"The name's Gambit, mon ami. Remember it." X-Men thoughts, related to X-Men '97

There are spoilers for X-Men '97 in this post.

I was skeptical of the X-Men '97 program when I heard about it; I certainly didn't intend to watch it. Still, I was aware that buzz was growing online after its debut a few weeks ago and I thought... after all... what harm could it do?

X-Men '97 is a continuation of the X-Men animated program that aired on Fox Kids in the 1990s. I enjoyed the 1990s program for the most part - I found the animation a bit crude (especially after I started watching the Bruce Timm Batman series) but I won't deny I was thrilled to see a major Marvel super hero in animated adventures that were helping raise the X-Men's profile around the world.

Still, why bring it back? Why not put that passion into a new animated X-Men program that kids in the 2020s might be interested in, rather than appeal to old guys who should have better things to do than watch a continuation of a favoured kids' show from their youth? Haven't comics themselves suffered greatly from fans' unwillingness to age out of the hobby? I mean, the comics themselves already produced a sequel to the 1990s cartoon that was written by Chris Sims... and that's all you needed to hear about that.

Going in, I was prepared for a nostalgia fest (and it is; they indulge in a recreation of the 90s X-Men arcade game for no good reason other than nostalgia). I was prepared to cringe. I don't think I was prepared to like it.

There's a moment in the first episode that cemented it for me. The X-Men's Blackbird jet is destroyed mid-air by a Sentinel. The X-Men must then use their powers to save each other from falling to their deaths. That's a pretty standard set-up for a super hero comic action set piece (in fact, the all-new all-different X-Men team faced that scenario way back in their 2nd adventure, X-Men #95). It climaxes with Cyclops using his optic blasts to slow his descent, an unusual means of demonstrating his power and control.

I was reminded of the scene in the film Iron Man 3 where Iron Man rescued people falling from an aircraft. Not just because of the similarity of the scenario, but because it called upon the hero to be resourceful (and for the film to demonstrate clear visual storytelling). As I say, scenarios like these were pretty typical in the comic books I grew up with; I see a lot fewer of them now - action scenes where the characters use their powers in ways that are creative and make sense according to the situation they find themselves in; opportunities to test characters and demonstrate something of their capabilities and even personalities; a situation that calls for a good command of visual storytelling rather than characters posing at each other while talking.

In which Michael imagines a typical X-Men comic book storytelling conference:

Writer: "Ugh, an action scene. I don't want to write an action scene."
Artist: "Nor do I care to draw one."
Writer: "Path of least resistance: they pose at each other in a double-page spread. Reader assumes the fight happened between panels."
Artist: "Whatever fills the pages works for me."
Writer: "That reminds me, I need to fill a data page. Maybe I'll quote Orwell. Or present nothing but redacted text."

I don't wish to join the chorus saying that the X-Men comics haven't been very good since Grant Morrison left 20 years ago - there have been outliers. It's just, they were outliers - not usually the main X-Men title. For the last 20 years the comic book counterparts have been trapped in their own storytelling engine. Usually the X-Men seem to be either fighting each other, fighting a faceless army or fighting someone so powerful they're practically a deity. The franchise has felt unmoored to me - ungrounded. Claremont's X-Men comics set up a template many other writers could use; when he was shown the door, his successors proved they could keep the books going through imitating his formula. But after Morrison broke the engine (or perhaps, after "M-Day" broke the engine) the massive cast of characters seem to have meandered, trapped in a shrinking universe with fewer and fewer new stories to tell, instead going through worn out tropes (an X-Man betrays the team! but they're a popular character so the team will get over it eventually; an X-Man dies! but so what, no one stays dead; the team breaks into factions with different philosophies and even fight each other! big whoop, they'll all be friends again when the next writer arrives).

X-Men '97 reminded me that, yeah, the X-Men are fun. They're interesting characters to spend time with. They have unique personalities, they clash over particular matters, they have different fighting styles... and they have a colorful rogue's gallery of enemies who have an interesting set of personalities too (Mojo maybe not so much). X-Men '97 reminded me... man, it's not that hard to tell a X-Men story that feels like a proper X-Men story. They made me feel for these characters again; even killing Gambit stirred me, despite all the comics have done to treat death with indifference (the present Krakoa age in the comics abolished death as any other than temporary inconvenience).

Many performers from the 1990s X-Men have reprised their voices, which is a little surprising. Cal Dodd's Wolverine sounds mostly the same, albeit weathered by age - although that kinda suits the character. I found Alison Sealy-Smith's imperious performance of Storm on the 1990s program off-putting (I think it drove me to dislike the comics version of Storm as well) but she seems to have a better balance now, less of the faux-Thor speech helps. The sheer number of returning performers is impressive considering more than 25 years have passed; even those who've aged out of their old roles have been recast into other characters for the new show.

For all that X-Men '97 is nostalgia bait for old men, I think new viewers might like it too; they'll probably have to watch the 1990s show first, though, and that might not appeal to them.

Radio Recap: Lady Esther Presents Orson Welles

As many of my "Radio Recaps" have indicated, I've been immersed in the old-time radio hobby for many years now. I'm still amazed when I discover a program that I didn't know about but feel that I should have known about. Such a program is Lady Esther Presents Orson Welles.

When I first heard an episode of Lady Esther Presents Orson Welles I was dumbfounded; I love Orson Welles' work and this came out during a particularly strong peak of his radio talent. How had I missed this series before? The answer is... we old-time radio hobbyists can be a little inconsistent. Depending on which radio log or archive you turned to, Lady Esther Presents Orson Welles was either categorized as Screen Guild Theater, Orson Welles Theater, Mercury Theatre or even Orson Welles Alamanac! But Lady Esther Presents Orson Welles is truly its own series that needs to be separated out from other (related) programs.

Lady Esther Presents Orson Welles ran just a few months on CBS - September 15, 1941 to February 2, 1942. This came after CBS' fruitful partnerships with Welles on the Mercury Theatre on the Air and the Campbell Playhouse, but shifted him from an hour-long format to a half-hour one (which became the typical length for his radio shows thereon). Like those earlier programs, the series featured adaptations of popular works, particularly a few to which Welles was very warm towards ("I'm a Fool" was one he'd done before; "the Apple Tree" and "the Happy Prince" would both be dramatized again). However, the series also looked ahead to the format he'd adopt in the Orson Welles Radio Almanac where he would recite poetry and randomly share odd facts from an almanac.

The first few Lady Esther Presents Orson Welles programs are particulary odd as they feature Cliff Edwards reprising his character of Jiminy Cricket from Disney's Pinocchio, appearing on the program as Welles' conscience, reminding him of things he should share with the listening audience. They're very bizarre asides and I don't think they're successful, but at least they demonstrate the playful side of Orson Welles.

Welles was joined by a lot of familiar voices such as Joseph Cotten, Ray Collins, Dolores Del Rio and the music of Bernard Herrmann. Some of the programs featured original stories, such as the very good "That's Why I Left You" by John Nesbitt concerning a man's fable as to why he left his wife. There's a terrific adaptation of Saki's "the Interlopers" and the very funny "Maysville Minstrel" by Ring Lardner. Fans of Escape will notice there's an adaptation of "Wild Oranges"; I'm not particularly wild about that story to begin with and I find Welles' adaptation a bit tedious - the Escape was at least trying to be a fast-paced action story, while the Welles adaptation is concerned with despair and heartbreak.

But the most historically interesting episode of Lady Esther Presents Orson Welles is one we don't currently have: the debut broadcast of Lucille Fletcher's story "The Hitchhiker" aired on November 17, 1941. Welles later performed in the famed Suspense version but it would be great to hear that missing broadcast.

Truly, though, as an Orson Welles and Mercury Theatre fan, I would be very happy to hear more from this series. The few fragments we do possess demonstrate Welles and his contributors at their best.

We have only a few full episodes of this program, although various short excerpts from episodes are in circulation which suggests full copies of those episodes might yet emerge. There's a very good collection of Lady Esther Presents Orson Welles at the Internet Archive.

Radio Recap: The World Adventurers Club

The World Adventurers Club was a 15-minute syndicated program released in 1932. It was an anthology program in which the premise was that a group of world travelers would meet together at their club. Soon after the episode start (and some barbershop quartet singing around a piano) the club members would prompt one of their number to share a story about their adventures, whereupon the drama would begin in earnest.

The stories related in the World Adventurers Club were set around the world - in Africa, Russia, Europe, sometimes in the United States itself. The cast were never identified but you can recognize a lot of familiar early radio performers in the recordings, such as Hanley Stafford, Gale Gordon and Frank Nelson.

The program is hampered by being an early program, made before sound effects were fully utilized. Exotic locales on radio really depend on audio effects to bring them to life, but World Adventurers Club seemed only able to create the sound of wind or gunshots, precious little else.

But the program's biggest drawback is its very premise. The adventurers have an unmistakably colonialist air about them. The people in the places they visit are very much "the other." And there's plenty of stinky racism to be found all over the series. In the episode indicated as #1, "the Headhunters of Papua," the protagonist-narrator of the story declares early on, "We didn't have to depend upon natives and that was a blessing as I never can get black boys to work hard for me." In another episode the protagonist distrusts his guide because the man is only half-white and therefore treacherous - which, indeed, he is. Another episode is centered on how all Chinese men want to kidnap and control white women. It's noxious, even for its time. There are only a few episodes where the adventurers are pit against nature and the elements - usually they fight with whoever the locals happen to be. In one episode a black man sacrifices his life to save the protagonist, who goes on and on about how noble he was; the only way a non-white character gets any props in the series is by dying for his "betters."

I wanted to like The World Adventurers Club because I have a love for world-spanning adventure tales (Escape being radio's best such program). But I can't simply say the World Adventurers Club is a show "of its time." Even in 1932, it would have been recognized as encouraging racist old tropes.

You can hear the Old Time Radio Researchers' collection of the World Adventurers Club at the Internet Archive.

SIM Canada Page Has Resumed!

I'm please to state that I am once again online with a SIM Canada page; going forward, my mission work in Angola will be alongside my wife Bethany and the new page therefore covers both of and discusses our 2023 plans to work in Angola. visit our SIM Canada page here!

