Classic Radio Theater

Enjoy two detective episodes of Sam Spade A) 6/20/48 The Deathbed Caper w/ Howard Duff B) 9/12/48 The Lazarus Caper w/ Howard Duff The detective character, Sam Spade, was created by Dashiell Hammett for his crime novel “The Maltese Falcon.” Spade was a hard-boiled detective with cold detachment, a keen eye for detail and unflinching determination to achieve his own justice. The character is most closely associated with Humphrey Bogart who played Sam Spade in the third and most famous film version of “The Maltese Falcon.” In 1946, one of radio's top producers (William Spier) brought Sam Spade to CBS radio starring newcomer Howard Duff with Lurene Tuttle (and occasionally Sandra Gould) as Spade's secretary, Effie Perrine and sponsored by Wildroot Cream Oil. Duff took a considerably more tongue-in-cheek approach to the character than the novel or movies. Dashiell Hammett lent his name to the radio series but had little involvement. In 1947, scriptwriters Jason James and Bob Tallman received an Edgar Award for Best Radio Drama from the Mystery Writers of America. Howard Duff starred as Spade until November of 1950 when Steve Dunne took the role.

THE SCREEN DIRECTOR'S PLAYHOUSE 12/23/49 “Miracle On 34th Street” starring Edmund Gwenn and Natalie Wood.  A half-hour radio dramatization of the famous holiday movie.

LUX RADIO THEATER 3/10/47 “It's a Wonderful Life” starring James Stewart and Donna Reed.  An hour-long radio dramatization of the famous holiday movie.

Carl and Lisa present the radio episode Suspense 8/4/57 Flesh Peddler w/ DeForest Kelly

Carl and Lisa play Name That Tune, Quote This and Learning the Lyrics and present radio episodes of The Great Gildersleeve w/ Hal Peary / Frontier Gentleman w/ John Dehner and Cloak & Dagger w/ Raymond Edward Johnson

Carl and Lisa play Beat the Host and presents the mystery radio show Suspense w/ Zachary Scott

Carl and Lisa play Movie Jeopardy and presents The Philco Radio Time starring Bing Crosby and Dinah Shore

Carl and Lisa present the radio episode The Adv. of Philip Marlowe 4/11/50 The Anniversary Gift

Carl plays Name That Tune, Is It Real Or Is It Ridiculous? and Learning the Lyrics and present radio episodes of Kraft Music Hall 10/7/48 w/ Al Jolson and Edward G. Robinson / Sam Spade 7/25/48 The Mad Scientist w/ Howard Duff / WhiteHall 1212 4/27/52 Case of Francesca Nichelson

Carl and Lisa play Beat the Host and presents the comedy/quiz series You Bet Your Life 2/7/55 Secret Word: Show w/ Groucho Marx

Carl plays Movie Jeopardy and presents the patriotic war drama Arch Oboler's Plays 3/9/40 Johnny Got His Gun w/ James Cagney

Enjoy two free amateur detective episodes of Casey, Crime Photographer A) 2/6/47 The Grey Kitten w/ Staats Cottsworth B) 2/20/47 The Twenty-Minute Alibi w/ Staats Cottsworth For those who could not get enough of B-movie murder-mysteries, Casey, Crime Photographer was the radio equivalent. It employed similar plot devices, such as the suspect about to reveal important information being shot and killed by the guilty party. Loose ends, disappearing corpses, a lack of clues, and too many suspects were the hallmarks of this popular show. Casey was a top-notch photojournalist for the fictional Morning Express often started his assignments at the Blue Note Café', a cozy jazz bar in a great city populated by murderers, kidnap victims, and ex-cons framed for crimes they didn't commit. The police were portrayed unsympathetically – always willing to wrap up the case after Casey had solved it for them. Assisting Casey was fellow reporter and female interest, the always charming Annie Williams. The character of Jack “Flashgun” Casey was the creation of George Harmon Coxe, and first appeared in the pulp magazine Black Mask (in the radio series, his first name was never given). Alonzo Deen Cole, responsible for the eerie late-night horror program, The Witch's Tale, wrote most of the radio scripts and many of his episodes featured elements of the supernatural. Casey, Crime Photographer inspired two motion pictures and a series of comic books. In 1951, the radio program made the transition to television with Darren McGavin in the lead. The video version lasted just one full season, McGavin later recalling the difficulty of adapting radio scripts for the visual medium. In 1954, the radio program came back on air for a further year and was a firm favorite with those fans who liked their mysteries laced with jazz music and their solutions fairly obvious.

Enjoy two free mystery episodes of Suspense A) 4/11/46 The Name of the Beast w/ Vincent Price B) 2/6/47 End of the Road w/ Glenn Ford Conceived as a potential radio vehicle for Alfred Hitchcock to direct, Suspense was a radio series of epic proportion (Hitchcock was unable to avail himself for its radio run on CBS). Considered by many to be the best mystery/drama series of the golden age, Suspense was known as Radio's Outstanding Theater of Thrills and focused on climactic stories starring the biggest names in Hollywood. Early in the run, the episodes were hosted by “The Man in Black” who, from an omniscient perch, narrated stories of people thrown into dangerous or bizarre situations with plots that, at the very end, usually had an unseen twist or two. Suspense had the ability to stir your nerves and withhold solutions until the last possible moment. Hollywood's finest actors jumped at the chance to appear on Suspense, including Cary Grant, James Stewart, Alan Ladd, Henry Fonda, Ronald Colman, Judy Garland, Humphrey Bogart, Frank Sinatra, Glenn Ford, Robert Montgomery, Bette Davis and Orson Welles. Agnes Moorehead was dubbed “The First Lady of Suspense” for having starred in more episodes than any other actor. Music for Suspense was by Bernard Herrmann (Lucille Fletcher's husband from 1938-1948) and scripts were by John Dickson Carr, E. Jack Neuman, Robert Tallman, Mel Dinelli, Lucille Fletcher, James Poe, Ray Bradbury and many others. Running more than 20 years, Suspense aired nearly 1,000 radio broadcasts. It made the transition to television in 1949, but it was much better suited for radio, where thetheatre of the mind could run free.

Enjoy two free sci-fi episodes of Dimension X A) 4/15/50 With Folded Hands w/ Peter Capell B) 5/6/50 Knock w/ Arnold Moss Hosted by Norman Rose, Dimension X was one of radio's first adult science-fiction series and made its mark by adapting short stories by acknowledged masters in the field, including Isaac Asimov, Robert Bloch, Ray Bradbury, Fredric Brown, Robert. A. Heinlein, Clifford D. Simak, Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. and William Tenn. Scriptwriters, Ernest Kinoy and George Lefferts, who also contributed their own original material, adapted the stories. At the start of every broadcast, host Norman Rose promised us Adventures in time and space, told in future tense! You knew you were about to be transported from your everyday existence to somewhere completely different -- maybe even a distant planet. Radio was a fertile medium for science fiction. It was easy to visit other planets, interact with aliens or fly in a rocket ship simply by using your imagination. Dimension X debuted over NBC on April 8, 1950 accumulated some 50 episodes with its final broadcast on September 29, 1951. There was a five-month hiatus during the winter and spring of 1951.

