BOSTON BLACKIEHypnotic Murder

Program Guide by Karl Schadow

There were an endless number of fictional literary characters adapted for radio during the medium’s Golden Age. Such individuals were culled from novels, comic books, and numerous pulp and slick magazines. Some creations had their original personas remarkably altered by silver screen portrayals, which transformed them from ‘bad guys’ to ‘good guys.’ Members of this notable group include Hopalong Cassidy, Dr. Kildare, and The Lone Wolf. Another such representative from the crime/detective family enjoyed an extensive career in a variety of media: Boston Blackie.

This character, created by Jack Boyle, first appeared in a short story (“The Price of Principle”) in the prestigious The American Magazine in July 1914. It was written under his pseudonym, ‘No. 6606.’ The author, a former newspaper reporter, had been incarcerated for assorted crimes stemming from a narcotics habit. While in a Colorado prison, he began to chronicle real-life exploits, and developed for himself a career as a wordsmith. Boyle biographer Curt Ladnier

has determined that over two dozen yarns were published between 1914 and 1925. In these stories, Boston Blackie was the nickname used by the confidence man, thief, and safe cracker John Dawson. Blackie was married and his wife, Mary, accompanied him during these adventures.

The motion picture industry was successful in exploiting this property, producing eleven silent films between 1918 and 1927. These featured Bert Lytell and William Russell,

Lynch as both Pete and Harvey, Roger De Koven as both Lemmy and Rawlins, and Mitzi Gould as Georgia, with announcer Glenn Riggs.

CD 7B: “The Disappearing Body” (Program #41)- 01/22/1946Supporting cast: Lesley Woods as Mary, Luis van Rooten as both Charlie Kingston and Jenkins, and Helene Dumas as Miss Smith, with announcer Glenn Riggs.

CD 8A: “The Jim Williams Inheritance Case” (Program #42) - 01/29/1946Supporting cast: Tom Hoier as the judge, Ted Oborn as both the DA and Jim Williams, Berry Kroeger as both John Bernard and Smith, Lesley Woods as Mary, and Agnes Young as Hazel, with announcer Glenn Riggs.

CD 8B: “Tom Evers Murder Case” (Program #47)- 03/05/1946Supporting cast: Lesley Woods as both Mary and the operator, Luis van Rooten as both John Blake and the reporter, Kenneth Lynch as both Bill and Mike, Ted Osborn as both Tom and Rawlins, and Jack Manning as Tom’s brother, with announcer Glenn Riggs.

Acknowledgements: The author thanks Curt Ladnier, Martin Grams, Jr., and Mike Martini (Frederic W. Ziv Archive, Heritage Media, Inc., West Chester, Ohio) for their invaluable assistance.

www.RadioSpirits.comPO Box 1315, Little Falls, NJ 07424

© 2020 RSPT LLC. All rights reserved. For home use only.Unauthorized distribution prohibited.

Program Guide © 2020 Karl Schadow and RSPT LLC. All Rights Reserved.

48862

Helene Dumas

Maurice Tarplin asInspector Faraday

2 7

among others. Blackie’s criminal escapades slowly came to an end. He became a more or less law-abiding citizen, and the later printed stories reflected this.

Though silent films were occasionally shown at theaters during the early 1930s, there is an unexplained absence (except for story reprints) of the Blackie character throughout the remainder of this decade. As Boyle had died in 1928, were there estate or rights problems encountered by prospective media moguls or book publishers? These issues not-withstanding, between the explosion in the number of local radio drama troupes during the 1930s and the popularity of the detective genre, one might assume that at least one station would have undertaken a Blackie adventure.

Fans must have been jubilant when Variety (November 27, 1940) announced that Columbia Pictures was slated to produce a Blackie film with Chester Morris as the headliner. In this incarnation, Blackie was a reformed man-about-town -- a Robin Hood-type and not a licensed private detective. There would be a total of fourteen Boston Blackie motion picture releases during the 1940s. An obligatory supporting character in any credible crime/detective story program is a member of law enforcement. Police Inspector Faraday, portrayed by Richard Lane, usually handled homicides. However, he was always intent on investigating any crime in which Blackie was purportedly involved. Faraday’s assistant, Sgt. Matthews, was portrayed by various actors in the films. Blackie also relied on others for help, including The Runt, who was most often played by George E. Stone. In the Columbia series, the star was a bachelor (there was no sign of Mary in any of the fourteen productions). Moreover, the protagonist’s true name - Horatio Black - was divulged in the 1943 installment After Midnight with Boston Blackie.

