Boxcars711Old Time Radio Pod - The Lux Radio Theater "Brewster's Millions" (02-15-37)

Brewster's Millions (Aired February 15, 1937)


Lux Radio Theater, one of the genuine classic radio anthology series (NBC Blue Network (1934-1935); CBS (1935-1954); NBC (1954-1955)) adapted first Broadway stage works, and then (especially) films to hour-long live radio presentations. It quickly became the most popular dramatic anthology series on radio, running more than twenty years. The program always began with an announcer proclaiming, "Ladies and gentlemen, Lux presents Hollywood!" Cecil B. DeMille was the host of the series each Monday evening from June 1, 1936, until January 22, 1945. On one occasion, however, he was replaced by Leslie Howard.

THIS EPISODE:

February 15, 1937. CBS network, KNX, Los Angeles aircheck. "Brewster's Millions". Sponsored by: Lux. The funny story of the man forced to spend $1,000,000 to inherit more. Host Cecil B. DeMille mentions the Fred Allen feud to Jack. Jack Benny, Mary Livingstone, Abe Reynolds, Cecil B. DeMille, Crauford Kent, Eddie Kane, Frank Nelson (performer, program opening announcer), Fred Harrington, Hal K. Dawson, Helena Grant, Helen Keers, Ynez Seabury, John Gibson, Lee Millar, Lionel Belmore, Lou Merrill, Louis Silvers (music director), Margaret Brayton, Melville Ruick (announcer), Ross Forrester, William Royale, Winchell Smith (stage adaptor), Byron Ongley (stage adaptor), George Barr McCutcheon (author), Marjorie Wood (intermission guest: winner of the Irish Sweepstakes), Norbert Janssen (intermission guest: winner of the Irish Sweepstakes), William Mondshine (intermission guest: designer of silk stockings for the stars), Doris Louray, Jean Colbert (commercial spokesman), Betty Stewart (commercial spokesman), Ed Beloin (writer of Jack's curtain call), Bill Morrow (writer of Jack's curtain call), Frank Woodruff (director), George Wells (adaptor), Charlie Forsyth (sound effects). 58:35.

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Boxcars711Old Time Radio Pod - The Raleigh Cigarette Program Starring Red Skelton "Looking For Trouble" (01-29-46)

Looking For Trouble (Aired January 29, 1946)


On December 4, 1945, The Raleigh Cigarette Program resumed where it left off with Skelton introducing some new characters, including Bolivar Shagnasty and J. Newton Numbskull. Lurene Tuttle and Verna Felton appeared as Junior's mother and grandmother. David Forrester and David Rose led the orchestra, featuring vocalist Anita Ellis. The announcers were Pat McGeehan and Rod O'Connor. The series ended May 20, 1949, and that fall he moved to CBS. Ironically, given that his peak of popularity came with his television show, in recent years recordings of the Red Skelton radio show have become much easier to come by than the TV show.

THIS EPISODE:

The Raleigh Cigarette Program Starring Red Skelton. January 29, 1946. NBC network, Hollywood origination. Sponsored by: Raleigh Cigarettes, Sir Walter Raleigh Tobacco. "The Skelton Scrapbook of Satire, Chapter 81: Looking For Trouble." "The Man Who Stole My Gal," with "Deadeye." Chapter 82, "I've Been Insulted," with Clem Kadiddlehopper. Chapter 83, "Time To Go To Bed, Kiddies," with the Mean Widdle Kid. Red Skelton, Rod O'Connor (announcer), David Forrester and His Orchestra, Anita Ellis, Pat McGeehan, Verna Felton, Wonderful Smith. 29:48.

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Boxcars711Old Time Radio Pod - The Adventures Of Horatio Hornblower "Alliance With Russia" (02-06-53)

Alliance With Russia (Aired February 6, 1953)

Broadcast 1952; Transcribed in England for the BBC; aired in U.S. on CBS, then again on ABC in 1954 and Mutual in 1957. Starring Michael Redgrave as Horatio Hornblower. a captain in the British Royal Navy during the Napoleonic era. The radio series was based on twelve Horatio Hornblower novels written by C.S. Forester. These novels were, and still are, well liked due to their realistic tone and historical accuracy in telling the tales of Naval life in the late 1700s through the mid 1800s. C.S. Forester was well known for his novels about military and naval life, including such fine titles as The African Queen, The Gun, The Barbary Pirates, and The General.

