Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod

A Murder Plot In Prison (Aired November 19, 1950) The format of the Vincent Price run of The Saint bears a bit of exposition. The signature theme of The Saint over Radio opened all of the Vincent Price canon and beyond. Any sponsor messages usually prefaced the signature whistle and opening theme. The Trim Hair Tonic-sponsored regional run of The Saint from CBS' KNX studios provided three sponsor messages: one at the open, one in the middle and one near the close. From that run forward, Vincent Price would customarily close the program with a personal message directed at one of several pet causes. Though it's not currently known if this was at Price's request or the producers', one can well imagine Vincent Price requesting the closing appeal. The formula continued through the Mutual rebroadcasts and the move to NBC in June of 1950. Vincent Price's closing comments were generally directed towards social issues of the era: race, ethnic and religious discrimination, tolerance and worthy causes of the era. Price at first tied his closing message to the theme of the preceding script. By the later scripts, Vincent Price simply closed with whatever social comment he felt most compelled to address. The comments were clearly heartfelt and sincere. Vincent Price's entire career was a tribute to any number of deeply felt causes and efforts to promote tolerance and unity throughout the world. In that light, Price's portrayals of The Saint must be taken at face value. Show Notes From The Digital Deli.

Come As You Are (02-19-54) The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet premiered on ABC on October 10, 1952, staying until September 3, 1966. The show strove for realism and featured exterior shots of the Nelsons' actual southern California home at 1822 Camino Palmero Street in Los Angeles as the fictional Nelsons' home. Interior shots were filmed on a sound stage recreated to look like the real interior of the Nelsons' home. Like its radio predecessor, the series focused mainly on the Nelson family at home, dealing with run-of-the-mill problems. As the series progressed and the boys grew up, storylines involving various characters were introduced. Many of the series storylines were taken from the Nelsons' real life. Show Notes From The Old Time Radio Researcher's Group and The Digital Deli.

Terror From Beyond (Aired August 5, 1964) Theater Five was ABC's attempt to revive radio drama during the early 1960s. The series name was derived from its time slot, 5:00 PM. Running Monday through Friday, it was an anthology of short stories, each about 20 minutes long. News programs and commercials filled out the full 30 minutes. There was a good bit of science fiction and some of the plots seem to have been taken from the daily newspaper. Fred Foy, of The Lone Ranger fame, was an ABC staff announcer in the early 60s, who, among other duties, did Theater Five. THIS EPISODE: August 5, 1964. ABC network origination, AFRTS rebroadcast. "Terror From Beyond". Creatures from Demos mentally invade the Earth, planning to take over. Glenn Osser (conductor), Robert Dryden, Ralph Camargo, Gilbert Mack, Marty Folia (audio engineer), Bill Sandreuter (audio engineer), Ed Blainey (sound technician), M. C. Brock (sound technician), Edward A. Byron (executive producer), Fred Foy (announcer), Robert Newman (writer), Warren Somerville (director), Alexander Vlas-Daczenco (composer). 21:10. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

Fatal Auction (Aired June 26, 1947) Johnny Modero, Pier 23 is an outstanding old time radio detective and drama series. Playing the part of Johnny Modero is the great Jack Webb. It was aired on the Mutual Network as a summer relacement show in 1947, and Johnny Modero was a fast talking, wise cracking guy who ran a boat shop in San Francisco. When Modero was on a case, he usually solved it before his nemesis, but sometimes friend, a cop who went by the name of Warchek. Warchek was played by another old time radio great William Conrad. As far as Jack Webb goes, this is the kind of part he thrived on, he had similar roles in Jeff Regan PI, and Pat Novak For Hire. This was also before his stint on Dragnet. Sometimes it seems like this show was produced just to show off Webb's style of radio acting. He set the standard for the tough talking, no nonsense, Private Investigator type for old time radio shows. When it was cancelled, or more accuratley not picked up for a full time show, it caused an uproar for the Mutual Network. Show Notes From Eddie's Old Time Radio THIS EPISODE: June 26, 1947. " Fatal Auction" - Mutual network. Sustaining. The waterfront character with a nose for trouble. A saxophone worth $1000 and two murders. Why? Jack Webb, Gale Gordon, William Conrad, Herb Butterfield, Harry Zimmerman (composer, conductor), Nat Wolff (director). 28:32. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

