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

Archie Takes Up Reading (Aired May 3, 1946)

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

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

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

The Last Survivor (Aired October 11, 1945)

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

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

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

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

The radio series also benefited from the immense popularity of a supporting character, Digby "Digger" O'Dell (John Brown), "the friendly undertaker."Beginning October 4, 1949, the show was adapted for television for the DuMont Television Network, but Bendix's film contracts prevented him from appearing in the role. Instead, Jackie Gleason starred along with Rosemary DeCamp as wife Peg, Gloria Winters as daughter Barbara (Babs), Lanny Rees as son Chester Jr. (Junior), and Sid Tomack as Gillis, Riley's manipulative best buddy and next-door neighbor. John Brown returned as the morbid counseling undertaker Digby (Digger) O'Dell ("Well, I guess I'll be... shoveling off"; "Business is a little dead tonight"). Show Notes From The Old Time Radio Researcher's Group and The Digital Deli.

THIS EPISODE:

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

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

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

The series dramatized FBI cases, which producer-director Phillips H. Lord arranged in close association with Bureau director J. Edgar Hoover. Hoover insisted that only closed cases would be used. The initial series was on NBC Radio from July 20 - October 12, 1935. It then aired on CBS from January 15, 1936 to June 15, 1940, sponsored by Colgate-Palmolive and Cue magazine. From October 11, 1940 to December 25, 1948, it was heard on the Blue Network, with various sponsors that included Sloan's Liniment, Waterman pens and Tide. Returning to CBS on January 8, 1949, it ran until June 25, 1955, sponsored by Grape-Nuts and Wrigley's chewing gum. The final series was on the Mutual Broadcasting System from October 5, 1955 to November 27, 1957. It was once narrated by Norman Schwarzkopf, Sr., former head of the New Jersey State Police.

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

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

Corpse In The Cellar (Aired April 30, 1935)

 

 

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

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

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

Missing Japanese Weapons (Aired February 6, 1950)

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

THIS EPISODE:

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

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

Three Silver Pesos (Aired June 3, 1946)

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

THIS EPISODE:

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

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

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

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

THIS EPISODE:

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Vanilla Murder Case (Aired December 21, 1948)

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

THIS EPISODE:

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

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

Corpse In The Cab (Aired February 5, 1944)

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

THIS EPISODE:

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

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

The Art Critic (Aired March 11, 1947)

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

THIS EPISODE:

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

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

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

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

THIS EPISODE:

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

The Crime Club - "The Grey Mist Murders" (04-10-47)

The Grey Mist Murders (Aired April 10, 1947)

Crime club was a Mutual Network  murder and mystery series, a product of the Doubleday Crime Book Club imprints found weekly in bookstores everywhere. The telephone rings "Hello, I hope I haven't kept you waiting. Yes, this is the Crime Club. I'm the Librarian. Murder Rents A Room? Yes, we have that Crime Club story for you.Come right over. (The organist in the shadowed corner of the Crime Club library shivers the ivories) The doorbell tones sullenly"And you are here. Good. Take the easy chair by the window. Comfortable? The book is on this shelf." (The organist hits the scary chord) "Let's look at it under the reading lamp." The Librarian, played by Raymond E. Johnson,  begins reading the tale. Veteran Willis Cooper (Lights Out, Quiet Please) did some of the scripts from the Crime Club books.

THIS EPISODE:

April 10, 1947. Mutual network. "The Grey Mist Murders". Sustaining. A pleasure cruise to Hawaii on a private yacht becomes the scene of several murders. Constance Baker (writer, billed as Constance Little), Gwenyth Hemming-Jones (writer, billed as Gwenyth Little), Sidney Smith, Helen Shields. 29:49.
Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

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

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

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

THIS EPISODE:

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

Nightfall - Private Collection (03-18-83)

Private Collection (Aired March 18, 1983)

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

THIS EPISODE:

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

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

Room For Improvement (Aired November 16, 1955)

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

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

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

The Eye Of Apollo (Aired October 17, 1974)

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

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

The Crime Club - "The Grey Mist Murders" (04-10-47)

The Grey Mist Murders (Aired April 10, 1947)