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Boxcars711Old Time Radio Pod - Rocky Fortune "Decoy For Death" (02-23-54)

Decoy For Death (Aired February 23, 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 23, 1954. NBC network. "Decoy For Death". Sustaining. The "Organ Grinder" has broken out of jail and is out to get Rocky and the others who set him up. Interesting listening. Frank Sinatra, Kay Stewart, Jack Nestle, Barney Phillips, Jack Mather, Tony Barrett, George Pembroke, George Lefferts (writer), Andrew C. Love (director). 24:45.

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Boxcars711Old Time Radio Pod - The Falcon "The Case Of The Running Waters" (07-10-52)

Feature of W.P.N.M Radio

The Falcon - The Case Of The Running Waters (07-10-52)

August 29, 2009 10:44 PM PDT

The Case Of The Running Waters (Aired July 10, 1952)


This hard boiled spy drama began as an RKO Radio Pictures theatrical serial in the 1940s, went on radio in 1945, and then came to TV ten years later in this Syndicated series produced for distribution by NBC Films; Charles McGraw had been in many motion pictures before and after including "The Killers", "Spartacus" and "Cimarron"; in this series he played the title role of a man whose real name was supposedly Mike Waring, an American agent whose code name was "Falcon"; Later Charles McGraw starred in a short lived TV version of "Casablanca" (1955 - 1956) in the character of Rick; He also had a role on the detective drama "Staccato" (1959) Actor McGraw (whose birth name was Charles Butters) met an unfortunate death in real life when he fell through a shower glass door in 1980 at his home in Studio City, CA.

THIS EPISODE:

July 10, 1952. NBC network. "The Case Of The Running Waters". Sustaining. Michael Waring travels to Italy to find out that, "when it comes to murder, there's no place like Rome!" The system cue is added live. Les Damon, Drexel Drake (creator), Fred Collins (announcer), Bernard L. Schubert (producer, transcriber), Eugene Wang (writer), Richard Lewis (director), Susan Douglas. 31:05.

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Boxcars711Old Time Radio Pod - The Amazing Mr. Malone "Handsome Is As Handsome Does" (06-29-51)

Handsome Is As Handsome Does (Aired June 29, 1951)

Based on Craig Rice’s (a female crime novelist who rivaled Agatha Christie in book sales) novels of crime drama, Frank Lovejoy (and later Gene Raymond and George Petrie) plays “fiction’s most famous criminal lawyer,” John J. Malone. Mr. Malone is our amazing hero, a Chicago lawyer whose bar is more famous than Cheers. His hobby is collecting clichés, and each weeks show is based off of one: cleanliness is next to Godliness, a strong offense is the best defense, seek and ye shall find, and so on. Stories are gripping, from tales of Chicago’s biggest operator who runs a nightclub and his right hand man, to a man looking for trouble in a hotel and finds it in room 419, to a story of a man who owns the most luscious gambling joint this side of Vegas. So brush up on your one liners, and grab your gun, because you’ll want to tune in for this exciting half hour of mystery!

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Boxcars711Old Time Radio Pod - TWalk Softly Peter Troy "The Trouble With Tanya" (01-07-64)

The Trouble With Tanya (Aired January 7, 1964)


Walk Softly, Peter Troy Detective Drama Aired on Springbok Radio from 10 December 1963 to 21 February 1964. This series was produced in the Durban Studios of Herrick Merril Productions. It starred Tom Meehan, John Simpson, and Merle Wayne. It was sponsored by Irving & Johnson, who also sponsored the "Gunsmoke" series which "Walk Softly, Peter Troy" replaced. A sequel to this series was heard on the English Radio Service from 19 May 1964 to 28 November 1964. The sponsors, Irving & Johnson, reportedly disliked the series, which is why it was discontinued on Springbok Radio and moved to the English Service. This was the first series on the English Service that came from an independent production house, not produced by the SABC. There was an Australian version of this radio series produced prior to the South African productions. Let me repeat that last sentence for those who did not read it the first time…There was an Australian version of this radio series produced prior to the South African productions.

