Ford Theater - "Wuthering Heights (01-04-49)"

Wuthering Heights (Aired January 4, 1949)

Sponsored by the Ford Motor Company, presented hour long dramas first on NBC for one only season. The series moved to CBS for its second and last season. There were 39 NBC and 39 CBS hour- long shows (not verified). The show initially received an unfavorable review from the New York Times for poor script adaptation but was still highly rated for the actors' performance and overall production. The show was supposed to feature only original scripts but had to forgo that plan due to lack of quality material. The first season on NBC used radio actors under the direction of George Zachary. Martin Gabel announced the first show but was soon replaced by Kenneth Banghart. The second season, on CBS, used Hollywood screen actors in the lead roles, supported by radio actors.

THIS EPISODE:

January 4, 1949. CBS network. "Wuthering Heights". Sponsored by: Ford. Romance on the moors once again. Montgomery Clift, Joan Lorring, Hester Sondergaard, Hedley Rennie, Fletcher Markle (host, director), Emily Bronte (author), Ben Hecht (adaptor), Charles MacArthur (adaptor), Patricia Weil, Gregory Morton, Miriam Wolfe, John Merlin, Nelson Case (announcer), Carl Emory, Rennie Rubin (script), Lana Domian (composer), Cy Feuer (conductor), Robert Dryden, Alan Devitt. 1:00:36. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

VIDEO: Bob Camardella Plays The Flamingos "Live On Stage" I Only ave Eyes For You. (1959) MOVIE

 The Flamingos are an American doo-wop group formed in Chicago in 1953. The band became popular in mid-to-late 1950s and are known for their 1959 cover version of "I Only Have Eyes for You". They have since been hailed as one of the finest and most influential vocal groups in pop and doo wop music history. In 2001, the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

The band's cover version of "I Only Have Eyes for You" was ranked number 158 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time".

Jacob "Jake" Carey (bass) and Ezekiel "Zeke" Carey (second tenor) formed the group in Chicago, Illinois, United States, after meeting cousins baritone Paul Wilson and first tenor Johnny Carter at a Hebrew Israelite congregation.Earl Lewis (not the Channels lead) soon joined, and after a series of name changes ("The Swallows", "El Flamingos", "The Five Flamingos"), wound up being known as the Flamingos. Sollie McElroy soon replaced Lewis (who joined the Five Echoes). The Flamingos' first single (for Chance Records), "If I Can't Have You", was a moderate local success, as was the follow-up "That's My Desire", but it was Johnny Carter's composition of "Golden Teardrops", with its complex vocal harmonies and Carter's soaring falsetto, that cemented their reputation as a top regional act of the day.

The Flamingos left Chance Records sometime after their December 1953 session, and signed with DJ Al Benson's Parrot Records. Sollie McElroy was on their first Parrot session, but left the group in December 1954, to be replaced by tenor Nate Nelson (who was on their second Parrot session; he's lead on "I'm Yours", released in January 1955). In early 1955, the Flamingos signed with Chess Records, to record for their Checker Records subsidiary. At Chess/Checker, the Flamingos achieved their first national chart hit with "I'll Be Home",which went to number 5 on Billboard's R&B chart.Pat Boone's cover version of the song, complete with incorrect lyrics ("My mind's made up" replacing "My time's about up"), was a hit on the pop charts. The group also had moderate success for the label with other chestnuts like "A Kiss from Your Lips", "The Vow" and "Would I Be Crying". The Flamingos also appeared in the 1956 Alan Freed movie Rock, Rock, Rock. Both Zeke Carey and Carter were drafted that year (Carter was drafted in September).

Nate Nelson, Jake Carey and Paul Wilson continued the group with new member Tommy Hunt (added in October 1956). Another new member, tenor/lead, guitarist and arranger, Terry "Buzzy" Johnson, joined in late December 1958.This group (Nate Nelson, Tommy Hunt, Paul Wilson and Jake Carey) began recording for Decca Records in April 1957. Their most notable single was Johnson's arrangement of "The Ladder of Love", but legal entanglements between Checker and Nate Nelson ruined any chance of commercial success. Zeke Carey returned to the Flamingos in 1958, making the group a sextet. (When Johnny Carter was discharged from the service, he joined the Dells, performing with them for almost 50 years until his death in 2009.)

Zeke and Jake Carey were not blood-related, but were considered cousins, because of Zeke being adopted by Jake's aunt and uncle.

In 1958 the Flamingos began recording for George Goldner's End Records in New York City, where they had several national hits. Almost immediately, the group had their first pop chart hit with "Lovers Never Say Goodbye", written by Terry Johnson, who shared lead chores on the song with Paul Wilson. The formula was a winner as Johnson and Wilson also led three of the 12 songs selected for their first album Flamingo Serenade – George Gershwin's "Love Walked In", "But Not for Me" and "Time Was". The Flamingos would have their biggest seller in 1959 with another old standard from that LP, on which Nate Nelson handled lead vocals. "I Only Have Eyes for You" (written in 1934 by composer Harry Warren and lyricist Al Dubin for the film Dames) became their biggest seller, and has been featured in dozens of movies and TV shows. A long series of hits followed, including the Johnson-penned "Mio Amore", Doc Pomus' composition "Your Other Love", "Nobody Loves Me Like You" (written for the group by Sam Cooke), and "I Was Such a Fool (To Fall in Love with You)". LP cuts "Love Walked In" and "Time Was" were also issued as singles.[citation needed] That same year, they appeared in the Alan Freed movie, Go, Johnny, Go, singing a frenetic version of "Jump Children" (originally recorded for Chance Records in the early days). The group became known almost as much for their stage show and choreography as for their harmonies. Groups including the Temptations and the Tavares would later credit the group as major influences.

The group began to come apart at the turn of the decade. Tommy Hunt left for a solo career in 1960. Nate Nelson and Terry Johnson split to form the "Modern Flamingos" in 1961, and went on to record as the Starglows on Atco Records in 1963. (The Modern Flamingos name was used later; the group would include members of the defunct Del-Knights in the late 1960s). New members were brought in, making the group Zeke Carey (tenor), Jake Carey (bass), Paul Wilson (baritone), Billy Clarke (tenor), Eddie Williams (tenor), Alan Fontaine (guitar), and Julien Vaught (saxophone). Also Johnny Carter left in 1960 to join the Dells.Clarke and Williams took duties on most new lead vocals.

A sixth vocalist, Doug McClure, was added in 1962. Shortly afterwards, Clarke and Williams left the group. Founding member Paul Wilson left in 1964, new member Sidney Hall joined in 1966, and Jacob Carey's son J.C. Carey joined in 1969. They recorded several uptempo songs through the 1960s, peaking at number 26 in the UK Singles Chart with "The Boogaloo Party". Around this time, the Flamingos formed their own label, Ronze, and produced many of their own recordings.

