Old TIme Radio Suspense

The Lineup "Candy Store Killing" (11-16-50)

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 19:59:04 -0700

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

THIS EPISODE:
November 16, 1950. CBS network. Sustaining. Lieutenant Guthrie solves a robbery and murder case in a candy store, with a station wagon as a clue. Two brothers are the main suspects, but an eye-witness fails to identify either one of them William Johnstone, Wally Maher, Howard McNear, Raymond Burr, Jeanette Nolan, Sam Edwards, Jean Tatum, Clayton Post, Eddie Dunstedter (organist). 1/2 hour.

Cloak & Dagger "Operation Sellout" (09-22-50)

Mon, 04 Aug 2008 21:06:51 -0700

Cloak and Dagger - "Are you willing to undertake a dangerous mission for the United States, knowing in advance you may never return alive?" Cloak and Dagger first aired over the NBC network on May 7, 1950. It had a short run through the Summer on Sundays, changing to Fridays after its Summer run. The last show aired Oct. 22, 1950. This is the story of the WWII special governmental agency, the OSS, or Office of Strategic Services. Its mission was to develop and maintain spy networks throughout Europe and into Asia, while giving aid to underground partisan groups and developing espionage activities for Allied forces overseas.The show is based on the book of the same name by Lt. Col. Corey Ford and Major Alastair MacBain (who were associated with the OSS from its early days.) The dramas are not Hollywood-style, in that they sometimes end with plans foiled or leading characters dead.

THIS EPISODE:
September 22, 1950. NBC network. "Operation Sell-Out". Sustaining. 8:00 P. M. A two-man mission into occupied France to locate a German submarine base is turned into a three-man mission. The final promotional announcement and system cue have been deleted. Karl Weber, Ken Field (writer), Carl Eastman, Louise Erickson, Ian Martin, Luis Van Rooten, Arnold Moss, Jon Gart (music director), Alistair MacBain (creator), Raymond Edward Johnson, Manny Segal (sound effects), John Powers (sound effects), Don Abbott (engineer), Louis G. Cowan (producer), Alfred Hollander (producer), Sherman Marks (director, supervisor), Corey Ford (creator). 29:12.

Murder By Experts "Threes A Crowd" (05-22-50)

Fri, 01 Aug 2008 18:26:09 -0700

MURDER BY EXPERTS - (1949-51, Mutual) 130 30-minute episodes. Created by David Kogan. Writers: David Kogan Directors/Producers: David Kogan And Robert A. Arthur. Hosts: John Dickson Carr (June 13, 1949-March 13, 1950) and Brett Halliday (March 20, 1950-December 17, 1951). Sound Effects: Mario Siletti. Guest experts: Alfred Hitchcock, Craig Rice. Guest stars: Ann Shepard, Larry Haines, Carl Eastman, Ann Sheperd, Bill Zuckert, Ralph Camargo, Burt Cullen, Lawson Zerbe, Marilyn Erskin.

THIS EPISODE:
May 25, 1950. Mutual network. "Three's A Crowd". Sustaining. A young piano player becomes involved with a beautiful but evil woman. The system cue has been deleted. Brett Halliday (host, narrator), George Fass (writer), Gertrude Fass (writer), John Sylvester, Joyce Gordon. 29:31.

The Devil & Mr. O "Three Thousand Dollars" (01-21-72)

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 20:16:51 -0700

The Devil and Mr. O - A transcribed syndication of original broadcasts from Lights Out. With its premiere on the nationwide NBC hookup in 1935, Lights Out was billed "the ultimate in horror." Never had such sounds been heard on the air. Heads rolled, bones were crushed, people fell from great heights and splattered wetly on pavement. There were garrotings, choking, heads split by cleavers, and, to a critic at Radio Guide, "the most monstrous of all sounds, human flesh being eaten." Few shows had ever combined the talents of actors and imaginative writers so well with the graphic art of the sound technician. Wyllis Cooper, who created, wrote, and produced it, was then a 36-year-old staffer in Chicago's NBC Studios. Cooper created his horror "by raiding the larder." For the purposed of Lights Out sound effects, people were what they ate. The sound of a butcher knife rending a piece of uncooked pork was, when accompanied by shrieks and screams, the essence of murder to a listener alone at midnight. Real bones were broken - spareribs snapped with a pipe wrench. Bacon in a frypan gave a vivid impression of a body just electrocuted. And the cannibalism effect was actually a zealous actor. Gurgling and smacking his lips as he slurped up a bowl of spaghetti. Cabbages sounded like human heads when chopped open with a cleaver, and carrots had the pleasant resonance of fingers being lopped off. Arch Oboler's celebrated tale of a man turned inside-out by a demonic fog was accomplished by soaking a rubber glove in water and stripping it off at the microphone while a berry basket was curshed at the same instant. The listener saw none of this. The listener saw carnage and death. Cooper left the show in 1936 and Oboler was given the job. Oboler lost no time establishing himself as the new master of the macabre. Between May 1936 and July 1938, he wrote and directed more than 100 Lights Out plays. To follow Cooper was a challenge: he was "the unsung pioneer of radio dramatic techniques," but Oboler had passed the test with his first play. His own name soon became synonymous with murder and gore, though horror as a genre had always left him cold. Oboler aspired to more serious writing.

