Classic Radio Theater

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**Classic Radio Theater**

RETURN WITH US NOW TO THOSE THRILLING DAYS OF YESTERYEAR!
Listen to the greatest radio broadcasts of the 1930s, 40s and 50s absolutely free! Each week, The Bradford Exchange presents the Classic Radio Theater, hosted by nostalgia radio expert Carl Amari.
Each and every week, we’ll bring you three hours of theater-of-the-mind radio entertainment, including The Jack Benny Program, Suspense, Gunsmoke, Dragnet, The Abbott & Costello Show, Sherlock Holmes and many more!

Latest Episodes:

The Black Museum Ep. #61 Jun 10, 2022

Show notes

Enjoy two free true-crime episodes of The Black Museum w/ Orson Welles

A) 5/10/53 The Brass Button

B) 3/18/52 The Pink Powder Puff

Produced in the UK and starring Orson Welles, The Black Museum specialized in recreating colorful true murder cases taken from the annals of Scotland Yard. At the real Black Museum, located at the Metropolitan Police headquarters in London, artifacts from famous criminal trials are displayed. These curious and sometimes gory relics – a yellowed tooth, a battered trunk, a blood-stained knife – gave Welles the opportunity to dramatize the murder cases in which they played vital roles. The series, which emphasized crime-solving techniques, offered American listeners the chance to observe how British “Coppers” tracked down culprits. Released through MGM Radio Attractions and broadcast over Mutual, the series eventually gained a sponsor, General Mills. NBC was initially approached by the producer, Harry Alan Towers, but decided to create its own in-house version, Whitehall 1212 – the phone number of Scotland Yard. Wyllis Cooper, the writer and director of the NBC series, beat Mutual to the punch and Whitehall 1212 went on air two months before The Black Museum. For a period of six months, radio listeners could hear two semi-documentary murder stories from the case files of Scotland Yard, on two separate networks. Gripping and well-paced, The Black Museum outranked its competitor, with its horror value upped by Welles’ portentous narration, which bridged the plot sequences. Recording the program in the UK, with British actors playing all the roles also gave authenticity to the dramatizations of crimes that took place abroad. Producer Harry Alan Towers maintained a high level of consistency and quality throughout the series, and the venture was profitable enough for him to convince Welles to star in another radio vehicle, The Lives of Harry Lime.

The Fat Man Ep. #60 Jun 03, 2022

Show notes

Enjoy two free detective episodes of The Fat Man w/ J. Scott Smart

A) 1/21/46 The 19th Pearl (premier episode in the series)

B) 7/8/46 The Black Angel

Building on the radio successes of The Adventures of Sam Spade, Detective and The Adventures of the Thin Man, Dashiell Hammett came up with the concept for The Fat Man in 1946. Although Hammett is said to have disliked the radio incarnations of Sam Spade and The Thin Man, he grew to appreciate the sizable checks sent to him by radio producer E. J. Rosenberg (especially since Hammett was said to have been experiencing writer’s block at this time). Unlike the preceding radio programs, The Fat Man was not adapted from a novel, but was inspired by a fictional character – Casper Gutman the overweight villain in The Maltese Falcon. In the radio series, the witty ladies’ man and rotund private detective went by the name of Brad Runyon. He weighed 240+ pounds and solved crimes in the time-honored manner of a 1940s detective. Runyon’s extra weight did not impede him in this sleuthing, in fact he used it to his advantage, often successfully pinning down a henchman or gunman. Jack Scott Smart, (he went by J. Scott Smart) a performer from the earliest days of radio drama, played the title role. Smart looked the part and willingly participated in many publicity photo shoots. When Dashiell Hammett was named in the notorious Red Channels report in the summer of 1951, executives at ABC feared retribution from Hollywood and quickly disassociated themselves from the suspected Communist. Within three months of the report’s publication, The Fat Man was dropped from the air.

Have Gun-Will Travel Ep. #59 Jun 03, 2022

Show notes

Enjoy two free western episodes of Have Gun-Will Travel w/ John Dehner

A) 7/26/59 The Wager

B) 8/9/59 Finn Alley

The Have Gun-Will Travel radio series starred John Dehner and followed the adventures of Paladin, a soldier of fortune-turned-hired gunfighter. Paladin was a former Union cavalry officer, a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, and a veteran of the American Civil War. Taking his name from that of the foremost knight warriors in Charlemagne’s court, Paladin preferred to settle problems without violence, yet, when forced to fight, excelled. He lived at the swanky Carlton Hotel in San Francisco, where he dressed in formal wear, ate gourmet food, attended the opera and enjoyed the company of beautiful women. When working as a gun-for-hire, he dressed in all black, gave out business cards imprinted with “Have Gun Will Travel” and wore a holster, decorated by a characteristic chess knight emblem. The knight symbol was in reference to his name and his occupation as a champion-for-hire. Paladin charged steep fees to clients who could afford him and provided his services for free to those who could not. A western favorite, Have Gun-Will Travel began as a television show in 1957 starring Richard Boone. It became one of the few TV series to spawn a radio version. Have Gun-Will Travel ran on radio from 1958 until 1960 and was televised from 1957 through 1963. Most of the 106 radio episodes were adapted for television. Of the 225 television episodes, Gene Roddenberry (future creator of Star Trek) wrote two dozen.

