Showing results by author "Classic Radio Shows" in All Categories

Calling all Cars ran from 1933-1939. It's generally considered to be the inspiration for the old time radio great, Dragnet. Calling All Cars chronicles the L.A. Police Department cases. Although this is an earlier version of the same type of show Dragnet was, there are some differences.Calling All Cars was introduced at a time when Americans became much more mobile because of the automobile. Criminals could get into a waiting car, and if they got lucky enough, get lost in traffic! Dragnet came out much later, but they both gave a thorough and detailed account of the crime and the criminals ...

Author's Playhouse is an anthology radio drama series, created by Wynn Wright, that aired on Mutual in 1940-1941, 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 between 1942-43.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrpChartable - https://chartable.com/privacy

All Star Western Theatre Vintage Radio: Adventure & Musical Variety All Star Western Theater was an adventure and musical variety show broadcast in the 1940s. The series featured drama, comic skids, and American Western-style music performance when Western Swing was all the rage.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy

Ghost Core is the name given to the mystery-shrouded organization of freelance diplomats operating throughout the near and Far East." K.C. Smith, a man who is trained to handle any fiend in the Middle East, is also very fluent in all the Eastern dialects and is familiar with the customs there. Everyday, he ventures out into the streets, while shrouded in the Middle Eastern garbs, in order to get the scoop on any foul play that might arise in these ancient cities full of mosques, bazaars, and oriental palaces. Smith will do whatever it takes to get all the information needed to bring down the ...

There were three series created, but only one was broadcast outside of the University of North Carolina's student radio station, between 1955 and 1956, where the entire production had been performed. The first show of the series was introduced with the following opening:-"This is American Adventure. The first in a series of special programs presented by the National Broadcasting Company, in cooperation with the University of North Carolina. American Adventure deals with the soul of America as a living organism. Here then, each week, we dramatize man's greatest adventure on American Adventure.

Arch Oboler was an American playwright, screenwriter, novelist, producer, and director who was active in radio, films, theater, and television. He generated much attention with his radio scripts, particularly the horror series Lights Out, and his work in radio remains the outstanding period of his career. Praised as one of broadcasting's top talents, he is regarded today as a key innovator of radio drama. Oboler's personality and ego were larger than life. Radio historian John Dunning wrote, "Few people were ambivalent when it came to Arch Oboler. He was one of those intense personalities who ...

Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson - Classic Radio Shows From the 30's - 40's - 50's - 60's and 70's The Greatest Detective Duo.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy

The Weird Circle was a syndicated series produced in New York and licensed by Mutual, and later, NBC's Red network (Digital Deli Too). For two seasons, it cranked out 39 shows (78 total) consisting mostly of radio adaptations of classic horror stories. The production values were adequate, but nothing to get excited about. Noticeably absent was any music. Not using any organ accompaniment helps the show seem less dated now, but it also diminishes the atmosphere that effective music provides a good story, especially if its timeless music of an orchestra or even a piano (as sometimes used in ...

Suspense is a radio drama series broadcast on CBS Radio from 1940 through 1962.One of the premier drama programs of the Golden Age of Radio was subtitled "radio's outstanding theatre of thrills" and focused on suspense thriller-type scripts, usually featuring leading Hollywood actors of the era. Approximately 945 episodes were broadcast during its long run, and more than 900 still exist.Suspense went through several major phases, characterized by different hosts, sponsors, and director/producers. Formula plot devices were followed for all but a handful of episodes: the protagonist was usually ...

Voyage of the Scarlet Queen was a radio drama portraying the adventures of the 78-foot ketch Scarlet Queen in the South Pacific. It was broadcast on Mutual from 3 July 1947 to 14 February 1948.Each episode opens with an entry from the ship's log, such as: "Log entry, the ketch Scarlet Queen, Philip Kearney, master. Position -- three degrees, seven minutes north, 104 degrees, two minutes east. Wind, fresh to moderate; sky, fair..." with a similar closing: "Ship secured for the night. Signed, Philip Kearney, master." Arriving at an exotic port of call, the captain and first mate would go ashore ...

The Falcon radio series premiered on the Blue Network on April 10, 1943, continuing on NBC and Mutual until November 27, 1954. Some 70 episodes were produced. Like the Falcon film series, the radio plots mixed danger, romance and comedy in equal parts. Each show began with a telephone ringing and Michael Waring, the Falcon, answering the phone. Speaking with a woman whose voice was never heard, Waring would explain that he had an urgent situation in which he had to deal with criminals. This led into the standard opening, followed by the week's tale of adventure. Often, incompetent police were ...

