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

Created by author Jack Boyle, Boston Blackie was a reformed jewel thief and safecracker, constantly suspected of crimes he did not commit and forced to play the role of detective to clear his name. His girlfriend, Mary Wesley, assisted Blackie from time to time, as did his pal Shorty. Forced to defend himself against the accusations of New York Police Inspector Faraday, Blackie always managed to stay one step ahead of the cops in solving a crime.

Created by John Guedel, You Bet Your Life was one of the best-loved quiz shows to air on both radio and television. It was hosted by Groucho Marx of the Marx Brothers, with announcer and assistant George Fenneman. It debuted on radio in 1947 and lasted until 1960. For much of this time, it was also seen on television.

First heard on network radio in 1948, Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar chronicled the adventures of freelance insurance investigator Johnny Dollar, "The man with the action-packed expense account.” For 15 years, it was one of the most popular detective shows on the air, lasting until the final days of network radio drama in 1962. Each story started with a phone call from an insurance executive calling on Johnny Dollar to investigate an unusual claim.

Initially launched as Barrie Crane, Confidential Investigator on NBC in 1951, the series soon made a name change to Barrie Craig, Confidential Investigator. It starred movie and film veteran William Gargan as hard-boiled New York-based private eye Barry Craig. Gargan had been playing Martin Kane, Private Detective on both radio and TV. In the summer of 1951, Gargan cleared the decks for his role as Barrie Craig. Gruff, blunt and sardonic but with a good sense of humor, Gargan was perfect for the genre and in the role of Barrie Craig.

"This Is Your FBI" was a fact-based radio series that dramatized FBI cases from the agent's point of view. Producer/director Jerry Devine had experience with pro-law enforcement radio drama having brought us "Mr. District Attorney." Crackdowns on organized crime, and well-known criminal cases of the day were featured. Because the series shined a glorious light on the FBI and vilified criminals, it received the full endorsement of FBI director J. Edgar Hoover, who even appeared on the first episode.

Radio westerns were aimed at kids until 1952 when Gunsmoke hit the radio airwaves. Produced for adult listeners, the stories were grim, the deaths brutal, and life on the plains was harsh. Radio audiences had never heard anything like Gunsmoke, and they made it the number one Western on radio. It soon made a successful transition to television, becoming the longest-running dramatic series in TV history.

The golden age of radio had incredible detective shows that kept Americans glued to their sets. Families gathered around their living room radios to hear their favorite Hollywood stars voicing fiction's most famous gumshoes. This collection includes Dick Powell as suave detective Richard Diamond, Vincent Price as the Saint, Jack Webb as Sergeant Joe Friday on Dragnet, Richard Kollmar as "enemy to those who make him an enemy, friend to those who have no friend" on Boston Blackie, and much more!

For over half a century, Jack Benny was one of the great comics of stage, screen, radio, and television. On his long-running radio and television programs, Benny was depicted as a miser who hoarded every penny he made. Year after year he denied he was older than 39 while honing his persona of a vain and devious penny-pincher in stark contrast to the warm and generous human being he was in real life. Benny knew he could be funny by following one simple rule: let others deliver the punch lines.

Broadway Is My Beat was a dark, gritty radio crime drama that ran on CBS from 1949 until 1954. The series was originally broadcast from New York with Anthony Ross portraying Times Square Police Detective Danny Clover. Produced by Lester Gottlieb, it was directed by John Dietz. Now, enjoy 16 of the finest episodes from this excellent crime series in this collection.

The Golden Age of Radio had incredible mystery shows that kept Americans glued to their radio sets. Families gathered around their living room radios to hear their favorite Hollywood stars in spine-chilling radio mystery and horror. In this collection of 16 episodes, you’ll hear Suspense, Inner Sanctum, Escape, Mystery in the Air, The Whistler, Lights Out!, and many more.

Bud Abbott and Lou Costello were a comedy duo seen in movies, on TV, and heard on radio. Their comedy routine “Who’s on First?” helped make them a national sensation. The duo started in Vaudeville, and by the fall of 1942, Abbott and Costello had their own weekly radio program and topped the popularity polls of Radio Daily and Radio Guide. The Abbott and Costello Show ran for seven years until the summer of 1949. Enjoy 16 of the best comedy broadcasts of Abbott and Costello.