The group continued recording into the 1970s. A new album was released in 1972 on Ronze, entitled The Flamingos Today. By this time, the group was the Careys, McClure, Fontaine, the returning Billy Clarke, and former Limelite Clarence Bassett, Jr. New member Frank "Mingo" Ayers joined soon after. More mildly successful recordings came in this decade, including the uptempo "Heavy Hips", and "Buffalo Soldier".

By 1980, the group was Jake Carey, Zeke Carey, Frank Ayers and Jerome Wilson. Ayers left around this time, joining the Del Vikings. In 1984, two new members joined: Bennie Cherry and Archie Satterfield. In 1988, the group was featured at the 1988 Grammy Awards. Paul Wilson died on May 6, 1988.[16]

By the early 1990s, the group was the Careys, Satterfield, Ron Reace and Kenny Davis. Later, it was the Careys, Reace, and King Raymond Green. Jake Carey died in 1997. The group recorded a new album, Unspoken Emotions, under the Ronze label in 1999. It featuring re-recordings of "Ain't Nothing But A Party" and "I'll Be Home", led by Zeke Carey. The group appeared on the PBS television special Doo Wop 50 that same year. The lineup was Zeke Carey, J.C. Carey, Ron Reace, King Raymond Green, and Larry Jordan. Zeke Carey died on December 24, 1999. King Raymond Green and Ron Reace left around that time and were replaced by Earnest "Just Mike" Gilbert and former Dynamic Superior George Spann. James Faison entered shortly thereafter. Tommy Hunt has flown in from England (where he has lived since 1970) to perform with this group twice since 2001.

The group split up in late 2005 due to money disputes. Spann, Jordan, Gilbert, and Faison grouped together to reform Spann's old group, The Dynamic Superiors. J.C. Carey brought in new members, and toured with Tommy Hunt starting in April 2007.

Terry Johnson is the owner of the "Flamingos" federal trademark and leads the current incarnation of the group. The current lineup is Johnson, Starling Newsome, Stan Prinston and musical director Theresa Trigg. The Flamingos featuring Terry Johnson appeared on two PBS specials: Rock and Roll at Fifty (in which they were the only group to have more than two songs featured) and Doo Wop Cavalcade: The Definitive Anthology. In 2013, the Flamingos released the Diamond Anniversary Tour CD. They continue to perform in concerts across the country.

Doug McClure died on July 6, 2018.

The First Nighter Program - "Help Wanted Female" (01-08-48)

Help Wanted Female (Aired January 8, 1948)

The First Nighter Program was a long-running radio anthology comedy-drama series broadcast from 1930 to 1953. The host was Mr. First Nighter (Charles P. Hughes, Macdonald Carey, Bret Morrison, Marvin Miller, Don Briggs and Rye Billsbury [later known as Michael Rye). The show's opening recreated the aural atmosphere of a Broadway opening. Before each week's drama began, Mr. First Nighter was first heard walking on Broadway, emerging from the noise of people and street traffic into the crowded lobby of "the Little Theater Off Times Square" and then taking his seat in the third row center, where he gave the whispered introduction: The house lights have dimmed, and the curtain is about to go up on tonight's production. Romantic comedies were the specialty of the series, and the principal roles were played by the teams of Don Ameche and June Meredith.
 

THIS EPISODE:

January 08, 1948. CBS network. "Help Wanted, Female". Campana cosmetics. Fraud for the starving children of Europe. Barbara Luddy, Olan Soule, William Conrad, Parley Baer, Floyd Miller (writer) 30:47.  Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

The Fibber McGee & Molly Show - "Fibber Cuts Down Jesse James Tree" (01-17-50)

Fibber Cuts Down Jesse James Tree (Aired January 17, 1950)

 

 

INTRO: Bob Camardella Plays The Moonglows "We Go Together" (1956)

The program struggled in the ratings until 1940, when it became a national sensation. Within three years, it was the top-rated program in America. Few radio shows were more beloved than Fibber McGee and Molly. The program’s lovable characters included Mayor LaTrivia, Doc Gamble, Mrs. Uppington, Wallace Wimple, Alice Darling, Gildersleeve, Beulah, Myrt, and the Old Timer. 79 Wistful Vista was one of America’s most famous addresses and Molly’s warning to Fibber not to open the hall closet door (and his subsequent decision to do it) created one of radio’s best remembered running gags that audiences expected each week. Jim Jordan (Fibber) was born on a farm on November 16, 1896, near Peoria, Illinois. Marian Driscoll (Molly), a coal miner’s daughter, was born in Peoria on November 15, 1898. After years of hardship and touring in obscurity on the small-time show biz circuit, they arrived in Chicago in 1924, where they eventually performed on thousands of shows and developed 145 different voices and characters.

 

THIS EPISODE:

 

January 17, 1950. NBC network. Sponsored by: Johnson's Wax. "Fibber Cuts Down Jesse James Tree" for a "free" supply of firewood. Arthur Q. Bryan, Bill Thompson, Billy Mills and His Orchestra, Cliff Arquette, Don Quinn (writer), Elvia Allman, Gale Gordon, Harlow Wilcox, Herb Vigran, Jim Jordan, Marian Jordan, Phil Leslie (writer), Richard LeGrand, The King's Men. 29:34. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

Fear On Four - "Mind Well The Tree" (02-28-88)

Well The Tree (Aired February 28, 1988)

 

Fear On Four is the British Broadcasting Corporation's continuation of a
tradition of horror shows dating back to 1943.  Back then, the BBC offered APPOINTMENT WITH FEAR, the title given to ten series of programs running from 1943 to 1955.  These are the most famous BBC horror series in it's history. The stories were introduced by The Man in Black, played by Valentine Dyall. In 1949, The Man In Black was given his own series, called THE MAN IN BLACK, again featuring Valentine Dyall. Unfortunately, only four shows from APPOINTMENT WITH FEAR are known to have survived.  None of THE MAN IN BLACK shows are known to exist. The Man in Black returned to radio again in 1988, this time played by Edward de Souza.  Fear On Four, airing on BBC Radio Four, continued inthe tradition of its predecessors. Four series were produced from 1988 through 1993 with a fifth series in 1997. In 1999, one new show and 2 repeats aired under the banner of "Fear on 4" on BBC Radio 4's LATE NIGHT ON 4 series.

The FBI In Peace & War - "Dumb Luck" (09-22-57)

Dumb Luck (Aired September 22, 1957)

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, and was produced and directed by Max Marcin and Betty Mandeville. The show had a variety of sponsors over the years, including Lava Soap, Wildroot Cream-Oil, Lucky Strike, Nescafe and Wrigley's. In 1955 it was the eighth most popular show on radio, as noted in Time.

