Dimension X - "Nightmare" (06-10-51)

Nightmare (Aired June 10, 1951)

Dimension X was a very effective demonstration of what could be done with science fiction on the air. It came so late that nobody cared, but some of the stories stand as classics of the medium. Bradbury's "Mars Is Heaven" is as gripping today as when first heard. His "Martian Chronicles" was one of the series' most impressive offerings. Dimension X played heavily on an "adventures in time and space, told in future tense" theme. Actors who worked regularly on the show included Joe Di Santis, Wendell Holmes, Santos Ortega, Joseph Julian, Jan Miner, Roger De Koven, John Gibson, Ralph Bell, John Larkin, Les Damon, and Mason Adams. It was directed by Fred Weihe and Edward King. The deep-voiced narrator was Norman Rose. Show Notes From The Old Time Radio Researcher's Group.

THIS EPISODE:
 
June 10, 1951. NBC network. "Nightmare". Sustaining. Based on the poem "Revolt Of The Machines," by Stephen Vincent Benet. The script was subsequently used on "X Minus One" on July 21, 1955. The "X Minus One" program was rebroadcast as part of "Monitor" during December, 1974. Joseph Julian, Bob Warren (announcer), Don Pardo (announcer), Edwin Jerome, Joe DeSantis, Gregory Morton, John McGovern, William Welch (producer), Albert Buhrman (music), Bill Chambers (engineer), Edward King (director), John Gibson, Norman Rose (host), Rita Lynn, Stephen Vincent Benet (author), George Lefferts (adaptor). 24:50. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

The Adventures Of Ozzie & Harriet - "Exaggeration Troubles" (09-30-45)

Exaggeration Troubles (09-30-45) (Aired September 30, 1945)

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.

The Philip Morris Playhouse - "Murder Needs An Artist" (Starring Vincent Price) 05-06-49

Murder Needs An Artist (Starring Vincent Price) Aired May 6, 1950)

Philip Morris invested heavily in radio advertising throughout the 1930s and ‘40s, often having two weekly programs on competing networks. The first, a variety show that ran for twelve seasons (1934-47) and combined musical and dramatic elements, was called Johnny Presents, essentially giving Roventini "top billing" above all the big name guests that appeared on the broadcasts. The cigarette company also sponsored Philip Morris Playhouse, a dramatic anthology series that lasted 14 seasons (1939-53), finally switching to television. Throughout it all, Johnny was a walking public relations campaign, reminding people of the product wherever he appeared. In exchange for $20,000 a year, Johnny promised never to appear in public without a bodyguard, and never to ride the New York subway during rush hour. When his salary rose to $50,000, PM insured his voice for the same amount. "Johnny" ads were prominent on billboards and in magazines. Show Notes From The Digital Deli.

THIS EPISODE:

May 6, 1950. CBS network. "Murder Needs An Artist". Sponsored by: Philip Morris, Revelation Pipe Tobacco. 10:00 P.M. A writer discovers a famous artist with amnesia, living in a Bowery flophouse. He gets the artist to start painting again and protects his investment with murder. Vincent Price, William Conrad, William Spier (editor, director), Art Ballinger (announcer), John Holbrook (announcer), Lud Gluskin (music director), Alec Chorney (writer), John Hobish. 26:37. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

Boxcars711 Overnight Western "Gunsmoke" - The Cabin (12-27-52)

Boxcars711 Overnight Western "Gunsmoke" - The Cabin (Aired December 27, 1952)

 Gunsmoke is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman MacDonnell and writer John Meston. The stories take place in and around Dodge City, Kansas, during the settlement of the American West. The radio version ran from 1952 to 1961, and  John Dunning writes that among radio drama enthusiasts "Gunsmoke is routinely placed among the best shows of any kind and any time." The television version ran for 20 seasons from 1955 to 1975, and still remains the United States' longest-running prime time, live-action drama with 635 episodes.

THIS EPISODE:

December 27, 1952. CBS network. "The Cabin". Sustaining. Entering a cabin during a blizzard, Matt is imprisoned by "Hack" and "Alvie," two mad-dog killers who plan to murder him in cold blood! The script was used on the Gunsmoke television series February 22, 1958. Harry Bartell, John Dehner, John Meston (writer), Norman Macdonnell (producer, director), Rex Koury (composer, performer), Roy Rowan (announcer), Vivi Janis, William Conrad. 30:40. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

My Favorite Husband - "Baseball" (09-16-49)

 Baseball (Aired September 16, 1949)

The cheerful couple lived at 321 Bundy Drive in the fictitious city of Sheridan Falls and were billed as "two people who live together and like it." The main sponsor was General Foods' Jell-O, and an average of three "plugs" for Jell-O were made in each episode, including Lucille Ball's usual sign-on, "Jell-O, everybody!"  The program, which aired 124 episodes from July 23, 1948 through March 31, 1951, initially portrayed the couple as being a well-to-do banker and his socially prominent wife, but three new writers — Bob Carroll, Jr., Madelyn Pugh and Jess Oppenheimer — took over the writing, changed the couple's name to Cooper and remade them into a middle-class couple, which they thought average listeners would find more accessible. Lucille Ball was asked to do a television version of the show (with Jell-O remaining as sponsor), and CBS insisted on Richard Denning continuing as her co-star. However, Ball refused to do a husband-and-wife TV show without real-life husband Desi Arnaz playing her on-screen husband. Show Notes From The Old Time Radio Researcher's Group and The Digital Deli.

