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

Based on the famous detective created by Rex Stout, The New Adventures of Nero Wolfe stars Sydney Greenstreet as “the balkiest, bulkiest, smartest, and most unpredictable detective in the world...that brilliant eccentric private detective, orchid fancier and gargantuan gourmet.” Nero Wolfe, armchair detective in the classic tradition, and Archie Goodwin, wisecracking hard-boiled investigator, shine in eight radio tales from this classic detective series first broadcast in 1950-1951.

Meet the people who live in the Burns House—and their many famous friends! George and Gracie are back with laugh-a-minute predicaments, which are both helped and hindered by celebrity guests Marlene Dietrich, Eddie Cantor, Jane Wyman, Kay Kyser, Robert Montgomery, and more!

Here comes the cowboy hero who took 1950 by storm - thundering across the West of your own wild imagination! Dressed in his famous black suit and riding his trusty horse Topper, it’s Hopalong Cassidy in 16 original radio adventures! William Boyd stars as Hoppy, with Joseph Duval as California Carlson. Though most of their adventures are in the general vicinity of the Bar 20 ranch, our heroes do venture out on occasion for exploits in the wider world. Listen in as they encounter scoundrels and schemes from the frontier to the formidable streets of New York!

Doctors and nurses exchanging tense, meaningful dialogue! A gurney rumbles down a corridor, surgical instruments clatter, and a rubber glove snaps at the end of a life-saving operation! Here is medical drama at its best - tense, taut, and intensely human! Lew Ayres stars as Dr. James Kildare, an intern at the start of his medical career, who takes on the hectic routine of a major metropolitan hospital. Lionel Barrymore co-stars as his gruff-but-kindly mentor Dr. Leonard Gillespie.

No problem's so big, no dilemma so perplexing that Chester A. Riley can't find a way to make it just a little bit worse! Even in sunny Southern California there's always a revoltin' development or two to keep radio's favorite blue-collar dad behind the eight ball! William Bendix stars in 16 laugh-packed half hours as the bumbling paterfamilias, with Paula Winslowe as his long-suffering wife Peg and John Brown as the unforgettable Digger O'Dell (the friendly undertaker)!

Natalie Park stars as Candy Matson, a San Francisco private investigator who is not only smart, sassy, and sexy, but tough, too! Candy's best friend and trusted assistant is photographer, and confirmed bachelor, Rembrandt Watson. Candy and her boyfriend, Police Detective Ray Mallard (Henry Leff), usually end up working the same case, but Candy always figures things out first. Known for its exceptional writing and sound effects, Candy Matson is popularly thought of as the best female detective show ever on radio. Includes eight digitally restored and remastered episodes.

Chester A. Riley: A husband. A father. A lovable, working-class bumbler with the proverbial heart of gold. William Bendix stars as this simple (and sometimes simple-minded) man who starts out with the best of intentions, and ends up making a big mess of things. Scaling the mountainous molehills alongside him are his patient wife Peg (Paula Winslowe), his typical American kids, and his eclectic aggregation of friends, including Gillis and Digger O'Dell, the friendly undertaker - both played by John Brown.

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.

Father Peyton of the Holy Cross Fathers wanted to inspire his country with a radio program. Footing the expense of the show himself, he arranged for some of the biggest names in radio and film to donate their services, and for a network to provide the broadcast time. The series that resulted featured heartwarming stories for audiences nationwide. The commercial breaks were filled only with an earnest, non-sectarian appeal for family prayer, reminding listeners that "The family that prays together stays together."

In the anything-goes world of post-Civil War California, there were some who went looking for trouble. And there was one who sat back and let trouble come to him. Stern-voiced John Dehner stars as Paladin in twenty exciting radio adventures. The black-clad troubleshooter was a thoughtful man, a figure of erudite sophistication who preferred not to use his gun unless pressed to do so by circumstance. But you really didn't want to press him.

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!

