Boxcars711 Old Time Radio

Latest Episodes:

Escape - 2 Episodes - Typhoon (07-28-47) and Confession (12-31-47) Mar 24, 2009

Show notes

Escape was radio's leading anthology series of high adventure, airing on CBS from July 7, 1947 to September 25, 1954. Since the program did not have a regular sponsor like Suspense, it was subjected to frequent schedule shifts and lower production budgets, although Richfield Oil signed on as a sponsor for five months in 1950. Despite these problems, Escape enthralled many listeners during its seven-year run. The series' well-remembered opening combined Mussorgsky's Night on Bald Mountain with the introduction, intoned by Paul Frees and William Conrad: "Tired of the everyday routine? Ever dream of a life of romantic adventure? Want to get away from it all? We offer you... Escape!" Of the more than 230 Escape episodes, most have survived in good condition. Many story premises, both originals and adaptations, involved a protagonist in dire life-or-death straits, and the series featured more science fiction and supernatural tales than Suspense. Some of the memorable adaptations include Algernon Blackwood's "Confession", Ray Bradbury's oft-reprinted "Mars Is Heaven," George R. Stewart's Earth Abides, Richard Connell's "The Most Dangerous Game," F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Diamond as Big as the Ritz," John Collier's "Evening Primrose", later adapted to TV as a Stephen Sondheim musical starring Anthony Perkins. Vincent Price and Harry Bartell were heard in the chilling "Three Skeleton Key," the tale of three men trapped in an isolated lighthouse by thousands of rats. The half-hour was adapted from an Esquire short story by the French writer George Toudouze.

TODAY'S SHOW:

July 28, 1947. CBS network. "Typhoon". Sustaining. A famous sea adventure about the big storm, the dumb sea captain, and two hundred cut-throat Chinese below the decks. Frank Lovejoy, Joseph Conrad (author), Les Crutchfield (adaptor), William N. Robson (director). 1/2 hour.

December 31, 1947. CBS network. "Confession". Sustaining. A good story about a shell-shocked soldier walking the fog-filled streets of London...finding murder and terror! Algernon Blackwood (author), William Conrad, Peggy Webber, William N. Robson (producer, director), John Dunkel (adaptor), Cy Feuer (music conceiver, conductor), Ramsay Hill. 29:40.

The Adventures Of Ellery Queen - 2 Episodes (03-25-43) and (09-07-47) Mar 23, 2009

Show notes

The Adventures Of Ellery Queen - Tuska cited Ellery Queen, Master Detective (1940) and Ellery Queen's Penthouse Mystery (1941) as the best of the Bellamy-Lindsay pairings. "The influence of The Thin Man series was apparent in reverse", Tuska noted about Ellery Queen's Penthouse Mystery. "Ellery and Nikki are unmarried but obviously in love with each other. Probably the biggest mystery... is how Ellery ever gets a book written. Not only is Nikki attractive and perfectly willing to show off her figure", Tuska wrote, "but she also likes to write her own stories on Queen's time, and gets carried away doing her own investigations." In Ellery Queen, Master Detective, "the amorous relationship between Ellery and Nikki Porter was given a dignity, and therefore integrity", Tuska wrote, "that was lacking in the two previous entries in the series", made at Republic Pictures before Bellamy and Lindsay were signed by Columbia. On radio, The Adventures of Ellery Queen was heard on all three networks from 1939 to 1948. During the 1970s, syndicated radio fillers, Ellery Queen's Minute Mysteries, began with an announcer saying, "This is Ellery Queen..." and contained a short one-minute case. The radio station encouraged callers to solve the mystery and win a sponsor's prize. Once a winner was found, the solution was broadcast as confirmation.

TODAY'S SHOW:

March 28, 1943. NBC network. "The Adventure Of The Circus Train". Sponsored by: Bromo Seltzer. The owner of a circus is killed, three $10,000 bills have been removed from the body! The "Guest Armchair Detective" sequence has been deleted, the mystery is complete. The West Coast broadcast has been researched as being on March 25, 1943, the East Coast broadcast on March 27, 1943. Carleton Young, Marian Shockley, Santos Ortega, Ted de Corsia, Bruce Kamman (producer, director), Charles Paul (organ), Ernest Chappell (announcer), Frederic Dannay (writer), Manfred B. Lee (writer). 28:47.