Show Notes From: Old Time Radio Researcher's Group

THIS EPISODE:
March 30, 1943. Program #19. CBS network origination, syndicated rebroadcast. "Money, Money, Money". Commercials added locally. Tony the diver stops not at murder nor anything else for money. His last dive is most successful. Syndicated program name: "Lights Out" The story is also known as "Three Thousand Dollars."Arch Oboler (writer, host). 25 minutes.

The Shadow "House Of Fun" (10-22-39)

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 19:54:43 -0700

The Shadow - One of the most popular radio shows in history debuted in August 1930 when "The Shadow" went on the air. "Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows!" The opening lines of the "Detective Story" program captivated listeners and are instantly recognizable even today. Originally the narrator of the series of macabre tales, the eerie voice known as The Shadow became so popular to listeners that "Detective Story" was soon renamed "The Shadow," and the narrator became the star of the old-time mystery radio series, which ran until 1954. A figure never seen, only heard, the Shadow was an invincible crime fighter. He possessed many gifts which enabled him to overcome any enemy. Besides his tremendous strength, he could defy gravity, speak any language, unravel any code, and become invisible with his famous ability to "cloud men's minds."

THIS EPISODE:
October 22, 1939. Mutual network. "House Of Fun". Commercials added locally. A carnival concession is a front for a kidnap ring and stock manipulation gang. William Johnstone, Ken Roberts (announcer), Jerry Devine (writer). 24:15.

The Lineup "Eddie Gaynor Framed For Murder" (07-20-50)

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 20:17:08 -0700

THIS EPISODE:
July 20, 1950. CBS network. Sustaining. Eddie Gaynor has been framed for the murder of Johnny Taranto, and Eddie's no choir boy either! After Eddie is sprung on a writ, his body is found the next morning. Elliott Lewis (producer, director), Morton Fine (writer), David Friedkin (writer), William Johnstone, Wally Maher, Eddie Dunstedter (composer, conductor), Virginia Gregg, Howard McNear, Junius Matthews, Edgar Barrier, Tony Barrett, Paul Frees, Clayton Post. 29:39.

The Whistler "The Alibi" (10-25-42)

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 20:34:12 -0700

The Whistler was one of radio's most popular mystery dramas, with a 13-year run from May 16, 1942 until September 22, 1955. If it now seems to have been influenced explicitly by The Shadow, The Whistler was no less popular or credible with its listeners, the writing was first class for its genre, and it added a slightly macabre element of humor that sometimes went missing in The Shadow's longer-lived crime stories. Writer-producer J. Donald Wilson established the tone of the show during its first two years, and he was followed in 1944 by producer-director George Allen. Other directors included Sterling Tracy and Sherman Marks with final scripts by Joel Malone and Harold Swanton. A total of 692 episodes were produced, yet despite the series' fame, over 200 episodes are lost today. In 1946, a local Chicago version of The Whistler with local actors aired Sundays on WBBM, sponsored by Meister Brau beer.

THIS EPISODE:
October 25, 1942. CBS network. "The Alibi". Sustaining. A domineering old lady controls all those around her...several of whom have a good reason for doing her in. J. Donald Wilson (writer, director), Wilbur Hatch (composer, conductor), Herbert Connor (writer). 29:31

Danger With Granger "Clever Criminologist" (1957)

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 16:33:44 -0700

Danger With Granger arrived too late in the Golden Age of Radio to have any real impact on the listening public. Mutual aired this show, starting in 1956, on Monday nights at 8:30 pm. It was a half hour show that featured a private eye in New York City, STEVE GRANGER. His two primary companions were Cal Hendrix, a reporter who served as an all-purpose source of criminal info, and Jake Rankin, a police detective with whom he had a grudging rivalry. The writing on the show seemed to incorporate most of the standard cliche's of the P.I. world. Granger, who was both the star and the first-person narrator of the show (not an uncommon practice with radio gumshoes), never saw a woman, instead "he gave the doll the once-over." He didn't kick with his foot, he "lifted a size 10." Instead of paying cash, he "forked over numbered lettuce." The mysteries he solved were fairly reasonable, and while he was a tough guy who roughed up lesser mortals, he seemed to get knocked unconscious at least once in every program. A total of 28 episodes survived and are in trading currency.

THIS EPISODE:
1956. Mutual network. Commercials deleted. The story of a man who believed he could get away with murder, and very nearly did! Mr. Milroy is a criminologist who thinks he's very clever. The date is approximate. . 27:07.

Suspense "Beware Of The Quiet Man" (08-12-48)

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 17:48:18 -0700

Suspense was one of the premier programs of the Golden Age of Radio (aka old-time radio), and advertised itself as "radio's outstanding theater of thrills." It was heard in one form or another from 1942 through 1962. There were approximately 945 episodes broadcast during its long run, over 900 of which are extant in mostly high-quality recordings. Suspense went through several major phases, characterized by different hosts, sponsors and director/producers. There were a few rules which were followed for all but a handful of episodes: Protagonists were usually a normal person suddenly dropped into a threatening or bizarre situation. Evildoers must be punished in the end. The program made only occasional forays into science fiction and fantasy. Among its science fiction entries were "The Man who Went Back to Save Lincoln" (a time travel fantasy), and an adaptation of "Donovan's Brain".

