Introduction

Downtown Wichita Falls, Texas, in the mid 1940’s was a bustling metropolis for a boy of 7 just away from the farm and ranch community where he was born. My father, a cook and cowboy by trade, had just started as one of the first cooks for the Casa Manana restaurant in 1947. He moved us to an apartment on Ohio Street, right across from the Gem Theater, between 7th and 8th Streets. It’s here that we would stay for the next three years. The Gem Theater became a magic palace for a young mind. But it had to share that distinction with the rest of the magic that was Wichita Falls. I attended San Jacinto and Carrigan elementary schools, as well as Reagan Junior High, and belonged to the Boys Club on 6th Street. Please join, and share your stories and pictures through a Guest Blog, of early Wichita Falls - or your home town. Contact me at fadingshadows40@gmail.com or leave a comment. We could use old pictures of movie houses, drive-in theaters, and other nostalgic pictures related to our youths.

Friday, March 28, 2014

Radio Archives

Next week I will review another serial, one starring my favorite serial heroine, Linda Sterling, so stay tuned. In the meantime, here is another look at the current listings on Radio Archives.
Tom


 
March 28, 2014
 
Always remember, we have 3 ways to order.
1. Website RadioArchives.com
2. Phone 800-886-0551
3. Email Reply to this email with what you want to order. Payment information will be sent to you.
Whichever method you prefer, order by 7:30pm EDT and your order is mailed today!
 
 
 
Crime does not pay...but, during the Great Depression, some might have argued that it DID pay - and pay very well, too. After the 1929 stock market crash, bank failures, Midwestern crop disasters, and mass unemployment became a daunting part of everyday life, resulting in the rise of the bank robber and gangster as folk hero rather than criminal threat. It would take the election of Franklin Roosevelt and the appointment of such charismatic crime fighters as Melvin Purvis, J. Edgar Hoover, and Elliott Ness to finally turn the tide against the criminal element, turning lawmen into heroes and, eventually, the common man against the criminal element.

In the 1930s, radio played a part in stemming the tide against crime - and never more so than in Calling All Cars, one of the earliest and most influential police procedural shows. Dramatizing true crime exploits and introduced by real-life law enforcement officials, Calling All Cars offered the gritty details of criminal activity in true "ripped from the headlines" style. Led by writer/director William N. Robson, the weekly series gave listeners the audio equivalent of a tough, down in the streets Warner Brothers crime drama, complete with car chases, low-life gunmen, high-crime bosses, frightened victims, and criminal cases that often hit very close to home. Kidnappings, petty thefts, murders, prison breaks, bunco schemes...all were raw materials for the creators of each show and details of all these crimes and more were used as the basis for the realistic dramas presented.

The influence of Calling All Cars extended far beyond its six-year run, acting as a blueprint for such later-day radio series as Dragnet and This is Your FBI. And, although this seventy-year-old series may seem a bit primitive to modern-day audiences, listening to the programs today instantly brings to mind such timeless movie classics as The Public Enemy, Little Caesar, and Scarface.


For its entire run, Calling All Cars was sponsored by the Rio Grande Oil Company and their patented brand of "cracked" gasoline. Luckily, thanks to the limited and expensive network lines of the 1930s, recordings of all of the programs were made for redistribution to the Southwestern states. This is marvelous news for radio buffs, since it means that most of the entire run of Calling All Cars still exists for us to enjoy today. Earlier, Radio Archives issued six volumes of the series, with all of the programs transferred directly from the original transcription recordings. Now, we're proud to offer Calling All Cars, Volume 7, a ten hour set which, like our other collections, has been professionally restored for impressive audio fidelity. These rare and exiting shows are sure to occupy a special place in your personal library. 10 hours. $29.98 Audio CDs / $14.99 Download
 
 
Special 50% discount Offer
From the earliest days of broadcasting, radio audiences always loved a "really big show". In December of 1943, a musical variety series that would quickly become one of the most distinguished - and expensive - radio shows on the air debuted on the then newly formed Blue Network. Titled the Radio Hall of Fame, this hour-long Sunday evening offering presented itself as a weekly tribute to the best entertainment then available on stage, in radio, on recordings, and in motion pictures.
 