THIS EPISODE:

September 16, 1949. " Baseball" - CBS network. Sponsored by: Jell-O. Liz and Iris are determined to learn how to play baseball. The date is subject to correction. Gale Gordon, Hans Conried, Lucille Ball, Richard Denning, Isabel Scott Rorick (creator), Bob Lemond (announcer), Jess Oppenheimer (producer, director, writer), Madelyn Pugh (writer), Bob Carroll Jr. (writer), Marlin Skyles (composer), Wilbur Hatch (conductor), Ruth Perrott. 34:24. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

The Lineup - "Murder In A Card Game" (12-24-52)

INTRO: BOB Plays
Barry Manilow "Looks Like We Made It" (1974)

 Murder In A Card Game (Aired December 24, 2952)

 

 

The Line-Up stands as one of the most well-produced crime dramas of The Golden Age of Radio. The cast is comprised of top-tier, A-List talent from top to bottom. With Elliott Lewis directing his cast of some of the finest voice talent of the era--and top-drawer sound technicians to match--this series remains one of the best examples of the Crime Drama genre. Think of Calling All Cars, minus the jingoistic flag-waving, updated to contemporary 1950s crime themes, and peppered with the more authentic radio-verité atmospherics of Unit 99, Night Watch, and Dragnet, and you have The Line-Up. It's also been one of the most difficult series to collect over the years. The good news is that with new episodes surfacing each year, there's every possibility that we'll soon have a complete run of the series to enjoy in its entirety. Bill Johnstone gives his usual solid performance as Lieutenant Ben Guthrie of the San Francisco Police Department. He's aided for the first year of the run by the equally solid Wally Maher, with his gritty, sardonic voice characterizations. Show Notes From The Digital Deli.

 

Father Knows Best - "The Golf Challenge" (05-11-50)

The Golf Challenge (Aired May 11, 1950)

Father Knows Best, a family comedy of the 1950s, is perhaps more important for what it has come to represent than for what it actually was. In essence, the series was one of a slew of middle-class family sitcoms in which moms were moms, kids were kids, and fathers knew best. Today, many critics view it, at best, as high camp fun, and, at worst, as part of what critic David Marc once labeled the "Aryan melodramas" of the 1950s and 1960s. The brainchild of series star Robert Young, who played insurance salesman Jim Anderson, and producer Eugene B. Rodney, Father Knows Best first debuted as a radio sitcom in 1949.The series began August 25, 1949, on NBC Radio. Set in the Midwest, it starred Robert Young as General Insurance agent Jim Anderson.

THIS EPISODE:

May 11, 1950. "The Golf Challenge"- (WIBA) Radio. Jim and Ed Davis are paired in golf tournament. Robert Young, Jean Vander Pyl, Ted Donaldson, Ed James (creator), Bill Forman (announcer), Paul West (writer), Roz Rogers (writer), Jerry Marshall (commercial spokesman), Rhoda Williams, Marylee Robb, Helen Strohm. 33:27. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

Big Town - "The Case Of The Lost and Found" (Aired December 7, 1948)

The Case Of The Lost and Found (Aired December 7, 1948)

The stories were well written and directed by William N. Robson as well as McGill. The skill of this group shows in making the series very good radio. The show was a big promoter of the free press and the first amendment with its opening sequence: "Freedom of the press is a flaming sword! Use it justly...hold it high...guard it well!" The second series began immediately in the 1943 season when the production moved from Hollywood to New York. Robinson left (Trevor left two years earlier as her career starting taking off) and McGill reorganized the series placing Edward Pawley in the role of Wilson opposite Fran Carlon as Lorelei. Pawley's Wilson was more mellifluous compared to the rather nasty Robinson. The series' success continued on radio until 1952 leaving only the television version (which began in 1950). (Thanks to Robert G. Corder, author of a new biography of Edward Pawley.)

THIS EPISODE:

December 7, 1948. NBC network. "The Case Of The Lost and Found". Sponsored by: Lifebuoy Soap, Rinso. Dick Rutter, the star reporter of a competing paper, disappears. Steve Wilson of the Illustrated Press suspects a connection to the "Lucky Louie" murder. The program has also been dated December 1, 1948. Edward Pawley, Fran Carlon, Jerry McGill (writer, producer), Hugh James (announcer). 30:33. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

The Academy Award Theater - "Young Mr. Lincoln" (Starring Henry Fonda) 07-10-46

Young Mr. Lincoln  (Starring Henry Fonda) Aired July 10, 1946

The list of films and actors on Academy Award Theater is very impressive. Bette Davis begins the series in Jezebel, with Ginger Rogers following in Kitty Foyle, and then Paul Muni in The Life of Louis Pasteur. The Informer had to have Victor Mclaglen, and the Maltese Falcon, Humphrey Bogart, Sidney Greenstreet (this movie was his first major motion picutre role) plus Mary Astor for the hat trick. Suspicion starred Cary Grant with Ann Todd doing the Joan Fontaine role, Ronald Coleman in Lost Horizon, and Joan Fontaine and John Lund were in Portrait of Jenny. How Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Pinocchio were done is something to hear! Some films are less well known, such as Guest in the House, with Kirk Douglas and Anita Louise. Each adaptation is finely produced and directed by Dee Engelbach, with music composed and conducted by Leith Stevens. Frank Wilson wrote the movie adaptations.

THIS EPISODE:

July 10, 1946. CBS network. "Young Mr. Lincoln". Sponsored by: Squibb. Two brothers are accused of murder, but which one did the deed? A new attorney, Mr. Lincoln, handles the case. Henry Fonda, Ward Bond, Jeff Chandler, Frank Wilson (writer), Leith Stevens (composer, conductor), Dee Englebach (producer, director), Hugh Brundage (announcer). 29:38. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

The Adventures Of Philip Marlowe - "The Fatted Calf" (09-24-49)

"The Fatted Calf" (Aired September 24, 1949)

The first portrayal of Philip Marlowe on the radio was by Dick Powell, when he played Raymond Chandler's detective on the Lux Radio Theater on June 11, 1945. This was a radio adaptation of the 1944 movie, from RKO, in which Mr. Powell played the lead. Two years later, Van Heflin starred as Marlowe in a summer replacement series for the Bob Hope Show on NBC. This series ran for 13 shows. On September 26, 1948, Gerald Mohr became the third radio Marlowe, this time on CBS.  It remained a CBS show through its last show in 1951.