Radio Recap: Tales of Tomorrow

Science fiction for adults broke into the mainstream in the 1950s and on the radio, the major networks each made attempts at the genre in early 1950. However, CBS' Beyond Tomorrow lasted only 3 weeks; Mutual's 2000 Plus and NBC's Dimension X each lasted 1 year; it wasn't until NBC's X Minus One arrived in 1955 that at last a science fiction program for adults settled in for a lengthy run.

Yet in the middle of those programs we have Tales of Tomorrow on ABC. Tales of Tomorrow is one of the rare instances of a television program being adapted to radio; the television version ran on ABC from 1951-1953. It was early science fiction, broadcast live. Many episodes still exist and although they're crude, Tales of Tomorrow retains some affection among science fiction fans as a pioneering piece of television science fiction. The radio version of Tales of Tomorrow popped up during the television version's final year. ABC ran the series only briefly from January 1 to April 9, 1953. It was sponsored by Galaxy Magazine, who had previously sponsored NBC's Dimension X (and later X Minus One).

The series was hosted by Raymond Edward Johnson as "Omentor." Johnson was, of course, the original host of Inner Sanctum Mysteries which gives the program a bit of campiness. The frequent use of trombone music also seems to suggest that ABC wanted the show to be received as a light-hearted program. A lot of familiar radio actors such as Leon Janney and Lawson Zerbe appeared in the productions. The list of episodes are (surviving episodes underlined):

1. January 1, 1953: "Made to Measure" by William C. Gault
2. January 8, 1953: "The Biography Project" by Dudley Dell
3. January 15, 1953: "Betelgeuse Bridge" by William Tenn
4. January 22, 1953: "The Other Now" by Murray Leinster
5. January 29, 1953: "The Stars Are the Styx" by Theodore Sturgeon
6. February 5, 1953: "Syndrome Johnny" by Katherine MacLean
7. February 12, 1953: "The Unimars Plot"
8. February 19, 1953: "Watchbird" by Robert Sheckley
9. February 26, 1953: "Inside Earth" by Poul Anderson
10. March 5, 1953: "The Moon Is Green" by Fritz Leiber
11. March 12, 1953: "Martians Never Die" by Lucius Daniel
12. March 19, 1953: "The Girls from Earth" by Frank M. Robinson
13. March 26, 1953: "The Old Die Rich" by H. L. Gold
14. April 2, 1953: "Morrow on Mars"
15. April 9, 1953: "The Drop" by John Christopher

Episodes with authors were adapted from stories in Galaxy Magazine; the two without authors appear to be original works.

If you know X Minus One you'll recognize a few episode titles from that series. I'm afraid those episodes that we can compare don't come off very well for Tales of Tomorrow. For example, "the Old Die Rich" was adapted on both shows; the X Minus One version features a protagonist who is forced to travel into the past to help a scientist amass a fortune through bets and investments. When he's brought back to the present and feels hungry he realizes since food can't be brought through time, the scientist intends to starve him to death. That's a great revelation in the radio drama, but it doesn't play as well in the Tales of Tomorrow version. In that series (which is much more faithful to Gold's original Galaxy story) the protagonist comes back from the past, then agrees to journey into the future to perform a heist. Once in the future, he quickly meets people who know all about the scientist's plans and tell him how to defeat the scientist. It's much less interesting than the X Minus One version because the protagonist lacks agency, requiring other characters to explain the villain's plot and what the stakes are; I much prefer the X Minus One version, where the protagonist surmises the stakes on his own.

But that's not to dismiss Tales of Tomorrow entirely -- "The Other Now" is a particularly good drama about a man whose wife dies in a car accident; the grieving husband soon discovers there's an alternate timeline where he was the one who died and becomes obsessed with piercing the void into the timeline where his wife still lives. I also enjoyed "Watchbird" in which mechanical constructs are built to police crimes but cause all kinds of new problems because they don't understand nuances.

You can hear the 7 surviving episodes of Tales of Tomorrow at the Old-Time Radio Researchers' Library.

RIP: Trina Robbins

Comic book writer and artist Trina Robbins died yesterday, aged 85. She was the partner of comic book artist Steve Leialoha.

I didn't begin to take notice of Robbins until after I became a Sax Rohmer fan and went hunting for an adaptation of his novel Dope that was serialized in Eclipse magazine and Eclipse Monthly. Robbins was the artist and adaptor of Rohmer's story and I found her art very appealing - intended for a mature audience, but drawn with simple lines evocative of Dan DeCarlo or Herge.

In time, I learned Robbins was a major historian in the comics community, especially in highlighting the history of female protagonists and female comic book creators. When Marvel began offering a number of anthologies with all-female creative teams (such as Girl Comics), Robbins was involved in those works which I felt lent them credence and continuity.

Rest in peace, Ms. Robbins.

Radio Recap: Beyond Tomorrow

Beyond Tomorrow was almost a triumph in radio history... but for some reason, it failed to launch.

Beyond Tomorrow was a CBS program produced by William N. Robson (Escape and Suspense), with consultations from John Campbell, the publisher of Astounding Science Fiction and would-be kingmaker of the science fiction genre. The series produced a pilot broadcast of "The Outer Limit" (under the series title Beyond This World), a story which Robson had just produced for Escape in February 1950 then broadcast just 3 episodes in April of 1950. From a certain perspective, Beyond Tomorrow was a spin-off of Escape. The three episodes were:

1. April 5, 1950: "Requiem" by Robert A. Heinlein
2. April 11, 1950: "Incident at Switchpath" by Theodore Sturgeon
3. April 18, 1950: "The Outer Limit" by Graham Doar

As John Dunning put it in his book On the Air, Beyond Tomorrow "almost became radio's first science fiction series for adults." It had great promise behind it - one of radio's top producers, participation from one of science fiction's great magazines and stories of top caliber. Yet it fizzled.

I'd like to hear the story behind this - perhaps somewhere it was stated why CBS didn't continue with the program. It seems like one possibility is that the same month Beyond Tomorrow launched, NBC started their terrific program Dimension X. Perhaps radio audiences had enough fascination with science fiction to support one radio anthology program, but not two.

You can hear the 3 episodes of Beyond Tomorrow at the Internet Archive.

The Best of the Whistler

You can find plenty of synopses online for episodes of the Whistler but very few recommendations on what the program's best episodes were. I feel it's important for fans of the series (such as myself) to discuss which episodes are the best because even if you've heard every episode, it's hard to recall which episode is which. Unlike, say, Suspense, there are no episodes with major Hollywood stars that are easy to identify. There are almost no adaptations of works by famous authors. The titles themselves are frequently a one-word statement that tells the uninitiated very little. Consequently, it becomes very hard to remember which episode is which; which episode is "the one where ______ happened at the end?" You're not liable to get the surprise endings spoiled for you online. And many synopses tell you little more than "in this one a man embezzles from his employer; in this one, a man plots to murder his wife" which are stock premises on the Whistler.

My pick for the best episode of the Whistler is "Letter from Cynthia" (December 25, 1949). This to me is an excellent instance which showcases what makes the Whistler different from other shows that boast of having a "surprise ending." The story ends with the protagonist choosing against committing a crime - which is itself unusual for a mystery-crime series - but then he receives a surprise he didn't anticipate.

But there are many other episodes from the 13-year run which are worth celebrating. Here's the rest of my picks for the best of the Whistler (all links lead to YouTube videos from the Old-Time Radio Researchers' collection):

• "Practically Foolproof" (September 3, 1944) The owners of a community lending library plot a theft and intend to force a midget to become their accomplice.
• "Danger Is a Beautiful Blonde" (March 5, 1945) A man is forced to assist a woman in disposing of her husband's body and later finds himself accused of the crime!
• "What Makes a Murderer?" (August 13, 1945) A man escapes from his life and creates a new identity, but then his wife turns up in pursuit.
• "Sing a Song of Murder" (September 17, 1945) A pop singer schemes to eliminate his greedy manager and give himself a perfect alibi.
• "Death Laughs Last" (October 8, 1945) A man sends a letter to a newspaper confessing his crimes but after changing his plans has a difficult time retrieving the letter.
• "Murder in Haste" (February 25, 1946) A killer on the run chooses to assume the identity of a mystery author.
• "Boomerang" (March 11, 1946) As the "doorbell killer" terrorizes a neighborhood, one woman's husband seems to be continually incriminating himself as the perpetrator.
• "Quiet Sunday" (June 10, 1946) A man murders his wife, puts her body in the trunk of his car then sets off for their cabin to dispose of her.
• "Brief Pause for Murder" (August 26, 1946) A radio announcer schemes to kill his wife without missing a broadcast, thanks to blackmailing a sound engineer into substituting a recording of his live broadcast.
• "A Present for Ricky" (October 7, 1946) A dancer who knows his career is coming to an end is resolved to eliminate his dance partner and implicate the man who's been trying to woo her away from him.
• "The Two Lives of Colby Fletcher" (July 9, 1947) A man schemes to fake his death by supplying a substitute body.
• "The Girl Next Door" (August 20, 1947) A movie star clashes with her boyfriend's sister, then has to cover up murdering the sister.
• "Curtain Call" (August 27, 1947) An actor plans to arrange a perfect alibi for murder by placing himself on a train trip.
• "The Big Prison" (November 5, 1947) A man in Alaska murders his hunting party then attempts to flee back south before he's discovered.
• "Conspiracy" (September 29, 1948) As a flood nears his wife's home, a reporter murders her, thinking the flood waters will cover up all evidence; unfortunately for him, there's an eyewitness.
• "Whirlpool" (October 10, 1948) A woman rescues a man from the ocean and asks him to impersonate her husband in a scheme to steal a fortune. He agrees but plans to be the only one collecting.
• "Murder in Paradise" (November 28, 1948) A piano player can't resist his new employer's wife, which prompts him into committing murder.
• "Fatal Fraud" (May 22, 1949) An actor is recruited to impersonate an executive's voice as part of a heist but his doubts about his accomplice lead to tragedy.
• "Man in the Storm" (February 18, 1951) A crooked municipal employee fears that if a building is destroyed in a flood his insurance scam will be revealed.
• "Seattle, Take Three" (May 27, 1951) A crook tries to flee town by taking a ride with a motorist but his girlfriend insists on joining them.