The Merry Murder Case (Aired October 3, 1946) Philo Vance was the detective creation of S. S. Van Dine first published in the mid 1920s. Vance, in the original books, is an intellectual so highly refined he seems he might be ghostwritten by P. G. Wodehouse. Take this quote from The Benson Murder Case, 1924, as Vance pontificates in his inimitable way: "That's your fundamental error, don't y' know. Every crime is witnessed by outsiders, just as is every work of art. The fact that no one sees the criminal, or the artist, actu'lly at work, is wholly incons'quential." Thankfully, the radio series uses only the name, and makes Philo a pretty normal, though very intelligent and extremely courteous gumshoe. Jose Ferrer played him in 1945. From 1948-1950, the fine radio actor Jackson Beck makes Vance as good as he gets. George Petrie plays Vance's constantly impressed public servant, District Attorney Markham. Joan Alexander is Ellen Deering, Vance's secretary and right-hand woman. The organist for the show is really working those ivories, and fans of old time radio organ will especially enjoy this series. Perhaps one reason the organist "pulls out all the stops" is because there seems to be little, if any, sound effects on the show. Philo Vance, the radio series, does pay homage to the original books in that both were, even in their own time, a bit out of date and stilted. Show Notes From The Old Time Radio Researcher's Group. THIS EPISODE: October 3, 1946. Program #2. Mutual network origination, Ziv syndication. "The Merry Murder Case". Commercials added locally. A puzzling case with one corpse; but there are three killers, three guns, and three bullets in the body! Joan Alexander, Bud Collyer, Jackson Beck, S. S. Van Dine (creator), Jeanne K. Harrison (director), Henry Sylvern (organist). 32:04. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

The Case Of The Beautiful Archer (Aired November 24, 1950) Nero Wolf is a fictional character, created in 1934 by the American mystery writer Rex Stout. Wolf's confidential assistant Archie Goodwin narrates the cases of the detective genius. Stout wrote 33 novels and 39 short stories from 1934 to 1974, with most of them set in New York City. Wolf's residence, a luxurious brownstone on West 35th Street, features prominently in the series. Many radio, television and film adaptations were made from his works. The Nero Wolf corpus was nominated for Best Mystery Series of the Century at Bouchercon 2000, the world's largest mystery convention, and Rex Stout was a nominee for Best Mystery Writer of the Century. Three actors portrayed Nero Wolf over the course of the radio series The Adventures of Nero Wolf. J.B. Williams starred in its first incarnation (April 7–June 30, 1943) on the New England Network. Santos Ortega assumed the role when the suspense drama moved to ABC (July 5–September 27, 1943; January 21–July 14, 1944). Luis Van Rooten succeeded Ortega in 1944, Nero Wolf's last year on ABC THIS EPISODE: November 24, 1950 - "The Case Of The Beautiful Archer" - The case began in the consulting room of Dr Reynard Townley of the Townley Sanitarium, where a very lovely young woman, Diana Lawrence is talking with the good doctor. Diana is the fiancée of Willard Garth, who is an in-patient of the sanitarium. Dr Townley has poisoned Willard against Diana convincing him that she only wants him for the fortune of his family. 29:35.

The Redhead (Aired December 27, 1947) Dependable, level-headed Jane Stacy (Cathy Lewis, Diana Lynn) began each weekly radio program by narrating a misadventure of her innocent, bewildered roommate, Irma, a dim-bulb stenographer from Minnesota. The two central characters were in their mid-twenties. Irma had her 25th birthday in one episode; she was born on May 5. After the two met in the first episode, they lived together in an apartment rented from their Irish landlady, Mrs. O'Reilly (Jane Morgan, Gloria Gordon). Irma's boyfriend Al (John Brown) was a deadbeat, barely on the right side of the law, who had not held a job in years. Only someone like Irma could love Al, whose nickname for Irma was "Chicken". Al had many crazy get-rich-quick schemes, which never worked. Al planned to marry Irma at some future date so she could support him. THIS EPISODE: December 27, 1947. "The Redhead" - CBS network. Sponsored by: Ennds, Eye-Gene. Jane finds her boyfriend Richard is possibly cheating on her with his new secretary. She decides to quit her position. Irma tries to help. Carl Caruso (announcer), Cathy Lewis, Cy Howard (writer, producer, director), Hans Conried, Leif Erickson, Lud Gluskin, Marie Wilson, Parke Levy (writer), Pat Burton (associate producer), Sara Berner, Stanley Adams (writer). 29:06. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