THIS EPISODE:

September 24, 1949. CBS network. "The Fatted Calf". Sustaining. A cartoonist is murdered, and that's no laughing matter! David Ellis, Gene Levitt (writer), Gerald Mohr, Howard McNear, Mel Dinelli (writer), Norman Macdonnell (producer, director), Paul Masterson (announcer), Raymond Chandler (creator), Richard Aurandt (music), Robert Mitchell (writer), Vivi Janis. 29:41. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

Our Miss Brooks - "The Teacher's Convention" (11-12-50)

The Teacher's Convention (Aired November 12, 1950)

CBS chairman Bill Paley, who was friendly with Arden, persuaded her to audition for the part. With a slightly rewritten audition script---Osgood Conklin, for example, was originally written as a school board president but was now written as the incoming new Madison principal---Arden agreed to give the newly-revamped show a try. Produced by Larry Berns and written by director Al Lewis, Our Miss Brooks premiered on CBS July 19, 1948. According to radio critic John Crosby, her lines were very "feline" in dialogue scenes with principal Conklin and would-be boyfriend Boynton, with sharp, witty comebacks. The interplay between the cast---blustery Conklin, nebbishy Denton, accommodating Harriet, absentminded Mrs. Davis, clueless Boynton, scheming Miss Enright---also received positive reviews.

THIS EPISODE:

 November 12, 1950. CBS network. "The Teacher's Convention". Sponsored by: Colgate Toothpaste, Lustre-Creme Shampoo, Palmolive Soap. Miss Brooks is going to the teacher's covention with Mr. Boynton...or is she? The script was possibly reused on the program of August 21, 1955. Eve Arden, Larry Berns (producer), Al Lewis (writer), Verne Smith (commewrcial spokesman), Bob Lemond (announcer), Wilbur Hatch (music), Jane Morgan, Richard Crenna, Gloria McMillan, Jeff Chandler, Gale Gordon, Mary Jane Croft. 29:23. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

The Shadow - "Death Stalks The Shadow" (10-09-38)

Death Stalks The Shadow (Aired October 9, 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:

October 9, 1938. Mutual network. "Death Stalks The Shadow". Sponsored by: Blue Coal. An electric eye traps the Shadow in a death cell. The program has a good electrocution scene. William Johnstone, Agnes Moorehead, Ken Roberts (announcer). 26:52. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

Straight Arrow - "The Big Pow Wow" (06-21-50)

Straight Arrow - "The Big Pow Wow" (06-21-50)

Straight Arrow was the story of Steve Adams, a young man of Commanche decent who was taken in by a ranching family and raised as a white man. In early adulthood, Steve was told an indian legend about a fabulous warrior who would someday appear to save his people. He himself was to fulfill that destiny, riding out of his secret cave astride a magnificent golden horse.


May 16, 1948 to June 21, 1951. Initially west coast Don Lee Network. 30 minutes, Thursdays at 8:00PM, Pacific Time. Mutual Network, coast to cost from February 7, 1949. 30 minutes, Mondays at 8:00PM until January 30, 1950.Often augmented by early evening broadcasts, Tuesdays and Thursdays at 5, this becoming it's standard time in 1950-51.Nabisco was the sponsor throughout the series. STARS: Howard Culver as Steve Adams/Straight Arrow, Fred Howard DIRECTOR: Ted Robertson WRITER: Sheldon Stark SOUND EFFECTS: Tom Hanley, Ray Kemper. The announcer and narrator was Frank Bingman. Steve Adams was a rancher, who in times of trouble, became the commanche warrior Straight Arrow. Fred Howard as his sidekick, grizzled ranch hand Packy McCloud. Gwen Delano as Mesquite Molly.

Mr. Keen Tracer Of Lost Persons - The Case Of The Frightened Child (11-16-44)

The Case Of The Frightened Child (Aired November 16, 1944)

Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons first debuted over the Blue Network on October 12, 1937, the show’s title accurately described Keen’s stock-in-trade; the “kindly old investigator” tracked down individuals who had mysteriously vanished, leaving behind their families, homes, jobs and other day-to-day activities. Keen (he never had a first name, unless it was “Peachy”) was assisted in these duties by an Irishman named Mike Clancy. Mike wasn’t much of a brainiac (the quote that comprises the title of this post was a semi-catchphrase that he seemed to use on the show every week) but he could use the necessary brawn when the situation called for it. Bennett Kilpack played kindly ol' Keen throughout most of the program’s run, as well as Philip Clarke and Arthur Hughes, while Jim Kelly took the role of Clancy. The series originally aired as a thrice-weekly fifteen-minute serial from 1937-43 (the show moved to CBS in 1942), providing more than ample time for Keen to solve even the most baffling of disappearances. Show Notes From The Old Time Radio Researcher's Group.

THIS EPISODE:

November 16, 1944. CBS network. "The Case Of The Frightened Child". Sponsored by: Anacin, Kolynos Toothpaste, Hill's Cold Tablets, Aerowax. A five year old boy has been left to die in a dark, abandoned warehouse. Bennett Kilpack, Larry Elliott (announcer), Frank Hummert (writer, producer), Anne Hummert (writer, producer). 29:37. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

The Great Gildersleeve - Gildy Turns Off The Water (09-18-46)

Gildy Turns Off The Water (Aired September 18, 1946)

The Great Gildersleeve (1941-1957) was the arguable founding father of the spin-off program, as well as one of the first true situation comedies (as opposed to sketch programs) in broadcast history. Hooked around a character who had been a staple on the classic radio hit Fibber McGee and Molly, The Great Gildersleeve enjoyed its greatest period in the 1940s, when Harold Peary graduated the character from the earlier show into the sitcom and in a quartet of likeable feature films at the height of the show's popularity.

THIS EPISODE:

September 18, 1946. "Gildy Turns Off The Water" - NBC network. Sponsored by: Kraft Parkay, Pabst-Ett. Gildersleeve decides to turn off the water of the residents who haven't paid their water bill. Bill Kelsey (writer), Earle Ross, Frank Moore (writer), Harold Peary, Jack Meakin (music), John Laing (announcer), Lillian Randolph, Louise Erickson, Richard LeGrand, Shirley Mitchell (?), Walter Tetley. 29:50. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

The Creaking Door - "The Haunted Hangman" (1950)

The Haunted Hangman (1950) *The Exact Date Is Unknown.

