Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod

Amateur Of The Month (Aired January 1, 1941) Allen began radio’s longest-running “feud” in 1937, when he made a series of jokes about fellow comedian Jack Benny. Allen's best-remembered feature was “Allen's Alley,” a weekly segment in which he would discuss issues of the day with eccentric creations like the blustery Senator Claghorn, Brooklyn housewife Pansy Nussbaum and stoic New Englander Titus Moody. Allen was known to read up to nine newspapers a day and often spent 12 to 14 hours a day writing and re-writing his scripts. Poor health forced Allen off the air in 1944, but he returned in the fall of 1945 with The Fred Allen Show, which lasted until June 26, 1949. Fred Allen died on March 17, 1956. Fred Allen was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 1988. THIS EPISODE: January 1, 1941. "Amateur Of The Month" - CBS network, WABC, New York aircheck. Sponsored by: Texaco. The program begins with "Keep An Eye On Your Heart." News Of The Week: "Fog Cripples Air Travel In New York." The program's guest is Patrick Brennan, a smokestack watcher. The Texaco Round Table question of the week is discussed by three members of the audience: "Do you think a husband should read the newspaper at the breakfast table?" The Texaco Workshop Players present "All Is Not Gold That Glitters," a satire on radio giveaways and quiz shows. Fred Allen, Jimmy Wallington (announcer), Portland Hoffa, Kenny Baker, The Martins, Minerva Pious, Larry Elliott (commercial spokesman), Al Goodman and His Orchestra, Patrick Brennan. 1:02:03. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

Boxcars711 Overnight Western "Gunsmoke" - The Kentucky Tolmans (Aired August 9, 1952) The radio show first aired on April 26, 1952 and ran until June 18, 1961 on the CBS radio network. The series starred William Conrad as Marshal Matt Dillon, Howard McNear as Doc Charles Adams, Georgia Ellis as Kitty Russell, and Parley Baer as Deputy Chester Proudfoot. Doc's first name and Chester's last name were changed for the television program. Gunsmoke was notable for its critically acclaimed cast and writing, and is commonly regarded as one of the finest old time radio shows. Some listeners (such as old time radio expert John Dunning) have argued that the radio version of Gunsmoke was far more realistic than the television program. Episodes were aimed at adults, and featured some of the most explicit content of the day: there were violent crimes and scalpings, massacres and opium addicts. THIS EPISODE: August 9, 1952. CBS network. "The Kentucky Tolmans". Sustaining. The Tolmans from Kentucky include a good lookin' mountain gal, a drinking old father with a secret, and a son willing to kill to get at it. William Conrad, Parley Baer, Joseph Kearns, Junius Matthews, Harry Bartell, Lou Krugman, Peter Leeds, Virginia Gregg, George Walsh (announcer), Herb Purdum (writer), Norman Macdonnell (director), Rex Koury (composer, conductor). 30:28. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

Murder Is A Merry-Go-Round Matter (Aired March 11, 1949) The character closest to a continuing role was that of Pat McCracken of the Universal Adjustment Bureau, who assigned Johnny many of his cases. Another atypical aspect gave the show additional credibility – frequently, characters on the show would mention that they had heard about Johnny’s cases on the radio. Johnny often used his time when filling out his expense accounts to give the audience background information or to express his thoughts about the current case.No fewer than eight actors played Johnny Dollar. Dick Powell, of Rogue’s Gallery fame, cut the original audition tape, but chose to do Richard Diamond, Private Detective instead. Gerald Mohr, of The Adventures of Philip Marlowe fame, auditioned in 1955, prior to Bob Bailey getting the title role. Through the first three actors to play Johnny Dollar (Charles Russell, Edmond O'Brien, and John Lund), there was little to distinguish the series from many other radio detective series. Show Notes From The Old Time Radio Researcher's Group. THIS EPISODE: March 11, 1949. CBS network. "Murder Is A Merry-Go-Round Matter". Sustaining. Murder at the circus...with snakes! Charles Russell, Mark Warnow (music), Paul Dudley (writer), Gil Doud (writer). 29:32. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

