June 10, 2013

Bob Bailey - An Appreciation on the Centennial of his Birth

Scenes from John Wayne Airport (Orange County, California) - Sunday July 15, 2012

So let's set the scene...it is 1955 and we live, well, just about anywhere. We may or may not have a television. According to the Statistical Abstract of the United States (1999), in 1955, approximately 94% of households had a radio and only 63% had televisions. In fact, only 73% had phone service!

Why do I bring this up? Well, I have gotten very interested in Old Time Radio programs thanks to Greg Bell's Old time radio channel on SiriusXM #82. I have also discovered that many of these are freely available thanks to The Old Time Radio section on the Internet Archive.

So in your living room - or your kitchen if you are lucky - you had a radio and your entertainment may have come courtesy of actors and actresses like Don Ameche, Jack Webb, Lucille Ball, William Conrad, John Dehner, Virginia Gregg, Marsha Hunt, Eve Arden...and many, many others. These are some of the biggest names of the Golden Age of Radio....just to name a few. But one name really has me excited - that of Bob Bailey. He would have turned 100 today.

Bob Bailey was one of the most accomplished radio actors of his day. Born in Toledo, Ohio on June 13, 1913, he would gain fame in California as a regular on two huge radio programs, Let George Do it (a mystery series) and Your Truly, Johnny Dollar (one of the most popular programs of all time. In fact, the first time I heard about Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar, I thought it was hilarious. Johnny Dollar was a...wait for it...an insurance investigator with an "action-packed" expense account. And while they made a big deal about him padding his expenses for a case, it actually was a nice frame for the story. Each episode had him reading off the expenses as he retells the story of the particular "Matter" that he solved. And while a number of people played him - Bob Bailey was the best.

Stewart Wright wrote: "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. But Bailey's Johnny Dollar was also human. His character would get emotionally involved in a number of his cases. He had a streak of impatience, and would occasionally not fully listen to a witness and rush off on a tangent before realizing his mistake."

And from Radio Spirits's CD set featuring Johnny Dollar marathons staring Bob Bailey: "America's Fabulous Freelance Insurance Investigator had little patience for liars, and liked nothing better than females, fishing, and a free hand with an expense account. Bob Bailey's Johnny Dollar was skeptical without being cynical, sympathetic without being a sucker, and had a way of delivering a sarcastic remark with more sincerity than most detectives delivered straight talk." NOTE: I still cannot figure out what is wrong with this sentence...but it has some good bits.

Anyway, I have been a big fan of Bob Bailey for a few years as I have been listening to Old Time Radio. Sadly, his career was cut short when he did not travel with the show to New York. Troubles with alcohol cut short his career and he acted very sparingly after leaving Johnny Dollar in November 1960. I always felt that maybe someone was sending him a message in one of the five part serials that aired first from January 16th to 20th, 1956 (and recorded on January 8th). It was the Ricardo Amerigo Matter and it featured Johnny trying to recover a missing insured master violin and see its owner who was missing. They talked about what a masterful violinist Amerigo was and how his career was ruined by booze. I always wondered if this was a message to Bob Bailey...

Here are the five parts of the Ricardo Amerigo Matter (from the Internet Archive):
The Ricardo Amerigo Matter Episode 1
The Ricardo Amerigo Matter Episode 2
The Ricardo Amerigo Matter Episode 3
The Ricardo Amerigo Matter Episode 4
The Ricardo Amerigo Matter Episode 5

Links worth following:

And while he had a brief career outside of radio, here is him on screen with Laurel and Hardy in their 1943 Film Jitterbugs:

Or you can jump to right where Bob Bailey comes in

I am sure that Bob Bailey did not have any idea what joy he has provided....but I hope he did. Happy Birthday Johnny Dollar.

This entry was posted in the following categories: Old Time Radio

Posted by cseeman at 09:52 AM | Comments (0)

December 28, 2012

Orson Welles' Les Miserables from 1937 (Old Time Radio)

Just saw Les Misereables today - just a great movie. So naturally, I was thinking - OK, there must be a radio version that is available.