The success of the Columbia series was due in part to the studio’s promotional campaign, which included the use of radio. To date, there have been two one-shot aural escapades that have been identified. The first was heard four months after the initial release of Meet Boston Blackie. During a short comedy sequence on the June 12, 1941 broadcast of Kraft Music Hall (KMH), Chester Morris (as Blackie) encounters a notorious gang headed by Baltimore Bluey (KMH co-star Bing Crosby). The second such publicity stunt aired on the Tommy Riggs & Betty Lou show of March 19, 1943. In this exploit, Blackie (Chester Morris) is shadowed on a case

Woods as Mary, Humphrey Davis as both the hypnotist and Dr. Harris, Roger De Koven as both Mr. Williams and the waiter, and Frank Lovejoy as Mr. Edwards, with announcer Larry Elliott.

CD 4B: “Evelyn Jones Murder” (Program #19) - 08/13/1945Supporting cast: Tony Barrett as Shorty, Roger De Koven as Rawlins, Frank Lovejoy as Jack Corrigan, and Humphrey Davis as Gerald Larson, with announcer Larry Elliott.

CD 5A: “Blackie Steals Necklace for Charity” (Program #20) - 08/20/1945Supporting cast: Nell Harrison as Mrs. Vandeveer, Lesley Woods as Mary, Roger De Koven as Williams, Ed Jerome as Mr. Vandeveer, and Frank Lovejoy as Tom, with announcer Larry Elliott.

CD 5B: “Blood on Blackie’s Sleeve” (Program #24) - 09/20/1945Supporting cast: Luis van Rooten as both Jim and John, Elspeth Eric as Carol, Hester Sondergaard as both Suzanne and the hotel operator, Ed Latimer as both the reporter and Rodman, and Frank Lovejoy as both Bill Andrews and the room service clerk, with announcer Paul Luther.

CD 6A: “Kingston Unlucky at Cards” (or “Westfield Diamonds”)(Program #25) - 10/04/1945Supporting cast: Joan Banks as both Elizabeth and Suzanne, Horace Braham as both Charlie Kingston and the postal clerk, Larry Haines as Harry, Jackson Beck as both Bill and Westfield, and Mandel Kramer as Rogers, with announcer Glenn Riggs.

CD 6B: “Atkins, Jewel Thief” (Program #34) - 12/06/1945Supporting cast: Marilyn Erskine as Mabel, Madeleine Pierce as the baby, Frank Lovejoy as Robert, Joan Banks as Mrs. Williams, Clayton Collyer as Dr. Williams, and Roger De Koven as both Rawlins and Spaulding, with announcer Glenn Riggs.

CD 7A: “The Master’s Diamond”(Program #37) - 12/27/1945Supporting cast: Lesley Woods as Mary, Will Hare as both Roger and the newsboy, Kenneth Chester Morris Marilyn Erskine

Larry Haines

6 3

Episodes:Note: All installments star Richard Kollmar as Boston Blackie and feature Maurice Tarplin as Inspector Faraday (who also doubles in selected adventures).

CD 1A: “Murder of John Walters” (Program #4)- 05/02/1945Supporting cast: Lesley Woods as Mary, Tony Barrett as Shorty, Humphrey Davis as both the police officer and Tom Jenkins, and Frank Lovejoy as Fred Singer, with announcer Bernard Dudley.

CD 1B: “Sam Bellows Is Dead” (Program #11) - 06/18/1945Supporting cast: Lesley Woods as Mary, Horace Braham as Charlie Kingston, Brad Barker as Happy, Lon Clark as both Rawlins and Seth Peters, and Roger De Koven as both the police officer and Frank Lewis, with announcer Larry Elliott.