Carl and Lisa present the radio episode The Burns & Allen Show 4/25/46 w/ George Burns and Gracie Allen

Carl and Lisa present two radio episodes of Stay Tuned For Terror from 1945 The Man Who Raised the Dead & Wine of the Wizard

Carl and Lisa present the radio episode The Humphrey Bogart Theater 8/17/49 Dead Man w/ Humphrey Bogart

Carl and Lisa play Name That Tune, Is It Real Or Is It Ridiculous? and Learning the Lyrics and present radio episodes of Lights Out! 10/20/42 Poltergeist w/ Bea Benaderet, Inner Sanctum Mystery 5/7/46 You Could Die Laughing w/ Santos Ortega and Murder By Experts 7/11/49 Prescription for Murder w/ Ken Lynch

Carl and Lisa play Beat the Host and present the radio episode Suspense 11/1/45 The Dunwich Horror w/ Ronald Colman

Carl and Lisa present the scary radio episode Mystery House 7/3/44 The Thirsty Death w/ Bela Lugosi and John Carradine

Enjoy two free comedy/quiz episodes of You Bet Your Life w/ Groucho Marx A) 4/21/54 Secret word: People B) 4/28/54 Secret word: Smile Created by John Guedel, You Bet Your Life was one of the best-loved quiz shows to air on both radio and television. It was hosted by Groucho Marx of the Marx Brothers, with announcer and assistant George Fenneman at his side. It debuted on radio in 1947 and lasted until 1960. For much of this time it was also seen on television. Contestant teams usually consisted of one male and one female, mostly selected from the studio audience. Groucho would engage in humorous conversations with the contestants and if they said the “secret word” (a common word revealed to the audience at the outset of each episode) a toy duck resembling Groucho – with eyeglasses and a mustache – descended from the ceiling to bring a $100 prize. After the conversations, the actual game began. Contestants were allowed to choose from a list of 20 available categories and try to answer a series of questions within the category to win additional money. At the end of the show, the contestants could play for a Jackpot question, risking half of their previous earnings in the hope of winning the Jackpot.

Enjoy two free mystery episodes of Mystery In the Air w/ Peter Lorre A) 8/28/47 Beyond Good and Evil B) 9/4/47 The Mask of Medusa Peter Lorre had always wanted to star in his own dramatic radio program so when The Abbott & Costello Show took its 1947 summer vacation, NBC and advertising agency William Esty & Company, granted his wish. They turned over the microphones to Lorre as star of thirteen episodes of a chiller series titled Mystery in the Air. Cut from the cloth of tales woven by the imaginations of some of the most famous authors in history, Mystery in the Air, brilliantly brought horror classics to life, including “The Telltale Heart,” “The Marvelous Barastro,” “The Lodger,” “The Horla,” “The Black Cat”, “Crime and Punishment” and “The Mask of Medusa”. Lorre delivered tour de force performances of men tortured and driven by dark impulses. The supporting casts were the best in the business, including Agnes Moorehead, Peggy Webber, Russell Thorson, John Brown, Hans Conried, Howard Culver, Jane Morgan, Luis Van Rooten, Herb Butterfield and Ben Wright. The announcer was Henry Morgan, who we would all know later as Harry Morgan from TV's Dragnet and M*A*S*H. Sponsors were Camel Cigarettes and Prince Albert pipe tobacco. The series was produced and directed by Don Bernard and Cal Kuhl. Mystery in the Air was a collection of dark and compelling stories culled from the four corners of literature. Unfortunately for Peter Lorre fans, the series did not continue in the fall following its initial summer cycle.

Enjoy two free detective episodes of The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes A) 2/10/47 The Strange Case of the Persecuted Millionaire w/ Tom Conway and Nigel Bruce B) 4/18/48 The Case of the Very Best Butter w/ John Stanley and Alfred Shirley Created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the legendary, violin-playing detective and his loyal companion were first heard on the air in a 1922 local production of “The Sign of the Four” by pioneer station (Schenectady, New York). Doyle wrote 56 short stories and four novels based on the Holmes character. Radio scriptwriter Edith Meiser handled all the adaptations during the first decade and when material was running low, the Conan Doyle estate gave her permission to create original mysteries. The stories have been dramatized so often and by so many performers in every known entertainment medium that listing them would require volumes of footnotes. Of all the Sherlock Holmes dramas broadcast on radio, however, the most popular starred Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce (broadcast from 1939 until 1946). To many, these fine Hollywood actors represented the quintessential Holmes and Dr. Watson. Nigel Bruce, playing a retired Watson, usually functioned as the narrator, entertaining listeners with accounts of his adventures alongside the eccentric detective. Following Rathbone's departure from the role in 1946, Tom Conway played Holmes to Nigel Bruce's Dr. Watson. In 1947, both Conway and Bruce were replaced by John Stanley and Alfred Shirley, with Shirley replaced by Ian Martin for the 1948-49 season. Regardless of who performed the roles of Holmes and Watson, the quality of the stories remained constant. Well-crafted, atmospheric, and never sensationalized, these were good, solid mysteries and the millions of listeners who sat back in their easy chairs, cup of hot tea or coffee in hand, thoroughly enjoyed them.

Enjoy two free comedy episodes of The Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis Show w/ guests, Marlene Dietrich and Rosemary Clooney A) 3/21/52 w/ guest, Marlene Dietrich B) 9/16/52 w/ guest, Rosemary Clooney In 1949, NBC tapped the comedy duo of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis as a Summer replacement for The Bob Hope Show. Dean and Jerry were popular nightclub performers with sold out crowds everywhere they played. NBC offered them Bob Hope's vacated timeslot and committed to one of the biggest build-ups ever given to a pair of newcomers to radio comedy. Dean and Jerry didn't disappoint and proved that they could dish out their distinctive brand of zanyism over the airwaves in a big way. The Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis Show was more than just Martin's golden voice and Lewis' zany antics -- the network insisted on a weekly celebrity guest which included Dick Powell, Henry Fonda, Bing Crosby, John Garfield, Vincent Price, Jane Russell and even Bob Hope himself. The weekly budget was a pricey $10,000, but after a short while, the series attracted a sponsor and executives at NBC patted themselves on the back for establishing a hit show that also became a financial success. With that kind of budget, NBC could afford Norman Lear, the comedy genius later responsible for All in the Family and Sanford and Son, as writer. The success of the radio series led to Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis also appearing as monthly hosts for NBC's Colgate Comedy Hour, a highly-rated television show. NBC used the television program to cross-promote the radio program, even recycling some of the radio sketches for the television counterpart. Film producer Hal Wallis jumped on the Martin & Lewis bandwagon, signing the boys to a multi-picture film contract. Their film comedies were box office gold catapulting them to mega-stardom. With meteoritic success on radio, TV and films, Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis proved they were masters of all three commercial media. After their partnership ended in 1956, both went on to successful solo careers and neither would comment on the split nor consider a reunion.