I found a good one by the great Orson Welles. In 1937, before the Mercury Theater or War of the Worlds, Welles produced his first radio series. In this seven part series, you hear a great dramatization of this Victor Hugo masterpiece. As you might imagine, Orson Welles plays Jean Valjean. This was presented in seven 30 minute episodes. You can get more information on the series from this Wikipedia page. For more on Welles' Mercury Theater, see this page that includes links to the recordings.

This entry was posted in the following categories: Old Time Radio

Posted by cseeman at 09:09 PM | Comments (0)

December 24, 2012

Dragnet's Big Little Jesus (Christmas old time radio)

On this Christmas Eve, I am going to start wrapping up some of my favorite Christmas and Holiday themed shows that are available via old time radio. If you have Sirius/XM, you can listen to Greg Bell's Old time radio channel (#82). He has a number of great programs available this week. You can also get a large number of these programs at a variety or resources on the web. One place to find these shows is the 500 OTR Christmas Shows from the Internet Archive. This is a great resources for many of these wonderful radio shows!

I have not been a huge fan of Dragnet, maybe one of the most famous radio and early television programs out there. I recently showcased the sad Dragnet episode Twenty-Two Rifle for Christmas from 1949. Now I would like to showcase a much nicer episode. This story, called Big Little Jesus, shows how a much nicer side of Christmas. Sergeant Joe Friday and his partner Frank Smith receive a called about a missing religious statue of the baby Jesus from the Mission church in Los Angeles. While it is not a huge crime, they move forward looking at every lead and pawn shop to find this item before Christmas. Eventually, it turns up in the sweetest way possible.

It can be kinda corny, but is one of those radio episodes that really hits home with the true meaning of Christmas. I invite everyone to take 30 minutes, go back in time, and recapture the meaning of the holidays.

Here is a link to two versions of Big Little Jesus:
Dragnet's Big Little Jesus (Deccember 22, 1953)
Dragnet's Big Little Jesus (Deccember 21, 1954)

Here are some links to programs relating to Dragnet:

This entry was posted in the following categories: Old Time Radio

Posted by cseeman at 09:22 AM | Comments (0)

December 21, 2012

Elgin Watch's Christmas Specials from the 1940s (old time radio)

On this week before Christmas, I am going to try to showcase some of the Christmas and Holiday themed shows that are available via old time radio. If you have Sirius/XM, you can listen to Greg Bell's Old time radio channel (#82). He has a number of great programs available this week. You can also get a large number of these programs at a variety or resources on the web.

One of the really cool shows I recently discovered were the Elgin Seasonal Specials for Thanksgiving and Christmas in the 1940s. The shows were sponsored by the Elgin Watch Company of Elgin, Illinois. Starting in 1942 for the soldiers overseas, the Elgin Holiday Specials were two hour programs that featured the brightest stars in radio and the movies. Heard on these programs is Bing Crosby, Mario Landa, Jimmy Durante, Bob Hope and were all hosted by Don Ameche. The Internet Archives has five total shows (see the link below). One of the real treats takes place one hour into the show from 1945. Jack Benny gave a twisted performance of Sorry Wrong Number, one of the most iconic episodes of Suspense. Also, given that the program runs 2 hours, these are not commonly played on current radio programs like XM 82.

Here is a link right to the Elgin's Christmas Shows:
Elgin's 3rd Annual Christmas Show (December 25, 1944)
Elgin's 4th Annual Christmas Show (December 25, 1945)
Elgin's 7th Annual Christmas Show (December 25, 1948)


Here are all the episodes that are on the Internet Archive: Thanksgiving and Christmas specials sponsored by the Elgin Watch Company via the Internet Archive. See also 500 OTR Christmas Shows from the Internet Archive.

This entry was posted in the following categories: Old Time Radio

Posted by cseeman at 08:59 AM | Comments (0)

Nick Carter's Christmas Adventure (old time radio program)

On this week before Christmas, I am going to try to showcase some of the Christmas and Holiday themed shows that are available via old time radio. If you have Sirius/XM, you can listen to Greg Bell's Old time radio channel (#82). He has a number of great programs available this week. You can also get a large number of these programs at a variety or resources on the web. One place to find these shows is the 500 OTR Christmas Shows from the Internet Archive. This is a great resources for many of these wonderful radio shows!