THIS EPISODE:
 
September 22, 1957. CBS network. "Dumb Luck". Commercials deleted. A dumb blonde tries to pull an inheritance swindle and winds up marrying the insurance man she's trying to gyp! Martin Blaine, Don Briggs, Jackson Beck (narrator), Charita Bauer, Arthur Winters, Louis Pelletier (writer), Betty Mandeville (producer, director), Warren Sweeney (announcer), Frederick L. Collins (creator). 19:57. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.
 

The Adventures Of Ellery Queen - Nikki Porter Suspect (03-05-47)

Nikki Porter Suspect (Aired March 5, 1947)

Tuska cited Ellery Queen, Master Detective (1940) and Ellery Queen's Penthouse Mystery (1941) as the best of the Bellamy-Lindsay pairings. "The influence of The Thin Man series was apparent in reverse", Tuska noted about Ellery Queen's Penthouse Mystery. "Ellery and Nikki are unmarried but obviously in love with each other. Probably the biggest mystery... is how Ellery ever gets a book written. Not only is Nikki attractive and perfectly willing to show off her figure", Tuska wrote, "but she also likes to write her own stories on Queen's time, and gets carried away doing her own investigations." In Ellery Queen, Master Detective, "the amorous relationship between Ellery and Nikki Porter was given a dignity, and therefore integrity", Tuska wrote, "that was lacking in the two previous entries in the series", made at Republic Pictures before Bellamy and Lindsay were signed by Columbia.

 

THIS EPISODE:

 
March 5, 1947. Grace Gibson syndication. "Nikki Porter Suspect". Commercials added locally. A bank robber with a broken nose has been shot and murdered on board a train. The evidence points to Nikki as the killer. An Australian production. The script was produced in the United States on March 5, 1947. Gypsy Rose Lee (guest armchair detective, she was on tour in Australia), Ken Crossen (writer), Manfred B. Lee (writer), John Saul (director). 25:40. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

Duffy's Tavern - "Guests Jimmy Durante & Ann Sothern" (03-30-49)

 

Guests Jimmy Durante & Ann Sothern (Aired March 30, 1949)

Duffy's Tavern, an American radio situation comedy (CBS, 1941-1942; NBC-Blue Network, 1942-1944; NBC, 1944-1952), often featured top-name stage and film guest stars but always hooked those around the misadventures, get-rich-quick-scheming, and romantic missteps of the title establishment's malaprop-prone, metaphor-mixing manager, Archie, played by the writer/actor who co-created the show, Ed Gardner. In the show's familiar opening, "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling," either solo on an old-sounding piano or by a larger orchestra, was interrupted by the ring of a telephone and Gardner's New Yorkese accent as he answered, "Duffy's Tavern, where the elite meet to eat. Archie the manager speakin'. Duffy ain't here — oh, hello, Duffy." Duffy, the owner, was never heard (or seen, when a film based on the show was made in 1945 or when a bid to bring the show to television was tried in 1954).

THIS EPISODE:
 
March 30, 1949. NBC network origination, Nostalgia Broadcasting Corporation syndication. Commercials added locally. "Guests Jimmy Durante and Ann Sothern" star in Archie's play, "The Mystery Of The Laughing Piano," or "Who Tickled The Ivories?" Ed Gardner does not appear on the program! Eddie Green, Charlie Cantor, Jimmy Durante, Ann Sothern, Matty Malneck and His Orchestra. 29:47. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

Dragnet - The Big Strip (02-01-53)

 

The Big Strip (Aired February 1, 1953)

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 was perhaps the most famous and influential police procedural drama in American media history. The series gave millions of Americans a feel for the boredom and drudgery, as well as the danger and heroism, of real life police work. Dragnet earned praise for improving the public opinion of police officers. Actor and producer Jack Webb's aims in Dragnet were for realism and unpretentious acting. He achieved both goals and Dragnet remains a key influence on subsequent police dramas in many media.

 

THIS EPISODE:

 
 
February 1, 1953. Program #189. NBC network. "The Big Strip". Sponsored by: Chesterfield. A gang of car strippers is running rampant. A sixteen-year-old boy is killed in a crash while resisting arrest. Network, sponsored version of cat. #16312. Jack Webb, Ben Alexander, George Fenneman (announcer), Hal Gibney (announcer), Sarah Selby, Art Gilmore, John Robinson (writer), Walter Schumann (music). 29:59. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

The Lux RadioTheater - "Panic In The Streets" (03-05-51)

INTRO: Bob Camardella Plays "Back In Time"

Broadcasting from New York, the series premiered at 2:30pm, October 14, 1934, on the NBC Blue Network with a production of Seventh Heaven starring Miriam Hopkins and John Boles in a full-hour adaptation of the 1922–24 Broadway production by Austin Strong. The host was the show's fictional producer, Douglass Garrick (portrayed by John Anthony). Doris Dagmar played another fictional character, Peggy Winthrop, who delivered the Lux commercials. Each show featured a scripted session with Garrick talking to the lead actors. Anthony appeared as Garrick from the premiere 1934 episode until June 30, 1935. Garrick was portrayed by Albert Hayes from July 29, 1935 to May 25, 1936, when the show moved to the West Coast.

THIS EPISODE:

March 5, 1951. "Panic In The Streets". After brawling over a card game in the wharf area of New Orleans, a man named Kochak, suffering visibly from a flu-like illness, is killed by gangster Blackie and his two flunkies, Kochak's cousin Poldi and a man named Fitch. They leave the body on the docks, and later when the dead man, who carries no identification, is brought to the morgue, the coroner grows suspicious about the bacteria present in his blood and calls his superior, Dr. Clinton Reed, (played by Richard Widmark) a uniformed doctor working for the U.S. Public Health Service. Dr. Reed and a police captain (Paul Douglas) have only a day or two in which to prevent an epidemic. 51:57. "Episode Notes From Boxcars711 OTR Pod."

Macabre - "The Midnight Horseman" (12-11-61)

The Midnight Horseman (Aired December 11, 1961)

The series arose out of an improptu competition between The Far East Network and The Armed Forces Network-Germany. Both networks sent 15 ips audition tapes to the AFRTS Headquarters in Los Angeles and FEN Tokyo won the 'competition'. The AFRTS transcribed and distributed the Macabre series on October 4, 1961-- a month before FEN Tokyo recorded a ninth episode of Macabre for Christmas Day, titled Of Frankincense and Myrrh. FEN Launches Macabre on the lucky 13th of November 1961. Launched, appropriately enough on the 13th of November, 1961, the series ran for nine weeks, including a special Christmas Day broadcast, "Of Frankincense and Myrrh," and ending on January 8, 1962 with "Edge of Evil."