THIS EPISODE:
August 12, 1948. CBS network. "Beware The Quiet Man". Sponsored by: Auto-Lite. A two-timing wife learns that her meek, bank-teller husband is planning to kill her. Ann Sothern, William Conrad, Paul Frees (announcer), Toby Hall (writer), Anton M. Leader (producer, director), Harlow Wilcox (commercial spokesman), Betty Lou Gerson (commercial spokeswoman), Jerry Hausner (commercial spokesman), Lucien Moraweck (composer), Lud Gluskin (conductor). 29:25.

The Whisperer "Into Each Life" (08-19-51)

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 16:07:18 -0700

The Whisperer was an American old-time radio show broadcast from July 8 to September 30, 1951 on NBC. The premise of the series was as improbable as its storylines. The protagonist was Philip Gault (Carleton G. Young), a lawyer who, due to some unexplained accident, lost his voice and could only speak in an eerie whisper. Gault infiltrates "the syndicate" in his native Central City to bring down organized crime from within; to the underworld, he becomes known as the Whisperer. Later, his voice is restored through surgery, but he continues to lead a double life as the Whisperer, relaying instructions from the syndicate bosses in New York (who don't know he's a mole) to their lackeys in Central City, whom Gault is actually setting up. By today's standards, the stories are dated and their message-mongering usually criticized as ham-fisted, the product of what might be considered the unenlightened attitudes of the time. The first episode ("Tea Time for Teenagers") is typical, an overwrought "it can happen here" melodrama about a syndicate plot to create "200 regular marijuana addicts" among high school students. The episode makes a blatant appeal to the moral indignation of its audience, ending with Gault advising PTA's to "show some of the fine educational films available on marijuana and how it leads to a worse addiction." Carleton G. Young, who played Gault, is sometimes confused with the actor Carleton Young. Betty Moran portrayed his girlfriend Ellen, the only other person who knew Gault's double identity.

THIS EPISODE:
August 19, 1951. "Into Each Life" - NBC network. Sustaining. This program includes a scene where "The Whisperer" recounts his origins to Ellen. "The Syndicate" is determined to kill a nightclub owner who refuses to pay them off. They've already tried to assassinate him seven times! Bernard Phillips, Betty Lou Gerson, Betty Moran, Bill Cairn (director), Byron Kane, Carleton Young, Don Rickles (announcer), John Duffy (original music), Stetson Humphrey (creator). 29:20.

This Is Your FBI "The Surplus Swindle" (06-28-46)

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 19:33:47 -0700

This Is Your FBI was a radio crime drama which aired in the United States on ABC from April 6, 1945 to January 30, 1953. FBI chief J. Edgar Hoover gave it his endorsement, calling it "the finest dramatic program on the air." Producer-director Jerry Devine was given access to FBI files by Hoover, and the resulting dramatizations of FBI cases were narrated by Frank Lovejoy (1945), Dean Carleton (1946-47) and William Woodson (1948-53). Stacy Harris had the lead role of Special Agent Jim Taylor. Others in the cast were William Conrad, Bea Benaderet and Jay C. Flippen.

THIS EPISODE:
June 28, 1946. ABC network. "The Surplus Swindle". Sponsored by: The Equitable Life Assurance Society. A phoney army officer and his moll offer a not-so-honest store owner two hundred radios that belong to the army. John Gibson, Frederick Steiner (composer, conductor), Dean Carlton (narrator), Carl Frank (announcer), Frank Faries (writer). 29:31.

The Devil & Mr O "The Hungry One" (01-14-72)

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 20:05:22 -0700

The Devil and Mr. O - Wyllis Cooper, who created, wrote, and produced it, was then a 36-year-old staffer in Chicago's NBC Studios. Cooper created his horror "by raiding the larder." For the purposed of Lights Out sound effects, people were what they ate. The sound of a butcher knife rending a piece of uncooked pork was, when accompanied by shrieks and screams, the essence of murder to a listener alone at midnight. Real bones were broken - spareribs snapped with a pipe wrench. Bacon in a frypan gave a vivid impression of a body just electrocuted. And the cannibalism effect was actually a zealous actor. Gurgling and smacking his lips as he slurped up a bowl of spaghetti. Cabbages sounded like human heads when chopped open with a cleaver, and carrots had the pleasant resonance of fingers being lopped off. Arch Oboler's celebrated tale of a man turned inside-out by a demonic fog was accomplished by soaking a rubber glove in water and stripping it off at the microphone while a berry basket was curshed at the same instant. The listener saw none of this. The listener saw carnage and death.

THIS EPISODE:
January 14, 1972. Program #18. CBS net origination, syndicated rebroadcast. "The Hungry One". Commercials added locally. An monster-from-outer-space story. This one has a sinister appetite. Syndicated program name: "Lights Out" The story is also known as "Meteor Man." Arch Oboler (writer, host). 25 minutes.