CD 2A: “The Larry Brown Case” (Program #12) - 06/25/1945Supporting cast: Roger De Koven as both Sam and the boat captain, Kenneth Lynch as the waiter, Frank Lovejoy as Larry, Humphrey Davis as Pete Wilson, Tony Barrett as Shorty, and Larry Haines as both the thug and Jake, with announcer Larry Elliott.

CD 2B: “Blackie’s Car Kills A Woman” (Program #15) - 07/16/1945Supporting cast: Humphrey Davis as the mechanic, Roger De Koven as both the police operator and Mr. Forbes, Lesley Woods as Mary, Frank Lovejoy as Bill Forbes, Will Hare as Tom Wellington, Marilyn Erksine as Florence Wellington, with announcer Larry Elliott.

CD 3A: “The Case of the Three-way Split” (Program #16) - 07/23/1945Supporting cast: Lesley Woods as Mary, Alice Reinheart as Esther, Frank Lovejoy as Jack, and Larry Haines as Bob, with announcer Larry Elliott.

CD 3B: “Mary at Sea” (Program #17) - 07/30/1945Supporting cast: Lesley Woods as Mary, Roger De Koven as Captain Randall, Frank Lovejoy as Bob, and Humphrey Davis as the steward, with announcer Larry Elliott.

CD 4A: “Hypnotic Murder” (Program #18) - 08/06/1945Supporting cast: Mandel Kramer as both Rawlins and the jail guard, Lesley

by both Wilbur (supporting cast member Wally Maher) and Betty Lou. These promotional skits disclose the presence of Boston Blackie on the etherwaves prior to both of the 1940s radio series.

Radio packagers joined their film industry counterparts in exploiting the character when Frederic W. Ziv sought the radio rights to the Blackie property via two independent talent agencies -- headed by Victor Orsatti and Lou Irwin, respectively. In January of 1944, the Cincinnati-based Ziv secured a deal to produce a series of live, thirty-minute thrillers. Originating from the KFI-NBC Hollywood studios, Boston Blackie would serve as summer replacement for The Amos ‘n’ Andy Show. In preparation for the series’ debut on June 23, 1944, Chester Morris made a guest appearance on the Gosden and Correll comedy the previous week (for a one-minute, in-character teaser). The characters of Faraday and Matthews, carried over to the NBC run, were portrayed by Richard Lane and Leo Cleary, respectively. The Runt was also brought along to the radio show, but was re-named Shorty. Dick Ryan (and not Tony Barrett as cited by many sources) portrayed Blackie’s pal in this West Coast version. Mary was not present (either as a wife or a girlfriend) in this 1944 session. Lever Bros (promoting its Rinso soap brand) financed this series, but was unable to continue to do so following the completion of the thirteen-week summer session. Thus, the property was released to Ziv, who had the option on the franchise and was seeking a new sponsor.

On March 21, 1945, the front page of Variety proclaimed that Richard “Dick” Kollmar was the lead in the upcoming Boston Blackie show. The New York-originated series debuted on Wednesday, April 11th via station WOR. The new sponsor was the Staten Island-based Rubsam & Horrmann Brewing Company (R & H). This version of the program was broadcast live and simultaneously recorded. Ziv had successfully negotiated to have the episodes transcribed and syndicated so that he could offer them to advertisers outside of the R & H distribution region (New York City and selected surrounding areas).

The newly-crowned star, Dick Kollmar was both a prominent radio actor and a producer of successful Broadway musicals. Moreover, while he was securing the coveted Blackie engagement, he and his wife, columnist Dorothy Kilgallen, had out-dueled twelve other couples for a daily morning show on WOR. Breakfast with Dorothy & Dick would remain on the air for some eighteen years.

In the 1945 Boston Blackie series, Shorty (played by Tony Barrett and Andy Donnelly, though not John Gibson) continued to assist the boss in his adventures.

Lesley Woods

from the two previous episodes. Moreover, another incident had the physician on the receiving end of one of Inspector Faraday’s sarcastic barbs about quitting the police force to go on radio quiz shows. At that time, Collyer was the announcer on Break The Bank.

