Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod

Christmas Present (Aired December 17, 1944)Beginning October 4, 1949, the show was adapted for television for the DuMont Television Network, but Bendix's film contracts prevented him from appearing in the role. Instead, Jackie Gleason starred along with Rosemary DeCamp as wife Peg, Gloria Winters as daughter Barbara (Babs), Lanny Rees as son Chester Jr. (Junior), and Sid Tomack as Gillis, Riley's manipulative best buddy and next-door neighbor. John Brown returned as the morbid counseling undertaker Digby (Digger) O'Dell ("Well, I guess I'll be... shoveling off"; "Business is a little dead tonight"). Television's first Life of Riley won television's first Emmy (for "Best Film Made For and Shown on Television").THIS EPISODE:December 17, 1944. "Christmas Present" - Blue network, KECA, Los Angeles aircheck. Sponsored by: American Meat Institute. Riley has gotten a mysterious Christmas present. It's from Walla, Walla. Who is it from? William Bendix, John Brown, Ken Niles (announcer), Don Bernard (director), Lou Co

INTRO: Bob Camardella Plays Andy Williams "Its The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year (1963)Let George Do It was a radio drama series produced by Owen and Pauline Vinson from 1946 to 1954. It starred Bob Bailey as detective-for-hire George Valentine (with Olan Soule stepping into the role in 1954). Clients came to Valentine's office after reading a newspaper carrying his classified ad: "Personal notice: Danger's my stock in trade. If the job's too tough for you to handle, you've got a job for me. George Valentine. "The few earliest episodes were more sitcom than private eye shows, with a studio audience providing scattered laughter at the not-so-funny scripts. Soon the audience was banished, and George went from stumbling comedic hero to tough guy private eye, while the music became suspenseful. Valentine's secretary was Claire Brooks, aka Brooksie (Frances Robinson, Virginia Gregg, Lillian Buyeff). As Valentine made his rounds in search of the bad guys, he usually encountered Brooksie's kid brother, Sonny (Eddi

Christmas Day  (Aired December 25, 1946)During the 1930s, as vaudeville went into decline owing to increased competition from radio and the movies, Willock and Carson sought work in Hollywood, initially landing bit roles at RKO. The radio also proved to be a source of employment for the team following a 1938 appearance on the Kraft Music Hall during Bing Crosby's period as program host. This led to a number of other appearances which would culminate in Carson's own radio show in 1943. From 1950-51, Carson was one of four alternating hosts of NBC's "4 Star Revue." Other hosts that season were Jimmy Durante, Ed Wynn. and Danny Thomas. The show aired Wednesday evenings. Carson's second season was his last with the comedy-variety program when its title was changed to "All Star Revue.THIS EPISODE:December 25, 1946. CBS network. Sponsored by: Campbell's Soup. A visit to Jack's house on "Christmas Day". Jack sings, "The House I Live In." Jack Carson, Arthur Treacher, Freddy Martin and His Orchestra, Dave Willock, De

INTRO: Bob Camardella Remembers The Cleftones "Heart & Soul" (1961)In Santa Claus Is No Saint (12-24-50), the 'Robin Hood Of Modern Crime' forgoes bow and quiver to don whiskers and a red suit, for the highest of purposes: entertaining tots on Christmas Eve.  The Saint's troubles begin in earnest, however, when "a tot, twenty years later" shows up at his door, armed with a gun and the notion that Simon Templar is actually one 'Fats' Boylen. It seems that Mr. Boylen was hired to play Santa at a society party, but chose to leave early, as did a box of jewellery belonging to the hostess, Carla Worth.The tension in the story comes not from the 'who dunnit' aspects of the tale, as we know all along who 'done it'.  The mystery is who Fats Boylen is working for, who has formed criminal alliances with whom, and whether these alliances will stand the tests of time and greed. The humor in the episode, and there is much, comes from both The Saint's quirky methods of interrogation and investigation, and the comedic r

The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet is an American sitcom, airing on ABC from October 3, 1952 to September 3, 1966, starring the real life Nelson family. After a long run on radio, the show was brought to television where it continued its success, running on both radio and TV for a couple of years. The series starred Ozzie Nelson and his wife, singer Harriet Nelson (née Hilliard), and their young sons, David Nelson and Eric Nelson, better known as Ricky. Don DeFore had a recurring role as the Nelsons' friendly neighbor "Thorny". The series attracted large audiences, and although it was never a top-ten hit, it became synonymous with the 1950s ideal American family life. It is the longest-running "live-action"/non-animated sitcom in US TV history. In the early 1930s, a booking at the Glen Island Casino landed Ozzie Nelson's orchestra national network radio exposure. After three years together with the orchestra, Ozzie and Harriet signed to appear regularly on The Baker's Broadcast (1933-1938), hosted first by J

