Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod

Colonel Warburton's Madness (Aired September 10, 1945) From 1881, Holmes is described as having lodgings at 221B Baker Street, London, from where he runs his private detective agency. 221B is an apartment up seventeen steps, stated in an early manuscript to be at the "upper end" of the road. Until the arrival of Dr. Watson, Holmes works alone, only occasionally employing agents from the city's underclass, including a host of informants and a group of street children he calls the Baker Street Irregulars. The Irregulars appear in three stories, "The Sign of the Four", "A Study in Scarlet" and "The Adventure of the Crooked Man". THIS EPISODE: September 10, 1945. Mutual network. "Colonel Warburton's Madness". Sponsored by: Petri Wines. The Colonel has gone raving mad, and only Sherlock Holmes and a dog can discover the cause! Based on the story, "The Engineer's Thumb." Basil Rathbone, Nigel Bruce, Harry Bartell (announcer), Denis Green (writer), Anthony Boucher (writer), Arthur Conan Doyle (author), Edna Best (producer). 29:47. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

Lou's Engaged To Judy Canova (Aired January 6, 1944) 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: January 6, 1944. "Lou's Engaged To Judy Canova" - NBC network. Sponsored by: Camels, Prince Albert Pipe Tobacco. The opening routine is about leap year and Costello's romance. He's against marriage. Will Costello marry guest Judy Canova? Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Freddie Rich and His Orchestra, Ken Niles (announcer), Connie Haines, Elvia Allman, Mel Blanc, John Brown, Judy Canova. 29:13. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

Scorpion Sam's Gold (Aired July 12, 1947) Challenge of the Yukon was a long-running radio series that began on Detroit's station WXYZ (as had The Lone Ranger and The Green Hornet). The series was first heard on February 3, 1938. Under the title Sergeant Preston of the Yukon, it later transferred to television. The program was an adventure series about Sergeant William Preston of the Northwest Mounted Police and his lead sled dog, Yukon King, as they fought evildoers in the Northern wilderness during the Gold Rush of the 1890s. Preston, according to radio historian Jim Harmon, first joined the Mounties to capture his father's killer, and when he was successful he was promoted to Sergeant. Preston worked under the command of Inspector Conrad, and in the early years was often assisted by a French-Canadian guide named Pierre. Preston's staunchest ally, who was arguably the true star of the show and indeed often did more work than he did, was the brave Alaskan husky, Yukon King. Typical plots involved the pair helping injured trappers, tracking down smugglers, or saving cabin dwellers from wolverines. THIS EPISODE: July 12, 1947. ABC network. "Scorpion Sam's Gold". Sustaining. "Scorpion Sam" is a crazy old man who shoots at anyone who comes near his cabin. When Sam dies in a fire, he leaves behind a fortune in gold. Years later, the gold finds a good home! Paul Sutton, El Prowell (announcer), Mildred Merrill (writer). 29:02. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

The Man Who Sold His Soul (1950) *The Exact Date Is Unknown. This series was written by Michael McCabe and was produced in South Africa. It was a replacement for another series McCabe produced, called SF68. That series adapted famous Sci-fi stories to radio, and it seems to have been the place where McCabe honed his craft. The subject matter to Beyond Midnight was more horror oriented, including madness, murder, and supernatural sleuths! What survives today doesn't involve a horror host per se, but a few include framing narration (by someone involved in the plot) while others just start up the story with no announcer or lead-in whatsoever. So it's possible the regular host or announcer was left off (edited out) of the recordings. The host-- if there was one-- may have only been heard by those who listened to this series when it first aired. It's another radio mystery we may never know for sure, but we're lucky to at least have some of the recordings!