THIS EPISODE:

January 7, 1964. Program #5. Springbok Radio (South African) origination, AFRTS rebroadcast. "The Trouble With Tanya". Tanya inherits all from a hated relation with a heart condition...and that's her trouble. Tom Meehan, Herrick Merril (producer), John Simpson, Merle Wayne. 25 minutes.

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Boxcars711Old Time Radio Pod - The Black Museum "The Prescription" (1952)

The Prescription (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. Towers Of London syndication. "The Prescription". Commercials added locally. June Dawson is paralyzed and depressed. She leaves all her fortune to her nurse in a new will. The date is approximate. Orson Welles (narrator), Ira Marion (writer), Sidney Torch (composer, conductor), Harry Alan Towers (producer). 26:47.

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Boxcars711Old Time Radio Pod - Amos & Andy Show "The Butler Did It" (04-14-44)

The Butler Did It (Aired April 14, 1944)


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 14, 1944. NBC network. Sponsored by: Rinso. Andy is accused of stealing $2000 because his cigar lighter was found at the scene. Did The Butler Do It? The system cue has been deleted. Freeman Gosden, Charles Correll, Harlow Wilcox (announcer). 29:01.

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Boxcars711 Overnight Western "Dr. Sixgun" - No Guns Law (10-31-54)

Boxcars711 Overnight Western "Dr. Sixgun" - No Guns Law (Aired October 31, 1954)


Karl Weber as Dr. Ray Matson, "the guntoting frontier doctor who roamed the length and breadth of the old Indian territory, friend and phsycian to white man and Indian alike, the symbol of justice and mercy in the lawless west of the 1870s. This legendary figure was known to all as Dr. Sixgun." Bill Griffis as Pablo, the doctor's typsy sidekick, who told the stories.

THIS EPISODE:

October 31, 1954. Program #10. NBC network origination, AFRTS rebroadcast. A visit to the town of Rail End, where no guns are allowed. Will the idea work in Frenchman's Ford? Well-written. Ernest Kinoy (writer), Fred Weihe (director, transcriber), George Lefferts (writer), Karl Weber, William Griffis. 1/2 hour.

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Boxcars711Old Time Radio Pod - Buck Rogers In The 25th Century "The Chase After Killer Kane" (5 Parts Complete) 1939

The Chase After Killer Kane (5 Parts Complete) 1939


In 1987 NASA launches a manned probe on a 5 month trip around the solar system. The probe's pilot is Captain William "Buck" Rogers. Something goes awry causing the ships life support systems to freeze Buck in a cryogenic suspension. The malfunction sends Ranger 3 in a deep space orbit that will return the disable spacecraft to Earth in the year 2491. Buck awakens from his deep cryogenic sleep to find himself 500 years in the future. Earth is still recovering from the aftermath of a late 20th Century nuclear holocaust which nearly destroyed the planet. Due to his incredible fighter pilot skills Buck becomes a valuable member of the Earth's Defense Directorate, which is headed by Dr. Elias Huer. Captain Rogers also finds himself a part of a fighter squadron headed by the beautiful Colonel Wilma Deering. Among his other compatriots are Twiki -- a likable robot who becomes Buck's pal -- and Dr. Theopolis -- a mechanical brain in a box who is part of Earth's Computer Council.

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Boxcars711Old Time Radio Pod - The Diary Of Fate "Matt Cooper" (07-20-48)

Matt Cooper (Aired July 20, 1948)

Diary of Fate is a mystery and horror program where “Fate” narrates and always wins by the end of the story. These are great suspense filled stories about average people who are subject to the mysteries of their ‘Fate’. In This episode, July 20, 1948. Program #32. Finley syndication. "Matt Cooper". Commercials added locally. Book 81, page 409. Not auditioned. High adventure in distant lands. A deep sea diver learns about the system of justice. The date is subject to correction. Herb Lytton, Sammie Hill, Tom Holland, Donald Curtis, Gene Twombley, Ray Ehrlenborn (probable sound effects), Larry Finley (producer), Hal Sawyer. 26:42.