I cannot remember when it was, but I heard recently a commercial in a show talking about how a radio would be a perfect gift for anyone this Christmas who spends so much time in the kitchen. Ironically, I listen to a lot of old time radio when I am baking in the kitchen - but with a bit more high-tech MP3s through my clock radio. So not quite like the housewives of old - but I guess the best I can do these days! So I will be listening to many of these programs while I am baking and preparing holiday meals.

One of the shows I really like is Nick Carter, Master Detective. He is...well, a master detective (bet you did not see that coming). On Christmas Day, 1943, Nick Carter's Christmas Adventure was broadcast. There are so many different programs that borrow from Dicken's A Christmas Carol, and this sorta does one better. Nick Carter starts out collecting money for his Settlement House Christmas Party and runs into a gentleman named Ben Rasper, who had many of the characteristics of Ebeneezer Scrooge. After turning down the opportunity to contribute to the party. Nick went out and figured out why we was so bitter this time of year. In the end, it is not ghosts from his past who change his views of Christmas, but some good detective work to find people from Ben Rasper's past to show him the true meaning of the holidays. So while it is not really at all like A Christmas Carol, it has so many of the elements without any of the spirits of Christmas present, past or yet to come!

Here is a link right to the Nick Carter Christmas show:
Nick Carter's Christmas Adventure (December 25, 1943)

Here are some links to programs relating to Nick Carter:

This entry was posted in the following categories: Old Time Radio

Posted by cseeman at 05:37 AM | Comments (0)

December 19, 2012

Dragnet's Twenty-Two Rifle for Christmas

On this week before Christmas, I am going to try to showcase some of the Christmas and Holiday themed shows that are available via old time radio. If you have Sirius/XM, you can listen to Greg Bell's Old time radio channel (#82). He has a number of great programs available this week. You can also get a large number of these programs at a variety or resources on the web. One place to find these shows is the 500 OTR Christmas Shows from the Internet Archive. This is a great resources for many of these wonderful radio shows!

I have listened to a large number of Christmas radio shows with very happy and cherry endings. It is the holidays afterall. But this story does not have a happy ending. Maybe that is one of the reasons why Dragnet was one of the most popular series on both radio and television. From its start in the summer of 1949, it was the brainchild of its star Jack Webb (who played in a large number of radio programs including Pat Novack for Hire and Jeff Regan among others). Dragnet was known for its realism and attention to detail. In the show they broadcast for their first Christmas, Twenty-Two Rifle for Christmas, they tell the story of a child who could not wait until the 25th for his present, and the horrible consequences of that action. In the light of the horrible events at Newtown's Sandy Hook Elementary School on Friday December 14, 2012, it is clear that guns are not a new problem. This episode is one of the most chilling that I can recall, where a child not only was the victim, but also the perpetrator.

Here is a link right to Twenty-Two Rifle for Christmas:
Dragnet's Twenty-Two Rifle for Christmas (December 22, 1949)

Here are some links to programs relating to Dragnet:

This entry was posted in the following categories: Old Time Radio

Posted by cseeman at 12:55 PM | Comments (0)

November 20, 2012

Nick Carter's Christmas Adventure (old time radio)

On this week before Christmas, I am going to try to showcase some of the Christmas and Holiday themed shows that are available via old time radio. If you have Sirius/XM, you can listen to Greg Bell's Old time radio channel (#82). He has a number of great programs available this week. You can also get a large number of these programs at a variety or resources on the web. One place to find these shows is the 500 OTR Christmas Shows from the Internet Archive. This is a great resources for many of these wonderful radio shows!

I cannot remember when it was, but I heard recently a commercial in a show talking about how a radio would be a perfect gift for anyone this Christmas who spends so much time in the kitchen. Ironically, I listen to a lot of old time radio when I am baking in the kitchen - but with a bit more high-tech MP3s through my clock radio. So not quite like the housewives of old - but I guess the best I can do these days! So I will be listening to many of these programs while I am baking and preparing holiday meals.