The Ice Pick Murder (Aired September 16, 1950) A 30-minute crime drama starring Dan Duryea as Lou Dana, a tough police lieutenant with a tendency to beat information out of suspects. Dana's catch phrase was, "I don't like killers." Bill Bouchey was Inspector Sherman and music was by Basic Adams. His sniveling, deliberately taunting demeanor and snarling flat, nasal tones set Dan Duryea apart from other slimeball villains of the 1940s and 1950s. From his very first picture--the highly acclaimed The Little Foxes (1941) in which he played the snotty, avaricious nephew Leo who would easily sell his own mother down the river for spare change--lean and mean Duryea had film audiences admitting his vile characters were guilty pleasures, particularly in film noir, melodramas and westerns. THIS EPISODE: September 16, 1950. "The Ice Pick Murder" - ABC network. Sustaining. A dead man has been found in a ditch, killed by an ice pick. Then, Harold Winthrop is killed by a gun. The corpse wore silk socks. Lieutenant Dana is one tough cop! Good radio. The system cue has been deleted. Charles McGraw, Louis Vittes (writer), Robert Armbruster (composer, conductor), Jim Backus, Joan Banks, Lawrence Dobkin, Lamont Johnson, Tom Tully, Helen Mack (producer, director), Arthur Q. Bryan, Maggie Morely. 28:38. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

Fred The Boarder - With Ozzie & Harriet (Aired June 15, 1947) The show that became Town Hall Tonight was the longest-running hour-long comedy-based show in classic radio history. In 1940, Allen moved back to CBS with a new sponsor and show name, Texaco Star Theater (every Wednesday at 9:00 p.m. EST on CBS, then Sundays at 9:00 p.m. in the fall of 1941). By 1942, he shortened the show to half an hour, at 9:30 p.m. EST – under network and sponsor edict, not his own. He also chafed under being forced to give up a Town Hall Tonight signature, using barely-known and amateur guests effectively, in favor of booking more recognizable guests, though he liked many of those. THIS EPISODE: June 15, 1947. " Fred The Boarder With Ozzie & Harriet" - NBC network. Sponsored by: Tenderleaf Tea, Chefford's Cheese. Allen's Alley question: "Do you think American cooking is the best in the world?" Fred rents a room at the home of Ozzie and Harriet. Fred Allen, Portland Hoffa, Al Goodman and His Orchestra, Ozzie Nelson, Harriet Hilliard, Kenny Delmar, Minerva Pious, Peter Donald, Parker Fennelly, The De Marco Sisters. 27:49. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

The Mysterious Stranger (Aired July 14, 1944) Author's Playhouse was an anthology radio drama series, created by Wynn Wright, that aired on the NBC Blue Network from March 5, 1941 until October 1941. It then moved to the NBC Red Network where it was heard until June 4, 1945. Philip Morris was the sponsor in 1942-43. Premiering with "Elementals" by Stephen Vincent Benét, the series featured adaptations of stories by famous authors, such as “Mr. Mergenthwirker’s Lobbies” by Nelson Bond, "The Snow Goose" by Paul Gallico, "The Monkey's Paw" by W.W. Jacobs, "The Piano" by William Saroyan and "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" by James Thurber. Cast members included Curley Bradley, John Hodiak, Marvin Miller, Nelson Olmsted, Fern Persons, Olan Soule and Les Tremayne. THIS EPISODE: July 14, 1944. NBC network. "The Mysterious Stranger". Sustaining. A fantasy about a boy who gets out of a sick bed of a day on the town with a strange yet somehow familiar man. Zachary Gold (writer). 28:30. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

The Fabulous Divorce Payoff Murder Case (Aired July 20, 1951) Inspector Thorne was a short-lived Crime drama anthology that NBC rolled out under the Hummert franchise. Anne and Frank Hummert were two of Radio's most prolific creators, writers, and producers of all manner of serial melodrama--daytime soaps--throughout The Golden Age of Radio. Though almost universally associated with soaps, their talents didn't end with serial potboilers. Indeed most Radio collectors aren't aware of the prodigious output of long-running crime, mystery, and detective dramas they produced. During the 1940s and early 1950s the Hummerts turned their talents to several Detective and Crime fiction dramas. Show Notes From The Digital Deli. THIS EPISODE: July 20, 1951. NBC network. "The Fabulous Divorce Payoff Murder Case". Sustaining. The first show of the series. Kenneth MacGregor (director), Frank Hummert (creator), Fred Collins (announcer), Karl Weber, Edward Francis (writer, billed as Eugene Edward Francis). 28:53. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

