Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod

 Hear It Now - "Edward R. Murrow" (Aired January 12, 1951)Hear It Now, an American radio program on CBS, began in 1950 and was hosted by Edward R. Murrow and produced by Fred Friendly. It ran for one hour on Fridays at 9 p.m. One of the most popular and best selling records of 1948 was I Can Hear It Now 1933-1945. The record was a collaboration between Edward R. Murrow and Fred W. Friendly. The record interwove historical events with speeches and Murrow's narration and marked the beginning of one of the most famous pairings in journalism history. The huge success of the record prompted the pair to parlay it into a weekly radio show for CBS. That show was Hear It Now. The show had a "magazine format." It drove to include a variety of sounds from current events such as an atom smasher at work or artillery fire from Korea. It was the artillery fire that produced one of the show's more poignant moments as it backdropped the words of American soldiers fighting the Korean War. The entire premise of the show was to

Boxcars711 Old Time Radio PodThe Overnight WesternHawk Larabee was CBS' first attempt at an adult Western, predating Gunsmoke by six years but never achieving the heights of its illustrious successor. Elliott Lewis starred in its earliest incarnation (titled Hawk Durango) with Texas-native Barton Yarborough as his sidekick. Yarborough moved into the lead role for a season (supported by Barney Jones) but returned to his earlier sidekick status when Elliott Lewis reclaimed the role for the final season. Hawk Larabee aired from July 5, 1946 through February 7, 1948 with the Texas Rangers (and later the Plainsmen) providing unusual vocal bridges to set the scenes. THIS EPISODE:November 7, 1946. "Tillie Mcgoon The Preacher aka: Deputy Preacher" - CBS network. Sustaining. Hawk becomes a deputy preacher to convert Tillie McGoon and her desperado friends. Barton Yarborough, William N. Robson (writer). 30:00. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.

Homicide House (Aired June 30, 1945) Haunting Hour "Homicide House" (06-30-45)The Haunting Hour is a work-in-progress collection within the holdings of many serious Radio Collectors. From the meager available productions currently in circulation it's clear that the series was popular for its time, at the very least. With a known run of at least 52 unique scripts and more doubtful further 39 to 52 scripts, it would appear that the series was in demand for at least four years--in and out of syndication. Given the high quality of NBC Network voice talent in the circulating episodes, one can well imagine that the remainder of the yet alleged, undiscovered, or uncirculated episodes have at least as much to recommend them. Thankfully, as with many other examples of Golden Age Radio productions, many of the existing episodes in circulation can be directly attributed to the efforts of the Armed Forces Radio and Television Service [AFRTS].THIS EPISODE:June 30, 1945. NBC syndication. "Homicide House". Commercials added

The series received undeserved negative ratings and general negative comments as there were just too many similarities between the two series. Also, the series was without a sponsor, although some of the last shows were sponsored by the US Armed Forces. The series lasted only one season. The regular cast consisted of Harold Peary, Gloria Holiday, Peary’s wife, who played Gloria, Joseph Kearns as Old Doc ‘Yak Yak’ Yancy, Mary Jane Croft and Parley Baer. The announcer was Bob Lamond. The series was directed by Norman MacDonnell. Writers for the series were Harold Peary, Bill Danch, Jack Robinson and Gene Stone. Music was by Jack Meakin. The last show aired on June 13, 1951. The director of the show was Norm MacDonnell, who went on to create perhaps the greatest old time radio show - Gunsmoke, and another western, Fort Laramie. Of course, Norm was a sold radio veteran who certainly had a flare for directing comedy, so he and Peary, together with an excellent cast, made The Harold Peary Show just about as good a

Tony Hancock starred as an exaggerated version of his own character, a down-at-heel comedian living at the dilapidated 23 Railway Cuttings in East Cheam. Sid James played a criminally-inclined confidante who usually managed to con Hancock, while Bill Kerr appeared as Hancock's dim-witted Australian lodger. Moira Lister also appeared in the first series before being replaced by Andrée Melly for the next two, both playing love interests for Hancock's character. In the fourth and fifth series, Hattie Jacques played Griselda Pugh, live-in secretary to Hancock and occasional girlfriend of Sid James. The series broke from the variety tradition dominant in British radio comedy into the sitcom or Situation comedy genre. Instead of sketches, guest stars and musical interludes, humour developed from the characters and situations. Hancock's experiences were based in reality and observation. From the playlet "Look Back In Hunger" in The East Cheam Drama Festival episode, Galton and Simpson showed they were in touch with