One of the shows I really like is Nick Carter, Master Detective. He is...well, a master detective (bet you did not see that coming). On Christmas Day, 1943, Nick Carter's Christmas Adventure was broadcast. There are so many different programs that borrow from Dicken's A Christmas Carol, and this sorta does one better. Nick Carter starts out collecting money for his Settlement House Christmas Party and runs into a gentleman named Ben Rasper, who had many of the characteristics of Ebeneezer Scrooge. After turning down the opportunity to contribute to the party. Nick went out and figured out why we was so bitter this time of year. In the end, it is not ghosts from his past who change his views of Christmas, but some good detective work to find people from Ben Rasper's past to show him the true meaning of the holidays. So while it is not really at all like A Christmas Carol, it has so many of the elements without any of the spirits of Christmas present, past or yet to come!

Here is a link right to the Nick Carter Christmas show:
Nick Carter's Christmas Adventure (December 25, 1943)

Here are some links to programs relating to Nick Carter:

This entry was posted in the following categories: Old Time Radio

Posted by cseeman at 01:30 PM | Comments (0)

October 28, 2012

Three Skeleton Key (A Great Lighthouse Tale for Halloween)

So what could be better this Halloween week than Vincent Price, Old Time Radio and the story of a Lighthouse! George Toudouze's brilliant story about a lighthouse off the coast of Afica was written in 1937. It first appeared in English in the January 1937 issue of Esquire. I would tall you more about the story - but spend a half and hour and enjoy the show.

Three Skeleton Key was performed numerous times on Escape and Suspense - the great long-running shows on radio. But the most famous and memorable performance appeared on March 17, 1950 on Escape. The recording featured Vincent Price in the lead role of Jean, one of the three member of the crew on that cursed light. I have heard some of the other performers as Jean....no one can do it like Vincent Price!

Here is the audio...enjoy:


Here are some other links that you will want to see.

This entry was posted in the following categories: Old Time Radio

Posted by cseeman at 08:14 PM | Comments (0)

Spooky Old Time Radio Shows

With Halloween around the corner, there seems no time like the present to share out some of the creepy and spooky Old Time Radio shows that are available via the Internet. Right now, Greg Bell has a great rotation of these shows on his old time radio channel (#82) on Sirius/XM or via the Internet Archive.

Here are four of my favorite horror series that you can listen to right now:


  • Dark Fantasy - this was on NBC from 1941 to 1942 and features strange tales to keep you up at night. Be sure to check out the Pennsylvania Turnpike episode - a OTR classic.
  • The Sealed Book - This 1945 series has always been one of my favorites. Kinda campy, but all in all, some fun ways to spend 30 minutes. Two favorites are Death at Storm House and Till Death Do Us Part.
  • Inner Sanctum Mysteries - this series is well known for the creaking door - but all of them are great fun. This is also from the 1940s.
  • Lights Out - This is more of the mysterious sort than straight out horror - but there are some great ones here, especially those penned by Arch Oboler. My favorite (and one I will write about later) is Profits Unlimited.

Here is the Pennsylvania Turnpike from Dark Fantasy....enjoy!



Here is Death at Storm House from The Sealed Book:



Enjoy these radio shows and Happy Halloween.

This entry was posted in the following categories: Old Time Radio

Posted by cseeman at 06:38 AM | Comments (0)

February 14, 2012

Romance of the Ranchos (A Valentine's Day Treat from Old Time Radio programs)

There are so many ways to celebrate Valentine's Day this yearm, but this is probably not the one that comes to mind. I have wanted to share some links to the historical drama, Romance of the Ranchos for some time. This seems to be a favorite of Greg Bell and I have heard it a great deal on Greg Bell's Old time radio channel (#82) on Sirius/XM or via the Internet Archive.

Romance of the Ranchos is not about romance (per se), but about the early settlers of California. The programs (recorded in 1941 and 1942) bring to life the true life records of the Title Insurance and Trust Company of Los Angeles and featured Frank Graham, the "wandering vaquero of "Romance of Ranchos." These accounts of the early settlers in California are pretty good, and are one of my favorite historical series that I can listen to via Old Time Radio. For more information, see this great article from the Digital Deli.