The Falcon "The Case Of The Raw Deal" (12-10-50)

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 19:01:13 -0700

The Falcon - 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:
December 10, 1950. NBC network. "The Case Of The Raw Deal". Sponsored by: Kraft. A gunman robs a hotel room poker game of $65,000. The victims hire "The Falcon" to find the gunman, but Mike Waring suspects that one of the card players was in on the deal. Les Damon, Ed Herlihy (announcer), Drexel Drake (creator). 29:34.

The House In Gallows Lane "The Fortune Teller" (Part 2 of 2) 1956

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 21:28:22 -0700

The House In Gallows Lane - The Fortune Teller - There were three main BBC Radio stations broadcasting in Britain in the 1950s. The most widely listened-to service, the "Light Programme", brought us popular music as wellas mainstream light entertainment in the form of variety shows, comedy, and drama. The "Home Service", general entertainment programmes, was the main channel for news, features, and drama. The "Third Programme" meanwhile was unashamedly highbrow in character , its output consisted of classical music concerts and recitals, talks on matters scientific, philosophical, and cultural, together with poetry readings and classic or experimental plays. Each week we will present programs from the best of British Radio Shows from 1940's to the early 1960's.

The House In Gallows Lane - The Fortune Teller (1956) - Pt. 1 of 2

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 21:08:23 -0700

British Radio - There were three main BBC Radio stations broadcasting in Britain in the 1950s. The most widely listened-to service, the "Light Programme", brought us popular music as wellas mainstream light entertainment in the form of variety shows, comedy, and drama. The "Home Service", general entertainment programmes, was the main channel for news, features, and drama. The "Third Programme" meanwhile was unashamedly highbrow in character , its output consisted of classical music concerts and recitals, talks on matters scientific, philosophical, and cultural, together with poetry readings and classic or experimental plays. Each week we will present programs from the best of British Radio Shows from 1940's to the early 1960's.

This Episode:

The House In Gallows Lane (British Radio) - The Fortune Teller (1956) Part one of two

Suspense "A Plain Case Of Murder" (10-10-46)

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 21:02:04 -0700

Suspense was one of the premier programs of the Golden Age of Radio (aka old-time radio), and advertised itself as "radio's outstanding theater of thrills." It was heard in one form or another from 1942 through 1962. There were approximately 945 episodes broadcast during its long run, over 900 of which are extant in mostly high-quality recordings. Suspense went through several major phases, characterized by different hosts, sponsors and director/producers. There were a few rules which were followed for all but a handful of episodes: Protagonists were usually a normal person suddenly dropped into a threatening or bizarre situation. Evildoers must be punished in the end. The program made only occasional forays into science fiction and fantasy. Among its science fiction entries were "The Man who Went Back to Save Lincoln" (a time travel fantasy), and an adaptation of "Donovan's Brain".

THIS EPISODE:
October 10, 1946. CBS network. "A Plane Case Of Murder". Sponsored by: Roma Wines. A scheming woman and her pre-war lover plan to kill her wealthy husband. A private aircraft figures in the murder plot. Robert L. Richards (writer), Joseph Kearns (announcer), William Johnstone, Hans Conried, Jerry Hausner, Ken Niles (commercial spokesman), William Spier (producer, director), John Lund, Cathy Lewis, Lucien Moraweck (composer), Lud Gluskin (conductor). 29:45.

The Untouchables "The Troubleshooter Eliot Ness" (10-12-61)

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 16:59:34 -0700

The Untouchables is the name of a television series that ran from 1959 to 1963 on the American Broadcasting Company. Based on the memoir of the same name by Eliot Ness and Oscar Fraley, it fictionalized the experiences of Eliot Ness, a real-life Prohibition Agent, as he fought crime in Chicago in the 1930s with the help of a special team of agents handpicked for their courage & incorruptibility, nicknamed the Untouchables. It was remade into a 1987 film by Brian De Palma also called The Untouchables, with a script by David Mamet. The stories often revolved around Ness' enmity with the criminal empire of Chicago mob boss Al Capone, and many focused on crimes related to Prohibition. The show starred Robert Stack as Eliot Ness and Neville Brand as Al Capone, and was narrated by Walter Winchell. The show drew harsh criticism from some Italian-Americans including Frank Sinatra[1], who felt it promoted negative stereotypes of them as mobsters and gangsters. The Capone family sued the show for $1,000,000 for its unauthorized use of Al Capone's likeness for profit.

This Episode:
The Troubleshooter adapted for radio aired originally October 12, 1961 starring Robert Stack as Eliot Ness with guest star Peter Falk, who went on to do Columbo. In the summer of 1934, a new gambling device was sweeping the nation: the punchboards. Even though they were nickel-and-dime games, it added up, they made more money than the numbers racket. After Ness and his men smash some of the punchboard manufacturing sites, the 5 members running the punchboards hold a meet at a building by the freight yards.

