Showing results by author "Black Eye Entertainment" in All Categories

Have Gun-Will Travel followed the adventures of Paladin, a soldier of fortune-turned-hired gunfighter, played by John Dehner. Paladin preferred to settle problems without violence, yet, when forced to fight, excelled. He lived at the swanky Carlton Hotel in San Francisco, where he dressed in formal wear, ate gourmet food, attended the opera and enjoyed the company of beautiful women. When working as a gun-for-hire, he dressed in all black, used calling cards and wore a holster, decorated by a characteristic chess knight emblem.

The CBS Radio Workshop aired from January 27, 1956 through September 22, 1957 and was a revival of the prestigious Columbia Workshop which aired from 1936 to 1943. Creator William Froug launched the series with the powerhouse two-part adaptation of "Brave New World" and booked author Aldous Huxley to narrate his famous novel. "We'll never get a sponsor anyway…," CBS vice president Howard Barnes explained to Time, "…so we might as well try anything."

Versatile actor John Dehner had a long career (1940-1989) playing countless roles in all media. He appeared in more than 250 films and in thousands of radio and television shows. He began his career as an animator for the Walt Disney Studios, but his love for performing found him work at KFWB in Los Angeles. Dehner possessed a deep, resonant voice and soon became one of the most sought-after actors during The Golden Age of Radio. Presented for your enjoyment are 12 of John Dehner's finest radio performaces, carefully selected for this exciting collection.

Like its predecessor Dragnet - Tales of the Texas Rangers adapted actual police case files for its broadcasts. Leading each week’s investigation of an actual Texas Ranger case was the same Texas Ranger, Jayce Pearson, portrayed by movie star Joel McCrea. Because the stories were set in present day, Pearson used the latest scientific techniques to identify criminals. Unlike Joe Friday, Pearson didn’t have a regular partner, typically working with the local sheriff instead (who was usually portrayed by Parley Baer).

The golden age of radio had incredible detective shows that kept Americans glued to their radio sets. Families gathered around their living room radios to hear their favorite Hollywood stars voicing fiction’s most famous gumshoes. This collection includes Dick Kollmar starring as ‘enemy to those who make him an enemy, friend to those who have no friend’ on Boston Blackie, Bob Bailey playing two different private eyes, George Valentine in Let George Do It and the man with the action-packed expense account in a 5-part adventure of Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar.

The golden age of radio had incredible comedy shows that kept Americans in stitches for decades. Families gathered around their living room radios to be entertained by the greatest names in Hollywood each and every day. This collection includes Bud Abbott and Lou Costello, Eve Arden as Connie Brooks on Our Miss Brooks, Jim and Marian Jordan as Fibber McGee & Molly, William Bendix as Chester A. Riley on The Life of Riley, Jack Benny welcoming guest, Fred Allen, Freeman Gosden and Charles Correll as Amos ‘n’ Andy and many more!

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s detective genius, Sherlock Holmes, came to NBC radio in 1930 starring Richard Gordon. By 1939, Basil Rathbone was heard as Holmes with Nigel Bruce as Doctor Watson. The duo was simultaneously starring in a popular series of Sherlock Holmes features for Fox, and later for Universal. By the end of the feature run in the mid 1940’s, Rathbone was eager to separate himself from the radio show to avoid being typecast, and even though the show’s sponsor (Petri Wines) offered him generous pay to continue, he decided to move on.

The Great Gildersleeve was the first show to be centered on a single parent balancing raising children, work, and a social life, accomplished with taste and genuine wit, often at the expense of Gildersleeve's slightly understated pomposity. Radio veteran, Hal Peary originated the role of Throckmorton P. Gildersleeve but left the series at the height of its popularity in 1950 giving way to Peary-sound-a-like and well-known character actor, Willard Waterman. Now, enjoy 12 half-hour comedy episodes of The Great Gildersleeve starring Willard Waterman.

The Adventures of Philip Marlowe was radio’s top detective program. Raymond Chandler's celebrated hardboiled private eye, Philip Marlowe, made his radio debut in 1945 on The Lux Radio Theatre with “Murder My Sweet” starring Dick Powell. Two years later, NBC would bring the character to the air in his own weekly series starring Van Heflin in The New Adventures of Philip Marlowe. The series was short-lived, ending September 9th, 1947. CBS revived it in 1948 with The Adventures of Philip Marlowe starring Gerald Mohr. This is the second collection.