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Boxcars711Old Time Radio Pod - Escape "A Shipment Of Mute Fate" (10-15-47)

A Shipment Of Mute Fate (Aired October 15, 1947)


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

THIS EPISODE:

October 15, 1947. CBS network. "A Shipment Of Mute Fate". Sustaining. A good story about a deadly snake looser on an ocean liner. Jack Webb is excellent as the narrator, the sound of the snake strike is very well done. Good radio! The script was subsequently used on Escape on March 13, 1949 and on July 7, 1950 and on "Suspense on January 6, 1957 and April 3, 1960. William N. Robson (producer, director), Martin Storm (writer), Jack Webb (narrator), Les Crutchfield (adaptor), Cy Feuer (music conceiver, conductor). 24:22.

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Boxcars711Old Time Radio Pod - The Life of Riley "The Dog Catcher" (05-07-44)

The Dog Catcher (Aired May 7, 1944)


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."

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Boxcars711 Overnight Western "Fort Laramie" - Dont Kick My Horse (06-03-56)

Boxcars711 Overnight Western "Fort Laramie" - Dont Kick My Horse (Aired June 3, 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:

June 3, 1956. CBS network origination, AFRTS rebroadcast. "Don't Kick My Horse". A soldier's love for his eleven-year-old horse gets the entire troop into danger when the Indians attack. A good story. The program was recorded May 3, 1956. Raymond Burr, Les Crutchfield (writer), Virginia Gregg, Barney Phillips, Lawrence Dobkin, Tim Graham, Jack Kruschen. 1/2 hour.

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Boxcars711Old Time Radio Pod - Confession "The Roger S Chapman Case" (09-13-53)

The Roger S Chapman Case (Aired September 13, 1953)


NBC 30 minutes Sunday at 9:30PM.Cast Paul Frees, James Edwards, Jester Hairston, Jay Loughlin, Jonathan Hole, Mady Norman, Don Brinkley (writer), Michael Samoge (? music), Warren Lewis (script supervisor), Homer Canfield (director), John Wald (announcer). Had a texture and sound not unlike Dragnet, indeed the influence was realized throughout the show. These were true stories of Crime and Punishment, the obvious difference that Dragnet began with the crime while Confession unfolded in reverse order, from the end. Confession was less noisy, it's theme was played on a single piano, but there was still the deadpan dialogue, the thief or killer giving his confession with an air of resignation and defeat. The criminal thus became a stream-of-consciousness narrator, with the action frequently cutting away into drama. "Names were changed to protect the legal rights of the subject"

THIS EPISODE:

September 13, 1953. NBC network. "The Case Of Roger S. Chapland". Sustaining. 9:30 P. M. A young man breaks into a store. He gets a suspended sentence, but no break from his father. A good drama ruined by that awful beeper. Paul Frees, James Edwards, Jester Hairston, Jay Loughlin, Jonathan Hole, Mady Norman, Don Brinkley (writer), Michael Samoge (? music), Warren Lewis (script supervisor), Homer Canfield (director), John Wald (announcer). 30:01.

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Boxcars711Old Time Radio Pod - Candy Matson "The Devil In The Deep Freeze" (11-10-49)

The Devil In The Deep Freeze (Aired November 10, 1949)


CANDY MATSON was the private eye star of Candy Matson, YUkon 2-8208, an NBC West Coast show which first aired in March 1949 and was created by Monty Masters. He cast his wife, Natalie Parks, in the title role of this sassy, sexy PI. Her understated love interest, Lt. Ray Mallard, was played by Henry Leff while her assistant and best pal, aptly named Rembrandt Watson, was the voice of Jack Thomas. Every show opened with a ringing telephone and our lady PI answering it with "Candy Matson, YU 2-8209" and then the organ swung into the theme song, "Candy". Each job took Candy from her apartment on Telegraph Hill into some actual location in San Francisco. The writers, overseen by Monty, worked plenty of real Bay Area locations into every plot.

