Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod

Salvage (Aired December 3, 1949) From 1949-1956 the Mutual Broadcasting System ran a series entitled John Steele, Adventurer. This was an anthology series, introduced by the title character, who has apparently had trouble keeping a job: he served at various times as ship's captain, baseball league president, county sheriff, State Department special agent in Turkey, etc. Each story is told from the point of view of the main character, a friend of Steele's. Steele himself makes cameo appearances in the series. The series featured Ted Mallie as the announcer (Mallie also announced for The Shadow and I Love A Mystery) and Don Douglas as John Steele, and was directed by Elliot Drake. It often promised “suspense and hard, fast action,” and nearly always delivered. It had excellent production values, and its plots that were often complex. The stories are reminiscent of pulp stories from magazines like Argosy or All-Story. THIS EPISODE: December 3, 1949. Mutual network. "Salvage". Sustaining. "A man with a dream, locked in the icy depths of the ocean." Don Douglas, Sylvan Levin (conductor), Robert Monroe (producer), Elliott Drake (writer, director), Jim Boles, Abby Lewis, Ross Martin, Jack Orison, Ted Mallie (announcer). 29:44.

The Man In The Black Suit (11-02-49) (Aired November 2, 1949) 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.

Eve's Mother Stays On (Aired June 18, 1944) The Great Gildersleeve (1941-1957), initially written by Leonard Lewis Levinson, was one of broadcast history's earliest spin-off programs. Built around a character who had been a staple on the classic radio situation comedy Fibber McGee and Molly, The Great Gildersleeve enjoyed its greatest success in the 1940s. Actor Harold Peary played the character during its transition from the parent show into the spin-off and later in a quartet of feature films released at the height of the show's popularity. On Fibber McGee and Molly, Peary's Gildersleeve was a pompous windbag who became a consistent McGee nemesis. "You're a haa-aa-aa-aard man, McGee!" became a Gildersleeve catch phrase. The character was given several conflicting first names on Fibber McGee and Molly, and on one episode his middle name was revealed as Philharmonic. THIS EPISODE: June 18, 1944. "Eve's Mother Stays On" - NBC network. Sponsored by: Kraft Parkay. Network, sponsored version. Throckmorton is running for Mayor and trying to get rid of his future mother-in-law at the same time. Arthur Q. Bryan, Bea Benaderet, Claude Sweeten (music), Earle Ross, Harold Peary, John Whedon (writer), Ken Carpenter (announcer), Lillian Randolph, Lurene Tuttle, Richard LeGrand, Sam Moore (writer), Shirley Mitchell, Walter Tetley. 29:46. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

The Case Of The Incorrigible Killer (Aired October 9, 1948) Gangbusters was an American dramatic radio program heralded as "the only national program that brings you authentic police case histories." It premiered as G-Men, sponsored by Chevrolet, on July 20, 1935. After the title was changed to Gangbusters January 15, 1936, the show had a 21-year run through November 20, 1957. Beginning with a barrage of loud sound effects — guns firing and tires squealing — this intrusive introduction led to the popular catch phrase "came on like Gangbusters."The series dramatized FBI cases, which producer-director Phillips H. Lord arranged in close association with Bureau director J. Edgar Hoover. Hoover insisted that only closed cases would be used. THIS EPISODE: October 9, 1948. Program #550. CBS network. "The Case Of The Incorrigible Killer". Sponsored by: Tide. David Blackwell breaks out of jail, kills the guy who ratted on him, and then breaks back into jail to break out his two henchmen! Paul M. McNutt, Vice President of the National Probation and Parole Association, speaks after the story. Don Gardiner (announcer), John Larkin, Ken Lynch, Paul McNutt, Phillips H. Lord (producer), Stanley Niss (writer, director), William Sweets (director). 29:26. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

The Perilous Secret (Aired April 14, 1950) This Is Your FBI was a radio crime drama which aired in the United States on ABC from April 6, 1945 to January 30, 1953. FBI chief J. Edgar Hoover gave it his endorsement, calling it "the finest dramatic program on the air." Producer-director Jerry Devine was given access to FBI files by Hoover, and the resulting dramatizations of FBI cases were narrated by Frank Lovejoy (1945), Dean Carleton (1946-47) and William Woodson (1948-53). Stacy Harris had the lead role of Special Agent Jim Taylor. Others in the cast were William Conrad, Bea Benaderet and Jay C. Flippen. This Is Your FBI was sponsored during its entire run by the Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States (now AXA Equitable Life Insurance Company). This is Your FBI had counterparts on the other networks. The FBI in Peace and War also told stories of the FBI, although some were not authentic.