Enjoy two free detective episodes of Barrie Craig, Confidential Investigator starring William Gargan A) 12/5/51 The Paper Bullets B) 12/12/51 Death and the Purple Cow Barrie Craig, Confidential Investigator was a popular detective series heard on NBC from 1951 until 1955. Initially it was titled Barry Crane but soon became Barrie Craig. The series starred William Gargan as New York-based Barrie Craig with Ralph Bell as homicide detective, Lt. Travis Rogers. Craig liked to work alone and had an office on Madison Avenue. He solved his cases efficiently, and feared no one. He was billed as “your man when you can't go to the cops, confidentiality a specialty.” Craig's style was laid-back, which cut against the popular hard-boiled detective stereotype. Scripts were by Louis Vittes, John Roeburt and Ernest Kinoy. The series was broadcast from New York until 1954 with the East Coast's best supporting actors rounding out the casts. In 1954, through the end of its run in 1955, NBC moved the show to Hollywood with Himan Brown and Andrew C. Love serving as directors. The producers hired Blake Edwards to write and direct a 1952 Barrie Craig, Confidential Investigator TV pilot, but it never sold. A few years earlier, William Gargan had played a similar character on radio and TV called Martin Kane, Private Eye. Maybe the reason Gargan was such a convincing detective is because he was a real detective prior to becoming an actor. He worked as a credit investigator and collection agent for a clothing firm. After that, he worked as a private detective with a New York agency for $10.00 a day and expenses. As an actor, Gargan played Ellery Queen in three movies before being cast as Martin Kane, Private Eye. After he left Martin Kane, Gargan signed a million-dollar, seven-year contract with MCA to star in Barrie Craig, Confidential Investigator on NBC.

Enjoy two free western episodes of Gunsmoke starring William Conrad A) 9/19/53 There Was Never a Horse B) 9/26/53 Fawn Around Dodge City and in the territory on West, there's just one way to handle the killers and the spoilers and that's with a U.S. Marshal and the smell of … GUNSMOKE! In the late 1940s, CBS chairman William S. Paley, a fan of the Phillip Marlowe radio series, asked his programming chief to develop a hardboiled Western series. Several attempts were made but the project was shelved until 1952 when Norman Macdonnell and John Meston were brought in. Produced for adult listeners, Macdonnell and Meston set Gunsmoke in Dodge City, Kansas, during the thriving cattle days of the 1870s. Few radio westerns gave any inkling of how brutal the Old West was in reality. On Gunsmoke, the stories were grim, the deaths violent and life on the plains was harsh. Radio audiences had never heard anything like Gunsmoke and they made it the #1 western on radio drawing critical acclaim for unprecedented realism. The dialogue was often slow and halting, and as a result of the outstanding sound effects, listeners had a nearly palpable sense of the prairie where the show was set. The effects were subtle but multilayered, giving the show a spacious and authentic feel. Gunsmoke soon made a successful transition to television (with a completely different cast) becoming the longest-running dramatic series in TV history. Several of the radio scripts were adapted for the television show. Join William Conrad (U.S. Marshal Matt Dillon), Parley Baer (Deputy Chester Proudfoot), Georgia Ellis (Kitty Russell) and Howard McNear (Doc Adams) in the continuing story of the violence that moved west with young America and the story of a man who moved with it, Matt Dillon, United States Marshal.

Enjoy two free detective episodes of The Adventures of Philip Marlowe w/ Gerald Mohr A) 12/3/49 The Kid on the Corner B) 1/28/50 The Hairpin Turn Raymond Chandler, author of the celebrated Philip Marlowe novels, had originally wanted to approve the scripts for the radio adaption of his creation. After the success of the Marlowe movies, Chandler knew the detective was a sure-fire hit, but in the end had very little involvement with the radio program. Van Heflin was the first actor to portray the cynical sleuth in a series that debuted in 1947, a scheduled summer replacement for The Bob Hope show. With his restrained yet forceful handling of the part, Heflin turned Philip Marlowe into a slicker sleuth than most. Chandler reportedly disliked Heflin's portrayal, believing it was “thoroughly flat,” according to a letter sent to writer Erle Stanley Gardner. Marlowe returned to the airwaves in the fall of 1948, played by Gerald Mohr. The Broadway actor's baritone voice was perfect for the fictional Los Angeles detective, and Mohr played him as a “packed personality” who would even rough up a street urchin to get information. Marlowe was a lone wolf who hired himself out to anyone who could pay his “ten-a-day plus expenses.” When the series left the air in 1951, CBS had begun production of a television pilot in the hopes of adapting the character for the tube. Mohr went along for the ride but the pilot didn't sell. No worries, the actor soon found himself being offered strong supporting roles in television series and motion pictures by nearly every major TV and film studio. Philip Carey was cast as Marlowe in an ABC 1959-60 TV series and Powers Boothe portrayed the celebrated detective in a top-notch HBO series from 1983-1986.

Enjoy two free detective episodes of The Adventures of Philip Marlowe w/ Gerald Mohr A) 12/3/49 The Kid on the Corner B) 1/28/50 The Hairpin Turn Raymond Chandler, author of the celebrated Philip Marlowe novels, had originally wanted to approve the scripts for the radio adaption of his creation. After the success of the Marlowe movies, Chandler knew the detective was a sure-fire hit, but in the end had very little involvement with the radio program. Van Heflin was the first actor to portray the cynical sleuth in a series that debuted in 1947, a scheduled summer replacement for The Bob Hope show. With his restrained yet forceful handling of the part, Heflin turned Philip Marlowe into a slicker sleuth than most. Chandler reportedly disliked Heflin's portrayal, believing it was “thoroughly flat,” according to a letter sent to writer Erle Stanley Gardner. Marlowe returned to the airwaves in the fall of 1948, played by Gerald Mohr. The Broadway actor's baritone voice was perfect for the fictional Los Angeles detective, and Mohr played him as a “packed personality” who would even rough up a street urchin to get information. Marlowe was a lone wolf who hired himself out to anyone who could pay his “ten-a-day plus expenses.” When the series left the air in 1951, CBS had begun production of a television pilot in the hopes of adapting the character for the tube. Mohr went along for the ride but the pilot didn't sell. No worries, the actor soon found himself being offered strong supporting roles in television series and motion pictures by nearly every major TV and film studio. Philip Carey was cast as Marlowe in an ABC 1959-60 TV series and Powers Boothe portrayed the celebrated detective in a top-notch HBO series from 1983-1986.

