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Julius Is Missing (Aired May 18, 1952) As both Phil and Alice were known singers, there were two musical numbers in each show, and they were always for real, except some of Phil's, which were for laughs. But Phil's band gave much more than music to the show. Frankie Remley was the band's left handed guitar player, with a sardonic sense of humor out of left field. The character was first done on The Jack Benny Show, and, of course, now on a show about the band itself, Frankie was even more obnoxious. Famed radio actor Elliott Lewis played him with relish. In fact, later in the run they actually started calling the character Elliott! (Elliott Lewis changes his name on the show from Frankie Remly to Elliott because Harris stopped leading Jack Benny's band--so he wasn't connected to Remly any more. THIS EPISODE: May 18, 1952. NBC network. "Julius Is Missing" - Sponsored by: RCA Victor. Julius has disappeared and has been missing for three days. Phil sings, "The Dark Town Poker Club." Phil Harris, Alice Faye, Walter Tetley, Robert North, Jeanine Roos, Elliott Lewis, Anne Whitfield, Walter Scharf and His Orchestra, Ray Singer (writer), Dick Chevillat (writer), Paul Phillips (producer, director), Bill Forman (announcer). 29:54. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

The Chicago Fraud Matter (Aired February 6, 1953) The name of the show derives from the fact that he closed each show by totaling his expense account, and signing it "End of report... Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar". Terry Salomonson in his authoritative "A Radio Broadcast Log of the Drama Program Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar", notes that the original working title was "Yours Truly, Lloyd London". Salomonson writes "Lloyd London was scratched out of the body of (the Dick Powell) audition script and Johnny Dollar was written in. Thus the show was re-titled on this script and the main character was renamed. Why this was done was unclear – possibly to prevent a legal run-in with Lloyd’s of London Insurance Company." Although based in Hartford, Connecticut, the insurance capital of the world, freelancer Johnny Dollar managed to get around quite a bit – his adventures taking him all over the world. Show Notes From The Old Time Radio Researcher's Group and The Digital Deli. THIS EPISODE: February 6, 1953. CBS network. "The Chicago Fraud Matter". Sustaining. How did an insurance company issue a policy on a man who died of malnutrition? John Lund, Eddie Dunstedter (organ), Jack Moyles, Edgar Barrier, Peggy Webber, Mary Lansing, John McIntire, E. Jack Neuman (writer), Jaime del Valle (transcriber), Dan Cubberly (announcer). 29:56. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

The Jewel Mystery Of Channel Island (2 Parts COMPLETE) Aired September 11, 1940 After his father was killed by a gangster's bullet, young Dan Garrett joined the New York Police Department, but soon tired of the slow pace and red tape of police work. With the help of his friend and mentor, pharmacist and drug-store proprietor Dr. Franz, Dan acquired a costume of bullet-proof chain-mail-like cellulose material, and began a second life, fighting crime as The Blue Beetle. His calling card was a small beetle-shaped marker that he left in conspicuous places to alert criminals to his presence, using their fear of his crime fighting reputation as a weapon against them. For this purpose he also used a "Beetle Signal" flashlight. The Blue Beetle's reputation was not his only weapon -- he carried a revolver in a blue holster on his belt, and was sometimes shown wearing a multi-pouched belt after the style set by Batman. Show Notes From The Old Time Radio Researcher's Group. THIS EPISODE: September 11, 1940. Program #47. Fox Features syndication. "The Jewel Mystery Of Channel Island" Part one. Commercials added locally. The Blue Beetle begins an investigation of jewel robberies on an island resort. 12:18. September 13, 1940. Program #48. Fox Features syndication. "The Jewel Mystery Of Channel Island" Part two. Commercials added locally. Recovering from a hundred foot jump into the sea, the Blue Beetle captures the jewel thief. The last show of the series. 12:33. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