The Ziv firm assembled comments from the various Boston Blackie sponsors, publishing many of these accolades in full-page trade periodical ads. Prominently displayed was a quote from the long-time R & H advertising manager Edward Acree who stated simply: “... ‘Blackie’ is the best show we have ever had.” The nature of products which were promoted on the program ranged from coffee to coal, with department stores and dairy farms also offering their wares. While several jewelers advertised on the program in various markets, it is unknown if any safe manufacturers bankrolled Blackie’s exploits. The Ziv promotional campaign also encouraged listeners to catch their favorite sleuth on the Mutual weekly quiz offering Quick As A Flash. Dick Kollmar made his initial appearance on this series as the Guest Detective with the broadcast of January 13, 1946. He had one or two subsequent engagements during each of the following four seasons. Moreover, his participation continued when the show became a daily feature on ABC in 1950 and 1951. These appearances would be the only occasions that the character of Boston Blackie could be heard coast-to-coast on a network. (The New York-based Blackie show was not aired nationally via any of the four major webs.)

After amassing a total of 218 episodes, the original cycle of Boston Blackie concluded with the broadcast of June 15, 1949. Transcriptions continued to be distributed throughout the next decade. The character became a world-wide success when Harry Alan Towers contracted with the Ziv firm to offer the radio program to English-language stations in markets around the globe (other than those in the United States and Canada).

During the early 1950s, Ziv produced a syndicated, small screen version of the series, with many exploits filmed in color. Kent Taylor starred as the suave, Los Angeles-based man-about-town, with Lois Collier as Mary. Frank Orth (who was not involved in any iteration of the radio program) portrayed Inspector Faraday in this television version.

4 5

A new character by the name of Mary Wesley was introduced during the inaugural installment. Originally portrayed by Lesley Woods (then Jan Miner as of April 29, 1947), Mary was a nurse whom the bachelor Blackie had met at a blood bank. A romance blossomed and Mary became Blackie’s gal Friday, but she was not involved in every episode. Not even Richard Kollmar participated in all 218 adventures of the New York-based Blackie program. This achievement belongs solely to Inspector Faraday, who was portrayed by Maurice Tarplin. Additional recurring characters included Faraday’s subordinate Rawlins (replacing Matthews), Suzanne (the switchboard operator at Blackie’s apartment building), and his globetrotting millionaire friend Charlie Kingston.

The writing team for the 1945 series, Ken Lyons and Ralph Rosenberg, Jr., was retained from the 1944 NBC cycle. One of the few female directors in radio at that time, Jeanne Harrison, was at the helm in the control booth. Her previous Ziv directorial assignments included the dramatic series Eye Witness News and the teenage variety show Calling All Girls. Music for Boston Blackie was provided by organist Henry Sylvern, who incorporated the same theme that Charles Cornell had created for the West Coast version. Note the extended Sylvern interludes at both the beginning and ending of each episode, which were fill not only for the sponsor’s commercials, but served as underplay for the local announcer’s opening and closing segments (including the required plugs for the Chester Morris movies). Walt Shaver provided the sound effects on the WOR broadcasts, with James Flynn and Walter Gustafson assuming these duties upon the program’s switch to WOR's in-town rival WJZ in October 1945.

Plots of this broadcast batch have Blackie and friends thwarting blackmailers, burglars, smugglers, and cold-blooded killers. The story “Hypnotic Murder” (CD 4B) is of special interest, as Dick Kollmar was an amateur hypnotist. Radio Daily (July 11, 1947) applauded the actor for his “ability to expose those who claim that no one, under hypnotism, can be forced to do anything against the moral code, or any other code, for that matter.” There were inside jokes inserted among the many classic quips heard during each broadcast. As an example, the episode “Atkins, Jewel Thief” (CD 7A) has Blackie examined by Dr. Williams (Clayton Collyer). The medico explains that his patient had not used his voice for two weeks. On account of actual illness, Kollmar had been absent

Dick Kollmar and Lesley Woods(at the microphone) with director Jeanne Harrison (in the booth)

Clayton Collyer

from the two previous episodes. Moreover, another incident had the physician on the receiving end of one of Inspector Faraday’s sarcastic barbs about quitting the police force to go on radio quiz shows. At that time, Collyer was the announcer on Break The Bank.

