Radio Recap: The Black Hood

"Criminals, beware! The Black Hood is everywhere!"
"I, the Black Hood, do solemnly swear, that neither threats, nor bribes, nor bullets, nor death itself shall keep me from fulfilling my vow: To erase crime from the face of the Earth!"

The Black Hood was a 15-minute daily serial program heard over Mutual from July 5, 1943 until January 14, 1944. It was based on the Archie Comics super hero. We have only one episode of the Black Hood that still exists. In his book On the Air, John Dunning asserted that the radio version of the Black Hood wore a mask that granted him supernatural power. If that's so, it isn't from the comics (in the comics the Black Hood had no super powers) and the mask isn't said to have any powers in the sole surviving episode.

The series starred Scott Douglas as policeman Kip Burland, alias the Black Hood. The cast also included Marjorie Cramer as newspaper reporter Barbara Sutton, Burland's lovely sidekick, who was the Black Hood's love interest in the comics as well. Kip's fellow policeman Sgt. McGinty is likewise a comics character who made the jump to radio. In the surviving episode, Kip and Barbara were investigating crimes connected to voodoo.

The Old-Time Radio Researchers' Group has a copy of the sole surviving episode, which you will find at this link (it's part of their "singles and doubles" collection).

A final radio super hero adaptation will be tomorrow's recap and it's a big one!