Golden Age of Radio for August-October 2008
Friday 8-1
Boston Blackie "Devon Estate" 7/28/1944, a hatcheck girl gives Blackie a bloodstained coat instead of his own. Rinso ad
Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar "Jolly Rogers Fraud" Part 2, 3/20/56 (cont. from last Friday)
Saturday 8-2
Abbott & Costello, 7/28/48, skit: Be A Lifesaver (at the beach)
Baby Snooks "Magic and Lies" Snooks says neighbor's living room was ruined by 6 camels
Sunday 8-3
Inner Sanctum "Murder Off the Record" 8/3/52, strange things start happening to a drifter, including attempts on his life
Chandu the Magician "Chandu Seeks Guidance" 7/22/48
Monday 8-4
Broadway is My Beat "The Paul Thomas Case" 7/28/49, a Broadway theater worker wants to tell Danny something but is interrupted by a sarcastic private eye. Then the kid ends up dead, framed for a jewel robbery
Sky King "Benny Tells Who Stole the Pearls" 7/31/47
Tuesday 8-5
Red Skelton Show "The Stray Dog" 5/13/49, Red tries to find a home for a vicious mutt
Lum and Abner "The Hempstead Box" 7/8/47, they are holding a box that can only be opened with all heirs present
Wednesday 8-6
Lights Out "Murder Castle" 8/3/43, a kindly old man has killed over 30 women for whatever money they had, but now one sister wants revenge...revenge...revenge
Police Headquarters "Mystery Writer Dies" A pulp novelist's apparent suicide in a locked room seems based on his latest manuscript about a perfect murder
Thursday 8-7
CBS Radio Workshop "Never Bet The Devil Your Head" 7/28/57, Daws Butler, narrated by John Dehner as Edgar Allen Poe. The Devil: Howard McNear
Vic and Sade "Long Distance Call From the Hinks" 8/20/42, Sade and Rush get a crank call from Vic's lodge buddies, but Rush thinks it's fun
Friday 8-8
Mr. and Mrs. North "Who Killed Mr. Stefano?" 8/9/44
Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar "Jolly Rogers Fraud" Part 3, 3/21/56
Saturday 8-9
Mail Call, 8/9/44 (State of Maine Tribute) Rudy Vallee sings, then trades jokes with Fred Allen, Frank Sinatra sings Evergreen, Mary Livingstone does a poem
Baby Snooks "Playing Hooky" 9/19/40
Sunday 8-10
Mystery in the Air "The Marvelous Barastro" 8/7/47, starring Peter Lorre as a vengeful magician, announcer: Harry Morgan of Dragnet
Chandu the Magician "Dorothy Released From the Spell" 7/23/48
Monday 8-11
Bickersons, The "John's Snoring Dilemma" 8/21/51, and she sings a song as herself before the skit
Vic and Sade "Happy to Be Alive" 9/5/44
Tuesday 8-12
Screen Director's Playhouse "Jezebel" 8/12/49, same star as the movie: Bette Davis
Doctor's Wife (soap opera) "Will Mrs. Miller take Jigger back?" 3/18/53
Wednesday 8-13
Tales of the Texas Rangers, 8/24/52 "Three Victims" in 1935 a couple on horseback discover a grisly scene, but Jace thinks a black man seen running away was framed
Tom Mix "Mystery Of The Border Smugglers" 12/16/41
Thursday 8-14
Fibber McGee & Molly "Putting Up Porch Swing" 6/13/44, Fibber asks Doc Gamble to get the swing's chain from the hall closet
Easy Aces "Jane Writes Checks" including one for 14 cents to the paperboy (he demands cash instead)
Friday 8-15
Casey, Crime Photographer "Chivalrous Gunman" 8/14/47, a blonde secretary agrees not to identify a killer who let her get away
Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar "Jolly Rogers Fraud" Part 4, 3/22/56, Johnny still thinks it's a $460,000 fraud by an arms smuggler
Saturday 8-16
Boston Blackie "The Evelyn Jones Murder Case" 8/13/45. A woman demands Blackie protect her, then they both disappear, along with Mary
Police Headquarters "William Spencer Killed"
Sunday 8-17
Mystery in the Air "The Horla" starring Peter Lorre, 8/21/47, Lorre notes at the start that the author of this story eventualy went mad, perhaps haunted by his own invisible Horla
Chandu the Magician "Trapped in the Burial Chamber" 7/26/48
Monday 8-18
The Whistler "Best Friend" 8/14/49, man kills his girlfriend and frames her husband for the crime, who also happens to be the killer's business partner (William Conrad). Signal Oil limerick contest
Man in Black "Price of the Head" 2/2/52, with Paul Frees as all the characters in a South Seas island bar
Tuesday 8-19
Screen Guild Players "The Bells of St. Mary's" 8/26/46, Bing Crosby, Ingrid Bergman
Just Plain Bill (soap opera) 8/10/55, "There's no use running away from it, Arlene Wilson is a sick and dangerous girl!"
