Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - Crime Does Not Pay "Voice Of Death" (10-09-50)

Voice Of Death (Aired October 9, 1950)


Crime Does Not Pay was an anthology radio crime drama series based on MGM's short film series. The films began in 1935 with Crime Does Not Pay: Buried Loot. For the most part, actors who appeared in B-films were featured, but occasionally, one of MGM's major stars would make an appearance. The radio series aired in New York on WMGM (October 10, 1949-October 10, 1951) and then moved to the Mutual network (January 7-December 22, 1952). Actors included Bela Lugosi, Everett Sloane, Ed Begley, John Loder and Lionel Stander.

THIS EPISODE:
October 16, 1950. Program #53. MGM syndication. "Voice Of Death". Commercials added locally. A British ventriloquist commits murder and travels to America to be with his wealthy girl friend. After murdering the girl's father, the ventriloquist imitates the dead man's voice, so as to inherit more money. The date above is the date of the first broadcast on WMGM, New York, from which this syndicated version may have been taken. John Loder, Jon Gart (composer, conductor), Marx B. Loeb (producer, director), Ira Marion (writer), Burton B. Turkas (technical advisor). 27:37.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - Best Plays "Rope" (11-30-52)

Rope (Aired November 30, 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, "Rope". Sponsored by: Sustaining, Entre Cafeterias (local). A murder at Oxford University. The program has also been dated November 28, 1952. Victor Jory, John Chapman (host), Hurd Hatfield, Patrick Hamilton (author), Ernest Kinoy (adaptor), Lloyd Bockner, William Podmore, Ivor Francis, Dierdre Owens, Guy Spaull, William Welch (supervisor), Fred Weihe (director), Robert Denton (announcer). 62:36.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - Bulldog Drummond "Porcelain Ming Cat" (1946)

Porcelain Ming Cat (1946)


The Bulldog Drummond stories followed Captain Hugh "Bulldog" Drummond, D.S.O., M.C., a wealthy former WWI officer of the fictional Loamshire Regiment, who, after the war, spends his new-found leisure time as a private detective. Drummond is a proto-James Bond figure and a version of the imperial adventurers depicted by the likes of John Buchan. In terms of the detective genre, the first Bulldog Drummond novel was published after the Sherlock Holmes stories, the Nayland Smith/Fu Manchu novels and Richard Hannay's first three adventures including The Thirty-Nine Steps. The character first appeared in the novel Bulldog Drummond (1920), and this was followed by a lengthy series of books and adaptations for films, radio and television. "Drummond... has the appearance of an English gentleman: a man who fights hard, plays hard and lives clean... His best friend would not call him good-looking but he possess that cheerful type of ugliness which inspires immediate confidence ... Only his eyes redeem his face. Deep-set and steady, with eyelashes that many women envy, they show him to be a sportsman and an adventurer. Drummond goes outside the law when he feels the ends justify the means." The opening of the radio show starts with a the sounds of footsteps, foghorn, then two shots ring out, followed by three blows of a police officer's whistle. Bulldog was a methodical crime-solving sleuth who let nothing get in his way of his goal, which was to put a stop to crime! Bulldog believed in uncomplicated and decisive means of getting his way with the lords of the underworld. This usually led to their swift capture, and the easing of the city's burden brought about by these ruthless thugs.

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Boxcars711 Overnight Western "Lone Ranger" - The Tomahawk Trail (10-02-50)

Boxcars711 Overnight Western "Lone Ranger" - The Tomahawk Trail (Aired October 20, 1950)


The Lone Ranger was a long-running early radio and television show based on characters created by George W. Trendle, and developed by writer Fran Striker. The titular character is a masked cowboy in the American Old West, who gallops about righting injustices, usually with the aid of a clever and laconic American Indian called Tonto, and his horse Silver. He would famously say "Heigh-ho Silver, away!" to get the horse to gallop. The first of 2,956 episodes of The Lone Ranger premiered on radio January 30, 1933 on WXYZ radio in Detroit, Michigan and later on the Mutual Broadcasting System radio network and then on NBC's Blue Network (which became ABC, which broadcast the show's last new episode on September 3, 1954). Elements of the Lone Ranger story were first used in an earlier series Fran Striker wrote for a station in Buffalo, New York.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - Boston Blackie "Inspector Farady Shot" (10-22-46)