The Burns & Allen Show Ep. #58 Jun 03, 2022

Show notes

Enjoy two free comedy episodes of The Burns & Allen Show w/ George Burns & Gracie Allen

A) 3/7/44 w/ guest, Alan Ladd

B) 2/1/50 w/ guest, Al Jolson

George Burns and Gracie Allen – a real-life married couple – performed a comedy routine with Gracie as the funny woman and George as the straight man. Millions of radio listeners truly believed Gracie was as dumb as she sounded which was a tribute to both her comic brilliance and the top-notch scripts. For two decades the duo had a weekly following on radio, which culminated with a decade-long television show. George and Gracie continually revised their act, moving from vaudeville crossfire to full-stage situation comedy. At first, their characters were not romantically linked. In 1936, Gracie decided to help educate singer Tony Martin about the opposite sex by flirting with him. Actor Paul Douglas, then an announcer, was also on the receiving end of Gracie’s affections in 1938. It was only later that George’s character began pursuing Gracie. By 1942, Gracie’s flirtations with other men had been shelved and the program evolved into a husband and wife situation comedy series with occasional guest stars. Ever the businessman, George Burns (and wife Gracie) left NBC and signed a lucrative contract with CBS that included television. Gracie was hesitant about TV at first but quickly discovered that she was a pro in front of the camera. On TV, George would often break the fourth wall and speak directly to the audience while Gracie continued to play dumb. In 1958, after eight years on television, Gracie retired and after her passing, George kept himself busy by acting in films. He earned an Oscar for his role in The Sunshine Boys and starred as “God” alongside John Denver in the Oh, God! films.

The Mysterious Traveler Ep. #57 May 26, 2022

Show notes

Enjoy two free horror episodes of The Mysterious Traveler w/ Maurice Tarplin

A) 12/29/46 If You Believe

B) 7/27/47 The Man the Insects Hated

The Mysterious Traveler was a malevolent male figure (in one episode he described himself as a retired doctor) who rode the same passenger train every week. He invited listeners on a “journey into the realm of mystery and the unknown” that might involve ghosts, time travelers, death-row inmates, crooked lawyers, or made scientists. Created by Robert Arthur and David Kogan, The Mysterious Traveler came Mutual radio in 1943 and was mostly broadcast without a sponsor. Maurice Tarplin was the voice of the traveler, who could also be heard in supporting roles (if you listened closely). Supporting casts included Santos Ortega, Ross Martin, Art Carney (who would later play Ed Norton on “The Honeymooners”), Lon Clark, Jackson Beck, Lawson Zerbe and Joseph Julian. Arthur and Kogan would often recycle scripts for The Mysterious Traveler that they wrote for their two other series, The Strange Dr. Weird and The Sealed Book. In 1952, the last year it was on the air, the series won the Edgar Allan Poe award for Best Mystery Radio Show of the Year.

Philo Vance, Detective Ep. #56 May 26, 2022

Show notes

Enjoy two free detective episodes of Philo Vance, Detective w/ Jackson Beck

A) 12/28/48 The Rhumba Murder Case

B) 1/4/49 The Magic Murder Case

Detective Philo Vance was created by S.S. Van Dine (the pen name of Willard Huntington Wright). Vance was featured in 12 crime novels published in the 1920s and 30s. The character was so popular that he appeared in books, movies and on radio. Vance was a stylish, even foppish dandy; a New York bon vivant possessing a highly intellectual nature. On the silver screen, Vance was portrayed by William Powell, Basil Rathbone, Warren William, Paul Lukas, Edmund Lowe and William Wright. In 1945, NBC radio cast Jose’ Ferrer as Philo Vance in a short-lived series. A summer replacement series in 1946 starred John Emery. The best-known radio series ran from 1948 to 1950 starring Jackson Beck. Joan Alexander played Ellen Deering, Vance’s secretary and right-hand woman.