The Fighting Med Student (Aired May 24, 1950)The Halls of Ivy featured Colman as William Todhunter Hall, the president of small, Midwestern Ivy College, and his wife, Victoria, a former British musical comedy star who sometimes felt the tug of her former profession, and followed their interactions with students, friends, and college trustees. Others in the cast included Herbert Butterfield as testy board chairman Clarence Wellman; Willard Waterman (then starring as Harold Peary's successor as The Great Gildersleeve) as board member John Merriweather; and Bea Benadaret, Elizabeth Patterson, and Gloria Gordon as the Halls' maids. Alan Reed (television's Fred Flintstone) appeared periodically as the stuffy English teacher, Professor Heaslip.THIS EPISODE:May 24, 1950. NBC network. "The Fighting Med Student" - Sponsored by: Schlitz Beer. Will a medical student at Ivy give up his career to become a prize fighter? Ronald Colman, Benita Hume, Ken Carpenter (announcer), Don Quinn (creator, writer), Nat Wolff (producer

Hallmark Hall of Fame is an anthology program on American television and radio. It has had a historically long run, beginning on TV in 1951. From 1954 onward, all of their productions have been shown in color, although color television productions were extremely rare in 1954. Many TV-movies have been shown on the program since its debut, though the program began with live telecasts of dramas and then moved into videotaped productions before finally turning to filmed ones. The series has received seventy-eight Emmy Awards, twenty-four Christopher Awards, eleven Peabody Awards, nine Golden Globes, and four Humanitas Prizes. THIS EPISODE:A Christmas Carol (full title: A Christmas Carol in Prose, Being a Ghost Story of Christmas) is Charles Dickens' "little Christmas Book" . First published on December 19, 1843 and illustrated by John Leech. The story met with instant success, selling six thousand copies within a week. Originally written as a potboiler to enable Dickens to pay off a debt, the tale has become one

The Castle Of Lavoka (Aired March 29, 1954)Originally a local series out of Utah that found its way on to the airwaves sporadically from 1947 to 1952, this anthology was picked up for national syndication by the Mutual network and broadcast from mid-52 through mid-53. Written and directed by Richard Thorne, a prolific and talented writer and producer, this series is often overlooked, even by fans of OTR. It is unfortunate, since it provides some very unique and dramatic material; the acting in particular was superb. Early on, the series concentrated on murder mysteries, but later shows were devoted to horror and some sci-fi. Sadly, not all episodes have survived - only about 40 of perhaps over a hundred shows still exist. All episodes were standard half-hour format.THIS EPISODE:March 29, 1954. Mutual network, WGN, Chicago origination, KEX, Portland Oregon aircheck. "The Castle Of Lavoka". Sponsored by: National Bank Of Oregon, Harrah's. An excellent story about Baron Drago from an isolated part of Europe with

Boxcars711 Overnight Western "Gunsmoke" - Doc Holiday (Aired July 19, 1952)The radio show first aired on April 26, 1952 and ran until June 18, 1961 on the CBS radio network. The series starred William Conrad as Marshal Matt Dillon, Howard McNear as Doc Charles Adams, Georgia Ellis as Kitty Russell, and Parley Baer as Deputy Chester Proudfoot. Doc's first name and Chester's last name were changed for the television program. Gunsmoke was notable for its critically acclaimed cast and writing, and is commonly regarded as one of the finest old time radio shows. Some listeners (such as old time radio expert John Dunning) have argued that the radio version of Gunsmoke was far more realistic than the television program. Episodes were aimed at adults, and featured some of the most explicit content of the day: there were violent crimes and scalpings, massacres and opium addicts. THIS EPISODE:July 19, 1952. CBS network. "Doc Holliday". Sustaining. Doc Holliday has come to Dodge to kill Big Jack Finley. But Big Jack's so

A Question Of Time (Aired March 2, 1946)The Green Hornet fought crime with his high-powered car, the Black Beauty. He also utilized a gun that fired knockout gas instead of bullets. His fists also came in handy on a regular basis. He was assisted by his Filipino valet, Kato. Kato would drive the Black Beauty, keep watch out for the police or the bad guys and sometimes lend a helping fist to the fighting. The Green Hornet pretended to be a villain while really battling the forces of crime in the big city. This would make for some interesting plot twists as the Green Hornet would be actively avoiding detection by the police while at the same time attempting to destroy criminal activity in the city. THIS EPISODE: March 2, 1946. ABC network, WXYZ, Detroit origination, Michelson syndication. "A Question Of Time". Commercials deleted. WFAA, Dallas aircheck. The Hornet stops a plan to sell a secret formula to Nazis hiding is South America. A small clock provides the clue. Robert Hall, George W. Trendle (creator, pro