Mister Miller (Aired October 4, 1945) Arch Oboler's Plays was Oboler's breakout dramatic showcase over Radio. Everyman's Theater further established Oboler's versatility and range, while underscoring Oboler's growing appeal to a far wider audience than he'd already established with Lights Out!. Though eight years his senior, the diminutive Oboler, while never as widely popular as Orson Welles, invites comparison to the other great young playwright-actor-director. Their skills were clearly each other's equal, their versatility had already been amply demonstrated by 1940, and their genius was indisputable. It's also clear that both Wyllis Cooper and Norman Corwin served to influence and inform Oboler's growing, wider appeal. The Arch Oboler's Plays franchise aired in one form or another over a period of almost thirty-three years, counting the original canon of fifty-three new radioplays, the subsequent special canon of twenty-six radioplays for the Mutual Broadcasting System (1945), then a 1964 revival, and finally a 1971 revival. The original canon of scripts encompassed some ninety-plus original stories. Show Notes From The Digital Deli. THIS EPISODE: October 4, 1945. Mutual network. "Mr. Miller". Sustaining. A prize fight manager, played by Eddie Cantor, finally lands the ideal boxer, a man who could be the champ! Program #25 of a series of twenty six. Elliott Lewis, Julian Upton, William Johnstone, Irvin Lee, Lou Merrill, Sidney Miller, Jack Meakin (conductor), Eddie Cantor, Arch Oboler (host), Howard Duff, Leo Cleary, Lester Jay. 29:48. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

The Vanishing Favorite (Aired July 31, 1949) The audition lays out the premise for the contemplated series. Frank Race has returned to civilian life after a wartime stint as an operative for the Office of Strategic Services (O.S.S.) the progenitor of the Central Intelligence Agency (C.I.A.). Somewhat disenchanted with the prospect of returning to practice Law, Race forms his own investigations firm, specializing in industrial, State, and international crimes of fraud and espionage. The premise was not new to 1949 Radio. Ned Jordan (Secret Agent) had aired over Mutual from 1938 and iniitally dealt with railroad espionage. Secret Agent K-7 had aired from 1939. The Man Called X had been successfully airing over CBS for almost six years. Dangerous Assignment began airing the same year as The Adventures of Frank Race. THIS EPISODE: July 31, 1949. Program #14. Broadcasters Program Syndicate syndication. "The Adventure Of The Vanishing Favorite". Commercials added locally. A half million dollar bet on a horse race motivates bookies, owners, and beautiful girl to attempt to change the odds. Tom Collins, Tony Barrett, Buckley Angel (writer, director), Joel Murcott (writer, director), Bruce Eells (producer), Ivan Ditmars (organist), Art Gilmore (announcer). 26:49. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

Piano Lessons For Junior (Aired November 5, 1944) The first Life of Riley radio show was a summer replacement show heard on CBS from April 12, 1941 to September 6, 1941. The CBS program starred Lionel Stander as J. Riley Farnsworth and had no real connection with the more famous series that followed a few years later. The radio program starring William Bendix aired on the ABC Blue Network from January 16, 1944 to June 8, 1945. Then it moved to NBC, where it was broadcast from September 8, 1945 to June 29, 1951. The supporting cast featured John Brown, who portrayed not only undertaker Digger O'Dell but also Riley's co-worker Gillis. Whereas Gillis gave Riley bad information that got him into trouble, Digger gave him good information that "helped him out of a hole," as he might have put it. Brown's lines as the undertaker were often repetitive, including puns based on his profession; but, thanks to Brown's delivery, the audience loved him. The series was co-developed by the non-performing Marx Brother, Gummo. Procter and Gamble (Prell shampoo) and Pabst Blue Ribbon beer were the show's longtime sponsors. THIS EPISODE: November 5, 1944. "Piano Lessons For Junior" - Blue network, KECA, Los Angeles aircheck. Sponsored by: American Meat Institute. Riley decides to bring some culture into Junior's life. He decides to rent a piano so Junior can take lessons. Ken Niles (announcer), Don Bernard (director), Lou Kosloff (music), William Bendix, John Brown, Irving Brecher (creator, producer), Paula Winslowe, Conrad Binyon. 29:52. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

Rogue's Gallery - Triangle Murder Case (Aired February 21, 1946) Rogue's Gallery came to the Mutual network on September 27, 1945 with Dick Powell portraying Richard Rogue, a private detective who invariably ended up getting knocked out each week and spending his dream time in acerbic conversation with his subconscious self, Eugor. Rogue's Gallery was, in a sense, Dick Powell's rehearsal for Richard Diamond, Private Detective. Powell played private detective Richard Rogue, who trailed luscious blondes, protected witness, and did whatever else detectives do to make a living. It was a good series, though not destined to make much of a mark. Under the capable direction of Dee Englebach and accompanied by the music of Leith Stevens, Powell floated through his lines with the help of such competents as Lou Merrill, Gerald Mohr, Gloria Blondell, Tony Barrett, and Lurene Tuttle. Peter Leeds played Rogue's friend Eugor, an obscure play on names with Eugor spelling Rogue backwards. Show Notes From The Old Time Radio Researcher's Group. THIS EPISODE: February 21, 1946. Mutual network. "The Triangle Murder Case". Sponsored by: Fitch's Shampoo, Fitch's Shaving Cream. The managing editor of "The Chronicle" has been murdered after tangling with "The Alibi Master," an unethical attorney. Dee Englebach (producer, director), Dick Powell, Gerald Mohr, Jim Doyle (announcer), Leith Stevens (composer, conductor), Peter Leeds. 29:21. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