So maybe not the romance that you are looking for on Valentine's Day, but some pretty cool historical depictions of life in early California.

This entry was posted in the following categories: Old Time Radio

Posted by cseeman at 11:15 AM | Comments (0)

December 28, 2011

Bold Venture (Staring Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall )

It is pretty amazing to think about the great actors that you hear everyday listening to Greg Bell's Old time radio channel (#82) on Sirius/XM or via the Internet Archive. Tonight, I stumbled across Bold Venture, a program from 1951-1952 that starred Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall

Bold Venture is a pretty cool series. Humphrey Bogart plays Slate Shannon, a boat and hotel owner who caters to travelers, especially Americans, and Lauren Bacall plays Sailor Duval, who was his ward and sidekick. The two are continually meeting up with smugglers and other people operating on the wrong side of the law in pre-comunnist Havana, Cuba. The stories capture the flavor of Cuba and the Caribbean with calypso music and a laid back style. There are stories about sunken treasure, espionage, etc. Maybe it is just because I saw Casablanca yesterday, but I could hear Humphrey Bogart read the phone book.

Here is the link to all the episodes of Bold Venture at the Internet Archive. This is definitely a keeper.

This entry was posted in the following categories: Old Time Radio

Posted by cseeman at 08:44 PM | Comments (0)

December 27, 2011

The Librarian - an episode of Frontier Gentleman (with John Dehner)

Not too long ago, Greg Bell's Old time radio channel (#82) on Sirius/XM featured actor John Dehner, who was born on November 23, 1915 and was an actor on many radio programs. The one program that they featured twice during that celebration was Frontier Gentleman, a program that I honestly did not listen too all that often. I am developing a taste for westerns and am trying out Gunsmoke and Dehner's Have Gun, Will Travel. From the program's Internet Archive site, You can see that it was a weekly radio western heard on CBS in 1958 - but it had a twist. The program was presented through the eyes of an outsider, Englishman J. B. Kendall (played by Dehner) who was a correspondent for the London Times. His role was to find the true spirit and flavor of the west and share it with the readers back in England.

And while the programs are excellent - with really strong production values - one episode really caught my eye. From October 5, 1958, the episode was called "The Librarian". As you know from previous posts about Crime Club, that not only am I am librarian, but I am interested in their portrayal in popular culture.

In this episode (which I have not been able to play except for downloading the MP3 file), a widower from out east tries to scare off a settler who is trying to take over her land claim. She was a librarian out east and moved west with her husband. After being swindled by a shady land developer, they found themselves on this plot that they had to develop - or lose. But in working the land, her husband died of exhaustion. The settler trying to take over the lot actually ended up being help by the widower. So it goes to show that librarians are amazingly helpful, even to those who want to take over their plot.

Here is the link to all the episodes of Frontier Gentleman.

This entry was posted in the following categories: Old Time Radio

Posted by cseeman at 03:04 PM | Comments (0)

John Stanley as Sherlock Holmes

There have been a number of different actors who brought the great Sherlock Holmes to life over the airways. I have been listening a great deal lately to John Stanley as Sherlock Holmes on the Internet Archive. Like many of the programs, I first heard him on Greg Bell's Old time radio channel (#82) on Sirius/XM.

John Stanley's Sherlock Holmes was a well developed 30 minute program with great production values. Alfred Shirley played Dr. Watson. An episode I heard recently - given the holidays - was "The Adventure of the Christmas Bride." This pair acted together from 1947 to 1948. These scripts were based on the characters, but were original stories.

Other Sherlock Holmes on the Internet Archive Include:

I will write more about these - but it is nice to have all these collected on one page. I always loved Sherlock Holmes - even with the wartime movies (staring Basil Rathbone) that had him fighting the Nazis....

This entry was posted in the following categories: Old Time Radio

Posted by cseeman at 12:19 PM | Comments (0)

December 14, 2011

Blackstone The Magic Detective

The first time I heard Blackstone The Magic Detective on
Greg Bell's Old time radio channel (#82) on Sirius/XM, I was cracking up. They were doing a magic trick and all the actors were dumbfounded!. Kinda like Charlie McCarthy - does something that you need to see really work on radio? Yeah...funny...but it kinda works.