Whispering Streets was a romantic soap opera/drama that picked up where it left off the previous week. The minor character of the week would narrate and leave you to wonder which minor character would be the major character the next week. The show had a slew of famous narrators over their run, such as Cathy Lewis, Ann Seymour Bette Davis who was the show's most dramatic hostess. Whispering Streets," which debuted on ABC radio March 03, 1952 (and broadcasting from there, until 1960 was broadcast with a completely different format from the soap opera norm. "Whispering Streets" continuing drama ...

Adventures of the Abbotts also known as Abbott Mysteries. The Adventures of the Abbotts stars Claudia Morgan and Les Damon as the husband and wife detective team, Jean and Pat Abbott. In each episode, Jean helps her husband, a well-renowned San Franciscan private eye, to solve yet another mystery.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy

The Sea Hound is an American radio adventure series that ran from June 29, 1942, to August 7, 1951. It began on the Blue Network June 29, 1942 – September 22, 1944, as a 15-minute serial for young audiences, featuring Ken Daigneau as Captain Silver of the ship The Sea Hound. In 1946–47 it aired on the Mutual Broadcasting System. The program expanded to 30 minutes on ABC radio June 21–September 2, 1948, alternating with Sky King. It last aired June 26–August 7, 1951, on ABC.Between 1942 and 1944 the series was produced with Nelson A. Rockefeller's Office of the Coordinator of ...

The Amazing Mr. Malone (also known as Murder and Mr. Malone) is an American radio crime drama series based on the John Malone series of mystery novels by Craig Rice. The series began on ABC in 1948 and was broadcast on NBC Radio in 1951. Socialite John Joseph Malone (Gene Raymond, George Petrie, Frank Lovejoy) is a tough Chicago criminal lawyer who takes on a new case in each episode. Malone never gives up until justice is done. Gene Wang wrote for the program. The Malone character first appeared in the book Eight Faces at Three in 1939. The Amazing Mr. Malone was developed by Bernard L. ...

Murder at Midnight was an old-time radio show featuring macabre tales of suspense, often with a supernatural twist. It was produced in New York and was syndicated beginning in 1946. The show's writers included Robert Newman, Joseph Ruscoll, Max Ehrlich and William Norwood, and it was directed by Anton M. Leder. The host was Raymond Morgan, who delivered the memorable lines of introduction over Charles Paul's effective organ theme: "Midnight, the witching hour when the night is darkest, our fears the strongest, and our strength at its lowest ebb. Midnight, when the graves gape open and death ...

Lights Out is an American old-time radio program devoted mostly to horror and the supernatural. Created by Wyllis Cooper and then eventually taken over by Arch Oboler, versions of Lights Out aired on different networks, at various times, from January 3, 1934 to the summer of 1947 and the series eventually made the transition to television. Lights Out was one of the earliest radio horror programs, predating Suspense and Inner Sanctum

First developed for radio in 1934 for the New England region, the show was an immediate hit and was then done on from 1935-37. Republic Pictures began the Dick Tracy cliffhangers in the movies, which also helped kids get excited about following his adventures on radio. Fifteen minute serials were produced for a full five nights a week in 1938-'39.

The Adventures of Sam Spade, Detective was a radio series based loosely on the private detective character Sam Spade, created by writer Dashiell Hammett for The Maltese Falcon. The show ran for 13 episodes on ABC in 1946, for 157 episodes on CBS in 1946-1949, and finally for 51 episodes on NBC in 1949-1951. The series starred Howard Duff (and later, Steve Dunne) as Sam Spade and Lurene Tuttle as his secretary Effie, and took a considerably more tongue-in-cheek approach to the character than the novel or movie. The announcer was Dick Joy.The series was largely overseen by producer/director ...

Standby for Crime, as the title suggests, was a radio show about crimes and mysteries. It started on the early 1950s and became known for its "true story delivery" of crime stories. Like Dragnet, Gangbusters, and Mr District Attorney, Standby for Crime was also one of the most popular crime radio shows during the time it was aired.The show's lead character was Chuck Morgan (portrayed by actor Glen Langen), an extremely convincing news anchor that works at KOP, a radio station based in Los Angeles. His friend, Police Lieutenant Bill Miggs, gave tips about hot crimes. Another important character...