We don't seem to have a complete archive of the Whistler all in one place. You can find most existing episodes in the Old Time Radio Researchers Group's Internet Archive collection. However, there are a few more out there, such as this collection of USAFE recordings.

Good night and good whistling.

Radio Recap: The Whistler

"I am the Whistler. And I know many things, for I walk by night. I know many strange tales, hidden in the hearts of men and women who have stepped into the shadows. Yes, I know the nameless terrors of which they dare not speak!

The Whistler was a phenomenal radio mystery anthology series that aired on CBS from May 16, 1942-September 22, 1955. It was a west coast program - and announcer Marvin Miller opened most broadcasts by noting the Whistler was the highest-rated west coast program in radio history. From December 1943 to October 1954, the series was sponsored by Signal Oil, a west coast-based independent chain of gas stations. Signal's sponsorship definitely did a lot to maintain the series' quality.

The Whistler promised a "startling surprise" in each episode. These were not exactly the same sort of twist endings that other programs used. For example, I looked at the show the Diary of Fate in which the criminal was always undone by a mistake they'd made. Once you know the protagonist is always a criminal who always fails, the Diary of Fate becomes very ho-hum. However, although the Whistler was pretty good at punishing guilty people, they were also compassionate towards the innocent; when the protagonist of the Whistler is an innocent person, they're rewarded by the drama.

The narrator - the Whistler himself - was usually played by Bill Forman (the whistling was performed by Dorothy Roberts). The series was created by J. Donald Wilson, who left the show at the end of 1943 (Wilson also worked on mystery shows like Charlie Chan and Nero Wolfe). Wilson was replaced by George W. Allen, who produced and directed the series from then on and is probably most responsible for the program's format. The music was by Wilbur Hatch and the writing staff included John Michael Hayes, Harold Swanton and Joel Malone.

Although the Whistler had Signal Oil sponsoring them, it didn't provide Hollywood star money such as Suspense enjoyed. Instead, the series featured CBS' best performers, including Joseph Kearns, Jack Webb, Elliott Lewis, William Conrad, Gerald Mohr, Jeff Chandler, Cathy Lewis, Lurene Tuttle, Betty Lou Gerson, Paul Frees, Hans Conreid, Howard Duff, Willard Waterman, Virginia Gregg, Lawrence Dobkin, John Dehner, Bill Johnstone and Ben Wright.

Particularly during the early days when J. Donald Wilson ran the program, the Whistler's surprise endings were a bit cumbersome. The twists would be narrated by the Whistler himself instead of being dramatized and they involved considerable reversals and new information. For example, here's how the Whistler delivers the twist ending of the very first episode:

What did he say? 'Things like this just sometimes happen?' Just happen? Well, sometimes they do and can't be explained - but not this time. Oh, no, not this time. This can be explained. Remember John Hendricks' cellmate, Bill? Bill, #1014? He can explain. He knows all about it, because he planned it. Bill wanted the money; he learned all the dope from Hendricks; he sent his pals, the phony spooks made up like the lady and her son to grab the money when Hendricks recovered it. Too bad they dropped it in their hurry to get away. Bill didn't want to hurt John, he wanted to scare him out of it. Remember, Bill #1014 had changed? He said he'd never do things the way he had done them before. And he didn't. Bill meant what he said. Good night.

The George W. Allen years of the program avoided the clunky exposition and was better for it.

The Whistler seldom adapted works from other sources, unlike programs such as Suspense. In fact, aside from using a couple of Suspense scripts ("The Doctor Prescribed Death" and "In Fear and Trembling") the only adaptation I'm aware of is a Christmas program, "Three Wise Guys" adapted from Damon Runyon's story. There's also an episode titled "His Own Reward" that is inspired by the real-life events surrounding Benedict Arnold but otherwise, episodes of the Whistler all tend to sound alike - the same music, narrator, performers and product announcer. The most memorable part of each episode is usually the twist ending.

That's not to say that the Whistler didn't have a life outside the show; it became a film series from 1944-1948 generating 8 motion pictures, plus it became a television series that aired from 1954-1956. And episodes of the Whistler were adapted to Suspense, including "the Search for Maxine" (which became the Suspense episode "Four Hours to Kill"), "Death Carried a Lunch Kit" (became "Lunch Kit"). During the Signal Oil days, the sponsor ran a fun series of limerick contests from July 1949 to April 1950 and featured the best listener-submitted limericks on air. Despite its status as a west coast series, the Whistler became the subject of an episode of the Jack Benny Program on October 20, 1946 in which Jack satirized the series as "the Fiddler." The Whistler reacted to this on their own program the following evening.

There's too much to say about the Whistler to fit into a single blog post. In fact, I wrote a bit about the Whistler in an earlier post. There's also a great Whistler fan site, the Whistler Files, which has helped me fill in a few of the gaps in my listening schedule. But tomorrow I'm going to post again about the Whistler, this time looking at my favourite episodes of the series!

Suspese: The Kettler Method (and the Shadow)

One of the first purchases I ever made for my old-time radio collection was a four-cassette tape set of episodes of Suspense that I found in a Cole's bookstore. The set contains 8 episodes, mostly from the first year of the show's history. Among them was an episode titled "The Kettler Method" which had first aired on September 16, 1942.

The episode concerns a madman named Kettler, a former brain specialist who went insane after a patient died on the operating table. Kettler seizes control of the asylum where he'd been kept and imprisons the head doctor. When a married couple come to visit the doctor, Kettler poses as the head of the asylum. Hearing that the wife has a headache, Kettler decides this is his opportunity to prove the validity of the "Kettler method." To save his wife, the husband masquerades as Kettler's dead patient, wearing bandages to disguise himself.

From the first time I heard the program, it didn't seem quite like what I expected from Suspense. Certainly, the series was only a few months old at the time and hadn't really found its footing... but the plot felt like it belonged to an adventure program. It seemed most like an episode of the Shadow and the more I meditated on that, the more I wondered whether it were related to that program (perhaps a recycled script? or a script rejected by the Shadow?). I suspected that the scene where the husband donned bandages to impersonate the dead man had originally been a scene where Lamont Cranston assumed his ghostly guise as the Shadow. But at the time, I didn't even know who wrote "The Kettler Method" and none of the old-time radio fan sites of the 1990s knew anything about the episode's origins. As recently as 2020, I still couldn't pin this episode down.

I owe it to the terrific Suspense fan site the Suspense Collector's Companion for finally resolving my questions about "The Kettler Method." It turns out the author was Peter Barry, who was indeed a writer for the Shadow. In addition to the Suspense version, this script was used twice on the Shadow!

The first time was as "Nightmare at Gaelsbury" (February 2, 1941) a year before the Suspense broadcast. It's from the era where Lamont Cranston was portrayed by Bill Johnstone and Margo Lane was portrayed by Marjoie Anderson. The script is reasonably the same, with many passages reused in the Suspense version. This time the mad doctor believes he's a follower of Cagliostro and Lamont exploits that by claiming to be Cagliostro when he confronts the doctor as the Shadow. However, there are some interesting differences; in this version, there's a scene where Lamont buys a jacknife as souvenir; this later helps him escape the sanitarium. Further, when Lamont escapes the sanitarium, he climbs over the wall and is promptly arrested by some passing policemen who assume he's an escaped patient (if only Lamont had the power to cloud men's minds so they couldn't see him!).

Six years after the Suspense broadcast, the script was reworked considerably into the Shadow episode "Terror at Wolf's Head Knoll," broadcast February 15, 1948. This is from the era of Bret Morrison as Lamont Cranston and Grace Matthews as Margo Lane. In this version, the mad doctor (with pet bird) and an ally have already escaped imprisonment by the start of the drama; they take over a country house then set up a mirror to cause traffic accidents. Lamont and Margo's car crashes thanks to that stunt and the mad doctor threatens to use his procedures to "cure" Margo's injured foot. It's certainly a major departure from the two earlier versions and replaces one popular Shadow template (Lamont and Margo go to visit a friend) with another (Lamont and Margo's car breaks down, forcing them to visit a spooky mansion). Only a few lines of dialogue recur from the original script but if you follow closely, they are indeed kindred scripts.

Listen to them for yourself on YouTube! The Shadow: "Nightmare at Galesbury"; Suspense: "The Kettler Method"; The Shadow: Terror at Wolf's Head Knoll"

Inner Sanctum: Front Page Murder (lost episode)

Before I first got on the internet in 1998 I had already compiled a list of all the websites I wanted to visit - most of them fan pages, several of them related to old-time radio. I was amazed at all the information available for free online detailing so much data on old-time radio shows. At that time it seemed as though there were definitive authorities on old-time radio; it seemed as though everyone in the hobby agreed on what existed and that the logs provided by Jerry Haendiges were the best measurement of what programs were originally broadcast and what still existed.

Of course, much has changed in the following decades; the hobby is very decentralized now. Haendiges basically hasn't updated his logs since I first got online, meaning his logs are not an accurate representation of what currently exists, nor supplies updated data that researchers have uncovered in the last two decades. The Radio Goldindex is a pretty good authority on what is out there, but when a new program is discovered you have no way of knowing it. Even archives that attempt to be all-inclusive like the Old-Time Radio Researchers' Group don't have everything that's out there - you can find all kinds of programs on YouTube, the Internet Archive and elsewhere that are not in the OTRR vault.

It's a shame, because when a so-called "lost" episode of a popular show is discovered that should be celebrated - but fans like myself only figure out that a lost show has been found by digging around in back chatter. Such as my recent discovery that last month, a missing episode of Inner Sanctum Mysteries titled "Front Page Murder" was uploaded on the Internet Archive.

It's a great little episode with crisp audio and absolutely representative of what we fans of Inner Sanctum Mysteries expect from the program. It concerns a reporter who begins receiving mysterious psychic messages from a woman that lead him to the scenes of crimes committed by "the Claw Man."

