Month: March 2013

Radio’s Most Essential People Countdown #7: William Conrad

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39-37,42-4045-4348-4651-4954-5257-5560-5865-6170-66,  71-7576-80,

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7. William Conrad-

William ConradConrad’s great overarching claim to radio fame is a significant one. He played the role of Marshall Matt Dillon on Gunsmoke for its entire 9 year run. Gunsmoke began its run after radio in 1952 after television had eclipsed radio as a profit making enterprise  Nevertheless, Gunsmoke began its long run and also spawned a slew of new adult Westerns in the latter 1950s and Conrad played a large part in that. He also became a symbol of television’ shallowness when he was denied the ability to continue in the Dillon role on television due to his weight.

However, Conrad was more than just the star of this classic Western. He was also a great character actor often playing heavies or policemen in programs such as Tales of the Texas Rangers, Pat Novak for Hire, The Lux Radio Theater, I Was a Communist for the FBI, and Yours Truly Johnny Dollar among others.  His deep distinct voice also served to make him a good announcer, most notably on Escape and Mr. President.

He was a consummate team player who in radio and every other medium he appeared in, was  a true professional willing to step into any role, no matter how large or small and play it with great talent.  This made Conrad a great career in all mediums, and made his nearly two decades on radio truly phenomenal.

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EP0908: The Line Up: The Senile Slugging Case

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Guthrie investigates a series of brutal muggings that have targeted elderly victims.

Original Air Date: February 8, 1951

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Radio Drama Review: Powder River, Season One

Colonial Radio Theater’s most successful radio series has been Powder River, which just concluded its six season. This remains an improbable series: A successful western produced at a time when the western genre is practically moribund and the series is produced Boston of all places.

The first fifteen episode season was originally released in 2004. It follows Britt McMasters (Jerry Robbins) and his son Chad (Derek Aalerud) as he starts a new life for himself as a rancher in Claremont, Wyoming near the Powder River in Wyoming. McMasters had been a U.S. Marshal but had retired after an incident he’d rather not discuss.

However, his past will not leave him alone. The series begins with the Ryan gang attempting to kill McMasters, and it becomes clear that it’s either McMasters or the gang.

There is much to like about this first season. Robbins is great as McMasters. In addition the character of Doc (Lincoln Edwards), the town doctor who is even more handy with a gun than he is a doctor’s bag is well-developed and fun. In addition, the show has a great sense and feel of Old West life with a dedication to realism without becoming hopelessly dark. At its best, it feels ike Have Gun Will Travel or Gunsmoke.

At times, this first season does stumble, mainly with stories that just don’t feel right. Episodes that found Chad trying to help a disabled girl with an overprotective mother through riding horses,  or where the McMasters helped a war deserter, or the one where Mark Twain shows up and spouts famous quotes the whole episode were ones I bore more than enjoyed.

However, the show’s inconsistent quality took a decided turn for the best that moved it from 3 stars to 4 stars with the last few episodes that dealt with the resolution of the Ryan gang story line. The last episode had an absolutely stunning plot twist that has to be heard to be believed. It’s an incredible finale.

The series wasn’t originally intended to become the multi-season success it has been. As such, the writers felt free to kill off some significant characters. The old west was a harsh place and that’s definitely reflected in these stories.

Overall, I give it a solid 4.0 out of 5.0 stars.

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EP0907: Yours Truly Johnny Dollar: The Hampton Line Matter

John Lund
Johnny investigates an “easy case” of a bomb aboard a ship where the identity of the culprit is apparent but Johnny finds the case won’t be as easy as advertised.

Original Air Date: August 3, 1954

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EP0906: Sherlock Holmes: The Case of the Red Headed League

John Gielgud

Sherlock Holmes investigates when a League for Red Headed hires a pawn broker and then promptly disappears.

Original Air Date: January 16, 1955

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EP0905: Let George Do It: Dead on Arrival

Bob Bailey

While going to pick up Brooksie at the bus station, George meets up with an old man in trouble. He takes him to a hotel where he dies-from gunshot wounds.

Original Air Date: November 10, 1952

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EP0904: The Cases of Mr. Ace: The Man Named Judas

George Raft
Ace is hired to deliver a package to Chicago for sale and finds trouble every turn.

