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The Adventures Of Ozzie And Harriet "The Matchmaker" (10-24-48) - Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod Apr 18, 2008

Show notes

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 former bandleader Ozzie Nelson and his wife, vocalist Harriet, the show's sober, gentle humor captured a large, sustaining audience, even if it never reached the top ten in the actual ratings and later critics tended to dismiss it as fostering a slightly unrealistic picture of post-World War II American family life.

The Adventures Of Frank Race "Seventeen Black" (5-22-49) - Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod Apr 18, 2008

Show notes

The Adventures of Frank Race was a 1949-50 radio adventure serial syndicated by Bruce Ellis Productions. The 30-minute program was first broadcast in some markets beginning May 1, 1949. An attorney who turned international adventurer after WWII, Frank Race (Tom Collins, Paul Dubov) mainly investigated insurance scams. After the first 22 shows, Dubov took over the title role. Tony Barnett portrayed Mark Donovan. The series was written and directed by Joel Murcott and Buckley Angel. The announcer was Art Gilmore, and Ivan Ditmars provided the background organ music.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. 26:31.

Duffy's Tavern "A Visit From The Draft Board" (2-02-51) - Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod Apr 17, 2008

Show notes

Duffy's Tavern, an American radio situation comedy (CBS, 1941-1942; NBC-Blue Network, 1942-1944; NBC, 1944-1952), often featured top-name stage and film guest stars but always hooked those around the misadventures, get-rich-quick-scheming, and romantic missteps of the title establishment's malaprop-prone, metaphor-mixing manager, Archie, played by the writer/actor who created the show, Ed Gardner.THIS EPISODE:January 12, 1951. NBC network. Sponsored by: RCA Victor, Anacin. Archie becomes smitten with beautiful Mary Ann, not knowing she's from the Draft Board! Archie accuses her of being a "Matzah Hari." The system cue is added live. Ed Gardner, Bert Gordon, Charlie Cantor, Cesar Concepcion and His Orchestra. 30:02.

Screen Guild Theater "Across The Pacific" (1-25-43) - Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod Apr 17, 2008

Show notes

SCREEN GUILD THEATER - The theatrical society in U.S.A. is termed as Theatre Guild. Founded in New York City in 1918 by Lawrence Langner (1890-1962) and others, the group proposed to produce high-quality, noncommercial plays. Its board of directors shared responsibility for choice of plays, management, and production. After the premiere of George Bernard Shawâs Heartbreak House in 1920, the Guild became his U.S. agent and staged 15 of his plays. It also produced successful plays by Eugene OâNeill, Maxwell Anderson, and Robert Sherwood and featured actors such as the Lunts and Helen Hayes. It helped develop the American musical by staging Porgy and Bess (1935), Oklahoma! (1943), and Carousel (1945); later also producing the radio series Theatre Guild on the Air (1945-53) and even presented plays on television.

Barry Craig Confidential Investigator "The Motive For Murder" (2-20-52) Apr 17, 2008

Show notes

Barry Craig, Confidential Investigator is one of the few detective radio series that had separate versions of it broadcast from both coasts. Even the spelling changed over the years. It was first "Barry Crane" and then "Barrie Craig". NBC produced it in New York from 1951 to 1954 and then moved it to Hollywood where it aired from 1954 to 1955. It attracted only occasional sponsors so it was usually a sustainer. William Gargan, who also played the better known television (and radio) detective Martin Kane, was the voice of New York eye BARRY CRAIG while Ralph Bell portrayed his associate, Lt. Travis Rogers. Craig's office was on Madison Avenue and his adventures were fairly standard PI fare. He worked alone, solved cases efficiently, and feared no man. As the promos went, he was "your man when you can't go to the cops. Confidentiality a speciality."

The Falcon "The Case Of The Puzzling Pinup" (11-19-50) - Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod Apr 17, 2008

Show notes

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:November 19, 1950. NBC network. "The Case Of The Puzzling Pinup". Sponsored by: Kraft Miracle Whip, Velveeta, Kraft Dinner. A dead woman is found with a gun in her hand. Where is the other body? A newspaper photographer has a set of photos worth $500,000, but dies right after being punched by "The Falcon." The photographer's beautiful "partner" admits to killing the photographer and then is shot herself! Les Damon, Ed Herlihy (announcer), Drexel Drake (creator). 29:38.

