Somenotableepisodesinclude"The Brooklyn Brain,""The Flying Saucers,""The Robot Killer,""A Veteran Comes Home,"and"Men from Mars."Intotal,32episodesareknown,withonlyupto15survivingtoday.Theserieswaspraisedforitscharmandintensemusicandacting,reflectingthepost-WWIIatomicandColdWareras.
-21stPrecinct[21st-precinct]
21stPrecinct,alsoknownasTwenty-FirstPrecinctandTwentyFirstPrecinct,wasapolicedramaradioshowthatairedonCBSfromJuly7,1953,toJuly26,1956.TheshowwasinitiallyasummerreplacementforMyFriendIrmaandwasproducedincooperationwiththePatrolmen's Benevolent Association of the City of New York. The series presented true criminal stories from a policeman'sperspective,eventhoughthe21stPrecinctdidnotexistduringtheshow's run.
Thefictionalprecinct,however,wascloselybasedontheUpperEastSide's 23rd Precinct in Manhattan. Stanley Niss served as the producer, writer, and director, with Everett Sloane, James Gregory, and Les Damon playing the role of Captain Frank Kennelly. Other cast members included Ken Lynch as Lt. Matt King, Harold Stone as Sgt. Waters, and Santos Ortega as Lt. Gorman.
Theshow's opening and closing focused on the responsibility of the 21st Precinct officers in providing security for the people living and working within their jurisdiction. The series gained popularity after the success of Dragnet, as audiences were eager to learn about true-to-life police stories. While the events depicted in 21st Precinct were less gritty than in Dragnet, the show'sstorieshighlightedthenobleactionsofeverydaycopsfacingeverydaychallenges,makingtheworldasaferplacefortheircommunities.
Theshowinitiallyairedin1965-66andfeaturedengagingwritingbyAdrianSteedandDouglasLaws,whowerebothwell-knownfiguresintheSouthAfricanradioscene.DespitebeingfromSouthAfrica,theshow's accents are minimal, making it easy for international listeners to enjoy. With its compelling plots, high production values, and excellent audio quality, 33 Half Moon Street offers an entertaining experience for fans of detective stories and who-dun-its.
Notableepisodesinclude"Parson's Pride,""A Bag of Coal for Mr. Lazenby,"and"Green for Danger."Throughoutitsrun,theshowdevelopedaloyalfanbase,followingthedeterminedAubreyMasonashetacklesvariouschallengingassignmentswithdeterminationandskill.Immerseyourselfinthegrippingworldof33HalfMoonStreet,wherenocaseistoouncommon,andsuccessisalwaysguaranteed.
Setin221bHarleyStreet,London,theseriesshowcasedDr.Morelle's unique talent for using psychological profiling to solve complex murder cases. Often challenged by the interruptions of his secretary, Dr. Morelle relied not on physical evidence but his understanding of the human mind to reveal the true culprit in each self-contained story.
TheshowbeganasasummerreplacementforBobHope's show on NBC, and its success led to year-round broadcasts starting in 1944, with various sponsors including Bristol Myers, Tums, Ford Motors, and Revere Cameras. The radio show'spopularityeventuallyledtoa1948MGMmovie,starringJanePowellasJudy,alongsideElizabethTaylor,WallaceBeery,RobertStack,andCarmenMiranda.Thestoryalsomadeitswaytothecomicbookworld,withNationalPeriodicalPublicationspublishingADatewithJudyfrom1947to1960.
AtelevisionadaptationairedonABCfrom1951to1953,withPatCrowleyandMaryLinnBellerbothtakingontheroleofJudyFoster.Theradioshow's creators, Jerome Lawrence and Aleen Leslie, developed the series based on Leslie's"One Girl Chorus"columninthePittsburghPress.Overall,ADatewithJudyremainsamemorabledepictionofteenagelifefromthe1940sand1950s.
AbbottandCostellobegantheirradiocareeronKateSmith's program in 1938 before getting their own show in 1940. Throughout the 1940s, they became one of the top radio comedy acts, famous for their rapid-fire wordplay and hilarious confusion, particularly in classic routines like "Who'sonFirst?". Bud Abbott (born 1895) and Lou Costello (born 1906) first teamed up in 1935 at the Eltinge Burlesque Theater in New York and went on to leave a lasting impact on comedy through their radio and television work.
-AcademyAwardTheater[academy-award-theater]
AcademyAwardTheaterwasaCBSradioanthologyseriesthatairedfromMarch30,1946,toDecember18,1946.Itfeatured30-minuteadaptationsofplays,novels,orfilmsstarringatleastoneOscar-nominatedperformer.Contrarytothetitle's implication, the show didn'tonlyadaptOscar-winningfilmsbutofferedawiderangeofpiecesfromHollywood's finest actors, actresses, and technicians.