X Minus One - Mars Is Heaven (Aired May 8, 1955) Episodes of the show include adaptations of Robert Sheckley's "Skulking Permit," Bradbury's "Mars Is Heaven," Heinlein's "Universe" and "The Green Hills of Earth", " Pohl’s "The Tunnel under the World," J. T. McIntosh’s "Hallucination Orbit," Fritz Leiber’s "A Pail of Air" and George Lefferts' "The Parade". The program opened with announcer Fred Collins delivering the countdown, leading into this introduction (although later shows were partnered with Galaxy Science Fiction rather than Astounding Science Fiction):...Countdown for blastoff... X minus five, four, three, two, X minus one... Fire! [Rocket launch SFX] From the far horizons of the unknown come transcribed tales of new dimensions in time and space. These are stories of the future; adventures in which you'll live in a million could-be years on a thousand may-be worlds. The National Broadcasting Company in cooperation with Street and Smith, publishers of Astounding Science Fiction presents... X Minus One. THIS EPISODE: May 8, 1955. NBC network origination, WRVR-FM, New York rebroadcast. "Mars Is Heaven". Participating sponsors. The first Earthmen to arrive on Mars find some very familiar sights and even more familiar people. This is a quality upgrade, syndicated and sponsored version of cat. #1097. Syndicated rebroadcast date: November 26, 1973. The script was used previously on "Escape" on June 2, 1950 (see cat. #24307), on "Dimension X" on July 7, 1950 (see cat. #39679) and January 7, 1951 (see cat. #54686) and subsequently on "Future Tense" during July, 1976 (see cat. #23800). The "Dimension X" program was rebroadcast on "Monitor" during September, 1973. William Zuckert, Bill Lipton, Margaret Berlin, William Griffis, Ken Williams, Ethel Everett, Edwin Jerome, Ray Bradbury (author), Wendell Holmes, Peter Capell, Ernest Kinoy (adaptor), William Welch (producer), Fred Weihe (director). 26:25 Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

The Big Strip (Aired February 1, 1953) Dragnet was a long running radio and television police procedural drama, about the cases of a dedicated Los Angeles police detective, Sergeant Joe Friday, and his partners. The show takes its name from an actual police term, a Dragnet, meaning a system of coordinated measures for apprehending criminals or suspects. Dragnet was perhaps the most famous and influential police procedural drama in American media history. The series gave millions of Americans a feel for the boredom and drudgery, as well as the danger and heroism, of real life police work. Dragnet earned praise for improving the public opinion of police officers. Actor and producer Jack Webb's aims in Dragnet were for realism and unpretentious acting. He achieved both goals and Dragnet remains a key influence on subsequent police dramas in many media. THIS EPISODE: February 1, 1953. Program #189. NBC network. "The Big Strip". Sponsored by: Chesterfield. A gang of car strippers is running rampant. A sixteen-year-old boy is killed in a crash while resisting arrest. Network, sponsored version of cat. #16312. Jack Webb, Ben Alexander, George Fenneman (announcer), Hal Gibney (announcer), Sarah Selby, Art Gilmore, John Robinson (writer), Walter Schumann (music). 29:59. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

Candy's Last Case (Aired May 21, 1951) Candt Matson was the private eye star of Candy Matson, YUkon 2-8208, an NBC West Coast show which first aired in March 1949 and was created by Monty Masters. He cast his wife, Natalie Parks, in the title role of this sassy, sexy PI. Her understated love interest, Lt. Ray Mallard, was played by Henry Leff while her assistant and best pal, aptly named Rembrandt Watson, was the voice of Jack Thomas. Every show opened with a ringing telephone and our lady PI answering it with "Candy Matson, YU 2-8209" and then the organ swung into the theme song, "Candy". Each job took Candy from her apartment on Telegraph Hill into some actual location in San Francisco. The writers, overseen by Monty, worked plenty of real Bay Area locations into every plot. THIS EPISODE: May 21, 1951. NBC network, San Francisco origination. "Candy's Last Case". Sustaining. The last show of the series. A double murder, a missing half million dollar diamond, and suspicion of Lt. Mallard's innocence can't keep Candy from marriage at the end of her career. Natalie Masters. 29:49. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

The Pair Of Spectacles (1952) *The Exact Date Is Unknown. Opening in 1875, the Crime Museum at Scotland Yard is the oldest museum in the world purely for recording crime. The name Black Museum was coined in 1877 by a reporter from The Observer, a London newspaper, although the museum is still referred to as the Crime Museum. The idea of a crime museum was conceived by Inspector Neame who had already collected together a number of items, with the intention of giving police officers practical instruction on how to detect and prevent burglary. It is this museum that inspired the Black Musuem radio series. The museum is not open to members of the public but is now used as a lecture theatre for the curator to lecture police and like bodies in subjects such as Forensic Science, Pathology, Law and Investigative Techniques. THIS EPISODE: 1952. Syndicated. "The Pair Of Spectacles". Commercials added locally. Miss Daisy Oliver has disappeared en route to visit Mr. Smith, a strange chicken farmer. Her dismembered body is found buried on the chicken farm. Orson Welles (host). 27:19. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