Crime Club was a Mutual Network  murder and mystery series, a product of the Doubleday Crime Book Club imprints found weekly in bookstores everywhere. The telephone rings "Hello, I hope I haven't kept you waiting. Yes, this is the Crime Club. I'm the Librarian. Murder Rents A Room? Yes, we have that Crime Club story for you.Come right over. (The organist in the shadowed corner of the Crime Club library shivers the ivories) The doorbell tones sullenly"And you are here. Good. Take the easy chair by the window. Comfortable? The book is on this shelf." (The organist hits the scary chord) "Let's look at it under the reading lamp." The Librarian, played by Raymond E. Johnson,  begins reading the tale. Veteran Willis Cooper (Lights Out, Quiet Please) did some of the scripts from the Crime Club books.

THIS EPISODE:

April 10, 1947. Mutual network. "The Grey Mist Murders". Sustaining. A pleasure cruise to Hawaii on a private yacht becomes the scene of several murders. Constance Baker (writer, billed as Constance Little), Gwenyth Hemming-Jones (writer, billed as Gwenyth Little), Sidney Smith, Helen Shields. 29:49. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

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

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

The Secret Box (Aired July 23, 1950)

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

THIS EPISODE:

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

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

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

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

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

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

A Promise To Mark (Aired October 13, 1943)

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

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

THIS EPISODE:

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

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

Recalling 1956 (Aired April 19, 1972)

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

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

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

This hard boiled spy drama began as an RKO Radio Pictures theatrical serial in the 1940s, went on radio in 1945, and then came to TV ten years later in this Syndicated series produced for distribution by NBC Films; Charles McGraw had been in many motion pictures before and after including "The Killers", "Spartacus" and "Cimarron"; in this series he played the title role of a man whose real name was supposedly Mike Waring, an American agent whose code name was "Falcon"; Later Charles McGraw starred in a short lived TV version of "Casablanca" (1955 - 1956) in the character of Rick; He also had a role on the detective drama "Staccato" (1959) Actor McGraw (whose birth name was Charles Butters) met an unfortunate death in real life when he fell through a shower glass door in 1980 at his home in Studio City, CA.

THIS EPISODE:

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

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

The Big Death (Aired September 28, 1950)

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

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

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

Dad's Army - 2 Episodes From 1975

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

Mayor Of The Town - "Enemy Agents" (12-29-42)

Enemy Agents (Aired December 29, 1942)

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, and other Hollywood actors. Producer: Murray Bolen; later Knowles Entrikin. Director: Jack Van Nostrand. Writers: Jean Holloway, Leonard St. Clair, Howard Blake, Erna Lazarus, etc.; Howard Breslin and Charles Tazewell wrote alternate weeks, ca. 1945. Orchestra:. Gordon Jenkins (ca. 1943); Bernard Katz (1945); Frank Worth. Sound Effects: David Light, Mary Ann Gideon.

Boxcars711 Overnight Western "Have Gun Will Travel" - The Gunsmith (04-26-59)

Boxcars711 Overnight Western "Have Gun Will Travel" - The Gunsmith  (Aired April 26, 1959)

The knight symbol is in reference to his name — possibly a nickname or working name — and his occupation as a champion-for-hire (see paladin). The theme song of the series refers to him as "a knight without armor." In addition, Paladin drew a parallel between his methods and the chess piece's movement: "It's a chess piece, the most versatile on the board. It can move in eight different directions, over obstacles, and it's always unexpected." Paladin was a former Army officer and a graduate of West Point. He was a polyglot, capable of speaking any foreign tongue required by the plot. He also had a thorough knowledge of ancient history and classical literature, and he exhibited a strong passion for legal principles and the rule of law.

THIS EPISODE:

April 26, 1959. CBS network. "The Gunsmith". Longines Watches, Pepsi-Cola, Lysol. Paladin goes to the defense of an old gunsmith who's been beaten by a young tough. Ben Wright appears on this program as both a Chinese and a German! This is a quality upgrade, network, sponsored version of cat. #17373. This script was the first one written for the radio series and not previously used on the television series. John Dehner, Ben Wright, Norman Macdonnell (producer, director), Ray Kemper (writer), Ralph Moody, Lawrence Dobkin, Hugh Douglas (announcer), Frank Knight (Longines commercial), Virginia Gregg, Sam Rolfe (creator), Herb Meadow (creator), Bill James (sound effects), Tom Hanley (sound effects) 25:24.Cat.17372 Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