The Case Of Everybody's Gun (Aired July 4, 1951) This hard boiled detective 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: July 4, 1951. NBC network. "The Case Of Everybody's Gun". Sponsored by: Kraft Miracle Whip, Kraft Malted Milk. A client is murdered before he can pay detective Michael Waring! Les Damon, Ed Herlihy (announcer), Drexel Drake (creator), Bernard L. Schubert (producer), Jerome Hines (writer), Richard Lewis (director), Arlo (music), Charles Webster. 30:17. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

Escape From Autumn (Aired September 18, 1944) 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 this introduction, as intoned by Paul Frees and William Conrad: “Tired of the everyday grind? Ever dream of a life of romantic adventure? Want to get away from it all? We offer you... Escape!” Following the opening theme, a second announcer (usually Roy Rowan) would add: "We offer you... Escape! Designed to free you from the four walls of today for a half-hour of high adventure!" THIS EPISODE: September 18, 1944. NBC network. "Escape From Autumn". Sustaining. An excellent story about a boy whose father has gone off to war, leaving his upbringing to an elderly neighbor. Ralph Camargo, Cliff Subere, Leonard Smith. 24:13. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

Balancing The Books (Aired December 28, 1945) Early in the show's life, however, its name was changed — first to Duffy's and, for four episodes, Duffy's Variety. A staffer for Bristol-Myers -- whose Ipana toothpaste was the show's early sponsor—persuaded the company's publicity director to demand the name change because the original title promoted "the hobby of drinking" too much for certain sensibilities. Bristol-Myers eventually admitted the staffer had little to go on other than a handful of protesting letters, and to the delight of fans who never stopped using the original name, anyway — the original title was restored permanently. The name change was often subverted by the Armed Forces Radio Network. When the AFRN rebroadcast those episodes for U.S. servicemen during World War II, the announcer referred to Duffy's Tavern. Radio's Duffy's Tavern didn't translate well to film or television. THIS EPISODE: December 28, 1945. "Balancing The Books" - NBC network origination, AFRS rebroadcast. Archie tries to balance the tavern's books. He and Eddie take inventory, then try to bribe Mr. Schmidlap, the accountant. Ed Gardner, Eddie Green, Charlie Cantor, Sandra Gould, Howard Duff (AFRS announcer). 29:34. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

Curtain Time - Lightning Strikes Twice (Aired March 29, 1947) Curtain Time had two separate runs on radio. The fist run was sponsored by General Mills from 1937 to 1939 and the second aired from 1945 to 1950, sponsored by the Mars Candy Co. Interesting is that this romantic drama had a theater setting and announcements with the announcer shouting "tickets please". Many of the episodes were romantic stories where a boy meets his dream girl and what happens afterwards. Announcer for the series was Harry Halcomb who was later known best for his appearances on the 60 minutes television show. Curtain Time is truly an Old Time Radio Classic. Mutual Network, local KNX show sustained, heard Fridays 7:30 - 8:00 pm THIS EPISODE: March 29, 1947. NBC network, WMAQ, Chicago origination/aircheck. "Lightning Strikes Twice". Sponsored by: Milky Way, Bulova (local). Nannette Sargent, Bert Farber (arranger, conductor), Harry Holcomb (director), Sidney Ellstrom, Maurice Copeland, Lucille Lorell, Art Van Harvey, Ralph Klein (writer), Patrick Allen (host), Harry Elders. 28:34. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

The Gangster Was A Lady (Aired August 14, 1950) A series based on short films of the same name produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was similar to Gangbusters, having a moralistic message about the law and lawbreaker. It was first heard over WMGM (NYC), hosted by Donald Buka. The last original show aired on Apr. 11, 1951. The series started on Monday evenings at 7:30 PM (on WMGM) and held that time/day spot until Oct. 30, 1950. The 56'th show marked a change to Wednesday night, again at 7:30. After show number 78 (Apr.11, 1951) the shows were repeated, starting with the first, "Kid With a Gun". The repeats followed the original order up until repeat of number 26, "Ingenious Woman" on Oct. 10, 1951. Repeats were not uncommon. Even before the last original show, older shows were repeated on alternate dates to the main series run. On Jan. 7, 1952, the series moved to Mutual but lasted just one year. Only repeats of the original series were aired and show ordering did not match the first run. The show was heard on Dec. 22, 1952. THIS EPISODE: August 14, 1950. Program #45. MGM syndication. "The Gangster Was A Lady". Commercials added locally. The lady has guts and brains. She sells juke boxes, protection and brass knuckles when she encounters sales resistance. She murders the competition...and his dog! The dog survives and is a witness against this very tough lady. A truly inane script. The date above is the date of the first broadcast on WMGM, New York, from which this syndicated version may have been taken. Blanche Yerka, Jon Gart (composer, conductor), Marx B. Loeb (producer, director), Burton B. Turkas (technical advisor), Ira Marion (writer). 26:34.

