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.