Gunsmoke is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman MacDonnell and writer John Meston. The stories take place in and around Dodge City, Kansas, during the settlement of the American West. The radio version ran from 1952 to 1961, and  John Dunning writes that among radio drama enthusiasts "Gunsmoke is routinely placed among the best shows of any kind and any time." The television version ran for 20 seasons from 1955 to 1975, and still remains the United States' longest-running prime time, live-action drama with 635 episodes ("Law and Order" ended in 2010 with 476 episodes). THIS EPISODE:December 20, 1952. CBS network. "Christmas Story". Sustaining. A good Christmas story, told by Marshal Dillon to a stranger on a strange horse out on the prairie. Christmas in Dodge City. An excellent script, great radio! William Conrad, Parley Baer, Georgia Ellis, Lawrence Dobkin, Harry Bartell, John Dehner, Howard McNear, Roy Rowan (announcer), Antony Ellis (writer), Norman Macdonnell

A Terrible Night (Aired January 23, 1944)"The Weird Circle" was produced in New York City by the National Broadcasting Company, under the auspices of its Radio-Recording Division. Though best known for live programs over its Red and Blue Networks, NBC produced and recorded a great many shows for syndication to local stations, including such diverse dramatic programs as "Playhouse of Favorites", "Five Minute Mysteries", "Destiny Trails", and "Betty and Bob" (a five-a-week daily "soap opera" featuring Arlene Francis), as well as quarter-hour musical programs starring performers ranging from Carson Robison and his Buckaroos to Ferde Grofe and his Orchestra. The quality of these syndicated shows was, for the most part, consistent with NBC's regular prime-time fare and, a result, were often aired by local stations as either special features or programmed between other shows on the network at the time. THIS EPISODE:January 23, 1944. Program #22. NBC syndication. "A Terrible Night". Commercials added locally. Two fr

The Whistler - "Next Year Is Mine" (Aired December 23, 1946) XmasThe Whistler was one of radio's most popular mystery dramas, with a 13-year run from May 16, 1942 until September 22, 1955. If it now seems to have been influenced explicitly by The Shadow, The Whistler was no less popular or credible with its listeners, the writing was first class for its genre, and it added a slightly macabre element of humor that sometimes went missing in The Shadow's longer-lived crime stories. Writer-producer J. Donald Wilson established the tone of the show during its first two years, and he was followed in 1944 by producer-director George Allen. Other directors included Sterling Tracy and Sherman Marks with final scripts by Joel Malone and Harold Swanton. A total of 692 episodes were produced, yet despite the series' fame, over 200 episodes are lost today. In 1946, a local Chicago version of The Whistler with local actors aired Sundays on WBBM, sponsored by Meister Brau beer.THIS EPISODE:December 23, 1946. CBS Pacific net

Death Comes At Midnight (Aired October 18, 1942)The Whistler was one of radio's most popular mystery dramas, with a 13-year run from May 16, 1942 until September 22, 1955. If it now seems to have been influenced explicitly by The Shadow, The Whistler was no less popular or credible with its listeners, the writing was first class for its genre, and it added a slightly macabre element of humor that sometimes went missing in The Shadow's longer-lived crime stories. Writer-producer J. Donald Wilson established the tone of the show during its first two years, and he was followed in 1944 by producer-director George Allen. Other directors included Sterling Tracy and Sherman Marks with final scripts by Joel Malone and Harold Swanton. A total of 692 episodes were produced, yet despite the series' fame, over 200 episodes are lost today. In 1946, a local Chicago version of The Whistler with local actors aired Sundays on WBBM, sponsored by Meister Brau beer.THIS EPISODE:October 18, 1942. CBS network. "Death Comes At Midn

The Heathrow Affair (Aired December 23, 1951)The stories were true in every respect except that the names were changed to protect the innocent, as they say. The Whitehall 1212 series boasted that for the first time Scotland Yard opened its files and the producers promised to bring to the public authentic true stories of some of the most celebrated cases. Permission for these records came from Sir Harold Scott, Commissioner of the yard at that time. There is actually a Black Museum. This area is located on the lower ground floor of Scotland Yard and it does indeed contain articles that are closely associated with the solving of a crime. And "Whitehall 1212" was the actual emergency phone number for the yard at the time. The research for the shows was done by Percy Hoskins, chief crime reporter for the London Daily Express. THIS EPISODE: December 23, 1951. "The Heathrow Affair" - NBC network. Sustaining. An intelligent criminal plans to rob Heathrow airport of a shipment of gold. Beware the poisoned tea! The fi

