Challenge Of Space - "A Clapper For The Bell" (02-09-70)

A Clapper For The Bell (02-09-70)

INTRO: Bob Camardella Plays The Seekers "I'll Never Find Another You" (1964)

Sponsored by Carling Black Label Beer, this series examined man’s early ventures into space. The space race of the 1950’s and 1960’s spawned this series, especially the Apollo missions to the moon in the late 1960’s. The series was narrated by Donald Monat as the character Charles B Ryan and was broadcast on Springbok Radio on Monday evenings at 18H30. The episodes were written by June Dixon & Hal Orlandini (never credited) & recorded at the AFS Studios in Johannesburg & produced by Donald Monat. A total of 62 episodes were broadcast, including a live broadcast of the Apollo 11 moon landing, courtesy of The Voice of America Radio Broadcast & repeat broadcasts of some of the earlier episodes in the 1970's. Many of the stories were dramatisations of true events & also included futuristic tales of space exploration of the future.

The first episode was broadcast on Tuesday, 19 June 1969 & continued until Tuesday 12 October 1970. The series was sponsored throughout by the same sponsor who after the completion of the series sponsored the replacement series "Carling Country".

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Actors who appeared in the series, included, Donald Monat (Narrator as Charles B.Ryan), Clive Parnell, Michael Mayer, Brian O'Shaugnessy, Hal Orlandini, Lynda Stuart, Diane Appleby, Diane Wilson, James White, Gabriel Bayman, Stuart Brown, Denis Smith, Tony Jay, George Korelin, Kerry Jordan & Elaine Lee. +Episodes Produced: 57 excluding 5 episodes repeated, including the episode "Moon Landing", which was a live crossing to the Voice of America broadcast of the Apollo 11 Moon oldtimeradiodownloads.com &Boxcars711

2 Episodes From 1946 "Murdered Maestro" and "Stairway Slaying"

2 Episodes From 1946 "Murdered Maestro" and "Stairway Slaying"

Bob Camardella Plays Air Supply "Lost in Love " (1980)

Having instilled a sense of foreboding in the listener, the script would launch into the dramatic exposition necessary to frame the ensuing plot. Each episode posed a crime puzzle of one kind or another--usually a murder under impossible conditions. Larry Haines portrays Andrew 'Drew' Stevens, a police lab forensic detective and Frances Robinson portrays his secretary--and love interest--Patricia 'Pat' O'Connor. Homicide Detective Sergeant Bill Morton is Stevens' local police contact. The format is tight by mystery standards of the era. The introductory exposition usually provides enough intrigue to involve the listener. Generally twelve minutes in length, the scripts necessarily contained enough exposition to explain or advance the plot. "Manhunt" was probably an unfortunate title for the series' premise. The series of plots didn't involve manhunts as much as crime puzzlers, such as the classic 'sealed room' murders so much the fashion in detective fiction. Show Notes From The Digital Deli.

MOVIE - A Christmas Carol - 1951 (Alastair Sim) - VIDEO 

 

A Christmas Carol - 1951 (Alastair Sim)

Scrooge, released as A Christmas Carol in the United States, is a 1951 film adaptation of Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol. It starred Alastair Sim as Ebenezer Scrooge and was directed by Brian Desmond Hurst, with a screenplay by Noel Langley. The film also features Kathleen Harrison in an acclaimed turn as Mrs. Dilber, Scrooge's charwoman. Fans of British cinema will recognise George Cole as the younger version of Scrooge, Hermione Baddeley as Mrs. Cratchit, Mervyn Johns as Bob Cratchit, Clifford Mollison as Samuel Wilkins, a debtor, Jack Warner as Mr. Jorkin, a role created for the film, Ernest Thesiger as Marley's undertaker and Patrick Macnee as a young Jacob Marley. Michael Hordern plays Marley's ghost, as well as old Marley. Peter Bull serves as narrator, by reading portions of Dickens' words at the beginning and end of the film and also appears on-screen as one of the businessmen cynically discussing Scrooge's funeral. The film was released in Great Britain under its original title, "Scrooge", to marvelous acclaim. United Artists handled the US release under the title A Christmas Carol and the film was originally slated to be shown at New York City's Radio City Music Hall as part of their Christmas attraction.

Spy Catcher - "Keeping A Promise|" (09-13-61)

Keeping A Promise (Aired September 13, 1961)

 INTRO: Bob Camardella Plays Bobby Vinton "My Heart Belongs To Only You (1964)

Spy Catcher was based on the memoirs of Lt. Col. Oreste Pinto, a Dutch intelligence agent who worked for the Allied Counterintelligence Services in England during WWII - described by Eisenhower as "the greatest living expert in security". It charted the exploits of Pinto and his team of investigators as they relentlessly tried to root out potential spies entering Britain. Spy Catcher began its life in 1959 as a 19 part TV series and made a star of Bernard Archard who played Pinto. Masterminded by writer Robert Barr, Spy Catcher was produced in an almost the documentary manner and Pinto's half-hour cases were based on true stories. Each episode found Pinto interrogating a self-proclaimed Allied serviceman or political refugee. Using all the verbal and psychological tricks at his command, Pinto endeavored to find out if the interviewee was actually a Nazi spy - which often as not proved to be the case. In 1960 Robert Barr penned 26 Spy Catcher stories for BBC Radio - and these were broadcast in two seasons across the next two years again with Bernard Archard in the role of Pinto.

Theater 1030 - "Two Little Puncture Wounds" (1958)

 

Two Little Puncture Wounds (1958) *The Exact Date Is Unknown

The old-time radio era, sometimes referred to as the Golden Age of Radio, refers to a period of radio programming in the United States lasting from the proliferation of radio broadcasting in the early 1920s until the 1950s, when television superseded radio as the medium of choice for scripted programming and radio shifted to playing popular music. During this period, when radio was dominant and filled with a variety of formats and genres, people regularly tuned into their favorite radio programs. In fact, according to a 1947 C. E. Hooper survey, 82 out of 100 Americans were found to be radio listeners. Theatrer 10:30 was a Canadian Old Time Radio show. The date of the broadcast for the episodes is generally unknown. The shows are in the genres of horror, fantasy and mystery. It was a production of CBC Radio. This series aired from September 1968 through 1971, though air dates for particular episodes are unavailable.
 

THIS EPISODE:

Two Little Punctures [by Anthony Lee Flanders - An epidemic of anemia coincides with a vampire-bat migration change. An oil engineer’s wife is seen walking the strand in her nightgown. She slowly succumbs to the sickness. When the local native tribe sees her walking again, they tear up her grave!  

Episode Notes From The Internet Archive.
Boxcars711 Gives 5 Stars For Support Of The Internet Archive.