Wednesday 8-20
I Was A Communist for FBI "Rhapsody in Red" 8/19/53, a famous violinist's assistant uses one of the violins to hide secrets
Unsolved Mysteries "St. George Club Mystery"
Thursday 8-21
Ray Bolger Show "Frank Sinatra's Secret for Attracting Girls" 8/24/45, Sinatra & Bolger switch places with girls swooning over Bolger and Sinatra playing his agent
Easy Aces "Jane's New Apartment"
Friday 8-22
True Detective Mysteries "Murder in the Horror House" 8/19/37, a farmer with a temper falls for a waitress but when she leaves him she vanishes along with his 2 partners
Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar 3/23/56 "Jolly Rogers Fraud" Part 5 of 5
Saturday 8-23
Escape "The Fourth Man" 8/18/47, a primitive savage outwits 3 white Devils Island escapees
Mandrake the Magician "Princess Narda" 3/24/41
Sunday 8-24
Inner Sanctum "No Rest For The Dead" 8/24/52, meet Mr. Macabre
Chandu the Magician "Finding Roxor and a Clue" 7/27/48 (cont. next Sunday)
Monday 8-25
Fibber McGee & Molly "Wistful Vista Raffle" 8/26/35, while passing through Wistful Vista, they win a house
The Unexpected "Rematch" 5/1/48, Jackie Cooper as a small-time boxer who agrees to throw a fight
Tuesday 8-26
Inner Sanctum "Dead Man's Deal" 8/28/45, a gambler runs out of money and bets his life on a losing hand of cards. Lipton Tea ad by cohost Mary Bennett
Don Winslow of the Navy "Blitzfan's Attack" 11/27/42, ad for Post Toasties
Wednesday 8-27
I Was A Communist For The FBI "Burnt Offering" 8/27/52, Matt tricks a spy with diplomatic immunity into destroying his own papers from Los Alamos
Unsolved Mysteries "Desmond Taylor Murder Mysteries" 4/19/36, a movie executive is murdered by a woman dressed as a man
Thursday 8-28
The Mysterious Traveler 8/28/51 "Fire In The Sky" guest star Brett Morrison (no relation to the James Garner movie). Newlyweds are watching a comet headed toward Earth when a crazy old man takes them down in a 1000-foot deep mine to survive when it wipes out everyone else
Mandrake the Magician "Highpitch & the Little Red Book" (1940 serial ep)
Friday 8-29
Suspense "Blue Eyes" 8/29/46, Hume Cronyn as a book-keeper who plots to poison his wife, twist ending
Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar 5/14/56 "The Matter Of The Medium, Well Done" Part 1, fake psychic is named on life insurance policies, then collects when they die...or is it murder?