Enjoy two free comedy episodes of The Jack Benny Program w/ Jack Benny and all his gang A) 3/27/55 The Shooting of Dan McGrew B) 3/4/51 Going to the Dentist Born in Chicago, February 14, 1894, Benjamin Kubelsky would later become known as Jack Benny. As a boy, he was encouraged by his Jewish immigrant parents from Poland to become a concert violinist. He learned to play quite well and hit the vaudeville stage, where he played popular songs and honed a suave-but-fragile personality, telling self-deprecating jokes. Benny guested on Ed Sullivan's radio show March 19, 1932 and was an instant success. Canada Dry signed him to a contract that same year and soon Jack Benny was broadcasting each week on CBS. His radio career included a long run on NBC and then a return to CBS through his final radio days. His all-star supporting cast included his wife Mary Livingstone, Eddie “Rochester” Anderson, Dennis Day, Phil Harris, Mel Blanc, Frank Nelson, announcer Don Wilson and The Sportsmen Quartet. As Jerry Seinfeld would emulate years later on Seinfeld, Benny's cast received the best jokes – many pointed at the show's star. Expert scripts constantly reminded listeners of Benny's portrayal of himself as a lovable, vain, miser, concerned about his receding hairline and insistence that he was no older than 39. His sponsors over the years included Canada Dry, Chevrolet, Jell-O, Grape Nuts Flakes and Lucky Strike. The Jack Benny Program made a successful transition to television with his entire supporting cast in tow. Benny's radio and television shows ran for more than three decades and is generally regarded as the high-water mark in 20th century American comedy.

Enjoy two free mystery episodes of The Whistler w/ Frank Lovejoy A) 7/16/47 Beyond Reasonable Doubt B) 8/6/47 Dark Future Eerie whistling, picked up by the orchestra for dramatic effect, was the signature tune for this CBS mystery/crime anthology created by J. Donald Wilson. Many considered The Whistler a sister program to Suspense but without the celebrity guests. Through a careless mistake or a twist of fate, nearly every killer, blackmailer, and criminal would ultimately be brought to justice by the show's conclusion. Always looming in the shadows was the Whistler, an omnipresent figure acting almost as a guilty conscience. Having foreseen the fate of the protagonists, he nevertheless urged them on, strangely aware of what they were thinking. The Whistler's grim chortles concluded each story of those unfortunate enough to be caught in a dark web of their own making. The program initially aired on the CBS Pacific Network without a sponsor, then in December of 1943 secured the backing of Signal Oil. Two productions with recycled scripts were also broadcast for both Chicago and the East Coast, but with a different cast. The radio program never managed to secure a coast-to-coast sponsor for a nationwide hook-up yet it still had a long and successful run airing from 1942 until 1955. For a time, Gale Gordon, Marvin Miller and Joseph Kearns supplied the voice of the Whistler but Bill Forman had the role the longest. Columbia Pictures produced a series of eight motion pictures based on the radio series from 1944 to 1948. A television series comprising 39 episodes was produced in 1954 which was distributed via syndication throughout the rest of the decade.

Enjoy two free detective episodes of Boston Blackie w/ Dick Kollmar A) 7/16/46 The Green Line Trucking Murder B) 7/23/46 The Murdering Cuckoo Clock Everyone loves an underdog, especially one who can exchange barbs with police inspectors and prove himself smarter than the law. On radio, Boston Blackie was an ex-safecracker, constantly suspected of crimes he did not commit and forced to play the role of detective to clear his name. Girlfriend Mary Wesley assisted Blackie from time to time. As the announcer reminded listeners each week, Blackie was “enemy to those who make him an enemy, friend to those who have no friend.” Blackie helped many underworld characters resolve their disputes with the law and was forced to defend himself against the accusations of Inspector Faraday. Looking for a summer replacement for Amos ‘n' Andy, Frederic W. Ziv test-marketed Boston Blackie nationwide. Lever Brothers sponsored the program and pitched Rinso Laundry soap. The short-run 1944 series featured Chester Morris reprising his 1941 screen role as Boston Blackie, with Richard Lane as Inspector Faraday. Blackie was aided by the Runt, a small-time hood, who also appeared in the Columbia Pictures series. For Columbia, the radio program served to cross-promote the latest Boston Blackie picture. For Ziv, the investment proved fruitful. The program was a tremendous success and quickly went into production for syndication … without Chester Morris. Beginning in 1945, Ziv released the first of what would be numerous package deals consisting of transcription discs to radio stations coast-to-coast. Broadway actor Richard Kollmar (husband to Dorothy Kilgallen) played the title role and the Runt was replaced by a character named Shorty. For the radio series, a female character was added, Mary Wesley (played by Jan Miner and Lesley Woods). In the Boston Blackie novels by Jack Boyle, Mary was Blackie's wife but Ziv thought a girlfriend, especially one who suspected Blackie of committing crimes but hoped to be proven wrong, was more interesting. Boston Blackie proved to be among Ziv's most lucrative investments, running a close second to The Cisco Kid but outshining his other radio ventures, including shows starring Red Skelton and Eddie Cantor.

Enjoy two free musical/variety episodes of The Kraft Music Hall w/ Bing Crosby A) 7/6/44 w/ Bing Crosby and guests, Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey B) 11/30/44 w/ Bing Crosby and guests, Spike Jones and His City Slickers The Kraft Music Hall was a top-rated musical-variety series first airing on NBC in 1933. Paul Whiteman (billed as “The King of Jazz”) was arguably America's first music superstar and the show's master of ceremonies. By 1936, Bing Crosby replaced Whiteman and stayed with the show for more than a decade. Crosby's casual style and humorous easy-going banter made The Kraft Music Hall tops with the young “country club” set. FYI: The average radio listener was 21 during this period, compared to the average age of 11 at the movie houses. Each week, Crosby rubbed elbows with Hollywood guest stars, including Lucille Ball, Boris Karloff, Jimmy Stewart, Jack Benny, Henry Fonda and Judy Garland, to name a few. Sponsor, Kraft Foods, insisted that advertising and entertainment be kept separate. For this reason, the announcer (Ken Carpenter), not cast members, read its commercials. Crosby left in 1946 to star in Philco Radio Time, a show that could be recorded, conveniently, ahead of broadcast (having to host Kraft Music Hall live each week was cramping Crosby's busy film and golf schedule). After a handful of short-lived hosts, Al Jolson landed the role of weekly master of ceremonies. Jolson's sarcastic pianist and sidekick, Oscar Levant, was on hand to augment the show with his unique style of music and dry wit. Jolson stayed with the show until the end of its run in 1949. In 1958, Kraft Music Hall made a transition to television with singer Perry Como as host.