I Was A Communist For The FBI The FBI

I Was A Communist For The FBI The FBI

I Was a Communist for the FBI was an American espionage thriller radio series with 78 episodes syndicated by Ziv to more than 600 stations in 1952-54. Made without FBI cooperation, the series was adapted from the book by undercover agent Matt Cvetic, who was portrayed by Dana Andrews.The series was crafted to warn people about the threat of Communist subversion of American society. The tone of the show is very jingoistic and ultra-patriotic. Communists are evil incarnate and the FBI can do no wrong. As a relic of the Joe McCarthy era, this show is a time capsule of American society during the Second Red Scare.

THIS EPISODE:

October 22, 1952. Program #27. ZIV Syndication. "Little Boy Red". Commercials added locally. A Russian is being forced to return home because his very Communist son has been kidnapped and brought to a camp in the country. The date is sub ject to correction. Byron Kane, Dana Andrews, Jeffrey Silver, Truman Bradley (announcer). 26:32. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

This Is Your FBI - "The Corrupt City (02-15-46)"

The Corrupt City (Aired February 15, 1946)

This Is Your FBI was sponsored during its entire run by the Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States (now AXA Equitable Life Insurance Company). This is Your FBI had counterparts on the other networks. The FBI in Peace and War also told stories of the FBI, although some were not authentic. Earlier on, Gangbusters, and the previously mentioned Mr. District Attorney gave the authentic crime treatment to their stories. And Dragnet, and Tales of the Texas Rangers, took the idea on as well. Crime, especially true crime, was a genre in the magazines early on, with the Police Gazette and its predecessors in England printing lurid true crime stories prior to radio. This is Your FBI took the idea, and made it realistic, exciting and even informational.

THIS EPISODE:

February 15, 1946. ABC network. "The Corrupt City". Sponsored by: The Equitable Life Assurance Society. Frederick Steiner (music director), Dean Carlton (narrator), Jerry Devine (producer), Carl Frank (announcer), Frank Faries (writer). 28:41. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

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

The Eye Of Apollo (Aired October 17, 1974)

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

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

Boxcars711 Overnight Western "Gunsmoke" - Cyclone (03-14-53)

Gunsmoke - Aired March 14, 1963 "Cyclone" 

 Two auditions were created in 1949. The first was very much like a hardboiled detective series and starred Rye Billsbury as Dillon; the second starred Straight Arrow actor Howard Culver in a more Western, lighter version of the same script. CBS liked the Culver version better, and Ackerman was told to proceed. But there was a complication. Culver's contract as the star of Straight Arrow would not allow him to do another Western series. The project was shelved for three years, when MacDonnell and Meston discovered it creating an adult Western series of their own. MacDonnell and Meston wanted to create a radio Western for adults, in contrast to the prevailing juvenile fare such as The Lone Ranger and The Cisco Kid. Gunsmoke was set in Dodge City, Kansas during the thriving cattle days of the 1870s. Dunning notes, "The show drew critical acclaim for unprecedented realism."

THIS EPISODE:

 March 14, 1953. CBS net. "Cyclone". Sustaining. The program includes a message of praise for the show from the Governor of Kansas. The Cyclone Ranch has been sold under strange circumstances. Marshal Dillon suspects foul play. George Walsh (announcer), Georgia Ellis, Harry Bartell, Howard McNear, Jerry Hausner, Joe Cranston, Lawrence Dobkin, Les Crutchfield (writer), Norman Macdonnell (producer, director), Parley Baer, Vivi Janis, William Conrad. 30:00. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

The Molle Mystery Theater - "Lady In The Morgue" (05-15-45)

Lady In The Morgue (Aired May 15, 1945)

The program appears to have aired sustained for its first three months, with three to five sponsors beginning to make an appearance with Program #17, "The Mystery of The Seven Keys" of December 28, 1943. There is a circulating program titled "Homicide for Hannah", that should have been the first Molle Mystery Theatre, but there is no provenance anywhere that the initial program ever actually aired. This is the first circulating program in which we hear the program refer to itself as Molle Mystery Theatre. But throughout its NBC run, we hear sponsorship by Ironized Yeast, Energene, Bayer Aspirin, Sterling Drug, and Molle. To its everlasting credit, NBC clearly went to great lengths to promote the script titles, performers and authors of each program to the nation's newpapers. From 1943 through 1948, Mystery Theatre was one of the most well documented and promoted radio programs of its time. Indeed, so many details were available for its entire NBC run that this was one of the easiest logs we've developed in some time. We have solid, highly detailed newspaper listing provenances for almost ninety percent of the first 237 programs. Show Notes From The Old Time Radio Researcher's Group and The Digital Deli.