September 7, 1947. NBC network origination, AFRS rebroadcast. "Number Thirty-One". A murdered butler provides the clue Ellery needs to convict Mr. Arkaris of diamond smuggling. AFRS program name: "Mystery Theatre." Don Hancock (announcer), Lawrence Dobkin, Chet Kingsbury (organist), Charlotte Keane, Bill Smith, Ed Latimer, Tom Everitt (writer), Manfred B. Lee (writer), Tom Victor (producer, director). 24:36.

Dragnet - Double Feature (07-07-49) and (10-27-53) Mar 22, 2009

Show notes

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 debuted inauspiciously. The first several months were bumpy, as Webb and company worked out the program's format and eventually became comfortable with their characters (Friday was originally portrayed as more brash and forceful than his later usually relaxed demeanor). Gradually, Friday's deadpan, fast-talking persona emerged, described by John Dunning as "a cop's cop, tough but not hard, conservative but caring." (Dunning, 210) Friday's first partner was Sgt. Ben Romero, portrayed by Barton Yarborough, a longtime radio actor. When Dragnet hit its stride, it became one of radio's top-rated shows. While most radio shows used one or two sound effects experts, Dragnet needed five; a script clocking in at just under 30 minutes could require up to 300 separate effects. Accuracy was underlined: The exact number of footsteps from one room to another at Los Angeles police headquarters were imitated, and when a telephone rang at Friday's desk, the listener heard the same ring as the telephones in Los Angeles police headquarters. A single minute of "A Gun For Christmas" is a representative example of the evocative sound effects featured on "Dragnet". While Friday and others investigate bloodstains in a suburban backyard, the listener hears a series of overlapping effects: a squeaking gate hinge, footsteps, a technician scraping blood into a paper envelope, the glassy chime of chemical vials, bird calls and a dog barking in the distance. Scripts tackled a number of topics, ranging from the thrilling (murders, missing persons and armed robbery) to the mundane (check fraud and shoplifting), yet "Dragnet" made them all interesting due to fast-moving plots and behind-the-scenes realism. In "The Garbage Chute" (15 December 1949), they even had a locked room mystery.

TODAY'S SHOW: "Helen Corday Murdered With Pipe" (7-07-49) and "The Big Fraud" (10-27-53)

July 7, 1949. Program #5. NBC network. Sustaining. A well liked waitress named Helen Corday has been murdered with a steel pipe. The suspect's name is Larson. Jack Webb, Barton Yarborough, Raymond Burr. 29:25.

October 27, 1953. Program #219. NBC network. "The Big Fraud". Sponsored by: Chesterfield, Fatima. Sergeant Friday goes undercover to trap a gang posing as narcotic cops to con out-of-towners. Jack Webb, Ben Alexander, George Fenneman (announcer), Hal Gibney (announcer), John Robinson (writer), Walter Schumann (music), Ben Hogan (Chesterfield testimonial), Vic Perrin, Paul Richards, Herb Ellis. 29:32.