Murder By Experts "The Creeper" (07-18-49)

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 21:16:27 -0700

MURDER BY EXPERTS
(1949-51, Mutual
130 30-minute episodes
Created by David Kogan
Writers: David Kogan
Directors/Producers: David Kogan And Robert A. Arthur
Hosts: John Dickson Carr (June 13, 1949-March 13, 1950)
and Brett Halliday (March 20, 1950-December 17, 1951)
Sound Effects: Mario Siletti
Guest experts: Alfred Hitchcock, Craig Rice
Guest stars: Ann Shepard, Larry Haines, Carl Eastman, Ann Sheperd, Bill Zuckert, Ralph Camargo, Burt Cullen, Lawson Zerbe, Marilyn Erskin
David Kogan, the writer/creator of Murder by Experts, also created and wrote The Mysterious Traveler.

THIS EPISODE:
July 23, 1949. Mutual network, WOR, New York aicheck. "The Creeper". Sponsored by: Sustaining, Bulova Watch (local). A suspense story about a mad killer who strangles his red-headed victims. The program moved to Sundays at 10:00 P. M., being replaced in this time slot by, "The Damon Runyon Theatre." John Dickson Carr (host, narrator), Joseph Ruscoll (writer), Marilyn Erskine. 29:17.

The Shadow "Message From The Hills" (07-31-38)

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 22:27:50 -0700

The Shadow - One of the most popular radio shows in history debuted in August 1930 when "The Shadow" went on the air. "Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows!" The opening lines of the "Detective Story" program captivated listeners and are instantly recognizable even today. Originally the narrator of the series of macabre tales, the eerie voice known as The Shadow became so popular to listeners that "Detective Story" was soon renamed "The Shadow," and the narrator became the star of the old-time mystery radio series, which ran until 1954. A figure never seen, only heard, the Shadow was an invincible crime fighter. He possessed many gifts which enabled him to overcome any enemy. Besides his tremendous strength, he could defy gravity, speak any language, unravel any code, and become invisible with his famous ability to "cloud men's minds."

THIS EPISODE:
1938. Syndicated. "The Message From The Hill". Sponsored by: B. F. Goodrich Tires. The Shadow foils a plot to rob a diamond mine. Orson Welles, Margot Stevenson, Ken Roberts (announcer). 1/2 hour.

Hollywood Radio Theater "I Confess" (09-21-53)

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 20:32:46 -0700

Lux Radio Theater (Hollywood Radio Theater) strove to feature as many of the original stars of the original stage and film productions as possible, usually paying them $5,000 an appearance to do the show. It was when sponsor Lever Brothers (who made Lux soap and detergent) moved the show from New York to Hollywood in 1936 that it eased back from adapting stage shows and toward adaptations of films. The first Lux film adaptation was The Legionnaire and the Lady, with Marlene Dietrich and Clark Gable, based on the film Morocco. That was followed by a Lux adaptation of The Thin Man, featuring the movie's stars, Myrna Loy and William Powell.

THIS EPISODE:
September 21, 1953. Program #92. CBS network origination, AFRS rebroadcast. "I Confess". A priest hears the confession of a murderer. Because he cannot reveal the killer's identity, the priest finds himself accused of the crime. AFRS program name: "Hollywood Radio Theatre." Cary Grant, Phyllis Thaxter, Irving Cummings (host), Ken Carpenter (announcer), Rudy Schrager (music director), Jack Kruschen, Leonard Penn, Edgar Barrier, Shepard Menken, George Baxter, Anne Morrison, Charlie Lung, Jill Oppenheim, William Johnstone, Herb Butterfield, Tony Michaels, Edward Marr, George Tabori (screenwriter), William Archibald (screenwriter), Paul Anthelme (author), Earl Ebi (director), Sanford Barnett (adaptor), Charlie Forsyth (sound effects). 55 minutes. Audio condition: Excellent. Complete.

Escape "Confession" (12-31-47)

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 20:10:41 -0700

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. Many story premises, both originals and adaptations, involved a protagonist in dire life-or-death straits, and the series featured more science fiction and supernatural tales than Suspense. Some of the memorable adaptations include Algernon Blackwood's "Confession", Ray Bradbury's oft-reprinted "Mars Is Heaven," George R. Stewart's Earth Abides, Richard Connell's "The Most Dangerous Game," F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Diamond as Big as the Ritz," John Collier's "Evening Primrose", later adapted to TV as a Stephen Sondheim musical starring Anthony Perkins. Vincent Price and Harry Bartell were heard in the chilling "Three Skeleton Key," the tale of three men trapped in an isolated lighthouse by thousands of rats. The half-hour was adapted from an Esquire short story by the French writer George Toudouze.

THIS EPISODE:

December 31, 1947. CBS network. "Confession". Sustaining. A good story about a shell-shocked soldier walking the fog-filled streets of London...finding murder and terror! Algernon Blackwood (author), William Conrad, Peggy Webber, William N. Robson (producer, director), John Dunkel (adaptor), Cy Feuer (music conceiver, conductor), Ramsay Hill. 29:40.