Matinee Theater "Random Harvest" (1-07-45) - Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod Apr 16, 2008

Show notes

Matinee Theater represented a serious attempt by CBS to provide quality dramatic programming for its Sunday afternoon listeners. A continuation of the series Dangerously Yours, it was renamed Matinee Theater with a view towards presenting "a greater range of stories". That broader scope was able to accommodate such episodes as "Beautiful Dreamer" (the Stephen Foster story) and "The Love Story of Elizabeth Barrett and Robert Browning". Victor Jory and several different female stars paired to bring classics like "Wuthering Heights", "Jane Eyre", and "The Scarlet Pimpernel" to the audience, as well as a number of more contemporary works. The first of these thirty-minute broadcasts aired October 22, 1944 and the final one on April 8, 1945. The Vick Chemical Company sponsored throughout. THIS EPISODE:As the First World War ends a soldier wanders out of a Midlands asylum. Smithy was found in the trenches having lost his memory and all contact with the past. Amidst the noise of the armistice celebrations he meets a music hall actress. They fall in love, marry, move to a country cottage, and have a son. On a trip alone to Liverpool Smithy is involved in an accident. His original memory returns, but he now remembers nothing at all about his new life. Written by Jeremy Perkins. Writer is jwp@aber.ac.uk

Theater Guild On The Air - Dead End (2-24-46) - Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod Apr 16, 2008

Show notes

The Theatre Guild On The Air - The theatrical society in U.S.A. is termed as Theatre Guild. Founded in New York City in 1918 by Lawrence Langner (1890-1962) and others, the group proposed to produce high-quality, noncommercial plays. Its board of directors shared responsibility for choice of plays, management, and production. After the premiere of George Bernard Shawâs Heartbreak House in 1920, the Guild became his U.S. agent and staged 15 of his plays. It also produced successful plays by Eugene OâNeill, Maxwell Anderson, and Robert Sherwood and featured actors such as the Lunts and Helen Hayes. It helped develop the American musical by staging Porgy and Bess (1935), Oklahoma! (1943), and Carousel (1945); later also producing the radio series Theatre Guild on the Air (1945-53) and even presented plays on television.THIS EPISODE:February 24, 1946. ABC network. "Dead End". Sponsored by: United States Steel. The story of New York's slums that led to the creation of the "Dead End Kids," and is based on the play and film of the same name. Agnes Young, Alan Baxter, Anne Burr, Ann Thomas, Arnold Stang, Danny Leon, George Hicks (commercial spokesman), Joan Tetzel, Norman Brokenshire (announcer), Richard Conte, Sidney Kingsley (author). 59:20.

The Unexpected "The Mink Coat" (7-25-48) - Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod Apr 16, 2008

Show notes

THE UNEXPECTED - Weird 15 minute stories that have a âtwistâ ending. The listener gets a sudden shock, as this time of program should intend to deliver. Actors included Barry Sullivan, Lurene Tuttle and Virginia Gregg, who played Helen Asher in the Richard Diamond detectve series. Director is Frank Danzig.

The Milton Berle Show "Salute To The American Farmer" (9-09-47) - Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod Apr 16, 2008

Show notes

THE MILTON BERLE SHOW - In 1934-36, Berle was heard regularly on The Rudy Vallee Hour, and he got much publicity as a regular on The Gillette Original Community Sing, a Sunday night comedy-variety program broadcast on CBS from September 6, 1936 to August 29, 1937. In 1939, he was the host of Stop Me If You've Heard This One with panelists spontaneously finishing jokes sent in by listeners. Three Ring Time, a comedy-variety show sponsored by Ballantine Ale was followed by a 1943 program sponsored by Campbell's Soups. The audience participation show Let Yourself Go (1944-45) could best be described as slapstick radio with studio audience members acting out long suppressed urges (often directed at host Berle). Kiss and Make Up, on CBS in 1946, featured the problems of contestants decided by a jury from the studio audience with Berle as the Judge. He also made guest appearances on many comedy-variety radio programs during the 1930s and 1940s. Scripted by Hal Block and Martin Ragaway, The Milton Berle Show brought Berle together with Arnold Stang, later a familiar face as Berle's TV sidekick.

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