Boxcars711 Overnight Western - Hawk Larabee - "Tillie Mcgoon The Preacher" (11-07-46)

 Boxcars711 Overnight Western Hawk Larabee - "Tillie Mcgoon The Preacher" (11-07-46)

 

Hawk Durango, young western stalwart who avenged his father's murder in the desert town of Sundown wells, is now involved in a fast-paced sequence of adventure. Western drama endures as a favorite form of American entertainment, and "Hawk Durango" is endowed with all the exciting attributes of western drama in a modern setting. As advertised by KTUC (CBS Network), "If you've got a touch ofd sagebrush in your view...If you like the muted sounds of the wide-open spaces, the thunder of horses and the smack of leather and the crack of guns...then you'll want to listen Saturdays for Hawk Larabee. Hawk's thrilling adventures are right out of the Old West. Reach for yo radio, pahdnuh!" Principal Actors: Elliott Lewis, Frank Lovejoy, Barton Yarborough, Barney Phillips. Director: William N. Robson. Writer(s) Hawk Durango: Kenneth Perkins. Announcer(s): William Conrad.

THIS EPISODE:

November 7, 1946. "Tillie Mcgoon The Preacher aka: Deputy Preacher" - CBS net. Sustaining. Hawk becomes a deputy preacher to convert Tillie McGoon and her desperado friends. Barton Yarborough, William N. Robson (writer). 1/2 hour. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

The Henry Morgan Show - "The American School" (05-07-47)

The American School (Aired May 7, 1947)

 

 

 INTRO: Bob Camardella Plays The Eldorado's "I'll Be Forever Loving You" (1957)

One early sponsor had been Adler Shoe Stores, which came close to canceling its account after Morgan started making references to "Old Man Adler" on the air; the chain changed its mind after it was learned business spiked upward, with many new patrons asking to meet Old Man Adler. Morgan had to read an Adler commercial heralding the new fall line of colors; Morgan thought the colors were dreadful, and said he wouldn't wear them to a dogfight, but perhaps the listeners would like them. Old Man Adler demanded a retraction on the air. Morgan obliged: "I would wear them to a dogfight." Morgan later recalled with bemusement, "It made him happy." Later, he moved to ABC (formerly the NBC Blue Network) in a half-hour weekly format that allowed Morgan more room to develop and expand his topical, often ad-libbed satires, hitting popular magazines, soap operas, schools, the BBC, baseball, summer resorts, government snooping, and landlords.

 

THIS EPISODE:

 
May 7, 1947. ABC network. Sponsored by: Eversharp-Schick. A program dedicated to "The American School" (The Progressive School), The Grammar School. Arnold Stang, Bernard Green and His Orchestra, Charles Irving, Henry Morgan, The Golden Gate Quartet. 30:01. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

The Lineup - "Singer's Husband Killed" (07-01-52)

Singer's Husband Killed (Aired July 1, 1952)

INTRO: Bob Camardella Plays "Climax" - Precious and Few (1972)

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. The stellar list of non-recurring talent represents some of the most respected names in Radio--and Television: Raymond Burr, Jay Novello, Joe Kearns, Elliott Lewis, Virginia Gregg, Ed Begley, Bill Bouchey, Herb Butterfield, Barton Yarborough, Wilms Herbert, Jeanette Nolan, Ted de Corsia, Howard McNear and Bill Conrad. It just doesn't get better than that. The premise of each episode is prefaced with a gritty, highly realistic line-up, replete with background atomospherics and actors realistically speaking over each other, but with an underlying investigation--or two--under discussion below the background noise of the introductory line-up and exposition. Show Notes From The Digital Deli.

THIS EPISODE:

July 1, 1952. CBS network. "Singer's Husband Killed". Sustaining. A night club singer's husband has been robbed and killed. William Johnstone, Jack Moyles, Eddie Dunstedter (music), Jaime del Valle (producer, director), Howard McNear, E. Jack Neuman, Hy Averback, Peter Leeds, Vic Perrin, Sidney Miller, Virginia Gregg. 24:34. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

Lights Out - "Murder In The Script Department" (05-11-43)

"Murder In The Script Department" (Aired May 11, 1943)

INTRO: Bob Camardella Plays Simon & Garfunkel
"The Sound Of Silence" Released Sept. (1965)

After a successful tryout in New York City, the series was picked up by NBC in April 1935 and broadcast nationally, usually late at night and always on Wednesdays. Wyllis Cooper stayed on the program until June 1936, when another Chicago writer, Arch Oboler, took over. By the time Cooper left, the series had inspired about 600 fan clubs. Cooper's run was characterized by grisly stories spiked with dark, tongue-in-cheek humor, a sort of radio Grand Guignol. A character might be buried or eaten or skinned alive, vaporized in a ladle of white-hot steel, absorbed by a giant slurping amoeba, have his arm torn off by a robot, tortured or decapitated -- always with the appropriate blood-curdling acting and sound effects.

 

THIS EPISODE:

May 11, 1943. CBS network. "Murder In The Script Department". Sponsored by: Ironized Yeast, Energene. Two typists are haunted at a radio network. Don't ever complain about Mr. Oboler's scripts! Great radio writing! Oboler tells about next week's program as set in the jungle, "when there were people with monkeys, not Japanese snipers." Arch Oboler (writer, host), Frank Martin (commercial spokesman), Mercedes McCambridge. 29:38. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

Hancock's Half Hour - "Bill & Father Christmas" (12-25-58)

Bill & Father Christmas (Aired December 25, 1958)

Hancock's Half Hour" INTRO: Bob Camardella Plays

"Elvis Presley" & "The Classic IV Early Christmas"

Tony Hancock starred as an exaggerated version of his own character, a down-at-heel comedian living at the dilapidated 23 Railway Cuttings in East Cheam. Sid James played a criminally-inclined confidante who usually managed to con Hancock, while Bill Kerr appeared as Hancock's dim-witted Australian lodger. Moira Lister also appeared in the first series before being replaced by Andrée Melly for the next two, both playing love interests for Hancock's character. In the fourth and fifth series, Hattie Jacques played Griselda Pugh, live-in secretary to Hancock and occasional girlfriend of Sid James. The series broke from the variety tradition dominant in British radio comedy into the sitcom or Situation comedy genre. Instead of sketches, guest stars and musical interludes, humour developed from the characters and situations. Hancock's experiences were based in reality and observation. From the playlet "Look Back In Hunger" in The East Cheam Drama Festival episode, Galton and Simpson showed they were in touch with developments in the British theatre, the use of sighs and silent pauses in common with the work of Harold Pinter which began to emerge towards the end of the series' run. The measured pacing of these episodes were groundbreaking in the days of fast-talking Ted Ray, where every second of airtime had to be filled. With Galton and Simpson writing scripts prolifically, continuity was not priority, with details changed to suit the episode.  Episode Notes From Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod.

