Pat Novak For Hire (Starring Jack Webb) - "Fleet Lady" (03-06-49)

Fleet Lady (Aired March 6, 1949)

Typically, a person unknown to Pat asks him to do an unusual or risky job. Pat reluctantly accepts and finds himself in hot water in the form of an unexplained dead body. Police Inspector Hellman (played by Raymond Burr) arrives on the scene and pins the murder on Novak. With only circumstantial evidence to go on, Hellman promises to haul Novak in the next day for the crime. The rapid, staccato dialogue between Webb & Burr is typical of harboiled fiction and is often humorous. Pat uses the time to try to solve the case. Show Notes From The Old Time Radio Researcher's Group.

THIS EPISODE:
 
March 6, 1949. Program #2. "Fleet Lady" - ABC network origination, AFRS rebroadcast. A dead horse leads to a dead jockey and a hot tip on murder. Jack Webb, Virginia Gregg, Hugh Thomas. 29:29. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

The Raleigh Cigarette Program Starring Red Skelton (04-16-46)

 INTRO: Bob Plays The Dubs "Could This Be Magic" 1957
The Raleigh Cigarette Program Starring Red Skelton (04-16-46)

After 1937 appearances on The Rudy Vallee Show, Skelton became a regular in 1939 on NBC's Avalon Time, sponsored by Avalon Cigarettes. On October 7, 1941, Skelton premiered his own radio show, The Raleigh Cigarette Program, developing routines involving a number of recurring characters, including punch-drunk boxer Cauliflower McPugg, inebriated Willie Lump-Lump and "mean widdle kid" Junior, whose favorite phrase ("I dood it!") became part of the American lexicon. There was con man San Fernando Red with his pair of crosseyed seagulls, Gertrude and Heathcliffe, and singing cabdriver Clem Kadiddlehopper, a country bumpkin with a big heart and a slow wit. Clem had an unintentional knack for upstaging high society slickers, even if he couldn't manipulate his cynical father: "When the stork brought you, Clem, I shoulda shot him on sight!" Skelton also helped sell WWII war bonds on the top-rated show, which featured Ozzie and Harriet Nelson in the supporting cast, plus the Ozzie Nelson Orchestra and announcer Truman Bradley. Harriet Nelson was the show's vocalist. It was during this period that Red divorced his first wife 

 THIS EPISODE:

 The Raleigh Cigarette Program Starring Red Skelton. April 16, 1946. NBC network, Hollywood origination. Sponsored by: Raleigh Cigarettes. The Skelton Scrapbook Of Satire: "Easy Money." Chapter 114: "The Night Watchman At the Bank." Chapter 116: "Junior Executive," with "Junior, The Mean Widdle Kid." Red Skelton, Rod O'Connor (announcer), David Forrester and His Orchestra, GeGe Pearson, Anita Ellis, Pat McGeehan, Verna Felton. 29:50. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

Fibber McGee & Molly - "Swapping Spree" (04-28-53)

Swapping Spree (Aired April 28, 1953)

 INTRO: Bob Plays The Moonglows "Most Of All" (1953)

Fibber McGee and Molly was a popular radio show during the era of classic, old-time radio. It was one of the longest-running comedies in the history of classic radio in the United States. The series premiered on NBC in 1935 and remained popular until its demise in 1959, long after radio had ceased to be the dominant form of entertainment in American popular culture. James "Jim" Jordan (16 November 1896–1 April 1988) and Marian Driscoll (15 April 1898–7 April 1961), were natives of Peoria, Illinois who met in church and married in 1918. The genesis of Fibber McGee and Molly occurred when the small-time husband-and-wife vaudevillians began their third year as Chicago-area radio performers. Two of the shows they did for station WENR beginning in 1927, both written by Harry Lawrence, bore traces of what was to come and rank as one of the earliest forms of situation comedy. In their Luke and Mirandy farm-report program, Jim played a farmer who was given to tall tales and face-saving lies for comic effect. In a weekly comedy, The Smith Family, Marian's character was an Irish wife of an American police officer.