Inspector Farady Shot (Aired October 22, 1946)


The Boston Blackie radio series, also starring Morris, began June 23, 1944, on NBC as a summer replacement for The Amos 'n' Andy Show. Sponsored by Rinso, the series continued until September 15 of that year. Unlike the concurrent films, Blackie had a steady romantic interest in the radio show: Lesley Woods appeared as Blackie's girlfriend Mary Wesley. Harlow Wilcox was the show's announcer. On April 11, 1945, Richard Kollmar took over the title role in a radio series syndicated by Frederic W. Ziv to Mutual and other network outlets. Over 200 episodes of this series were produced between 1944 and October 25, 1950. Other sponsors included Lifebuoy Soap, Champagne Velvet beer, and R&H beer. While investigating mysteries, Blackie invaribly encountered harebrained Police Inspector Farraday (Maurice Tarplin) and always solved the mystery to Farraday's amazement. Initially, friction surfaced in the relationship between Blackie and Farraday, but as the series continued, Farraday recognized Blackie's talents and requested assistance. Blackie dated Mary Wesley (Jan Miner), and for the first half of the series, his best pal Shorty was always on hand. The humorless Farraday was on the receiving end of Blackie's bad puns and word play. Kent Taylor starred in the half-hour TV series, The Adventures of Boston Blackie. Syndicated in 1951, it ran for 58 episodes, continuing in repeats over the following decade.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - The Great Gildersleeve "Leroy Sells Seeds" (04-19-42)

Leroy Sells Seeds (Aired April 19, 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:

April 19, 1942. "Leroy Sells Seeds" - NBC network. Sponsored by: Kraft Parkay. Leroy tries to sell seeds door-to-door, but winds up planting a Victory Garden. Harold Peary, Leonard L. Levinson (writer), Lillian Randolph, Lurene Tuttle, Walter Tetley, Earle Ross, Jim Bannon (announcer), William Randolph (composer, conductor). 29:32.

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Boxcars711 Overnight Western "Dr. Sixgun" - Tribe Infected With Measles (11-14-54)

Boxcars711 Overnight Western "Dr. Sixgun" - Tribe Infected With Measles (Aired November 14, 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:

November 14, 1954. "A Tribe With Measles" - Program #1. NBC network origination, AFRTS rebroadcast. The first show of the series. Aaron Gault is determined to get rich off a young Indian boy with the measles. Ernest Kinoy (writer), Fred Weihe (director, transcriber), George Lefferts (writer), Karl Weber, William Griffis. 1/2 hour.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - Damon Runyon Theater "For A Pal" (02-13-49)

For A Pal (Aired February 13, 1949)


Damon Runyon Theater - Broadcast from January to December 1949, "The Damon Runyon Theater" dramatized 52 of Runyon's short stories for radio. Damon Runyon (October 4, 1884 – December 10, 1946) was a newspaperman and writer. He was best known for his short stories celebrating the world of Broadway in New York City that grew out of the Prohibition era. He spun tales of gamblers, petty thieves, actors and gangsters; few of whom go by "square" names, preferring instead to be known as "Nathan Detroit", "Big Jule", "Harry the Horse", "Good Time Charlie", "Dave the Dude", and so on. These stories were written in a very distinctive vernacular style: a mixture of formal speech and colorful slang, almost always in present tense, and always devoid of contractions.

THIS EPISODE:

February 13, 1949 - Program #7. Mayfair syndication. "For A Pal". Commercials added locally. The story of the friendship of Little Joey and Blind Benny, and how a doll came between them. Damon Runyon (author), John Brown, Richard Sanville (director), Russell Hughes (adaptor), Vern Carstensen (production supervisor). 26:28.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - Your's Truly Johnny Dollar "The Missing Archeologist" (02-24-50)

The Missing Archeologist (Aired February 24, 1950)