The Haunting Hour - "Homicide House" (06-30-45)

Homicide House (Aired June 30, 1945)

INTRO: Bob Camardella Plays Bobby Helms "Special Angel" (1957)

The Haunting Hour is a work-in-progress collection within the holdings of many serious Radio Collectors. From the meager available productions currently in circulation it's clear that the series was popular for its time, at the very least. With a known run of at least 52 unique scripts and more doubtful further 39 to 52 scripts, it would appear that the series was in demand for at least four years--in and out of syndication. Given the high quality of NBC Network voice talent in the circulating episodes, one can well imagine that the remainder of the yet alleged, undiscovered, or uncirculated episodes have at least as much to recommend them. Thankfully, as with many other examples of Golden Age Radio productions, many of the existing episodes in circulation can be directly attributed to the efforts of the Armed Forces Radio and Television Service [AFRTS].

 

THIS EPISODE:

June 30, 1945. NBC syndication. "Homicide House". Commercials added locally. Two reporters investigating a murder come upon a rundown mansion inhabited by a strange trio who insist it's still 1898! Edwin Wolfe (director). 24:59. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

The Martin & Lewis Show - "Special Guest Is Danny Thomas" (11-09-51)

Special Guest Is Danny Thomas (Aired November 9, 1951)

INTRO: Bob Camardella Plays Randy VanWarmer "Just When I Needed You Most" (1979)

On July 25, 1946, Jerry began a show business partnership with Dean Martin, an association that would soon skyrocket both to fame. It started when Jerry was performing at the 500 Club in Atlantic City and one of the other entertainers quit suddenly. Lewis, who had worked with Martin at the Glass Hat in New York City, suggested Dean as a replacement. At first they worked separately, but then ad-libbed together, improvising insults and jokes, squirting seltzer water, hurling bunches of celery and exuding general zaniness. In less than eighteen weeks their salaries soared from $250.00 a week to $5,000.00. For ten years Martin and Lewis sandwiched sixteen money making films between nightclub engagements, personal appearances, recording sessions, radio shows, and television bookings. Their last film together was "Hollywood or Bust" (1956). On July 25th of that year the two made their last nightclub appearance together at the Copacabana, exactly ten years to the day since they became a team.  

 

THIS EPISODE:

 
November 9, 1951. NBC network. Sponsored by: Dentyne, Chesterfield, Anacin. "Special Guest Is Danny Thomas" and the boys do their version of, "It's The Toast Of The Town." The first tune is, "Whispering." Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, Dick Stabile and His Orchestra, Jimmy Wallington (announcer), Danny Thomas, Bonnie Bishop (vocal), Ed Simmons (writer), Norman Lear (writer), Dick Mack (producer, director). 29:41. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

Boxcars711 Overnight Western "Frontier Town" - Trouble Rides The Rails (05-08-53)

Boxcars711 Overnight Western "Frontier Town"
Trouble Rides The Rails (Aired May 8, 1953)

Chandler's characterization of Chad Remington is forceful, dynamic and melodramatic and runs for the first twenty-three episodes. Veteran Film, Television and Radio actor Reed Hadley then assumes the role of Chad Remington for the remaining 24 installments. The contrast between the two characterizations is quite evident, but doesn't interfere with either the continuity of the main character or the flow of the episodes. Both principal actors acquit themselves well in the role. Wade Crosby in the role of Cherokee O'Bannon plays it well over the top, but that's what sidekicks do, after all.

 

THIS EPISODE:

 

 May 8, 1953. Program #31. Broadcasters Program Syndicate/Bruce Eells and Associates syndication. "Trouble Rides The Rails". Music fill for local commercial insert. The date is approximate. Reed Hadley, Howard McNear, Wade Crosby, Ivan Ditmars (composer, conductor), Bill Forman (announcer), Bruce Eells (producer), Paul Franklin (writer, director). 29:11. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

Boxcars711 Overnight Western "Have Gun Will Travel" - Winchester Quarantine (02-22-59)

Boxcars711 Overnight Western "Have Gun Will Travel"
Winchester Quarantine (Aired February 22, 1959)

The show followed the adventures of Paladin, a gentleman-turned-gunfighter (played by Richard Boone on television, and by John Dehner on radio), who preferred to settle problems without violence, yet, when forced to fight, excelled. Paladin lived in the Carlton Hotel in San Francisco, where he dressed in semi-formal wear, ate gourmet food, and attended opera. In fact, many who initially met him mistook him for a dandy from the East. When working, he dressed in black, used calling cards and wore a holster which carried characteristic chess knight emblems, and carried a derringer under his belt. The knight symbol is in reference to his name — possibly a nickname or working name — and his occupation as a champion-for-hire.

 

THIS EPISODE:

February 22, 1959. CBS network. "Winchester Quarantine". Sponsored by: Fitch Shampoo, Lysol, Rambler. Joe Whitehorse, a mission Indian, is supposed to have diseased cattle. The local ranchers want him out. The very clever Lysol commercial is titled "I Was A Teenage Germ." This is a quality upgrade, network, sponsored version. The script was used on the "Have Gun, Will Travel" television show on October 5, 1957. John Dehner, Ben Wright, Lawrence Dobkin, Harry Bartell, Lillian Buyeff, Joseph Kearns, Barney Phillips, Edgar Barrier, Hugh Douglas (announcer), Norman Macdonnell (producer, director), Herb Meadow (creator, writer), Ann Doud (adaptor), Sam Rolfe (creator), Bill James (sound effects), Tom Hanley (sound effects). 24:59. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

Hall Of Fantasy - "The Castle Of Lavoka" (03-29-54)

The Castle Of Lavoka (Aired March 29, 1954)

Originally a local series out of Utah that found its way on to the airwaves sporadically from 1947 to 1952, this anthology was picked up for national syndication by the Mutual network and broadcast from mid-52 through mid-53. Written and directed by Richard Thorne, a prolific and talented writer and producer, this series is often overlooked, even by fans of OTR. It is unfortunate, since it provides some very unique and dramatic material; the acting in particular was superb. Early on, the series concentrated on murder mysteries, but later shows were devoted to horror and some sci-fi. Sadly, not all episodes have survived - only about 40 of perhaps over a hundred shows still exist. All episodes were standard half-hour format.