Recovering A Civil War Map (Aired December 16, 1950) Dangerous Assignment stands as one of the most durable programs of its genre and era in the waning days of The Golden Age of Radio. Espionage or foreign intrigue dramas weren't particularly groundbreaking undertakings by the 1950s. Bulldog Drummond was the first of the more successful exemplars of Radio espionage and intrigue, running from 1941 to 1954, most often under the lead of the gifted character actor, George Coulouris. The Counterspy series had been well underway since 1942 and ran in one incarnation or another through 1954. The Man Called X had already aired--to great popular and critical acclaim--for almost five years prior to 1949. Indeed, within a year of airing Dangerous Assignment's Summer 1949 season, The Man Called X returned to the air for another two years. Dangerous Assignment ran for the most part, network sustained for over half of its entire run. NBC transcribed Dangerous Assignment for syndication via its NBC Orthacoustic Transcription Series. NBC's Orthacoustic transcriptions are the source of most of the surviving recordings. Show Notes From The Digital Deli. Show Notes From The Digital Deli.

The Case Of The Sleepy Camel (Aired January 16, 1949) Precisely why Jordan is in Egypt is left deliberately vague, though he apparently has enemies in St. Louis so can't go back home. Sam Sabaaya (Jay Novello) is the police captain who apprehends the criminals at the end of each adventure. Sabaaya is portrayed as a diligent and competent policeman, usually as Jordan's friend and ally but sometimes as his foil. He is an Egyptian Muslim, is married, and has four children. Two further characters appear in some but not all episodes, Chris and Sergeant Greco. Chris is the bartender at the Café Tambourine, while Greco is one of Sabaaya's underlings. Greco has a particular dislike of Jordan, and invariably tries to make his life difficult, often by arresting him as the chief suspect in whatever crime Jordan is trying to solve. He's also ambitious and eager for promotion. THIS EPISODE: January 16, 1949. CBS Pacific network. "The Case Of The Sleepy Camel". Sustaining. A native blocks the door of the Cafe Tambourine with a sleeping camel. Youssef has three camels, a gift for Rocky. Jack Moyles, Gomer Cool (adaptor), Cliff Howell (producer, director), Milton Charles (original music), Larry Roman (adaptor), Andrew Batar (writer, TWA pilot of Cairo), Larry Thor (announcer). 29:32. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

The Keys To The City (Aired September 21, 1945) The Avenger is a fictional character whose original adventures appeared from 1939 to 1942 in The Avenger magazine, published by Street and Smith Publications. Five additional short stories were published in Clues Detective magazine from 1942 to 1943, and a sixth novelette in The Shadow magazine in 1943. Newly-written adventures were commissioned and published by Warner Brother's Paperback Library from 1973 to 1974. The Avenger was a pulp hero who combined elements of Doc Savage and The Shadow though he was never as popular as either of these characters. The authorship of the pulp series was credited by Street and Smith to Kenneth Robeson, the same byline that appeared on the Doc Savage stories. The "Kenneth Robeson" name was a house pseudonym used by a number of different Street & Smith writers. Most of the original Avenger stories were written by Paul Ernst. THIS EPISODE: September 21, 1945. Program #16. Michelson syndication. "The Keys To The City". Music fill for local commercial insert. Charles Michelson (producer), Walter Gibson (writer), Ruth Braun (writer), Gilbert Braun (writer), James Monks, Helen Adamson, Alyn Edwards (announcer), Doc Whipple (organist). 28:10. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