THIS EPISODE:

December 11, 1961. Program #5. AFRTS-FEN origination. "The Midnight Horseman". A good screamer. A painting of a black knight...with occult powers! The announcer mentions that it's Halloween, indicating a possible rebroadcast at a later date. Al Lepage (announcer). 26:40. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

The Man Called X - "The Silver Scarab" (06-19-47)

 The Silver Scarab (Aired June 19, 1947)

The Man Called X started over Radio with the 1944 CBS Summer replacement run for Lux Radio Theatre, comprising a total of eight episodes. The only circulating exemplar from the first run is contained within the AFRS Globe Theatre  canon of transcriptions. So, yet again, we are indebted to the incredible output of AFRS and AFRTS transcriptions over the years in preserving some of Radio's rarest exemplars from The Golden Age of Radio. But if one compares that circulating episode to the spot ad for the summer run in the sidebar, one sees the program promoted as a comedy-mystery. The 1944 CBS Summer season finale, Murder, Music and A Blonde Madonna, gives some credence to the way CBS promoted this first run. Starring Herbert Marshall as Ken Thurston, a private operative, with Han Conried as Egon Zellschmidt in this first incarnation of Ken Thurston's nemesis, and Mary Jane Croft appearing in the role of Ken's love interest, Nancy Bessington. Show Notes From The Digital Deli.

THIS EPISODE:

June 19, 1947. CBS network. "The Silver Scarab". Sponsored by: Frigidaire. While in Cairo on the trail of pirate on the Red Sea, Ken Thurston is killed by three silver bullets. Herbert Marshall, Leon Belasco, J. Richard Kennedy (originator), Wendell Niles (announcer), Jack Johnstone (director), Sidney Marshall (writer), Johnny Green (composer, conductor). 26:11. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

The Man From Homicide - "The Winthrop Murder Case" (09-14-50)

 The Man From Homicide - The Winthrop Murder Case (09-14-50)

The Winthrop Murder Case (Aired September 14, 1950A 30-minute crime drama starring Dan Duryea as Lou Dana, a tough police lieutenant with a tendency to beat information out of suspects. Dana's catch phrase was, "I don't like killers." Bill Bouchey was Inspector Sherman and music was by Basic Adams. His sniveling, deliberately taunting demeanor and snarling flat, nasal tones set Dan Duryea apart from other slimeball villains of the 1940s and 1950s. From his very first picture--the highly acclaimed The Little Foxes (1941) in which he played the snotty, avaricious nephew Leo who would easily sell his own mother down the river for spare change--lean and mean Duryea had film audiences admitting his vile characters were guilty pleasures, particularly in film noir, melodramas and westerns. Born in White Plains, New York, on January 23, 1907, the son of a textile salesman, Dan expressed an early interest in acting and was a member of his hometown high school's drama club. Majoring in English at Cornell University and president of his university's drama society, he abruptly changed the course of his career after deciding that the advertising business was perhaps a more level-headed pursuit. The frantic pace in such a cutthroat field, however, triggered an unexpected, thankfully mild heart attack in his late 20s, and he gave it all up to return to his first love--acting.
 

THIS EPISODE:

Log# 73215. The Man From Homicide. September 16, 1950. NBC Network. An audition recording, possibly broadcast. A dead man has been found in a ditch, killed by an ice pick. Then, Harold Winthrop is killed by a gun. The corpse wore silk socks. Lieutenant Dana is one tough cop! Good radio. Charles McGraw, Louis Vittes (writer), Robert Armbruster (composer, conductor), Jim Backus, Joan Banks, Lawrence Dobkin, Lamont Johnson, Tom Tully, Helen Mack (producer, director), Arthur Q. Bryan, Maggie Morley. 29:39 Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

Manhunt - 2 Episodes From 1946

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

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.

Father Knows Best - "The Missing Salesman" (05-03-51)

The Missing Salesman (Aired May 3, 1951)

INTRO: Bob Camardella Plays The Bee Gees "How Deep Is Your Love" (1977)

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. His wife Margaret was first portrayed by June Whitley and later by Jean Vander Pyl. The Anderson children were Betty (Rhoda Williams), Bud (Ted Donaldson) and Kathy (Norma Jean Nillson). Others in the cast were Eleanor Audley, Herb Vigran and Sam Edwards. Sponsored through most of its run by General Foods, the series was heard Thursday evenings on NBC until March 25, 1954.

The Father Brown Mysteries - "The Actor & The Alibi" (11-02-86)

The Actor & The Alibi (Aired November 2, 1986)

 

 

INTRO: Bob Camardella Plays The Classics IV "Traces" (1969)
 

When we consider the question of clerics and mysteries, the first figure most of us think of is G.K. Chesterton’s Father Brown. The first Father Brown story was published in 1910 in the Saturday Evening Post, years before Chesterton had even converted to Roman Catholicism. Forty-eight Father Brown stories were published before Chesterton’s death, and for many, the unassuming Catholic priest, who solved mysteries through close observation and intuition, remains the model clerical detective, unmatched by any subsequent efforts by other authors. Not that these authors haven’t tried. Their success depends on the same factors by which we judge any piece of fiction in general and mystery fiction in particular. Father Brown was a natural for radio and he has appeared in several series on both sides of the Atlantic, most notably The Father Brown Stories which were originally broadcast on BBC Radio 4 between 1984 and 1987.

THIS EPISODE:

The Actor and the Alibi - Father Brown discovers that the cast of a famous stage comedy might include a killer, but how can that be when everyone has a perfect alibi? The Worst Crime in the World - Something is amiss at Musgrave Castle! Father Brown investigates. The Insoluble Problem - Father Brown's best friend is a master thief who's been assigned the task of catching another thief. But first the pair must solve a murder that couldn't possibly have happened. The Eye of Apollo - Flambeau, the thief-turned-detective, shares an office building with the high priest of a new religion. But is the death of one of his disciples murder or a fortunate accident?

M. J. Elliot is the author of numerous radio dramatizations, including the Vincent Price series and the Father Brown audio dramas. Episode Notes From The audiobookstore.com

The Fat Man - "Murder Shows A Phantom Face" (04-07-55)

Murder Shows A Phantom Face (Aired April 7, 1955)

"There he goes across the street into the drugstore, steps on the scale, height: 6 feet, weight: 290 pounds, fortune: Danger. Who isit? THE FAT MAN." Brad Runyon was the Fat Man, played by Jack Scott Smart. The series was created by Dashall Hammott and was first heard on the ABC network Jan. 21, 1946. J. Scott Smart fit the part of the Fat Man perfectly, weighing in at 270 pounds himself. When he spoke, there was no doubt that this was the voice of a big guy. Smart gave a witty, tongue-in-cheek performance and helped make THE FAT MAN one of the most popular detective programs on the air. Smart also appeared in The March Of Time (early 1930s), the Theater Guild On The Air, Blondie, The Fred Allen Show, and The Jack Benny Program. There was also an version made in Australia, syndicated on the Artansa lable, about 1954. There are at least 36 shows available from vendors. The Australian Fat Man was played possibly by Lloyd Berrell. Although not featuring J. Scott Smart, who really fit the part, the series is quite good.