Saturday 8-30
The Great Gildersleeve: Arrives In Summerfield, 8/31/41, first ep. of spinoff series
Easy Aces "Jane Balances the Budget"
Sunday 8-31
Hall of Fantasy "The Diamonds of Death" 8/31/53, three people plan to steal diamonds from a giant jungle idol despite warnings of death
Chandu the Magician "Roxor Threatens Death" 7/28/48 (cont. next Sunday)
Monday 9-1
The Mysterious Traveler "No One On The Line" 9/1/46, the phone line may not be the only thing that goes dead when a man answers, but did he kill the right man?
Lum & Abner "Lum Plans to Write Novels" 5/18/42
Tuesday 9-2
Tales of the Texas Rangers "Play For Keeps" 9/2/50, Jace suspects a Sheriff was killed by someone he knew: a fellow cop, on the take
Easy Aces "Betty is Falling for Neil"
Wednesday 9-3
Sam Spade, Detective "The Farmer's Daughter Caper" 9/3/48, stranded in the middle of nowhere, Sam meets a woman who says her dog disappeared and thinks it was buried alive in a cave out back. And what about the missing jewels?
Little Orphan Annie "The Frame-Up" [serial episode]
Thursday 9-4
Inner Sanctum "The Murder Prophet" 9/4/45, never pick up hitch-hikers at night by the cemetery; ad by Mary for Lipton Tea
Unsolved Mysteries "Bathurst Disappearance" (syndicated, 1936)
Friday 9-5
Burns & Allen "Allergies" 9/5/46, Gracie tries to convince George that he's allergic to the money in his wallet
Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar "The Matter Of The Medium, Well Done" Part 2, 5/15/56
Saturday 9-6
The Adventures of Topper "Rajah" 9/6/45, the ghosts help Topper expose a fake medium his wife believes in
Doctor's Wife (sopa opera) Annie is Back, 9/25/53
Sunday 9-7
Hollywood Star Playhouse "The 10th Planet" 9/7/52, Joseph Cotton discovers that the 10th planet plans to invade Earth, after he's abducted by aliens
Chandu the Magician "Bob Rescued" 7/29/48
Monday 9-8
The Bickersons "Premiere Show" 9/8/46, first episode as segment on Drene Shampoo's Drene Time variety show host/starring Don Ameche. Francis Langford & Carmen Dragon sing "Sooner Or Later," the song Madonna sings in the movie Dick Tracy (1990)
Little Orphan Annie (serial) "Junior Detectives"
Tuesday 9-9
The Whistler "Witness at the Fountain" 9/9/46, he's committed the perfect crime, or has he? Cop: William Conrad
Unsolved Mysteries "The Haunted Railroad" (syndicated, 1930s) a train is warned of a bridge washed out by a long-dead worker
Wednesday 9-10
The Life of Riley: Riley Believes Women Enjoy Doing Housework, 9/10/48
Easy Aces "Betty Visits the Newspaper Office"
Thursday 9-11
Our Miss Brooks "School Board" 9/11/49, a prank phone call brings a visit from the school board president
Lum n Abner "Lum Plans to Publish books" 5/19/42
Friday 9-12
Suspense "Hunting Trip" 9/12/46, Vincent Price just might be involved in a hunting accident with Lloyd Nolan
Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar "The Matter of the Medium Well Done" Part 3, 5/16/56
Saturday 9-13
Jack Benny Program "Back From Vacation In Hawaii" 9/13/53, with Mary, Dennis, Rochester, Bob Crosby
Police Headquarters "Helen Marsh is Killed" (1932) someone is killed backstage during a live stage show
Sunday 9-14
FBI in Peace and War "The Crack-Up" 9/14/50, the head of a gang is cracking up
Chandu the Magician "Abdullah Disappears" 8/2/48
Monday 9-15
Dimension X "Hello Tomorrow" 9/15/50, a scientist (Nancy Olson) studies a genetically-inferior man from the lower levels but begins falling in love. They decide to escape to the surface world
Lum & Abner "Wimpy Foster is Drafted" 1/6/43
Tuesday 9-16
Suspense "Hitch-hike Poker" 9/16/48, Gregory Peck is picked up by a man (Ed Begley Sr) who plans to kill him
Unsolved Mysteries "Buried Treasure" (syndicated) where did Blackbeard hide his treasure?