Enjoy two free comedy episodes of Fibber McGee & Molly w/ Jim and Marian Jordan A) 2/17/48 Book Nook B) 6/1/48 Fibber's Tune Fibber McGee & Molly had a long and successful run on radio (1935-1959). The program showcased terrific comic and musical talent. Headlined by its co-creators and stars, Jim and Marian Jordan, they were a real-life husband and wife team that had been working in radio since the 1920s. Living in the fictional Midwestern town of Wistful Vista, Fibber was an American teller of tall tales and lovable braggart, usually to the exasperation of his long-suffering wife, Molly. Life in Wistful Vista followed a well-developed formula, but was always fresh. Fibber's weekly schemes would be interrupted, inspired by, and often played upon the people of Wistful Vista. Regular characters included Mayor LaTrivia, Doc Gamble, Mrs. Uppington, Wallace Wimple, Alice Darling, Beulah, Myrt, the Old Timer and Fibber's next-door neighbor, Throckmorton P. Gildersleeve (the Gildersleeve character would be spun-off into its own successful radio series, The Great Gildersleeve). Fibber McGee & Molly began as a comic reflection of Depression Era America, but as time went on and the shadows of war came over the nation, the show again caught the mood of the country. WWII was fought on the home front at Wistful Vista as surely as anywhere else in America, but here they had the benefit of Fibber's somewhat addled perspective. In the peak of the show's success in the 1940s, it was adapted for the silver screen in a series of feature films. An attempt to bring the series to TV in 1959 with a different cast and new writers was both a critical and commercial failure proving that success in one medium is no guarantee of success in another.

Enjoy two free medical drama episodes of The Story of Dr. Kildare w/ Lew Ayres and Lionel Barrymore A) 12/7/49 Appendectomy B) 12/14/49 Experimental Cancer Treatment In 1949, MGM Studios decided to embark on a new and potentially very profitable business venture – producing transcription discs of radio programs for syndication. Convinced they could build on the success of the already released Dr. Kildare motion-picture series, the studio hired Lew Ayres and Lionel Barrymore to reprise their screen roles as Dr. James Kildare and Dr. Leonard Gillespie, respectively. Kildare was a compassionate, caring physician at Blair General Hospital, New York City; Gillespie a crusty, lovable diagnostician. As Kildare reminded listeners week after week in the opening signature: Whatsoever house I enter, there will I go for the benefit of the sick, and whatever things I see or hear concerning the life of men I will keep silent thereon, counting such things to be held as sacred trusts. Lionel Barrymore became physically disabled before his screen role as Dr. Gillespie came to an end. Having already broken his hip twice, his condition deteriorated and he was confined to a wheelchair. Louis B. Mayer, the head of MGM, assured the actor that there would always be employment for him at the studio and he was true to his word. Barrymore was soon in front of the microphone playing the physically active Dr. Gillespie and the radio audience was none the wiser. A total of 78 transcription discs were produced and syndicated across the country on local stations, with commercial time sold to local interests. Stations nationwide continued to air The Story of Dr. Kildare on radio a few years after Barrymore's death in 1954.

Enjoy two free detective episodes of The Adventures of Sam Spade, Detective w/ Howard Duff A) 6/27/48 The Bail-Bond Caper B) 7/4/48 The Rushlight Diamond Caper The detective character, Sam Spade, was created by Dashiell Hammett for his crime novel The Maltese Falcon. Spade was a hard-boiled detective with cold detachment, a keen eye for detail and unflinching determination to achieve his own justice. The character is most closely associated with Humphrey Bogart who played Sam Spade in the third and most famous film version of The Maltese Falcon (1941). In 1946, one of radio's top producers, William Spier, brought Sam Spade to CBS radio starring newcomer Howard Duff with Lurene Tuttle (and occasionally Sandra Gould) as Spade's secretary, Effie Perrine and sponsored by Wildroot Cream-Oil. Duff took a considerably more tongue-in-cheek approach to the character than the novel or movies. Dashiell Hammett lent his name to the radio series but had little involvement. In 1947, scriptwriters Jason James and Bob Tallman received an Edgar Award for “Best Radio Drama” from the Mystery Writers of America. In 1949, The Adventures of Sam Spade, Detective moved to NBC, and soon after, Howard Duff was replaced by Steve Dunne.

Enjoy two free comedy episodes of The Abbott & Costello Show w/ Bud Abbott and Lou Costello A) 5/30/46 Cleopatra in Egypt B) 4/21/48 Matrimonial Bureau Bud Abbott and Lou Costello started in vaudeville in the early 1930s and by 1938 they were appearing as regulars on The Kate Smith Hour. By the fall of 1942, they had their own weekly radio program which topped the popularity polls of Radio Daily and Radio Guide. At first, radio listeners had trouble telling them apart, so they quickly adapted by Bud lowering his voice a tad with Lou raising his (something they continued to do throughout their careers). Their celebrated Who's On First baseball routine helped make them a national sensation. The Abbott & Costello Show ran for seven years until the summer of 1949 when the boys ventured into the television business. Produced by Costello's wife, Patricia, their television series lasted two seasons and gave Bud and Lou an opportunity to reprise the best comedic sketches and scenarios from their radio scripts. The next time you watch one of their television programs, or one of their big screen movies, remember that the flat sarcasm of Bud Abbott and shrieks from Lou Costello originated on radio – the perfect medium for verbal standup that is often imitated today.

Enjoy two free mystery episodes of Suspense w/ Lana Turner and Joseph Cotten A) 5/3/45 Fear Paints a Picture B) 9/27/45 The Earth is Made of Glass Conceived as a potential radio vehicle for Alfred Hitchcock to direct, Suspense was a radio series of epic proportion (Hitchcock was unable to avail himself for its radio run on CBS). Considered by many to be the best mystery/drama series of the golden age, Suspense was known as Radio's Outstanding Theater of Thrills and focused on suspenseful stories starring the biggest names in Hollywood. Early in the run, the episodes were hosted by “The Man in Black” who, from an omniscient perch, narrated stories of people thrown into dangerous or bizarre situations with plots that, at the very end, usually had an unseen twist or two. Suspense had the ability to stir your nerves and withhold solutions until the last possible moment. Hollywood's finest actors jumped at the chance to appear on Suspense, including Cary Grant, James Stewart, Alan Ladd, Henry Fonda, Ronald Colman, Judy Garland, Humphrey Bogart, Frank Sinatra, Glenn Ford, Robert Montgomery, Bette Davis and Orson Welles. Agnes Moorehead was dubbed “The First Lady of Suspense” for having starred in more episodes than any other actor. Music for Suspense was by Bernard Herrmann (Lucille Fletcher's husband from 1938-1948) and scripts were by John Dickson Carr, E. Jack Neuman, Robert Tallman, Mel Dinelli, Lucille Fletcher, James Poe, Ray Bradbury and many others. Running more than 20 years, Suspense aired nearly 1,000 radio broadcasts. It made the transition to television in 1949, but it was much better suited for radio, where thetheatre of the mind could run free.