THIS EPISODE:

April 28, 1953. "Swapping Spree" - NBC network. Sponsored by: Reynolds Aluminum. McGee goes on a swapping spree, starting with his own Moosehead! Arthur Q. Bryan, Bill Thompson, Billy Mills and His Orchestra, Cliff Arquette, Elvia Allman, Harlow Wilcox, Jack Kruschen, Jim Jordan, Keith Fowler (writer), Marian Jordan, Mary Jane Croft, Max Hutto (director), Phil Leslie (writer), Richard LeGrand, The King's Men. 29:39. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

Suspense - "The Dead Sleep Lightly" (03-30-43)

The Dead Sleep Lightly (Aired March 30, 1943)

It was Joseph Kearns who evolved into "The Man in Black" host in 1943. This mysterious all-knowing narrator was similar to The Whistler.. The character lasted for over 100 episodes until March of 1945. Kerns continued as host through 1947, and returned again in 1950, but "The Man in Black" role devolved back into a nameless announcer (Grams, 1997, 17).  Yet the series itself continued on as strong as ever. It attracted Hollywood's best actors because they were allowed to play roles different from their usual stereotypes. Comedians could play killers, or heroes could play victims. Jack Benny played a Martian. Ronald Reagan played a man on the run framed for a crime he didn't commit. Lucille Ball played a cold-blooded murderer. Frank Sinatra played a psychopath. All the while, audiences were kept wondering and waiting to see what the surprise ending would be. Show Notes From Radio Horror Hosts.

THIS EPISODE:

March 30, 1943. CBS network. "The Dead Sleep Lightly". Sustaining. A tingling ghost story about a rich old man and the ghost of his long forgotten wife. Bernard Herrmann (composer, conductor), John Dickson Carr (writer), John Dietz (director), Lee Bowman, Susan Hayward, Walter Hampden, William Spier (producer, director, editor), Joseph Kearns ("The Man In Black"). 29:16. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

CBS Radio Workshop - "When The Mountain Fell" (10-26-56)

When The Mountain Fell (Aired October 26, 1956)

Beginning with CBS' Columbia Workshop from 1936 to 1947, CBS set out to experiment with Radio--to push that invisible envelope of the speed of sound, the speed of light, and to capitalize on the human listeners' comparitively narrow band of audible sound. Not so much experiment in terms of hardware technology, as in Radio's earliest efforts in 'broad casting' radio transmissions, but in concept, engineering, scoring and production technique. The most well-known and widely acclaimed proponent of these techniques was Norman Corwin. Corwin was so critically and popularly successful in experimental broadcasts that CBS gave him virtual carte blanche to produce whatever projects he deemed of possible interest--at least until the HUAC years anyway. Corwin's well-deserved acclaim aside, the various other CBS experimental programming efforts over the years very much set the bar for other networks.

THIS EPISODE:

October 26, 1956. CBS network. "When The Mountain Fell". Sustaining. A French drama about a shepherd, who apparently returns from the dead, two months after being buried alive by an avalanche. 29:35. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

The Aldrich Family - Henry's Engagement (10-10-39)

Henry's Engagement (Aired October 10, 1939)

The Aldrich Family, a popular radio teenage situation comedy (1939-1953), is remembered first and foremost for its unforgettable introduction: awkward teen Henry's mother calling, "Hen-reeeeeeeeeeeee! Hen-ree Al-drich!" A top-ten ratings hit within two years of its birth (in 1941, the showm carried a 33.4 Crossley rating, landing it solidly alongside Jack Benny and Bob Hope), the show is considered a prototype for teen-oriented situation comedies to follow on radio and television and is a favourite if dated find for old-time radio collectors today. The Aldrich Family as a separate radio show was born as a summer replacement for Jack Benny in NBC's Sunday night lineup, July 2, 1939, and it stayed there until October 1, 1939, when it moved to Tuesday nights at 8 p.m., sponsored by General Foods's popular gelatin dessert Jell-O---which also sponsored Jack Benny at the time.