The Creaking Door  was South African Radio's attempt to create a compelling program of highly suspenseful, dramatic thrillers with a supernatural bent for their sponsor, State Express Cigarettes. Some commentators insist it was conceived as a spin-off of the already successful Inner Sanctum  episodes that had been syndicated for broadcast in Australia and South Africa during the 1950s. Given the format, one can see the inference, but in fact The Creaking Door stands on its own as a unique, well-produced, engaging supernatural thriller series on its own merit. When legendary producer and director, Himan Brown first presented Inner Sanctum as one of three requested sponsorship candidates to Carter Products, he presented Inner Sanctum as The Creaking Door. Carter didn't care for the name, so on the spur of the moment Hi Brown suggested Inner Sanctum as an alternative, and voila, Radio history was made. Show Notes From The Digital Deli.

Duffy's Tavern - "Archie Takes Up Reading" (05-03-46)

Archie Takes Up Reading (Aired May 3, 1946)

When the AFRN rebroadcast those episodes for U.S. servicemen during World War II, the announcer referred to Duffy's Tavern. Radio's Duffy's Tavern didn't translate well to film or television. Burrows and Matt Brooks collaborated on the screenplay for the 1945 film, Ed Gardner's Duffy's Tavern, in which Archie (with regulars Eddie and Finnegan) was surrounded by a throng of Paramount Pictures stars playing themselves, including Robert Benchley, William Bendix, Eddie Bracken, Bing Crosby, Cass Daley, Brian Donlevy, Paulette Goddard, Betty Hutton, Alan Ladd, Veronica Lake and Dorothy Lamour. The film's plot involves a war-displaced record manufacturer whose staff — those not sent off to war — drown their sorrows at Duffy's on credit, while the company owner tries to find ways around the price controls and war attrition that threaten to put him out of business.

THIS EPISODE:
 
May 3, 1946. "Archie Takes Up Reading"- NBC network. Sponsored by: Ipana, Vitalis. A moving and different kind of "Duffy's Tavern" program. In between Archie's jokes are serious dramas about starvation in India, Italy and Greece. Good radio! Ed Gardner, Eddie Green, Charlie Cantor, Sandra Gould. 30:00. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.
 

The Mysterious Traveler - "The Last Survivor" (10-11-45)

The Last Survivor (Aired October 11, 1945)

Between 1944 and 1952, The Mysterious Traveler eventually became one of the sixteen highest rated Radio programs of their era. WOR and MBS took great pride in putting together a program that could rival Radio giants CBS, ABC, and NBC throughout the era. During its heyday The Mysterious Traveler spawned several similar thriller genre programs such as The Strange Dr. Wierd (1945), The Sealed Book (1945), Dark Venture (1946), Murder By Experts (1949), and The Teller of Tales (1950). The thriller genre was not new to Radio in the 1940s. The Witch's Tale had aired from 1931 to 1938 over The Mutual Broadcasting System and WOR. CBS had tried--and failed at--their own The Witching Hour for three months in 1932. Oklahoma Radio station WKY had successfully aired their own Dark Fantasy (1941) anthology of thrillers, which was immediately picked up by NBC for a national run. But clearly, The Mutual system and WOR appear to have acquired the inside track for the thriller genre for almost two decades.

THIS EPISODE:
 
October 11, 1945. Mutual-Don Lee network. "The Last Survivor". Sustaining. The spacemen in the first ship returning from Mars witness the destruction of the entire Earth. Maurice Tarplin (as "The Traveler"), Ralph Bell, Robert Dryden, Robert A. Arthur (writer, producer, director), David Kogan (writer, producer, director). 28:41. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

The Life Of Riley - Riley Installs A Time Clock (03-16-51)

Riley Installs A Time Clock (Aired March 16, 1951)

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"). Show Notes From The Old Time Radio Researcher's Group and The Digital Deli.

THIS EPISODE:

March 16, 1951. NBC network. Sponsored by: Pabst Beer. "Riley Installs A Time Clock" in the house to keep tabs on Peg and the kids. This is a network, sponsored version. William Bendix, John Brown, Harry Von Zell (announcer), Irving Brecher (producer). 29:05. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

Gangbusters - "The Case Of The Unknown Killer" (06-09-44)

Case Of The Unknown Killer (Aired June 9, 1944)

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.

THIS EPISODE:
 
June 9, 1944. Program #369. Blue Network. "The Case Of The Unknown Killers". Sponsored by: Sloan's Liniment, Nonspi deodorant. The story of "The Broadway and Coney Island Murders." A cop is killed in Coney Island during a holdup. This leads to an exciting shoot-out in a hotel. "Gangbusters Nationwide Clues" follow the story. Fred William Poole: murderer, upper and lower front teeth missing, walks with head down, has two machine guns. Ralph Williams: escaped convict, scar left side forehead, "L.O.V.E." tattoed on four fingers, "1935 O'Donnell" tattoed on forearm. Narrated by "Colonel Schwarzkopf" (by proxy). Arnold Stang, playing a bellhop, does a Sloan's Liniment commercial integrated into the plot. Charles Stark (announcer), Arnold Stang, Phillips H. Lord (producer). 29:32. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

Calling All Cars - "Corpse In The Cellar" (04-30-35)

Corpse In The Cellar (Aired April 30, 1935)

 

 

Calling All Cars was one of the earliest police shows on the air. It ran from Nov. 29, 1933-Sept. 8, 1939. It’s sponsor was the Rio Grande Oil Company, which is why the show only ran in areas where Rio Grande "cracked" gasoline was sold. The sponsor promoted its "close ties" with police departments in Arizona and Southern California, urging listeners to buy its product for "police car performance" in their own cars. As shows of this nature do it dealt with tracking killers and robbers with a recap of the justice which was enforced. The writer and director was William N. Robson. Calling All Cars episodes were dramatized true crime stories that were not only introduced by officers of the Los Angeles Police Department but were true life crime stories of the LAPD.

