Boxcars711 Old Time Radio

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The Crime Club "Fish For Entree" (9-11-47) - Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod Mar 07, 2008

Show notes

Crime Club was a Mutual Network murder and mystery series, a product of the Doubleday Crime Book Club imprints found weekly in bookstores everywhere. The telephone rings"Hello, I hope I haven't kept you waiting. Yes, this is the Crime Club. I'm the Librarian. Murder Rents A Room? Yes, we have that Crime Club story for you.Come right over. (The organist in the shadowed corner of the Crime Club library shivers the ivories) The doorbell tones sullenly"And you are here. Good. Take the easy chair by the window. Comfortable? The book is on this shelf." (The organist hits the scary chord) "Let's look at it under the reading lamp." The Librarian, played by Raymond E. Johnson, begins reading the tale. Veteran Willis Cooper (Lights Out, Quiet Please) did some of the scripts from the Crime Club books.THIS EPISODE:September 11, 1947. Mutual network. "Fish For Entree". Sustaining. A corpse with a dead fish in his pocket is fished out of the harbor. Stedman Coles (writer), Walter Kinsella, Virginia Dwyer, Bill Smith, Julie Stevens, Paul Hammond. 1/2 hour.

The Clock "Spangler's Attic" (1-26-47) - Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod Mar 07, 2008

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"Spanglers Attic" (1-26-47)The Clock, Imported from Austrailia, was a dramatic thirty-minute suspense and mystery series. It was written by Lawrence Klee and was first broadcast in November 1946. The story always began the same; âSunrise and sunset, promise and fulfilment, birth and death â the whole drama of life is written in the sands of timeâ. This is a great series where the main theme seems to be Retribution. Stories as told by Father Time.

Flash Gordon "2 Episodes" (8-10-35) and (8-17-35) - Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod Mar 06, 2008

Show notes

Flash Gordon - 1935-1936 FIRST BROADCAST: April 1935 LAST BROADCAST: February 1936 CAST: Gale Gordon, Maurice Franklin, Bruno Wick, James Meighan PRODUCER: Himan Brown This science-fiction adventure originally began as a comic strip. Flash Gordon had saved the world by firing a rocket at the planet Mongo which was on a collision course with earth. He had crashlanded on Mongo which was a planet packed with villains and baddies featuring lots of ray-guns and rockets.Today's Show: "Dale is Rescued by the Boys" (8-10-35) and "A Voice From The Shadows" (8-17-45)

Your's Truly Johnny Dollar "Yankee Pride Matter" (10-14-50) - Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod Mar 06, 2008

Show notes

Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar was a radio drama about a freelance insurance investigator "with the action-packed expense account." The show aired on CBS Radio from February 11, 1949 to September 30, 1962. There were 811 episodes in the 12-year run, and over 720 still exist today. As originally conceived, Johnny Dollar was a smart, tough, wisecracking detective who tossed silver-dollar tips to waiters and bellhops. Dick Powell starred in the audition show, recorded in 1948, but withdrew from the role in favor of other projects. The role went instead to Charles Russell. With the first three actors to play Johnny Dollar -- radio actor Russell and movie tough-guy actors Edmond O'Brien and John Lund -- there was little to distinguish Johnny Dollar from other detective series at the time (Richard Diamond, Philip Marlowe and Sam Spade). While always a friend of the police, Johnny wasn't necessarily a stickler for the strictest interpretation of the law. He was willing to let some things slide to satisfy his own sense of justice, as long as the interests of his employer were protected.THIS EPISODE:October 14, 1950. CBS network. "The Yankee Pride Mater". Sustaining. Johnny investigates murder, intrigue and sabotage in mysterious Singapore. Edmond O'Brien, Gil Doud (writer), Alexander Courage (conductor),Ben Wright, Jaime del Valle (producer, director), Bob Stevenson (announcer), Jack Kruschen, Virginia Gregg, Tudor Owen, William Johnstone, Wally Maher, Ben Wright. 29:42.

Planet Man "Episodes 02 03 and 05" (1950) - Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod Mar 06, 2008

Show notes

Produced in about 1950 by Palladium Radio Productions, "The Planet Man" is the golly-gee-whillikers saga of Dantro, an intergalactic troubleshooter for an organization known as the League of Planets - "the law enforcement body for peace and justice in the celestial world." (Think of him as an outer-space version of Marshal Matt Dillon - "It's a chancy job, and it makes a [planet] man watchful...") With their center of operations situated on Planeria Rex, "the capital of the planets," the League sends their water-carrier Dantro out into the celestial world to maintain law and order "whenever danger threatens the universe." Dantro is assisted in his quest for law-and-order by the members of Earth's first rocket expedition: Dr. John Darrow, his daughter Pat, and engineer Slats, who are rescued by the Planet Man before their rocket comes perilously close to crashing into the moon. (The explanation for this is that Darrow and crew took on a pair of stowaways before blast-off, namely his nephew Billy and niece Jane - which makes a listener wonder why the heck they weren't in school.) These five individuals join forces with the Planet Man to defeat evildoers like Marston, the ruler of Mars who possesses an insatiable appetite for interplanetary domination.