During this time, Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar attracted some of the best writers in Hollywood, including Jack Johnstone, E. Jack Neuman (using the pen name John Dawson), Robert Ryf, and Les Crutchfield. Bob Bailey also wrote a script while he was playing Johnny Dollar. He used the pen name Robert Bainter (Bainter was his middle name) as the scriptwriter for "The Carmen Kringle Matter", which was aired on Saturday, December 21, 1957 on the West Coast, and on the following day for the rest of the country. Bob Bailey, generally thought of as the most popular of the Johnny Dollars, brought a new interpretation to the character – tough, but not hard-boiled; streetwise, but not overly cynical, Bailey's Dollar was smart and gritty when he had to be. But Bailey's Johnny Dollar was also human. His character would get emotionally involved in a number of his cases. He had a streak of impatience, and would occasionally not fully listen to a witness and rush off on a tangent before realizing his mistake. The weekday serialized episodes are generally acknowledged as some of the finest radio detective shows ever produced. There were fifty six multi-part shows in all: fifty four five-part shows, one six-part show, and one nine-part show. The serialized episodes continued until November 2, 1956 when the series again reverted to a once a week, thirty minute format. Bob Bailey continued in the lead, until "The Empty Threat Matter" of November 27, 1960, when the Hollywood run ended.

THIS EPISODE:

February 24, 1950. "The Missing Archeologist" - CBS network. Sustaining. Bruce Lambert, an archeologist ("Who never should have left his tomb") has disappeared in Egypt. Lambert's sister asks Johnny to dig him up. Edmond O'Brien, Virginia Gregg, Jay Novello, Ed Begley, John Dehner, Pat McGeehan, Paul Dudley (writer), Gil Doud (writer), Leith Stevens (music), Jaime del Valle (producer, director), Roy Rowan (announcer). 30:23.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - Cavalcade Of America "Faith In Education" (11-06-35)

Faith In Education (November 6, 1935)


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. In the early 1930s, the Nye Committee investigations concluded that DuPont had made a fortune profiteering in World War I. The company stood accused of encouraging an arms race between WWI enemies, after being heavily subsidized by the Allies to increase black powder production. The negative effects of the investigation left the company demoralized, directionless and with a tarnished corporate image in the middle of the Great Depression. DuPont's products were primarily not for public consumption, so there was no purpose in promoting them through advertising. As a solution to DuPont's troubles, Roy Durstine, then creative director of Batten, Barton, Durstine & Osborn, proposed the creation of Cavalcade of America using the company motto. This was to be an important element in the successful re-branding of DuPont as an American legacy engaged in making products for the well-being of Americans and humanity in general.

THIS EPISODE:

November 6, 1935. CBS network, WABC, New York aircheck. "Faith In Education". Sponsored by: DuPont. Henry Fisk Carlton (writer), Dixon Ryan Fox (writer), Kenneth Webb (writer, director), Arthur Pryor (producer), Dwight Weist (announcer), Frank Singiser (commercial spokesman), Harold Levey (composer, conductor). 29:53.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - The Adventures Of Maisie "The Ex-Convict" (10-26-50)

The Ex-Convict (Aired October 26, 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.

THIS EPISODE:

October 26, 1950. "The Ex-Convict" - Program #37. MGM syndication. Commercials added locally. Maisie takes time out from her taxi-dancing job to help a robber go straight. The program has also been identified as program #41. Ann Sothern, Gerald Mohr, Elvia Allman, Peter Leeds, Frank Nelson, Jack McCoy (announcer), Lurene Tuttle, Arthur Phillips (writer), Harry Zimmerman (composer, conductor). 27:29.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - The Caltex Theater "Bad Day At Black Rock" (02-15-59)

Bad Day At Black Rock (Aired February 15, 1959)

The Caltex Theater was an Australian show similar to the American Lux Radio Theater. It was sponsored by the Caltex Oil Company. Mostly the radio shows were adapted from top movies from the time period. The show aired from 1950 - 1959 with somewhere around 490 shows. This hour long series was well produced, directed and acted out. Though the series ran for 9 years, it's tough finding more than ten episodes whose audio quality is up to rebroadcast standards.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - The Green Hornet "George Haven's Secret" (01-22-46)

George Haven's Secret (Aired January 22, 1946)


The Green Hornet program began in January of 1936 and played to December 5, 1952. The shows typically ran thirty minutes and ran twice a week in the beginning years. They later reverted to being broadcast once a week. The last season of the show in 1952 the show reverted back to a twice a week schedule. Al Hodge played the role of Britt Reid for seven years. Fran Striker, a co-creator of the Lone Ranger, wrote all of the scripts for the Green Hornet until April 1944. After that, several other writers were brought in to script the show. The writing output of Fran Striker was incredible. While he was scripting the Green Hornet he was also writing the scripts for the Lone Ranger program. Following Al Hodge, three other radio actors played Britt Reid. Donovan Faust took the role for the 1943 season. Robert Hall played the part for three years, from 1943 to 1946. Jack McCarthy finished the last years of the series from 1946 through 1952. Thus ended a tremendous 16-year radio program full of action, high-speed chases, and the overcoming of evil by the Green Hornet.