Blackstone the Magic Detective was a 15 minute weekly program on the Mutual Broadcasting program that ran from October 3, 1948 to 1950. So something that starts on my birthday (though a few years later) cannot be all that bad. It ran Sunday afternoons and was a 15 minute radio show.

From the page on the Internet Archive: "The series, starring Ed Jerome as "the world's greatest living magician," was based on real-life magician Harry Blackstone Sr. Storylines usually opened with Blackstone (Jerome) telling his friends John (Ted Osborne) and Rhoda (Fran Carlon) about an experience from his past, and this mystery story was then dramatized in a flashback. At the end, Blackstone challenged the audience to find a solution to the magical mystery. Each show concluded with Blackstone outlining a trick that listeners could perform for the amusement of their friends."

The mystery stories are nice - and brief (in order to get that and the trick in the short timetable). The first episode I heard was from May 8th, 1949 and called "Footsteps in the Night". Heard this on my drive to the Michigan Library Association meeting up in Traverse City. They will never leave you thinking - wow - that is amazing. But there are far worse ways to spend 15 minutes!

This entry was posted in the following categories: Old Time Radio

Posted by cseeman at 09:19 AM | Comments (0)

November 27, 2011

Casey, Crime Photographer

On a lark, I decided to search the Internet Archive for shows that have Crime in the name. I stumbled across Casey, Crime Photographer, which is a cool series that follows...wait for it...a crime photographer. As a budding photographer myself, I love the idea of following a cameraman through the rough streets of the city. The series was sponsored by Anchor Hocking glass company of Lancaster, Ohio.

From another page on the Internet Archive, the series was described as follows: "Casey, whose first name was never revealed, was the major crime photographer at the fictional Morning Express newspaper. With the help of reporter Ann Williams, he tracked down criminals and solved numerous crimes on this popular mystery-adventure series. Often a picture snapped at a crime scene led Casey to play detective."

I was listening to a few stories - like them all. I particularly like the episode "The Camera Bug" about an up-and-coming 21 year old photographer.

I have not heard this on Greg Bell's Old time radio on Sirius/XM Radio Channel 82, but it seems like a really cool series.

This entry was posted in the following categories: Old Time Radio

Posted by cseeman at 08:42 PM | Comments (0)

November 13, 2011

Murder by Experts

I was in California visiting my dad last week and decided to fly to Sacramento instead of Oakland for San Francisco. This turned out to be a great idea - not just because the fare was way cheaper - but also because the car I rented (a very nice Ford Escape), has Sirius/XM Radio. So I got to listen to Greg Bell's Old time radio on Sirius/XM Radio Channel 82.

I got to hear a series I had not heard before, Murder By Experts. A number of episodes are also available here.

This series was a lot like Crime Club - in that it had different authors for each episode. I heard the episode, "Two Can Die As Cheaply as One" from April 17, 1950. This was penned by Milton Lewis. This is a great mystery and has great dialogue between the husband and wife pair that solve the murder. At one point she tells her husband to "Do as the man says, you know that your brain is not large enough to hold bullets". Add to that a funny visit to a funeral director who is running a $75 deal, and you have a very entertaining mystery on the radio.

This entry was posted in the following categories: Old Time Radio

Posted by cseeman at 04:54 PM | Comments (0)

November 07, 2011

The Mysterious Traveler

On the same theme of the Old Time Radio shows that I have been listening to lately (either from the Internet Archive or via Sirius/XM Radio Channel 82), I want to introduce you to "The Mysterious Traveler". In particular, there is a creepy little episode called "The Good Die Young."

The Mysterious Traveler is like the Inner Sanctum and the Sealed Book that I first heard on Greg Bell's XM channel 82. The stories in the Mysterious Traveler take the listener on a "...journey into the realm of the strange and terrifying."

The episode called "The Good Die Young" is from February 27, 1944 and it is really creepy. Oh the worries about a young girl who does not like her new mommy....or any mommy. I heard this for the first time driving to a conference. It had added creepiness because the sun was rising and it was quite dark. Remember, "you cannot be too careful with children."

