Golden Age of Radio

March 29, 1976 FEATURE ACTRESSES GET BREAK IN "MYSTERY THEATER" ADAPTIONS OF SEVEN SHAKESPEARE PLAYS William Shakespeare 's plays don't have many good parts for women, but dramatist Ian Martin, who has adapted seven of the Bard's works for consecutive daily presentation on CBS RADIO MYSTERY THEATER , starting Monday, April 19, has made certain that female actors appearing in the series won't feel alighted. "Although I've had to compress these long plays into much shorter lengths," says Martin, “I’ve tried very very hard to retain as much of the women’s roles as possible. Things are a lot different now.” In  Shakespeare 's day, Martin points out, there were no respectable women in the theater. “Their roles,” he says, “were taken by young boys whose voices hadn’t broken.  Shakespeare, I’m sure, would have liked to have written major parts for women, but in those days they couldn’t appear on the stage. Any who did were consid

Here's some of my favorites "best" episodes of CBS Radio Mystery Theater. The Resident 1-15-74 Honeymoon With Death 1-11-74 Three Women 1-28-74 Time And Again 1-27-74 I Warn You Three Times 1-12-74 Return of the Moresbys 1-7-74 The Girl Who Found Things 1-19-74 Death Rides A Stallion 1-14-74 The Man Who Asked For Yesterday 1-31-74 The Lost Dog 1-9-74 Cold Storage 1-13-74 The Old Ones Are Hard To Kill 1-6-74 Deadly Honeymoon 1-24-74 Speak of the Devil 1-25-74 The Man Who Heard Voices 1-29-74 And Nothing But The Truth 1-23-74 You Can Die Again 1-17-74 A Very Old Man 1-22-74 The Ring of Truth 1-26-74 Mother Love 1-30-74 Dead For A Dollar 1-21-74 Accounts Receivable 1-16-74 The Chinaman Button 1-20-74 The Bullet 1-8-74 Ring, Ring of Roses 1-18-74 No Hiding Place 1-10-74

Old Time Radio listeners and fans of Gerald Mohr may be amused to learn: watching the new Captain America movie serial from 1940, Gerald Mohr starred as the uncredited "Golden Scorpion."

As a nine-year old child, one of my favorite Saturday radio program was The  Adventures of Frank Merriwell , a student at Yale University in the horse-drawn days of the last century, who excelled at everything ... sports, debates, student theater, science and math classes, etc. . . . and was caught up in some dastardly plot or other in every episode.  Frank Merriwell  was criminology student a Yale, in that time period. his adventures would enable him to use his studies to investigate and solve crimes.  I listened every Saturday; the show has a great use of sound effects! A couple of  the actors who made brief appearances in the series were Tony Randall and  the early talkies film star Sir C. Aubrey Smith. From the time I heard that  program I wanted to be just like Frank, and I was determined to go to Yale  for college; the best I could manage was getting a music scholarship. And there was not one student  on that campus who resembled the Frank Merriwell of my imagination.

Absence of proof open cell door.  (Charlie Chan in Panama) Accidents can happen, if planned that way.  (Dark Alibi) Action speak louder than French.  (Charlie Chan at Monte Carlo) Admitting failure like drinking bitter tea.  (Charlie Chan in Egypt) A fool and his money never become old acquaintances.  (Charlie Chan's Chance) After dinner is over, who cares about spoon?  (Docks of New Orleans) After wedding bells, prefer no phone bells.  (Charlie Chan's Murder Cruise) Alas, mouse cannot cast shadow like elephant.  (The Black Camel) Alibi have habit of disappearing like hole in water.  (The Black Camel) All cards should repose on table when personal liberty at stake.  (Docks of New Orleans) All forgotten, like last year's bird's nest.  (Charlie Chan at the Race Track) All foxes come at last to fur store.  (The Black Camel) All play and no work make Charlie Chan very dull policeman.  (Charlie Chan at the Olympics) Always danger where men are ev

One Mans Family  is dedicated to the Mothers and Fathers of the Younger Generation and to their Bewildering Offspring. Tonight we bring you Chapter One, Book One, entitled "Introducing the Barbour Family." America's first family was inspired from John Galsworthy's Forsyte Saga. Carlton E. Morse 's attempt to create a real-life American family with real emotions and problems started on April 24, 1932 as a 13 week trial on local West Coast stations and quickly moved Coast to Coast lasting 27 years. Morse considered his creation a family drama instead of a Soap Opera . Winner of the Peabody award for radio excellence,  One Mans Family , heard primetime weekly on NBC, brought out subtle character development and conflict that made the show addictive. To regular listeners, the Barbours became real people and part of their family. Listeners named their babies after the characters (especially Cliff and Claudia), wrote Christmas cards, get well

Henry Barbour Played throughout the run by J. Anthony Smythe a bachelor in real life. Father Henry Barbour, stockbroker, is old-fashioned, is conservative, is bullheaded, and is overbearing. He believes that the foundation of the nation is the family, the bigger the better. He opposes anything revolutionary and has a deep foreboding for the future of the world. When things go wrong he sulks and broods and has a deep distrust for strangers. Still, he comes off as a lovable warm character. His expression "yes, yes," in a deep sigh becomes the shows catch phrase. In retirement his great joy is his garden. Fanny Barbour Minetta Ellen Played Mother Barbour for 23years. Mother Fanny Barbour epitomizes traditional virtues. She is a housewife who is very loyal to her husband. She is tolerant, loving, and untiring as the peacemaker. She is the glue that keeps the family together and the cushion between Henry and the children, interpreting each to the o