If you're a fan of Inner Sanctum Mysteries, you should be aware this episode is available and it's very good! Take a listen and enjoy!

Update: CELTA credentials!

I've alluded before on this blog to the work I've done as an English language teacher while in Angola. Now I'm pleased to report that I'm a qualified graduate of the CELTA program, equipping me as a much finer teacher of English for the future.

RIP: Vernor Vinge

Science fiction author Vernor Vinge passed away yesterday, aged 79.

I'm far from being an expert on contemporary science fiction literature; heck, I'm not that well versed even in the classics of science fiction. Around 2002 or 2003, I was in a group of friends who met regularly to play board games, watch science fiction television shows and chat about comic books. It was from that group that I first learned about Vernor Vinge when they strongly promoted his books to me. It's the only time the group really converged to vouch for a particular author. My friends loaned me his Hugo Award-winning novels A Fire Upon the Deep (1992) and A Deepness in the Sky (1999).

I was hooked; I learned there was a reason why my friends liked to use "Vinge" as a verb (as a replacement for "binge"). His works were dense and highly literate, yet very approachable; not just plot-driven but also very character-driven; heady science fiction concepts (particularly in ideas of relativity).

Those two novels were part of what were called Vinge's "Zones of Thought" books - set in the same universe but with barely any recurring characters. After I enjoyed reading their copies, my friends hooked me up with his short fiction anthology (the Collected Stories of Vernor Vinge) but for some reason they didn't talk up the rest of his works. I did eventually pursue his earlier novels the Peace War (1984) and Marooned in Realtime (1986). I was also pleased to pick up his new novels as they were published - Rainbows End (2006) and Children of the Sky (2011).

I'm disappointed that there won't be any additional works from such a fine author. He's certainly left behind a short but fascinating bibliography. Hopefully he'll be remembered by science fiction fans at large; he'll certainly be remembered by me. Rest in peace, Mr. Vinge.

Radio Recap: Pat Novak, for Hire

Last month I posted a few Radio Recaps about Jack Webb's early efforts in radio, circa 1946. During his early days at ABC's San Francisco station he appeared in programs such as the editorial show One Out of Seven, the comedy program the Jack Webb Show and the dramatic anthology Spotlight Playhouse. But those programs were and are obscure; Webb's biggest pre-Dragnet hit was Pat Novak, for Hire, which began on ABC in August, 1946.

There were 3 phases to Pat Novak, for Hire's years on the radio; the 1st phase was the original run on ABC, from August, 1946 to March, 1947; in the 2nd phase, Ben Morris took over as Pat Novak from March-December, 1947; finally there was the 3rd phase in which Jack Webb returned to the series from February-July 1949. In total there were a little fewer than 100 episodes broadcast but we only have 24 currently; of the 24, just two are from the 1st phase, 4 from the 2nd phase and the other 18 from the 3rd phase.

The 1st phase of Pat Novak, for Hire was apparently very well-received; the fact that the show kept going after Jack Webb left and was popular enough to be revived in 1949 suggests that the 1st phase went down prety well, although it's hard for us to judge today with just the 2 episodes surviving.

Still, if you're familiar with Pat Novak, for Hire, you'll find the 1st phase very familiar, probably due to the presence of writer Richard L. Breen from the start. It features Webb as the titular Pat Novak (often nickname "Patsy" due to his unfortunte tendency to be framed for crimes), who rents boats at the San Francisco waterfront. His job renting boats is seldom important to the plots, although when it does factor in, it's the lead-in to Pat being involved in a crime. Inevitably, someone gets Pat entangled in a complicated criminal plot. The perpertually angry Inspector Helmann gets involved and threatens to throw Pat into prison unless he clears his name. Pat turns to his alcoholic buddy Jocko Madigan (usually played by Tudor Owen), who is more interesting in taunting Pat and making playful banter than solve his problem. By the end, Pat clears his name but nothing else to show for his troubles.

Webb is the anchor to the series in all its forms; Ben Morris did okay during the 2nd phase, but Webb had a unique ability to deliver both tough guy and wise guy dialogue. His monologues in particular had hilarious phrases, unequaled outside of Howard Duff's performance on the Adventures of Sam Spade. One favourite of mine is: "It was pretty dark, so when I bumped into her all I got was a vague outline... She had a good-looking vague outline."

After leaving San Francisco, Webb became a frequent voice on radio. Around 1947 you can hear him as a supporting player on anthology shows such as Suspens, the Whistler and Escape. He also had a recurring role as police officer Lt. LeFevre on the New Adventures of Michael Shayne, a syndicated program. Webb could probably have done well for himself as a radio regular, but he seems to have had higher goals than that - he wanted to write and produce. He reunited with Richard L. Breen to create Johnny Madero, Pier 23 for Mutual, which gave Webb a starring role - but since ABC was still airing Pat Novak, for Hire, that caused some friction between them and Webb (which I mentioned in the linked blog post).

Then in July, 1948, Webb took the lead role on the private eye series Jeff Regan, Investigator for CBS. That series isn't as highly-regarded as Webb's other detective shows but it tided him over for a few more months; Webb left the series at the end of 1948 to return to Pat Novak, for Hire, reunited with Richard L. Breen and Tudor Owen. Joining the cast was Raymond Burr as Inspector Helmann. There's also a recurring female player (possibly Betty Lou Gerson?) who tended to portray a different femme fatale each week (and usually died in Novak's arms by the climax).

Most the enduring reputation held by Pat Novak, for Hire is founded on the programs from the 3rd phase, and it's certainly well-earned. The addition of Burr (who would later join Webb on Dragnet) is extremely welcome. There are plenty of shows with wise guys detectives who frustrate the lead-footed policeman. Helmann is different; he and Novak bantered, but Helmann had limits; when Novak irritated him, he had no problem decking him. The aptly-named Helmann was vicious and brutal, not a clown like, say, Inspector Faraday of Boston Blackie. When Helmann would regularly threaten to use the powers of the police to arrest Novak for a crime he didn't commit, the listener is convinced that Helmann intends to make good on that threat. He's not a pleasant man.

The 1949 Pat Novak, for Hire revival was definitely noticed. At that time, there was no shortage of detective shows on radio so it's all the more remarkable that a small-time show like theirs had people talking. For example, the November 5, 1949 episode of Richard Diamond, Private Detective featured a satire on Pat Novak, for Hire, with what might be the first instance of someone performing their Jack Webb impression for yucks; you can hear that episode on YouTube.

It was during the final months of Pat Novak, for Hire that Webb began appearing on a new NBC program: Dragnet. He'd also later re-team with his pal Richard L. Breen for the series Pete Kelly's Blues; one episode of that series was recycled from Pat Novak, for Hire with only a few changes to the script. Pete Kelly's Blues was certainly the most like Pat Novak, for Hire of all Webb's post-1949 work.

You can hear the Old Time Radio Researchers' collection of Pat Novak, for Hire at the Internet Archive. Again, there's not very much surviving, but what we have is a terrific example of radio drama.

Radio Recap: Island Venture

Here's an odd one.

Island Venture was a radio adventure program that aired over CBS from November 8, 1945 to June 20, 1946. It starred Jerry Walter and Hugh Rowlands as Gil Perry and Trigger Brett, two former US Navy pilots who had taken up post-war work as pilots in the South Seas ("typical of the men of the Navy who fought through victory and now are bringing their courage, their dauntless spirit and their sound Navy training with them into peacetime enterprises"). Each week would find the duo in some sort of light-hearted adventure.

Although the characters of Perry and Brett were peers, Trigger was characterized as being younger and more hot-headed than the level-headed Perry. Consequently, it sounds a lot like a juvenile adventure program, yet marketed to a grown-up audience - as if the people who made Jack Armstrong tried to break into prime time programming. The series was classed up a bit by narrator Ken Nordine, who would describe the tropical surroundings with flowery prose. The adventures themselves were straight out of the pulps, usually featuring superstitious South Seas natives. For instance, one episode concerned a voodoo cult that tried to eliminate Perry and Brett.

However, the oddest factor in Island Venture is the commercial sponsor. The series was sponsored by Wrigley's Spearmint Gum at a time in which Wrigley's was not selling chewing gum! The earliest episodes of Island Venture feature the commerical spokesman pitching a product that was, at that time, unavailable! In the earliest surviving episode, the pitchman starts his commercial by acknowledging that chewing gum is "probably one of the least important [things] to everyone, except the manufacturers of chewing gum." I have never heard a product pitchman talk like that in radio! He goes on to observe that although Wrigley's wasn't available at the time "there are many good chewing gums on the market" and suggests listeners try one of them until their product is back on the market! How often do salesman suggest you try the competitor's product? Unfortunately for Island Venture, it didn't survive long past the return of Wrigley's Spearmint. It sounds like the gum was back on the market by April, 1946 - and they were cancelled by June.

You can hear the 10 surviving episodes of Island Venture at the Old Time Radio Researchers Library.

Radio Recap: Strange

Strange was a 15-minute radio series that was broadcast on ABC in 1955. It dramatized stories of people's encounters with something unusual - something vaguley supernatural.

The series was written and hosted by pulp writer Walter B. Gibson (best-remembered as creator of the Shadow) and he would claim the stories dramatized on Strange were based on real stories. The ghostly events on Strange sound a lot like the type of stories one finds in those big Time-Life books on ghosts. Still, they're very restrained dramas that tried to sound a bit believeable and inexplicable.

It seems only 4 episodes of this program have turned up. You can hear the 4 surviving episodes of Strange at the Old Time Radio Researchers Library.

Radio Recap: I Deal in Crime

I Deal in Crime was a radio mystery program that aired on ABC from January 21, 1946 to October 18, 1947. The series starred William Gargan as private detective Ross Dolan. It was brought back on Mutual as Ross Dolan, Detective and ran from October 25, 1947 until September 4, 1948.

There are only 3 surviving episodes of I Deal in Crime and zero episodes of Ross Dolan, Detective. Based on the three episodes, I found it to be fairly typical of the genre. Dolan is a very typical tough-guy detective and he gets hit over the head about once per half hour.