A Passenger To Bali (Aired April 10, 1957) Sleep No More was Nelson's Olmsted's contribution to The Golden Age of Radio's rich tradition of broadcasting compelling and stirring supernatural and suspense dramas, predominantly from the finest supernatural literature throughout modern history. Sleep No More arrived during the waning years of the Golden Age of Radio--understandably risky Radio programming for the mid-1950s. On the plus side of the equation were Nelson Olmsted's extremely loyal following throughout the U.S. combined with the classic nature of the stories which comprised the series. These stories were many of the most popular and compelling supernatural stories and adventures in literary history. THIS EPISODE: April 10, 1957. NBC network. "A Passenger To Bali". Sustaining. An evil revolutionary boards a tramp steamer. The captain can't get rid of him as no country will let him land. Nelson Olmsted, Ben Grauer (announcer). 30:01. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

The Pedestrian (1968 *The Exact Date Is Unknown. The old-time radio era, sometimes referred to as the Golden Age of Radio, refers to a period of radio programming in the United States lasting from the proliferation of radio broadcasting in the early 1920s until the 1950s, when television superseded radio as the medium of choice for scripted programming and radio shifted to playing popular music. During this period, when radio was dominant and filled with a variety of formats and genres, people regularly tuned into their favorite radio programs. In fact, according to a 1947 C. E. Hooper survey, 82 out of 100 Americans were found to be radio listeners. Theatrer 10:30 was a Canadian Old Time Radio show. The date of the broadcast for the episodes is generally unknown. The shows are in the genres of horror, fantasy and mystery. It was a production of CBC Radio. This series aired from September 1968 through 1971, though air dates for particular episodes are unavailable.

A Wellington Boot (Aired August 3, 1952) 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. THIS EPISODE: August 3, 1952. NBC network. Sustaining. "A Wellington Boot" in the "Black Museum" is the key to the murder of Nora Brady. This was the only time a person in Britain was tried twice for the same murder. Percy Hoskins (researcher), Wyllis Cooper (writer, director), Horace Braham, Lester Fletcher, Lionel Ricou (announcer), Beulah Garrick, Harvey Hayes, Winston Ross, Jared Burke, Carl Harburg. 29:45. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

The Lazarus Caper (Aired September 12, 1948) The Adventures of Sam Spade was a radio series based loosely on the private detective character Sam Spade, created by writer Dashiell Hammett for The Maltese Falcon. The show ran for 13 episodes on ABC in 1946, for 157 episodes on CBS in 1946-1949, and finally for 51 episodes on NBC in 1949-1951. The series starred Howard Duff (and later, Steve Dunne) as Sam Spade and Lurene Tuttle as his secretary Effie, and took a considerably more tongue-in-cheek approach to the character than the novel or movie. In 1947, scriptwriters Jason James and Bob Tallman received an Edgar Award for Best Radio Drama from the Mystery Writers of America. THIS EPISODE: September 12, 1948. CBS network. "The Lazarus Caper". Sponsored by: Wildroot Cream-Oil. Mr. Lazarus hires Spade to "bring him back from the dead." Howard Duff, Lurene Tuttle, William Spier (producer, director), Dashiell Hammett (creator), Robert Tallman (writer), Gil Doud (writer), Rene Garriguenc (composer), Lud Gluskin (conductor), Dick Joy (announcer). 32:58. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