The golden age of radio had incredible western shows that kept Americans glued to their radio sets. Families gathered around their living room radios to hear western heroes catch the bad-guys and save ladies in distress. This collection includes John Wayne and Mel Ferrer starring in a radio adaptation of the John Ford film “She Wore a Yellow Ribbon” on The Lux Radio Theatre; William Conrad as U.S. Marshal Matt Dillon on Gunsmoke; Joel McCrea in a true-crime story on Tales of the Texas Rangers and Curley Bradley starring in two episodes of Tom Mix.

The Golden Age of Radio had incredibly scary mystery shows that kept Americans chilled and thrilled. Families gathered around their living room radios to be entertained by the greatest names in Hollywood each and every day. This is a terrific collection of 12 great radio mystery shows.

The Golden Age of Radio had incredible drama shows that kept Americans glued to their radio sets. Families gathered around their living room radios to be entertained by the greatest names in Hollywood each and every day. The biggest stars from tinsel-town lent their voices to radio dramas and most of the time the producers and sponsors allowed them to take a curtain call to plug their latest film release. This is a terrific collection of 12 great radio dramas.

This collection contains 12 of the greatest shows ever broadcast during the Golden Age of Radio – including episodes of The Jack Benny Program, Burns & Allen, Gunsmoke, The Amos ‘n' Andy Show, Richard Diamond, Private Detective, Suspense, Dimension X, The Whistler, Sherlock Holmes and more. Radio’s finest actors perform before the microphones, including: Jack Benny, Tom Conway, Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Nigel Bruce, Chester Morris, Dick Powell, Howard Duff, George Burns, Gracie Allen, William Conrad, John Dehner and many more.

Detective series Let George Do It came to radio in 1946. It starred Bob Bailey as ex-G.I. and detective-for-hire George Valentine. 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.

Fictional cowboy hero Hopalong Cassidy was created in 1904 by author Clarence E. Mulford in a series of short stories and novels based on the character. Beginning in 1935, William Boyd starred as Hoppy in 66 popular films. On screen, the white-haired Bill “Hopalong” Cassidy was dressed strikingly in all black, rode a white horse named “Topper” and thwarted dishonest characters that took advantage of honest citizens. By 1946, Hopalong Cassidy became the first network Western television series.

Fibber McGee & Molly had a long and successful run on radio (1935-1959). The program showcased terrific comic and musical talent, headlined by its creators and stars, married couple Jim and Marian Jordan. Living in the fictional Midwestern town of Wistful Vista, Fibber was an American teller of tall tales and a braggart, usually to the exasperation of his long-suffering wife Molly. Life in Wistful Vista followed a well-developed formula, but was always fresh.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s detective genius, Sherlock Holmes, came to NBC radio in 1930 starring Richard Gordon. By 1939, Basil Rathbone was heard as Holmes with Nigel Bruce as Doctor Watson. The duo was simultaneously starring in a popular series of Sherlock Holmes features for Fox, and later for Universal.

Michael Shayne, “the reckless, red-headed Irishman” was a popular hard-boiled detective created by crime novelist Brett Halliday. Mike settled in Miami just after WWII, making crime pay by fighting it with a license and an attitude. Like Mike Hammer and Philip Marlowe, Shayne was a loner. The back-story on Mike is that he was happily married, but suddenly his wife is tragically murdered, which hit him hard. Grief-stricken, Shayne loses himself in his work as a private eye, prowling the dark streets of Miami seeking out his style of revenge on injustice.

Have Gun-Will Travel followed the adventures of Paladin, a soldier of fortune-turned-hired gunfighter, played by John Dehner. Paladin preferred to settle problems without violence, yet, when forced to fight, excelled. He lived at the swanky Carlton Hotel in San Francisco, where he dressed in formal wear, ate gourmet food, attended the opera and enjoyed the company of beautiful women. When working as a gun-for-hire, he dressed in all black, used calling cards and wore a holster, decorated by a characteristic chess knight emblem.

In 1949, NBC brought mustachioed Irish-American actor Brian Donlevy to the radio microphones as international troubleshooter Steve Mitchell in the spy series Dangerous Assignment. Mitchell worked for an un-named US government intelligence agency; whose boss The Commissioner dispatched him to world trouble spots. Mitchell’s assignment was to solve problems in record time, and in accordance with US interests.