This entry was posted in the following categories: Old Time Radio

Posted by cseeman at 04:17 PM | Comments (0)

October 14, 2011

Mystery is My Hobby

On the same theme of the Old Time Radio shows that I have been listening to lately (either from the Internet Archive or via Sirius/XM Radio Channel 82), I want to introduce you to "Mystery is My Hobby".

Mystery is My Hobby is a fun detective series that I first heard on Greg Bell's XM channel 82.

The program features Glen Langen as Barton Drake, a mystery writer who shares a single case from his book, "Mystery is My Hobby", each evening.

What is wonderful is the play between Barton Drake and the police detective, who never seems to know what is happening until Barton explains it to him.

This entry was posted in the following categories: Old Time Radio

Posted by cseeman at 09:14 PM | Comments (0)

October 05, 2011

"This is the Librarian" - Crime Club (Old Time Radio)

OK - I could not be happier if I were twins.

I was playing a bit on Internet Archive and I came across Crime Club. This detective/crime series is a perfect confluence of my new interest in old time radio shows and my career as a librarian.

This show ran from December 1946 to October 1947 and started the same way for each episode. Barry Thomson is the host and he starts the episode by answering a call to the Crime Club by saying this:

“Hello I hope I haven’t kept you waiting. Yes...this is the librarian". He then tells the listener that he has the book that they would like. PERFECTION! From the Internet Archive page, they add that Crime Club episodes were "30-minute murder mystery stories adapted for radio by Stedman Coles or Wyllis Cooper from based on and featuring some of the stories from the Doubleday Crime Club books."

The stories are typical crime story fare - but having the framework be a librarian who is helpful (are there any other kinds?) - that is fab.

For more on Old Time Radio shows lately, visit the Internet Archive or listen to Greg Bell on Sirius/XM Radio Channel 82.

This entry was posted in the following categories: Old Time Radio

Posted by cseeman at 09:50 AM | Comments (0)

September 21, 2011

Behind the Mike & The Finished Story

As you might know (I know it is presumptuous that you might have read my blog before), I really love Old Time Radio shows lately, either from the Internet Archive or via Sirius/XM Radio Channel 82.

Behind the Mike is an interesting series that takes you (as you might imagine) behind the mike to meet the people that make these shows possible. In many ways, these are shows that go in all different directions and can be quite fun to listen to.

The reason I came to this show on this day is through the generosity of Greg Bell, Host of Radio Classics on XM channel 82. On Friday November 14th, I was driving home from Traverse City, Michigan after attending the Michigan Library Conference. I was driving along the beautiful Lake Michigan lakeshore and I visited the Frankfort & Point Betsie lighthouses.

Frankfort Lighthouse During Autumn Morning (Frankfort, Michigan) Point Betsie Lighthouse During Autumn Morning (Frankfort, Michigan)

As I turned east and headed toward 127 and points south, I was driving through some heavily wooded areas. In these areas, I get XM in my car most of the time, but it does cut in and out. And it was in one of these areas when I was listening to Classic Radio on XM. And as I sometimes do, I was flipping between different channels when I started hearing the story about a shipwreck. It was told in the first person with some scenes acted out. What I remembered most of all was that he was talking about how they discovered that turtle meat and turtle blood was one of the food that kept them all alive. The story went on and on, as the the conditions were harder and harder.

It was riveting, and I was literally at the edge of my seat. Then all of a sudden, XM cut out...I was sitting there thinking "NO!" I was anxious to find out what happened and how they got off the island. Then, after about a minute or two, it came back on...and this is what I heard: "And we sailed for home that night".

WHAT?????????????????????????????????????????

So on and off, since that November morning, I have been wondering what story that was. I searched Internet Archive and old time radio sites about shipwreck stories...ones with turtles...ones with Islands. NOTHING.

After reaching out to Greg Bell, he kindly send me the play list for that day. I kinda knew what time it was. I started looking for all the shows. When I first listened to Behind the Mike, I found the episode that day (Feb 16, 1941) called Character Actors. I listened to the start of it, but it did not seem like it was the one. I tried again and went to the end...paydirt.