The program's greatest strength and failing is, I think, Gargan himself. Gargan had a good voice that was appropriate for the genre; he made much of his career playing tough guys. And yet, he wasn't leading man material. I find his radio delivery to be too sleepy, too disinterested. He sounds bored while reading his lines, somehow detached from the drama surrounding him. He followed up this series with another program, Barrie Craig, Confidential Investigator which I find to be about the most boring private eye program in radio. If you like your radio with a tall glass of warm milk, then you probably like Barrie Craig and if so, I Deal in Crime is also fit for your consumption.

You can hear the 3 surviving episodes of I Deal in Crime at the Internet Archive.

Radio Recap: Meet Miss Sherlock

Meet Miss Sherlock was a CBS mystery program that aired on two occasions as a replacement series, first from July-September, 1946 and the second time from September-October, 1947. The series was written by veteran writer E. Jack Neuman.

We have only 2 surviving episodes of Meet Miss Sherlock and they're both from the 1946 version (apparently the 1947 version had a completely different cast). The series starred Sondra Gair as the titular Jane Sherlock and Joe Petruzzi as Peter Blossom, Jane's boyfriend. William Conrad had a recurring part as the local police detective and there were supporting parts by familiar CBS voices like Paul Frees.

Meet Miss Sherlock is not in the same class as other female-led detective shows like Candy Matson. Jane Sherlock was simply an empty-headed blonde dumbbell in the tradition of Gracie Allen. She was an amateur sleuth who would constantly stumble into crimes that her boyfriend (an attorney) would have to solve. She frustrated Conrad's police detective mostly by always greeting with a cute nickname.

It isn't a great radio comedy-detective series; it's basically the same as Mr. and Mrs. North. The presence of talents like Conrad and Frees elevates the material a bit, but the ditzy persona of Miss Sherlock is the most noteworthy aspect of the program.

You can hear the 2 surviving episodes of Meet Miss Sherlock at the Old Time Radio Researchers Library.

RIP: Paul Neary

I've been very busy in recent weeks, but I wanted to note the passing of comic book creator Paul Neary a little more than 2 weeks ago.

Neary was best-known as an artist; he also worked as an editor and he wrote a few stories. Most of his work was published in the UK, but he made a major inroad into US comics when he became the artist of Captain America during writer J. M. DeMatteis' last year on the title (#291-300). In fact, the 1st issue of Captain America I ever owned was Neary's 2nd issue on the series, #292. He drew the series during DeMatteis' big Red Skull story that led up to #300.

Captain America editor Mark Gruenwald assumed the writing duties after DeMatteis and Neary remained on board as artist until issue #331. During that time, Neary helped Gruenwald revitalize the title as they worked especially hard to expand Cap's rogue's gallery, the most significant additions being the Serpent Society and Flag-Smasher. The issue after Neary's departure - #332 - was a major turning point for the series, starting the storyarc in which John Walker became Captain America; Neary's exit helped mark the change in direction.

In time, I think Neary became better-known as an inker than he had been as a penciler. He became Alan Davis' inker for many years and helped make Davis' work on Excalibur so appealing. After Davis, he became Bryan Hitch's inker. I've never been too fond of Hitch's photorealistic approach to comic art, but I credit Neary for making Hitch's work more fluid and rounded (more like Alan Davis, frankly).

Neary will be remembered for his decades of work; Rest in peace, Mr. Neary.

M3 Memories

It had been more than a dozen years since my last visit to the USA; I wasn't particularly eager to see the USA again. At first, when I heard my Uncle Steve was the keynote speaker at the Moblizing Medical Missions (M3) conference in Houston, I thought of it only in terms of what I should share with his supporters, in case any of them wanted to connect with him during his brief visit to the USA.

But when I learned M3 was being held by Lakewood Church, which my wife had attended online regularly during the pandemic, I told my uncle how enthused she was to hear of his role in the conference. He came back suggesting to his parnters at Hope for Angola that it would be a great idea if I attended to give away copies of the Benefit of Steel, the biography I wrote of my uncle.

It took some careful arranging, but my wife and I were able to join my uncle at M3. We took in the entire conference, gave away 160 signed copies of the Benefit of Steel and help connect a number of people to what my uncle is doing in Angola. Hopefully some of these people will eventually visit Angola for themselves and participate first-hand in the work we're doing there. For myself, I've agreed to work more closely with Hope for Angola in the future, in addition to the other roles I'm holding in Angolan mission work.

It was a brief visit and not exactly a vacation, but my wife was thrilled to see Lakewood Church and attend their Sunday service in person. We came away impressed by the helpfulness and generosity of the many people who helped solve logistical problems for us (transportation) or paid for our meals. It was a very special visit.

My Uncle Steve delivered this talk, which is available via YouTube:

Radio Recap: One Out of Seven

I've been examining the early years of Jack Webb's career lately and perhaps the most arresting piece of work he delved into in his first year on the radio (and that's saying something, in a year in which he starred in the Jack Webb Show and Pat Novak, for Hire) is One Out of Seven, a 15-minute program produced at ABC's San Francisco office from February 6 to March 20, 1946. Although the series' title referred to the news story "most worthy of retelling" from the previous week, appropriately One Out of Seven broadcast only 7 episodes total.

One Out of Seven was a news commentary/opinion program. It was directed and produced by Gil Doud, who was likewise just starting out in radio (he went on to write for the Voyage of the Scarlet Queen, the Adventures of Sam Spade, Suspense and Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar). The program was produced on a low budget, like the other San Francisco ABC programs Webb was involved in; for One Out of Seven, Webb was the only voice actor in every episode.

But One Out of Seven was, as I stated, an arresting program. You're not liable to forget it once you've heard an episode. I was treated to the 1st episode (a portrait of Senator Theodore Bilbo) over 20 years ago and I've never forgotten it, particularly Webb's echoed phrase (dripping with sarcasm): "Theodore Bilbo is an honorable man, and we do not intend to prove otherwise." One Out of Seven is utterly unlike other radio dramas from the time that you've heard because it had opinions on social problems of the day -- and pulled no punches in sharing them. Chief among the program's focus were the racial issues in the USA, especially those of the southern states. Of the 4 surviving episodes, 3 are concerned in some way with racism. This was simply not a topic other radio programs of the time were willing/able to confront.

You might feel uncomfortable listening to One Out of Seven; because Webb was the only performer, he had to adopt a lot of dialects, so that includes performing as black men. He also utters the n-word slur in one episode. But if you think of Webb as a stodgy old vanguard of conservatism (which his 1960s Dragnet TV show certainly helped promulgate) you might be surprised to find that 1946 Jack Webb was apparently a very liberal man for his time. One Out of Seven wasn't an angry program but it was certainly razor-sharp in its analysis of the USA's shortcomings.

You can hear the 4 surviving episodes of One Out of Seven at the Internet Archive (the episode labeled "Free Men" is identical to the "Anti-Negro South" episode).

Radio Recap: Stay Tuned for Terror

I keep thinking I know everything about old-time radio horror... then a new discovery puts me in my place.

When I first got on the internet in 1998 there were a number of old-time radio sites that stated with an air of authority that what they recorded as still existing represented all that still existed or ever would. And time and time again, that research has been usurped.

Stay Tuned for Terror was a syndicated old-time radio horror program that was distributed in 1945. Apparently it didn't do very well or circulate very far. The entire series was written by Robert Bloch and adapted (by him) from a variety of his short stories previously published in Weird Tales. The existence of the program has been known of for a long time but it was thought to be gone for good.

Yet a few years ago, two episodes of Stay Tuned for Terror popped up! The episodes are titled "The Bogey Man Will Get You" and "Lizzie Borden Took an Axe." Having listened to them, I found they held up quite well. Stay Tuned for Terror didn't have familiar performers but the actors in both dramas did quite well, in my opinion. It certainly helps that Bloch wrote great horror stories - although his are a bit more gruesome than even a typical Inner Sanctum Mysteries episode of the time (perhaps the grisly contents contributed to the short run).

Since two episodes have now appeared, perhaps more will come. In researching this series, I was surprised to learn that half of an episode of the Weird Tales' own 1932 radio series has turned up! It's the 2nd half of an episode "The Curse of Nagana." It sounds a lot like episodes of the Witch's Tale from that time, consisting primarily of people yelling dialogue at each other in an attempt to fabricate tension. It's not really any good, but it is an interesting historical fragment. The research suggests there may have only been 3 episodes recorded and that the series was never actually sold or broadcat. You can hear that fragment on the Internet Archive.

You can hear Stay Tuned for Terror at the Internet Archive! Their page includes a lot of additional information about the series!

Creator Credits: The Marvels (2023)

There's been a lot of discussions online as to why this film failed to earn a profit at the box office as it is the lowest-earning Marvel Cinematic Universe film yet. I saw many suggested it was because the film required viewers to be familiar with the Disney+ shows WandaVision and Ms. Marvel but heck, my wife hadn't seen either of those programs or Captain Marvel and she followed the plot just fine.

I suppose the viewpoint I'm most convinced by is that filmgoers are less interested in the Marvel Cinematic Universe overall - that Avengers: Endgame has been widely viewed as a jumping-off point and now we're seeing which properties are the ones viewers are most interested in.

As ever, I appreciate any corrections to this list. My full list of creators whose works have been adapted to the Marvel Cinematic Universe is right here.