THIS EPISODE:
 
April 30, 1935. Program #75. CBS Pacific network (Don Lee network). "The Corpse In The Cellar" Sponsored by: Rio Grande Oil. A body has been found buried in the basement of a house, wearing a gold ring and wearing a silver belt buckle. Jesse Rosenquist (dispatch), William N. Robson (writer, director), Charles Frederick Lindsley (narrator). 32:39. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

Dangerous Assignment - "Missing Japanese Weapons" (02-06-50)

Missing Japanese Weapons (Aired February 6, 1950)

Irish-American actor Brian Donlevy, who had mostly worked in movies, agreed to star in a radio series called "Dangerous Assignment" on the NBC Radio network; Donlevy played Steve Mitchell -- "international troubleshooter" for an un-named US government intelligence agency; whose boss "The Commissioner" -- dispatched him to world trouble spots; Naturally all problems got fixed in record time, all in accordance with US interests; the NBC radio series was a big enough success to last three seasons (from 1949 - 1953); perhaps the success was due in part to the mystique of the foreign situations which radio listeners could create in their imaginations; During its last year on radio, Donlevy formed a production company to convert the idea to television; But no TV network was interested, so he produced 39 episodes and sold them to individual stations nationwide in First-run Syndication. Show Notes From The Old Time Radio Researcher's Group and The Digital Deli.

THIS EPISODE:

February 6, 1950. NBC network. Sustaining. The first show of the season. Steve Mitchell flies to Panama to recover "Missing Japanese Weapons" and solve the murder of his friend, Bill Thorne. Brian Donlevy, Robert Ryf (writer), Bill Cairn (director), Bruce Ashley (music). 29:16. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.
 

The Casebook Of Gregory Hood - "Three Silver Pesos" (06-03-46)

Three Silver Pesos (Aired June 3, 1946)

The Casebook of Gregory Hood, starring Gale Gordon in the title role, took over where Sherlock Holmes had left off. Sponsored by Petri wine, it used the same "weekly visit" format and the same team of Anthony Boucher and Dennis Green that had written The New Adventured of Sherlock Holmes. Gregory Hood was modelled after true-life San Francisco importer Richard Gump, and many of the stories revolve around a mystery surrounding some particular imported treasure. Hood's sidekick Sanderson "Sandy" Taylor was played by Bill Johnstone. The show aired from June, 1946 through August, 1950. There were an additional couple of shows aired in October 1951. Hood and Sanderson were played in later episodes by Elliott Lewis and Howard McNear, respectively.

THIS EPISODE:

June 3, 1946. Mutual network. "The Three Silver Pesos". Sponsored by: Petri Wine. The first show of the series, a nearly identical format to the Sherlock Holmes broadcasts on Mutual. This is the start of a summer replacement series for Sherlock Holmes. Gregory Hood continued on Mutual for the next three years when the Sherlock Holmes broadcasts switched to ABC. Harrison Tavers dies on the Golden Gate Bridge with a vial of cyanide in his pocket, a heart attack and a fatal stab wound! When Hood picks up a beautiful hitch-hiker, he loses his car and his corpse! The story features an interesting plot with lots of dead bodies...including one dead man who kills his killer! Gale Gordon, Dean Fosler (composer, conductor), William Johnstone, Denis Green (writer), Anthony Boucher (writer), Harry Bartell (announcer). 28:50. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

Rocky Fortune (Starring Frank Sinatra) - "A Hepcat Kills The Canary" (11-17-53)

INTRO Bob Plays "Rags To Riches" - Tony Bennett (1953)
A Hepcat Kills The Canary (Aired November 17, 1953)

In the days prior to From Here To Eternity, Frank Sinatra's popularity was waning and this private eye show was an attempt to remedy that. In it, Frank played Rocky Fortune, a "footloose and fancy-free young man," frequently unemployed, who took numerous, adventurous odd jobs. It was a relatively undistinguished series; definitely a "B grade" radio series, saved by Sinatra's charm and a tongue-in-cheek approach. Rocky Fortune appeared on NBC for only a short run of 25 or 26 shows. The lead character, who goes by the name of Rocky Fortune but whose real name is Rocko Fortunato, was played by Frank Sinatra. Rocky, always ready with a wise remark, seems to be a magnet for trouble, most often with the variety of odd jobs he takes. There is frequently a beautiful woman involved, some good girls, some bad. Rocky's a tough guy who stays just inside of the law but we get an occasional glimpse of a soft heart beneath the hard exterior. It's a character that Mr. Sinatra plays nicely. Employed or not, Rocky possesed a variety of skills. During the course of the series, he worked as a process server, museum tour guide, cabbie, bodyguard, chauffeur, truck driver, social director for a Catskills resort and a carny. Show Notes From The Digital Deli.

THIS EPISODE:

November 17, 1953. "A Hepcat Kills The Canary" - NBC network. Sustaining. Frank Sinatra, George Lefferts (writer), Andrew C. Love (director), Jack Kruschen, Jean Tatum, Tom Holland, Frank Gerstle, Barney Phillips, Edward King (announcer). 24:50. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.
 

The Jack Benny Lucky Strike Program - "Jack's Friend Stub Wilbur Visits" (05-15-55)

Jack's Friend Stub Wilbur Visits (Aired May 15, 1955)

Arriving at NBC on March 17, Benny did The Chevrolet Program until April 1, 1934. He continued with sponsor General Tire through the end of the season. In October, 1934, General Foods, the makers of Jell-O and Grape-Nuts, became the sponsor most identified with Jack, for the next ten years. American Tobacco's Lucky Strike was his longest-lasting radio sponsor, from October, 1944, through the end of his original radio series. The show returned to CBS on January 2, 1949, as part of CBS president William S. Paley's notorious "raid" of NBC talent in 1948–49. There it stayed for the remainder of its radio run, which ended on May 22, 1955.

THIS EPISODE:
 
May 15, 1955. Program #425. "Jack's Friend Stub Wilbur Visits" - CBS network origination, AFRTS rebroadcast. Jack paints his house, then goes to the railroad station to meet his old pal Stub Wilbur. AFRS program name: "The Jack Benny Program." The program was recorded February 16, 1955. Jack Benny, Eddie Anderson, Don Wilson, Mel Blanc, Dennis Day, Sheldon Leonard, Artie Auerbach, Frank Nelson, Mary Livingstone, Charlie Bagby, Colin Campbell, Orchid Oliver, Harry Shearer, Hilliard Marks (producer), Mahlon Merrick (music director). 29:16. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

Philo Vance - "The Vanilla Murder Case" (12-21-48)

The Vanilla Murder Case (Aired December 21, 1948)

Philo Vance was the detective creation of S. S. Van Dine first published in the mid 1920s. Vance, in the original books, is an intellectual so highly refined he seems he might be ghostwritten by P. G. Wodehouse. Take this quote from The Benson Murder Case, 1924, as Vance pontificates in his inimitable way: "That's your fundamental error, don't y' know. Every crime is witnessed by outsiders, just as is every work of art. The fact that no one sees the criminal, or the artist, actu'lly at work, is wholly incons'quential." Thankfully, the radio series uses only the name, and makes Philo a pretty normal, though very intelligent and extremely courteous gumshoe. Jose Ferrer played him in 1945. From 1948-1950, the fine radio actor Jackson Beck makes Vance as good as he gets. George Petrie plays Vance's constantly impressed public servant, District Attorney Markham. Joan Alexander is Ellen Deering, Vance's secretary and right-hand woman.