Enjoy two free comedy episodes of The Adventures of Maisie w/ Ann Sothern A) 11/16/50 Maisie and the Wrestler B) 11/30/50 Census and Screen Test Racket In the mid 1930's, MGM purchased the rights to a popular novel by Wilson Collison titled Dark Dame which they had planned to film with their platinum blonde glamour gal, Jean Harlow. Due to Harlow's untimely death, MGM shelved the project until 1939 when it was retooled as a film called Maisie for another of their film stars, Ann Sothern. In total, MGM released 10 Maisie films from 1939 until 1947 and although the films were strictly B-movie fare, they proved quite popular. In 1945, CBS decided to bring the character to radio and cast Ann Sothern in the role she made famous on the big screen. On radio, as in the pictures, Maisie was a Brooklyn beauty and Jane-of-all-trades. Maisie was an underemployed burlesque dancer, who fell in love often, but always went her own way in the end. The radio casts included: Hy Averback, Arthur Q. Bryan, Hans Conried, Virginia Gregg, Peter Leeds, Johnny McGovern, Sheldon Leonard and Sidney Miller. During the height of the radio run, Sothern contracted infectious hepatitis after receiving an impure serum shot while she was in England for a stage performance. Confined to her bed, she continued to work on the Maisie radio series while she recuperated.

Enjoy two free true-crime episodes of This Is Your FBI w/ Stacy Harris A) 5/14/48 The Big Guy B) 11/21/52 The Swamp Killer J. Edgar Hoover, the powerful first director of the F.B.I., insisted any portrayal of the bureau on radio should be positive, emphasizing its successes in the war on crime and the effectiveness of its modern techniques. Local police departments had already cooperated with producers of true-crime programs by providing files of old cases that could be dramatized. The F.B.I.'s files were bursting with robberies, murders, and assorted acts of skullduggery. For This Is Your FBI, Hoover gave producer/director Jerry Devine access to its closed F.B.I. files and fans of the series had a weekly treat in store. Told from the agent's point of view, stories had our men in blue tracking down embezzlers, murderers, kidnappers, burglars and enemies of the state. Over a period of 8 years, screen star Frank Lovejoy, followed by Dean Carleton and William Woodson, narrated exciting, realistic dramatizations of racket-busting and crime detection. Special Agent Jim Taylor, played by Stacy Harris, took the lead role. His character was fictional but the cases were real, with the names of criminals, as well as locations, changed to protect the identity of innocent people involved. The Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States sponsored This Is Your FBI for the entire run (1945-1953). The program covered much of the same ground as Gang Busters, which was created in 1935 by Phillips H. Lord.

Enjoy two free western episodes of Frontier Gentleman w/ John Dehner A) 2/16/58 The Honkey Tonkers B) 8/17/58 The Wonder Boy Frontier Gentleman was a radio western series aimed at adults that aired on CBS radio for one season in 1958. It starred radio veteran John Dehner as J.B. Kendall, reporter for The London Times newspaper. The series followed the adventures of Kendall, an English journalist, as he roamed the western United States in search of stories for his newspaper. In order to survive in these turbulent times, Kendall became as proficient with a gun as he was with a pen. The announcer opened each show with “Herewith, an Englishman's account of life and death in the West. As a reporter for the London Times, he writes his colorful and unusual accounts. But as a man with a gun, he lives and becomes a part of the violent years in the new territories. Now, starring John Dehner, this is the story of J. B. Kendall, Frontier Gentleman.” Created,written, produced and directed by Antony Ellis, Kendall often crossed paths with well-known historical figures, such as Jesse James, Calamity Jane and Wild Bill Hickok. Music was by Wilbur Hatch and Jerry Goldsmith and the casts included Harry Bartell, Lawrence Dobkin, Virginia Gregg, Joseph Kearns, Jack Moyles and Vic Perrin.

Enjoy two free detective episodes of The Saint w/ Vincent Price A) 8/27/50 Cupid and the Corpse B) 6/3/51 The Girl in the Lowe Berth The Saintwas a freelance detective with a dark side. He devoted his time and resources to curtailing the activities of murderers, embezzlers, and thieves … but heaven help those who interrupted his dinner. The protagonist of the novels penned by Leslie Charteris was not particularly saintly and his alias derives from the initials of his name, Simon Templar. Not adverse to breaking the law when necessary and always willing to hire himself out to the highest bidder, Templar was more of an anti-hero and the character often needed a little adjustment to make it past radio censors during the 1940s and 1950s. In the radio series, the Saint assisted law enforcement agencies when red tape hampered investigation and was portrayed as a “Robin Hood of modern crime,” who always came to the aid of victims. Sophisticated yet streetwise, he was an art lover, a fighter, and a super-sleuth. The program ran for less than a year with screen actors Edgar Barrier and Brian Aherne in the title role. Leslie Charteris wrote the scripts and produced the series, ensuring his literary property would remain faithful to the printed page. In the summer of 1947, the program returned with Hollywood star Vincent Price (and later Tom Conway) in the lead. By this point, Charteris had taken a back seat. In the new incarnation, the Saint was more of a lighthearted character and the scripts were peppered with witticisms and throwaway lines. It ran on radio until 1951 but by 1962, TV audiences were enjoying Roger Moore as the sophisticated Simon Templar.

Enjoy two free comedy episodes of The Milton Berle Show w/ Milton Berle A) 9/23/47 Saluting the Auto Industry B) 9/30/47 Saluting Brooklyn Milton Berle (born Mendel Berlinger) had a comedy career that spanned over 80 years, first in silent films and stage as a child actor, then in radio, movies and television. As the host of NBC's Texaco Star Theater (1948-55), he was the first major American television star and was known to millions of viewers as “Uncle Miltie” and “Mr. Television.” From 1934-36, Berle appeared regularly on Rudy Vallee's radio show. In 1939, he became host of Stop Me If You've Heard This One with panelists spontaneously finishing jokes sent in by listeners. In the late 1940s, he cancelled high-paying nightclub appearances to expand his radio career. His Philip Morris-sponsored show aired on NBC in 1947 and 1948. Scripted by Hal Block and Martin Ragaway, The Milton Berle Show brought Berle together with Arnold Stang. Others in the cast were Pert Kelton, Mary Shipp, Jack Albertson, Arthur Q. Bryan and Ed Begley. It served as a springboard for Berle's emergence as television's first major star.