 

THIS EPISODE:

March 29, 1954. Mutual network, WGN, Chicago origination, KEX, Portland Oregon aircheck. "The Castle Of Lavoka". Sponsored by: National Bank Of Oregon, Harrah's. An excellent story about Baron Drago from an isolated part of Europe with an eternal mission and the real reason for the second World War! This program may be a rebroadcast of "The Hall Of Fantasy" of August 22, 1952, titled, "The Legend Of Drago." The program opening sounds edited just as the story title is given. Richard Thorne (writer). 25:50. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

Tales Of Tomarrow - "Martians Never Die" (03-12-53)

Martians Never Die (Aired March 12, 1953)

INTRO: Bob Camardella Plays Ambrosia "Biggest Part of Me" (1980)

The 1950's saw both the twilight of the Golden Age of Radio and the birth of the science fiction radio series.. Science fiction was not new to radio before 1950 but it was either targeted to juvenile audiences or were shows in a broader series. For example, ESCAPE's  "The Time Machine".  On March 15, 1950, the first show of Mutual's 2000 PLUS aired and becoming the very first true science fiction series in the US.  DIMENSION X followed shortly on April 8, 1950 and broadcast over NBC stations. TALES OF TOMORROW was the third dedicated science fiction series over the stations of the American Broadcasting Corporation and following DIMENSION X by almost 2 years. The host of the show was Raymond Edward Johnson of INNER SANCTUM fame. Mr. Johnson handled TALES OF TOMORROW openings in a similar fashion to INNER SANCTUM openings but with a "science fiction" flavor instead of a "macabre" sense. The shows of this series were quite good, borrowing ideas from stories in "Galaxy" magazine.

SUMMARY

Martians Never Die . Once upon a time, Earth peeps try to explore Mars and fail. But the pioneer spirit triumphs, and eventually they succeed in colonizing the planet. When war breaks out back on Earth, everyone goes back to be with their families. At the very end, some humans come back to Mars to get away from Earth's wars and start over. This Episode Aired March 12, 1953.

Gangbusters - "The Case Of The Jersey Butcher Bandits" (11-08-47)

The Case Of The Jersey Butcher Bandits (Aired November 8, 1947)

INTRO: Bob Camardella Plays The Platters "Remember When (1954)

 

Gangbusters was an American dramatic radio program heralded as "the only national program that brings you authentic police case histories." It premiered as G-Men, sponsored by Chevrolet, on July 20, 1935. After the title was changed to Gang Busters January 15, 1936, the show had a 21-year run through November 20, 1957. Beginning with a barrage of loud sound effects — guns firing and tires squealing — this intrusive introduction led to the popular catch phrase "came on like Gang Busters."The series dramatized FBI cases, which producer-director Phillips H. Lord arranged in close association with Bureau director J. Edgar Hoover. Hoover insisted that only closed cases would be used. The initial series was on NBC Radio from July 20 - October 12, 1935. It then aired on CBS from January 15, 1936 to June 15, 1940, sponsored by Colgate-Palmolive and Cue magazine. From October 11, 1940 to December 25, 1948, it was heard on the Blue Network, with various sponsors that included Sloan's Liniment, Waterman pens and Tide. Returning to CBS on January 8, 1949, it ran until June 25, 1955, sponsored by Grape-Nuts and Wrigley's chewing gum. The final series was on the Mutual Broadcasting System from October 5, 1955 to November 27, 1957.

 

THIS EPISODE:

November 8, 1947. Program #502. ABC net origination, syndicated, WRVR-FM, New York aircheck. "The Case Of The Jersey Butcher Bandits". Sponsored by: Jiffy Photo. Narrated by boxing champion Jim Braddock in person (not by proxy). WRVR rebroadcast date: February 5, 1973. James J. Braddock (narrator), Roger De Koven. 1/2 hour. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

Theater Guild On The Air - "The Unguarded Hour" (11-17-46)

 Theater Guild On The Air "The Unguarded Hour"

The series originated on radio in the 1940s as Theater Guild on the Air. Organized in 1919 to improve the quality of American theater, the Theatre Guild first experimented with radio productions in Theatre Guild Dramas, a CBS series which ran from December 6, 1943 to February 29, 1944. Actress-playwright Armina Marshall (1895–1991), a co-administrator of the Theater Guild, headed the Guild's newly created Radio Department, and in 1945, Theatre Guild on the Air embarked on its ambitious plan to bring Broadway theater to radio with leading actors in major productions. It premiered September 9, 1945, on ABC with Burgess Meredith, Henry Daniell and Cecil Humphreys in Wings Over Europe, a play by Robert Nichols and Maurice Browne which the Theatrer Guild had staged on Broadway in 1928-29. Within a year the series drew some 10 to 12 million listeners each week. Presenting both classic and contemporary plays, the program was broadcast for eight years before it became a television series.


THIS EPISODE:


November 17, 1946. NBC net, KFI, Los Angeles aircheck. "The Unguarded Hour". Sponsored by: United States Steel. The series is also known as, "The United States Steel Hour." Harold Levey (composer, conductor), Homer Fickett (director), John Merryvale, Lawrence Langner (supervisor), Armina Marshall (executive producer), Bernard Merryvale (writer), Felix Debank, George Hicks (commercial spokesman), Guy Spaull, Leslie Reid (adaptor), Malcolm King, Mark Smith (editor), Michael Redgrave, Murray Matheson, Nina Foch, Norman Brokenshire (announcer), Sarah Burton, Theresa Helburn (supervisor), Van Johnson. 59:27. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

 

Suspense - "Four Hours To Kill" (01-12-50)

Four Hours To Kill (Aired January 12, 1950)

Suspense is a radio drama series broadcast on CBS Radio from 1942 through 1962. One of the premier drama programs of the Golden Age of Radio, was subtitled "radio's outstanding theater of thrills" and focused on suspense thriller-type scripts, usually featuring leading Hollywood actors of the era. Approximately 945 episodes were broadcast during its long run, and more than 900 are extant. Suspense went through several major phases, characterized by different hosts, sponsors, and director/producers. Formula plot devices were followed for all but a handful of episodes. In its early years, the program made only occasional forays into science fiction and fantasy.

 

THIS EPISODE:

 
January 12, 1950. CBS network. "Four Hours To Kill". Sponsored by: Auto-Lite. A good story about a man who kills his brother and then must track down and kill the woman who overheard the crime on the telephone. The script was also used on "The Philip Morris Playhouse." This is a network, sponsored. Robert Taylor, Herb Butterfield, Cathy Lewis, Joseph Kearns (announcer), Harold Swanton (writer), William Spier (producer, editor), Norman Macdonnell (director), Lucien Moraweck (cvomposer), Lud Gluskin (conductor), Harlow Wilcox (commercial spokesman). 31:01. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

General Mills Radio Adventure Theater "Black Arrow"

 General Mills Radio Adventure Theater "Black Arrow"

 

The General Mills Radio Adventure Theater was a 1977 anthology radio drama series with Tom Bosley as host. Himan Brown, already producing the CBS Radio Mystery Theater for the network, added this twice-weekly (Saturdays and Sundays) anthology radio drama series to his workload in 1977. It usually aired on weekends, beginning in February 1977 and continuing through the end of January 1978, on stations which cleared it. General Mills's advertising agency was looking for a means of reaching children that would be less expensive than television advertising. Brown and CBS were willing to experiment with a series aimed at younger listeners, reaching that audience through ads in comic books. Apart from Christian or other religious broadcasting, this may have been the only nationwide attempt in the U.S. in the 1970s to air such a series. General Mills did not continue as sponsor after the 52 episodes had first aired over the first 26 weekends (February 1977 through July 1977), and the series (52 shows) was then repeated over the next 26 weekends (August 1977 through the end of January 1978), as The CBS Radio Adventure Theater, with a variety of sponsors for the commercials.