AdventureAhead!wasacaptivatingOldTimeRadioshowthatairedduringthesummerof1944.Aimedatyoungpeople,especiallyyoungmen,itfeaturedfourteenexceptionaladventurenovelsandstoriesfromAmerica's foremost fiction writers. The show revolved mainly around boys seeking adventure and excitement in various scenarios, including working with the FBI, training a puppy, joining the circus, and being adopted by pirates.
Theshow's primary theme centered around defending freedom, both domestically and abroad, and served as an inspiration for young people coping with the ongoing World War II. While it targeted a younger male audience, the series was appreciated by listeners of all ages due to its high-quality storytelling and performances.
TheAdventuresofChampionwasaWesternserialradiodramathatairedin1949and1950,focusedontheadventuresofGeneAutry's horse, Champion, and a young boy named Ricky West. Set on the Flying A Ranch, the show centered around the faith and loyalty between Ricky, his adopted Uncle Smoky, their dog Rebel, and the wild horse Champion, who only allowed Ricky to ride him. The series touched upon gold mines, rustlers, and Indian problems in five-installment story arcs, running from Monday to Friday. The Adventures of Champion was a spin-off from Autry'sMelodyRanchradioprogramandlateradaptedintoatelevisionseriesthatairedonCBSduringthe1955-1956season.However,despitetheshow's popularity, little is known about the cast, with many of the lead performers remaining unidentified.
TheAdventuresofPhilipMarlowewasahard-boileddetectiveradioseriesfeaturingRaymondChandler's private eye character, Philip Marlowe. First airing on NBC on June 17, 1947, the show starred Van Heflin as Marlowe and was a summer replacement for Bob Hope. The series moved to CBS in 1948 with Gerald Mohr as Marlowe, garnering the largest audience in radio by 1949. The CBS version ran until September 29, 1950, with a short summer run in 1951. Notably, the program had no sponsor for most of its time on the air.
PhilipMarlowewasamorecomplex,cultured,andethicaldetectivecomparedtootherhardboileddetectivesofthetime.MarlowewasportrayedbyactorssuchasDickPowell,RobertMitchum,andHumphreyBogartinmovies,aswellasVanHeflinandGeraldMohrinradioadaptations.Theshow's writing often featured sarcastic narration and was highly acclaimed, especially the CBS version, which was more widely received than the NBC adaptation.
-AfloatwithHenryMorgan[afloat-with-henry-morgan]
AfloatwithHenryMorganwasayouth-orientedAustralianradioseriesthatairedin1933,featuring52episodeseachabout12minutesinlength.ProducedbyandstarringGeorgeEdwards,knownforhisworkonFrankenstein,DrJekyllandMrHyde,andotherAustralianseries,theshowwassetintheCaribbeanandrevolvedaroundstorylinesinvolvingpirates,Aztectreasures,andthrillingadventures.Edwards,nicknamed"the Man with a Thousand Voices,"showcasedhisexceptionaltalentbyplayingmultipleroles,producinguptosixdifferentcharactervoicesinasinglescenetosaveonproductioncosts.TheshowshouldnotbeconfusedwiththeUS-basedHenryMorganShow.
AladdinLampwasaradioshowthatairedinthe1930s,featuringSmilin' Ed McConnell as "The Aladdin Lamp Man" on WLW in Cincinnati, Ohio. Smilin'EdpromotedAladdinKeroseneLampswithgreatsuccess,becomingawell-knownradiopersonality.By1948,theshowwasavailableon145ABCstationsasa15-minuteorcondensed5-minuteprogramdesignedforelectriclampdealers,likelyoriginatingafter1948.
Theshowtargetedhousewives,withSmilin' Ed using his friendly charm and folksy music to engage the audience before pitching Aladdin lamps. The show would include a song, entertainment, and a promotion for both kerosene and electric versions of Aladdin Lamps. Smilin'EdwasaccompaniedbyanorganandpianoplayedbyIrmaAllenandDelOwen.
AladdinLamps,producedbyTheMantleLampCompanyofAmericabasedinChicago,wereanimprovementonthetraditionaloillamp,withacircularwickthatheatedachemicallytreatedmantleprovidingabrightwhitelight.Smilin' Ed McConnell would later become the pitchman for Buster Brown Shoes and earn a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The Aladdin Lamp radio show provided a unique approach to reaching housewives, intertwining entertainment and promotion in its four and a half minute spots.
ThecastincludedRogerDresslerasNarrator&CommissionerMatthewWhite,LindaGaryasMauraCassidy,BrucePhillipMillerasSETCaptainJonGraydon,CoreyBurtonasStarlabControllerJerryLyden&ResearchAssistantTim,andChuckOlsenasSETCaptainBuddyGriff.Theshow's soundtrack was composed by Jim Kirk, performed by the London Symphony Orchestra, and included many realistic sound effects recorded on an oil tanker in a San Pedro dry dock.