Showing results by author "Original Radio Broadcasts" in All Categories

In 1940, America was still staggering its way out of the Great Depression, and war clouds were rolling in from Europe. The upcoming Presidential campaign spotlight turned to perhaps the unlikeliest, but certainly the most entertaining, candidate of all - Gracie Allen. Politics was perfect for Gracie's particular brand of logical illogic. Join the hilarity, and the throngs of supporters, as George Burns, Gracie, and their entire cast embark on a whistle-stop tour all the way to the Surprise Party's national convention in Omaha, Nebraska.

Harry Nile is a former Chicago cop, who quit the force after uncovering a vein of corruption. He stalks the rainy streets of pre-war Seattle on behalf of private clients with the help of his assistant, a lady named Murphy. Phil Harper stars as Nile, with Pat French as Murphy, in this exciting series that has been heard on radio stations coast to coast in the US and Canada, on satellite radio, and reached a worldwide audience online. After more than 25 years, it's the longest running private-eye show in American radio history.

When Phillips H. Lord created his long running Gang Busters radio series in January of 1936, crime was rampant and criminals (both actual and fictional) were being glamorized in movies and newspapers. In response, Lord brought the public this police procedural series, dramatizing stories of real cops who kept real counterfeiters, safe crackers, and killers off the streets - and even broadcasting alerts for criminals known to be at large.

Tough, yet compassionate - and a first-class detective besides - that's Boston Blackie. The infamous safe cracker turned private eye will lead you through 16 hard-hitting crime classics from 1947-48! Richard Kollmar stars as Blackie, with Lesley Woods as Mary Wesley, and Maurice Tarplin as Inspector Faraday. The race is on for our hero to capture the killers, recover the diamonds, and clear his own name!

Our Duffy's Tavern: Volume One is the very first in our Archives collection. Once again these fantastic episodes from the 1951 season are available - along with a bonus track: the series' 1940 audition performance on Forecast. Come on back to the place where "the elite meet to eat", and visit with Archie and the gang. There is never a dull moment at the tavern on New York's 3rd Avenue.

Radio Spirits brings you classic tales of mystery, crime, and suspense featuring everyday individuals caught in a web of their own making and tripped up by a twist of fate in the end. And heard throughout each radio play, as the events become a tangled web of crime, is that shadowy voice-of-fate, your host, The Whistler! Dripping with sarcasm, The Whistler follows the murderers’ slow descent into destruction while cautioning listeners about the futility of the criminal act they just heard.

Mr. and Mrs. Piper are at it again - navigating the ebb and flow of postwar suburbia in The Couple Next Door. The head of the household takes up a new hobby, navigates changes at work, and faces a few domestic dilemmas - all while his lovely wife stands by...and stands her ground! Peg Lynch and Alan Bunce star in 32 consecutive episodes from 1959, featuring Margaret Hamilton as Aunt Effie!

In October 1964, as the "British Invasion" of pop music came into its own, Playboy Magazine assigned Jean Shepherd to travel with, and interview, the Beatles on their tour of the United Kingdom. Shepherd also took advantage of his assignment to further travel the UK on his own, exploring from Edinburgh and the Scottish Highlands to London with a portable recorder to record material for use on his own syndicated radio program. The result is a fascinating audio documentary of the UK at a distinct point in time, with Shepherd offering commentary and musings uniquely his own on the popular culture and mores of the day.

Join radio's most popular crime-solving couple, Mr. & Mrs. North, in 12 episodes of mayhem and murder - with a light touch. The Norths aren't your standard detectives: husband Jerry is a book publisher by day, and wife Pam is his stay-at-home better half and most often the catalyst for their exploits when death falls in their laps!

The listener is traveling on a train, the sound of its whistle echoing in the background followed by the clickity-clack of the tracks. A quiet, somber voice, the eponymous host, speaks: "This is the Mysterious Traveler, inviting you to join me on another journey into the strange and terrifying. I hope you will enjoy the trip; that it will thrill you a little, and chill you a little. So settle back, get a good grip on your nerves, and be comfortable - if you can!" With that each of the Mysterious Traveler radio dramas in this collection begin; journeys that might be horrific, a whodunit, or even science fictional.