The Ziv firm assembled comments from the various Boston Blackie sponsors, publishing many of these accolades in full-page trade periodical ads. Prominently displayed was a quote from the long-time R & H advertising manager Edward Acree who stated simply: “... ‘Blackie’ is the best show we have ever had.” The nature of products which were promoted on the program ranged from coffee to coal, with department stores and dairy farms also offering their wares. While several jewelers advertised on the program in various markets, it is unknown if any safe manufacturers bankrolled Blackie’s exploits. The Ziv promotional campaign also encouraged listeners to catch their favorite sleuth on the Mutual weekly quiz offering Quick As A Flash. Dick Kollmar made his initial appearance on this series as the Guest Detective with the broadcast of January 13, 1946. He had one or two subsequent engagements during each of the following four seasons. Moreover, his participation continued when the show became a daily feature on ABC in 1950 and 1951. These appearances would be the only occasions that the character of Boston Blackie could be heard coast-to-coast on a network. (The New York-based Blackie show was not aired nationally via any of the four major webs.)

After amassing a total of 218 episodes, the original cycle of Boston Blackie concluded with the broadcast of June 15, 1949. Transcriptions continued to be distributed throughout the next decade. The character became a world-wide success when Harry Alan Towers contracted with the Ziv firm to offer the radio program to English-language stations in markets around the globe (other than those in the United States and Canada).

During the early 1950s, Ziv produced a syndicated, small screen version of the series, with many exploits filmed in color. Kent Taylor starred as the suave, Los Angeles-based man-about-town, with Lois Collier as Mary. Frank Orth (who was not involved in any iteration of the radio program) portrayed Inspector Faraday in this television version.

4 5

A new character by the name of Mary Wesley was introduced during the inaugural installment. Originally portrayed by Lesley Woods (then Jan Miner as of April 29, 1947), Mary was a nurse whom the bachelor Blackie had met at a blood bank. A romance blossomed and Mary became Blackie’s gal Friday, but she was not involved in every episode. Not even Richard Kollmar participated in all 218 adventures of the New York-based Blackie program. This achievement belongs solely to Inspector Faraday, who was portrayed by Maurice Tarplin. Additional recurring characters included Faraday’s subordinate Rawlins (replacing Matthews), Suzanne (the switchboard operator at Blackie’s apartment building), and his globetrotting millionaire friend Charlie Kingston.

The writing team for the 1945 series, Ken Lyons and Ralph Rosenberg, Jr., was retained from the 1944 NBC cycle. One of the few female directors in radio at that time, Jeanne Harrison, was at the helm in the control booth. Her previous Ziv directorial assignments included the dramatic series Eye Witness News and the teenage variety show Calling All Girls. Music for Boston Blackie was provided by organist Henry Sylvern, who incorporated the same theme that Charles Cornell had created for the West Coast version. Note the extended Sylvern interludes at both the beginning and ending of each episode, which were fill not only for the sponsor’s commercials, but served as underplay for the local announcer’s opening and closing segments (including the required plugs for the Chester Morris movies). Walt Shaver provided the sound effects on the WOR broadcasts, with James Flynn and Walter Gustafson assuming these duties upon the program’s switch to WOR's in-town rival WJZ in October 1945.

Plots of this broadcast batch have Blackie and friends thwarting blackmailers, burglars, smugglers, and cold-blooded killers. The story “Hypnotic Murder” (CD 4B) is of special interest, as Dick Kollmar was an amateur hypnotist. Radio Daily (July 11, 1947) applauded the actor for his “ability to expose those who claim that no one, under hypnotism, can be forced to do anything against the moral code, or any other code, for that matter.” There were inside jokes inserted among the many classic quips heard during each broadcast. As an example, the episode “Atkins, Jewel Thief” (CD 7A) has Blackie examined by Dr. Williams (Clayton Collyer). The medico explains that his patient had not used his voice for two weeks. On account of actual illness, Kollmar had been absent

Dick Kollmar and Lesley Woods(at the microphone) with director Jeanne Harrison (in the booth)

Clayton Collyer

6 3

Episodes:Note: All installments star Richard Kollmar as Boston Blackie and feature Maurice Tarplin as Inspector Faraday (who also doubles in selected adventures).