Sponsored by the Philco Corporation, makers of refrigerators and the largest radio manufacturer in the country, Radio Hall of Fame featured entertainers considered the best of the best then, many still remembered today, including Fred Allen, Bing Crosby, Orson Welles, and many more!
 
Heard today, the Radio Hall of Fame remains outstanding entertainment, reflecting the tastes of the general public during the latter years of World War II. There's never any shortage of talent on hand. And today, in a time when the once-common variety show has completely disappeared from the airwaves, it's fun to return to an era when listeners could literally expect to hear anyone or anything presented in a sixty-minute line-up.
 
The nine broadcasts in Radio Hall of Fame, Volume 2 have been fully and beautifully restored to the best sparkling audio quality possible. These programs are truly a piece of history as well as examples of some of the finest entertainers of the Twentieth Century and belong in any Pop Culture enthusiast's collection! 9 hours. Regular Price $26.98 - Specially priced until April 10 for $13.49 Audio CDs / $6.74 Download
 
 
 
Will Murray's Pulp Classics #47
by Kendell Foster Crossen writing as Richard Foster
Read by James C. Lewis. Liner Notes by Will Murray
 
 
Conceived in 1939 at the behest of the editors of Munsey Publications to compete with the juggernaut that The Shadow had become in print, on radio and in film, The Green Lama was the creation of writer Kendell Foster Crossen, who was asked to conjure up a hero who could lure mystery-minded readers away from The Shadow’s loyal legion of followers.
 
Inspired by a Columbia University student named Theos Casimir Barnardwho had journeyed to far-off Tibet to plumb the occult mysteries of Lamaism, Crossen concocted millionaire Jethro Dumont, who did the same.
 
“I was trying to pick a name somewhat like in sound to Lamont Cranston,” Crossen candidly admitted. “You know what I mean, Lamont-Dumont. It was as close as I dared get to Lamont Cranston. A book had just been published about an American who had gone to Tibet and studied and had become a lama, the only white person who ever had at that time. The result was the Green Lama, which the company liked.”
 
Returning to the States, Dumont assumed an alternative identity of the Buddhist cleric, the Reverend Dr. Pali, then began gathering about him a band of civic-minded citizens to join him in his Buddhistic battle against suffering in all forms—particularly those caused by criminals. And aiding him from the shadows, the mysterious Magga, a woman of many faces who has taken an interest in guiding The Green Lama’s campaign against malefactors.
 
The Green Lama really gets around in this volume. First, he infiltrates the Big Top for the unusual adventure called The Clown Who Laughed! Then, relocating to the Windy City in time for a major political convention, he goes head-to-head with a Fifth Column scheme to conquer America from within in the exciting Case of the Invisible Enemy!
 
James C. Lewis returns in the triple role of Jethro Dumont and his emerald-clad aliases, Reverend Dr. Pali and The Green Lama....Om Mani Padme Hum! The Green Lama Knows! 6 hours $23.98 Audio CDs / $11.99 Download


Robert Weinberg Presents
by Brian Lumley
Read by Nick Santa Maria
 
 
A Necroscope® as defined by Brian Lumley, the British author of The Necroscope® series, is a person with an ESP power that allows him to communicate with the dead. A Necroscope® contacts the minds of corpses, which do not perish at death. Communication is two-way and peaceful. Harry Keogh is the greatest Necroscope® in the world.
 
Harry Keogh: The Plague Years is part of the Necroscope® The Lost Years series. While aimed at those familiar with the Necroscope® novels, it can be understood and enjoyed by newcomers to the series.
 