Actor and singer Dick Powell, after many musicals for the Warner Brothers and Fox studios, embarked on a new career as a hard-boiled tough guy. Powell got the opportunity to further flex his new tough-guy muscles in the medium of radio, starring in the role of investigator Richard Rogue in the crime drama Rogue’s Gallery. In this collection, Powell portrays Rogue with a charming lack of care and refusal to take things too seriously, all while delivering solid entertainment for detective and crime drama fans.

A supercharged engine thrums to life, a secret door swings open, and the streamlined Black Beauty buzzes forth into the crime-swept city streets for another battle against the forces of urban corruption! In this collection, our hero sets himself against racketeers, international agents, and his arch nemesis, Oliver Perry. Ride with Britt Reid and Kato in 20 high-powered, newly released radio adventures from the spring of 1949 - including rare episodes!

The war might be over, but for daring publisher Britt Reid, there's one fight that never ends - the battle against organized crime! With mask in place, gas gun in hand, and faithful valet Kato by his side, The Green Hornet surges forth against postwar racketeers and crime lords in this collection of 20 original radio adventures!

Excitable and loose-lipped Fibber means well enough, but it's not always easy for even-tempered Molly to keep him in check and out of trouble. Of course, the long suffering Mrs. McGee's penchant for patience makes it all the funnier when she's finally pushed to the point of exasperation. But, both McGee's are fabulously friendly, opening their door at 79 Wistful Vista to welcome the likes of Mayor LaTrivia (Gale Gordon), Doc Gamble (Arthur Q. Bryan), and neighborly nemesis Throckmorton P. Gildersleeve (Hal Peary).

Academy Award-winner Mercedes McCambridge stars as Martha Ellis Bryant, an experienced lawyer in private practice who has accepted the "challenge of defending the defenseless." Howard Culver plays her loving boyfriend, Jud Barnes, a reporter for the City Dispatch. In search of justice (and a good story), the two work both independently and together, checking records, talking to witnesses, and exchanging information with the police.

Tales of robbery, of violence, of murder - ripped from the headlines! Adapted from the long-running series of MGM film shorts, here are tales of real-life crime and punishment brought to vivid radio life! Americans have always enjoyed true stories of bad men versus good - the louder, the rowdier, and the bloodier the better - and even more so if they can include a solid moral. This series has it all! Come hear how con artists and contract killers get what's coming to them. Performers include Parker Fennelly, Everett Sloane, Donald Buka, Myron McCormick, and more.

A favorite recurring feature of the Burns and Allen radio program involved George's fruitless efforts to defend himself against the schemes of the Beverly Hills Uplift Society, "an organization of women…for women…by women. This gathering of gossipy females embark on ill-advised escapades - from matchmaking to hijacking the show - all to George's dismay. The society sweethearts are played by Bea Benaderet and Elvia Allman, with jocular gentlemen Mel Blanc, Hans Conried, Elliott Lewis and Gale Gordon as part of an ensemble that set a benchmark for character acting in radio comedy.

Crusader against crime, foe of gangland, smasher of every corrupt and vicious racket - the underworld fears the wrath of Mr. District Attorney! He's not a costumed superhero - he's even mightier, using the forces of law and order to tear down the web of corruption and vice that has ensnared a major American city. Film star David Brian stars as District Attorney Paul Garrett in 16 high-powered episodes. Can he crack the case? Can he pin the crime on the right guy and ensure that justice is served? Listen in and find out!

In early 1943, funnyman Jack Benny developed a serious case of pneumonia while traveling to entertain the troops. Someone would need to stand in for the sultan of Sunday night radio. But who? Orson Welles, the prestige-project prodigy, was an unlikely but inspired choice. Benny’s regular gang is on hand; Phil Harris returns from the military; and additional guests George Burns, Gracie Allen, Barbara Stanwyck, and Butterfly McQueen pop in for a visit. This is The Jack Benny Program like you’ve never heard it before.