Radio Recap: The Bishop and the Gargoyle

I've looked at a number of old-time radio programs that have as few as only two surviving episodes, but I don't normally examine a show that has just one surviving episode. However, I'm breaking that unwritten rule so that I can talk about The Bishop and the Gargoyle!

Ken Lynch (Gargoyle) and Richard Gordon (Bishop). Photo from the Wikipedia page about the series.

It's a little surprising that The Bishop and the Gargoyle has only surviving episode; it aired on the Blue network from September 30, 1936 to February 22, 1937; then revived itself for a second run on NBC's red and blue networks from July 7, 1940 until January 3, 1942. With such a long run, you'd think there'd be more episodes out there! They even had a sponsor: Chase and Sanborn Coffee.

The series was directed by Joseph Bell and written by Frank Wilson. Richard Gordon starred as the Bishop, a retired clergyman who sat on a parole board, which is where he met the Gargoyle (played by Milton Herman, later by Ken Lynch). The Bishop helped parole the Gargoyle and thereafter they were inseparable; together, they solved crimes.

It's a bit like the Archie Goodwin/Nero Wolfe dynamic with the Bishop providing the brainpower, the Gargoyle doing the legwork - but unlike Wolfe, the Bishop would leave his home to take part in the investigation, leaving the Gargoyle to handle any fighting that might occur. There's a good exchange in the surviving episode concerning the Gargoyle's moniker:

Bishop: "Gargoyle, you really are worthy of your name."
Gargoyle: "Why?"
Bishop: "You're so obvious."
Gargoyle: "Okay, I'm a sucker, make me know it."
Bishop: "A gargoyle is an architectural whimsy; a stony decoration in a profane manner to relieve the austerity of a saintly structure. But, obviously, obvious."

One aspect of old-time radio that I've mentioned before is the need for actors to have distinctive voices, especially when there's more than one protagonist performing most of the speaking. In this instance, we have the well-spoken, erudite Bishop contrasted with the 'street' persona of the Gargoyle. The Gargoyle spoke in a Brooklyn accent similar to Ed Gardner's on Duffy's Tavern - plenty of humourous slang. The listener immediately knows who's speaking.

I found the surviving episode a delightful detective program and I certainly would appreciate it if more episodes were found.

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).

Another Radio Recap of a lone episode tomorrow!

Radio Recap: Results, Incorporated

Results, Incorporated was a very short-lived Mutual series that ran from October 7 to December 30, 1944. Mutual programs didn't typically make use of big stars, but Results, Incorporated had two significant leads: Lloyd Nolan as Johnny Strange and Claire Trevor as Theresa Travers. Perhaps the big salaries (and lack of sponsor) contributed to the show's brief run.

In the first episode, Johnny Strange explained how he envisioned his business:

"Results, Incorporated, your problem is our problem, will locate your long-lost uncle, work your crossword puzzle, hold your baby."

Results, Incorporated just barely took itself seriously; for the most part, it was a madcap comedic version of popular detective tropes. In the three episodes that remain, Johnny and Theresa look up a haunted house to help inspire a mystery author; assist a cowardly man whose family are part of a long-standing feud; and help a museum night watchman who insists the mummies keep leaving the museum at night. It's an appealing program, very easy to listen to and with a lot of vivacity thanks to Nolan and Trevor's lead performances.

You can hear the 3 surviving episodes of Results, Incorporated at the Internet Archive.

Angola in the Comics #22: Carthago Adventures Vol. 3: Chipekwe

I've previously noted that when it comes to comic book depictions of Angola, European comics tend to be much better at depicting the country than North American creators. Part of what I enjoyed about both Insiders and Alter Ego was that the creators had clearly taken the time to find good contemporary references for the country's visuals.

This time I'm looking at Carthago Adventures Vol. 3: Chipekwe, a French publication from 2014 which was released in English by Humanoids in 2017. It's written by Christophe Bec and drawn by Fafner. I haven't read any other books in the Carthago series, but based on this story, it concerns a wealthy man named Feiersinger who is really into cryptozoology and travels around the world trying to prove that semi-mythical creatures really exist. He's accompanied by his ally London Donovan, a hunter who provides a lot of the muscle.