THIS EPISODE:

December 21, 1948. Program #24. ZIV Syndication. "The Vanilla Murder Case". Commercials added locally. A soda jerk is killed with a syrup pump! Vance decides that this is the last straw, and solves the case! Jackson Beck. 28:11. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

Nick Carter Master Detective - "Corpse In The Cab (02-05-44)

Corpse In The Cab (Aired February 5, 1944)

Nick Carter, Master Detective, with Lon Clark in the title role, began April 11, 1943, on Mutual, continuing in many different timeslots for well over a decade. Jock MacGregor was the producer-director of scripts by Alfred Bester, Milton J. Kramer, David Kogan and others. Background music was supplied by organists Hank Sylvern, Lew White and George Wright. Patsy Bowen, Nick's assistant, was portrayed by Helen Choate until mid-1946 and then Charlotte Manson stepped into the role. Nick and Patsy's friend was reporter Scubby Wilson (John Kane). Nick's contact at the police department was Sgt. Mathison (Ed Latimer). The supporting cast included Raymond Edward Johnson, Bill Johnstone and Bryna Raeburn. Michael Fitzmaurice was the program's announcer. The series ended on September 25, 1955.

THIS EPISODE:

February 5, 1944. Mutual network. "The Corpse In The Cab". Sustaining. "Nick Carter and The Mystery Of The Murder In The Park." The announcer misreads his lines during the program opening. Lon Clark, Helen Choate, John Kane, Humphrey Davis, Jock MacGregor (director), Lew White (orgainist), John Gibson, Bart Conrey (writer). 27:10. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

The Mel Blanc Show - "The Art Critic" (03-11-47)

The Art Critic (Aired March 11, 1947)

In 1936, Mel Blanc joined Leon Schlesinger Productions, which made animated cartoons distributed by Warner Bros. Blanc liked to tell the story about how he got turned down at the Schlesinger studio by music director Norman Spencer, who was in charge of cartoon voices, saying that they had all the voices they needed. Then Spencer died, and sound man Treg Brown took charge of cartoon voices, while Carl Stalling took over as music director. Brown introduced Blanc to animation directors Tex Avery, Bob Clampett, Friz Freleng, and Frank Tashlin, who loved his voices. The first cartoon Blanc worked on was Picador Porky as the voice of a drunken bull. He took over as Porky Pig's voice in Porky's Duck Hunt, which marked the debut of Daffy Duck, also voiced by Blanc. Blanc soon became noted for voicing a wide variety of cartoon characters

THIS EPISODE:

May 13, 1947. CBS network. "The Art Critic". Sponsored by: Colgate Toothpowder, Halo Shampoo. Mr. Colby is going to be interviewed. It's up to Mel to convince the reporter of his college credentials. Mel Blanc, Mac Benoff (writer), Mary Jane Croft, Joseph Kearns, Hans Conried, Earle Ross, Fran Heflin, Victor Miller and His Orchestra, Bud Hiestand (announcer). 23:28. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

Barry Craig Confidential Investigator - "Death & The Purple Cow" (12-12-51)

 Death & The Purple Cow (Aired December 12, 1951)

Gargan learned a lot about the gambling world and met a lot of interesting characters from across the spectrum of society. The main reason why Gargan was so convincing as a detective was that he was probably the only actor of his time who had actually been a private detective. He first worked as a credit investigator and collection agent for a clothing firm. Once Gargan was shot at when he attempted to get a deadbeat customer to pay his overdue account. Next, he worked for about a year as a private detective with a New York agency for "$10.00 a day and expenses." Gargan did many of the usual detective jobs: guarding payrolls, tailing possible suspects, conducting stakeouts, and protecting clients with valuables. He was fired when he lost track of a diamond salesman he was supposed to be protecting. As an actor, William Gargan had played Ellery Queen in three movies, before being cast as Kane.

THIS EPISODE:

December 12, 1951. NBC network. "Death and The Purple Cow". Sustaining. A man with a gun orders Barrie Craig not to accept a new client. The gunman is himself shot after Barrie throws a cup of coffee in his face. William Gargan, Himan Brown (director), Don Pardo (announcer), John Gibson, Louis Vittes (writer). 28:53. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

The 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. 29:49.
Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

Tom Corbett Space Cadet - Revolt On Prison Rock (05-29-52) Part One of Two

Tom Corbett Space Cadet - Revolt On Prison Rock (05-29-52) Part One of Two

Mars was a desert, Venus a jungle, and the asteroids a haunt of space pirates, but at least planets circled suns and there was no air in space. Contrast this with Twilight Zone, years later, where people could live on asteroids wearing ordinary clothes, or Lost in Space, years after that, where a spaceship could be passing "Jupiter and Andromeda" at the same time. Before Star Trek, Tom Corbett — Space Cadet was the most scientifically accurate series on television, in part due to official science advisor Willy Ley, and later due to Frankie Thomas. Thomas read up on science and everyone on the set turned to him for advice on matters scientific.