The Whisperer - Double Feature (08-19-51) (09-09-51) Mar 20, 2009

Show notes

The Whisperer was an American old-time radio show broadcast from July 8 to September 30, 1951 on NBC. It ran for only 13 episodes. The premise of the series was as improbable as its storylines. The protagonist was Philip Gault (Carleton G. Young), a lawyer who, due to some unexplained accident, lost his voice and could only speak in an eerie whisper. Gault infiltrates "the syndicate" in his native Central City to bring down organized crime from within; to the underworld, he becomes known as the Whisperer. Later, his voice is restored through surgery, but he continues to lead a double life as the Whisperer, relaying instructions from the syndicate bosses in New York (who don't know he's a mole) to their lackeys in Central City, whom Gault is actually setting up. By today's standards, the stories are dated and their message-mongering usually criticized as ham-fisted, the product of what might be considered the unenlightened attitudes of the time. The first episode ("Tea Time for Teenagers") is typical, an overwrought "it can happen here" melodrama about a syndicate plot to create "200 regular marijuana addicts" among high school students. The episode makes a blatant appeal to the moral indignation of its audience, ending with Gault advising PTA's to "show some of the fine educational films available on marijuana and how it leads to a worse addiction." Carleton G. Young, who played Gault, is sometimes confused with the actor Carleton Young. Betty Moran portrayed his girlfriend Ellen, the only other person who knew Gault's double identity. Moran had to deliver lines like, "But marijuana means broken lives, heartbreak for parents!" To collectors today, the series is considered an amusing time capsule of a long gone period of America's past.

TODAY'S DOUBLE FEATURE:"Into Each Life (08-19-51) and "Woman On Ice" (09-09-51)

August 19, 1951. NBC network. Sustaining. This program includes a scene where "The Whisperer" recounts his origins to Ellen. "The Syndicate" is determined to kill a nightclub owner who refuses to pay them off. They've already tried to assassinate him seven times! Bernard Phillips, Betty Lou Gerson, Betty Moran, Bill Cairn (director), Byron Kane, Carleton Young, Don Rickles (announcer), John Duffy (original music), Stetson Humphrey (creator). 29:20.

September 9, 1951. NBC network. Sustaining. Not auditioned. "The Whisperer" gives "The Syndicate's" instructions. It's only one word, "Now." Carleton Young, Betty Moran, Stetson Humphrey (creator), John Duffy (original music), Bill Cairn (producer, director), Don Rickles (announcer), Sidney Miller, Stacy Harris, Charles Moody, Michael Ann Barrett, Jonathan Twice (writer). 29:26.

Dick Tracy - Ep71 ( 04-11-38) and Ep72 (04-12-38) Mar 19, 2009

Show notes

Dick Tracy had a long run on radio, from 1934 weekdays on NBC's New England stations to the ABC network in 1948. Bob Burlen was the first radio Tracy in 1934, and others heard in the role during the 1930s and 1940s were Barry Thompson, Ned Wever and Matt Crowley. The early shows all had 15-minute episodes. On CBS, with Sterling Products as sponsor, the serial aired four times a week from February 4, 1935 to July 11, 1935, moving to Mutual from September 30, 1935 to March 24, 1937 with Bill McClintock doing the sound effects. NBC's weekday afternoon run from January 3, 1938 to April 28, 1939 had sound effects by Keene Crockett and was sponsored by Quaker Oats, which brought Dick Tracy into primetime (Saturdays at 7pm and, briefly, Mondays at 8pm) with 30-minute episodes from April 29, 1939 to September 30, 1939. The series returned to 15-minute episodes on the ABC Blue Network from March 15, 1943 to July 16, 1948, sponsored by Tootsie Rolls, which used the music theme of "Toot Toot, Tootsie" for its 30-minute Saturday ABC series from October 6, 1945 to June 1, 1946. Sound effects on ABC were supplied by Walt McDonough and Al Finelli. Directors of the series included Mitchell Grayson, Charles Powers and Bob White. Cast members at various times included Walter Kinsella as Pat Patton, Helen Lewis as Tess Trueheart and Andy Donnelly and Jackie Kelk as Junior Tracy. Announcers were Ed Herlihy and Dan Seymour.

TODAY'S SHOW:

April 11, 1938. NBC network. Sponsored by: Quaker Cereals. Not auditioned. The announcer mentions that the program is "electrically transcribed." It is therefore possible that even though the series was being broadcast on NBC at this time, these might be syndicated versions, as no system cues are heard. Vernon Kyle is terrorizing the citizens of the Yukon to getting their radium ore (pitchblende). . 14:56.

April 12, 1938. NBC network. Sponsored by: Quaker Cereals (Dick Tracy Club offer). Not auditioned. The system cue has been deleted. Vernon Kyle continues to terrorize the Yukon town of Pitchblende. What was the weird cry in the night? "The Purple Rider" offers to help Dick Tracy and the Mounties. As the dog teams pass through "Dead Man's Pass," Vernon Kyle causes an avalanche. . 15:01.