Our Miss Brooks Ep. #55 May 26, 2022

Show notes

Enjoy two free comedy episodes of Our Miss Brooks w/ Eve Arden

A) 2/4/51 Puppy Love

B) 4/1/51 New Dresses

Eve Arden starred as Connie Brooks, a competent, fair-minded school teacher with a dry wit who is often privy to the pranks of her pupils. Gale Gordon, was stuffed-shirt Principal Osgood Conklin, a pompous and tight-fisted character in charge of a school full of mischievous, plotting students. The success of Our Miss Brooks rested on the basic realism of the situations as well as the deft humor. As the wisecracking schoolmarm who went weak at the sight of Mr. Boynton, the bashful biology teacher (played by Jeff Chandler and Robert Rockwell), Arden found a character that exploited her full range of talents as a comedienne. CBS originally wanted Lucille Ball for the starring role, but she was unavailable. They auditioned Shirley Booth (Booth would later find fame as TV’s Hazel) but Arden was simply a natural for Connie Brooks and today it’s nearly impossible to imagine anyone else in the role. Eve Arden brilliantly communicated the wit and sarcasm of Miss Brooks and the interplay between the various cast members succeeded in bringing out the comedy in every situation. Whether the episode focused on scheming student Walter Denton (Richard Crenna) or Principal Conklin blowing his top, the double-edged zingers spiced up the scripts. Our Miss Brooks came to CBS radio in 1948 and lasted until 1957 and made a seamless transition to television.

The Sealed Book Ep. #54 May 12, 2022

Show notes

Enjoy two free horror episodes of The Sealed Book w/ Phillip Clarke

A) 3/18/45 The Hands of Death

B) 5/27/45 I’ll Die Laughing

Heard for one season in 1945 on Mutual, The Sealed Book offered mystery and terror tales, written by Robert A. Arthur and David Kogan, the same writing team that brought us The Mysterious Traveler and The Strange Dr. Weird. Produced and directed by Jock MacGregor (of Nick Carter, Master Detective fame), it aired March 18th until September 9th, 1945 on Sunday nights from 10:30 pm to 11:00 pm. Each week, after the sound of a great gong, the mysterious silent “keeper of the book has opened the ponderous door to the secret vault wherein is kept the great sealed book, in which is recorded all the secrets and mysteries of mankind through the ages. Here are tales of every kind, tales of murder, of madness, of dark deeds strange and terrible beyond all belief.” All 26 scripts for The Sealed Book were derived from scripts originally written for The Mysterious Traveler but each production used a different cast. It’s important to note that despite the extraordinary similarities between the scripts, writers and director, The Sealed Book was very much its own production. Produced on the east coast, it featured New York’s best supporting players including Mason Adams, Jan Miner, Maurice Tarplin, Lawson Zerbe and Bill Lipton with Phillip Clarke as “the keeper of the Sealed Book.”

Night Beat Ep. #53 May 12, 2022

Show notes

Enjoy two free drama episodes of Night Beat w/ Frank Lovejoy

A) 9/25/50 A Case of Butter

B) 9/4/52 The Bomb on Flight 63

Frank Lovejoy starred as Randy Stone (in the pilot his name was “Lucky” Stone), a war hero and streetwise journalist, who combed Chicago’s windy streets after office hours – during the “Night Beat” – in search of human-interest stories. A prolific newspaper columnist for the Chicago Star, Randy was a hardboiled yet kind-hearted character and his laconic style came in handy when talking bad guys out of doing vile deeds. Airing from 1950 until 1952, NBC referred to the program as a “dramatic thriller” but that wasn’t completely accurate and Night Beat seemed to defy classification. It wasn’t really a detective series and there was no sidekick, little violence, and no bullying newspaper editor screaming on the phone about deadlines. Focusing on the psychology of the characters and their motivation, the series was cerebral in nature. The dialogue was rhythmic and hypnotic, the music of Frank Worth set the mood, and the critics raved. Less than a year after the radio program went off the air, Frank Lovejoy reprised his role as Randy Stone for a would-be pilot episode of television’s weekly anthology, Four Star Playhouse. The gritty tough-guy dialogue of the radio scripts was better suited to the airwaves and the pilot never went beyond the initial airing.

The Six Shooter Ep. #52 May 12, 2022

Show notes

Enjoy two free western episodes of The Six Shooter w/ James Stewart

A) 11/22/53 Gabriel Starbuck

B) 12/27/53 Cora Plummer Quincy

The Six-Shooter was one of radio’s best western series but unfortunately, it came too late in radio’s dramatic life to have any longevity. The hero, Britt Ponset, was a slow-talking, easy-going maverick, but dangerous when pushed into a gunfight. The epigraph set the tone: The man in the saddle is angular and long-legged … his skin is sun-dyed brown … the gun in his holster is gray steel and rainbow mother-of-pearl, its handle unmarked. People call them both “the Six-Shooter.” James Stewart was perfect as the gentleman cowboy who roamed the western plains and blundered into other people’s troubles. The Six-Shooter was easily one of radio’s best westerns alongside Gunsmoke and Have Gun-Will Travel. Despite Stewart’s great star power, the show was largely sustained. The Liggett & Myer Tobacco Company, makers of Chesterfield was interested in sponsoring, but Stewart declined, not wanting a cigarette company to tarnish his largely wholesome screen image. The Six-Shooter ran on radio from 1953 until 1954 and did not make a transition to television.

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