Wednesday 9-17
The Harold Peary Show/Honest Harold "Harold Loses His Job" 9/17/50, first episode of series
Vic and Sade "Orville is Fired Then Rehired" 12/4/45
Thursday 9-18
Nick Carter, Master Detective "Case of the Vanishing Weapon" 9/18/49, a black widower leaves a trail of bodies
Blackstone, The Magic Detective "Riddle of the Other Eight Ball" 4/17/49, things get hot for a suspect
Friday 9-19
The Weird Circle "Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym by Edgar Allan Poe" 9/19/43, a shipwreck survivor escapes mutiny charges by losing his mind
Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar "The Matter of the Medium Well Done" Part 4, 5/17/56
Saturday 9-20
Richard Diamond, Private Detective "The Wolfe Murder Case" 9/20/53
Easy Aces "Jane Makes Sense of the Conflict"
Sunday 9-21
The Shadow "The Face" 9/21/47, a handsome actor sets out to kill every woman who's seen his horribly burned face
Chandu the Magician "The Emerald Casket" 8/3/48
Monday 9-22
X Minus One "And the Moon Be Still as Bright" from The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury, 9/22/55
Laura Lawton, 11/27/47 (soap opera, you're soaking in it.)
Tuesday 9-23
Jack Benny Program "The Gold Rush of '49" 9/24/50, celebrating California's Centennial with a skit, Dennis has the 411
Unsolved Mysteries "The Trial of Oscar Slater" A real case so baffling that Arthur Conan Doyle tried to solve it for years
Wednesday 9-24
I Was a Communist for the FBI "Jump to the Whip" 9/24/52, someone's skimming money from very bad people
Vic and Sade "Rainy Day in the Kitchen" 12/6/45
Thursday 9-25
Father Knows Best "Should Women Work?" 9/25/52
Lum n Abner "Winfred Elopes with Doctor" 1/7/43
Friday 9-26
Sam Spade, Detective "The Dick Foley Caper" 9/26/48, Sam may have to prove that a friend's a criminal
Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar "The Matter of the Medium Well Done" Part 5, 5/16/56
Saturday 9-27
Great Gildersleeve "Piano Lessons" 9/27/50, Willard Waterman's 1st month in the role originated by Hal Peary
Police Headquarters "Life Insurance Scheme" (1932, syndicated)
Sunday 9-28
The Shadow "Death Takes The Wheel" 9/28/47, a blackmailer named Duke helps a rich woman kill her rich husband when she can't payoff herself, then attempts to kill witnesses Lamont & Margo (adapted as the opening NY scene in the Shadow movie)
Chandu the Magician "Disappearing Ink" 8/4/48
Monday 9-29
The Weird Circle "Markheim" 9/29/47, based on a Robert Louis Stevenson short story. A stock market speculator "borrows" $6000 from his rich uncle's wall safe to cover losses, then kills him when he finds out
Vic and Sade "Engagement" 12/5/45, it's hard to talk with a mouthfull of nails
Tuesday 9-30
Fibber McGee & Molly "Gildy Leaves For Summerfield" 9/30/41, 1st broadcast of the season, no one will stay long enough for Fibber to tell them he shot a bear in Alaska during the summer
Unsolved Mysteries "The Washington Square Mystery" (syndicated) Occupants of a haunted house find out it was built over the old city morgue
Wednesday 10-1
The Whistler "Death Wears A White Robe" 10/1/45, Don't go snowblind: things can happen in a remote cabin with a wife, husband and another woman
Lum & Abner "Has Lum Gone Crazy?" 1/19/43, Lum wheels & deals a complicated daisy-chain of trading
Thursday 10-2
Suspense "The Story of Markham's Death" 10/2/47, guest star Kirk Douglas commits murder then writes it as a mystery novel, then kills a blackmailer who figures it out