THIS EPISODE:

January 22, 1946. ABC net origination, Michelson syndication, WFAA, Dallas aircheck. "George Haven's Secret". Commercials deleted. Haven is a murderer who happens to know the Hornet's secret identity! . 1/2 hour.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - The Story Of Dr. Kildare "Dr. Conlon Quack" (01-19-51)

Dr. Conlon "Quack" (Aired January 19, 1951)


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.

THIS EPISODE:

January 19, 1951. Program #52. WMGM, New York City-Mutual network origination, MGM syndication. Commercials added locally. "Dr. Conlon, Quack". Lew Ayres, Lionel Barrymore, William P. Rousseau (director), Walter Schumann (composer, conductor).

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - Ray Bradbury Stories "The Man" (1950)

The Man (1950)


NBC Presents Short Story (AKA: Short Story) - Stories were dramatizations of the works of Ray Bradbury. Each show features a brief introduction by Ray Bradbury, often relating how the story came to be. In this episode, "The Man" (1950) When Captain Hart (Alex Kravitz) and his first mate Martin (Ed Bianchi) make an historic rocket landing on an unknown planet, they are outraged to find that the people of the planet are completely uninterested. Hart sends Martin to meet with the nearby city's Mayor (Jeremy Yee) and find out why the people of the planet took no notice of the rocket. But the Mayor's response poses more questions for Hart than it answers. The Mayor informs the rocket team that their landing is unimportant because the previous day, something so monumentental happened that the rocket landing was insignificant. A mysterious man had arrived on the planet. A man who did the most extraordinary things.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - Mr. & Mrs. North "Charles Wyatt Murder" (01-30-51)

Charles Wyatt Murder (Aired January 30, 1951)


Mr. and Mrs. North was a radio mystery series that aired on CBS from 1942 to 1954. Alice Frost and Joseph Curtin had the title roles when the series began in 1942. Publisher Jerry North and his wife Pam lived in Greenwich Village at 24 St. Anne's Flat. They were not professional detectives but simply an ordinary couple who stumbled across a murder or two every week for 12 years. The radio program eventually reached nearly 20 million listeners. The characters originated in 1930s vignettes written by Richard Lockridge for the New York Sun, and he brought them back for short stories in The New Yorker. These stories were collected in Mr. and Mrs. North (1936). Lockridge increased the readership after he teamed with his wife Frances on a novel, The Norths Meet Murder (1940), launching a series of 40 novels, including Death takes a Bow, Death on the Aisle and The Dishonest Murderer. Their long-run series continued for over two decades and came to an end in 1963 with the death of Frances Lockridge. Albert Hackett and Peggy Conklin had the title roles in the Broadway production Mr. and Mrs. North, which ran 163 performances at the Belasco Theatre from January 12, 1941, to May 31, 1941. Alfred De Liagre, Jr. produced and directed the play written by Owen Davis. In this version, the North's apartment was located on Greenwich Place, realized in a scenic design by Jo Mielziner. The Owen Davis play became a 1942 MGM movie starring Gracie Allen and William Post, Jr. with Millard Mitchell repeating his role of Detective Mullins from the Broadway production. Others in the cast were Paul Kelly, Rose Hobart and Keye Luke. In 1946, producer-director Fred Coe brought the Owen Davis play to television (on New York City's WNBT) with John McQuade and Maxine Stewart in the leads and Don Haggerty, Joan Marlowe and Millard Mitchell repeating their Broadway roles. Barbara Britton and Richard Denning starred in the TV adaptation seen on CBS from 1952 to 1953 and on NBC in 1954. Guest appearances on this series included Raymond Burr, Hans Conried, Mara Corday, Carolyn Jones, Katy Jurado, Jimmy Lydon, Julia Meade, William Schallert and Gloria Talbott.