 

THIS EPISODE:

April 7, 1955. Program #34. Grace Gibson syndication (Australia). "Murder Shows A Phantom Face". Commercials added locally. Lloyd Berrill, Grace Gibson (producer), Dashiell Hammett (creator). 26:10. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

Family Theater - "J. Smith and Wife" (02-27-47)

J. Smith and Wife (Aired February 27, 1947)

Each program was preceded by the familiar announcement: “More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of”—a quote from Alfred, Lord Tennyson. And always worked in somewhere before the end of the show was the famous slogan that became Peyton’s signature: “The family that prays together stays together!” Father Peyton’s vision of the family is expressed in his book, The Ear of God: “The family was meant to be the cradle of religion,” he wrote. “Restore to the family its religious soul and you enrich the entire country, you strengthen civilization.” Many people, including Hollywood entertainers, were happy to support this vision. The lineup of stars that Peyton recruited for his radio show included Hollywood’s best: Gary Cooper, Loretta Young, Lucille Ball, Jane Wyatt, Henry Fonda, Jack Benny, Rosalind Russell, Shirley Temple, Margaret O’Brien, Gregory Peck, Jimmy Durante, Gene Kelly, Natalie Wood, Vincent Price, Charlton Heston and Raymond Burr, to name a few.

 

THIS EPISODE:

Cat#10591. Family Theatre. February 27, 1947. Mutual network. "J. Smith and Wife". Sustaining. 10:00 P.M. A beautiful story about a common, everyday couple who die and try to enter the Elysian Fields. The story was broadcast on The Columbia Workshop on March 26, 1938 (see cat. #4829). Dana Andrews (host), Meredith Willson and His Orchestra, Charles Tazewell (writer), Bing Crosby, Irene Dunne, Bob Longnecker (producer), Richard Sanville (director). 29:29. Episode Notes From The Radio Gpld Index.

Death Valley Days - "The Burro That Had No Name" (06-17-38)

 

Death Valley Days - "The Burro That Had No Name" (Aired 06-17-38)

Death Valley Days is an American radio and television anthology series featuring true stories of the old American West, particularly the Death Valley area. Created in 1930 by Ruth Woodman, the program was broadcast on radio until 1945. It continued from 1952 to 1975 as a syndicated television series. The series was sponsored by the Pacific Coast Borax Company (20 Mule Team Borax, Boraxo). The 558 television episodes were introduced by a host. The longest-running was "The Old Ranger" from 1952 to 1965, played by Stanley Andrews when the series was produced by McGowan Productions, producer of the Sky King television series. Filmaster Productions Inc., who produced the first several seasons of Gunsmoke for CBS Television, took over production of the series in the mid-1960s. Following the departure of Andrews, Ronald Reagan became the host. When Reagan entered politics, the role went to Robert Taylor. Taylor became gravely ill in 1969 and was replaced by Dale Robertson. Production of new episodes ceased in 1970. Merle Haggard provided narration for some previously made episodes in 1975. Reagan and Taylor also frequently appeared in the program as actors. While original episodes were still being made, older episodes were in syndication under a different series title with other hosts; the series could still be in competition with itself in syndication, and this also made it easier for viewers to distinguish the new episodes from the older ones. The hosting segment at the beginning and the end was easily reshot with another performer having no effect on the story. Alternate hosts and titles included Frontier Adventure (Dale Robertson), The Pioneers (Will Rogers, Jr.), Trails West (Ray Milland), Western Star Theatre (Rory Calhoun) and Call of the West (John Payne). The last title was also often applied to the series' memorable, haunting theme music.

 

THIS EPISODE:

June 17, 1938. Blue Network. "The Burro That Had No Name". Sponsored by: Twenty Mule Team Borax. A pair of prospectors are plagued by a white burro, who makes himself right at home! John McBride ("The Old Ranger"). 25:49.

Favorite Story - "The Time Machine" (5-28-49)

 

As an anthology, Favorite Story had no regular characters; the only person who appeared in the same role from one episode to another was host Ronald Colman. His presence enhanced the program's appeal to listeners and to executives and sponsors at local stations — a factor essential to having stations broadcast the show. Frederick Ziv, owner of the company that syndicated the program, said that with Colman on board, "Stations were receptive, networks were receptive, sponsors were receptive, audiences were receptive." Becker found that, besides being the host and acting in some episodes, Colman "did indeed have measurable creative input into Favorite Story", such as suggesting how the script writers should adapt the stories for radio. Actors heard regularly in episodes included Jeff Corey, Edna Best, Lionel Stander, Vincent Price, John Beal, Howard Duff, William Conrad, and Janet Waldo.[2] Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee produced, directed, and wrote for the program. Other writers were William Froug and E. Jack Neuman. Announcers were George Barclay and True Boardman. Music was by Claude Sweeten.

 

THIS EPISODE:

The Time Machine from Favorite Story aired on May 28, 1949 hosted by Ronald Coleman. The Time Machine was a book by H. G. Wells, first published in 1895 and later directly adapted into at least two theatrical films of the same name as well as at least one television and countless comic book adaptations. It also indirectly inspired many more works of fiction in all media. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index and Boxcars711.

Dark Fantasy - "Men Call Me Mad" (12-19-41)

 

 

INTRO: Bob Camardella Plays The Pastels "Been So Long" (1957) 

Dark Fantasy was a short series with tales of the weird, adventures of the supernatural, created for you by Scott Bishop. The series aired as a horror drama on NBC between 1941 and 1942. Dark Fantasy was a series dedicated to dealings with the unknown. Originating from radio station WKY, Oklahoma City, it was written by Scott Bishop (of Mysterious Traveler and The Sealed Book fame) and was heard Fridays over stations. Tom Paxton served as announcer. The shows covered horror, science fiction and murder mysteries. Although a short series, the shows are excellent with some stories way ahead of their time. WKY's talented writer, Scott Bishop, was responsible for all of the scripts.