Harry Keogh is moving on. Though the search for his missing wife and child continues, his heart now lies in Edinburgh with Bonnie Jean—a beautiful Scottish werewolf whose friendly pack and flourishing pub have given him a place he can almost call home. Life has finally taken a turn for the better. Or so he thinks.
 
But from the rocky heights of Sicily, the diabolical Francezci brothers plot the wolf-pack's destruction; and down in the terrible Pit beneath Le Manse Madonie, an ancient evil schemes.
 
The vampire duo conspire. They reach a decision. They choose a pawn who suits their schemes perfectly. Mafia thug Mike Milazzo is no good to anyone, anytime, anywhere. That makes him perfect for their plan. Mike is a nobody. He’s disposable.
 
The brothers infect Mike with a deadly poison—an engineered plague that even a werewolf cannot survive. Then, the two vampires make him an offer that he can’t refuse. Infect the wolf-pack that they hate with the plague, and he will earn a dose of the antidote. Fail to infect the werewolves—and die.
 
Mike has everything to lose. The Francezci brothers control his destiny. But he doesn’t realize that Harry Keogh stands in his path. The Necroscope® lost everything he held dear once before. He does not plan to let that happen again! 6 hours $23.98 Audio CDs / $11.99 Download
 
 
Robert Weinberg's photo gallery

Bob Weinberg with Brian and Barbara Ann (Silky) Lumley at a World Fantasy Convention.
 
 
New Will Murray's Pulp Classics eBooks
 
The best of timeless Pulp now available as cutting edge eBooks! Will Murray's Pulp Classics brings the greatest heroes, awesome action, and two fisted thrills to your eReader! Presenting Pulp Icons such as the Spider and G-8 and His Battle Aces as well as wonderfully obscure characters like the Octopus and Captain Satan. Will Murray's Pulp Classics brings you the best of yesterday's Pulp today!
 
Only Richard Wentworth knew how pitifully duped were the thousands of innocent New Yorkers, including the entire Police Department, who fervently took up Barnum Wright’s battle cry against Crime! How could the Spider prove that Wright’s Benevolent Order of Americans was actually the Underworld’s New Front in pseudo-patriotic garb — when he lay close to death with a bullet in his spine... and the B.O.A. was already hanging Nita as a spy! Total Pulp Experience. These exciting pulp adventures have been beautifully reformatted for easy reading as an eBook and features every story, every editorial, and every column of the original pulp magazine. $2.99.

Dime Mystery Magazine Arthur Leo Zagat Book 3
In 1934 a new type of magazine was born. Known by various names — the shudder pulps, mystery-terror magazines, horror-terror magazines — weird menace is the sub-genre term that has survived today. Dime Mystery Magazine was one of the most popular. It came from Popular Publications, whose publisher Harry Steeger was inspired by the Grand Guignol theater of Paris. This breed of pulp story survived less than ten years, but in that time, they became infamous, even to this day. This ebook contains a collection of stories from the pages of Dime Mystery Magazine, all written by Arthur Leo Zagat reissued for today’s readers in electronic format. $2.99.

The Red Scourge of the Western Front is fought to the death by G-8 and his Battle Aces and the ghosts of War still shudder as they recall the Bloody Wings of the Vampire! G-8 and his Battle Aces rode the nostalgia boom ten years after World War I ended. These high-flying exploits were tall tales of a World War that might have been, featuring monster bats, German zombies, wolf-men, harpies, Martians, and even tentacled floating monsters. Most of these monstrosities were the work of Germany’s seemingly endless supply of mad scientists, chief of whom was G-8’s recurring Nemesis, Herr Doktor Krueger. G-8 battled Germany’s Halloween shock troops for over a decade, not ceasing until the magazine folded in the middle of World War II. G-8 and his Battle Aces return in vintage pulp tales, reissued for today’s readers in electronic format. $2.99.
 
