Golden Age of Radio

December 8, 1980 ‘ CBS RADIO THEATER ’ BEGINS EIGHTH SEASON JAN. 12; DRAMAS HAVE BROUGHT LAURELS TO NETWORK, HI BROWN The creaking door that opens CBS RADIO MYSTERY THEATER on Monday, Jan. 12, also will open the eighth season of the Network’s much-praised drama series. CBS RADIO MYSTERY THEATER premiered in January 1974 on 79 stations. Today, the number of stations broadcasting the weekday series on the CBS Radio Drama Network has more than tripled. Richard M. Brescia, CBS Radio Network Vice President and General Manager, says this success “ is a testimony to the skill of Hi Brown, MYSTERY THEATER creator and Executive Producer, and to the great actors who preform in the series. “Several other radio drama formats have been attempted during the seven-year period we’ve been presenting MYSTERY THEATER ,” Brescia comments. “However, only the MYSTERY THEATER has been able to stand up to the test of time imposed by both the listener and the affiliate. I hope more development

December 15, 1980 SPECIAL FIVE-PART SERIES ABOUT ALEXANDER THE GREAT OPENS 8TH ‘CBS RADIO MYSTERY THEATER’ SEASON JAN, 12 “The Legend of Alexander”, a five series written and produced especially for CBS RADIO MYSTERY THEATER , will inaugurate the drama program’s eighth year on the Network the week of Monday, Jan. 12, through Friday, Jan.16. Ancient lives and times have enjoyed a renaissance of interest with the American public, evidenced by the success of recent Pompell and King Tutankhamen exhibits across the country. The latest historic discovery is believed to be the tomb of King Phillip, father of Alexander the Great , which had become part of the touring exhibition “The Search for Alexander”, now displayed at National Gallery. Gerald Kean , a frequent contributor to MYSTERY THEATER , is author of the five-part “The Legend of Alexander”. Russel Horton stars in all five dramas as Alexander, from a boy learning the responsibilities of leadership under his father’s strict

July 23, 1979 “MYSTERY THEATER” SCRIPT NOVELIZED BY WRITER SAM DANN “The Third Body,” a novel based on a radio script by an award-winning CBS RADIO MYSTERY THEATER writer, Sam Dann , will be published in August by Popular Library (255 pp., $1.75). The script, “The Children of Death,” was produced by Hi brown and originally broadcast on MYSTERY THEATER February 5, 1976. It starred Tony Roberts. The story deals with a future world where men and women are separated into hostile  tribes and love is an unspeakable four-letter word. In this society, the act of mating is a contest for domination with death to the loser. Dann has written for the CBS RADIO MYSTERY THEATER since the series’ inception five years ago. He has won the Writer’s Guild Award for the “best radio dramatic script” for two consecutive years, 1975 and 1976. Dann previously novelized one of his radio scripts, “ The Only Blood ,” for an anthology, titled “Strange Tales from CBS RADIO MYSTERY THEATER ” and edited b

November 3, 1980 HI BROWN, PRODUCER OF ‘ CBS RADIO MYSTERY THEATER ’, HONORED FOR ‘50-YEAR CONTRIBUTION TO RADIO DRAMA’ The New School, a major New York City institutions that offers instruction in all facets of the arts, will make a special award this week to Himan Brown, creator and producer of the CBS RADIO MYSTERY THEATER on the CBS Radio Network, honoring his “half-century as the moving force behind radio drama in the United States.” The honor was announced be Prof. Richard Brown, who conducts the school’s Electric Mind Series and will present the award to Mr.Brown before some 600 students in the course this Wednesday evening, Nov. 5. Hi Brown also will serve as a guest lecturer that night, discussing the history of American radio, and will demonstrate for the students how a MYSTERY THEATER script is recorded. As an example, he will provide a script of the 1940 radio broadcast “ Frankenstein ”,  based on the original Mary Shelly book, and direct Prof. Brown and sev

February 17, 1976 SHORT TAKES The CBS RADIO MYSTERY THEATER has a treat for those who miss “Gunsmoke” and the other  Western s that once were a prime staple of network television on Monday nights when it presents a rousing story of the Old West, Moday, March 1. As explained by  MYSTERY THEATER   host E.G. Marshall: “ A surprising number of listener letters have asked us for a Western . So here it is, back to the frontier life of the 1860s when, west of the Mississippi, the horse was still man’s best means of locomotion. A noble animal, the horse, and particularly in those days, a good deal better than many a man who rode them.”                                                                             *  *  * Morgan Fairchild, who stars as Jennifer Phillips in the daytime serial, “Search for Tomorrow,” on the CBS Television Network, will make her radio acting debut on the  CBS RADIO MYSTERY THEATER  , Friday, March 5. On the broadcast, titled “The Infernal Triangle,”

By request, here are some of listener favorite "Victorian-era" themed shows from RADIO MYSTERY THEATER .  Many are Conan Doyle adaptations: "Vanishing Herd"   "Study in Scarlet"  "Hound of the Baskervilles"   "The Silver Mirror"  "The Climbing Boy"  ""Dracula"  "Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde"  "Picture of Dorian Grey"  "The Fatal Connection"   "Carmilla"  "Murder at Troyte's Hill"    "The AbsentMinded League"   " Wuthering Heights" "Jane Eyre" Enjoy!

Old Time Radio Actor's Name, Character Played, Program Aaker, Lee Rusty Rin-Tin-Tin Aames, Marlene McWilliams, Lauralee Story of Holly Sloan, The Abbott, Judith Lawson, Agnes Aldrich Family, The Abbott, Minabelle Sothern, Mary Life of Mary Sothern, The Ace, Goodman Ace, Goodman Easy Aces Ace, Goodman Ace, Goodman Mister Ace and Jane Ace, Jane Ace, Jane Easy Aces Ace, Jane Ace, Jane Mister Ace and Jane Adams, Bill Cotter, Jim Rosemary Adams, Bill Hagen, Mike Valiant Lady Adams, Bill Roosevelt, Franklin Delano March of Time, The Adams, Bill Salesman Travelin' Man Adams, Bill Stark, Daniel Roses and Drums Adams, Bill Whelan, Father Abie's Irish Rose Adams, Bill Wilbur, Matthew Your Family and Mine Adams, Bill Young, Sam Pepper Young's Family Adams, Edith Gilman, Ethel Those Happy Gilmans Adams, Franklin Mayor of a model city Secret City Adams, Franklin Jr. Skinner, Skippy Skippy Adams, Franklin Pierce Emcee Word Game, The Adams, Guila Mattie Step M