Boxcars711 Overnight Western "Wild Bill Hickock" - The Phantom Rustlers (Aired February 11, 1953)Wild Bill Hickock was quick with his fists and a quip, but Jingles (dear god that nickname) got all his glory by using his immense girth to fight the bad guys. Jingles if you couldn’t tell was the comedic element in the series. And what is it with overweight sidekicks in westerns? See Cisco Kid’s partner, the jolly and rotund Pancho. Give the horses a break. The radio program lasted until 1954. The television show was started at the same time in 1951 and lasted until 1958. Also Wild Bill was portrayed by Gary Cooper in the 1936 movie, The Plainsman. Wild Bill has shown up in various other movies and television shows, most recently in the show Deadwood on HBO. THIS EPISODE:February 11, 1953. Program #130. Globe Sound syndication. "The Phantom Rustlers". Commercials added locally. Rustlers are stealing one hundred head of cattle each week from the Tuttle Ranch, forcing Tuttle to sell out real cheap! Then, Wild Bill

Rat In A Trap (Aired May 16, 1932)The Witch's Tale was a horror-fantasy radio series which aired from 1931 to 1938 on WOR and Mutual and in syndication. The program was created, written and directed by Alonzo Deen Cole, who was born February 22, 1897 in St. Paul, Minnesota and died April 7, 1971. Cole's spooky show was hosted by Old Nancy, the Witch of Salem, who introduced a different terror tale each week. The role of Old Nancy was created by stage actress Adelaide Fitz-Allen, who died in 1935 at the age of 79. Cole replaced her with 13-year-old Miriam Wolfe, and Martha Wentworth was also heard as Old Nancy on occasion. Cole himself provided the sounds of Old Nancy's cat, Satan. Cole's wife, Marie O'Flynn, portrayed the lead female characters on the program, and the supporting cast included Mark Smith and Alan Devitte. For syndication, the shows were recorded live during broadcast and distributed to other stations. These recordings were destroyed by Cole in 1961, so few episodes survive. Cole was also the w

Chain Of Command (Aired November 21, 1956)X Minus One was an NBC science fiction series that was an extension, or revival, of NBC's earlier science fiction series, Dimension X. which ran from Apr. 8, 1950 through Sept. 29, 1951. Both are remembered for bringing really first rate science fiction to the air. The first X Minus One shows used scripts from Dimension X, but soon created new shows from storied from the pages of Galaxy Magazine. A total of 125 programs were broadcast, some repeats or remakes, until the last show of Jan. 9, 1958. There was a one-program revival attempt in 1973.THIS EPISODE:November 21, 1956. NBC network. "Chain Of Command". Sustaining. A funny story about intelligent mice living in a top secret laboratory. John Gibson, John McGovern, Ann Thomas, Alan Bunce, Wendell Holmes, Staats Cotsworth, Stephen Arr (author), George Lefferts (adaptor), Fred Collins (announcer), Daniel Sutter (director), William Welch (producer). 28:14. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

"A Favor You Can’t Refuse" (Starring William Shatner) Aired May 31, 1974The Zero Hour (aka Hollywood Radio Theater) was a 1973-74 radio drama anthology series hosted by Rod Serling. With tales of mystery, adventure and suspense, the program aired in stereo for two seasons. Some of the scripts were written by Serling. Originally placed into syndication on September 3, 1973, the series was picked up by the Mutual Broadcasting System in December of that year. The original format featured five-part dramas broadcast Monday through Friday with the story coming to a conclusion on Friday. Including commercials, each part was approximately 30 minutes long. Mutual affiliates could broadcast the series in any time slot that they wished. In 1974, still airing five days a week, the program changed to a full story in a single 30-minute installment with the same actor starring throughout the week in all five programs. That format was employed from late April 1974 to the end of the series on July 26, 1974.Producer J.M. Kholo

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. The show went through several orchestras during its radio life, including those of Ennis, Charles Hoff, Matty Matlock, Jack Meaking, Will Osborne, Freddie Rich, Leith Stevens, and Peter van Steeden. The show's writers included Howard Harris, Hal Fimberg, Parke Levy, Don Prindle, Ed Cherokee, Len Stern, Martin R