He's a specialist in insurance fraud and the finer points of human nature. He's insouciant, cynical, and glib...but honest when it counts. Wherever he goes, there's intrigue, excitement, and mystery! He's the Man with the Action Packed Expense Account: Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar.

No crime in the 1950s? Don't tell Joe Friday that! Here's radio's top cop taking on all the vice the postwar decade had to offer in 20 true-life police procedurals starring Jack Webb as Sgt. Joe Friday and Ben Alexander as Det. Frank Smith! Whether radio's most earnest cops were on robbery detail or working missing persons, narcotics, or homicide, each story was told in a straightforward manner that never questioned the intelligence of its audience.

From out of the murk of a terrifying night come tales of the unexplained, the unfathomable, and the uncanny! Howard Duff, William Conrad, Elliott Lewis, Jack Moyles, Marvin Miller, Lou Merrill, Betty Lou Gerson, and narrator John Lake take you on 10 radio journeys into the darkest reaches of the human soul!

He'd rather use his head than his fists or a gun, but sometimes you can't be too choosy! Bob Bailey stars as freelance investigator George Valentine, roaming postwar California in search of adventure, mystery, and more! Wally Maher plays his contrary police contact, Lieutenant Riley, alongside many of radio's usual suspects: Joseph Kearns, Gloria Blondell, Howard McNear, Virginia Gregg, Larry Dobkin, Lurene Tuttle, and more.

Life goes on for The Couple Next Door - they are preparing for a family wedding, taking a trip, and planning the construction of a brand new house. Mr. and Mrs. Piper always manage to find a way to get things done, no matter what unpredictable obstacles pop up along the way. Here are 32 episodes of realistic scenarios tinged with a real sense of humor. This classic daytime radio favorite was created and written by Peg Lynch, who stars in these programs, along with Alan Bunce and Margaret Hamilton.

Let's play ball! Or hit the track! Or roam the links! Or lace on the gloves! You name the sport, Jack Benny's a fan...and maybe even a participant! Whether he's sitting in the stands or standing in the thick of the action, it all adds up to clutch classic radio comedy! Cheer on Jack Benny, Mary Livingstone, Phil Harris, Eddie "Rochester" Anderson, Dennis Day, Kenny Baker, and Don Wilson in 16 half hour episodes filled with equal parts rah-rah-rah and ha-ha-ha!

Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson are back in action in all-new stories bringing 19th century thrills to 21st century audiences. Here are 22 classic radio adventures with an up-to-date touch produced by the legendary Jim French! The world's most famous consulting detective takes on adversaries who challenge his wits to the limit - including a serial killer who terrifies London's East End (but he isn't who you think he is)! John Patrick Lowrie stars as Holmes, with Lawrence Albert as Watson in The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.

The voice of Bob Bailey conjured both the weariness of the world and all its kindness. You may know him best as Johnny Dollar or George Valentine, but he was so much more. Sample the breadth of Bob Bailey's talent in this tribute collection. Here are 10 hours of classic radio dramas, comedies, mysteries, and even a science fiction tale…all of which feature the talented thespian. You'll also hear wonderful performances by an array of outstanding co-stars, including Shelley Winters, Raymond Burr, Mercedes McCambridge, Burgess Meredith, John Dehner, and many more.

Get out the vote! It's no-holds-barred, winner-take-all small town politics at its best as Throckmorton P. Gildersleeve sets his sights on high office! But can Gildy's mayoral aspirations stand up against the competition? And can he balance his campaign against his developing romance with the local school principal? All's fair in love and at the polls in 16 fun-filled 1944 episodes starring Harold Peary as Throckmorton P. Gildersleeve!

Out of the rain and fog of the teeming Pacific Northwest he comes - the tough, methodical, incorruptible private eye Harry Nile. He's the foe of corruption, enemy of gangland, and the best friend you'll ever have when you're up against the wall. Harry gives as good as he gets in this collection of powerful radio adventures, produced, written, and directed by Jim French. Larry Albert takes over the role of Nile from the late Phil Harper, with Pat French back as the detective's assistant Murphy, for 16 cases of back streets and bad news.