Death Rides The Highway (Aired March 26, 1940) John Dunning called Big Town "perhaps the most famous series of reporter dramas." Premiering over CBS Radio, the early series (there were two) starred the Hollywood actor Edward G. Robinson as Steve Wilson along with Clair Trevor as his sidekick and Society editor, Lorelei Kilbourne. The show was initially created around these two actors, though Trevor was then a young budding actress appearing in movies as well as radio. Producer-Director-Writer Jerry McGill had been a newspaperman and wrote the series about a crusading managing editor of the Illustrated Press. McGill took his show to heart writing stories about juvenile delinquency, drunk driving and racism, though the show was at worst melodramatic at best poignant. Hard-nosed editor, Wilson, as played by Robinson would get the story no matter what it takes. Though sometimes over the top, Robinson was excellent in his role. THIS EPISODE: March 26, 1940. Program #42. CBS network. "Death Rides The Highway". Sponsored by: Rinso. Who is the unknown driver who caused a truck to crash into a school bus? The system cue has been deleted, the date is subject to correction. Edward G. Robinson, Ona Munson, Howard Duff (doubles), Leith Stevens (music), Jerry McGill (writer), William N. Robson (director), John Conte (announcer), Ted Osborne, Paula Winslowe. 28:58. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

Seventeen Black (Aired May 22, 1949) The Adventures of Frank Race was a syndicated show, out of Bruce Ells Productions in Hollywood, and began airing on radio in the spring of 1949. A total of 43 episodes were produced, broadcast first on the East coast 1949-50, and then on the West coast 1951-52. The title hero was described in the introduction by announcer Art Gilmore with these words: "Before the war, FRANK RACE worked as an attorney, but he traded his law books for the cloak-and-dagger of the OSS. When the war was over, his former life was over too....adventure became his business!" Starring "Chandu The Magician" Star Tom Collins. THIS EPISODE: May 22, 1949. Program #4. Broadcasters Program Syndicate syndication. "Seventeen, Black". Commercials added locally. An embezzler from Yonkers has committed suicide after taking $70,000. Tom Collins, Tony Barrett, Buckley Angel (writer, director), Joel Murcott (writer, director), Bruce Eells (producer), Art Gilmore (announcer), Ivan Ditmars (organist), Paul Dubov. 26:50. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

Horseback Riding Lessons (1951) *The Exact Date Is Unknown. Archibald "Archie" Andrews debuted in Pep Comics 22 (December, 1941), where he was nicknamed Chick; Reggie often describes Archie as carrot-head. Decades later, Archie is still a redheaded 17-year-old. He lives in Riverdale, attends Riverdale High and is the only son of Mary Andrews and mid-level business executive Fred Andrews. His earlier life is revealed in the "Little Archie" stories when he had a dog named Spotty. Archie is a typical small-town teenager. Generous, well-mannered, but clumsy, he is genuinely liked by many of his friends. Archie goes crazy when he sees an attractive girl, but mainly dates Veronica Lodge and Betty Cooper. He has taken various employment, but despite the best intentions, often clumsily breaks things, coming in conflict with Veronica's father Hiram Lodge and Riverdale High's principal, Waldo Weatherbee. As the lead singer of The Archies, Archie performs with Betty, Veronica, Reggie, and Jughead. The Andrews family originated in Scotland, with great-grandfather "Andy Andrews" immigrating to the United States and befriending Moose Mason's Russian ancestor, who was emigrating at the same time. Archie has been depicted wearing the traditional kilt of his ancestors and playing bagpipes (but not very well).

Who's Sending Threatening Letters (Aired January 29, 1947) Jack Carson, because of his size — 6 ft 2 in (1.9 m) and 220 lb (100 kg), had his first stage appearance as Hercules in a college production. During a performance, he tripped and took half the set with him. A college friend, Dave Willock, thought it was so funny he persuaded Carson to team with him in a vaudeville act—Willock and Carson—and a new career began. This piece of unplanned business would be typical of the sorts of things that tended to happen to Carson during some of his film roles. During the 1930s, as vaudeville went into decline owing to increased competition from radio and the movies, Willock and Carson sought work in Hollywood, initially landing bit roles at RKO. The radio also proved to be a source of employment for the team following a 1938 appearance on the Kraft Music Hall during Bing Crosby's period as program host. THIS EPISODE: January 29, 1947. "Threatening Letters" - CBS network. Sponsored by: Campbell's Soup. Jack receives a threatening telegram and a strange woman named Tanya makes a phone call. He's only has 42 days left! This is a network, sponsored version of cat. #49636. Jack Carson, Arthur Treacher, Freddy Martin and His Orchestra, Dave Willock, Norma Jean Nilsson, Del Sharbutt (announcer), Murray Arnold (piano). 29:39. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