CD 1A: “Murder of John Walters” (Program #4)- 05/02/1945Supporting cast: Lesley Woods as Mary, Tony Barrett as Shorty, Humphrey Davis as both the police officer and Tom Jenkins, and Frank Lovejoy as Fred Singer, with announcer Bernard Dudley.

CD 1B: “Sam Bellows Is Dead” (Program #11) - 06/18/1945Supporting cast: Lesley Woods as Mary, Horace Braham as Charlie Kingston, Brad Barker as Happy, Lon Clark as both Rawlins and Seth Peters, and Roger De Koven as both the police officer and Frank Lewis, with announcer Larry Elliott.

CD 2A: “The Larry Brown Case” (Program #12) - 06/25/1945Supporting cast: Roger De Koven as both Sam and the boat captain, Kenneth Lynch as the waiter, Frank Lovejoy as Larry, Humphrey Davis as Pete Wilson, Tony Barrett as Shorty, and Larry Haines as both the thug and Jake, with announcer Larry Elliott.

CD 2B: “Blackie’s Car Kills A Woman” (Program #15) - 07/16/1945Supporting cast: Humphrey Davis as the mechanic, Roger De Koven as both the police operator and Mr. Forbes, Lesley Woods as Mary, Frank Lovejoy as Bill Forbes, Will Hare as Tom Wellington, Marilyn Erksine as Florence Wellington, with announcer Larry Elliott.

CD 3A: “The Case of the Three-way Split” (Program #16) - 07/23/1945Supporting cast: Lesley Woods as Mary, Alice Reinheart as Esther, Frank Lovejoy as Jack, and Larry Haines as Bob, with announcer Larry Elliott.

CD 3B: “Mary at Sea” (Program #17) - 07/30/1945Supporting cast: Lesley Woods as Mary, Roger De Koven as Captain Randall, Frank Lovejoy as Bob, and Humphrey Davis as the steward, with announcer Larry Elliott.

CD 4A: “Hypnotic Murder” (Program #18) - 08/06/1945Supporting cast: Mandel Kramer as both Rawlins and the jail guard, Lesley

by both Wilbur (supporting cast member Wally Maher) and Betty Lou. These promotional skits disclose the presence of Boston Blackie on the etherwaves prior to both of the 1940s radio series.

Radio packagers joined their film industry counterparts in exploiting the character when Frederic W. Ziv sought the radio rights to the Blackie property via two independent talent agencies -- headed by Victor Orsatti and Lou Irwin, respectively. In January of 1944, the Cincinnati-based Ziv secured a deal to produce a series of live, thirty-minute thrillers. Originating from the KFI-NBC Hollywood studios, Boston Blackie would serve as summer replacement for The Amos ‘n’ Andy Show. In preparation for the series’ debut on June 23, 1944, Chester Morris made a guest appearance on the Gosden and Correll comedy the previous week (for a one-minute, in-character teaser). The characters of Faraday and Matthews, carried over to the NBC run, were portrayed by Richard Lane and Leo Cleary, respectively. The Runt was also brought along to the radio show, but was re-named Shorty. Dick Ryan (and not Tony Barrett as cited by many sources) portrayed Blackie’s pal in this West Coast version. Mary was not present (either as a wife or a girlfriend) in this 1944 session. Lever Bros (promoting its Rinso soap brand) financed this series, but was unable to continue to do so following the completion of the thirteen-week summer session. Thus, the property was released to Ziv, who had the option on the franchise and was seeking a new sponsor.