Double Detective March 1943 The Green Lama #14 The Case of the Beardless Corpse
The Green Lama embarks on his greatest case — to outwit the strange killer who shaves his victim after he’s dead and plants clues for the police before he kills! The jade-robed Buddhist priest who battled crime as The Green Lama is back! Conceived in 1939 at the behest of the editors of Munsey Publications to compete with The Shadow, it was an outlandish concept. While The Shadow possessed the power to cloud men’s minds after his time in the East, The Green Lama relied on other, even weirder, powers — including the ability to become radioactive and electrically shock opponents into submission! He carried a traditional Tibetan scarf, which he employed to bind and befuddle opponents, and possessed a knowledge of vulnerable nerve centers which he put to good use in hand-and-hand combat. Om Mani Padme Hum! The Green Lama knows! The Green Lama returns in vintage pulp tales, reissued for today’s readers in electronic format. $2.99.
 

99 cent eBook Singles
Each 99 cent eBook Single contains a single short story, one of the many tales selected from the pages of Dime Mystery and Terror Tales. These short stories are not included in any of our other eBooks.

If Brown could be free of the too-familiar voice that would never let him rest, he would give up everything he owned — even life! In 1934 a new type of magazine was born. Known by various names — the shudder pulps, mystery-terror magazines, horror-terror magazines — weird menace is the sub-genre term that has survived today. Dime Mystery Magazine was one of the most popular. It came from Popular Publications, whose publisher Harry Steeger was inspired by the Grand Guignol theater of Paris. This breed of pulp story survived less than ten years, but in that time, they became infamous, even to this day. This ebook contains a classic story the pages of Dime Mystery Magazine, reissued for today’s readers in electronic format$0.99.
 
Before all those gay young guests, my host asked me to leave the party for a moment — for a short drive into eternity! In 1934 a new type of magazine was born. Known by various names — the shudder pulps, mystery-terror magazines, horror-terror magazines — weird menace is the sub-genre term that has survived today. Dime Mystery Magazine was one of the most popular. It came from Popular Publications, whose publisher Harry Steeger was inspired by the Grand Guignol theater of Paris. This breed of pulp story survived less than ten years, but in that time, they became infamous, even to this day. This ebook contains a classic story the pages of Dime Mystery Magazine, reissued for today’s readers in electronic format$0.99.
 
“He should feel better,” Johnny said, “now that he knows his coffin isn’t going to waste...” In 1934 a new type of magazine was born. Known by various names — the shudder pulps, mystery-terror magazines, horror-terror magazines — weird menace is the sub-genre term that has survived today. Dime Mystery Magazine was one of the most popular. It came from Popular Publications, whose publisher Harry Steeger was inspired by the Grand Guignol theater of Paris. This breed of pulp story survived less than ten years, but in that time, they became infamous, even to this day. This ebook contains a classic story the pages of Dime Mystery Magazine, reissued for today’s readers in electronic format$0.99.
 
“Destroyed, before my eyes! Burned! You burned my life, my soul!” In 1934 a new type of magazine was born. Known by various names — the shudder pulps, mystery-terror magazines, horror-terror magazines — weird me most popular. It came from Popular Publications, whose publisher Harry Steeger was inspired by the Grand Guignol theater of Paris. This breed of pulp story survived less than ten years, but in that time, they became infamous, even to this day. This ebook contains a classic story from the pages of Terror Tales magazine, reissued for today’s readers in electronic format. $0.99.
 
 
All eBooks produced by Radio Archives are available in ePub, Mobi, and PDF formats for the ultimate in compatibility. When you upgrade to a new eReader, you can transfer your eBooks to your new device without the need to purchase anything new.
 
 
by Will Murray and Lester Dent, writing as Kenneth Robeson
 
When a brazen adventuress tries to hire Doc Savage for a secret mission—but won’t tell him why—it lights the fuse for one of the most explosive exploits ever to involve the Man of Bronze.
 
Who is Hornetta Hale? Why does she need to rent Doc’s private submarine? And who is so determined to eliminate her that they destroy Doc Savage’s skyscraper headquarters in the process?
 