THIS EPISODE:
November 10, 1949. NBC network, San Francisco origination. "The Devil In The Deep Freeze". Sustaining. A restaurant owner asks Candy to get rid of a body in his meat refrigerator, and he's dressed like the devil! Guest Dorothy Warenskjold (famous opera singer) helps Candy to solve this operatic murder. The title is subject to correction. Dorothy Warenskjold, Dudley Manlove (announcer), Harry Bechtel, Henry Leff, Jack Thomas, Jerry Walter, Monte Masters (writer, producer), Natalie Masters. 29:21.

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Boxcars711Old Time Radio Pod - Calling All Cars "Power And Light Holdup" (06-27-34)

Power And Light Holdup (Aired June 27, 1934)


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:

June 27, 1934. Program #31. CBS Pacific network (Don Lee net). "The Power and Light Holdup". Sponsored by: Rio Grande Oil. A want ad appeals for a man with "plenty of nerve and a good head." The job is for a man to help with a payroll robbery! The system cue has been deleted. Hanley Stafford, Madeleine Kelly (writer), William N. Robson (adaptor, producer), Charles Frederick Lindsley (narrator). 29:15.

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Boxcars711Old Time Radio Pod - The Bob Hope Show "Guest David Niven" (08-23-53)

Guest David Niven (Aired August 23, 1953)


From the age of twelve, Bob Hope worked at a wide variety of odd jobs at a local board walk. When not doing this he would busk, doing dance and comedy patter to make extra money. He entered many dancing and amateur talent contests, and won prizes for his impersonation of Charlie Chaplin. He also boxed briefly and unsuccessfully under the name Packy East, making it once as far as the semi-finals of the Ohio novice championship. Fallen silent film comedian Fatty Arbuckle saw one of his performances and in 1925 got him steady work with Hurley's Jolly Follies. A year later Hope had formed an act called the Dancemedians with George Burns (who would also live to see his own 100th birthday) and the Hilton Sisters, conjoined twins who had a tap dancing routine. Hope and his partner George Byrne had an act as a pair of Siamese twins as well, and both danced and sang while wearing blackface before friends advised Hope that he was funnier as himself.. After five years on the Vaudeville circuit, by his own account Hope was surprised and humbled when he and his partner Grace Louise Troxell failed a 1930 screen test for Pathé at Culver City, California. (Hope had been on the screen in small parts, 1927's The Sidewalks of New York and 1928's Smiles. Hope returned to New York City and subsequently appeared in several Broadway musicals including Roberta, Say When, the 1936 Ziegfeld Follies, and Red, Hot and Blue with Ethel Merman. His performances were generally well-received and critics noted his keen sense of comedic timing. He changed his name from "Leslie" to "Bob", reportedly because people in the US were calling him "Hopelessly", although in the 1920s he sometimes used the name "Lester Hope".

THIS EPISODE:

August 23, 1953. NBC network origination, AFRTS rebroadcast. Bob and guest David Niven do their version of, "The History Of Radio." The program may be dated March 5, 1954. Bob Hope, Bill Goodwin, David Niven, Les Brown and His Orchestra, Margaret Whiting, Jerry Colonna. 25:34.