 

THIS EPISODE:

 December 19, 1941. Program #5. NBC network, WKY, Oklahoma City origination. "Men Call Me Mad". Sustaining. A scientist shrinks himself to the size of an atom and enters a different world...threatened by a plague! He then falls in love with a beautiful princess in the miniature world. Scott Bishop (writer), Ben Morris, Fred Wayne, Murillo Scofield, Muir Hite, Daryl McAllister, Eleanor Naylor Corin. 24:51. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

Dark Venture "A Ten Dollar Bill" (Aired August 5, 1945)

 

INTRO: Bob Camardella Plays The Platters "Remember When" (1959)

Dark Venture was a grim kind of thriller where the listener got inside the twisted head of the murderer and heard his thoughts. It was not supernatural horror, but horror just the same... the kind that evil minds spawn when they are scheming ways to kill someone and get away with it. The writing was sharp and gritty. These killers were hardened sociopaths that didn't give a damn about anyone else. They had no conscience and were diabolical in their plots. Unfortunately for them, the audience also liked to see others suffer, especially if that person was guilty and deserved his comeuppance. So each week millions could tune in to "see" the murderer meet his fate on the radio in their mind's eye. The killing method wasn't especially creative. It was usually the tried and true technique of strangulation, knifing, or shooting. No, what made Dark Venture interesting was the manner in which the killer plotted to get away with it all. Killers would devise sinister mind games to trick their wife into believing she was going insane, or manipulate a business partner into thinking he was being stalked by a phantom lover.

 

THIS EPISODE:

 

115216. Dark Venture. August 15, 1947. ABC net, KECA, Los Angeles origination. "Ten Dollar Bill". Sustaining. George is a bum, sleeping in an alley. When a man is shot in the alley, George grabs a $10 bill from the man's wallet. That $10 has a story of its own to tell. Larry Marcus (writer), John Newland (narrator), William T. Johnson (director), Jack Moyles, Jack Edwards Jr., Norman Field, David Ellis, Sam Edwards, Wilms Herbert, Eddie Marr, Herb Vigran, Virginia Gregg, Rex Koury (organist), George Fenneman (announcer). 29:22, Audio Condition: excellent audio, complete. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

Defense Attorney - "Joshua Masters" (04-10-52)

Joshua Masters (Aired April 10, 1952)

Mercedes McCambridge star as lawyer in Defense Attorney in defending the defenseless. She was born in Joliet, Illinois, the daughter of Irish American Catholic parents Marie (née Mahaffry) and John Patrick McCambridge. She graduated from Mundelein College in Chicago before embarking on a career. She began her career as a radio actor during the 1940s while also performing on Broadway. Her radio work in this period included her portrayal of Rosemary Levy on Abie's Irish Rose and various characters on the radio series I Love A Mystery in both its West Coast and East Coast incarnations (most notably as "Charity Martin" in The Thing That Cries in the Night, "Nasha" and "Laura" in Bury Your Dead, Arizona, "Sunny Richards" in both The Million Dollar Curse and The Temple of Vampires and "Jack 'Jacqueline' Dempsey Ross" in The Battle of the Century). Show Notes From Ones Media.

 

THIS EPISODE:

 April 10, 1952. "Joshua Masters" - ABC network. Sponsored by: Kix, Chlorets. Joshua Masters has three sons, one of whom wants to kill him. Martha Ellis Bryant recommends a private detective. However, it's not Joshua Masters, but one of his sons who is found dead! Joshua Masters is then found dead...a suicide! Betty Mills of Radio TV Mirror magazine names Mercedes McCambridge "favorite dramatic actress." Mercedes McCambridge, Howard Culver, Harry Bartell, Rex Koury (composer, conductor), Jack Spiers (writer), Dwight Hauser (director), Betty Mills, Tony Barrett, Dallas McKinnon (doubles), Orval Anderson (announcer). 29:49. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

Lights Out "Ball aka Paris Macabre"

The Ball aka: Paris Macabre (Aired March 9, 1943)

 INTRO: Bob Camardella Plays Barbra Streisand "As Time Goes By" (1942)

Lights Out was created in Chicago by writer Wyllis Cooper in 1934, and the first series of shows (each 15 minutes long) ran on a local NBC station, WENR. By April 1934, the series was expanded to a half hour in length and moved to midnight Wednesdays. In January 1935, the show was discontinued in order to ease Cooper's workload (he was then writing scripts for the network's prestigious Immortal Dramas program), but was brought back by huge popular demand a few weeks later. 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. 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.
 

THIS EPISODE:

Sponsored by: Ironized Yeast, Energene Shoe White. A ghastly story about the headless, walking dead. The story is also known as, "Paris Macbre." This is a network, sponsored version. Arch Oboler (writer, host), Frank Martin (commercial spokesman), Bea Benaderet, Jane Morgan. 27:05. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

LineUp - Restaurant Owner Kidnapped (11-19-52)-333-STEREO

The Restaurant Owner Kidnapped (Aired November 19, 1952)

INTRO: Bob Camardella Plays The Skyliners "It Happened Today" (1959)

The Lineup is a realistic police drama that gives radio audiences a look behind the scenes at police headquarters. Bill Johnstone plays Lt. Ben Guthrie, a quiet, calm-as-a-cupcake cucumber. Joseph Kearns (and from 1951 to 1953, Matt Maher) plays Sgt. Matt Grebb, a hot-tempered hot plate who is easily bored. The director and script writer often rode with police on the job and sat in on the police lineups to get ideas for The Lineup. They also read dozens of newspapers daily and intermeshed real stories with those that they used in the show. With Dragnet a smash hit, realism in police dramas was popular at the time this show aired. Don’t be caught without this radio show in your collection!

THIS EPISODE:
 
July 22, 1952. CBS network. "The Restaurant Owner Kidnapped". Sustaining. Ed Drinkler is being held for $10,000 ransom. The show has a good shoot-'em-up conclusion. William Johnstone, Raymond Burr, Jaime del Valle (producer, transcriber), Eddie Dunstedter (music), Dan Cubberly (announcer), E. Jack Neuman (writer), Joseph Du Val, Hy Averback, Howard McNear, Peter Leeds, Virginia Gregg, Jeanne Bates. 29:04. Show Notes Ready To Post.

The Lives Of Harry Lime (The Third Man) - "Mexican Hat Trick" (11-02-51)

Mexican Hat Trick (Aired November 2, 1951)

INTRO: Bob Camardella Plays Dinah Washington "What Difference A Day Makes" (1959)

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:

November 2, 1951. Program #14. Lang-Worth syndication. "Mexican Hat Trick". Commercials added locally. Harry's in Mexico City down to his last borrowed cigarette when a friendly pickpocket puts him on the trail of an innocent, but convicted murderer. Orson Welles, Anton Karas (zither), Harry Alan Towers (producer), Tig Roe (director). 28:47. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

Who's On First - Abbott & Costello (The Video) 1938

Abbott and Costello "Who's on First?"