THIS EPISODE:

May 29, 1952. ABC network, WJZ, New York aircheck. "Revolt On Prison Rock" Part One Of Two. Sponsored by: Kellogg's Pep, Kellogg's Raisin Bran. The inmates of the prison escape and steal the Polaris. They start to terrorize the space lanes. Al Markim, Drex Hines (director), Edward Bryce, Frank Thomas Jr., Jackson Beck (announcer), Jan Merlin, Jon Gart (organist). 23:48. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

Nightfall - Private Collection (03-18-83)

Private Collection (Aired March 18, 1983)

NIGHTFALL was a horror series heard over the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation first from July 4, 1980 to May 22, 1981 and then from November 20, 1981 to June 24, 1983.  Thirty shows were selected from the first season to be rebroadcast on NPR from October 2, 1981 to June 25, 1982. Since it is a fairly modern series, most shows are available in stereo.  Because it's a modern series, it's not widely available (copyright issues). This show may be the most horrifying series ever done.  It was so terrifying, that many stations refused to play it or had to cancel the broadcasts due to listener complaints.  This is a well done series and well worth searching for sources.

THIS EPISODE:

March 18, 1983. Program #92. CBC netork, Edmonton origination. "Private Collection". Quite a few young and beautiful women are disappearing from the same building. Jill Dyck, Stephen Walsh, Len Crowther, David Lereaney, Nicole Evans, Gordon Marriott, Bill Reiter (host, billed as "Frederick Hende"), Al Landon (engineer), Warren Graves (writer), Ruth Fraser (script editor), Laurie Seligman (producer, director), Don Kowalchuk (executive producer), Barbara Gault (production assistant), Dean Purves (sound effects), Tom Peacocke, Judith Mabey. 28:55. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

The FBI In Peace & War - Room For Improvement (11-16-55)

Room For Improvement (Aired November 16, 1955)

The FBI in Peace and War was a radio crime drama inspired by Frederick Lewis Collins' book, The FBI in Peace and War. The idea for the show came from Louis Pelletier who wrote many of the scripts. Among the show's other writers were Jack Finke, Ed Adamson and Collins. It aired on CBS from November 25, 1944 to September 28, 1958, it had a variety of sponsors (including Lava Soap, Wildroot Cream-Oil, Lucky Strike, Nescafe and Wrigley's) over the years. In 1955 it was the eighth most popular show on radio, as noted in Time magazine.

THIS EPISODE:
 
November 16, 1955. CBS network origination, AFRTS rebroadcast. "Room For Improvement". An F. H. A. kickback racket is broken by the Feds when Eddie Norris falls for the daughter of a gangster. Martin Blaine, Don Briggs, Frederick L. Collins (creator), Betty Mandeville (producer, director). 23:50. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

Father Brown Mysteries - "The Eye Of Apollo" (10-17-74)

The Eye Of Apollo (Aired October 17, 1974)

Father Brown is a fictional character created by English novelist G. K. Chesterton, who stars in 52 short stories, later compiled in five books. Chesterton based the character on Father John O'Connor (1870–1952), a parish priest in Bradford who was involved in Chesterton's conversion to Catholicism in 1922. The relationship was recorded by O'Connor in his 1937 book Father Brown on Chesterton. Father Brown is a short, stumpy Catholic priest, "formerly of Cobhole in Essex, and now working in London," with shapeless clothes and a large umbrella, and uncanny insight into human evil. He makes his first appearance in the story "The Blue Cross" and continues through the five volumes of short stories, often assisted by the reformed criminal M.Hercule Flambeau.

THIS EPISODE:
 
October 17, 1974. BBC. Season 1 Episode 4. "The Eye Of Apollo" - A self-styled "priest of Apollo" persuades a follower to alter her will, then she falls down a lift shaft and dies. Father Brown suspects murder. Kenneth More, Oliver Ford Davies, Ronald Pickup. Peter Jefferies (Director). Ian Fordyce (Producer). G. K. Chesterton (Author). 26:26. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

The 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. 29:49. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

Cloak And Dagger - "The Secret Box" (07-23-50)

Cloak And Dagger - The Secret Box (07-23-50)

The Secret Box (Aired July 23, 1950)

Based on the book, Cloak and Dagger: The Secret Story of the O.S.S. by Corey Ford and Alistair McBain, the Radio rendition of these fascinating stories promised to keep any listener perched on the edge of their seat. Apart from describing the book upon which the new adventure series was based, the above is just about all the fanfare that was associated with the roll-out of NBC's only espionage program of the year. It was also one of the few solo productions that Wyllis Cooper undertook for NBC. It was also Cooper's first collaboration with British crime journalist Percy Hoskins, who would work with Cooper yet again on NBC's WHItehall-1212 a year hence. The combination of Hoskin's unfailingly accurate research and Cooper's lively, fast-paced writing and direction proved to be an excellent underpinning for an espionage adventure drama based on factual events. The Office of Strategic Services--the progenitor of our Central Intelligence Agency--was one of American History's most colorful and compelling World War II intelligence gathering efforts.

THIS EPISODE:

July 23, 1950. NBC network. "The Secret Box". Sustaining. 4:00 P.M. Jerry Lester is well cast as an O.S.S. operative who flies behind Japanese lines to bring back an important Japanese prisoner. This is a well-written jungle adventure featuring head-hunters as well as enemy Japanese. Good radio! Jerry Lester, Corey Ford (originator), Alistair MacBain (originator), Louis G. Cowan (producer), Alfred Hollander (producer), Sherman Marks (director, supervisor), Winifred Wolfe (writer), Larry Haines, Dan Ocko, Irene Hubbard, Raymond Edward Johnson, Karl Weber, Arnold Robertson, Jack Gordon (writer), Murray Ross (music director), Jerry Jarrett. 29:28. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

Broadway Is My Beat - "The Floyd Decker Murder Case" (08-01-54)

The  Floyd Decker Murder Case (Aired August 1, 1954)

The opening theme of "I'll Take Manhattan" introduced Detective Danny Clover (now played by Larry Thor), a hardened New York City cop who worked homicide "from Times Square to Columbus Circle -- the gaudiest, the most violent, the lonesomest mile in the world." Danny Clover narrated the tales of the Great White Way to the accompaniment of music by Wilbur Hatch and Alexander Courage, and the recreation of Manhattan's aural tapestry required the talents of three sound effects technicians (David Light, Ralph Cummings, Ross Murray). Bill Anders was the show's announcer. Show Notes From The Old Time Radio Researcher's Group.