On March 21, 1945, the front page of Variety proclaimed that Richard “Dick” Kollmar was the lead in the upcoming Boston Blackie show. The New York-originated series debuted on Wednesday, April 11th via station WOR. The new sponsor was the Staten Island-based Rubsam & Horrmann Brewing Company (R & H). This version of the program was broadcast live and simultaneously recorded. Ziv had successfully negotiated to have the episodes transcribed and syndicated so that he could offer them to advertisers outside of the R & H distribution region (New York City and selected surrounding areas).

The newly-crowned star, Dick Kollmar was both a prominent radio actor and a producer of successful Broadway musicals. Moreover, while he was securing the coveted Blackie engagement, he and his wife, columnist Dorothy Kilgallen, had out-dueled twelve other couples for a daily morning show on WOR. Breakfast with Dorothy & Dick would remain on the air for some eighteen years.

In the 1945 Boston Blackie series, Shorty (played by Tony Barrett and Andy Donnelly, though not John Gibson) continued to assist the boss in his adventures.

Lesley Woods

2 7

among others. Blackie’s criminal escapades slowly came to an end. He became a more or less law-abiding citizen, and the later printed stories reflected this.

Though silent films were occasionally shown at theaters during the early 1930s, there is an unexplained absence (except for story reprints) of the Blackie character throughout the remainder of this decade. As Boyle had died in 1928, were there estate or rights problems encountered by prospective media moguls or book publishers? These issues not-withstanding, between the explosion in the number of local radio drama troupes during the 1930s and the popularity of the detective genre, one might assume that at least one station would have undertaken a Blackie adventure.

Fans must have been jubilant when Variety (November 27, 1940) announced that Columbia Pictures was slated to produce a Blackie film with Chester Morris as the headliner. In this incarnation, Blackie was a reformed man-about-town -- a Robin Hood-type and not a licensed private detective. There would be a total of fourteen Boston Blackie motion picture releases during the 1940s. An obligatory supporting character in any credible crime/detective story program is a member of law enforcement. Police Inspector Faraday, portrayed by Richard Lane, usually handled homicides. However, he was always intent on investigating any crime in which Blackie was purportedly involved. Faraday’s assistant, Sgt. Matthews, was portrayed by various actors in the films. Blackie also relied on others for help, including The Runt, who was most often played by George E. Stone. In the Columbia series, the star was a bachelor (there was no sign of Mary in any of the fourteen productions). Moreover, the protagonist’s true name - Horatio Black - was divulged in the 1943 installment After Midnight with Boston Blackie.

The success of the Columbia series was due in part to the studio’s promotional campaign, which included the use of radio. To date, there have been two one-shot aural escapades that have been identified. The first was heard four months after the initial release of Meet Boston Blackie. During a short comedy sequence on the June 12, 1941 broadcast of Kraft Music Hall (KMH), Chester Morris (as Blackie) encounters a notorious gang headed by Baltimore Bluey (KMH co-star Bing Crosby). The second such publicity stunt aired on the Tommy Riggs & Betty Lou show of March 19, 1943. In this exploit, Blackie (Chester Morris) is shadowed on a case

Woods as Mary, Humphrey Davis as both the hypnotist and Dr. Harris, Roger De Koven as both Mr. Williams and the waiter, and Frank Lovejoy as Mr. Edwards, with announcer Larry Elliott.

CD 4B: “Evelyn Jones Murder” (Program #19) - 08/13/1945Supporting cast: Tony Barrett as Shorty, Roger De Koven as Rawlins, Frank Lovejoy as Jack Corrigan, and Humphrey Davis as Gerald Larson, with announcer Larry Elliott.

CD 5A: “Blackie Steals Necklace for Charity” (Program #20) - 08/20/1945Supporting cast: Nell Harrison as Mrs. Vandeveer, Lesley Woods as Mary, Roger De Koven as Williams, Ed Jerome as Mr. Vandeveer, and Frank Lovejoy as Tom, with announcer Larry Elliott.

CD 5B: “Blood on Blackie’s Sleeve” (Program #24) - 09/20/1945Supporting cast: Luis van Rooten as both Jim and John, Elspeth Eric as Carol, Hester Sondergaard as both Suzanne and the hotel operator, Ed Latimer as both the reporter and Rodman, and Frank Lovejoy as both Bill Andrews and the room service clerk, with announcer Paul Luther.