The Long Arm (Aired February 7, 1950) CBS decided to take a chance on reviving the show. Norman Macdonnell was producer/director; Gene Levitt, Robert Mitchell, Mel Dinelli, and Kathleen Hite wrote the scripts; and Richard Aurandt was responsible for the music. CBS cast Gerald Mohr to star as Philip Marlowe, with Roy Rowan as announcer. Philip Marlowe, being a loner, was really the only regular character, but throughout the three years the series ran a long string of high-quality supporting Hollywood actors appeared on the show. Performing alongside Mohr at various times were Jeff Corey, Howard McNear, Parley Baer, Lawrence Dobkin, Virginia Gregg, Gloria Blondell, and Lou Krugman. The CBS production ran from September 26, 1948 to September 29, 1950 with an additional short summer run from July 7 to September 15, 1951. Show Notes From The Old Time Radio Researcher's Group. THIS EPISODE: February 7, 1950. CBS network. "The Long Arm". Sustaining. Marlowe reluctantly returns to Bay City to help un-frame a pal, who's been accused of murder. Gerald Mohr, Norman Macdonnell (producer, director), Richard Aurandt (composer, conductor), Roy Rowan (announcer), Robert Mitchell (writer), Gene Levitt (writer), Barney Phillips, Ted Osborne, Sidney Miller, Tom Tully, Bert Holland, Raymond Chandler (creator). 29:41. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

Agatha Christie Presents Hercule Poirot - Evil Under The Sun (Part 5 of 5) Aired November 19, 2012 The cast of characters is fairly large, but they are easy to keep separate, since each of them is quite distinctive. This is an especially important feature in a murder mystery that depends on keeping track of who is whom! The acting seems slightly over-the-top at first: my initial reaction was that everyone was overacting. However, this style is maintained throughout the whole film, and it doesn't take long at all before it seems perfectly in keeping with the light tone of the movie, as well as being very appropriate to the characters themselves, including a film star, producers, a gossip columnist, a playboy, and (last but not least) a very vain detective.

The Fixer (Aired December 28, 1950) The FBI in Peace and War was a radio crime drama inspired by Frederick Lewsis Collins' book, The FBI in Peace and War. The idea for the show came from Louis Pelletier who wrote many of the scripts. Among the show's other writers were Jack Finke, Ed Adamson and Collins. Airing on CBS from November 25, 1944 to September 28, 1958, it had a variety of sponsors (including Lava Soap, Wildroot Cream Oil, Lucky Strike, Nescafe and Wrigley's) over the years. Martin Blaine and Donald Briggs headed the cast. THIS EPISODE: December 28, 1950. "The Fixer" - Program #46. CBS network origination, AFRS rebroadcast. "The Fixer". Frank Molino is "kingpin of the nation's mobsterdom." He machine guns Harry Brock in broad daylight. The program may be dated December 18, 1950. Frederick L. Collins (creator). 24:14. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

Plantation Mystery (1942) *The Exact Date Is Unknown. The Hermit's cave Ghost stories ... weird stories ... of murder, too ... the Hermit knows them all. Horror stories with Mel Johnson and howling wolves (or dogs with indigestion?) in the background, obliterating some of the introduction. This syndicated show was one of the treats for the kiddies, cuddled up to their hollow-state radio sets to keep warm in Detroit, between 1940 and 1944. The show was also heard in Beverly Hills, CA in 1943-1944, a radio horror anthology series, syndicated by WJR Detroit in the mid-1930s, sponsored by Olga Coal after the first two years. As the wind howled, the ancient Hermit narrated his horror fantasies from his cave. The cackling character of the Hermit was played by John Kent, Charles Penman, Toby Grimmer, and Klock Ryder. William Conrad produced when the show moved to KMPC Los Angeles with Mel Johnson as the Hermit (1940-42), followed by John Dehner (1942-44). THIS EPISODE: 1942. Program #410. WJR, Detroit origination, World syndication. "Plantation Mystery". Sponsored by: Olga Coal. The owner of a plantation on Cook's Island seems to have changed. The natives are restless and a haunted soul returns for his revenge. The date is approximate. Next week's story is, "The Haunted Theater." 28:11. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