THIS EPISODE:
 
August 1, 1954. CBS network. "The  Floyd Decker Murder Case" - Sponsored by: Doublemint. Floyd Decker, a former gangster, has been murdered. The body hasn't yet been found. Jack Kruschen, Elliott Lewis (producer, director), Morton Fine (writer), David Friedkin (writer), Alexander Courage (composer, conductor), Sheldon Leonard, Cathy Lewis, Lee Millar Jr., Larry Thor, Charles Calvert, Leo Cleary, Bill Anders (announcer). 31:28. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

Author's Playhouse - "A Promise To Mark" (10-13-43)

A Promise To Mark (Aired October 13, 1943)

INTRO: BOB Plays The Happenings "Go Away Little Girl" (1968)
#12 Hit on Billboard's 100 chart

Author's Playhouse was an anthology radio drama series, created by Wynn Wright, that aired on the NBC Blue Network from March 5, 1941 until October 1941. It then moved to the NBC Red Network where it was heard until June 4, 1945. Philip Morris was the sponsor in 1942-43.  Premiering with "Elementals" by Stephen Vincent Benét, the series featured adaptations of stories by famous authors, such as “Mr. Mergenthwirker’s Lobbies” by Nelson Bond, "The Snow Goose" by Paul Gallico, "The Monkey's Paw" by W.W. Jacobs, "The Piano" by William Saroyan and "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" by James Thurber. Cast members included Curley Bradley, John Hodiak, Marvin Miller, Nelson Olmsted, Fern Persons, Olan Soule and Les Tremayne. Orchestra conductors for the program were Joseph Gallicchio, Rex Maupin and Roy Shield. Directors included Norman Felton, Homer Heck and Fred Weihe.

THIS EPISODE:

October 13, 1943. NBC network. "A Promise To Mark". Sustaining. An amusing story of an old washed up lawyer and his last case, defending a young man accused of stealing three prize chickens. James Aswell (author). 28:18. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

The Arthur Godfrey Show - "Recalling 1956" (04-19-72)

Recalling 1956 (Aired April 19, 1972)

Godfrey's morning show was supplemented by a primetime variety show, Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts broadcasting from the CBS Studio Building at 49 East 52nd Street where he had his main office. This variety show, a showcase for rising young performers, was a slight variation of CBS's successful Original Amateur Hour. Some of the performers had made public appearances in their home towns and were recommended to Godfrey by friends or colleagues. These "sponsors" would accompany the performers to the broadcast and introduce them to Godfrey on the air. Two acts from the same 1948 broadcast were Wally Cox and The Chordettes. Both were big hits that night, and both were signed to recording contracts. Godfrey took special interest in The Chordettes, who sang his kind of barbershop-quartet harmony, and he soon made them part of his broadcasting and recording "family." Performers who appeared on Talent Scouts included Lenny Bruce, Don Adams, Tony Bennett, Patsy Cline, Pat Boone, opera singer Marilyn Horne, Roy Clark, and Irish vocalist Carmel Quinn. Later, he promoted "Little Godfrey" Janette Davis to a management position as the show's talent coordinator. Three notable acts rejected for the show were Elvis Presley, Sonny Till & The Orioles, and The Four Freshmen. Following his appearances on the Louisiana Hayride, Presley traveled to New York for an unsuccessful Talent Scouts audition in April 1955; after the Talent Scouts staff rejected The Orioles, they went on to have a hit record with "Crying in the Chapel" and kicked off the "bird group" trend of early rock 'n' roll.

The Adventures Of The Falcon - "The Case Of The Substitute Target" (01-21-51)

The Case Of The Substitute Target (Aired January 21, 1951)

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:

January 21, 1951. NBC network. "The Case Of The Substitute Target". Sponsored by: Kraft Foods. Michael Waring solves a series of gangland rubouts by double-crossing a double-crosser. Ed Herlihy (announcer), Drexel Drake (creator), Bernard L. Schubert (producer), Jerome Epstein (writer), Richard Lewis (director), Arlo (music), Les Damon, Ken Lynch. 29:52. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

Dragnet - The Big Death (09-28-50)

The Big Death (Aired September 28, 1950)

Dragnet was a long-running radio and television police procedural drama about the cases of a dedicated Los Angeles police detective, Sergeant Joe Friday, and his partners. The show takes its name from an actual police term, a "dragnet", meaning a system of coordinated measures for apprehending criminals or suspects. Dragnet debuted inauspiciously. The first several months were bumpy, as Webb and company worked out the program’s format and eventually became comfortable with their characters (Friday was originally portrayed as more brash and forceful than his later usually relaxed demeanor). Gradually, Friday’s deadpan, fast-talking persona emerged, described by John Dunning as "a cop's cop, tough but not hard, conservative but caring."

THIS EPISODE:
 
September 28, 1950. Program #68. NBC network. "The Big Death". Sponsored by: Fatima Cigarettes, Chesterfield. A man decides to kill his wife, and hires Joe Friday for the job! The "Dragnet" program of March 29, 1955 (#61369) has the same story title, but the plots are not the same. Jack Webb, Barton Yarborough. 28:35. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

Dad's Army - 2 Episodes "The Royal Train" (04-29-75) and "Time On My Hands" (02-18-75)

Dad's Army - 2 Episodes From 1975

Dad's Army" was a long running British comedy series created and written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft. The idea of a series came to Jimmy Perry when he realised that many people had forgotten about the contribution the Home Guard had made to the British Home Front during the years of the Second World War. Commencing in 1968, "Dad's Army" ran on BBC Television for 9 years with over eighty episodes spread within 10 series. The series is set in a small fictional seaside town called Walmington-on-Sea somewhere on the South Coast of England. "Dad's Army" is also remembered for its first class actors which starred amongst its credits, Arthur Lowe as Captain Mainwaring, John Le Mesurier as Sergeant Arthur Wilson and Clive Dunn as Lance Corporal Jack Jones. In May 1940, Sir Anthony Eden makes his historic speech calling for men under and over the age of active service in the armed forces to form a local defence corps. In Walmington, the Local Bank manager George Mainwaring set's up the town's Local Defence Volunteers,with the assistance of his Bank Clerk, Arthur Wilson and the Local Butcher, Jack Jones. The LDV later become known as the Home Guard or affectionately (to the TV audience) "Dad's Army."