THIS EPISODE:
 
October 10, 1939 - "Henry's Engagement" - NBC network. Sponsored by: Postum. Trying to get Doris Townsend jealous, Henry's parents naturally conclude that Henry's engaged. The date is approximate. The system cue has been deleted. Ezra Stone, Clifford Goldsmith (writer), Harry Von Zell (announcer), Jack Miller (composer, conductor). 30:19. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

The Story Of Dr Kildare - Amy Dicken's Broken Leg (06-15-50)

Amy Dicken's Broken Leg (Aired June 15, 1950)

The character began in the film series as a medical intern; after becoming a doctor he was mentored by an older physician, Dr. Leonard Gillespie. After the first ten films, the series eliminated the character of Kildare and focused instead on Gillespie. In the summer of 1949, MGM reunited Lew Ayres and Lionel Barrymore to record the radio series, The Story of Dr. Kildare, scripted by Les Crutchfield, Jean Holloway and others. After broadcasts on WMGM New York from February 1, 1950 to August 3, 1951, the series was syndicated to other stations during the 1950s. The supporting cast included Ted Osborne as hospital administrator Dr. Carough, Jane Webb as nurse Mary Lamont and Virginia Gregg as Nurse Parker, labeled "Nosy Parker" by Gillespie, with appearances by William Conrad, Stacy Harris, Jay Novello, Isabel Jewell and Jack Webb.

THIS EPISODE:

June 15, 1950.  "Amy Dicken's Broken Leg" - Program #57. MGM syndication. Commercials added locally. Amy Dickens has broken her leg. Lew Ayres, Lionel Barrymore, Joe Bigelow (director), Walter Schumann (composer, conductor), E. Jack Neuman (writer), Michael Hayes (writer), Virginia Gregg, Earle Ross, Peggy Webber, Dick Joy (announcer), William Bakewell, Max Brand (creator), Raymond Katz (producer). 26:28. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

Whitehall 1212 - "Donald Simes Cabinet Maker" (01-20-52)

Donald Simes Cabinet Maker (Aired January 20, 1952)

This series was very similar to the Black Museum that was hosted by Orson Welles. Both the Black Museum and Whitehall 1212 drew their material from the files of Scotland Yard. The stories were true in every respect except that the names were changed to protect the innocent, as they say. The Whitehall 1212 series boasted that for the first time Scotland Yard opened its files and the producers promised to bring to the public authentic true stories of some of the most celebrated cases. Permission for these records came from Sir Harold Scott, Commissioner of the yard at that time. There is actually a Black Museum. This area is located on the lower ground floor of Scotland Yard and it does indeed contain articles that are closely associated with the solving of a crime. And "Whitehall 1212" was the actual emergency phone number for the yard at the time. The research for the shows was done by Percy Hoskins, chief crime reporter for the London Daily Express. For the benefit of American audiences, Wyllis Cooper of Quiet Please fame was hired as script writer. Interestingly enough both the Black Museum and Whitehall 1212 had all-British casts; both ran concurrently. Whereby Mutual Broadcasting System aired the Orson Welles version, NBC offered the Wyllis Cooper one.

Yours Truly Johnny Dollar - "The Johnson Payroll Matter" (09-21-58)

The Johnson Payroll Matter (Aired September 21, 1958)

For over twelve years, from 1949 through 1962 (including a one year hiatus in 1954-1955), this series recounted the cases "the man with the action-packed expense account, America’s fabulous freelance insurance investigator, Johnny Dollar". Johnny was an accomplished 'padder' of his expense account. The name of the show derives from the fact that he closed each show by totaling his expense account, and signing it "End of report... Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar". Terry Salomonson in his authoritative "A Radio Broadcast Log of the Drama Program Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar", notes that the original working title was "Yours Truly, Lloyd London". Salomonson writes "Lloyd London was scratched out of the body of (the Dick Powell) audition script and Johnny Dollar was written in. Thus the show was re-titled on this script and the main character was renamed. Why this was done was unclear – possibly to prevent a legal run-in with Lloyd’s of London Insurance Company." Although based in Hartford, Connecticut, the insurance capital of the world, freelancer Johnny Dollar managed to get around quite a bit – his adventures taking him all over the world. Show Notes From The Digital Deli.