Enjoy two sci-fi episodes of X Minus One w/ Wendel Holmes A) 5/8/55 Mars is Heaven B) 3/28/56 A Pail of Air By 1955, television had become the dominant home-entertainment medium and no one at the NBC network, nor the country's leading writers of science-fiction, cared much about X Minus One because it was a radio series. But the producers, directors, writers, and cast felt differently and against all the odds, their skill and commitment resulted in critical acclaim for the series. It was the longest-running adult science-fiction program on network radio. Space travel and alien life were hot topics through the 1950s and intelligent science-fiction writing was full of predictions about the future of the human race. If any network could broadcast good quality dramatizations of such thought-provoking stories on radio, it would be NBC. Van Woodward, producer of Dimension X was brought on board to repurpose the program, which would go out under a different name. By the time X Minus One came along in 1955, “television was knocking radio out of the box, particularly where advertising revenues were concerned,” Woodward recalled. The network agreed to produce the show on condition the budget remained below costs. Radio actors were paid minimum scale; scriptwriters Ernest Kinoy and George Lefferts devoted long hours to re-write without additional pay, and canned music was used instead of a live orchestra. Recycling and adapting 34 of the first 35 radio scripts from Dimension X helped to keep the budget down. After that, new stories from Galaxy Science-Fiction magazine were dramatized, under a special arrangement of $50 per story for the broadcast rights: one-fifth of the usual price. Executives at NBC never understood the popular fascination for science-fiction, believing that only juvenile listeners tuned in to hear the broadcasts -- but they were wrong. Sci-Fi fans of all ages were listening and the series enjoyed a successful radio run from 1955 until 1958.

Enjoy two free detective episodes of Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar w/ Bob Bailey A) 1/20/57 The Blooming Blossom Matter B) 6/18/61 The Big Date Matter As originally conceived, Johnny Dollar was a smart, tough, wisecracking detective who tossed silver-dollar tips to waiters and bellhops. Dick Powell starred in the 1948 recorded pilot but withdrew from the role in favor of other projects. Charles Russell landed the part and early on Dollar's expertise was deeply established in insurance fraud investigation. By the fall of 1949, Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar came to CBS radio and chronicled the transcribed adventures of America's fabulous freelance insurance investigator, "the man with the action-packed expense account.” For 12 years, it was one of the most popular detective shows on the air, lasting until the final days of network radio drama in 1962. Each story started with a phone call from an insurance executive calling on Johnny Dollar to investigate an unusual claim. The investigations usually required Dollar to travel to distant locales and often involved murder. The stories were recounted in flashback, as Dollar listed each line item from his expense account: “Item one, $3.75 cab fare to the airport.” While Dollar was always a friend of the police, he wasn't necessarily a stickler for the strictest interpretation of the law. He was willing to let some things slide to satisfy his own sense of justice, as long as the interests of his employer, the Universal Adjustment Bureau, was protected. Over the years, many actors portrayed Johnny Dollar, including John Lund and Edmond O'Brien but in 1955, Bob Bailey, took over as the series was switching to a new dynamic format of 75-minute storylines told in five, 15-minute installments Monday-thru-Friday. In 1956, CBS retooled the show, which reverted to a weekly half-hour drama, airing on late Sunday afternoons. Bob Bailey continued in the leading role until 1960. Roy Rowan was the announcer (he was also the announcer on CBS's I Love Lucy). While other radio shows were waning in the mid 1950s, Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar was at its peak. By 1960, Bob Readick played the lead giving way to Mandel Kramer, who became radio's last Johnny Dollar.

Enjoy two free comedy episodes of The Aldrich Family w/ Bobby Ellis A) 11/23/52 Thanksgiving Show B) 12/14/52 Renting the Aldrich's House The Aldrich Family was the quintessential teenage sitcom, focusing on the comic exploits of Henry Aldrich as he negotiated the challenges of growing up in the modern age. Youngsters were quick to identify with Henry, a typical teenager in high school, who – along with his pal Homer Brown - faced adolescent tribulations on a weekly basis. The success of the program stemmed from its insight into the curious facets of an adolescent's nature and perhaps that was why teenagers of the times made up the largest group of faithful listeners. Henry Aldrich was the brainchild of Clifford Goldsmith, who wrote What a Life in 1937, a stageplay in which the character of Henry Aldrich first appeared. Henry's misadventures were broadcast as 10-minute insertions on Rudy Vallee's program in 1937, and became a weekly feature on Kate Smith's radio show throughout 1938. By 1939, the concept was expanded into a half-hour situation comedy series entitled The Aldrich Family. MGM's popular Andy Hardy movies had influenced the series. Andy's father was a judge and Henry's father was an attorney by profession and, like Judge Hardy, the patriarch to whom family members could turn to for advice. But most of the radio adventures centered on Henry's zany experiences. Ezra Stone was radio's first Henry Aldrich and would have the role the longest. There were other actors to portray Henry, including Norman Tokar, Raymond Ives, Dickie Jones and Bobby Ellis. Within two years, The Aldrich Family reached the top ten. A Crossley rating of 33.4 percent of listeners meant the show rivaled Jack Benny and Bob Hope. Hoping to cash in on the Andy Hardy film success, Paramount produced 11 Aldrich Family movies. A TV series and comic books followed. The show's popularity inspired a number of other well-meaning teenage sitcoms including: Archie Andrews, A Date With Judy, Meet Corliss Archer and That Brewster Boy.

Enjoy two free horror episodes of Inner Sanctum Mystery w/ Paul McGrath A) 5/30/49 The Corpse is Lonely B) 4/17/50 Beneficiary, Death Taking its name from a popular series of mystery novels, Inner Sanctum Mystery debuted over NBC's Blue Network in January 1941. Inner Sanctum Mystery featured one of the most memorable and atmospheric openings in radio history: an organist hit a dissonant chord, a doorknob turned and the famous “creaking door” slowly began to open. Every week, Inner Sanctum Mystery told stories of ghosts, murderers and lunatics. Produced in New York by Himan Brown, the casts usually consisted of veteran radio actors, with occasional guest appearances by Hollywood stars including Boris Karloff, Peter Lorre and Claude Rains. What made Inner Sanctum Mystery unique among radio horror shows was its host -- a slightly sinister sounding fellow originally known as “Raymond.” The host had a droll sense of humor and an appetite for ghoulish puns, and his influence can be seen among horror hosts everywhere, from the Crypt-Keeper to Elvira. Raymond Edward Johnson was the show's host until 1945; Paul McGrath took over as host until the show left the air in 1952. Beginning in 1945, Lipton Tea sponsored the series, pairing Raymond and a cheery spokeswoman (Mary Bennett – the Lipton Tea Lady), whose sprightly pitches for Lipton Tea seemed out of place with the macabre themes of the stories. Later in the run, Bromo-Seltzer came aboard as sponsor. In 1974-82, producer, Himan Brown, would utilize the creaking door again in his masterful attempt to resurrect radio drama, The CBS Radio Mystery Theater.