Blackstone, The Magic Detective "The Knife From the Dark" 4/17/49 or 5/29/49, Blackstone suspects that a fatal knife-throwing accident was no accident and proves it
Friday 10-3
Gangbusters "Case of the Jewel Robbers" 10/3/53, a waitress keeps them up to date on a dimwitted hood's latest caper
Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar "The Primrose Matter" Part 1, 10/12/56, Johnny goes undercover as a uranium prospector from the city to look for dangerous fugitives and their loot
Saturday 10-4
Jack Benny Program: Phil Harris debut, 10/4/36, 1st of season for Jello
Police Headquarters "Man Stealing Food" (1932 syndicated series) Police agree to lie for a man stealing bread, not based on a true story
Sunday 10-5
The Shadow "Death from the Deep" 6/12/38. Lamont & Margo (Orson Welles, Margo Stevenson) investigate a rogue submarine attacking ships of all nations at the request of the Maritime Commission. Nothing is taken so he suspects a bored, rich thrill killer
Chandu the Magician "Looking for Casket" 8/5/48
Monday 10-6
Duffy's Tavern "Selling The Tavern" 10/5/51, Fearing that he'll be fired if the bar is sold, Archie the Manager hires guest star Boris Karloff to scare away potential buyers
Lum & Abner, 5/19/42 "Archie Strecture" 1/5/43
Tuesday 10-7
Murder at Midnight "Wherever I Go" 10/7/46, a man can't escape Satan after killing his wife
Police Headquarters "Tommygun Murders" (syndicated) a gang-style execution includes a cop among the victims
Wednesday 10-8
Cavalcade of America "Spy on the Kilocycles" 10/8/45, starring Henry Fonda (after 3 years in the Navy) as an agent trying to track down a spy broadcasting to a U-boat offshore
Vic and Sade, 12/7/45
Thursday 10-9
Damon Runyan Theatre "Idyll of Miss Brown" 9/12/50, Gerald Mohr (radio's Philip Marlowe) guest stars in the story that became the movie "Guys & Dolls," as a gambler who bets money against men's souls
Unsolved Mysteries "Mystery of Gerald Neville" 1/7/43 (syndicated, 1936)
Friday 10-10
Mystery In The Air, 9/11/47 "The Queen of Spades" starring Peter Lorre as a gambler driven to murderous rage
Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar "The Primrose Matter" Part 2, 10/13/56
Saturday 10-11
Jack Benny Program, 10/11/42, guest Barbara Stanwyck (Sorry Wrong Number) as a neighbor two GIs are looking for, broadcast from Santa Ana Army Air Base. Peter Lind Hayes was one of the GIs and later became an actor himself, starring in 5000 Fingers Of Dr. T
Police Headquarters (1932 syndicated) "Dad Higgins Dies," it was supposed to look like suicide
Sunday 10-12
Suspense "The Merry Widower" 10/12/44, guest star Reginald Gardiner (British character actor, Lord Montdrake in an ep of Bewitched TV-series)
Chandu the Magician "Sick Camel" 8/6/48, their desert guides disappear claiming to look for a camel. Ad for White King Soap
Monday 10-13
The Life of Riley "Driving Test" 10/13/50, everyone passes the test except Riley, who decides to drive the new car anyway
Easy Aces "Argument with Betty"
Tuesday 10-14
The Whistler "Partners In Crime" 10/14/51, a criminal plots to kill his partner...and brother
Unsolved Mysteries (syndicated) "The Horror of Bene Debele"
Wednesday 10-15
Fibber McGee & Molly "Wistful Vista Water" 10/15/46, Fibber thinks he sees monsters in the city water with his microscope
Lum & Abner, 6/30/47
Thursday 10-16
Author's Playhouse "The Country of the Blind by H.G. Wells" 10/16/44
Vic & Sade, 8/2/42, Rush & Sade get crazy calls from from Vic's lodge brothers
Friday 10-17
Father Knows Best "Family Car Stolen" 9/14/50, the car is missing when father needs it for work
Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar "The Primrose Matter" Part 3, 10/14/56
Saturday 10-18
Inner Sanctum "Death of a Doll" 10/18/48, what does a possessed doll have to do with an anonymous woman in the Morgue? And the Devil? Guest star Mason Adams
Police Headquarters (syndicated) "Antonio Morrietti"
Sunday 10-19
Suspense "The Wages of Sin" 10/19/50, guest star Barbara Stanwyck crossed the wrong guy & may never live to regret it
Chandu the Magician "Trouble with Guides" (continued) 8/9/48
Monday 10-20
X Minus One "Child's Play" 10/20/55, a mild-mannered man gets a human-building kit from the future and decides to build a better version of himself
Little Orphan Annie (serial) 10/21/35
Tuesday 10-21
Hopalong Cassidy "The Killer in Black" 10/21/50, taking a bath in a stream, someone steals California's clothes & leaves fancy black outfit--bringing attention from a posse chasing the killer
Police Headquarters "Silver Collection," a woman interrupts a burglar and it's murder
Wednesday 10-22
Jack Benny Program "Trip to NYC for First TV Show" 10/22/50, if they can ever get out of the airport and its crazy PA announcements
Blackstone the Magic Detective "Educated Dummy," a ventriloquist's dummy seems to have a mind of its own
Thursday 10-23
The Falcon "Case of the Doubled Nephews" 10/22/50, jewels worth $250,000 are missing and an embezzler kills the man claiming to be the boss's nephew
Unsolved Mysteries "Raising of the Dalai Lama" 1/1/36, each born the day his predecessor died
Friday 10-24
Mel Blanc Fix-It Shop "The Movie Actress" 10/22/46
Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar "The Primrose Matter" Part 4, 10/11/56
Saturday 10-25
Escape "The Heart of Kali" 9/25/54, last broadcast of the series, a man plots to steal an idol's giant ruby but is captured and doomed to guard it until someone else tries to steal it
Police Headquarters "Andy Green Killing"
Sunday 10-26
The Shadow "Traffic In Death" 9/25/38, Lamont & Margo investigate a sanitorium where bodies are found drained of blood, then Margo disappears. Bill Johnstone, Agnes Moorehead, Alan Reed, Kenny Delmar
Chandu the Magician: Low Water Supply, 8/10/48
Monday 10-27
Martin & Lewis Show: Getting Tickets to "South Pacific" 10/28/49
Easy Aces: Returning From Arizona
Tuesday 10-28
Richard Diamond "Mrs. Van Dyke & Prof Leonardo" 9/10/49, Diamond investigates a fake seance racket
Moon over Africa "Talking Head" 3/16/35, a witch-doctor's shrunken head is talking & giggling
Wednesday 10-29
Fibber McGee & Molly "Notre Dame-Army Game" 10/29/40, with Mrs. Uppington, Boomer, Wilcox, Billy Mills, Mr. Old Timer and Hal Peary as Gildersleeve, all sharing the same car
Bill Stern Sports Newsreel, guests Abbott & Costello, 1/4/46
Thursday 10-30
The Whistler "Ticket To Murder" 10/30/49, guest star Frank Lovejoy
Unsolved Mysteries, 4/19/36 "Rue Morgue Mystery" by Edgar Allen Poe
Friday 10-31
Ozzie & Harriet: Halloween 10/31/48, Ozzie challenges the boys to explore a haunted house at night
Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar "The Primrose Matter, Part 5" 10/12/56
Current online schedule
Fun fact:
Orson Welles refused to rehearse The Shadow's live broadcasts, saying he wanted to be surprised by the plot along with the audience The Shadow knows
Harry Shearer's LeShow, it's a digital wonderland
Turn your lights out now. The Shadow knows.
I'm the first person they look for and the last they want to meet.
I carry a badge. Hi-Ho Silver. Yes King, this case is closed
Inner Sanctum definition of Romeo & Juliet: "newlydeads"
A Man Called X episode list