THIS EPISODE:

January 30, 1951. CBS network origination, AFRS rebroadcast. "Charles Wyatt Murder". Charles Wyatt is sentenced to five-to-ten years for fraud. His attorney, Gordon Ross, is involved and kills Wyatt, dumping his body and his car into the bay. The story title is subject to correction. Joseph Curtin, Alice Frost, Frances Lockridge (creator), Richard Lockridge (creator). 25:42.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - The Milton Berle Show "SaluteTo The Old West" (10-07-47)

SaluteTo The Old West (Aired October 7, 1947)


In 1934-36, Berle was heard regularly on The Rudy Vallee Hour, and he got much publicity as a regular on The Gillette Original Community Sing, a Sunday night comedy-variety program broadcast on CBS from September 6, 1936 to August 29, 1937. In 1939, he was the host of Stop Me If You've Heard This One with panelists spontaneously finishing jokes sent in by listeners. Three Ring Time, a comedy-variety show sponsored by Ballantine Ale was followed by a 1943 program sponsored by Campbell's Soups. The audience participation show Let Yourself Go (1944-45) could best be described as slapstick radio with studio audience members acting out long suppressed urges (often directed at host Berle). Kiss and Make Up, on CBS in 1946, featured the problems of contestants decided by a jury from the studio audience with Berle as the Judge. He also made guest appearances on many comedy-variety radio programs during the 1930s and 1940s. Scripted by Hal Block and Martin Ragaway, The Milton Berle Show brought Berle together with Arnold Stang, later a familiar face as Berle's TV sidekick. Others in the cast were Pert Kelton, Mary Schipp, Jack Albertson, Arthur Q. Bryan, Ed Begley, vocalist Dick Forney and announcer Frank Gallop. The Ray Bloch Orchestra provided the music for the series. Sponsored by Philip Morris, it aired on NBC from March 11, 1947, until April 13, 1948. His last radio series was The Texaco Star Theater, which began September 22, 1948 on ABC and continued until June 15, 1949, with Berle heading the cast of Stang, Kelton and Gallop, along with Charles Irving, Kay Armen and double-talk specialist Al Kelly. It employed top comedy writers (Nat Hiken, brothers Danny and Neil Simon, Aaron Ruben), and Berle later recalled this series as "the best radio show I ever did... a hell of a funny variety show." It served as a springboard for Berle's rise as television's first major star.

THIS EPISODE:

October 7, 1947. NBC network. Sponsored by: Philip Morris. "A Salute To The Old West". Milton tries to get in to see Darryl Zanuck. Frank Gallop (announcer), Milton Berle, Ray Bloch and His Orchestra. 1/2 hour.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - Exploring Tomorrow "The Liar" (02-26-58)

The Liar (Aired February 26, 1958)


Starting as a replacement show for Gangbusters and Counterspy, the series premiered December 11, 1957 and it ran until June 13, 1958. Quoting from Astounding Magazine, "Exploring Tomorrow is the first science fiction radio show of science-fictioneers, by science- fictioneers, and for science-fictioneers" The shows were narrated by the editor of Astounding Magazine, John W. Campbell, Jr., with scripts written by Gordon Dickson, Robert Silverberg and many other notable science fiction writers.

THIS EPISODE:

February 26, 1958. Mutual network. "The Liar". Commercials deleted. Meet Herbie, a telepathic robot who tells lies! Remember Asimov's laws of robotics! John Campbell Jr. (host), Isaac Asimov (author). 21:06.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - The Campbell Playhouse "Mutiny On The Bounty" (01-13-39)

Mutiny On The Bounty (Aired January 13, 1939)


The Mercury Theater was a theater company founded in New York City by Orson Welles and John Houseman. They had initial success in the theater, then went to radio, and one of the most notable radio broadcasts of all time, The War of the Worlds. Welles had already worked extensively in radio drama, playing the Shadow for a year, and directing a seven-part adaptation of Victor Hugo's Les Misérables. In 1938, he was offered a chance to direct his own weekly, hour-long radio series, initially called First Person Singular, then The Mercury Theater on the Air. Welles insisted his Mercury company--actors and crew--be involved in the radio series. This was an unprecedented and expensive request, especially for one so young as Welles. He won out, however, and went on to produce some of the finest radio drama of any era. The Mercury Theater on the Air was an hour-long dramatic radio program which began in the summer of 1938 on the CBS radio network. Most episodes dramatized many works of classic and contemporary literature. Houseman wrote the early scripts for the series himself, turning the job over to Howard Koch at the beginning of October. Music for the program was conducted by Bernard Herrmann.