You Bet Your Life is an American quiz show that aired on both radio and television. The most well-known version was hosted by Groucho Marx of the Marx Brothers, with announcer and assistant George Fenneman. The show debuted on ABC Radio in October 1947, then moved to CBS Radio in 1949 before making the transition to the NBC Radio and NBC-TV networks in October 1950. Because of its simple format, it was possible to broadcast the show simultaneously on the radio and on television. In 1960, the show was renamed The Groucho Show and ran a further year. Most episodes are in the public domain. The play of the game, however, was secondary to the interplay between Groucho, the contestants, and occasionally Fenneman. The program was rerun into the 1970s, and later in syndication as The Best of Groucho. As such, it was the first game show to have its reruns syndicated. The mid-1940s was a depressing lull in Groucho's career. His radio show Blue Ribbon Town, sponsored by Pabst Blue Ribbon beer, which ran from March 1943

The Trial Of Marie Antoinette (Aired October 17, 1948)You Are There is an American historical educational television and radio series broadcast over the CBS Radio and CBS Television networks. reated by Goodman Ace for CBS Radio, it blended history with modern technology, taking an entire network newsroom on a figurative time warp each week reporting the great events of the past. Reporters included John Charles Daly, Don Hollenbeck and Richard C. Hottelet. The series was first heard on July 7, 1947 under the title CBS Is There. Its final broadcast was on March 19, 1950 under the title You Are There. According to author/historian Martin Grams, actor Canada Lee was a guest in episodes 32 and 60. Martin Gabel appeared in character in episode 82. The first 23 broadcasts went under the title "CBS Is There" and beginning with episode 24, the title changed to "You Are There".THIS EPISODE:October 17, 1948. CBS network. "The Trial Of Marie Antoinette". Sustaining. The events of October 16, 1793. The rabble of the Revol

(Stuart Palmer) The Man Who Wrote Himself To Death - (Aired March 21, 1950)Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar attracted some of the best writers in Hollywood, including Jack Johnstone, E. Jack Neuman (using the pen name John Dawson), Robert Ryf, and Les Crutchfield. Bob Bailey also wrote a script while he was playing Johnny Dollar. He used the pen name Robert Bainter (Bainter was his middle name) as the scriptwriter for "The Carmen Kringle Matter", which was aired on Saturday, December 21, 1957 on the West Coast, and on the following day for the rest of the country. Bob Bailey, generally thought of as the most popular of the Johnny Dollars, brought a new interpretation to the character – tough, but not hard-boiled; streetwise, but not overly cynical, Bailey's Dollar was smart and gritty when he had to be. Show Notes From The Old Time Radio Researcher's Group.THIS EPISODE:March 21, 1950. CBS network. "Stuart Palmer, The Man Who Wrote Himself To Death".Sustaining. No music cues are heard on this recording. A crazed wri

The American School (Aired May 7, 1947)One early sponsor had been Adler Shoe Stores, which came close to canceling its account after Morgan started making references to "Old Man Adler" on the air; the chain changed its mind after it was learned business spiked upward, with many new patrons asking to meet Old Man Adler. Morgan had to read an Adler commercial heralding the new fall line of colors; Morgan thought the colors were dreadful, and said he wouldn't wear them to a dogfight, but perhaps the listeners would like them. Old Man Adler demanded a retraction on the air. Morgan obliged: "I would wear them to a dogfight." Morgan later recalled with bemusement, "It made him happy." Later, he moved to ABC (formerly the NBC Blue Network) in a half-hour weekly format that allowed Morgan more room to develop and expand his topical, often ad-libbed satires, hitting popular magazines, soap operas, schools, the BBC, baseball, summer resorts, government snooping, and landlords. THIS EPISODE: May 7, 1947. ABC network. Sp

 A Clapper For The Bell (02-09-70)Sponsored by Carling Black Label Beer, this series examined man’s early ventures into space. The space race of the 1950’s and 1960’s spawned this series, especially the Apollo missions to the moon in the late 1960’s. The series was narrated by Donald Monat as the character Charles B Ryan and was broadcast on Springbok Radio on Monday evenings at 18H30. The episodes were written by June Dixon & Hal Orlandini (never credited) & recorded at the AFS Studios in Johannesburg & produced by Donald Monat. A total of 62 episodes were broadcast, including a live broadcast of the Apollo 11 moon landing, courtesy of The Voice of America Radio Broadcast & repeat broadcasts of some of the earlier episodes in the 1970's. Many of the stories were dramatisations of true events & also included futuristic tales of space exploration of the future.The first episode was broadcast on Tuesday, 19 June 1969 & continued until Tuesday 12 October 1970. The series was sponsored thr