Go to Behind the Mike, and choose the episode Character Actors. After around 18 minutes or so, they start telling the story that I was looking for. It was from the old Eveready Hour and was the true life story of Red Christianson, boiled down to 10 minutes. The story was about the time when he and his fellow crew mates were shipwrecked in the Galapagos Islands in 1906. He recounted his story on the Eveready Hour five times. In this show, they only had 10 minutes, so they abbreviated the story. I will not go over the details (you need to do that), but it was very satisfying to know how it was that they were rescued after all these months.

"And we sailed for home that night"

A very happy ending...indeed.

This entry was posted in the following categories: Old Time Radio

Posted by cseeman at 07:31 PM | Comments (0)

September 10, 2011

Boston Blackie

I have enjoyed listening to Old Time Radio shows lately, either from the Internet Archive or via Sirius/XM Radio Channel 82.

Boston Blackie is a great detective/crime series and I heard an episode today on Greg Bell's XM channel 82.

The Internet Archive entries says this about Boston Blackie:

"Boston Blackie is a fictional character who has been on both sides of the law. As originally created by author Jack Boyle, he was a safecracker -- a hardened criminal who had served time in a California prison. Prowling the underworld as a detective in adaptations for films, radio, and television, the detective Boston Blackie was "an enemy to those who make him an enemy, friend to those who have no friend"."

The episode I heard today is #7 on the above link - The Manletter Bank Case aka Fifty Hunter Street. I heard the beginning while driving around and caught the rest at home.

Looking forward to the "Lighthouse Ghost" and the two about baseball.

This entry was posted in the following categories: Old Time Radio

Posted by cseeman at 07:23 PM | Comments (0)

August 30, 2011

The Sealed Book

I have enjoyed listening to Old Time Radio shows lately, either from the Internet Archive or via Sirius/XM Radio Channel 82.

The Sealed Book series is one of my absolute favorites - having been hooked by Greg Bell's XM channel 82. The Internet Archive sums up this radio mystery/thriller series with the lines that were read every week by host Philip Clarke to start the show (after the great gong): "keeper of the book has opened the ponderous door to the secret vault wherein is kept the great sealed book, in which is recorded all the secrets and mysteries of mankind through the ages, Here are tales of every kind, tales of murder, of madness, of dark deeds strange and terrible beyond all belief."

What was very cool is how it changed in just the few episodes it ran in 1945. At first, the keeper of the sealed book spoke. But after a few episodes, the keeper of the sealed book became silent - making him far more eerie!

This program was broadcast on Sunday evening from 10:30 to 11:00pm. It must have been quite spooky on an stormy night in 1945.


This entry was posted in the following categories: Old Time Radio

Posted by cseeman at 07:38 PM | Comments (0)

August 24, 2011

The Saint with Vincent Price (Radio)

I have enjoyed listening to Old Time Radio shows lately, either from the Internet Archive or via Sirius/XM Radio Channel 82.

The Saint with Vincent Price is a hoot. Very different from the horror films and shows I remember. There are 91 episodes here with Vincent Price playing the suave Simon Templar from 1947 to 1951.

Many people will find these broadcasts dated, but I find them fascinating. I think what it would be like to listen to these programs for the first time in a living room. And what it must have been like to write or perform for these shows. I am going to create blog entries for each series that I enjoy.

This entry was posted in the following categories: Old Time Radio

Posted by cseeman at 09:02 PM | Comments (0)

August 14, 2011

Cloak and Dagger

I have enjoyed listening to Old Time Radio shows lately, either from the Internet Archive or via Sirius/XM Radio Channel 82.

The Cloak and Dagger series is very cool - and portrays stories from the OSS during World War II. There are only 22 episodes here, but they are fun to listen to. They broadcast on NBC during 1950.

Many people will find these broadcasts dated, but I find them fascinating. I think what it would be like to listen to these programs for the first time in a living room. And what it must have been like to write or perform for these shows. I am going to create blog entries for each series that I enjoy.

This entry was posted in the following categories: Old Time Radio

Posted by cseeman at 02:45 PM | Comments (0)