Radio westerns were aimed at kids until 1952 when Gunsmoke hit the radio airwaves. Produced for adult listeners, the stories were grim, the deaths brutal, and life on the plains was harsh. Radio audiences had never heard anything like Gunsmoke, and they made it the number-one western on radio. It soon made a successful transition to television, becoming the longest-running dramatic series in TV history. Join William Conrad (US Marshal Matt Dillon), Parley Baer (Deputy Chester Proudfoot), Georgia Ellis (Kitty Russell), and Howard McNear (Doc Adams) in these 16 episodes.

Movie star Alan Ladd played Dan Holiday, retired newspaperman turned fiction writer and adventurer extraordinaire. To gain ideas for his books, Holiday placed an ad in the Star-Times newspaper “Adventure wanted - will go anywhere, do anything - Box 13.” It wasn’t long before Box 13 became jammed with adventures galore. Holiday always had more adventure than he’d originally sought, because those who responded to his ad never revealed all of their glorious, unusual, and sometimes sinister details until they met in person and the adventure had already begun.

This collection contains 15 of the greatest science fiction broadcasts from the Golden Age of radio, including episodes of X Minus One, Dimension X, Suspense, The CBS Radio Workshop, Escape, The Lux Radio Theatre, and others. Radio’s finest actors perform before the microphones in adaptations from the past masters of science fiction. Relive the best radio sci-fi shows from yesterday and the legendary stars that made them amazing in this incredible collection.

The Whistler was one of radio's top mystery programs, airing from May 16, 1942, until September 22, 1955. Airing on CBS radio and sponsored by the Signal Oil Company, the Whistler (played by Joseph Kearns, Gale Gordon, and Bill Forman) was an ominous narrator who knew the killer's every move even before they did. The Whistler often commented directly upon the action in the manner of a Greek chorus, taunting the criminal from an omniscient perspective. One of the show's trademarks was the ironic twist endings that helped serve as a payoff for the listener.

Versatile actor William Conrad had a long career (1945-1993) and was an American World War II fighter pilot, actor, producer, and director whose career spanned five decades in radio, film and television. He appeared in nearly 8,000 radio shows during the golden age and when TV beckoned, he delivered, starring in Cannon (1971-76), Nero Wolfe (1981) and Jake and the Fat Man (1987-1992). We’ve carefully selected 12 of William Conrad’s finest radio performances for this exciting collection and we hope you enjoy it!

In 1935, the DuPont Company chose to enhance its image by dramatizing great events in American history to an audience of millions each week on The Cavalcade of America. “Cavalcade” is a term used to describe pioneers who shaped the way America operates today. DuPont’s motto: “Maker of better things for better living through chemistry” was read at the beginning of each program, and the dramas emphasized humanitarian progress, particularly improvements in the lives of women, often through technological innovation.

Created by Blake Edwards (of "Pink Panther" fame), Richard Diamond, Private Detective came to NBC radio in 1949 starring film actor and crooner Dick Powell. Powell had recently played 'Philip Marlowe' in the popular RKO film "Murder My Sweet" and jumped at the chance to play a suave detective on radio. Richard Diamond was a light-hearted New York-based private eye who enjoyed ribbing the cops and singing songs to his millionairess girlfriend, Helen Asher (played by Virginia Gregg).

Suspense was a radio series of epic proportion. It aired on CBS from 1942 to 1962 and is considered by many to be the best mystery/drama series of the golden age. Known as Radio’s Outstanding Theater of Thrills it focused on suspenseful stories starring the biggest names in Hollywood. Early in the run, the episodes were hosted by the “Man in Black” who, from an omniscient perch, narrated stories of people thrown into dangerous or bizarre situations with plots that, at the very end, usually had an unseen twist or two.

Information Please was a quiz show that aired on NBC radio from 1938 until 1951. Moderated by Clifton Fadiman, the show featured a panel of experts who would attempt to answer questions mailed in by audience members. Panel regulars included writer-actor-pianist Oscar Levant and newspaper columnists and renowned intellectuals Franklin P. Adams and John Kieran. Often, there was a fourth "guest" panelist, usually either a celebrity, politician, or writer. Guest panelists included Fred Allen, Boris Karloff, Rex Stout, Deems Taylor, Jackie Robinson, Orson Welles, and Basil Rathbone.