Boxcars711 Overnight Western "The Roy Rogers Show" - The Rene Eigan Case (Aired April 11, 1952)Roy Rogers, born Leonard Franklin Slye (November 5, 1911 – July 6, 1998), was an American singer and cowboy actor, as well as the namesake of the Roy Rogers Restaurants chain. He and his wife Dale Evans, his golden palomino Trigger, and his German Shepherd dog, Bullet, were featured in over one hundred movies and The Roy Rogers Show. The show ran on radio for nine years before moving to television from 1951 through 1957. His productions usually featured a sidekick, often either Pat Brady, (who drove a jeep called "Nellybelle") or the crotchety George "Gabby" Hayes. Roy's nickname was "King of the Cowboys". Dale's nickname was "Queen of the West."THIS EPISODE:April 11, 1952. NBC network. Sponsored by: Post Cereals. "The Rene Eigan Gang" uses trickery to get possession of evidence against the leader of the gang. Roy sings, "Peace In The Valley." Art Ballinger (announcer), Art Rush (producer), Bill Green, Charles Seel,

Leila's Returning (Aired September 19, 1943)The Great Gildersleeve (1941–1957), initially written by Leonard Lewis Levinson, was one of broadcast history's earliest spin-off programs. Built around Throckmorton Philharmonic Gildersleeve, a character who had been a staple on the classic radio situation comedy Fibber McGee and Molly, The Great Gildersleeve enjoyed its greatest success in the 1940s. Actor Harold Peary played the character during its transition from the parent show into the spin-off and later in a quartet of feature films released at the height of the show's popularity. On Fibber McGee and Molly, Peary's Gildersleeve was a pompous windbag who became a consistent McGee nemesis. "You're a haa-aa-aa-aard man, McGee!" became a Gildersleeve catch phrase.THIS EPISODE:September 19, 1943. "Leila's Returning" - NBC network. Sponsored by: Kraft Parkay, Kraft Dinner. Leila Ransom is coming back to Summerfield. Gildersleeve sings, "Speak To Me Of Love." Claude Sweeten (music), Earle Ross, Harold Peary, John W

Granby Bites The Love Bug (Aired July 24, 1950)Broadcast History: July 3 - August 21, 1950, CBS. 30m, Mondays at 9:30.  Cast: Gale Gordon and Bea Benaderet as John and Martha Granby, ex-bank teller and wife who moved to the country to become farmers. Louise Erickson as Janice, their daughter. Parley Baer as Eb, the hired hand. Announcer: Bob LeMond Music: Opie Cates Writer-Producer-Director: Jay Sommers. Granby's Green Acres grew out of characters played by Gale Gordon and Bea Benaderet on the Lucille Ball series My Favorite Husband. The names were changed, but the basic characters remained the same. THIS EPISODE:July 24, 1950. CBS network. "Mr. Granby Fights The Love Bug". Sustaining. Granby's corn is doing poorly, but he won't listen to the county agent's advice. Gale Gordon, Bea Benaderet, Parley Baer, Opie Cates (composer, conductor), Louise Erickson, Horace Murphy, Rye Billsbury, Jay Summers (writer, director), Jack Harvey (writer), Dave Swift (writer), Johnny Jacobs (announcer). 35:01. Episode Notes Fro

The Ghost Goes West (Aired August 21, 1944)The Armed Forces Radio Service (AFRS) incorporated some thirty-plus exemplars from the This Is My Best canon into their own Frontline Theatre/Globe Theater syndicated transcriptions for service people overseas. For the Globe Theater run, Jimmy Wallington, Herbert Marshall, Jack Tierny and William Johnstone alternated as hosts of the denatured This Is My Best productions under the Globe Theater series designated H-5, the fifth such series to enter the growing number of AFRS offerings sent to American and Allied troops throughout World War II, and further, until the AFRS was folded into the Armed Forces Radio and Television Service in the 1949-1950 time frame.THIS EPISODE:August 21, 1944 - AFRS network "The Ghost Goes West" - An American businessman's family convinces him to buy a Scottish castle and disassemble it to ship it to America brick by brick, where it will be put it back together. The castle though is not the only part of the deal, with it goes the several-hu

The General Mills Radio Adventure Theater was a 1977 anthology radio drama series with Tom Bosley as host. Himan Brown, already producing the CBS Radio Mystery Theater for the network, added this twice-weekly (Saturdays and Sundays) anthology radio drama series to his workload in 1977. It usually aired on weekends, beginning in February 1977 and continuing through the end of January 1978, on stations which cleared it. General Mills's advertising agency was looking for a means of reaching children that would be less expensive than television advertising. Brown and CBS were willing to experiment with a series aimed at younger listeners, reaching that audience through ads in comic books. Apart from Christian or other religious broadcasting, this may have been the only nationwide attempt in the U.S. in the 1970s to air such a series. General Mills did not continue as sponsor after the 52 episodes had first aired over the first 26 weekends (February 1977 through July 1977), and the series (52 shows) was then repea