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Boxcars711Old Time Radio Pod - The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet "Worrying About Worrying" (12-12-48)

Worrying About Worrying (Aired December 12, 1948)


The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet launched on CBS October 8, 1944, making a mid-season switch to NBC in 1949. The final years of the radio series were on ABC (the former NBC Blue Network) from October 14, 1949, to June 18, 1954.The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, an American radio and television series, was once the longest-running, live-action situation comedy on American television, having aired on ABC from 1952 to 1966 after a ten-year run on radio. Starring Ozzie Nelson and his wife, singer Harriet Hilliard (she dropped her maiden name after the couple ended their music career), the show's sober, gentle humor captured a large, sustaining audience, although it never rated in the top ten programs, and later critics tended to dismiss it as fostering a slightly unrealistic picture of post-World War II American family life. When Skelton was drafted, Ozzie Nelson was prompted to create his own family situation comedy. The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet launched on CBS October 8, 1944, making a mid-season switch to NBC in 1949. The final years of the radio series were on ABC (the former NBC Blue Network) from October 14, 1949, to June 18, 1954. In an arrangement that amplified the growing pains of American broadcasting, as radio "grew up" into television (as George Burns once phrased it), the Nelsons' deal with ABC gave the network itself the right to move the show to television whenever it wanted to do it---they wanted, according to the Museum of Broadcast Communications, to have talent in the bullpen and ready to pitch, so to say, on their own network, rather than risk it defecting to CBS (where the Nelsons began) or NBC. Their sons, David and Ricky, did not join the cast until five years after the radio series began. The two boys felt frustrated at hearing themselves played by actors and continually requested they be allowed to portray themselves.

THIS EPISODE:

December 12, 1948. NBC network. Sponsored by: International Silver. Worry, worry, will Ozzie ever stop worrying? Ozzie Nelson, Harriet Hilliard. 1/2 hour.

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Boxcars711Old Time Radio Pod - Hallmark Playhouse "The Devil & Daniel Webster" (06-10-48)

The Devil & Daniel Webster (Aired June 10, 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. James Hilton, author of "Random Harvest", "Lost Horizon" and "Goodbye, Mr. Chips" plus others, served as host and Narrator. Dee Engelbach produced and directed the shows. Jean Holloway was the writer. Sound Effects were by Harry Essman and Gene Twombly. Musical conductor was Lyn Murray. The show's theme was "Dream of Olwne" by Charles Williams.

THIS EPISODE:

The story is about a New Hampshire farmer, Jabez Stone, who is plagued with unending bad luck. It is set in Antebellum era, some years after the Missouri Compromise of 1820, but before the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854. Stone swears that "it's enough to make a man want to sell his soul to the devil!" When "the stranger" (Satan), who later identifies himself as "Mr. Scratch," arrives the next day, he makes such an offer, and Stone reluctantly agrees to the deal. Stone enjoys seven years of prosperity, and later bargains for three more years, but as the "mortgage falls due," he convinces famous lawyer and orator Daniel Webster to argue his case with the Devil. At midnight of the appointed date, Mr. Scratch arrives and is greeted by Daniel Webster, who presents himself as Stone's attorney. Mr. Scratch tells Daniel, "I shall call upon you, as a law-abiding citizen, to assist me in taking possession of my property," and so begins the argument. It goes poorly for Daniel since the signature and the contract are clear, and Mr. Scratch will not agree to a compromise.

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Boxcars711Old Time Radio Pod - Gangbusters "The Case Of The New York Narcotics King" (04-03-48)

The Case Of The New York Narcotics King (Aired April 3, 1948)


Gang Busters was an American dramatic radio program heralded as "the only national program that brings you authentic police case histories." It premiered as G-Men, sponsored by Chevrolet, on July 20, 1935. After the title was changed to Gang Busters January 15, 1936, the show had a 21-year run through November 20, 1957. Beginning with a barrage of loud sound effects — guns firing and tires squealing — this intrusive introduction led to the popular catch phrase "came on like Gang Busters."The series dramatized FBI cases, which producer-director Phillips H. Lord arranged in close association with Bureau director J. Edgar Hoover. Hoover insisted that only closed cases would be used. The initial series was on NBC Radio from July 20 - October 12, 1935. It then aired on CBS from January 15, 1936 to June 15, 1940, sponsored by Colgate-Palmolive and Cue magazine. From October 11, 1940 to December 25, 1948, it was heard on the Blue Network, with various sponsors that included Sloan's Liniment, Waterman pens and Tide. Returning to CBS on January 8, 1949, it ran until June 25, 1955, sponsored by Grape-Nuts and Wrigley's chewing gum. The final series was on the Mutual Broadcasting System from October 5, 1955 to November 27, 1957. It was once narrated by Norman Schwarzkopf, Sr., former head of the New Jersey State Police. The radio series was adapted for DC Comics, Big Little Books and a 1942 movie serial. The 1952 Gang Busters TV series was reedited into two feature films, Gang Busters (1954) and Guns Don't Argue (1957).