THIS EPISODE:

March 13, 1977. Program #12. CBS network. "The Black Arrow". Sponsored by: General Mills. The program was repeated on September 10, 1977 as, "The CBS Radio Adventure Theatre." Tom Bosley (host), Robert Newman (adaptor from the tradition story), Skip Hinnant, Anne Costello, Himan Brown (producer, director), Jackson Beck, William Griffis, Court Benson, Gilbert Mack. 49:55. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

Space Patrol - "The Red Demon Of Venus" (05-29-54)

The Red Demon Of Venus (Aired May 29, 1954)

 

 

 INTRO: Bob Camardella Plays The Dubs "Be Sure My Love" (1957)

The success of the TV show spawned a radio version, which ran for 129 episodes from October 1952 to March 1955. The same cast of actors performed on both shows. The writers, scripts, adventures and director were quite different in radio versus TV incarnations. Naturally, the series lacked the adult sophistication of such shows as X Minus One, which focused on adapting short fiction by notable genre names as Robert A. Heinlein and Ray Bradbury. But as a throwback to the sort of Golden Age space opera popularized in the 1930s, the days of science fiction's infancy, by pioneering magazine editor Hugo Gernsback, Space Patrol is prized by OTR collectors today as one of radio's most enjoyable adventures.

THIS EPISODE:

ABC network. "The Red Demon Of Venus". Sponsored by: Nestle's chocolate. The Red Demon is a spider with a nasty and fatal bite! This is a network, sponsored version of cat. #17574. Bela Kovacs, Dick Tufeld (announcer), Ed Kemmer, Ken Mayer, Larry Robertson (producer, director), Lou Huston (writer), Lyn Osborn, Mike Devery (executive producer), Mike Moser (creator), Norman Jolley. 29:23.  Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

Boxcars711 Overnight Western "Hopalong Cassidy" - Hoppy And The Iron Horse (09-24-50)

Boxcars711 Overnight Western "Hopalong Cassidy" - Hoppy And The Iron Horse (09-24-50)

Hopalong Cassidy is a cowboy hero, created in 1904 by Clarence E. Mulford, who wrote a series of popular stories and twenty-eight novels. (At the time Mulford invented the character, the name of the historical American outlaw Butch Cassidy had been before readers of newspapers in recent years.) In his early print appearances, the character appears as a rude, dangerous and rough-talking "galoot". Beginning in 1935, the character, played by William Boyd, was transformed into the clean-cut hero of a series of 66 immensely popular films, only a few of which relied on Mulford's works for more than the character. Mulford actually rewrote his earlier stories to fit the movie conception; these led in turn to a comic book series modeled after the films.

 

THIS EPISODE:

September 24, 1950. Program #39. Commodore syndication. "Hoppy and The Iron Horse". Commercials added locally. Lee Garvin introduces Hoppy to foul play on the railroad. William Boyd, Joseph Du Val, Walter White Jr. (transcriber, producer), Tom Shirley (writer). 25:28. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

The Story Of Dr Kildare - "Mr. Bradley's Heart" (11-17-50)

Mr. Bradley's Heart (Aired November 17, 1950)

 

 

INTRO: Bob Camardella Plays Eda James "At Last" (1960)

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:

November 17, 1950. "Mr. Bradley's Heart" - Program #43. WMGM, New York City-Mutual net origination, MGM syndication. Commercials added locally. Mr. Bradley, an overworked businessman, has a badly damaged heart and needs a rare operation. The date is approximate. Lew Ayres, Lionel Barrymore, Les Crutchfield (writer), William P. Rousseau (director), Walter Schumann (composer, conductor), Virginia Gregg, Georgia Ellis, Wilms Herbert, Vic Perrin, Dick Joy (announcer). 26:23. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

Boxcars711 Overnight Western "Lone Ranger" - Tunnel To Trouble (03-22-54)

 Tunnel To Trouble (03-22-54)

Boxcars711 Overnight Western "The Lone Ranger" - Tunnel To Trouble (Aired March 22, 1954)
Tonto was played throughout the run by actor John Todd (although there were a few isolated occasions when he was replaced by Roland Parker, better known as Kato for much of the run of sister series The Green Hornet), and other supporting players were selected from Detroit area actors and studio staff. These included Jay Michael (who also played the lead on Challenge of the Yukon aka Sgt. Preston of the Yukon), Bill Saunders (as various villains, including Butch Cavendish), Paul Hughes (as the Ranger's friend Thunder Martin and as various army colonels and badmen).

 

THIS EPISODE:

 

March 22, 1954. Program #3306/2526. Syndicated, WRVR-FM, New York aircheck. "Dirk Durango"/"Tunnel To Trouble" Sponsored by: Silvercup Bread. The Lone Ranger poses as a murdered mining engineer to help a bunch of crooks dig their way into jail. Syndicated rebroadcast date: October 9, 1973. Brace Beemer, Fred Foy (announcer), John Todd, Paul Hughes, Harry Goldstein, Bill Saunders, Paul Sutton, Jay Michael. 21:32. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

Matinee Theater - "Till We Meet Again" (03-25-45)

 Till We Meet Again (Aired March 25, 1945)

 
 

 

Matinee Theater represented a serious attempt by CBS to provide quality dramatic programming for its Sunday afternoon listeners. A continuation of the series Dangerously Yours, it was renamed Matinee Theater with a view towards presenting "a greater range of stories". That broader scope was able to accommodate such episodes as "Beautiful Dreamer" (the Stephen Foster story) and "The Love Story of Elizabeth Barrett and Robert Browning". Victor Jory and several different female stars paired to bring classics like "Wuthering Heights", "Jane Eyre", and "The Scarlet Pimpernel" to the audience, as well as a number of more contemporary works. The first of these thirty-minute broadcasts aired October 22, 1944 and the final one on April 8, 1945. The Vick Chemical Company sponsored throughout.

