, a film version of the show was in its initial planning stages by late 1963. The early story proposal would have paired Steed and Gale with a male/female duo of American agents, to make the movie appeal to the American market. Before the project could gain momentum, Blackman was cast opposite Sean Connery in the Bond film, Goldfinger, requiring her to leave the series. Steed was obviously a military man and in Death of a Batman, it was revealed that he was with I Corps in WWII and in Munich in 1945. In the episode The Nutshell, we get a look at the secret organisation that Steed belongs to, and it is Gale's first visit to their HQ. In the 4th season episode "The Hour That Never Was", Steed goes to a reunion of his RAF regiment. In reality, Patrick Macnee served in WWII as a naval lieutenant and came away with such a distaste for firearms that he insisted Steed never use a gun starting with the "66 -"67 season.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - Beyond Midnight "The Room" (1968)

The Room (1968)


Let us journey “into the land that lies beyond midnight,” into a world of ghost hunters, men going mad, and DEATH DEATH DEATH! Written by the masterful Michael McCabe, these well-done radio shows will capture your attention and keep you up listening to them well beyond midnight. A replacement series for SF 68, this South African horror anthology was far more successful than its predecessor, running from 1968 through 1969. Its success may have been due in part to producer Michael McCabe - who also produced SF 68 - honing his talents to a higher degree. Little else is known about it, including the number of shows produced. As far as I can discover, there were at least 43 episodes, all in half-hour format.

THIS EPISODE:

The Room (1968) - A man is paid to stay overnight in a room that is expected to be haunted, a room that may have taken the lives of those who had stayed previously.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - Best Plays "On Borrowed Time" (06-15-52)

On Borrowed Time (Aired June 15, 1952)


Best Plays presents theatrical paramounts of excellence. It's hosted by the drama critic of New York’s Daily News, John Chapman. Dramatic and comedic performances outshine other theater radio shows, greatly performed by such greats as Boris Karloff and Alfred Drake. In This Episode, On Borrowed Time a 1939 film about the role death plays in life, and how we cannot live without it. It is adapted from Paul Osborn's 1938 Broadway play, which was a smash hit. The play, based on a novel by Lawrence Edward Watkin, has been revived twice on Broadway since its original run. Set in a more innocent time in small-town America, the film stars Lionel Barrymore, Beulah Bondi and Cedric Hardwicke. Lionel Barrymore plays Julian Northrup, a wheelchair-bound man (Barrymore had broken his hip twice previously and was now using a wheelchair, though he continued to act), who with his wife Nellie, played by Beulah Bondi, are raising their orphaned grandson, Pud. Another central character is Gramps's beloved old apple tree - by making a wish, Gramps has made the tree able to hold anyone who climbs.

THIS EPISODE:

June 15, 1952. NBC network. "On Borrowed Time". Sustaining. A delightful story about an old man who gets the Devil up a tree...literally! Parker Fennelly, Mildred Natwick, David Anderson, Peter Capell, William Griffis, Agnes Young, Teri Keane, Luis Van Rooten, Karl Weber, John Chapman (host), Edward King (director), Fred Collins (announcer), Paul Osborn (author), George Lefferts (adaptor). 59:15.

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