CD 6A: “Kingston Unlucky at Cards” (or “Westfield Diamonds”)(Program #25) - 10/04/1945Supporting cast: Joan Banks as both Elizabeth and Suzanne, Horace Braham as both Charlie Kingston and the postal clerk, Larry Haines as Harry, Jackson Beck as both Bill and Westfield, and Mandel Kramer as Rogers, with announcer Glenn Riggs.

CD 6B: “Atkins, Jewel Thief” (Program #34) - 12/06/1945Supporting cast: Marilyn Erskine as Mabel, Madeleine Pierce as the baby, Frank Lovejoy as Robert, Joan Banks as Mrs. Williams, Clayton Collyer as Dr. Williams, and Roger De Koven as both Rawlins and Spaulding, with announcer Glenn Riggs.

CD 7A: “The Master’s Diamond”(Program #37) - 12/27/1945Supporting cast: Lesley Woods as Mary, Will Hare as both Roger and the newsboy, Kenneth Chester Morris Marilyn Erskine

Larry Haines

BOSTON BLACKIEHypnotic Murder

Program Guide by Karl Schadow

There were an endless number of fictional literary characters adapted for radio during the medium’s Golden Age. Such individuals were culled from novels, comic books, and numerous pulp and slick magazines. Some creations had their original personas remarkably altered by silver screen portrayals, which transformed them from ‘bad guys’ to ‘good guys.’ Members of this notable group include Hopalong Cassidy, Dr. Kildare, and The Lone Wolf. Another such representative from the crime/detective family enjoyed an extensive career in a variety of media: Boston Blackie.

This character, created by Jack Boyle, first appeared in a short story (“The Price of Principle”) in the prestigious The American Magazine in July 1914. It was written under his pseudonym, ‘No. 6606.’ The author, a former newspaper reporter, had been incarcerated for assorted crimes stemming from a narcotics habit. While in a Colorado prison, he began to chronicle real-life exploits, and developed for himself a career as a wordsmith. Boyle biographer Curt Ladnier

has determined that over two dozen yarns were published between 1914 and 1925. In these stories, Boston Blackie was the nickname used by the confidence man, thief, and safe cracker John Dawson. Blackie was married and his wife, Mary, accompanied him during these adventures.

The motion picture industry was successful in exploiting this property, producing eleven silent films between 1918 and 1927. These featured Bert Lytell and William Russell,

Lynch as both Pete and Harvey, Roger De Koven as both Lemmy and Rawlins, and Mitzi Gould as Georgia, with announcer Glenn Riggs.

CD 7B: “The Disappearing Body” (Program #41)- 01/22/1946Supporting cast: Lesley Woods as Mary, Luis van Rooten as both Charlie Kingston and Jenkins, and Helene Dumas as Miss Smith, with announcer Glenn Riggs.

CD 8A: “The Jim Williams Inheritance Case” (Program #42) - 01/29/1946Supporting cast: Tom Hoier as the judge, Ted Oborn as both the DA and Jim Williams, Berry Kroeger as both John Bernard and Smith, Lesley Woods as Mary, and Agnes Young as Hazel, with announcer Glenn Riggs.

CD 8B: “Tom Evers Murder Case” (Program #47)- 03/05/1946Supporting cast: Lesley Woods as both Mary and the operator, Luis van Rooten as both John Blake and the reporter, Kenneth Lynch as both Bill and Mike, Ted Osborn as both Tom and Rawlins, and Jack Manning as Tom’s brother, with announcer Glenn Riggs.

Acknowledgements: The author thanks Curt Ladnier, Martin Grams, Jr., and Mike Martini (Frederic W. Ziv Archive, Heritage Media, Inc., West Chester, Ohio) for their invaluable assistance.

www.RadioSpirits.comPO Box 1315, Little Falls, NJ 07424

© 2020 RSPT LLC. All rights reserved. For home use only.Unauthorized distribution prohibited.

Program Guide © 2020 Karl Schadow and RSPT LLC. All Rights Reserved.

48862

Helene Dumas

Maurice Tarplin asInspector Faraday