 

THIS EPISODE:

March 25, 1945. CBS network. "Till We Meet Again". Sponsored by: Vicks Vatronol. A French Sister finds herself drawn into the battle against the occupying Nazis. Victor Jory, Gertrude Warner, Martin Gabel, Kermit Murdock, Mark Warnow (music director), Jean Holloway (adaptor), Richard Sanville (director). 29:56. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

The Life Of Riley - "Riley The Football Hero" (11-23-46)

Riley The Football Hero (Aired November 23, 1946)

INTRO: Bob Camardella Plays John Denver "I'm Sorry" (1974-1975)

The first Life of Riley radio show was a summer replacement show heard on CBS from April 12, 1941 to September 6, 1941. The CBS program starred Lionel Stander as J. Riley Farnsworth and had no real connection with the more famous series that followed a few years later. The radio program starring William Bendix aired on the ABC Blue Network from January 16, 1944 to June 8, 1945. Then it moved to NBC, where it was broadcast from September 8, 1945 to June 29, 1951. The supporting cast featured John Brown, who portrayed not only undertaker Digger O'Dell but also Riley's co-worker Gillis. Whereas Gillis gave Riley bad information that got him into trouble, Digger gave him good information that "helped him out of a hole," as he might have put it. Brown's lines as the undertaker were often repetitive, including puns based on his profession; but, thanks to Brown's delivery, the audience loved him.

 

THIS EPISODE:

 
 
November 23, 1946. "Riley The Football Hero" - NBC network. Sponsored by: Teel, Dreft. Riley becomes a Football Hero, on the the night club team. William Bendix, Ken Carpenter (announcer), Paula Winslowe, John Brown, Irving Brecher (producer), Don Bernard (director), Lou Coslowe (music), Alan Lipscott (writer), Reuben Ship (writer), Tommy Cook, Lou Merrill, George Pirrone. 30:28. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

Boxcars711 Overnight Western "The Six Shooter" - Myra Barker (06-24-54)

Boxcars711 Overnight Western "The Six Shooter"
Myra Barker (Aired June 24, 1954)

The Six Shooter brought James Stewart to the NBC microphone on September 20, 1953, in a fine series of folksy Western adventures. Stewart was never better on the air than in this drama of Britt Ponset, frontier drifter created by Frank Burt. The epigraph set it up nicely: "The man in the saddle is angular and long-legged: his skin is sun dyed brown. The gun in his holster is gray steel and rainbow mother-of-pearl. People call them both The Six Shooter." Ponset was a wanderer, an easy-going gentleman and -- when he had to be -- a gunfighter. Stewart was right in character as the slow-talking maverick who usually blundered into other people's troubles and sometimes shot his way out. His experiences were broad, but The Six Shooter leaned more to comedy than other shows of its kind.

 

THIS EPISODE:

 

June 24, 1954. "Myra Barker" - NBC network. Sustaining. The Six-Shooter proposes marriage. A well written show, the last of the series. The program may be dated September 27 or October 11, 1954. This is a network version. Jimmy Stewart, Jack Johnstone (director), Basil Adlam (music), Virginia Gregg, Howard McNear, Parley Baer, Frank Burt (creator, writer), D. J. Thompson, John Wald (announcer). 29:55. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

Theater Royal - "The Aspern Papers" (05-23-54)

INTRO: Bob Camardella Plays Al Martino "Here In My Heart" (1952)

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 Theatre Royal remained in active syndication in the United States well up into the 1970s. Many of the copies in circulation today, come from those 1970s repeats where the individual episodes were cut to about 20 minutes. Luckily these cuts were made by the production company and generally do not take away from the actual program enjoyment. This reduced length comes from a combination for factors including removing dated introductory material from the beginning of the early episodes, making time for local stations to include hourly 5 minute newscasts and to insert commercials locally. From the Old Time Radio Researcher's Group



THIS EPISODE:



May 23, 1954. NBC net origination, Towers Of London syndication, WRVR-FM, New York. "The Aspern Papers". Participating sponsors. WRVR-FM rebroadcast date: January 24, 1975. Ralph Richardson (host, performer), Derek Patmore (adaptor), Sidney Torch (music), Harry Alan Towers (producer), Henry James (author). 25 minutes. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

I Deal In Crime - "The Laura Shields Case" (01-21-46)

Laura Shields Case (Aired January 21, 1946)

I Deal in Crime ran for almost two years on ABC network radio and starred the very capable radio and Hollywood actor, William Gargan. In this, one of his many PI radio series (he's best known, of course, for his role as Martin Kane), Gargan played ROSS DOLAN, described as a veteran detective who returned to his sleuthing job after his WW II service as a sailor. Or as Dolan puts it, "a hitch in Uncle Sugar's Navy." This series was written by Ted Hediger and directed by Leonard Reeg. The show's announcer was Dresser Dahlstead and Skitch Henderson (later to win fame on television) handled the music. The show began in January 1946 and ran as a 30 minute show, first on Monday nights but for the last eleven months on Saturday evenings. It ended in October 1947.

 

THIS EPISODE:

 
January 21, 1946. ABC network. "The Laura Shields Case."  Sustaining. Possibly the first show of the series. William Gargan as detective Ross Dolan. Laura Shields hires Dolan to be her bodyguard. He finds plenty of murder. Dresser Dahlstead (announcer), Leonard Reeg (director), Skitch Henderson (composer, conductor), Ted Hediger (director), William Gargan. 30:43. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

Sleep No More - "Three O'Clock" (12-12-56)

Three O'Clock (Aired December 12, 1956)

INTRO: Bob Camardella Playsd Elvis Presley

"Burning Love" (Aloha From Hawaii, Live in Honolulu, 1973)

Sleep No More was Nelson's Olmsted's contribution to The Golden Age of Radio's rich tradition of broadcasting compelling and stirring supernatural and suspense dramas, predominantly from the finest supernatural literature throughout modern history. Sleep No More arrived during the waning years of the Golden Age of Radio--understandably risky Radio programming for the mid-1950s. On the plus side of the equation were Nelson Olmsted's extremely loyal following throughout the U.S. combined with the classic nature of the stories which comprised the series. These stories were many of the most popular and compelling supernatural stories and adventures in literary history.

 

THIS EPISODE:

 
December 12, 1956. NBC network. "Three O'Clock". Sustaining. A man plans murder of his wife but out smarts himself. Nelson Olmsted, Ben Grauer (announcer), Kenneth MacGregor (director), Cornell Woolrich (author, using the name William Irish). 29:13. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

The Mayor Of The Town - "Bob Hope Visits" (03-21-43)

Bob Hope Visits (Aired March 21. 1943)

INTRO: Bob Camardella Plays Frank Sinatra "Autumn Leaves" (1956)

An NBC offering. Aired on Sundays from 7:00PM to 7:30PM, starring Lional Barrymore and Agnes Moorehead. The creator and writer was Jean Holloway, the announcer Harlow Wilcox, music by Gordon Jenkins and sponsored by Rinso detergent. The show was a perfect vehicle for Lionel Barrymore: rich with warmhearted humor, and good-natured grumbling, its "mayor" had a fierce bark but a mushy heart when confronted with the plight of an orphan or a stray dog. The mayor cared little about political advantage: he even found time, once a year, to turn the town of Springdale into a special theater, to give his traditional performance as Ebenezer Scrooge in Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol. THE CAST: Lionel Barrymore as the mayor of the town of Springdale. Agnes Moorehead as Marilly, his housekeeper. Conrad Binyon as the mayor's ward, Butch. Gloria McMillan as Sharlee Bronson, Butch's best girl. Priscilla Lyon as Holly-Ann, the mayor's granddaughter. Also: Will Wright, Sharon Douglas, Irvin Lee, Marjorie Davies.