Enjoy two free detective episodes of Mr. & Mrs. North w/ Richard Denning and Barbara Britton A) 6/9/53 Wheel of Chance B) 3/30/54 Touch of Death Created by Frances and Richard Lockridge, Mr. & Mrs. North were fictional amateur detectives appearing in dozens of novels (1936-63), a Broadway play, a motion picture and several radio and television series. The Norths were not professional detectives, but simply a well-to-do New York couple who stumbled across a murder or two every week (for 12 years) and felt compelled to solve the crimes. A 1942 MGM movie starred William Post, Jr. and George Burns' wife, Gracie Allen. That same year, the adventures of Mr. and Mrs. North debuted on radio and was soon generating top ratings with a weekly listenership of 20-million fans. By 1946, the radio series received the Edgar Award of excellence from the Mystery Writers of America (in a tie with CBS's The Adventures of Ellery Queen). Joseph Curtin and Alice Frost originally voiced the roles of Jerry and Pam North on radio. Later, Richard Denning and Barbara Britton were cast, staying on for its successful transition to TV. The TV series was seen on CBS in 1952 and 1953 and on NBC in 1954. The characters were later resurrected, in spirit, with ABC's Hart to Hart the 1979 through 1984 crime drama about a wealthy husband (Robert Wagner) and wife (Stefanie Powers).

Enjoy two free comedy episodes of Life With Luigi w/ J. Carrol Naish A) 5/2/50 “Sootho Cough Syrup” B) 7/4/50 “July 4th Parade" For five years, character actor and two-time Academy Award nominee J. Carrol Naish played Luigi Basco, the hard-working Italian immigrant owner of an antique store who attended night school classes in order to become a fully-fledged American citizen. Set in Chicago's Italian community in the postwar era, the adventures of inexperienced young Luigi were hilarious and heart-warming in equal measure. Luigi's ‘friend' spaghetti-restaurant owner Pasquale was constantly attempting to marry Luigi off to his overweight and dim-witted daughter Rosa. Luigi, on the other hand, was equally determined not to have Pasquale as a father-in-law. Many episodes took place in Luigi's citizenship class where he and Schultz, a German immigrant and fellow classmate, tested the patience of kindly teacher, Miss Spaulding. Every episode opened and closed with a touching letter dictated by Luigi to his beloved Momma-Mia Basco, back home in Italy. Alan Reed (the voice of Fred Flintstone) played Pasquale, Jody Gilbert was Rosa, Hans Conried was Schultz and Mary Shipp was Miss Spaulding. The show was created by Cy Howard, who also gave us My Friend Irma. Its radio run was September 21, 1948 until March 3, 1953 (some of that time it was sponsored by Wrigley's gum) and made a short-lived transition to television in 1952.

Enjoy two free mystery episodes of Escape w/ William Conrad A) 7/11/48 She B) 9/12/48 Evening Primrose Escape was radio's leading anthology series of high-adventure, airing on CBS from July 7, 1947 until September 25, 1954. The series' well-remembered opening combined Mussorgsky's Night on Bald Mountain with this introduction, as intoned by Paul Frees or 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 … Escape! Designed to free you from the four walls of today for a half-hour of high adventure! Like its first cousin Suspense, many of the Escape stories, both originals and adaptations, involved the protagonists in dire, life-or-death straits. For most of its seven-year run Escape did not have a sponsor, so CBS only sprung for name stars on rare occasions. Instead, Escape relied on radio's row for lead and supporting roles, including Eleanor Audley, Parley Baer, Harry Bartell, William Conrad, Ted de Corsia, John Dehner, Sam Edwards, Virginia Gregg, Lou Merrill, Howard McNear, Jeanette Nolan, Alan Reed, Bill Johnstone, Berry Kroeger, Vic Perrin, Elliott Lewis, Peggy Webber and Will Wright. Music was supplied by Del Castillo, Ivan Ditmars, Cy Feuer, Wilbur Hatch and Leith Stevens. The announcers were Paul Frees and Roy Rowan.

Enjoy two free western episodes of Wild Bill Hickok w/ Guy Madison and Andy Devine A) 6/3/51 The Missouri Kid B) 7/29/51 James Butler Hickok, better known as “Wild Bill” Hickok was a folk hero of the American Old West known for being a lawman, gunfighter, gambler and showman. He earned a great deal of notoriety in life and in death. His life has been depicted numerous times in literature, radio, television and film. His death is also quite notable – he was shot and killed while playing five-card stud. He was holding two pairs, black aces and black eights, which has become known as “Dead Man's Hand.” In 1951, Kellogg's cereals brought Wild Bill Hickok to radio and television starring Guy Madison as U.S. Marshal Wild Bill Hickok and Andy Devine as his gravel-voiced comedy sidekick Jingles P. Jones. The series used a familiar western scenario enjoyed by producers of “Hopalong Cassidy” and “The Cisco Kid” in which a strong, fearless hero is accompanied by a comic sidekick. During the 1950s, several episodes of the television shows were spliced together and released as 16 feature films by Monogram Pictures.

Enjoy two free detective episodes of Pat Novak, For Hire w/ Jack Webb A) 4/2/49 Father Leahy B) 6/12/49 Georgie Lampson Beginning in 1946, Jack Webb portrayed Pat Novak, a tough, wisecracking, and cynical amateur detective, firmly in the tradition of Philip Marlowe. Just about every one of Novak's clients attempted to double-cross him or frame him for murder. Whether he was hired to act as a bodyguard or ride shotgun on a cross-country trip, the ever-suspicious Novak knew things would get complicated. A crime would take place, and Novak would be in the frame. Somehow, he always managed to come out on top and clear his name. The episodes were fast-moving with plenty of action. The dialogue was hardboiled, the soliloquies poetic, and cynical Novak had a never-ending stock of one-liners. For clarification, Pat Novak wasn't really a detective. He owned a waterfront boat shop on Pier 19 in San Francisco. He rented out boats and, on occasion, accepted odd jobs when offered enough money. Police Inspector Hellman, played by Raymond Burr, was constantly trying to lock Novak up and throw away the key. After the two had traded the usual insults, Novak set off to save himself by tracking down the guilty party and bringing him or her to justice. The radio program was first heard as a regional West Coast offering. It was produced at KGO in San Francisco and featured genuine sound recordings of the city's waterfront to add realism. From 1949, when the program moved to ABC for nationwide coverage, sound effects were created in the studio. Near the end of the run, Ben Morris replaced Jack Webb, who went to Los Angeles to work on other detective dramas including Johnny Madero, Pier 23, and Dragnet. Morris did not have the same ability as his predecessor to deliver rapid-fire dialogue and by 1949 the program (suffering from stiff competition) was cancelled.