Stan Lee: co-creator of the Avengers, a super hero team (Avengers #1, 1963); of the Skrulls, an extraterrestrial race with green skin, ridged chins and the power to shapeshift (Fantastic Four #2, 1962); of the Kree, an extraterrestrial race of conquerors widespread throughout the universe; of the Supreme Intelligence, the artificial intelligence which rules the Kree, manifests as a large green face (Fantastic Four #64, 1967); of the Accusers, Kree officials who wield the hammer-like Universal Weapon (Fantastic Four #65, 1967); of the hero Captain Marvel, initially a Kree warrior; of Mar-Vell, a pink Kree who defected to Earth; of Yon-Rogg, a pink Kree officer and enemy of Earth; of Kree uniforms with white and teal colors, pointed shoulder pads, half-mask and pointed helmet (Marvel Super-Heroes #12, 1967); of Nick Fury, a heroic soldier (Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos #1, 1963); of Nick Fury wearing an eyepatch; of Nick Fury as an intelligence agent (Strange Tales #135, 1965); of Hawkeye, a costumed archer (Tales of Suspense #57, 1964); of the Cosmic Cube, a massively powerful artifact (Tales of Suspense #79, 1966); of the Beast, a mutant hero with ape-like agility and a large vocabulary; of Charles Xavier, the Beast's superior (X-Men #1, 1963); of the Scarlet Witch, a woman with hex powers (X-Men #4, 1964); of the Beast as a scientist (X-Men #8, 1964)

Jack Kirby: co-creator of the Avengers, a super hero team (Avengers #1, 1963); of the Skrulls, an extraterrestrial race with green skin, ridged chins and the power to shapeshift (Fantastic Four #2, 1962); of the Kree, an extraterrestrial race of conquerors widespread throughout the universe; of the Supreme Intelligence, the artificial intelligence which rules the Kree, manifests as a large green face (Fantastic Four #64, 1967); of the Accusers, Kree officials who wield the hammer-like Universal Weapon (Fantastic Four #65, 1967); of a hero named the Vision (Marvel Mystery Comics #13, 1940); of Nick Fury, a heroic soldier (Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos #1, 1963); of Nick Fury wearing an eyepatch; of Nick Fury as an intelligence agent (Strange Tales #135, 1965); of the Cosmic Cube, a massively powerful artifact (Tales of Suspense #79, 1966); of the Beast, a mutant hero with ape-like agility and a large vocabulary; of Charles Xavier, the Beast's superior (X-Men #1, 1963); of the Scarlet Witch, a woman with hex powers (X-Men #4, 1964); of the Beast as a scientist (X-Men #8, 1964)

G. Willow Wilson: co-creator of Ms. Marvel, alias Kamala Khan, a Pakistani-American Muslim teenager who lives in Jersey City; of Kamala wearing a costume in imitation of Carol Danvers consisting of a mask, blue smock with yellow 'M', red burkini and golden bangle; of Kamala using her powers to create a giant hand; of Yusuf and Muneeba Khan, Kamala's over-protective parents (All-New Marvel Now! Point One #1, 2014); of Kamala writing fan fiction about super heroes; of Kamala's adoration for the hero Captain Marvel; of Aamir Khan, Kamala's older brother, a devout Muslim (Ms. Marvel #1, 2014); of Kamala's bedroom decorated with posters of Captain Marvel (Ms. Marvel #2, 2014); of Kamala meeting her hero Captain Marvel (Ms. Marvel #16, 2015); of Muneeba knowing Kamala's double identity (Ms. Marvel #18, 2015); of Kamala's hero worship of Captain Marvel being tempered due to Carol's pragmatism (Ms. Marvel #11, 2016); of Kamala's powers tied to temporal energy (Ms. Marvel #34, 2018)

Adrian Alphona: co-creator of Ms. Marvel, alias Kamala Khan, a Pakistani-American Muslim teenager who lives in Jersey City; of Kamala wearing a costume in imitation of Carol Danvers consisting of a mask, blue smock with yellow 'M', red burkini and golden bangle; of Kamala using her powers to create a giant hand; of Yusuf and Muneeba Khan, Kamala's over-protective parents (All-New Marvel Now! Point One #1, 2014); of Kamala writing fan fiction about super heroes; of Kamala's adoration for the hero Captain Marvel; of Aamir Khan, Kamala's older brother, a devout Muslim (Ms. Marvel #1, 2014); of Kamala's bedroom decorated with posters of Captain Marvel (Ms. Marvel #2, 2014); of Kamala meeting her hero Captain Marvel (Ms. Marvel #16, 2015); of Muneeba knowing Kamala's double identity (Ms. Marvel #18, 2015); of Kamala's hero worship of Captain Marvel being tempered due to Carol's pragmatism (Ms. Marvel #11, 2016)

Roy Thomas: co-creator of the Kree being depicted with blue skin (Captain Marvel #1, 1968); of the enmity between the Kree and Skrull races (Captain Marvel #2, 1968); of the Skrulls using an interrogation device to probe memories (Captain Marvel #3, 1968); of Captain Marvel's ability to generate photon blasts from the hands; of Captain Marvel switching places with another person due to extraterrestrial wristbands (Captain Marvel #17, 1969); of Carol Danvers receiving powers from the explosion of a Kree device due to Yon-Rogg (Captain Marvel #18, 1969); of Valkyrie, an Asgardian warrior woman (Incredible Hulk #142, 1971); of Carol Danvers, a blonde woman connected to Captain Marvel (Marvel Super-Heroes #13, 1968)

Gene Colan: co-creator of the Kree being depicted with blue skin (Captain Marvel #1, 1968); of the enmity between the Kree and Skrull races (Captain Marvel #2, 1968); of the Skrulls using an interrogation device to probe memories (Captain Marvel #3, 1968); of the hero Captain Marvel, initially a warrior for the Kree; of Mar-Vell, a pink Kree who defected to Earth; of Yon-Rogg, a pink Kree officer and enemy of Earth; of Kree uniforms with white and teal colors, pointed shoulder pads, half-mask and pointed helmet (Marvel Super-Heroes #12, 1967); of Carol Danvers, a blonde woman connected to Captain Marvel (Marvel Super-Heroes #13, 1968)

Kelly Sue DeConnick: creator of Captain Marvel's motto "Higher, Further, Faster, More." (Captain Marvel #1, 2014); co-creator of Carol Danvers' red and blue costume with yellow highlights and red gloves; of Carol's helmet which shapes her hair into a mohawk; of Carol Danvers as Captain Marvel (Captain Marvel #1, 2012); of Carol Danvers' cat turning out to be an extraterrestrial Flerken whose mouth opens up into a host of tentacles which can swallow up enormous amounts of matter (Captain Marvel #2, 2014); of Carol's Flerken cat laying eggs that hatch into a multitude of Flerken offspring (Captain Marvel #7, 2014)

Chris Claremont: co-creator of Carol Danvers traumatized from losing her memories (Avengers Annual #10, 1981); of Carol Danvers as a US Air Force pilot (Ms. Marvel #9, 1977); of Nick Fury and Carol Danvers as allies since the early period of Fury's career (Uncanny X-Men #158, 1982); of Carol Danvers receiving massively powerful energy manipulation powers, surrounding herself with swirls of cosmic energy; of Carol Danvers having the power of a star; of the heroine Binary who has energy manipulation powers and wears and red and white costume (Uncanny X-Men #164, 1982)

Roger Stern: co-creator of Monica Rambeau, a black woman from Louisiana with the rank of captain who is exposed to energies which permit her to transform her body into any form of energy she imagines; of Monica able to fly while in her energy form; of Monica wearing a costume with black leggings and a white top with black starburst on chest and white streamers from her arms; of Monica connected to Captain Marvel (Amazing Spider-Man Annual #16, 1982); of Maria Rambeau, Monica's mother (Avengers #246, 1984)

Jamie McKelvie: co-creator of Ms. Marvel, alias Kamala Khan, a Pakistani-American Muslim teenager who lives in Jersey City; of Kamala wearing a costume in imitation of Carol Danvers consisting of a mask, blue smock with yellow 'M', red burkini and golden bangle (All-New Marvel Now! Point One #1, 2014); of Carol Danvers' red and blue costume with yellow highlights and red gloves; of Carol's helmet which shapes her hair into a mohawk (Captain Marvel #1, 2012)

John Romita Jr.: co-creator of Monica Rambeau, a black woman from Louisiana with the rank of captain who is exposed to energies which permit her to transform her body into any form of energy she imagines; of Monica able to fly while in her energy form; of Monica wearing a costume with black leggings and a white top with black starburst on chest and white streamers from her arms; of Monica connected to Captain Marvel (Amazing Spider-Man Annual #16, 1982)

Dave Cockrum: co-creator of Nick Fury and Carol Danvers as allies since the early period of Fury's career (Uncanny X-Men #158, 1982); of Carol Danvers receiving massively powerful energy manipulation powers, surrounding herself with swirls of cosmic energy; of Carol Danvers having the power of a star; of the heroine Binary who has energy manipulation powers and wears and red and white costume (Uncanny X-Men #164, 1982)

Don Heck: co-creator of the Kree planet Hala (Captain Marvel #8, 1968); of Hala as the Kree homeworld; of Captain Marvel's red and blue costume with starburst design on the chest; of the Supreme Intelligence manipulating Captain Marvel; of Captain Marvel wearing wrist bands (Captain Marvel #16, 1969); of Hawkeye, a costumed archer (Tales of Suspense #57, 1964)

Jim Cheung: co-creator of Dro'ge, a Skrull (New Avengers #40, 2008); of Kate Bishop, a spoiled rich girl with a love for adventure (Young Avengers #1, 2005); of Kate Bishop being an adept archer and wielding Hawkeye's bow (Young Avengers #4, 2005); of Kate Bishop adopting the moniker of 'Hawkeye' for herself to honor him (Young Avengers #12, 2006)

Gil Kane: co-creator of of Captain Marvel's ability to generate photon blasts from the hands; of Captain Marvel switching places with another person due to extraterrestrial wristbands (Captain Marvel #17, 1969); of Carol Danvers receiving powers from the explosion of a Kree device due to Yon-Rogg (Captain Marvel #18, 1969)

Allan Heinberg: co-creator of Kate Bishop, a spoiled rich girl with a love for adventure (Young Avengers #1, 2005); of Kate Bishop being an adept archer and wielding Hawkeye's bow (Young Avengers #4, 2005); of Kate Bishop adopting the moniker of 'Hawkeye' for herself to honor him (Young Avengers #12, 2006)

Gerry Conway: co-creator of the Beast developing a furry body (Amazing Adventures #11, 1972); of the super hero Ms. Marvel, connected to Carol Danvers; of red Ms. Marvel costume with mask; of Carol Danvers' power of flight, wearing a blue and red costume with a starburst on the chest (Ms. Marvel #1, 1977)