 
THIS EPISODE:

September 21, 1958. CBS net origination, AFRTS rebroadcast. "The Johnson Payroll Matter" Johnny's asked to take a relaxing trip to Southern California and pickup $100,000...and bring it back. Part of the system cue has been deleted. Bob Bailey, Virginia Gregg, Forrest Lewis, Shepard Menken, Lawrence Dobkin, Frank Gerstle, Jack Johnstone (producer, director), Robert Stanley (writer), Roy Rowan (announcer). 24:17. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

Boxcars711 Overnight Western "Wild Bill Hickock" - Dangerous Round-Up (11-06-53)

Boxcars711 Overnight Western  

The show is in the tradition of the Lone Ranger and the Cisco Kid. Guy Madison starred as Bill with Andy Devine as his sidekick, Jingles. (Now there’s a name you want to go through Hollywood with.) This Wild Bill Hickock was quick with his fists and a quip, but Jingles (dear god that nickname) got all his glory by using his immense girth to fight the bad guys. Jingles if you couldn’t tell was the comedic element in the series. And what is it with overweight sidekicks in westerns? See Cisco Kid’s partner, the jolly and rotund Pancho. Give the horses a break. The radio program lasted until 1954. The television show was started at the same time in 1951 and lasted until 1958. Also Wild Bill was portrayed by Gary Cooper in the 1936 movie, The Plainsman. Wild Bill has shown up in various other movies and television shows, most recently in the show Deadwood on HBO.

THIS EPISODE:

November 6, 1953. Program #181. Mutual network. "The Dangerous Round-Up". Sponsored by: Kellogg's Rice Krispies, Kellogg's Variety Pack (Orange Bowl contest). Whip Willard has threatened Stormy Evans and tried to put him out of business and start a range war. The system cue is added live. Guy Madison, Andy Devine, Charles Lyon (announcer), Richard Aurandt (music), David Hire (producer), Paul Pierce (writer, director), Fred Howard, Joseph Du Val, Jack Mather. 25:58. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

Case Dismissed - "Legal Wills" (02-06-54)

Legal Wills (Aired February 6, 1954)

Most of the scripts very cleverly portrayed every right way--or wrong way--to approach a range of legal matters that might concievably affect any American. After resolving the script one way or the other, the Host, John Fitzgerald, would dissect the legal issues involved in the script, point listeners to the right source of legal information--for the State of Illinois, in any case--and suggest alternate scenarios, as time permitted, to further illustrate the larger issues behind that week's topic. As a local presentation, WMAQ's production of Case Dismissed acquitted itself very well indeed. With few exceptions, the enacted legal issues were realistically depicted, thoroughly explored, and informatively resolved. The exposition for and resolution of these programs was never preachy, overly complicated, nor left unresolved. Each story had an arc that was resolved for that particular combination of legal issues and choices. Show Notes From The Old Time Radio Researcher's Group and The Digital Deli.

THIS EPISODE:

February 6, 1954. "Legal Wills" - NBC network, WMAQ, Chicago origination. Sustaining. The program is produced in co-operation with the Chicago Bar Association. The legal problems of making a will. Alma Platts, Rita Ascot, Arthur Peterson, John C. Fitzgerald (host, Dean of the Law School, Loyola University), Robert Carmen (writer), Russ Reed, Paul Barnes, Charles Flynn, Betty Ross (producer), Herbert Littow (director), Tom Evans (sound), Harold Witteberry (engineer), Lee Bennett (announcer). 28:31. 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"). <I>Show Notes From The Old Time Radio Researcher's Group and The Digital Deli.</I>

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.

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

Nightmare (Aired June 10, 1951)

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

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

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

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

The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet launched on CBS October 8, 1944, making a mid-season switch to NBC in 1949. The final years of the radio series were on ABC (the former NBC Blue Network) from October 14, 1949, to June 18, 1954.The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, an American radio and television series, was once the longest-running, live-action situation comedy on American television, having aired on ABC from 1952 to 1966 after a ten-year run on radio. Starring Ozzie Nelson and his wife, singer Harriet Hilliard (she dropped her maiden name after the couple ended their music career), the show's sober, gentle humor captured a large, sustaining audience, although it never rated in the top ten programs, and later critics tended to dismiss it as fostering a slightly unrealistic picture of post-World War II American family life.  When Skelton was drafted, Ozzie Nelson was prompted to create his own family situation comedy. The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet launched on CBS October 8, 1944, making a mid-season switch to NBC in 1949. The final years of the radio series were on ABC (the former NBC Blue Network) from October 14, 1949, to June 18, 1954.

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

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

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

THIS EPISODE:

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

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

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

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

THIS EPISODE:

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

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

 Baseball (Aired September 16, 1949)

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

THIS EPISODE:

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

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

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

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

 

 

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

 

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

The Golf Challenge (Aired May 11, 1950)

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

THIS EPISODE:

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

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

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

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

THIS EPISODE:

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