Original Air Date: June 25, 1947

 

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EP0903: Frank Race: The Adventure of the Pharaoh’s Staff

Paul Dubov

Race is hired to guard some valuable Egyptian relics.

Original Air Date: November 5, 1949

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EP0902s: X Minus One: Protective Mimicry

Mandell Kramer

In the 25th Century, a Treasury Agent seeks to find the truth behind the re-appearance of counterfeit currency.

Original Air Date: October 3, 1956

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Radio’s Most Essential People Countdown #8: Fibber McGee and Molly

Previous Posts:
9, 1012-1114-1316-1518-1720-19,22-2124-2326-2528-2730-2933-3136-34,

39-37,42-4045-4348-4651-4954-5257-5560-5865-6170-66,  71-7576-80,

81-8586-9091-9596-100

8) Fibber McGee and Molly

Fibber McGee and MollyJim and Marion Jordan starred in the roles of Fibber McGee and Molly. Their show was an outstanding comedy hit that introduced Americans to the town of Wistful Vista with its memorable cast of characters. The most memorable was, of course, the lovable blowhard Fibber who was famous for such antics as his never quite clean closet. Their program was one of those most referenced by other comedy programs.

Fibber McGee and Molly was one of the first programs in history to spawn spin-offs with both The Great Gildersleeve and Beulah having their genesis as secondary characters on Fibber McGee and Molly.

The Jordans managed to survive the transition from the depression to World War II to the hopeful post-war era. Along the way, they made some memorable guest appearances including doing an appearance on the Family Theatre as Fibber McGee and Molly and also appearing in totally different characters in a well-done episode of Suspense. While other programs such as Burns and Allen, Life of Riley, and Our Miss Brooks made the move to television, the Jordans kept performing as Fibber McGee and Molly to an ever-shrinking audience in the mid-to-late 1950s as the show became a fifteen minute daily serial and then a series of shorts on NBC’s Monitor program. A television version was tried without them, but the play failed. America would not except substitutes.

With hundreds of episodes in circulation from their SC Johnson Wax sponsored runs, the duo remain one of radio’s most memorable couples to this day.

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Book Review: The Valley of Fear

The Valley of Fear is the last Sherlock Holmes novel. It was originally published in 1915 but is set prior to the events of “The Final Problem.” Doyle ignores at least one fact stated by Watson in, “The Final Problem” where Watson claims not to have heard of Moriarity. Here, Holmes introduces Watson far before that as the two go to a castle to investigate the murder of a mysterious American.

The mystery at the castle is well-laid out with a lot of intriguing clues and some nifty deduction. However, the Holmes portion of this story is fairly light. It reads like a slightly longer Short Story rather than a novel. The rest of the novel, much like in A Study in Scarlet is consumed by a look at the back story of the crime which began in America.

The idea of solving a mystery and then telling us the story behind the crime is rarely a good writing method. I had to really slog through Doyle’s use of in A Study in Scarlet. I put the book aside when I came on it when a child and didn’t pick it up for 20 years. However, this story is more interesting with its focus on the Scowrers, an American secret society that terrorized Pennsylvania and a mysterious stranger that joined them. It was quite riveting reading, so I didn’t mind the digression much.

However after that great story, the ending of the book left a bad taste. The 1935 movie, The Triumph of Sherlock Holmes was based on this story but gave a radically different end and with good reason. Without spoiling the end I will say, that  for the first time that for all concerned, everyone would have been better off had Holmes not investigated the case.

Rating: 4.0 out of 5.0

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EP0902: The Line Up: The Mad Bomber

William Johnstone

Someone is using high explosives to local political leaders and Ben Guthrie has to find out why.

Original Air Date: January 11, 1951

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EP0901: Yours Truly Johnny Dollar: The Radioactive Gold Matter

John Lund

Johnny races to find a deadly gold radioactive isotope.

Original Air Date:  July 27, 1954

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EP0900: Sherlock Holmes: A Scandal in Bohemia

John Gielgud

Sherlock Holmes seeks to find scandalous photographs that endanger the king of Bohemia.

Original Air Date: January 9, 1955

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EP0899: Let George Do It: Calle Reposo

Bob Bailey

George is hired to go to Havana to bid on a rich tobacco crop, but he has to deal with a disreputable mobster.

Original Air Date: October 20, 1952

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