Chipekwe is the name given to a creature who is believed by cryptozoology enthusiasts to live in Zambia, although sources suggest it might also live in Angola. I'm not really into cryptozoology but I have a good friend who is and I think Carthago Adventures would be very appealing to him. The story even begins at Loch Ness as Feiersinger investigates what turns out to be a false lead.

Once the action moves to Angola, artist Fafner demonstrates some terrific visuals of the country. Heck, they go so far as to depict the TAAG airline logo on the airplane! The story turns out to have an interesting connection to Loch Ness - that is, the locals at Lake Dilolo (an actual lake in Moxico province) where the Chipekwe is said to appear, are aware of the massive tourism industry surrounding Loch Ness. When Feiersinger shows up with his expensive crew to find the Chipekwe, the locals really want to encourage him, hoping it will bring in valuable tourist dollars!

I can't say enough about Fafner's art. I mean, look at these visuals - a moonlit night in the marshes of Lake Dilolo; utterly gorgeous depictions of the Angolan countryside appear in this story. But do Feiersinger and Donovan find the Chipekwe? Is all just a big hoax? I recommend you read Carthago Adventures Vol. 3: Chipekwe and discover for yourself!

Radio Recap: Think

Think was a 1953 ABC radio anthology program that featured science fiction stories. The series is also referred to as ABC Radio Workshop; it was produced by John Ippolito and hosted by Dave Ballard. Unfortunately that's about all that I know about it. 1950s ABC radio has not received much attention from OTR fans. No one has yet determined how many episodes there were; we have two episodes of Think and we'll just have to extrapolate something from them.

"You - live in a world made by you. A world of fact and fantasy. But where does fact end and fantasy begin? This is a program to make you: Think"

What's interesting about those two episodes of Think is that both are very familiar stories to old-time radio fans. First, we have a production of Arch Oboler's play "The Word." This one was first broadcast on his program Arch Oboler's Plays in 1939. The story concerns two people who descend from the Empire State Building to find themselves the last people alive. This is a concept Oboler really liked - beyond producing it multiple times on his own, his 1951 movie Five was basically an extended version of "The Word." Think's adaptation is about as good as any of Oboler's versions.

The other episode is an adaptation of Ray Bradbury's short story "Mars Is Heaven!" This one was also adapted for Escape and Dimension X, but Think's adaptation is a unique script, adapted by Morton Fine and David Friedkin. The script makes an odd addition to Bradbury's story (an early sequence where radiation causes an astronaut to age rapidly) but otherwise it's very faithful to Bradbury's original text, moreso than the other radio adaptations.

These two episodes are so strong that I wish we had more examples to draw from; heck, information on Think is so scarce I half-expect to learn these were merely pilots and the programs were never actually broadcast.

You can hear the two surviving episodes of Think using the Old-Time Radio Researchers' Library "Singles and Doubles" page at the Internet Archive; here's the file for "The Word" and here's the file for Mars Is Heaven!.

Radio Recap: Jason and the Golden Fleece

Jason and the Golden Fleece aired for just one season on NBC radio from October 29, 1952 to July 19, 1963. The series starred MacDonald Carey as Jason, the owner of a bar in New Orleans. He also chartered a boat called the Golden Fleece and each episode he would take a patron out to sea for an adventure. His bartender and sailor was Louis, portrayed by William Conrad. At the time, Conrad had already been playing Matt Dillon on Gunsmoke for a year, yet he was still gamely taking on odd supporting jobs such as this.

We have only three episodes of Jason and the Golden Fleece. What I've described above makes the series sound like a weekly version of the Bogart film To Have and Have Not, yet that's not quite what the series was like - at least, so far as the three surviving episodes are concerned. In each episode, Jason is more-or-less an observer to the drama going on in the lives of his passengers. On each voyage of the Golden Fleece, some minor crisis emerges in which his passengers' personal dramas are tested and in some manner overcome. For instance, one episode concerns a young man who is trying to win the approval of his stern father. In another, a district attorney finds himself aboard the Golden Fleece at the same time as the sister of a woman he convicted of murder.

