Boxcars711 Old Time Radio

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Superman "Horace Mortons Weather Machine" - Complete (6-1940) Dec 30, 2007

Show notes

Adventures of Superman â 1938-1951 This juvenile adventure series was first broadcast on Mutual in 1940 with Clayton (Bud) Collyer starring as Superman/Clark Kent. It first began as a fifteen-minute show but later, in 1949, it moved to ABC as a thirty-minute Saturday show with Michael Fitzmaurice as Superman. At the end of its thirteen-year run it had totalled over 1600 episodes. The opening for the show was one of radioâs best, setting the stage for those flights into fantasy with a cascade of voices, narration and sound effects. âFaster than a speeding bullet! More powerful than a locomotive! Able to leap tall buildings at a single bound!â âLook! Up in the sky!â âItâs a bird!â âItâs a plane!â âItâs Superman!

The Halls Of Ivy "The Sexton Award" (5-31-50) - Boxcars711 Saturday Matinee Three Dec 30, 2007

Show notes

Ronald Colman and his wife Benita Hume starred in the Halls of Ivy, a very well-written, superbly acted radio program that was full of warmth and wit. The show aired from 1950 to 1952 on NBC and is not often mentioned when old-time radio programs are the topic of conversation, but it is one of my favorites. The combination of Mr. & Mrs. Colman's acting and Don Quinn's writing made for an enjoyable half-hour's worth of entertainment. The show was created by Don Quinn who for many, many years put words in the mouths of Fibber McGee and Molly. Quinn wrote jokes that made you think. On the McGee program there was a fast and furious onslaught of crazy puns, mangled cliches, and double-meanings. Sometimes all at once -- when delivered by the superb timing of the talented Jim Jordan as Fibber.

Whitehall 1212 "A Copper's Narc" (1-13-52) - Boxcars711 Saturday Matinee Two Dec 30, 2007

Show notes

Whitehall 1212 is a crime drama featuring cases from New Scotland Yard's "Black Museum". Unlike the show starring Orson Welles, however, this series was done with the official support of The Yard and tries to downplay the sensational aspects of thes cases and highlight the rigorous police work that went into solving them.THIS EPISODE:January 13, 1952. Program #8. NBC net. Sustaining. A foreigner is found shot to death in his car. A "copper's narc" is then found drowned and with a bullet through his heart. Part of the final public service announcement and the system cue have been deleted. Percy Hoskins (researcher), Wyllis Cooper (writer, director), Jack Goldstein (producer), Collie Small (producer). 29:12.

Hallmark Playhouse "Frank Sinatra In Room For A Stranger" (12-19-46) - Boxcars711 Saturday Matinee One Dec 29, 2007

Show notes

THE HALLMARK PLAYHOUSE was heard over CBS stations Thursday evenings. This drama anthology of 30-minute shows was sponsored by, of course, Hallmark Greeting Cards. It was preceded by the RADIO READER'S DIGEST, which ran from September 13, 1942 thorugh June 3, 1948. Hallmark sponsored the RADIO READER'S DIGEST from January 13, 1946 to it's end. On Feb. 8, 1953, the series name and format was changed. It was now called THE HALLMARK HALL OF FAME and presented biographal sketches of famous persons, past and present. The new format was used until the end of the 1955 season. The exception to the new format was the broadcast each Christmas season of "A Christmas Carol". Like other dramatic series of this time, this one made use of major screen actors in the productions. James Hilton, author of "Random Harvest", "Lost Horizon" and "Goodbye, Mr. Chips" plus others, served as host and Narrator. Dee Engelbach produced and directed the shows. Jean Holloway was the writer. Sound Effects were by Harry Essman and Gene Twombly. Musical conductor was Lyn Murray. The show's theme was "Dream of Olwne" by Charles Williams.

Dragnet "2 Episodes" (9-01-49) and (5-24-51) - Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod Dec 29, 2007

Show notes

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 Webbâs 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. The show's cultural impact is demonstrated by the fact that even after five decades, elements of Dragnet are known to those who've never seen or heard the program.

Big Town "Dangerous Resolution" (12-28-48) - Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod Dec 28, 2007

Show notes

Big Town is a radio show that aired from 1937 to 1952. Edward G. Robinson had the lead role of Steve Wilson from 1937 to 1942. Claire Trevor was Wilson's society editor sidekick Lorelei Kilbourne, with Ona Munson taking over that role in 1940. Edward J. Pawley portrayed Wilson from 1942 until 1952 when Walter Greaza was heard as Wilson in the final episodes in the radio series. When Big Town moved to television, the program was telecast live, but in 1952 the production switched to film after the move from New York City to Hollywood. The television series ran on CBS from 1950 through 1954, continuing on NBC from 1955 through 1956. Repeat episodes aired on the DuMont Network (under the title City Assignment) while Big Town was still showing first-run episodes on CBS. Reruns were also shown under the titles Heart of the City, Headline and Byline Steve Wilson.

The Adventures Of Frank Race "The Shanghai Incident" (6-26-49) - Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod Dec 28, 2007

Show notes

The Adventures of Frank Race, by Bruce Ells Productions, was first heard in May of 1949. The main character, Frank Race, was an attorney before World War II. As a result of his activities in the war, when it was over, he traded his law books for a career with the OSS. There, "Adventure" became his business. Tom Collins played the role of Frank Race initially, immediately following his stint as Chandu, The Magician. The lead role was taken over later by Paul Dubof.

Barry Craig Confidential Investigator "Murder In Wax" (11-21-51) - Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod Dec 28, 2007

Show notes

(AKA Barry Crane" and then "Barrie Craig)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." Like Sam Spade, Craig narrated his stories, in addition to being the leading character in this 30 minute show. Nearly sixty episodes are in trading circulation today.

Black Museum - The Gas Receipt (1950) - Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod Dec 27, 2007

Show notes

In 1952, Orson Welles narrated 52 radio programs for a series on the Mutual Network called "The Black Museum" featuring true stories from the Old Scotland Yard. The program was named after the world-renowned investigative body's former home, a weather stained red brick building sitting in the shadows of Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament on the River Thames. It is the oldest museum in the world put together purely for recording crime and contains an infamous collection of memorabilia of grisly crimes of the past. In a unique tribute to the legendary star who died in 1993, "The Black Museum" now returns as a brand new television series featuring Orson Welles' original commentary over filmed dramatizations of the infamous murder mysteries of the Old Scotland Yard. Each episode will feature a leading contemporary star playing a key role in the dramatization.

Rocky Fortune "The Plot To Murder Santa Claus" (12-22-53) - Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod Dec 27, 2007

Show notes

"Rocky Fortune" about a wanderer that took odd jobs to support himself and never stayed in one place too long. He almost always seemed to meet beautiful women along with trouble. Sinatra was good and was proving to Hollywood that he could do serious work. When casting began for the movie "From Here To Eternity", Frank campaigned tirelessly for a part and because of that and a good word put in for him by Gardner, who he was now separated from, he won a part that would mark his return to Hollywood. Sadly for us, it also meant he didn't have time to do radio and "Rocky Fortune" was rather short lived, although it was popular. It only ran from 1953 - 1954, but" It was a very good year".THIS EPISODE:December 22, 1953. NBC net. "The Plot To Murder Santa Claus". Sustaining. Not auditioned. Frank Sinatra, Theodore Von Eltz, Mary McGovern, Kay Stewart, Frank Gerstle, James Nusser, Barney Phillips, Bill Justine, George Lefferts (writer), Andrew C. Love (director). 24:34.

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