Sana Amanat: co-creator of Ms. Marvel, alias Kamala Khan, a Pakistani-American Muslim teenager who lives in Jersey City; of Kamala wearing a costume in imitation of Carol Danvers consisting of a mask, blue smock with yellow 'M', red burkini and golden bangle (All-New Marvel Now! Point One #1, 2014)

Stephen Wacker: co-creator of Ms. Marvel, alias Kamala Khan, a Pakistani-American Muslim teenager who lives in Jersey City; of Kamala wearing a costume in imitation of Carol Danvers consisting of a mask, blue smock with yellow 'M', red burkini and golden bangle (All-New Marvel Now! Point One #1, 2014)

Archie Goodwin: co-creator of Hala as the Kree homeworld; of Captain Marvel's red and blue costume with starburst design on the chest; of the Supreme Intelligence manipulating Captain Marvel; of Captain Marvel wearing wrist bands (Captain Marvel #16, 1969)

Carla Conway: co-creator of the super hero Ms. Marvel, connected to Carol Danvers; of red Ms. Marvel costume with mask; of Carol Danvers' power of flight, wearing a blue and red costume with a starburst on the chest (Ms. Marvel #1, 1977)

John Romita: co-creator of the super hero Ms. Marvel, connected to Carol Danvers; of red Ms. Marvel costume with mask; of Carol Danvers' power of flight, wearing a blue and red costume with a starburst on the chest (Ms. Marvel #1, 1977)

John Buscema: co-creator of the super hero Ms. Marvel, connected to Carol Danvers; of red Ms. Marvel costume with mask; of Carol Danvers' power of flight, wearing a blue and red costume with a starburst on the chest (Ms. Marvel #1, 1977)

Brian Michael Bendis: co-creator of Dro'ge, a Skrull (New Avengers #40, 2008); of the Skrulls becoming refugees (Secret Invasion #1, 2008); of Nick Fury as an African-American man (Ultimate Marvel Team-Up #5, 2001)

David Lopez: co-creator of Carol Danvers' cat turning out to be an extraterrestrial Flerken whose mouth opens up into a host of tentacles which can swallow up enormous amounts of matter (Captain Marvel #2, 2014)

Ron Lim: co-creator of the eliminated people returning (Infinity Gauntlet #6, 1991); of Dar-Benn, a Kree leader who rose to power after the Supreme Intelligence's removal (Silver Surfer #53, 1991)

Mark Gruenwald: creator of Tarnax, a Skrull planet (Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe #10, 1983); co-creator of the Quantum Bands, extremely powerful energy bracelets that can open portals (Quasar #2, 1989)

Matt Fraction: co-creator of Lucky, a stray dog adopted by Hawkeye who loves pizza (Hawkeye #1, 2012); of Kate Bishop wearing a light purple bodysuit as Hawkeye (Hawkeye #3, 2012)

David Aja: co-creator of Lucky, a stray dog adopted by Hawkeye who loves pizza (Hawkeye #1, 2012); of Kate Bishop wearing a light purple bodysuit as Hawkeye (Hawkeye #3, 2012)

Nico Leon: co-creator of Kamala's powers tied to temporal energy (Ms. Marvel #34, 2018)

Takeshi Miyazawa: of Kamala's hero worship of Captain Marvel being tempered due to Carol's pragmatism (Ms. Marvel #11, 2016)

Joe Simon: co-creator of a hero named the Vision (Marvel Mystery Comics #13, 1940)

Arnold Drake: co-creator of the Kree planet Hala (Captain Marvel #8, 1968)

Marcio Takara: co-creator of Carol's Flerken cat laying eggs that hatch into a multitude of Flerken offspring (Captain Marvel #7, 2014)

Michael Golden: co-creator of Carol Danvers traumatized from losing her memories (Avengers Annual #10, 1981)

Tom Sutton: co-creator of the Beast developing a furry body (Amazing Adventures #11, 1972); of the Beast' fur being blue (Amazing Adventures #15, 1972)

Herb Trimpe: co-creator of Valkyrie, an Asgardian warrior woman (Incredible Hulk #142, 1971)

Al Milgrom: co-creator of Maria Rambeau, Monica's mother (Avengers #246, 1984)

Jim Starlin: co-creator of 50% of all life in the universe ceasing to exist (Infinity Gauntlet #1, 1991); of the eliminated people returning (Infinity Gauntlet #6, 1991)

George Perez: co-creator of 50% of all life in the universe ceasing to exist (Infinity Gauntlet #1, 1991)

Glenn Herdling: co-creator of Photon, an alias used by Monica Rambeau (Avengers Unplugged #5, 1996)

M. C. Wyman: co-creator of Photon, an alias connected to Monica Rambeau (Avengers Unplugged #5, 1996)

Dexter Soy: co-creator of Carol Danvers serving as Captain Marvel (Captain Marvel #1, 2012)

John Byrne: creator of the Skrulls as a band of refugees with no homeworld (Fantastic Four #262, 1984); co-creator of Carol Danvers as an Avenger (Avengers #181, 1979)

Keith Pollard: co-creator of Carol Danvers as a US Air Force pilot (Ms. Marvel #9, 1977)

Mark Millar: co-creator of Nick Fury depicted as Samuel L. Jackson (Ultimates #2, 2002)

Bryan Hitch: co-creator of Nick Fury depicted as Samuel L. Jackson (Ultimates #2, 2002)

Roberto de la Torre: co-creator of Carol Danvers' mysterious ginger cat (Ms. Marvel #4, 2006)

Brian Reed: co-creator of Carol Danvers' mysterious ginger cat (Ms. Marvel #4, 2006)

Leinil Francis Yu: co-creator of the Skrulls becoming refugees (Secret Invasion #1, 2008)

Mike Allred: co-creator of Nick Fury as an African-American man (Ultimate Marvel Team-Up #5, 2001)

David Michelinie: co-creator of Carol Danvers as an Avenger (Avengers #181, 1979)

Russ Heath: co-creator of extraterrestrial wrist weapons that generate energy (Marvel Boy #1, 1950)

Paul Ryan: co-creator of the Quantum Bands, extremely powerful energy bracelets that can open portals (Quasar #2, 1989)

Ron Marz: co-creator of Dar-Benn, a Kree leader who rose to power after the Supreme Intelligence's removal (Silver Surfer #53, 1991)

Steve Englehart: co-creator of the Beast' fur being blue (Amazing Adventures #15, 1972)

Tara Butters: co-creator of Captain Marvel assisting a space station above Earth (Captain Marvel #1, 2016)

Michele Fazekas: co-creator of Captain Marvel assisting a space station above Earth (Captain Marvel #1, 2016)

Kris Anka: co-creator of Captain Marvel assisting a space station above Earth (Captain Marvel #1, 2016)

Fabian Niceiza: co-creator of Pulsar, codename used by Monica Rambeau (New Thunderbolts #9, 2005)

Cliff Richards: co-creator of Pulsar, codename used by Monica Rambeau (New Thunderbolts #9, 2005)

Al Ewing: co-creator of Spectrum, codename used by Monica Rambeau (Mighty Avengers #1, 2013)

Greg Land: co-creator of Spectrum, codename used by Monica Rambeau (Mighty Avengers #1, 2013)

Joss Whedon: co-creator of Earth space station connected to Nick Fury (Astonishing X-Men #10, 2005)

John Cassaday: co-creator of Earth space station connected to Nick Fury (Astonishing X-Men #10, 2005)

Donny Cates: co-creator of the Kree succumbing to civil war (Death of the Inhumans #1, 2018)

Ariel Olivetti: co-creator of the Kree succumbing to civil war (Death of the Inhumans #1, 2018)

Bob Harras: co-creator of Hala suffering a cataclysmic event (Avengers #347, 1992)

Steve Epting: co-creator of Hala suffering a cataclysmic event (Avengers #347, 1992)

Radio Recap: Johnny Madero, Pier 23

Up 'til now I've written a couple of blog posts about Jack Webb's early radio career at ABC while he lived in San Francisco. His biggest hit from that tenure was Pat Novak, for Hire, part of Webb's long partnership with his writer friend (and former roommate) Richard L. Breen. Breen wrote comedy scripts for the Jack Webb Show, much of the quippy dialogue heard on Pat Novak, for Hire and later on he wrote for Webb on Dragnet and Pete Kelly's Blues.

But when Webb left San Francisco for Los Angeles, ABC kept producing Pat Novak, for Hire without he or Breen. So it was that Webb and Breen signed on with Mutual to produce a new show that was basically identical to Pat Novak, for Hire; that show was Johnny Madero, Pier 23. The two shows were set in San Francisco, featured Webb as a odd job guy who kept being involved in murders, sought council from a somewhat laconic ally, menaced by the local police inspector, and contained a terrific amount of quippy dialogue.

Apparently they were so much alike that after the 1st episode, ABC sued Mutual! It seems in the debut week, Johnny's ally was a drunk almost identical to Jocko Madigan from Pat Novak, for Hire. To placate ABC, the drunk was dropped and replaced with Father Leahy, portrayed by Gale Gordon. Despite being a man of the cloth, Father Leahy seemed to be basically identical to Jocko Madigan - prone to lengthy philosophical thoughts that would carry on, ignoring Johnny's protestations. But he didn't seem to be a drunk (although he did mention how much he enjoyed wine) so I suppose ABC were placated.

The hard-nosed police inspector of Johnny Madero was called Inspector Warchek and portrayed by William Conrad, who was definitely well-cast in that part. Webb and Conrad's angry wisecracks at each other form probably the best parts of the series.

Johnny Madero, Pier 23 only lasted 5 months, from April-September, 1947. Sadly, we only have 2 episodes currently known to exist. Happily, when the show ended, Webb and Breen patched things up with ABC and both returned to Pat Novak, for Hire. In fact, most of what we have now from that series is from Webb's 2nd tenure on the series.

You can hear the two surviving episodes of Johnny Madero, Pier 23 at the Internet Archive. It's a pity we have so little remaining; Mutual made a lot of detective programs but the writing and performances on this series were well above their average.

I'll probably write some more about Jack Webb's early career next week!

Radio Recap: Spotlight Playhouse

Since yesterday I wrote a little about Jack Webb's early radio career via his comedy program the Jack Webb Show, I'm going to examine a few more of his early shows.