Jason and the Golden Fleece is definitely unusual and it's a shame we only have the three programs to judge it by. Those three shows have pretty crisp audio, well-written stories and a supporting cast of players such as Bill Johnstone, Jeanette Nolan and Herb Ellis. You can hear the 3 surviving episodes of Jason and the Golden Fleece at the Internet Archive.

Radio Recap: I Fly Anything

I Fly Anything was a short-lived adventure drama that aired on ABC from November 29, 1950 to July 19, 1951. It starred singer Dick Haymes as Dockery Crane, an air cargo pilot who would frequently drop the series' title as he cheerfully exclaimed, "I Fly Anything!" For example:

"I got a tradewind tan, a tall tale about a tribal treasure, a tropical tramp and a torrid Tahitian tomato. You know me - I fly anything!"

We only have two surviving episodes of I Fly Anything (hardly surprising since it aired on ABC, who seem to be the spottiest network at preserving programs). Haymes was supported on the program by Georgia Ellis as his office manager and George Fenneman as his co-pilot. Fenneman doesn't have much to do in the earliest surviving episode (dated January 30, 1951) but has a lot more banter with Haymes in the later episode (March 27, 1951). The banter and premise is basically very similar to the series Island Venture, which you'll recall was another very similar short-lived program about cargo pilots. It seems as though post-World War II there was a recognition that this was a career that would make for exciting adventure stories and one which a lot of veterans would relate to (see also the post-war comic strip Steve Canyon). Yet none of them really made a deep impression.

I'm not sure why Dick Haymes starred in this program; I guess he wanted to flex his muscles and show he could do more than just sing? He'd been a pretty constant presence on radio throughout the 40s, starring in his own music program from 1944-1948. But I Fly Anything didn't have a sponsor, so it didn't have much of an opportunity to open up a new career path for Haymes.

I Fly Anything is a pretty typical radio adventure program but a charming one. Haymes is pretty fun in the lead role. The March 27, 1951 episode has a bit where Dockery Crane and his friends sing a chorus of "Alouette." Crane quips, "About time somebody broke that up. I never could carry a tune."

You can hear both surviving episodes of I Fly Anything at the Internet Archive.

Cinema, meet entropy

There are any number of editorials on the internet - particularly the entertainment pages of news sites - on the troubles of the cinemas. Why have so many big budget movies recently failed in their theatrical releases? What do audiences really want to see? What will bring numbers back up to their more predictable pre-pandemic tallies?

And every author has their theories. I'm certain there is no single reason why movies have been struggling recently. Is it competition from other venues? Foreknowledge that the films will be easily available online? Studios out of step with what audiences are interested in? Sure, all of that.

But last weekend I went to the cinema for the first time since last December and I have to say, it wasn't a great experience. I can accept a certain amount of discomfort in the cinema; if the theatre is dirty or the seats are uncomfortable, I'll bear it for the sake of watching the film. Where I draw the line is when the cinematic experience is ruined by the presence of other cinema-goers.

I'm sure we all have examples of fellow cinema-goers who've been a real detriment to our enjoyment of a film, but when I see opinions from cinephiles who, with mist-laden eyes and quivering lips contemplate the tragic possibility of cinema chains going out of business, I don't ever see them comment on this.

I had a guy in the row in front of me who apparently had a very important conversation that could not wait -- because about every three minutes he pulled out his phone to text. And my wife informed me that the person seated in front of her was constantly talking during the film. We enjoyed the film, but we did not enjoy the experience of going to the cinema.

And ultimately, you can't dismiss this - moviegoers are most interested in their own comfort. Some of them want an environment where they can take out their phones any time they like or talk over the movie. Others want just the opposite! My wife and I like going to the cinema, but ultimately when we want to see a movie we enjoy it just fine no matter what screen it's presented on.

I've had some great experiences watching movies that were heightened by the presence of other people in the cinema and how they reacted to what was on the screen. But, generally speaking, I'm just as happy to watch films in my home and avoid having to endure the behaviour of strangers.