Notes From (Radio Gold Index) www.radiogoldindex.com

The Adventures Of Leonidas Witherall "Resort" (09-07-43)

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 20:48:40 -0700

Adventures of Leonidas Witherall was a radio mystery series broadcast on Mutual in the mid-1940s. Based on the novels of Phoebe Atwood Taylor (writing as Alice Tilton), the 30-minute dramas were produced by Roger Bower and starred Walter Hampden as Leonidas Witherall, a New England boys' school instructor in Dalton, Massachusetts, a fictional Boston suburb. Witherall, who resembled William Shakespeare, is an amateur detective and the accomplished author of the "popular Lieutenant Hazeltine stories." His housekeeper Mrs. Mollett was played by Ethel Remey (1895-1979) and Jack MacBryde appeared as Police Sgt. McCloud. The announcer was Carl Caruso. Milton Kane supplied the music. The series began June 4, 1944 and continued until May 6, 1945.

THIS EPISODE:
September 7, 1943. CBS network. Sustaining. This series deals with a college professor who looks like Shakespeare and is very good at solving murders. This story takes place at a mountain resort where a murder has been committed by someone very adept at throwing knives. Walter Hampden, Agnes Moorehead. 1/2 hour.

The Whisperer "The Woman On Ice" (09-09-51)

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 22:26:06 -0700

The Whisperer was an American old-time radio show broadcast from July 8 to September 30, 1951 on NBC. It ran for only 13 episodes. The premise of the series was as improbable as its storylines. The protagonist was Philip Gault (Carleton G. Young), a lawyer who, due to some unexplained accident, lost his voice and could only speak in an eerie whisper. Gault infiltrates "the syndicate" in his native Central City to bring down organized crime from within; to the underworld, he becomes known as the Whisperer. Later, his voice is restored through surgery, but he continues to lead a double life as the Whisperer, relaying instructions from the syndicate bosses in New York (who don't know he's a mole) to their lackeys in Central City, whom Gault is actually setting up. By today's standards, the stories are dated and their message-mongering usually criticized as ham-fisted, the product of what might be considered the unenlightened attitudes of the time.

THIS EPISODE:
September 9, 1951. NBC network. Sustaining. Not auditioned. "The Whisperer" gives "The Syndicate's" instructions. It's only one word, "Now." Carleton Young, Betty Moran, Stetson Humphrey (creator), John Duffy (original music), Bill Cairn (producer, director), Don Rickles (announcer), Sidney Miller, Stacy Harris, Charles Moody, Michael Ann Barrett, Jonathan Twice (writer). 29:26.

Danger Doctor Danfield "Murder Of Cora Rogers" (09-01-46)

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 17:24:55 -0700

Danger, Dr Danfield was first broadcast on August 18, 1946 and consisted of 26 episodes with the last one being April 13, 1947. All episodes are available. It starred Michael Dunn as Dr. Danfield, with JoAnne Johnson as Rusty Fairfax, his secretary. The series was written by Ralph Wilkinson and produced by Wally Ramsey. This series consistently featured some of the worst acting and writing of any detective show to reach the airwaves. The show had a formula with the crime usually being committed in the first third of the program, the good doctor solving it in the second third, and then pedantically explaining the solution to someone (usually his "pretty, young" secretary, Rusty) in the conclusion. Dr. Daniel Danfield was an obnoxious unlicensed private investigator/criminal psychologist with an ego complex. Why Rusty would put up with this guy is beyond understanding. In this case, love is not only blind, but also deaf and dumb. But then, Rusty was no prize package either. In fact, the most complex person on the show is Dr. Dan Danfield's pretty young secretary, Miss Rusty Fairfax. Why does Dr. Dan always call her Miss Fairfax? Dr. Dan goes to extremes to keep her at arm's length, but it's obvious he's just taunting her. After all, he's a criminal psychologist, and the way he treats Rusty is criminal! She can flare up, but usually just slow simmers in her professionally feminine way. Too bad one of the bad guys wasn't able to rub both of them out but these crooks were incredibly inept. Unfortunately, the toughs, society-types in trouble and the necessary law enforcement officers in this series, are nearly as individual as furniture in a model home. Still, if mindless detective drama is what you're looking for and you've tried the rest, then let Dr. Dan Danfield give you a little of a criminal psychologist's caseload. The show makes good drive-time or casual listening, since it doesn't make great demands on the emotions or intellect.

Show Notes From THE OLD TIME RADIO RESEARCHER'S GROUP

THIS EPISODE:
Program #3. Teleways Radio Productions syndication. Commercials added locally. Cora Rogers, an aspiring and blackmailing actress, has been killed. It looks, however, like murder! Michael Dunn, Joanne Johnson. 25:17.

This Is Your FBI "The Tin Can Killing" (03-02-51)

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 00:01:04 -0700

THIS EPISODE:
March 2, 1951. ABC net. "The Tin Can Killing". Sponsored by: The Equitable Life Assurance Society. A plane crash on an indian reservation leads to murder. A bullet and a tin can provide the FBI with the needed clues. The system cue is added live. Stacy Harris, William Woodson (narrator), Larry Keating (announcer), Parley Baer, Peggy Webber, Carleton Young, James Dobson, Harry Carey, Frederick Steiner (composer, conductor), Jerry Devine (producer), Jerry D. Lewis (writer), Ben Welden. 29:34.

