What's Playing Brief
Here's some brief information about what's playing on the Mystery Play Internet Radio streams this week.
The Main MPIR Stream
This past week I was digging through some boxes that had been in storage for about six years. I found some treasure, a few CD's with excellent quality Old Time Radio shows.
The Chase was a thriller series with different themes, but it usually involved someone on the run. Since the listener identified with the main character, they too, were desperately trying to escape the police dragnet, or elude the menace-of-the-week. The most common sound effect was a gunshot, so it’s safe to say this was one series that had as much action as it did suspense.
Murder By Experts Masters of Mystery John Dickson Carr (author of Cabin B-13) and Brett Halliday among others hosted. They were some of the top writers in the history of mystery and the show exhibits some of the best mystery writing known on radio. The show's success is based largely on it expert writing.
Danger Dr. Danfield This series consistently featured some of the worst acting and writing of any detective show to reach the airwaves. The show had a formula with the crime usually being committed in the first third of the program, the good doctor solving it in the second third, and then pedantically explaining the solution to someone (usually his "pretty, young" secretary, Rusty) in the conclusion. Dr. Daniel Danfield was an obnoxious unlicensed private investigator/criminal psychologist with an ego complex. Which is why, it's one of my favorite shows!
Tales of The Texas Rangers Premiered on July 8, 1950, on the NBC radio network and remained on the air through September 14, 1952. Movie star Joel McCrea starred as Texas Ranger Jayce Pearson, who used the latest scientific techniques to identify the criminals and his faithful horse, Charcoal, to track them down. The shows were reenactments of actual Texas Ranger cases.The series was produced and directed by Stacy Keach, Sr., and was sponsored for part of its run by Wheaties.
I think I have hit the jack pot with these shows. They are my favorite however not that many of them are suitable for streaming. I found a source of excellent quality. So you can look forward to hearing more from the Texas Rangers.
Theater of Romance Ran for about 12 years between 1943 and 1957 as a 30 minute filler for a number of old time radio shows. The content, directors, performers and producers changed often during the run of the series, but maintained its theme pretty much. I hope to play a few more of these in the future. I found a cd with a few shows of excellent streaming quality.
Standby For Crime Ran in the early 1950's Not a true crime show, as this is drama, but the show features Chuck Morgan, as played by Glen Langen, a very believable news anchor at KOP, a Los Angeles radio station. He is pals with Lieutenant Bill Miggs of the police force, who tips him off to hot crime news. Also in on the capers is Morgan's "Gal Friday", Carol Curtis, played by Adele Jurgens. The three meet all types -- mostly on the shady side of the street.
Whats playing on the MPIR OTR Comedy Stream
Sealtest Variety Theater Dorothy Lamour hosted this 1948-49 variety show that featured some of the best guests in radio including: Abbott and Costello; Jimmy Stewart, Jack Benny, Lum and Abern; Bob Hope; Martin and Lewis, and Boris Karloff.
The Couple Next Door was a Peg Lynch radio series which aired on CBS Radio (December 30, 1957-November 25, 1960) with Peg Lynch and Alan Bunce as the married couple. The CBS iteration was named "Best Daytime Radio Program" for 1959 by The National Association for Better Radio and Television.
Of course our standby comedy shows, The Jack Benny Program, Our Miss Brooks, Chase and Sanborn Hour, Fibber McGee and Molly, and Burns and Allen.
For You History Capsule Fans
The Golden Age of Radio, WTIC interviews with some of the radio actors, writers and particpants. Biography in Sound, very educational, GI-Jive outstanding WW2 music show. And a few episodes of Command Performance!