Drunk & Bridge Jumper (Aired October 21, 1954) Before the "Reality TV", there was "Reality Radio" and Night Watch was there. This show is a straight crime documentary with no music, sound effects, or actors. Police reporter Don Reid rode in a prowl car on the night shift with officers from the Culver City, California police department. While wearing a hidden microphone, he captures the sounds and voices of real life drama. From the worried child to the hardened criminal, their stories come through loud and clear. The names were changed to protect identities, but everything else in this gripping series is real. THIS EPISODE: October 21, 1954. "Drunk & Bridge Jumper" - CBS network. Sustaining. A drunk who tried to kick Don Reed in the teeth last night, has returned to the police station voluntarily. Donn Reed (police recorder), W. N. Hildebrand (Chief of Police), Sterling Tracy (producer, director), Jim Headlock (producer), Ron Perkins (technical advisor). 27:05. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

Murder At The Vicarage Pt. 5 of 5 (12-26-93) Agatha Christie is the world's best-known mystery writer. Her books have sold over a billion copies in the English language and another billion in over 45 foreign languages. She is outsold only by the Bible and Shakespeare. She was born Agatha Miller in Torquay, England on September 15, 1890, the daughter of Frederick Alvah Miller and Clarissa Miller. Her father died when she was a child. Agatha was educated at home; her mother encouraged her to write from a very early age. At sixteen she was sent to school in Paris where she studied singing and piano. In 1914 she married Colonel Archibald Christie, an aviator in the Royal Flying Corps. The couple had one daughter, Rosalind, before their divorce in 1928. Archie Christie announced that he had fallen in love with a younger woman, Nancy Neele. That same year, Christie's beloved mother died. The story of Christie's real life mystery in 1926, when she disappeared for a time and lived in a Harrowgate hotel under the name 'Mrs. Neele,' was the basis for the film Agatha.

Murder At The Vicarage Pts. 3 & 4 of 5 (Aired December 26, 1993) Jane Marple, usually referred to as Miss Marple, is a fictional character appearing in twelve of Agatha Christie's crime novels. Miss Marple is an elderly spinster who lives in the village of St. Mary Mead and acts as an amateur detective. She is one of the most famous of Christie's characters and has been portrayed numerous times on screen. Her first published appearance was in issue 350 of The Royal Magazine for December 1927 with the first printing of the short story "The Tuesday Night Club", which later became the first chapter of The Thirteen Problems (1932). Her first appearance in a full-length novel was in The Murder at the Vicarage in 1930. Miss Jane Marple is an elderly lady who lives in the little English village St. Mary Mead. Superficially stereotypical, she is dressed neatly in tweed and is frequently seen knitting or pulling weeds in her garden. Miss Marple sometimes comes across as confused or "fluffy", but when it comes to solving mysteries, she has a sharp logical mind, and an almost unmatched understanding of human nature with all its weaknesses, strengths, quirks and foibles. In the detective story tradition, she often embarrasses the local "professional" police by solving mysteries that have them stumped.

Murder At The Vicarage Pts. 1 & 2 of 5 (Aired December 26, 1993) Dame Agatha Christie DBE (15 September 1890 – 12 January 1976), was an English crime writer of novels, short stories and plays. She also wrote romances under the name Mary Westmacott, but is best remembered for her 80 detective novels and her successful West End theatre plays. Her works, particularly those featuring detectives Hercule Poirot and Miss Jane Marple, have given her the title the 'Queen of Crime' and made her one of the most important and innovative writers in the development of the genre. Christie has been referred to by the Guinness Book of World Records as the best-selling writer of books of all time and the best-selling writer of any kind, along with William Shakespeare. Only the Bible is known to have outsold her collected sales of roughly four billion copies of novels.

The Big Umbrella (Aired April 3, 1949) He was born Alfred Damon Runyan in Manhattan, Kansas, and grew up in Pueblo, Colorado, where Runyon Field and Runyon Lake are named after him. He was a third-generation newspaperman, and started in the trade under his father in Pueblo. He worked for various newspapers in the Rocky Mountain area; at one of those, the spelling of his last name was changed from "Runyan" to "Runyon", a change he let stand. After a notable failure in trying to organize a Colorado minor baseball league, Runyon moved to New York City in 1910. For the next ten years he covered the New York Giants and professional boxing for the New York American. In his first New York byline, the American editor dropped the "Alfred", and the name "Damon Runyon" appeared for the first time. Broadcast from January to December 1949, "The Damon Runyon Theatre" dramatized 52 of Runyon's short stories for radio. THIS EPISODE: April 3, 1949. Program #27. Mayfair syndication. "The Big Umbrella". Commercials added locally. Not every heavyweight folds when the going gets rough. Damon Runyon (author), John Brown, Richard Sanville (director), Russell Hughes (writer), Vern Carstensen (production supervisor), Frank Gallop (announcer). 27:53. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.