The New Adventures Of Nero Wolf - "The Next Witness" (03-27-82)

The Next Witness (Aired March 27, 1982)

Nero Wolfe is a fictional detective created by American author Rex Stout in the 1930s and featured in dozens of novels and novellas.In the stories, Wolfe is one of the most famous private detectives in the United States. He weighs about 285 pounds and is 5'11" tall. He raises orchids in a rooftop greenhouse in his New York City brownstone on West 35th Street, helped by his live-in gardener Theodore Horstmann. Wolfe drinks beer throughout the day and is a gourmâ??und. He employs a live-in chef, Fritz Brenner. He is multilingual and brilliant, though apparently self-educated, and reading is his third passion after food and orchids. He works in an office in his house and almost never leaves home, even to pursue the detective work that finances his expensive lifestyle. Instead, his leg work is done by another live-in employee, Archie Goodwin. While both Wolfe and Goodwin are licensed detectives, Goodwin is more of the classic fictional gumshoe, tough, wise-cracking, and skirt-chasing. He tells the stories in a breezy first-person narrative that is semi-hard-boiled in style.

Life With Luigi - "Go West - Young Man" (08-28-49)

Go West - Young Man (Aired August 28, 1949)

Life with Luigi was a radio comedy-drama series which began September 21, 1948 on CBS. The story concerned Italian immigrant Luigi Basco, and his experiences as an immigrant in Chicago. Many of the shows take place at the US citizenship classes that Luigi attends with other immigrants from different countries, as well as trying to fend off the repeated advances of the morbidly-obese daughter of his landlord/sponsor. Luigi was played by J. Carrol Naish, an Irish-American. Naish continued in the role on the short-lived television version in 1952, and was later replaced by Vito Scotti. With a working title of The Little Immigrant, Life with Luigi was created by Cy Howard, who earlier had created the hit radio comedy, My Friend Irma.

THIS EPISODE:

August 28, 1949. "Go West- Young Man" - CBS network. Sustaining. Luigi plans to leave Chicago for California. The script was used subsequently on Life With Luigi on September 25, 1951 and on January 9, 1953. J. Carrol Naish, Alan Reed, Cy Howard (creator, producer), Hans Conried, Bob Stevenson (announcer), Mac Benoff (writer, director), Lou Derman (writer), Mary Shipp, Lyn Murray (music director), Jody Gilbert, Joe Forte, Ken Peters. 29:17. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

Escape - "Outer Limit" (02-07-50)

"Outer Limit" (Aired February 7, 1950)

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!”  Of the more than 230 Escape episodes, most have survived in good condition.

THIS EPISODE:

February 7, 1950. CBS network. "Outer Limit". Sustaining. A famous science fiction story about a test pilot who gets a warning from beyond. Graham Doar (author), Frank Lovejoy, William N. Robson (producer, director), Morton Fine (adaptor), David Friedkin (adaptor). 29:29. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

The Haunting Hour - "The People In The House" (08-18-45)

The People In The House (08-18-45) (Aired August 18, 1945)

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]. True to its genre, the circulating episodes provide some highly compelling supernatural dramas--as well as a subset of fascinating mysteries and detective dramas. There's no reason to expect any less of any new episodes that surface in the coming years.