THIS EPISODE:

January 13, 1939. CBS network. "Mutiny On The Bounty". Sponsored by: Campbell's Soup. The story of Captain Bligh and the men of "The Bounty" during a visit to Tahiti. Orson Welles reads an eloquent word portrait of ham radio operators. The intermission guest is Dorothy Hall, a ham radio operator who helped the residents of Pitcairn Island during an epidemic. Burgess Meredith, Carl Frank, Dorothy Hall, Edgar Barrier, Ernest Chappell (announcer), Frank Readick, Joseph Cotten, Memo Holt, Myron McCormick, Orson Welles (host), Ray Collins (narrator), Richard Wilson, William Alland. 59:49.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - The Adventures Of Philip Marlowe "The Old Acquaintance" (12-26-48)

The Old Acquaintance (Aired December 26, 1948)


NBC produced Philip Marlowe as a summer replacement series for the Bob Hope Show. It featured several adaptations of Chandler short stories, but was considered too talky and slow-moving. Erle Stanley Gardner, in a letter to Chandler, confided he found it all rather difficult to follow. But the CBS series, The Adventures Of Philip Marlowe, that followed the next year, really clicked. After a three episode trial run on The Pepsodent Program in September of 1947 with Van Hefflin in the title role, The Adventures Of Philip Marlowe premiered as a weekly series on September 26, 1948. It was well-produced, less introspective than the books or the previous series on NBC, but it had a secret weapon. Gerald Mohr excelled as Marlowe, and his snappy delivery, coupled with well-written stories and intriguing characters makes for entertaining listening. By 1949 the show was pulling the biggest audience on American radio, with a rating of 10.3 million listeners.In 1950, Radio and Television Life Magazine named Gerald Mohr as the Best Male Actor on radio. "And it had the best hard-boiled opening lines of any radio detectives series," according to faithful contributor and OTR fan Stewart Wright. "It has to be heard to be fully appreciated.

THIS EPISODE:

December 26, 1948. CBS network. "The Old Acquaintance". Sustaining. A good action story about an escaped convict and the two women in his life. Gerald Mohr, Gloria Blondell, Raymond Chandler (creator), Roy Rowan (announcer), Norman Macdonnell (producer, director), Mel Dinelli (writer), Robert Mitchell (writer), Gene Levitt (writer), Edgar Barrier, David Ellis, Lou Krugman, Stan Waxman, Jeff Corey, Richard Aurandt (special music). 29:08.

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Boxcars711 Overnight Western "Gunsmoke" - The Kentucky Tolmans (08-09-52)

Boxcars711 Overnight Western "Gunsmoke" - The Kentucky Tolmans (Aired August 9, 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:

August 9, 1952. CBS network. "The Kentucky Tolmans". Sustaining. The Tolmans from Kentucky include a good lookin' mountain gal, a drinking old father with a secret, and a son willing to kill to get at it. William Conrad, Parley Baer, Joseph Kearns, Junius Matthews, Harry Bartell, Lou Krugman, Peter Leeds, Virginia Gregg, George Walsh (announcer), Herb Purdum (writer), Norman Macdonnell (director), Rex Koury (composer, conductor). 30:07.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - I Cover The Waterfront "Brother's Keeper" (Parts 1 & 2 COMPLETE) 08-29-55

Brother's Keeper (Pts 1&2 COMPLETE) Aired August 29, 1955


I Cover The Waterfront. August 29, 1955. "Brother's Keeper". The characters are based on the book of the same name (by Max Miller) that was made into a film in 1933 (with Ben Lyon and Claudette Colbert). The adventures of a burned-out journalist in San Diego. The music heard during the program is based on the famous theme from the film. A Portuguese fisherman is suspected of murdering his unfaithful wife. A well-written and well-performed drama, the series might have been a hit 10 years earlier. The story is complete in these two episodes. Larry Thor, Tom Hanley (writer), Gil Doud (writer), Max Miller (author), William N. Robson (producer, director), Dan Cubberly (announcer).

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - The Shadow "Sabotage" (01-16-38)

Sabotage (Aired January 16, 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:

January 16, 1938. Mutual network. "Sabotage". Sponsored by: Blue Coal. A small tube of nitroglycerine helps the Shadow to break up a spy ring run by the strange Dr. Arnheim. Orson Welles, Agnes Moorehead. 28:10.