Mercury Theater "The Hitchhiker" (6-21-46) - Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod Mar 06, 2008

Show notes

The Mercury Theatre was a theatre company founded in New York City by Orson Welles and John Houseman. They had initial success in the theatre, then went to radio, and one of the most notable radio broadcasts of all time, The War of the Worlds. Welles had already worked extensively in radio drama, playing the Shadow for a year, and directing a seven-part adaptation of Victor Hugo's Les MisÃrables. In 1938, he was offered a chance to direct his own weekly, hour-long radio series, initially called First Person Singular, then The Mercury Theatre on the Air. Welles insisted his Mercury company--actors and crew--be involved in the radio series. This was an unprecedented and expensive request, especially for one so young as Welles. He won out, however, and went on to produce some of the finest radio drama of any era.

Michael Shayne "Pursuit Of Death" (9-18-48) - Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod Mar 05, 2008

Show notes

Michael Shayne was a fictional sleuth created by Brett Halliday (a pen name for author Davis Dresser) who was first initiated into the fraternity for detectives in the 1939 novel "Dividend of Death". Dresser based the character on a âtall and rangyâ brawler who once saved his life during a braw in a Mexican cantina. The Shayne character would go on to appear in 69 novels, plus a long-running mystery magazineâand in 1941, was brought to the silver screen in Paramountâs Michael Shayne, Private Detective, an adaptation of Dividend of Death that starred Lloyd Nolan, and paved the way for six additional B-mysteries to follow. The New Adventures of Michael Shayneâpremiered on July 15, 1948 starring Jeff Chandler.

Crime Classics "Billy Bonny Bloodletter" (10-21-53) - Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod Mar 05, 2008

Show notes

Crime Classics was a U. S. radio docudrama which aired over CBS from June 15, 1953 to June 30, 1954. Created, produced, and directed by radio actor/director Elliott Lewis, the program was basically a historical true crime series, examining crimes, and especially murders, from the past. It grew out of Lewis's personal interest in famous murder cases, and took a documentary-like approach to the subject, carefully recreating the facts, personages, and feel of the time period. Comparatively little dramatic license was taken with the facts and events, but the tragedy was leavened with humor, expressed largely through the narration.THIS EPISODE:CBS network. "Billy Bonney, Bloodletter: Also Known As 'The Kid'". Sustaining. The story of the very violent life of young William Bonney. William Conrad (as Pat Garrett) plays the entire first scene by grunting six times. Lou Merrill (host), Morton Fine (writer), David Friedkin (writer), Bernard Herrmann (composer, conductor), Elliott Lewis (producer, director), William Conrad, Sam Edwards, Jane Webb, Dick Beals, Frederick Shields, Bob Lemond (announcer), Clayton Post, Tony Barrett, Harry Bartell, Barney Phillips. 29:32.

The Ford Theater "Counselor-at-Law" (5-16-48) - Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod Mar 05, 2008

Show notes

The Ford Theater aired 1947 - 1949. It was broadcast on NBC until October 8, 1948 then moved to CBS. It was hosted by Howard Lindsay. The show tried to use good but not to famous radio performers. Producer George Zachary, first producer, attempting to use popular radio stars instead of Hollywood stars offered limited success. Followed was low ratings which forced the replacement of Zachary with Fletcher Markle, husband of radio legend Mercedes McCambridge. Needing a change the show moved to California and began starring celebrities from Hollywood like Lucille Ball. Jack Benny, Bob Hope, Bette Davis to mention a few. This combination made for a hit radio show.

The Adventures Of Frank Race "The Garrulous Bartender" (7-24-49) - Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod Mar 05, 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:July 24, 1949. Program #13. Broadcasters Program Syndicate syndication. "The Adventure Of The Garrulous Bartender". Commercials added locally. From $100,000 embezzlement, the trail leads to Juarez, Mexico, and murder. Tom Collins, Tony Barrett, Buckley Angel (writer, director), Joel Murcott (writer, director), Bruce Eells (producer), Ivan Ditmars (organist), Art Gilmore (announcer). 1/2 hour.

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