Serenade Macabre (Aired July 24, 1947) Crime club literary selections were all the rage during the first half of the 20th century. Doubleday was the first to form a literary Crime Club in 1928. Doubleday's distinctive 'Crime man' (left sidebar) was strategically imprinted on their Doubleday Crime Club selections. The Collins Publishing House in England had their Collins Crime Club launched in 1930, issuing Agatha Christie's first novel, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, as one of their first selections. The Collins Crime Club imprint (left sidebar) announced its Crime Club selections as "The sign of a good detective novel." Eno Fruit Salts, and the Columbia Basic Network joined forces in 1931 to air the Eno Crime Club. The program ran for two years over the Columbia Basic Network and for three years over NBC's Blue Network. During April 1933, the program was renamed Eno Crime Clues. Show Notes From The Digital Deli. THIS EPISODE: July 24, 1947. Mutual network. "Serenade Macabre". Sustaining. A circus triangle story. A murdered lion tamer causes the trouble. Stedman Coles (writer), Raymond Edward Johnson, Joan Tompkins, Cameron Prud'Homme. 28:31. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

The Apparition (Aired May 6, 1981) The CBS Radio Mystery Theater (or CBSRMT) was an ambitious and sustained attempt to revive the great drama of old-time radio in the 1970s. Created by Himan Brown (who had by then become a radio legend due to his work on Inner Sanctum Mysteries and other shows dating back to the 1930s), and aired on affiliate stations across the CBS Radio network, the series began its long run on January 6, 1974. The final episode ran on December 31, 1982. The show was broadcast nightly and ran for one hour, including commercials. Typically, a week consisted of three to four new episodes, with the remainder of the week filled out with reruns. There were a total of 1399 original episodes broadcast. The total number of broadcasts, including reruns, was 2969. The late E.G. Marshall hosted the program every year but the final one, when actress Tammy Grimes took over.

The Dowager And Dan Holiday (Aired January 16, 1949) The premise of the program was that Dan Holiday was an author who wrote mystery novels. To get ideas for his novels he placed an advertisement in a newspaper saying "Adventure wanted, will go anywhere, do anything, Box 13." The ads always brought fun adventures of all kinds: from racketeer's victim to psychotic killer looking for fun. Most of the episodes were based on Dan Holiday replying to a letter he received at Box 13. He would generally solve a mystery in the process, and return to his office in time to enjoy a hearty laugh at the expense of Suzy, his amusingly stupid secretary. THIS EPISODE: January 16, 1949. Program #22. Mutual network origination, Mayfair syndication. "The Dowager and Dan Holiday". Commercials added locally. Mrs. Matilda Courtland, one of the wealthiest women in the world, announces her engagement to Dan Holiday! Alan Ladd, Richard Sanville (director), Rudy Schrager (composer, conductor), Russell Hughes (writer), Sylvia Picker, Vern Carstensen (production supervisor). 26:46. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

Dead Men Don't Leave Prints (Aired November 26, 1951) Bold Venture was a classy production from start to finish. At an estimated cost of $36,000 per taping week [or about $12,000 per episode], it pretty much had to have been. Even subtracting the Bogarts' contribution of $5,000 per episode, that still left $7,000 per episode to fund the remaining production costs. That's about $420,000 a week in today's dollars. More than enough budget to ensure a top notch production. The cost to the sponsor-subscribers reportedly varied between $25 a week to as much as $250 a week, depending on the size and reach of the target market(s). That would have yielded anywhere from $975,000 to $9.75M over the course of three years of Bold Venture's sales. Show Notes From The Digital Deli. THIS EPISODE: November 26, 1951. "Dead Men Leave No Prints" - Ziv Program #36. Jester Hairston as King Moses, Paolo Ruez the jewel messenger, Sopapo the Jeweler, William Conrad as Kirk the insurance investigator, Nestor Paiva as Inspector La Salle. 26:37. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.