 

THIS EPISODE:

March 21. 1943. "Bob Hope Visits" - CBS network. Sponsored by: Rinso. The first show of the series on CBS. The mayor is asked to take care of an eleven-year-old war orphan. A heartwarming, tearful script. The system cue has been deleted. Lionel Barrymore, Harlow Wilcox (announcer), Bob Bailey, Jerry Hausner, Billy Roy, Agnes Moorehead, Jean Holloway (writer). 28:44. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

Boxcars711 Overnight Western "Frontier Gentleman" - A Horse For Kendall (09-14-58)

Boxcars711 Overnight Western "Frontier Gentleman"
A Horse For Kendall (Aired September 14, 1958)

1958's Frontier Gentleman wasn't a ground-breaking adult western. That ground had been pulverized both in Radio and Television six years earlier. But Frontier Gentleman's perspective on the rough and tumble Montana and Wyoming Territories of the 1870s was a fascinating twist on the--by then--formulaic adult western. The premise has who spent most of his military career in the Punjab area of India. He takes a position with the London Times, on assignment to cover the developing frontier of the Montana and Wyoming Territories of America during the 1870s. Show Notes From The Old Time Radio Researcher's Group.

 

THIS EPISODE:

 

September 14, 1958. CBS network. "A Horse For Kendall". Sustaining. A race from Deadwood to Cheyenne...the hard way! The public service announcements have been partially deleted.  John Dehner, Will Wright, Vic Perrin, Ralph Moody, Jack Moyles, Antony Ellis (writer, producer, director), William Alland, Bud Sewell (announcer). 25:42. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

Boxcars711 Overnight Western "Tales Of The Texas Rangers" - The Ice Man (03-02-52)

Boxcars711 Overnight Western "Tales Of The Texas Rangers"
The Ice Man (Aired March 2, 1952)

 

Tales of the Texas Rangers, a western adventure old-time radio drama, premiered on July 8, 1950, on the NBC radio network and remained on the air through September 14, 1952. Movie star Joel McCrea starred as Texas Ranger Jayce Pearson, who used the latest scientific techniques to identify the criminals and his faithful horse, Charcoal, to track them down. The shows were reenactments of actual Texas Ranger cases. The series was produced and directed by Stacy Keach, Sr., and was sponsored for part of its run by Wheaties. Captain Manuel T. "Lone Wolf" Gonzaullas, a Ranger for 30 years and who was said to have killed 31 men during his career, served as consultant for the series. The series was adapted for television from 1955 to 1957.

 

THIS EPISODE:

 

March 2, 1952. NBC network. "The Ice Man". Sustaining. Based on the events of September 17, 1948. A strange burglar who eats before he robs and who wields a mean ice pick is finally tracked down by the Rangers. Joel McCrea, Stacy Keach (producer, director), Hal Gibney (announcer), Tony Barrett, Lillian Buyeff, Whitfield Connor, Parley Baer, Phil Harris (NBC promo), Alice Faye (NBC promo), Bill Forman (NBC promo), Jack Paar (NBC promo). 29:50. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

The Lives Of Harry Lime - "The Hard Way" (06-27-52)

 

 

 INTRO: Bob Camardella Plays Earth Wind And Fire "After The Love Is Gone" (1979)

"The Hard Way" (Aired June 27, 1952)

The Third Man (The Lives of Harry Lime) was a old-time radio adventure series that ran in 1951 and 1952. It was based on the 1949 film of the same name. Orson Welles stars as Harry Lime, a perpetually broke confidence man, smuggler, and general scoundrel. He will participate in virtually any criminal activity to make a fast buck, but uses his wits rather than a gun. He draws the line short of murder, blackmail, or drugs. Even so, Harry is an endearing character and listeners love to hear of his one-step-ahead-of-the-law misadventures as he hops around the globe looking for his next pigeon. The zither music of Anton Karas adds a wonderful Viennese ambience to each episode and really makes this show special.

 

THIS EPISODE:

June 27, 1952. Program #48. Syndicated, WRVR-FM, New York aircheck. "The Hard Way". Participating sponsors. Harry finds himself in the charter airline business, where he meets the strange Mr. Butterboy, wanting to fly to Zurich. WRVR air date: August 12, 1975. Orson Welles, Anton Karas (zither), Harry Alan Towers (producer), Tig Roe (director). 28:21. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

Gunsmoke - "Confederate Money" (03-13-54)

 

The First Show: Jun 26, 1952
Number Shows: 480 shows, 2 auditions, 5 hour tribute
Audition Shows: Jun 11, 1949, Jul 13, 1949

Gunsmoke is one of those long-running classic Old-Time Radio shows that everyone knows and remembers. It's also one that is still respected for its high values, in all aspects. Gunsmoke first aired on the CBS network on April 26, 1952, billed as the first adult western. It was set in Dodge City, Kansas in the 1870's.

The main character, Matt Dillon, was played by William Conrad. On August 6, 1951, William Conrad played the lead in a show entitled "Pagosa" in the series Romance, where he played the part of a reluctant sheriff in a tough Western town. Although not a true audition, Conrad's character role is very close the that of Matt Dillon in Gunsmoke. It was one of the "stepping stones" toward the production of Gunsmoke. Other regular characters were Chester Proudfoot, played by Parley Baer; Kitty, played by Georgia Ellis; and Doc Adams, played by Howard McNear.

The series featured top-notch acting and well-developed scripts that set it apart from many other shows, not only Westerns; however, it was the sound effects that stood out the most. Listen carefully and one can hear many levels of sound that really helps transport the listener back to the old west.

Besides the US version, there was an Australian production of Gunsmoke. It began sometime in 1955, transcribed under the Artransa label, and aired Mondays at 7:00 PM on the Macquarie network. It is not known how many shows aired or how long the series ran.

NOTE: Updated with Version 5 files (05-Jan-2020).
From the Old Time Radio Researchers Group. See "Notes" Section below for more information on the OTRR.

The Strange Dr. Weird In Europe Confidential "The Senator Payne Affair" ** The exact date is unknown.

INTRO: Bob Camardella Plays Basil Rathbone In Europe Confidential "The Senator Payne Affair"  ** The exact date is unknown in this broadcast.

Presents Basil Sir. Rathbone in "Europe Confidential". Rathbone's most famous role was Sherlock Holmes, on the screen in 1939 The Hound of the Baskervilles, and countless times on the radio. He introduces the show and the main character, reporter Mike Connoy palyed by actor Lionel Murton, a reporter for an American newspaper based in Paris.  The character is "knee deep" in  Wartime espionage, spy cases, murder, blackmail and theft. This was the best of the 1950's radio.