From Manhattan Island to the Caribbean Sea, Doc and his fighting crew chase the most violent gang of criminals they have ever encountered in a desperate race to unlock the secret of Phantom Lagoon. Or are they more than mere criminals? Softcover $24.95
 
by Will Murray and Lester Dent, writing as Kenneth Robeson
 
The world believed that aviator Tom Franklin was dead. Years before, he had set out on a pioneering transpacific flight alone—and vanished!
 
When he returned, as it from the grave, Franklin and a mysterious woman flew a battered plane that had been repaired with plates of pure gold. Desperately seeking the help of Doc Savage, the mighty Man of Bronze, Franklin and his curvaceous charge fall into the clutches of diamond smuggler Blackbird Hinton and his cutthroat crew—but not before the bronze adventurer hears of their plight.
 
From Manhattan to Cape Town ensues a quest as dangerous as any in recorded history. One that will embroil the compassionate yet hard-fisted Doc Savage and his resourceful men in a raging struggle for control of one of history’s most closely guarded mysteries.The lost secret of Python Isle! Softcover $24.95
 
A special issue celebrating the origin of the Master of Men! First, it's the story that started it all: "The Spider Strikes", from The Spider Magazine, Issue #1, released in October of 1933. In this epic adventure, join Richard Wentworth III (alias The Spider), along with his fiancee Nita van Sloan and his faithful servants, as they struggle to save the nation from a criminal genius. Introduced here is the secret of The Spider's seal and many of the tricks and devices that will serve him so well in the many stories to come. Next, in "Satan's Workshop" (1937), who is kidnapping and extorting money from the city's wealthiest men and most beautiful women? Was it science or sorcery that gave an ordinary and healthy man a severe case of leprosy? While the police close in on The Spider's secret identity, the villainous Doc seems immune from police prosecution, but not from web of The Spider! These two exciting pulp adventures have been beautifully reformatted for easy reading and feature both of the original full color covers as well as interior illustrations that accompany each storyDouble Novel Reprint $14.95
 
The Knight of Darkness returns in three historic novels that gave birth to Batman. First, a powerful new underworld kingpin crosses swords with The Shadow in "Lingo", one of Walter Gibson's all-time masterpieces, which introduces The Shadow's customized boomerang that inspired the Batarang. Then, in "Partners of Peril", Theodore Tinsley's startlingly bat-haunted tale reprinted here for the first time, Lamont Cranston investigates chemical syndicate murders in the crime thriller that served as the model for Batman's debut adventure in Detective Comics #27. This extra-length volume also reprints Tinsley's "The Grim Joker", a 1936 tale featuring a clown-faced crime boss called The Joker. Popular culture historian Will Murray documents the Shadowy origins of Batman, while series editor Anthony Tollin chronicles how "Partners of Peril" was adapted as the first Batman story. This classic pulp collection also features George Rozen's arresting pulp covers and all the original interior art by acclaimed illustrator Tom Lovell - including a lost double-page "Partners of Peril" spread. Double Novel Reprint $12.95
 
Pulp fiction's legendary Man of Bronze returns in two of his most engrossing adventures. In "The Majii", a living dead man lures Doc Savage into an Aladdin's cavern of horror. Then, "The Golden Man" tests the scientific wizardry of the Man of Bronze, exposing deep secrets of Doc Savage's strange origins. These classic pulp thrillers are reproduced with the original color pulp covers by Walter Baumhofer and Emery Clarke, interior illustrations by Paul Orban, and articles by pulp historian Will MurrayDouble Novel Reprint $12.95
 