Who's on First? is a vaudeville comedy routine made most famous by Abbott and Costello. In Abbott and Costello's version, the premise of the routine is that Abbott is identifying the players on a baseball team to Costello, but their names and nicknames can be interpreted as non-responsive answers to Costello's questions. In this context, the first baseman is named "Who"; thus, the utterance "Who's on first" is ambiguous between the question ("which person is the first baseman?") and the answer ("The name of the first baseman is 'Who'"). In February 1938, Abbott and Costello joined the cast of the The Kate Smith Hour radio program, and the sketch was first performed for a national radio audience that March. The routine may have been further polished before this broadcast by burlesque producer John Grant, who became the team's writer, and Will Glickman, a staff writer on the radio show. Glickman may have added the nicknames of then-contemporary baseball players like Dizzy and Daffy Dean to set up the routine's premise. This version, with extensive wordplay based on the fact that most of a fictional baseball team's players had "strange nicknames" that seemed to be questions, became known as "Who's on First?" By 1944, Abbott and Costello had the routine copyrighted. Abbott and Costello performed "Who's on First?" numerous times in their careers, rarely performing it the same way twice. Once, they did the routine at President Roosevelt's request. The routine was featured in the team's 1940 film debut, One Night in the Tropics. The duo reprised the bit in their 1945 film The Naughty Nineties, and it is that version which is considered their finest recorded rendition. They also performed the routine numerous times on radio and television (notably in The Abbott and Costello Show episode "The Actor's Home"). In 1956 a gold record of "Who's on First?" was placed in the Baseball Hall of Fame museum in Cooperstown, New York. A video (taken from The Naughty Nineties) now plays continuously on screens at the Hall.

Dangerous Assignment - "Intercept Dr. Korvel" (12-30-50)

 

The Carpenters, officially known as Carpenters, were an American vocal and instrumental duo consisting of siblings Karen (1950–1983) and Richard Carpenter (born 1946). They produced a distinctive soft musical style, combining Karen's contralto vocals with Richard's harmonizing, arranging, and composition skills. During their 14-year career, the Carpenters recorded 10 albums along with many singles and several television specials.

The siblings were born in New Haven, Connecticut, and moved to Downey, California, in 1963. Richard took piano lessons as a child, progressing to California State University, Long Beach, while Karen learned the drums. They first performed together as a duo in 1965 and formed the jazz-oriented Richard Carpenter Trio along with Wesley Jacobs, then formed the middle-of-the-road band Spectrum. Subsequently the two signed as Carpenters to A&M Records in 1969, they achieved major success the following year with the hit singles "(They Long to Be) Close to You" and "We've Only Just Begun".

Danger With Grainger - "Phony Photographer Case" (1956)

"Phony Photographer Case" (1956) *The Exact Date Is Unknown.

Danger With Granger arrived too late in the Golden Age of Radio to have any real impact on the listening public. Mutual aired this show, starting in 1956, on Monday nights at 8:30 pm. It was a half hour show that featured a private eye in New York City, STEVE GRANGER. His two primary companions were Cal Hendrix, a reporter who served as an all-purpose source of criminal info, and Jake Rankin, a police detective with whom he had a grudging rivalry. The writing on the show seemed to incorporate most of the standard cliche's of the P.I. world. Granger, who was both the star and the first-person narrator of the show (not an uncommon practice with radio gumshoes), never saw a woman, instead "he gave the doll the once-over." He didn't kick with his foot, he "lifted a size 10." Instead of paying cash, he "forked over numbered lettuce." In his investigations Steve Granger cooperates with the police and the FBI and other authorities. The mysteries he solved were fairly reasonable, and while he was a tough guy who roughed up lesser mortals, he seemed to get knocked unconscious at least once in every program.

Damon Runyon Theater - "Pick The Winner" (03-20-49)

Pick The Winner (Aired March 20, 1949)

INTRO: Bob Camardella Plays The Shirelles "Tonight's The Night" (1960)

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

 

THIS EPISODE:

 
March 20, 1949. Program #12. Mayfair syndication. "Pick The Winner". Commercials added locally. Hot Horse Herbie, Cutie Andrews and Broadway travel to Florida to play the horses. They run into "The Professor," which is a horse of another color! Damon Runyon (author), John Brown, Richard Sanville (director), Russell Hughes (adaptor), Vern Carstensen (production supervisor), Frank Gallop (announcer). 27:49. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

Dad's Army - "The Menace From The Deep" (05-27-74)

 The Menace From The Deep (Aired May 27, 1974)

INTRO: Bob Camardella Plays Aaron Neville "Tell It Like It Is" (1966)

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.

 

THIS EPISODE:

  

\May 27, 1974 - "The Menace From The Deep"- Swallows Bank takes a direct hit during an air-raid, but the bomb fails to explode, leaving Mainwaring and Wilson stuck in the vault with it. When the Bomb Disposal officer retreats to collect the right tools, the platoon must take matters into their own hands. 27:41. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

Curtain Time - "Solid Sender" (07-26-47)

Curtain Time - Solid Sender (07-26-47)

 

INTRO: Bob Camardella Plays The Shields "You Cheated" (1958)

Solid Sender (Aired July 26, 1947)

Curtain Time had two separate runs on radio. The fist run was sponsored by General Mills from 1937 to 1939 and the second aired from 1945 to 1950, sponsored by the Mars Candy Co. Interesting is that this romantic drama had a theater setting and announcements with the announcer shouting "tickets please". Many of the episodes were romantic stories where a boy meets his dream girl and what happens afterwards. Announcer for the series was Harry Halcomb who was later known best for his appearances on the 60 minutes television show. Curtain Time is truly an Old Time Radio Classic. Mutual Network, local KNX show sustained, heard Fridays 7:30 - 8:00 pm

 

THIS EPISODE:

July 26, 1947. NBC network, Chicago origination. "Solid Sender". Sponsored by: Snickers. Nannette Sargent, Bert Farber (arranger, conductor), Harry Holcomb (director), Patricia Dunlap, Maurice Copeland, George Cisar, Tom K. O'Hara (writer), Patrick Allen (host), Harry Elders. 27:39. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

Crime Does Not Pay - "Operation Payroll" (02-28-51)

Operation Payroll (Aired February 28, 1951)

As must be immediately noticeable from the long list of movie actors heard in Crime Does Not Pay, this was not your everyday Golden Age Radio drama. Indeed, you might be forgiven if you fail to recognize more than a couple of Radio voice talents in the entire list. The Radio program was based on a very popular series of MGM Short Subjects they produced between 1935 and 1948 under the same name, Crime Does Not Pay. The Marcus Loew Booking Agency had owned radio station call sign WHN since 1946. In September of 1948, WHN changed their call sign to WMGM, in part to capitalize on a series of MGM programming projects they were attempting to introduce to a national audience. Programs such as The Adventures of Maisie, Crime Does Not Pay, MGM Theatre of The Air, and Dr. Kildare, all drew on material that MGM, as a Film Studio, already had in the can. Show Notes From The Digital Deli.
 