Another program Jack Webb appeared in while in San Francisco is the ABC series Spotlight Playhouse. Unfortunately, despite its presence in Webb's history, radio historians don't seem to have paid much attention to this series yet. There are no radio logs for the program, so I know very little outside of what's present in the 2 surviving episodes.

Spotlight Playhouse was written and produced by Monte Masters. The two surviving episodes were written by him, so possibly the entire series was a showcase for his efforts. The casts were very small in this series, so like other early ABC programs it appears to have been cooked up on a shoestring budget. The opening rambles on and repeats itself somewhat:

The spotlight of life swings in all directions and no one knows upon whom it will settle. It may be you, or it may be you. All of us at one time or another have had something in our lives that would make drama and so you in our audience are the stars tonight in our Spotlight Playhouse, for these are stories presented each week at this hour which may concern any of you. Now: Spotlight Playhouse.

"From This Window" (March 14, 1946) concerned a young couple whose relationship is viewed from a window by a woman who narrates the events of their lives. Webb appears as the male lead of the couple.

"Genius from Hoboken" (March 21, 1946) concerned a New Jersey barber whose greatest desire is to build violins and how he struggles to achieve his dream. Webb appears in a couple of small parts, using a dialect in one of them.

You can find the surviving episodes at the Old Time Radio Researchers Library.

More on Jack Webb's early career tomorrow...

Radio Recap: The Jack Webb Show

In 1946, Jack Webb was just starting out in radio but very quickly his voice was all over ABC. ABC was a new network then and were probably desperate for some original programming. Webb appeared in a number of shows that followed each other in quick succession, all produced in San Francisco. His first big series, One Out of Seven, I'll have to address in a future blog post. Today I'm going to talk about Jack Webb's comedy-music program, the Jack Webb Show.

The Jack Webb Show aired March-August, 1946 on ABC. We have only two episodes that are still known to exist. Webb started his private eye series Pat Novak, for Hire in 1946 but wouldn't reach the role he'd be best-known for - Joe Friday of Dragnet - until 1949. The Jack Webb of 1946 was young, hungry and... yes, funny!

To the baby boomer generation, Webb's stoic performance as Joe Friday became iconic. Even though he remained busy in other works outside of Dragnet (such as Pete Kelly's Blues), nothing he touched reached as far or lasted as long as Dragnet. Webb's stoic, deadpan delivery was so famous that, to cite one example from late in his career, when he appeared on the 1974 Jack Benny's Second Farewell Special in a comedy sketch alongside his Dragnet co-star Harry Morgan and Jack Benny, Webb remained entirely in-character as Joe Friday - whereas Harry Morgan was permitted to break character for the sake of a few laughs. In the sketch, Friday's seeming inability to possess a sense of humour was in itself a kind of joke.

But that was Webb in the last decade of his life. He hadn't built a reputation as a straight man in 1946. He hadn't built any reputation. Thus, like yesterday's post on the Orson Welles Radio Almanac we have a radio series whose star is not best-known as a comedic performer. The difference is that Welles had built his reputation in dramatic radio for 6-7 years prior to that program, while Webb was just starting out.

Comparing the two shows, Webb comes off extremely well. Believe it or not, the Jack Webb Show was a zany comedy program, similar to another show that followed it on ABC - the Henry Morgan Show. Webb had to disappear into a number of different parts for the comedy sketches and he was extremely capable at it. It's a fast-paced show and Webb's patter is so good, I guarantee you'll forget he's best-rembered as a dramatic peformer.

The two shows each have one lengthy comedy sketch; in the first, it's "The Razor in the Case of the Confused Keyhole" in which Webb satirizes radio private detective programs (he even calls out Dick Powell by name!). In the second, it's "Slim Slade, Western Bandleader" in which he plays a band leader whose band seems to play the exact same song every time they perform, despite the leader's insistence that he's crafted a variety of different tunes.

You can hear the 2 surviving episodes of the Jack Webb Show on the Internet Archive.

Radio Recap: The Orson Welles Radio Almanac

If you're a fan of old-time radio, then you have an opinion about Orson Welles. To some he's very well-regarded, to others he's considered over-rated. But because the single most repeated program in old-time radio history is Welles' Mercury Theater on the Air production of "The War of the Worlds," we are all inevitably exposed to his work.

I rather like Orson Welles. Some years ago you may recall I wrote a series of blog posts I titled "Jack Benny Without Jack Benny" in which I looked the episodes of Jack Benny Program in which Orson Welles filled in for a sick Jack Benny in the spring of 1943. Those programs worked out marvelously well, as Welles fitted into Jack's role very smoothly. Of course, as I reflected then, it helped that the Jack Benny Program was a well-honed machine and Welles was being supported by Benny's usual supporting players and by Benny's writers (Ed Beloin and Bill Morrow), in fact by the writing team I consider Benny's finest. These caveats aside, there was no guarantee that Welles could substitute for a seasoned comedian like Jack Benny, but he did and did it quite well (You can revisit my Jack Benny Without Jack Benny blogging series here: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6).

In the fall of 1943, Welles didn't have a regular radio program; he was the star of Suspense for a solid month of great performances, but mostly his radio appearances were confined to guest performances. Most of his time in the fall seems to have been spent touring his Mercury Wonder Show, a traveling magic show he performed for servicemen. He also took the romantic lead in the movie Jane Eyre; for a man whose early career had been one controversy after another (many of them intentionally courting controversy), the Orson Welles of late 1943 seemed like a pretty conventional Hollywood movie star - saluting servicemen, cracking jokes with Bing Crosby and appearing on screen in a popular melodrama. But in January, 1944, Welles had a brand-new radio series with many of his Mercury Theater regulars. It was called the Orson Welles Radio Almanac - and it was a comedy-variety program.

The Orson Welles Radio Almanac aired for 7 months over CBS from January-July, 1944. The series was sponsored by Mobilgas, who had previously sponsored Information, Please, suggesting someone at that company wanted to promote highbrow programming on the radio. And the series was a bit highbrow as in-between the comedy sketches and musical numbers (most of the series music was directed by Lud Gluskin of Suspense; it also benefited from appearances by the All-Star Jazz Group) Welles would close many episodes by reading a soliloquy from Shakespeare.

Apparently Orson had been building toward the Orson Welles Radio Almanac ever since his guest host duties on the Jack Benny Program. He had indeed gone over very well as a comedian and he'd done well for CBS over the years. He worked some of his performances on the Mercury Wonder program into his new series. You might think a dramatic performer such as Orson Welles would be an odd fit for a comedy-variety program. You'd be correct.

If you are well-versed in Orson Welles' performances then you know that Orson the guest performer and Orson the lead performer are two very different animals. When Orson made guest appearances on Jack Benny or Bing Crosby, he was reading off scripts built by those programs' tested and true methods. Even if he flubbed a few lines (and Orson being averse to rehearsals, he inevitably flubbed lines) the lead performers would keep the show on track. Even when he subbed for Jack Benny, he was still being guided by personalities like Phil Harris, Dennis Day, Don Wilson and Mary Livingstone, who all knew how to keep the comedic energy going.

By contrast, you can sample any of the comedic performances Orson directed on the Mercury Theater on the Air, the Campbell Playhouse or any of his other Mercury programs. At best, they're patchy. I think Orson had pretty chops as a comedy performer but not as a comedy producer.

Throughout, the Orson Welles Radio Almanac demonstrated Orson was not quite right as a comedic lead. There are a lot of flubs in the programs, mostly caused by Orson. You'll never wonder whether a line was flubbed or not as Orson tended to draw attention to them, whether he or a co-star were responsible. Orson was always a bit crabby and perfectionist and it really comes out in the sheer number of times he botched a joke in his delivery, bemoaned a co-star for flubbing their line or fired a few shots at his writers for giving him inferior material to read.

Easily the oddest part for me listening to the Orson Welles Radio Almanac was the commercial spot in the first broadcast, which was read by Ray Collins of the Mercury Theater. In an attempt to contrast other radio comedies who had commercial pitchmen that were ridiculously enthusiastic about the sponsor's product (Don Wilson, Bill Goodwin, Harlow Wilcox), Collins' pitchman character is extremely reluctant to talk about the sponsor's product and keeps missing Orson's hints that he should start pitching the product. It's different, and it doesn't work; it's so off-kilter, it actually sounds like Collins was trying to sabotage the sponsor. Perhaps Mobilgas thought so too, because Collins was kicked off the show by the following week and replaced by Jack Mather.

For the first month there were many gags about Orson being edited by the network censor. There were joks about Orson's fan club who swooned over him as though he were Frank Sinatra. Agnes Moorehead appeared for the first few months as Orson's secretary. Many of the gags could have been told on any other comedy show; the frequent jokes about how thin Frank Sinatra was certainly sound just like every other 1944 comedy show, but that same joke would appear every week.

Is the series a trainwreck? No. The frequent flubs and poor production decisions bring it down, but Orson was aided by relying heavily on guest stars. The likes of Groucho Marx, Dennis Day, Lucille Ball, Ann Southern and Robert Benchley all knew how to handle themselves on a radio comedy show and they did their best to keep the laughs coming. A few seasoned radio voices turned up to support Orson like John Brown, Walter Tetley and Hans Conreid.

There's also one episode that I think is a pretty great radio comedy. The June 14, 1944 episode is an episode-long sketch that satirizes Hitler through a fake war between Texas and Arkansas. Barton Yarborough turns up in his best southern drawl and the Hitler figure is performed by Cliff Nazarro, a frequent voice heard on the Jack Benny Program. And if you're a Suspense fan, you'll really enjoy Orson performing in a satire of his role in the two-part "Donovan's Brain" which appeared in the May 31, 1944 episode (just after the two-parter aired).

Most of the Orson Welles Radio Almanaac has survived. It's not great comedy-variety programming, but if you don't mind a little bit of cringe, you might enjoy it. You can hear the surviving episodes of the Orson Welles Radio Almanac on the Internet Archive split over two pages, the first part here, the remainder here.

Another post about an unlikely radio comedian follows tomorrow...