Crime & Peter Chambers - 2 Episode From 1954 Mar 18, 2009

Show notes

Crime and Peter Chambers - This program was born from a detective book series and inspired by author Henry Kane who became the director and producer for the radio show. The series only ran five months, 30 minutes each episode, from April 6, 1954 to September 7, 1954. Peter Chambers was played by Dane Clark who also appeared on the Suspense radio shows. Chambers acted the role of a playboy detective with an eye for solving crime and a taste for the women. Bill Zuckert, who went on to guest star in many 1970s shows including The Mary Tyler Moore Show and the Partridge Family, plays Lt. Parker.

TODAY'S SHOW: "Abigail Chrisenberry" (05-04-54) and "Stoney Carter" (06-15-54)

May 4, 1954. NBC net. Sustaining. Peter meets beautiful Abigail Christenberry in a bar. He soon finds himself accused of Abigail's murder! Fred Collins (announcer), Fred Weihe (director), William Zuckert, Elaine Rost, Joe DeSantis, David Clark, Henry Kane (creator, writer). 24:22.

June 15, 1954. NBC net. Sustaining. Peter Chambers is called on to speak to a murder suspect, a boy Chambers knows. Did he do it? Dane Clark, Henry Kane (creator, writer, producer), Fred Collins (announcer), Fred Weihe (director), William Zuckert, Fran Carlon, Everett Sloane.

Dark Fantasy - Curse Of The Neanderthal (01-02-42) Mar 17, 2009

Show notes

Dark Fantasy was a series dedicated to dealings with the unknown. Originating from radio station WKY, Oklahoma City, it was written by Scott Bishop (of Mysterious Traveler and The Sealed Book fame) and was heard Fridays over stations. Tom Paxton served as announcer. The shows covered horror, science fiction and murder mysteries. Although a short series, the shows are excellent with some stories way ahead of their time. The following is a news promo promoting the show: Every since Lights Out went out several years ago, fans of the fiendish have been clamoring for more good old goose-pimple horror drama on the air. Now they have it. One of the programs that currently freezes the airwaves with its chilling stories is Dark Fantasy comparatively new to the networks. In the late hours of Friday nights these shivery, shocking stories go out over NBC - right straight from Oklahoma City, which you might not have thought of as headquarters for haunts. Station WKY is the home of the Dark Fantasy plays, and the writer is Scott Bishop, who lives in the midst of mystery and the supernatural, represented by the innurnerable volumes of thriller fiction, fantasy lore and all kinds of horror literature that fill his home andhis office. Bishop has long contributed to network broadcasting and to magazines. He says, "Give the listener enough material to let his imagination go to work, and he'll supply his own goose-pimples." Dark Fantasy has been furnishing plenty of such material since last November. And judging from enthusiastic comment, the horror fans are responding with goose-pimples galore! Tune in every Friday on Station WKY Oklahoma City.

SHOW NOTES From the Old Time Radio Researcher's Group.

THIS EPISODE:

January 9, 1942. Program #8. NBC network, WKY, Oklahoma City origination. "The Curse Of The Neanderthal". Sustaining. Not auditioned. "The story of a grave forty thousand years old, and the awesome secret that it contained." Scott Bishop (writer), Tom Paxton (announcer), Ben Morris, Eleanor Naylor Corin, Murillo Scofield, Fred Wayne, Daryl McAllister. 26:55.