High Air (Aired February 19, 1945) Author’s Playhouse - Famous stories by celebrated authors: among them, Elementals (Stephen Vincent Benet), The Piano (William Saroyan), and The Snow Goose (Paul Gallico).March 5, 1941 till June 4, 1945, NBC; Blue Network until mid-October 1941, then the Red Network. Many briefly held 30m timeslots, including Sundays at 11:30, 1941-42; Wednesdays at 11:30, 1942-44; Mondays at 11:30, 1944-45. Sponsor was Philip Morris, 1942-43. Cast: John Hodiak, Fern Persons, Arthur Kohl, Laurette Fillbrandt, Kathryn Card, Bob Jellison, Nelson Olmsted, Marvin Miller, Olan Soule, Les Tremayne, Clarence Hartzell, Curley Bradley, etc. Orchestra: Rex Maupin, Roy Shield, J6seph Gallicchio. Creator: Wynn Wright. Directors: Norman Felton, Fred Weihe, Homer Heck. THIS EPISODE: February 19, 1945. NBC network, Chicago origination. "High Air". Sustaining. A sandhog finds his son working on the same tunnel with him. Bordon Chase (author), Ed Prentiss, Elwyn Owen (organist), Fern Persons, Gilbert Ferguson, Harry Bubeck (director), Jim Pease (adaptor), Leo Curley, Michael Romano, Sidney Ellstrom, Stanley Garden. 28:38. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

The Clue Of The Numbers (Aired October 19, 1946) Frank Merriwell is a fictional character appearing in a series of novels and short stories by Gilbert Patten, who wrote under the pseudonym Burt L. Standish. The character also appears in numerous radio serials and comic books based on the stories. The model for all later American juvenile sports fiction, Merriwell excelled at football, baseball, basketball, crew and track at Yale while solving mysteries and righting wrongs. He played with great strength and received traumatic blows without injury. A biographical entry on Patten noted dryly that Frank Merriwell "had little in common with his creator or his readers." Patten offered some background on his character: "The name was symbolic of the chief characteristics I desired my hero to have. Frank for frankness, merry for a happy disposition, well for health and abounding vitality." Merriwell's classmates observed, "He never drinks. That's how he keeps himself in such fine condition all the time. He will not smoke, either, and he takes his exercise regularly. THIS EPISODE: October 19, 1946. NBC network. "The Clue Of The Numbers" or "Justice Triumphant". Sustaining. Frank does some detective work that would make Sherlock Holmes blush as he solves the robbery of the money from the big football game. Lawson Zerbe, Hal Studer, Elaine Rost, Harlow Wilcox (announcer), Burt L. Standish (creator). 30:38. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

The Loaded Dice (Aired September 4, 1947) Originally appearing in the pages of Black Mask, under the watchful eyes of then-editor Joseph Shaw, Flashgun Casey was the originally fast-talking crime photographer, a big, hot-tempered Boston Mick with a gift for gab and a nose for trouble. No "artiste", Casey kept a bottle of hooch and a .38 in his desk drawer, and boasted of being able to put a "slug where he aimed" and having "two big fists he knew how to use". He appeared in several short stories in the pulps and several novels. Casey, whose first name was never revealed, was the major crime photographer at the fictional Morning Express newspaper. With the help of reporter Ann Williams, he tracked down criminals and solved numerous crimes on this popular mystery-adventure series. Often a picture snapped at a crime scene led Casey to play detective. THIS EPISODE: September 4, 1947. CBS network. "Loaded Dice". Sponsored by: Anchor Hocking Glass. The story of a pair of galloping dominoes and a three hundred pound corpse lying on top of them! Alonzo Deen Cole (writer), Archie Bleyer (music), Herman Chittison (piano), Jan Miner, John Dietz (director), John Gibson, Staats Cotsworth, Tony Marvin (announcer), Bernard Lenrow, Byron Winget (sound effects), Jerry McCarty (sound efects), William Pearson (engineer), Arthur Vinton, George Harmon Coxe (creator). 29:54. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

Missing Mexican Sheiks (Aired January 3, 1934) Calling All Cars was one of radio’s earliest cop shows, dramatizing true crime stories and introduced by officers from the Los Angeles and other police departments. The narrator of the program was speech professor Charles Frederick Lindsley, and the only other regular voice heard on the program week after week belonged to that of Sergeant Jesse Rosenquist of the L.A.P.D., whose name and voice were so unusually distinctive that he was retained for the show’s entire run. None of the actors on the show ever received on-air credit, but among the talent OTR fans can hear the likes of Elvia Allman, Jackson Beck, Charles Bickford, John Gibson, Richard LeGrand and Hanley Stafford, just to name a few. THIS EPISODE: January 3, 1934. Program #6. CBS Pacific network (Don Lee network). "The Missing Mexican Sheiks". Sponsored by: Rio Grande Oil ("Junior Police" kit premium). A hold-up has taken place on Terminal island. The robbers are both dark, one of them a Filipino. The program opening is upcut. The system cue has been deleted. Charles Frederick Lindsley (narrator). 27:45. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.