The Knight of Darkness battles saboteurs and Fifth Columnists in two classic prewar tales of espionage by Walter B. Gibson and Theodore Tinsley writing as "Maxwell Grant." First, The Shadow teams with Myra Reldon and the real Lamont Cranston to defeat Velma Thane and her international "Spy Ring." Then, America's future hangs in the balance as Nazi saboteurs of "The White Column" attempt to cripple our nation's military defenses! BONUS: a Shadow espionage thriller from the Golden Age of Radio PLUS a classic adventure of Sheridan Doome, Naval Investigator by Steve Fisher writing as "Stephen Gould." This deluxe pulp reprint showcases the original color pulp covers by Graves Gladney, the classic interior illustrations by Edd Cartier and Earl Mayan and historical commentary by Will Murray. Double Novel Reprint $14.95

The pulp era's legendary superman returns in exotic pulp thrillers by Laurence Donovan and Lester Dent writing as "Kenneth Robeson." First, the capture of Renny by African warriors of the mysterious Shimba propels Doc and Patricia Savage on a daring rescue mission to "The Land of Long JuJu." Then, in "Se-Pah-Poo," the bizarre murder of an archeologist in Arizona and a withered hand lead the Man of Bronze and his aides to an ancient lost city! BONUS: a two-fisted adventure of Cap Fury, The Skipper! This instant collector's item leads off with the classic 1937 color pulp cover by Robert G. Harris and also includes all the original interior illustrations by Paul Orban plus historical commentary by Will Murray, author of thirteen Doc Savage novels. Double Novel Reprint $14.95

The pulps' legendary "Man of Steel" returns in three action-packed pulp thrillers by Paul Ernst and Emile Tepperman writing as "Kenneth Robeson." First, Justice, Inc. must unmask a serial murderer before "The Wilder Curse" claims further innocent victims. Then, a deadly plane crash sets Dick Benson on the trail of the incredible new .. invention behind "Midnight Murder." PLUS "To Kill a Dead Man," the final Avenger thriller from the back pages of The Shadow Magazine by Spider-scribe Emile Tepperman! This classic pulp reprint showcases the classic color pulp covers by Lenosci and A. Leslie Ross, Paul Orban's interior illustrations and commentary by pulp historian Will Murray. Double Novel Reprint $14.95

The double life of Police Commissioner James Gordon is explored in a pair of two-fisted thrillers that inspired classic Batman stories! First, The Whisperer goes undercover to close down a “School for Murder” that prepares teenagers for criminal careers! Then, Wildcat Gordon investigates corruption in the trucking industry in“Murder on the Line.” BONUS: an adventure of Norgil the Magician by The Shadow’s Maxwell Grant! This historic collector’s item showcases both original color pulp covers by Spider artist John Newton Howitt, classic interior illustrations by Paul Orban and golden-age great Creig Flessel, and historical commentary by Will Murray and Anthony Tollin. Double Novel Reprint $14.95

This is an authentic replica of an original pulp magazine published by Girasol Collectables. This edition is designed to give the reader an authentic taste of what a typical pulp magazine was like when it was first issued - but without the frailty or expense of trying to find a decades-old collectable to enjoy. The outer covers, the interior pages, and the advertisements are reprinted just as they appeared in the original magazine, left intact to give the reader the true feel of the original as well as an appreciation for the way in which these publications were first offered to their avid readers. To further enhance the “pulp experience”, this edition is printed on off-white bond paper intended to simulate the original look while, at the same time, assuring that this edition will last far longer than the original upon which it is based. The overall construction and appearance of this reprint is designed to be as faithful to the original magazine as is reasonably possible, given the unavoidable changes in production methods and materials. Pulp Replica $35.00
 
 
 
 

Just downloaded the Spider eBooks #21-40 for the cost of a single Spider pulp forty years ago. Excellent.
 
Phil Brantingham writes:
Every Old Time Radio fan owes Radio Archives sincere thanks for the work you are doing. I'm glad also that the programs are on CD and packaged beautifully.
 
James Lewis writes:
You did a stellar job cleaning up the surface noise on the "Inner Sanctum" discs
 
If you'd like to share a comment with us or if you have a question or a suggestion send an email to Service@RadioArchives.com. We'd love to hear from you!

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