For in depth study, see ALL episodes at  OTRCAT.com
 

5 Stars from Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod "Where The Oldies Are Still Young"

The Stan Freberg Show - "Great Moments In History" (08-04-57)

Great Moments In History (Aired August 4, 1957)

INTRO: Bob Camardella Plays Bobby Caldwell "Coming Down From Love" (1980)

Stanley Victor Freberg (born August 7, 1926 in Los Angeles) is an American author, recording artist, animation voice actor, comedian, puppeteer and advertising creative director. The son of a Baptist minister, Stan Freberg grew up in Pasadena, California. His traditional upbringing is reflected both in the gentle sensitivity which underpins his work (despite his liberal use of biting satire and parody), and in his refusal to accept alcohol and tobacco manufacturers as sponsors (an impediment to his radio career when he took over for Jack Benny on CBS radio), as Freberg explained to Rusty Pipes: After I replaced Jack Benny in 1957 they were unable to sell me with spot announcements in the show. That would mean that every three minutes I'd have to drop a commercial in. So I said, "Forget it, I want to be sponsored by one person like Benny was, by American Tobacco or State Farm Insurance," except that I wouldn't let them sell me to American Tobacco. I refused to let them sell me to any cigarette company.

 

THIS EPISODE:

 
August 4, 1957. "Great Moments In History" - Program #4. CBS network. Sustaining. The story behind the ride of Paul Revere, Dr. Herman Horn lectures on Hi Fi, The Lox Audio Theatre presents "Rock Around My Nose," "The Yellow Rose Of Texas." Stan Freberg (performer, writer), Billy May and His Orchestra, Jud Conlon's Rhythmaires, Peter Leeds, Peggy Taylor, Daws Butler, June Foray, Pete Barnum (producer). 28:26. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

The Hall Of Fantasy - "The Shadow People" (09-21-53)

The Hall Of Fantasy - "The Shadow People" (09-21-53)

INTRO Bob Camardella Plays George Benson (1985)

There were four series under the  Hall Of Fantasy banner, all produced by Richard Thorne. The first  Hall Of Fantasy originated from radio station KALL in Salt Lake City, Utah. Richard Thorne and Carl Greyson were announcers for the station and produced the rather barebones shows, possibly late in 1946 and into 1947.  The series consisted of 26 shows. Broadcast dates for the shows are not known. The shows were written or adapted by Robert Olson and directed by Mr. Thorne. Most were classic murder mysteries with traditional endings; the evil-doer got his just rewards.  The series was sponsored by the Granite Furniture Company, although existing shows are missing the commercials, apparently because they were inserted live.

 

THIS EPISODE:

September 21, 1953. Mutual network, WGN, Chicago origination. "Sustaining. A well-done story of those who are never seen but are always there. The announcements have possibly been deleted. This program has also been dated September 5, 1952. J. Sheridan LeFanu (author). 24:27. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

The Man from Homicide

 

 

INTRO: Bob Camardella Plays Jay & The Americans "Only In America" (1964)
 

 

Ride along on the case with the Man from Homicide. Lieutenant Lou Dana is that man, and he's got "a dirty dangerous job that doesn't end until the killer is found. I don't like killers."

 
Dan Duryea "Man from Homicide", airing in the early 1950s, was a classic in the genre of crime drama. Though not as well remembered as similar shows such as Dragnet or Broadway is my Beat, Man from Homicide brought audiences gritty stories, seedy criminals, sordid crimes and an outline of police procedure infused with drama. Lt. Dana is a cynical yet determined detective who has seen it all, and uses that experience to outwit less seasoned criminals and bring them to justice.

Dana was played by two accomplished film noir actors, Dan Duryea and Charles McGraw. McGraw often played a leading man in 1940s and '50s film noir, and his gravelly voice and "rocks in a wheelbarrow" style of delivery is especially enjoyable in a radio format. Dan Duryea was famous for a wide variety of roles and genres in Hollywood, and his radio work as Lt. Dana beautifully complemented his "bad boy" film noir persona.

This collection of the three existing episodes is a must have in any classic radio or crime drama collection.

Show & Episode Notes From OTRCAT.com

Jeff Regan Investigator (Starring Frank Graham) "The Lady From Brazil" (10-19-49)

 The Lady From Brazil (Aired October 19, 1949)

INTRO: Bob Camardella Plays The Delfonics "La-La-La" (1968)

After Jack Webb's departure from Jeff Regan, Investigator the demand for the series remained high, but it wasn't until October 1949 that CBS regrouped for another season of Jeff Regan, Investigator, with a new cast and lead--talented young actor and voice talent, Frank Graham. Frank Graham was only a few years older than Jack Webb at the time, had tremendous range and versatility, and had been making an increasing name for himself as a CBS announcer and actor and with increasing voice work in Animation features of the era. He was also one of the handful of voice talents of the era referred to as a 'Man of a Thousand Voices.' Supporting Frank Graham in the revival of Jeff Regan, Investigator were Radio legend, Frank Nelson in the role of Anthony J. Lyon, and Jim Backus in various roles. On the production side, the revival was produced by Sterling Tracy, with writing support from E. Jack Neuman and Adrian Gendot, initially. Dick Aurandt continued with his original music, and Bob Stevenson continued as announcer. Writing chores were later turned over to William Fifield, William Froug and Gilbert Thomas. The scripts for the revival series were as entertaining and compelling as in the original run, but Frank Graham, though certainly talented enough in the role of Jeff Regan, wasn't Jack Webb. Show Notes From The Digital Deli.

Escape - "The Match" (05-16-48)

The Match (Aired May 16, 1948)

INTRO: Bob Camardella Plays Elvis Presley "Unchained Melody"(1977)
(Live at Ann Arbor, MI)

Escape was radio's leading anthology series of high adventure, airing on CBS from July 7, 1947 to September 25, 1954. Since the program did not have a regular sponsor like Suspense, it was subjected to frequent schedule shifts and lower production budgets, although Richfield Oil signed on as a sponsor for five months in 1950. Despite these problems, Escape enthralled many listeners during its seven-year run. The series' well-remembered opening combined Mussorgsky's Night on Bald Mountain with the introduction, intoned by Paul Frees and William Conrad: “Tired of the everyday routine? Ever dream of a life of romantic adventure? Want to get away from it all? We offer you... Escape!”

 

THIS EPISODE:

 
May 16, 1948. CBS network. "The Match". Sustaining. A good story about a determined Mountie who is going to bring back his man, even if it kills him. Clark Cluney, Cynthia Corley, Frank Lovejoy, James Oliver Curwood (writer), Les Crutchfield (writer), Nestor Paiva, Stan Waxman, Wilbur Hatch (music), Wilms Herbert, Norman Macdonnell (director). 29:28. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.