THIS EPISODE:

April 3, 1948. Program #523. ABC network origination, syndicated, WRVR-FM, New York rebroadcast. "The Case Of The New York Narcotics King". Sponsored by: Arrow Audio. The Federal Bureau of Narcotics goes after Pip Gagliano, known as, "The Narcotics King." WRVR rebroadcast date: February 28, 1974. Don Gardiner (announcer), Mandel Kramer, Phillips H. Lord (producer), Raymond Edward Johnson, Stanley Niss (writer, director), William Sweets (director). 29:22.

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Boxcars711Old Time Radio Pod - The Clock "Bad Dreams" (04-25-48)

Bad Dreams (Aired April 25, 1948)


The Clock, Imported from Austrailia, was a dramatic thirty-minute suspense and mystery series. It was written by Lawrence Klee and was first broadcast in November 1946. The story always began the same; “Sunrise and sunset, promise and fulfilment, birth and death … the whole drama of life is written in the sands of time”. This is a great series where the main theme seems to be Retribution. Stories as told by Father Time.

THIS EPISODE:

April 25, 1948. ABC network. "Bad Dreams". Sustaining. A story about an Hungarian immigrant who loses his job in a delicatessen because of his strange and terrifying dreams. Jeanette Nolan, Elliott Lewis, William Spier (producer, director), Lucille Fletcher (writer), Basil Adlam (musical director), Bernard Green (theme composer). 30:11.

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Boxcars711Old Time Radio Pod - Crime Classics "Roger Nems" (03-03-54)

Crime Classics - "Roger Nems: How He, Though Dead, Won The Game" (Aired March 3, 1954


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:

March 3, 1954. CBS network origination, AFRS rebroadcast. "Roger Nems: How He, Though Dead, Won The Game". A well written murder story set during the reign of Charles II. Excellent early 18th Century music arranged and played beautifully by Bernard Herrmann. Lou Merrill (host), Elliott Lewis (producer, director), Bernard Herrmann (arranger, conductor), Morton Fine (writer), David Friedkin (writer), Charles Addison (composer), Ben Wright, Alistair Duncan, Betty Harford, Ellen Morgan, Gary Montgomery, Bob Lemond (announcer), Richard Peel. 1/2 hour.

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Boxcars711Old Time Radio Pod - Granby's Green Acres "Mr. Granby Breaks Down" (08-21-50)

Mr. Granby Breaks Down (August 21, 1950)


Broadcast History: July 3 - August 21, 1950, CBS. 30m, Mondays at 9:30. Cast: Gale Gordon and Bea Benaderet as John and Martha Granby, ex-bank teller and wife who moved to the country to become farmers. Louise Erickson as Janice, their daughter. Parley Baer as Eb, the hired hand. Announcer: Bob LeMond Music: Opie Cates Writer-Producer-Director: Jay Sommers. Granby's Green Acres grew out of characters played by Gale Gordon and Bea Benaderet on the Lucille Ball series My Favorite Husband. The names were changed, but the basic characters remained the same.

THIS EPISODE:

August 21, 1950. CBS network. "Mr. Granby Breaks Down". Sustaining. Granby becomes very sensitive to noise. The sequence makes excellent use of sound effects. The last show of the series. Gale Gordon, Bea Benaderet, Louise Erickson, Rye Billsbury, Opie Cates (composer, conductor), Parley Baer, Hans Conried, Horace Murphy, Gail Bonney, Billy Gould (sound effects), Jay Sommers (writer, director), Jack Harvey (writer), Bob Shoe (assistant director), Ray Ehrlenborn (sound effects), Pat Walsh (engineer), Bob Lemond (announcer). 29:48.

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