Suspense "Hands Of Doctor Ottermole" (12-02-48)

Fri, 06 Jun 2008 20:07:17 -0700

Suspense was one of the premier programs of the Golden Age of Radio (aka old-time radio), and advertised itself as "radio's outstanding theater of thrills." It was heard in one form or another from 1942 through 1962. There were approximately 945 episodes broadcast during its long run, over 900 of which are extant in mostly high-quality recordings. Suspense went through several major phases, characterized by different hosts, sponsors and director/producers. There were a few rules which were followed for all but a handful of episodes: Protagonists were usually a normal person suddenly dropped into a threatening or bizarre situation. Evildoers must be punished in the end. The program made only occasional forays into science fiction and fantasy. Among its science fiction entries were "The Man who Went Back to Save Lincoln" (a time travel fantasy), and an adaptation of "Donovan's Brain".

THIS EPISODE:
December 2, 1948. CBS net. "The Hands Of Mr. Ottermole". Sponsored by: Auto-Lite. A "strangler" is prowling the streets of London, killing at will. A police sergeant is suspicious of "Mr. Newspaperman," who always seems to be nearby when the "strangler" strikes. Claude Rains, Thomas Burke (author), Ken Crossen (adaptor), Vincent Price, Verna Felton, Raymond Lawrence, Paul Frees (announcer), Harlow Wilcox (commercial spokesman), William Johnstone (commercial spokesman), Lucien Moraweck (composer), Lud Gluskin (conductor). 29:45.

Cloak And Dagger "The Trap" (07-09-50)

Wed, 04 Jun 2008 19:16:55 -0700

THIS EPISODE:
July 9, 1950. NBC network. "The Trap". Sustaining. 4:00 P. M. An O. S. S. operative is sent to a German-occupied town in France to find out if the Nazis really hid re-inforcements in the woods. The spy's abilities as a cartoonist is a definite plus, but his escape from the pursuing Nazis results in a wild flight. Virginia Payne, Raymond Edward Johnson, Karl Weber, Stefan Schnabel, Jerry Jarrett, Ralph Bell, Lotte Stavisky, Winifred Wolfe (writer), Jack Gordon, Jon Gart (music director), Corey Ford (originator), Alistair MacBain (originator), Louis G. Cowan (producer), Alfred Hollander (producer), Everett Sloane, Berry Kroeger, Sherman Marks (director, supervisor). 29:28.

The Adventures Of The Falcon "The Case Of The Happy Hoodlum" (01-14-51)

Mon, 02 Jun 2008 21:37:13 -0700

The Adventures Of The Falcon - 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 14, 1951. NBC net. "The Case Of The Happy Hoodlum". Sponsored by: Kraft. Not auditioned. For people who want to crash out of jail...murder can be a bad break! Drexel Drake (creator), Les Damon, Ed Herlihy (announcer), Bernard L. Schubert (producer), Richard Lewis (director), Arlo (music), Eugene Wang (writer), Ken Lynch. 31:18.

The Adventures Of Leonidas Witherall "The Corpse" (04-22-45)

Fri, 30 May 2008 14:36:27 -0700

The Adventures of Leonidas Witherall was a radio mystery series broadcast on Mutual in the mid-1940s. Based on the novels of Phoebe Atwood Taylor (writing as Alice Tilton), the 30-minute dramas were produced by Roger Bower and starred Walter Hampden as Leonidas Witherall, a New England boys' school instructor in Dalton, Massachusetts, a fictional Boston suburb. Witherall, who resembled William Shakespeare, is an amateur detective and the accomplished author of the "popular Lieutenant Hazeltine stories." His housekeeper Mrs. Mollett was played by Ethel Remey (1895-1979) and Jack MacBryde appeared as Police Sgt. McCloud. The announcer was Carl Caruso. Milton Kane supplied the music. The series began June 4, 1944 and continued until May 6, 1945.

THIS EPISODE:
April 22, 1945. Mutual network. "The Corpse Meets A Deadline". Sustaining. Murder in a newspaper printing plant. Alice Tilton (creator), Ethel Remey, Howard Merrill (writer), Jack McBride, Roger Bower (director), Walter Hampden. 29:41.

The Silent Men "The Miracle Cure" (05-14-52)

Wed, 28 May 2008 18:00:50 -0700

The Silent Men - Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. played the parts of "special agents of all branches of the federal government, who daily risk their lives to protect the lives of all of us... to guard our welfare and our liberties, they must remain nameless - The Silent Men!" At each episode, Fairbanks checked in with his chief, played by either William Conrad or Herb Butterfield. Regulars included Virginia Gregg, Raymond Burr, Lou Merrill, Lurene Tuttle, Paul Frees and John Dehner. Don Stanley was the announcer. The show was produced and directed by Warren Lewis, who wrote many of the scripts along with Joel Murcott. The series ran on NBC.

THIS EPISODE:
May 14, 1952. NBC network. "The Miracle Cure For Cancer". Sustaining. Not auditioned. A story of heartbreak, fraud and the United States mail. The story title is referred to as, "A Miracle Cure" on the previous week's program, "Miracle Cure" at the start of the program, and "The Case Of The Miracle Cure" at the end of the program. Warren Lewis (writer, producer, director), Lou Rusoff (writer), Jan Arvan, Ralph Moody, Noreen Gammill, Dal McKennon, Gloria Ann Simpson, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Don Stanley (announcer). 29:49.