Agatha Christie Presents Hercule Poirot - Evil Under The Sun ((Part 3 and 4 of 5) Aired November 19, 2012 The centerpiece of the movie, the murder mystery itself, is interesting, and kept me guessing right up to the very end. One of the most enjoyable aspects of Evil Under the Sun is that it invites the viewer to try to figure out the puzzle along with Poirot, which makes for a fun and engaging viewing experience. The movie plays fair: although we're not privy to Poirot's thought processes, we see everything that Poirot sees, and thus we have the same opportunity to figure things out as he does. The cinematography is handled well in this regard, as Poirot's insights are shown by a quick zoom to the detail that has caught his attention; this lets the viewer know that he's seen something important, but not what, exactly, is important about it. So in theory anyone in the audience could figure out the solution before Poirot reveals it... but it's quite likely that the solution that Poirot's "little gray cells" comes up with will be a surprise. The only disappointment with the movie comes in the final revelation, however, as one of the key plot points doesn't entirely make sense, and isn't explained.

Agatha Christie Presents Hercule Poirot - Evil Under The Sun (Part 1 and 2 of 5) Aired November 19, 2012 Evil Under the Sun is a classic Agatha Christie murder mystery, featuring the famous Belgian detective Hercule Poirot (Peter Ustinov). In this instance, Poirot is on a working holiday, as he is put on the trail of a fake jewel that leads him to an expensive island resort in the Mediterranean. The other guests turn out to be an interesting assortment, as there are many connections (both overt and concealed) among the guests, as well as a generous helping of ill-will in various directions.It's a very entertaining movie. The fast pace keeps the movie zipping along from one scene to the next; the overall effect is not rushed, however, but sprightly. In fact, the brisk pacing seems in keeping with the fairly light-hearted tone overall. Evil Under the Sun, for all its gloomy title, does not dwell on the darker aspects of human nature, but rather on murder as an intellectual challenge for M. Poirot. The tone is handled quite well. The director uses humorous touches such as Poirot "going for a swim" to maintain the light tone, but never overdoes the humor in an attempt to get laughs out of the audience.

Lou The Fireman (Aired December 6, 1945) After working as Allen's summer replacement, Abbott and Costello joined Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy on The Chase and Sanborn Hour in 1941, while two of their films (Buck Privates and Hold That Ghost) were adapted for Lux Radio Theater. They launched their own weekly show October 8, 1942, sponsored by Camel cigarettes. The Abbott and Costello Show mixed comedy with musical interludes (usually, by singers such as Connie Haines, Marilyn Maxwell, the Delta Rhythm Boys, Skinnay Ennis, and the Les Baxter Singers). Regulars and semi-regulars on the show included Artie Auerbrook, Elvia Allman, Iris Adrian, Mel Blanc, Wally Brown, Sharon Douglas, Verna Felton, Sidney Fields, Frank Nelson, Martha Wentworth, and Benay Venuta. Ken Niles was the show's longtime announcer, doubling as an exasperated foil to Abbott & Costello's mishaps (and often fuming in character as Costello insulted his on-air wife routinely); he was succeeded by Michael Roy, with annoncing chores also handled over the years by Frank Bingman and Jim Doyle. THIS EPISODE: December 6, 1945. Red network. "Lou The Fireman" - Sponsored by: Camels, Prince Albert Tobacoo. Abbott and Costello are working as fireman. Mrs. O'Lay Hee's house is on fire. Abbott explains vitamins to Costello ("vitamins go from A to H...go to H?"). Camels salutes the "Fighting" 69th Division. Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Ken Niles (announcer), Will Osborne and His Orchestra, Iris Adrian, Sidney Fields, Frederick Shields (commercial spokesman), Virginia Gordon, Dick Mack (director). 30:44. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

Auto Theft (Charles Mead) Aired June 22, 1945 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. THIS EPISODE: June 22, 1945. ABC network. "Auto Theft". Sponsored by: The Equitable Life Assurance Society. "The story of a crime against the community." The FBI tracks down Charles Mead, an expert with stolen cars, at a time when any kind of car was hard to get. Frank Lovejoy (narrator), Nathan Van Cleave (music), Carl Frank (announcer). 28:58.