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Boxcars711 Overnight Western "Hopalong Cassidy" - The Shell Game (07-30-50)

Boxcars711 Overnight Western "Hopalong Cassidy" - The Shell Game (Aired July 30, 1950)


What red-blooded kid of the early 1950s didn't listen to Hopalong Cassidy on the radio. A western that was greater than The Roy Rogers Show or Gene Autry's Melody Ranch. Hoppy was a hero to one and all. He and his sidekick, California Carlson, roamed the Southwest in thrilling stories week after week. Almost every tale had a little mystery in it, and almost every story ended with Hoppy's boiserous laugh. Clarence Mulford, the author of the Hopalong Cassidy stores, created a hard- fisted, rough and tought cowboy. Nowhewre's near or liked the loveable Hoppy of the movies and radio series. He became a hero in black and on a white horse - a super hero of the West. He rescued damsels and cowboys in trouble, along with ranchers and bankers and railroad owners always against the bad guys - robbers, thieves, rustlers and the like. William Boyd was Hoppy and his sidekick was played by either Andy Clyde or Joe DuVal. Boyd who began his movie career in the days of silent films was a forgotten man until he was asked to portray Hopalong Cassidy in the movies of the 1940s. By 1946 or so he had been in over 60 Hoppy movies and was crowned the king of the cowboys. He became the hero of kids around the world and this lasted until another resurgence in the form of the Hoppy radio series. Once more he attained the fame and regards of kids and adults. During the radio years, TV versions of his early films began appearing on televison. His early movies were edited for televison of the day and once more Bill Boyd entertained his fans. There's more - with the success of these old movies, still another series of original TV films came. And once again Bill Boyd as Hoppy was an immediate success The radio series were a hard sell. And the owners could find no takers. When this series began it was offered to the various networks. They wanted nothing to do with it so the owners had to sell it in syndication. But, after a short time it became extremely successful that later on it was heard on the Mutual and CBS networks.

THIS EPISODE:

July 30, 1950. Program #31. Commodore syndication. "The Shell Game". Commercials added locally. Hoppy's adventure in New York City involves a gun toting Englishman out after two crates of Abalone Shells! Wonder why? Irwin Ashkenazie (writer), Joseph Du Val, Walter White Jr. (producer, transcriber), William Boyd (host). 29:17.

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Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - Theater Royal "Outcasts Of Poker Flats" (03-06-54)

Outcasts Of Poker Flats (Aired March 6, 1954)


This fine British anthology series, features plays based on the best of literature, films and English theater. Produced in two series, Sir Lawrence Olivier and Sir Ralph Richardson serve as hosts, narrators and many times portray the leading roles. The program apparently was developed as a vehicle to capitalize on Olivier’s name and talent. His career spanned over 50 years and continues into the 21st century, as in 2004, 15 years after his death, he was starring as Dr. Totenkopf in a Hollywood fantasy film titled, Sky Captain and The World of Tomorrow. This was accomplished by the producers who selected footage of Lord Olivier from various films and used to create a villainous leader of killer robots in the film. Jude Law, who stars in the film, said film-makers used Olivier because few other actors possessed his authority. Sir Ralph Richardson from 1954 – 1955 played the character of Dr. John Watson in another Harry Alan Towers radio series of Sherlock Holmes stories, which starred Sir John Gielgud as the famous consulting detective. Many fine actors of the British stage and screen were involved in individual episodes of the Theater Royal series, such as Sir John Gielgud, Robert Morley, Harry Andrews, Muriel Forbes, Robert Donat, and Daphne Maddox. The music was credited to the renown British organist and arranger, Sidney Torch. However much of the same music was also used in other Harry Alan Towers productions on which Torch also worked, such as The Secrets of Scotland Yard, The Black Museum, and The Many Lives of Harry Lime. So how much of it was actually written for this series will probably never be known. Harry Alan Towers produced and directed the show for his Towers of London company for international syndication, at the time in Europe, South Africa and Australia. The episodes included in this distribution are from the initial US run on NBC. However selected episodes were repeated, with a different series opening and close on the ABC Mystery Time series during the late 1950s. The show Theater Royal remained in active syndication in the United States well up into the 1970s. This series consisted of new radio adaptations of famous, and not so famous stories by some of the best authors in the United States and England. It is the inclusion of some of those little known masterpieces by many familiar authors that gives the series a variety element usually missing in this type of anthology series.

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