General Electric Theater - State Fair (Aired September 10, 1953)General Electric Theater featured a mix of romance, comedy, adventure, tragedy, fantasy and variety music. Occupying the Sunday evening spot on CBS following the Toast of the Town/Ed Sullivan Show from 1 February 1953 to 27 May 1962, the General Electric Theater presented top Hollywood and Broadway stars in dramatic roles calculated to deliver company voice advertising to the largest possible audience. Despite a long technical and practical experience with television production, GE's previous attempts to establish a Sunday evening company program had fared poorly. In the fall of 1948 GE entered commercial television for the first time with the Dennis James Carnival, a variety show dropped after one performance. A quiz program entitled Riddle Me This substituted for twelve weeks and was also dropped. In April 1949 GE returned to Sunday evenings with the musical-variety Fred Waring Show Produced by the Young & Rubicam advertising agency under t

Gangbusters was an American dramatic radio program heralded as "the only national program that brings you authentic police case histories." It premiered as G-Men, sponsored by Chevrolet, on July 20, 1935. After the title was changed to Gang Busters January 15, 1936, the show had a 21-year run through November 20, 1957. Beginning with a barrage of loud sound effects — guns firing and tires squealing — this intrusive introduction led to the popular catch phrase "came on like Gang Busters."The series dramatized FBI cases, which producer-director Phillips H. Lord arranged in close association with Bureau director J. Edgar Hoover. Hoover insisted that only closed cases would be used. The initial series was on NBC Radio from July 20 - October 12, 1935. It then aired on CBS from January 15, 1936 to June 15, 1940, sponsored by Colgate-Palmolive and Cue magazine. From October 11, 1940 to December 25, 1948, it was heard on the Blue Network, with various sponsors that included Sloan's Liniment, Waterman pens and Tide. R

Boxcars711 Overnight Western "Frontier Town" - Trouble Rides The Rails (Aired May 8, 1953)Chandler's characterization of Chad Remington is forceful, dynamic and melodramatic and runs for the first twenty-three episodes. Veteran Film, Television and Radio actor Reed Hadley then assumes the role of Chad Remington for the remaining 24 installments. The contrast between the two characterizations is quite evident, but doesn't interfere with either the continuity of the main character or the flow of the episodes. Both principal actors acquit themselves well in the role. Wade Crosby in the role of Cherokee O'Bannon plays it well over the top, but that's what sidekicks do, after all.THIS EPISODE:May 8, 1953. Program #31. Broadcasters Program Syndicate/Bruce Eells and Associates syndication. "Trouble Rides The Rails". Music fill for local commercial insert. The date is approximate. Reed Hadley, Howard McNear, Wade Crosby, Ivan Ditmars (composer, conductor), Bill Forman (announcer), Bruce Eells (producer), Paul Frankli

Theater Royal - "The Aspern Papers" (05-23-54)Harry Alan Towers produced and directed the show for his Towers of London company for international syndication, at the time in Europe, South Africa and Australia. The episodes included in this distribution are from the initial US run on NBC. However selected episodes were repeated, with a different series opening and close on the ABC Mystery Time series during the late 1950s. The show Theatre Royal remained in active syndication in the United States well up into the 1970s. Many of the copies in circulation today, come from those 1970s repeats where the individual episodes were cut to about 20 minutes. Luckily these cuts were made by the production company and generally do not take away from the actual program enjoyment. This reduced length comes from a combination for factors including removing dated introductory material from the beginning of the early episodes, making time for local stations to include hourly 5 minute newscasts and to insert commercials locally

The series originated on radio in the 1940s as Theater Guild on the Air. Organized in 1919 to improve the quality of American theater, the Theatre Guild first experimented with radio productions in Theatre Guild Dramas, a CBS series which ran from December 6, 1943 to February 29, 1944. Actress-playwright Armina Marshall (1895–1991), a co-administrator of the Theater Guild, headed the Guild's newly created Radio Department, and in 1945, Theatre Guild on the Air embarked on its ambitious plan to bring Broadway theater to radio with leading actors in major productions. It premiered September 9, 1945, on ABC with Burgess Meredith, Henry Daniell and Cecil Humphreys in Wings Over Europe, a play by Robert Nichols and Maurice Browne which the Theatrer Guild had staged on Broadway in 1928-29. Within a year the series drew some 10 to 12 million listeners each week. Presenting both classic and contemporary plays, the program was broadcast for eight years before it became a television series.THIS EPISODE:November 17, 194