Jeff Regan - 2 Episodes From 1948 Mar 15, 2009

Show notes

Jeff Regan Investigator was one of the three detective shows Jack Webb did before Dragnet (see also Pat Novak For Hire and Johnny Modero: Pier 23). It debuted on CBS in July 1948. Webb played JEFF REGAN, a tough private eye working in a Los Angeles investigation firm run by Anthony J. Lyon. Regan introduced himself on each show "I get ten a day and expenses...they call me the Lyon's Eye." The show was fairly well-plotted, Webb's voice was great, and the supporting cast were skillful. Regan handled rough assignments from Lion, with whom he was not always on good terms. He was tough, tenacious, and had a dry sense of humor. The voice of his boss, Anthony Lion, was Wilms Herbert. The show ended in December 1948 but was resurrected in October 1949 with a new cast; Frank Graham played Regan (later Paul Dubrov was the lead) and Frank Nelson portrayed Lion. This version ran on CBS, sometimes as a West Coast regional, until August 1950. Both versions were 30 minutes, but the day and time slot changed several times. A total of 29 episodes from this series are in trading currency.

TODAY'S SHOW:

November 27, 1948. CBS network. "The Man Who Fought Back". Sustaining. Regan is hired to spend the weekend with Alice and Bill LaFarge. Alice is promptly shot, Bill disppears. Counterfeit football tickets are behind the caper. Laurette Fillbrandt, Charles Seel, Ken Christy, Jack Petruzzi (as Lieutenant Santucci, gets to speak in Italian), Sidney Miller, Larry Roman (writer), Sterling Tracy (producer), Milton Charles (organ), Bob Stevenson (announcer), Jack Webb, Herb Butterfield, Yvonne Peattie. 29:41.

July 17, 1948. CBS network. "The Prodigal Daughter". Sustaining. Regan travels to New Orleans to find a wealthy man's daughter. He succeeds, but finds her laid out for burial...or does he? Betty Lou Gerson, Del Castillo (organ), E. Jack Neuman (writer), Eve McVeagh, Gordon T. Hughes (producer, director), Harry Lang, Jack Webb, Laurette Fillbrandt, Lou Krugman, Theodore Von Eltz, Wilms Herbert, Bob Stevenson (announcer). 29:43.

The Chase - Terminate Professor Kolcheck (6-15-52) Mar 15, 2009

Show notes

The Chase is an exciting Old Time Radio series in which every episode contains, well, a chase. Tales, highly melodramatic and often improbable, of people on the run. The concept of "hunter and hunted" was built into the signatures. with the lone bugle of a fox hunt, the braying of dogs, the sounds of a man running, a gunshot, and the slowing footsteps and eventual fall of the victim. It may be an adventure story, a crime story, or even science fiction, but there will always be a suspense filled chase.

THIS EPISODE:

June 15, 1952. NBC network. "Terminate Professor Kolcheck". Sustaining. An Hungarian secret policeman named Andre Provich has become disillusioned with "The Party." When Provich is ordered to liquidate his old friend Professor Kolcheck, the two decide to defect. The story has a good surprise ending. The story title may not be accurate. Edgar Stehli, Fred Collins (announcer), June Foray, Lawrence Klee (creator, writer), Lee Cramer (engineer), Norman Rose, Stefan Schnabel, Walter McGraw (director, transcriber). 29:29.

Campbell Playhouse - What Every Woman Knows (09-24-39) Mar 14, 2009

Show notes

The Campbell Playhouse was a sponsored continuation of the Mercury Theater on the Air, a direct result of the instant publicity from the War of the Worlds panic. The switch occurred on December 9, 1938. In spite of using the same creative staff, the show had a different flavor under sponsorship, partially attributed to a guest star policy in place, which relegated the rest of the Mercury Players to supporting cast for Orson Welles and the Hollywood guest of the week. There was a growing schism between Welles, still reaping the rewards of his Halloween night notoriety, and his collaborator John Houseman, still in the producer's chair but feeling more like an employee than a partner. The writer, as during the unsponsored run, was Howard Koch.

THIS EPISODE:

September 24, 1939. CBS net. "What Every Woman Knows". Sponsored by: Campbell's Soup. Drama about an Irish M.P. and his plain and apparently useless wife. Agnes Moorehead, Alfred Shirley, Bernard Herrmann (composer, conductor), Ernest Chappell (announcer), Eustace Wyatt, Everett Sloane, Helen Hayes (narrator), Naomi Campbell, Orson Welles (host), Ray Collins (narrator). 55:24.

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