THIS EPISODE:

August 18, 1945. Program #18. NBC syndication, WRVR-FM, New York aircheck. "The People In The House". Participating sponsors. Syndicated rebroadcast date: January 10, 1974. Edwin Wolfe (director). 24:59. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

Inner Sanctum Mysteries - "Make Ready My Grave" (04-23-46)

Make Ready My Grave (Aired April 23, 1946)

Inner Sanctum Mysteries was a popular old-time radio program that aired from January 7, 1941 to October 5, 1952. Created by Himan Brown, the anthology series featured stories of mystery, terror and suspense. The tongue-in-cheek introductions were in sharp contrast to shows like Suspense and The Whistler. A total of 526 episodes are known to have been produced. The early 1940s programs opened with Raymond Edward Johnson introducing himself as, "Your host, Raymond," in a mocking sardonic voice. A spooky melodramatic organ score punctuated Raymond's many morbid jokes and playful puns. Raymond's closing was an elongated "Pleasant dreaaaaammmmssss!" His tongue-in-cheek style and ghoulish relish of his own tales became the standard for many such horror narrators to follow.

THIS EPISODE:

April 23, 1946. CBS network. "Make Ready My Grave". Sponsored by: Lipton Tea, Lipton Soup. John Loomis brings his new bride to the family mansion, where she discovers the many nooses and learns the secret of the family curse! Richard Widmark, Joan Banks, Paul McGrath (host), Jackson Beck, Mary Bennett (commercial spokesman), Himan Brown (director), Emile Tepperman (writer), Santos Ortega. 27:30. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

The Adventures Of Frank Merriwell - "The Ransomed Football" (10-02-48)

The Ransomed Football (Aired October 2, 1948)

The Frank Merriwell comic strip began in 1928, continuing until 1936. Daily strips from 1934 provided illustrations for the 1937 Big Little Book. The Adventures of Frank Merriwell first ran on NBC radio from March 26 to June 22, 1934 as a 15-minute serial airing three times a week at 5:30pm. Sponsored by Dr. West's Toothpaste, this program starred Donald Briggs in the title role. Harlow Wilcox was the announcer. After a 12-year gap, the series returned October 5, 1946 as a 30-minute Saturday morning show on NBC, continuing until June 4, 1949. Lawson Zerbe starred as Merriwell, Jean Gillespie and Elaine Rostas as Inza Burrage, Harold Studer as Bart Hodge and Patricia Hosley as Elsie Belwood.

THIS EPISODE:
 
October 2, 1948. NBC network. "The Ransomed Football". Sustaining. After a hard-fought football game against Rutgers, the victory football disappears. Frank vows to return the ball before returning to Yale. The University Of Denver "Youth Month" scholarship premium is a four-year full tuition scholarship. Mr. Atwater Kent has donated an additional $500 for expenses while the winner attends college. The program closing has been partially deleted. Elaine Rost, Paul Taubman (composer, conductor), Ruth Braun (writer), Gilbert Braun (writer), William Welch (writer), Edward King (director), William Griffis, David Alexander, Ed Latimer, Lawson Zerbe, Hal Studer, Burt L. Standish (creator). 28:33. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

You Bet Your Life - The Secret Word Is "Window" (11-30-49)

The Secret Word Is "Window" (Aired November 30, 1949)

Contestant teams usually consisted of one male and one female, most selected from the studio audience. Occasionally famous or otherwise interesting figures were invited to play (i.e., a Korean-American contestant who was a veteran and had been a prisoner of war during the Korean War). After his signature introduction of "Here he is: the one, the ONLY..." by Fenneman and finished by a thunderous "GROUCHO!" from the audience, Marx would be introduced to the music of "Hooray for Captain Spaulding", his signature song. Some show tension revolved around whether a contestant would say the "secret word", a common word revealed to the audience at the show's outset. If a contestant said the word, a toy duck resembling Groucho with a mustache and eyeglasses, and with a cigar in its bill, descended from the ceiling to bring a $100 bill.

THIS EPISODE:

November 30, 1949. NBC network. The Secret Word Is 'Window'. Sponsored by: Elgin-American. The first contestant is Henrietta Adair (a spinster). One of the contestants is the godson of the original "Trader Horn." The system cue is added live. Groucho Marx, George Fenneman (announcer), Mike Wallace (commercial spokesman, billed as "Myron Wallace"), Robert Dwan (director), Bernie Smith (director), Jerry Fielding (music), John Guedel (producer), Henrietta Adair. 29:09. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

Boxcars711 Overnight Western "Roy Rogers Show" - The Jinxed Ranch (02-08-52)

Boxcars711 Overnight Western "Roy Rogers Show"
The Jinxed Ranch (Aired February 8, 1952)

 Dale Evans was first cast in a movie with Roy. Roy & Arline had a son, Roy Jr. ("Dusty") in 1946, but Arline died of complications from the birth a few days afterward on November 3, 1946. Roy and Dale soon fell in love, and Roy proposed to her during a rodeo at Chicago Stadium. They married on New Year's Eve in 1947 at the Flying L Ranch in Davis, Oklahoma, where a few months earlier they had filmed Home in Oklahoma. Roy and Dale remained married until Roy's death in 1998.