THIS EPISODE:

 
February 28, 1951. Program #73. MGM syndication. "Operation Payroll". Commercials added locally. The date above is the date of the first broadcast of the program on WMGM, New York, from which this syndicated version may have been taken. Harold Vermilyea, Bob Williams (announcer), Marx B. Loeb (director),  Ira Marion (writer), Jon Gart (composer, conductor), Burton B. Turkas (technical advisor). 25:29. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

The Crime Club - "Coney Island Nocturne" (07-10-47)

Coney Island Nocturne (Aired July 10, 1947)

INTRO: Bob Camardella Plays Sergio Mendes & Brazil '66 "The Look Of Love" (1967)

The Crime Club began life in 1928 with the publication of The Desert Moon Mystery by Kay Cleaver Strahan, and ceased publication in 1991. In the intervening 63 years, The Crime Club published 2,492 titles. Stories from this imprint were first dramatized on The Eno Crime Club, a detective series broadcast on CBS from February 9, 1931 to December 21, 1932, sponsored by Eno Effervescent Salts. The Crime Club novels were not adapted for the later Eno Crime Clues, heard on the Blue Network from January 3, 1933 to June 30. 1936. The Crime Club returned on the Mutual Broadcasting System as a half-hour radio series with adaptations from the Doubleday imprint. Each installment was introduced by the series host, The Librarian, portrayed by Barry Thomson and Raymond Edward Johnson (who was better known as the host of Inner Sanctum Mysteries). The series began December 2, 1946 and continued until October 16, 1947.

 

THIS EPISODE:

 
 July 10, 1947. Mutual network. "Coney Island Nocturne". Sustaining. A dumb cop has his pocket picked on the boardwalk. His wallet is found later on a corpse. Stedman Coles (writer), Walter Kinsella, Joan Alexander. 29:04. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

Crime Classics - "The Axe And The Droot Family" (08-10-53)

The Axe And The Droot Family (Aired August 10, 1953)

INTRO: Bob Camardella Plays Atlantic Starr "Always"(1987)

Crime Classics was a U. S. radio docudrama which aired over CBS from June 15, 1953 to June 30, 1954. Created, produced, and directed by radio actor/director Elliott Lewis, the program was basically a historical true crime series, examining crimes, and especially murders, from the past. It grew out of Lewis's personal interest in famous murder cases, and took a documentary-like approach to the subject, carefully recreating the facts, personages, and feel of the time period. Comparatively little dramatic license was taken with the facts and events, but the tragedy was leavened with humor, expressed largely through the narration.

 

THIS EPISODE:

August 10, 1953. CBS network. "The Axe and The Droot Family: How They Fared". Sustaining. In Pennsylvania in 1795, the shortest distance to an inheritance is two crushed skulls. This is a network version. Lou Merrill (host), Morton Fine (writer), David Friedkin (writer), Elliott Lewis (producer, director), Bernard Herrmann (composer, conductor), Mary Jane Croft, Clayton Post, Herb Butterfield, Sam Edwards, Paul Frees, Charles Davis, George Walsh (announcer). 30:08. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

Crime & Peter Chambers - "The Hot Spot" (08-31-54)

The Hot Spot (Aired August 31, 1954)

Crime and Peter Chambers, stared Dane Clark as a hard-hitting private eye that worked well the with police department. His counter part at the NYPD was Lt Parker played by Bill Zuckert. The series was based on the character created by Henry Kane who wrote eight Peter Chambers novels before the series came to radio. Henry Kane wrote the scripts for the radio show adaptation which aired from 6 Apr – 7 Sep 1954 on NBC. The show was directed by Fred Weihe. There are a total of 21 episodes available from the series. Show Notes From The Old Time Radio Researcher's Group.

THIS EPISODE:
 

August 31, 1954. NBC network. Sustaining. Johnny Silver, a well known band leader, has been murdered at "The Hot Spot," a swank nightclub. Dane Clark, Henry Kane (creator, writer), Fred Collins (announcer), Fred Weihe (director), William Zuckert, Rita Lynn, Donald Buka. 25:25. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

The Creaking Door - "Man In The Lift" (10-05-64)

Man In The Lift (Aired October 5, 1964)

The Creaking Door stands on its own as a unique, well-produced, engaging supernatural thriller series on its own merit. The etymology of the name, The Creaking Door, bears some reflection. 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. The emphasis on high production values is perhaps the very reason that several early, morally challenged Radio traders felt they could get away with interspersing many of the Creaking Door episodes with their Inner Sanctum, Mysterious Traveler, and Strange Dr. Weird offerings to a still naive community of radio recording collectors. Although somewhat left-handed, it's still a compliment to both SABC and Springbok Radio that those early 'otr hooligans' managed to get away with the practice for well over 20 years. That takes nothing away from this excellent series in its own right.

David Harding Counterspy - "Mile High Murders" (04-11-50)

Mile High Murders (Aired April 11, 1950)

The show was at the top of the list among programs that had developed the technique of sound effects to a fine art. Each program was written with the sound in mind, not so much sound for sound's sake, but to advance the plot, add color or create atmosphere. Two sound effects men spent a reported ten hours in rehearsal for each broadcast, in addition to the time spent by the actors. East coast actors House Jameson, Don MacLaughlin, Phil Sterling and Lawson Zerbe [MBS] (Zerbe appeared as both David Harding and Harry Peters) were the only four actors to ever assume the role of David Harding--Jameson for the first two episodes only, replaced by Don MacLaughlin for the remainder of its twelve year run. Both Connecticut residents, House Jameson premiered in the role while Lord was still auditioning talent for the lead. By the third episode, Phillips H. Lord selected Don MacLaughlin for the role. MacLaughlin was by no means new to Radio, having already appeared in some 300 Radio productions since his debut over Radio in 1935. Show Notes From The Digital Deli.
 

 
THIS EPISODE:

 
 
April 11, 1950. ABC network. "The Mile High Murders". Sponsored by: Pepsi Cola. Mass murder is routine with a Cuban gang smuggling refugees to the United States. 29:06. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

Confession - "The Esther Phillips Case" (08-02-53)

The Esther Phillips Case (Aired August 2, 1953)

INTRO Bob Camardella Plays Barry Manilow Cant Smile Without You 1978

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

THIS EPISODE:
 
August 2, 1953. NBC network. "The Esther Phillips Case". Sustaining. 9:30 P. M. Transcribed statements of actual crimes. Esther Phillips confesses to a string of robberies. The program opening and system cue are slightly upcut. The telephone-type recording beep heard throughout the show is very unneccessary. Paul Frees, Joel Davis, Les Tremayne, Alice Reinheart, George Pirrone, Charlotte Lawrence, Vivi Janis, Lou Rusoff (writer), Michael Samoge (music), Warren Lewis (script supervisor), Homer Canfield (director), John Wald (announcer). 29:26. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.