The Lives Of Harry Lime "In Pursuit Of A Ghost" (11-16-51)

Mon, 26 May 2008 21:23:38 -0700

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

THIS EPISODE:
November 16, 1951. Program #16. Lang-Worth syndication. "In Pursuit Of A Ghost". Commercials added locally. In the Fall of 1945, Harry gets involved with a Central American revolution...and "El Zorro!" Orson Welles, Anton Karas (zither), Harry Alan Towers (producer), Tig Roe (director). 27:30.

Suspense "You'll Never See Me Again" (9-05-46)

Fri, 23 May 2008 21:42:38 -0700

Suspense was one of the premier programs of the Golden Age of Radio (aka old-time radio), and advertised itself as "radio's outstanding theater of thrills." It was heard in one form or another from 1942 through 1962. There were approximately 945 episodes broadcast during its long run, over 900 of which are extant in mostly high-quality recordings. Suspense went through several major phases, characterized by different hosts, sponsors and director/producers. There were a few rules which were followed for all but a handful of episodes: Protagonists were usually a normal person suddenly dropped into a threatening or bizarre situation. Evildoers must be punished in the end. The program made only occasional forays into science fiction and fantasy. Among its science fiction entries were "The Man who Went Back to Save Lincoln" (a time travel fantasy), and an adaptation of "Donovan's Brain".

THIS EPISODE:
September 14, 1944. CBS network. "You'll Never See Me Again". Sponsored by: Roma Wines. Wifey goes home to mother... with a surprise ending. The story was subsequently produced on "Suspense" on September 5, 1946. Cornell Woolrich (writer), John McIntire, Joseph Cotten, Joseph Kearns ("The Man In Black"), Lurene Tuttle, Wally Maher, William Spier (adaptor, producer, director), Truman Bradley (commercial spokesman), Lucien Moraweck (composer), Lud Gluskin (conductor). 1/2 hour.

In The Name Of The Law "Nothing Ever Happens In Chinatown" (7-26-36)

Wed, 21 May 2008 21:14:52 -0700

True Crime (1936)
In the Name of the Law was a True Crime radio show from 1936. It says "In the name of the law, we bring you another of the thrilling stories in this exciting series, taken from actual police case files. "In the name of the Law, we bring you another of the thrilling stories in this exciting series, taken from actual police case files."Mrs Mary James found dead in her pool 8-05-35. Her husband Bob is suspected. He had been married several times before and a previous wife was also found dead under suspicious circumstances. Police investigation led to the Killer's arrest. Was it Bob James?

THIS EPISODE:
Nothing Ever Happens In Chinatown (7-26-36) - Syndicated. Commercials added locally. In Chicago's Chinatown, merchant Wong Fu has been shot to death. A detective, who speaks Chinese, sees that truth and justice will triumph. . 25:12.

The Devil And Mr. O "Shrinking People" (03-10-72)

Mon, 19 May 2008 17:13:28 -0700

The Devil And Mr O - With its premiere on the nationwide NBC hookup in 1935, Lights Out was billed "the ultimate in horror." Never had such sounds been heard on the air. Heads rolled, bones were crushed, people fell from great heights and splattered wetly on pavement. There were garrotings, choking, heads split by cleavers, and, to a critic at Radio Guide, "the most monstrous of all sounds, human flesh being eaten." Few shows had ever combined the talents of actors and imaginative writers so well with the graphic art of the sound technician. Wyllis Cooper, who created, wrote, and produced it, was then a 36-year-old staffer in Chicago's NBC Studios. Cooper created his horror "by raiding the larder." For the purposed of Lights Out sound effects, people were what they ate. The sound of a butcher knife rending a piece of uncooked pork was, when accompanied by shrieks and screams, the essence of murder to a listener alone at midnight. Real bones were broken - spareribs snapped with a pipe wrench. Bacon in a frypan gave a vivid impression of a body just electrocuted. And the cannibalism effect was actually a zealous actor. Gurgling and smacking his lips as he slurped up a bowl of spaghetti. Cabbages sounded like human heads when chopped open with a cleaver, and carrots had the pleasant resonance of fingers being lopped off. Arch Oboler's celebrated tale of a man turned inside-out by a demonic fog was accomplished by soaking a rubber glove in water and stripping it off at the microphone while a berry basket was curshed at the same instant. The listener saw none of this. The listener saw carnage and death. Cooper left the show in 1936 and Oboler was given the job. Oboler lost no time establishing himself as the new master of the macabre. Between May 1936 and July 1938, he wrote and directed more than 100 Lights Out plays. To follow Cooper was a challenge: he was "the unsung pioneer of radio dramatic techniques," but Oboler had passed the test with his first play. His own name soon became synonymous with murder and gore, though horror as a genre had always left him cold. Oboler aspired to more serious writing. Oboler's shows are well represented -- this series of Lights Out was syndicated in The Devil and Mr. O offerings of 1970 - 73. A transcribed syndication of original broadcasts from 1942 - 43 with Arch Oboler as the host.

The Above Text From the Old Time Radio Researcher's Group.