EPISODE:

February 8, 1952. "The Jinxed Ranch" - NBC network. Sponsored by: Post Cereals. The cattle on John Kennedy's ranch are dying of a mysterious loco weed poisoning. Artie Kerner can sell the same ranch many times over! Roy calls a square dance to the tune, "Raggedy Ann." The Hollywood editor of "Exhibitor Magazine" presents Roy and Dale with an award. Art Ballinger (announcer), Art Rush (producer), Charles Smith, Dale Evans, Forrest Lewis, Frank Hemingway, Herb Butterfield, Howard McNear, Martha Shaw, Milton Charles, Ray Wilson (writer), Roy Rogers, The Whippoorwills, Tom Hargis (director). 30:59. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

The Life Of Riley - "Riley Gets Promoted" (09-07-46)

Riley Gets Promoted (Aired September 7, 1946)

The radio series also benefited from the immense popularity of a supporting character, Digby "Digger" O'Dell (John Brown), "the friendly undertaker."Beginning October 4, 1949, the show was adapted for television for the DuMont Television Network, but Bendix's film contracts prevented him from appearing in the role. Instead, Jackie Gleason starred along with Rosemary DeCamp as wife Peg, Gloria Winters as daughter Barbara (Babs), Lanny Rees as son Chester Jr. (Junior), and Sid Tomack as Gillis, Riley's manipulative best buddy and next-door neighbor. John Brown returned as the morbid counseling undertaker Digby (Digger) O'Dell ("Well, I guess I'll be... shoveling off"; "Business is a little dead tonight"). Television's first Life of Riley won television's first Emmy (for "Best Film Made For and Shown on Television"). However, it came to an end on March 28, 1950 because of low ratings and because Gleason left the show, thinking he could find a better showcase for his unique abilities. Groucho Marx received a credit for "story."

THIS EPISODE:

September 7, 1946. NBC network. Sponsored by: Prell Shampoo, Ivory Snow. "Riley Gets Promoted" to a desk job, but he thinks his physical exam shows that he's getting too old to do his job. Even his wife Peg is trying to send him to the old folks' home! Alan Lipscott (writer), Barbara Eiler, Irving Brecher (producer), Jack Brecher (writer), Ken Carpenter (announcer), Lou Coslowe (music), Paula Winslowe, Reuben Ship (writer), Tommy Cook, William Bendix. 30:04. "Episode Notes From Thee Radio Gold Index" CATALOG # 103274

Bold Venture "Cruise To Batabano" (05-12-52)

Cruise To Batabano (Aired May 12, 1952)

Bold Venture was a classy production from start to finish. At an estimated cost of $36,000 per taping week [or about $12,000 per episode], it pretty much had to have been. Even subtracting the Bogarts' contribution of $5,000 per episode, that still left $7,000 per episode to fund the remaining production costs. That's about $420,000 a week in today's dollars. More than enough budget to ensure a top notch production. The cost to the sponsor-subscribers reportedly varied between $25 a week to as much as $250 a week, depending on the size and reach of the target market(s). That would have yielded anywhere from $975,000 to $9.75M over the course of three years of Bold Venture's sales. Even arbitrarily averaging the varying theoretical sales would have yielded on the order of at least $5M to Ziv and company over three years. Subtracting even $1M in production and marketing costs would have yielded at least a $4M profit.

THIS EPISODE:

May 12, 1952. Program #37. ZIV Syndication. "A Cruise To Batabano". Commercials added locally. A shipment of silk causes two murders and involves Slate Shannon and Sailor in intrigue when they're hired to deliver a yacht to Batabano and deliver a letter to Emilio Lopez. Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Barton Yarborough, David Rose (composer, conductor), Jester Hairston, Henry Hayward (director), Morton Fine (writer), David Friedkin (writer). 28:38. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.