The Riddle Of The Wrong Answer (Aired October 5, 1946) Adventures of Frank Merriwell first ran on NBC radio from March 26 to June 22, 1934 as a 15-minute serial airing three times a week at 5:30pm. Sponsored by Dr. West's Toothpaste, this program starred Donald Briggs in the title role. Harlow Wilcox was the announcer. After a 12-year gap, the series returned October 5, 1946 as a 30-minute NBC Saturday morning show, continuing until June 4, 1949. Lawson Zerbe starred as Merriwell, Jean Gillespie and Elaine Rostas as Inza Burrage, Harold Studer as Bart Hodge and Patricia Hosley as Elsie Belwood. The announcer was Harlow Wilcox, and the Paul Taubman Orchestra supplied the background music. There are at least three generations of Merriwells: Frank, his half-brother Dick, and Frank's son, Frank Jr. There is a marked difference between Frank and Dick. Frank usually handled challenges on his own. Dick has mysterious friends and skills that help him, especially an old Indian friend without whom the stories would not have been quite as interesting. THIS EPISODE: October 5, 1946. NBC network. Sustaining. "The Riddle Of The Wrong Answer," or "Gambling Is The Devil's Pastime." A gang of gamblers tries to keep Frank from playing football so Yale will lose. Lawson Zerbe, Hal Studer, Elaine Rost, Harlow Wilcox (announcer), Burt L. Standish (creator), Ruth Braun (writer), Gilbert Braun (writer), William Welch (writer), John Winters (music), Joseph Mansfield (producer, director). 30:35. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

The Melody Or Murder (Aired August 3, 1945) The Avenger is a fictional character whose original adventures appeared from 1939 to 1942 in The Avenger magazine, published by Street and Smith Publications. Five additional short stories were published in Clues Detective magazine from 1942 to 1943, and a sixth novelette in The Shadow magazine in 1943. Newly-written adventures were commissioned and published by Warner Brother's Paperback Library from 1973 to 1974. The Avenger was a pulp hero who combined elements of Doc Savage and The Shadow though he was never as popular as either of these characters. The authorship of the pulp series was credited by Street and Smith to Kenneth Robeson, the same byline that appeared on the Doc Savage stories. The "Kenneth Robeson" name was a house pseudonym used by a number of different Street & Smith writers. Most of the original Avenger stories were written by Paul Ernst. THIS EPISODE: August 3, 1945. Program #9. Michelson syndication. "The Melody Of Murder". Music fill for local commercial insert. Ruth Braun (writer), Gilbert Braun (writer), James Monks, Helen Adamson, Alyn Edwards (announcer), Doc Whipple (organist), Charles Michelson (producer), Walter Gibson (writer). 29:59. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

Little White Lies (Aired January 13, 1952 NBC, 30 min. "This is Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.... In a moment, it will be my pleasure to introduce to you stories of the Silent Men, the special agents of federal law-enforcement who silently, and for little material reward, daily risk their lives to protect the lives of all of us. Their tradition is long and proud, yet to guard our welfare and our liberties, they must remain nameless..." Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. played the parts of "special agents. At each episode, Fairbanks checked in with his chief, played by either William Conrad or Herb Butterfield. THIS EPISODE: January 13, 1952. NBC network. "Little White Lies". Sustaining. A counter-intelligence agent fights a gang of diamond smugglers. The system cue has been deleted. Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Don Stanley (announcer), Joel Murcott (writer), Warren Lewis (producer, director), William Conrad, Bertram Tanzewell, Frank Gerstle, Jeff Corey, Vivi Janis. 29:34. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

The Paradol Chamber (Aired May 21, 1945) His earliest cases, which he pursued as an amateur, came from fellow university students. According to Holmes, it was an encounter with the father of one of his classmates that led him to take up detection as a profession and he spent the six years following university working as a consulting detective, before financial difficulties led him to take Watson as a roommate, at which point the narrative of the stories begins. From 1881, Holmes is described as having lodgings at 221B Baker Street, London, from where he runs his private detective agency. 221B is an apartment up seventeen steps, stated in an early manuscript to be at the "upper end" of the road. Until the arrival of Dr. Watson, Holmes works alone, only occasionally employing agents from the city's underclass, including a host of informants and a group of street children he calls the Baker Street Irregulars. The Irregulars appear in three stories, "The Sign of the Four", "A Study in Scarlet" and "The Adventure of the Crooked Man". THIS EPISODE: May 21, 1945. Mutual network. "The Paradol Chamber". Sponsored by: Petri Wines. Professor Moriarty traps Holmes and Watson in a teleportation chamber...and Mrs. Watson to the rescue! Some commercials deleted. Basil Rathbone, Nigel Bruce, Bob Campbell (announcer), Denis Green (writer), Anthony Boucher (writer), Arthur Conan Doyle (creator), Luis Hector. 25:29. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.