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The Lux Radio Theatre was one of the most prestigious and longest running shows from Radio's Golden Age. It featured the greatest stars in Hollywood appearing in hour-long radio adaptations of their biggest motion pictures. Cecil B. DeMille was the host (from 1936-1945) for a lavish production of what was to become a veritable checklist of many of Hollywood's best films from the mid -1930s through the mid -1950s. The stars of the movie usually appeared in their audio counterparts, although sometimes contracts or schedules meant that another actor took the part.

The Golden Age of Radio had incredible mystery shows that kept Americans glued to their radio sets. Families gathered around their living room radios to hear their favorite Hollywood stars in spine-chilling radio mystery and horror. In this collection of 16 episodes, you’ll hear Suspense, Inner Sanctum, Escape, Mystery in the Air, The Whistler, Lights Out!, and many more.

William Conrad stars as US Marshal Matt Dillon in radio’s greatest adult Western series, Gunsmoke - the story of the violence that moved west with young America - and the story of a man who moved with it.

The Whistler was one of radio's top mystery programs, airing from May 16, 1942, until September 22, 1955. Airing on CBS radio and sponsored by the Signal Oil Company, the Whistler (played by Joseph Kearns, Gale Gordon, and Bill Forman) was an ominous narrator who knew the killer's every move even before they did. The Whistler often commented directly upon the action in the manner of a Greek chorus, taunting the criminal from an omniscient perspective. One of the show's trademarks was the ironic twist endings that helped serve as a payoff for the listener.

In 1935, the DuPont Company chose to enhance its image by dramatizing great events in American history to an audience of millions each week on The Cavalcade of America. “Cavalcade” is a term used to describe pioneers who shaped the way America operates today. DuPont’s motto, “maker of better things for better living through chemistry,” was read at the beginning of each program, and the dramas emphasized humanitarian progress, particularly improvements in the lives of women, often through technological innovation.

Movie star Alan Ladd played Dan Holiday, retired newspaperman turned fiction writer and adventurer extraordinaire. To gain ideas for his books, Holiday placed an ad in the Star-Times newspaper "Adventure wanted – will go anywhere, do anything – Box Thirteen." It wasn’t long before his Box Thirteen became jammed with adventures galore. Holiday always had more adventure than he had originally sought, because those who responded to his ad never revealed all of their glorious, unusual, and sometimes sinister details until they met in person.

Humphrey Bogart began his screen career mostly playing gangsters due to his resemblance to John Dillinger. Bogart’s breakthrough from supporting roles to A-list stardom came with his performances in High Sierra and The Maltese Falcon. In between film work, he enjoyed appearing on radio, often with his wife, Lauren Bacall. Here are 14 examples of his radio work spanning 1943 until 1952.

Created by S.S. Van Dine, Philo Vance was quite popular in books, movies, and on radio. He was portrayed as a stylish, very intelligent, and cultured private detective - an Americanized Sherlock Holmes - working out of New York. Not that Vance needed any help solving a crime, he did work closely with his secretary and right-hand woman Ellen Deering and his pal John Markham, New York County District Attorney. First heard for a brief time on NBC radio in 1945-46, it enjoyed success in syndication beginning in 1948 starring Jackson Beck.

Fort Laramie is an adult-oriented Western radio series that aired Sunday afternoons on the CBS radio network from January 22 to October 28, 1956. Produced and directed by Gunsmoke's Norman Macdonnell, this realistic Western drama depicted life at Fort Laramie, an important stop on the Oregon, California, and Mormon trails as well as a staging point for various military excursions during the 19th century. In 1849 the Fort was taken over by the United States Army to protect the many wagon trains of migrant travelers on the trail. The series starred Raymond Burr as Lee Quince, captain of the cavalry.

Radio westerns were aimed at kids until 1952 when Gunsmoke hit the radio airwaves. Produced for adult listeners, the stories were grim, the deaths brutal and life on the plains was harsh. Radio audiences had never heard anything like Gunsmoke and they made it the #1 western on radio. It soon made a successful transition to television becoming the longest-running dramatic series in TV history. Join William Conrad (U.S. Marshal Matt Dillon) in the continuing “story of the violence that moved west with young America and the story of a man who moved with it, Matt Dillon, United States Marshal.”

Initially launched as Barrie Crane, Confidential Investigator on NBC in 1951, the series soon made a name change to Barrie Craig, Confidential Investigator. It starred movie and film veteran William Gargan as hard-boiled New York-based private eye Barry Craig. Gargan had been playing Martin Kane, Private Detective on both radio and TV. In the summer of 1951, Gargan cleared the decks for his role as Barrie Craig. Gruff, blunt and sardonic but with a good sense of humor, Gargan was perfect for the genre and in the role of Barrie Craig.

Hosted by Norman Rose, "Dimension X" was one of radio's first adult science-fiction series and made its mark by adapting short stories by acknowledged masters in the field, including: Isaac Asimov, Robert Bloch, Ray Bradbury, Fredric Brown, Robert. A. Heinlein, Clifford D. Simak, Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., and William Tenn. Scriptwriters Ernest Kinoy and George Lefferts, who also contributed their own original scripts, adapted the stories.

Space Patrol began as a television show in 1950 and was an overnight sensation. The series followed the 30th-century interplanetary exploits of Commander-in-Chief Buzz Corry of the United Planets Space Patrol and his young sidekick Cadet Happy. Together they thwarted evildoers wanting to take over the Universe. The show was targeted to children, but attracted a sizable adult audience. A radio series soon followed with the same cast performing on both the TV and radio shows.

The golden age of radio had incredible detective shows that kept Americans glued to their sets. Families gathered around their living room radios to hear their favorite Hollywood stars voicing fiction's most famous gumshoes. This collection includes Dick Powell as suave detective Richard Diamond, Vincent Price as the Saint, Jack Webb as Sergeant Joe Friday on Dragnet, Richard Kollmar as "enemy to those who make him an enemy, friend to those who have no friend" on Boston Blackie, and much more!

Lucille Ball was an accomplished actress, comedian, model, entertainment studio executive and producer. She was the star of the self-produced TV sitcoms I Love Lucy, The Lucy Show, Here's Lucy and Life with Lucy, as well as television specials aired under the title The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour. This collection contains 10 of her popular radio performances, and we hope you will Love Lucy all over again.

Bud Abbott and Lou Costello were a comedy duo seen in movies, on TV, and heard on radio. Their comedy routine “Who’s on First?” helped make them a national sensation. The duo started in Vaudeville, and by the fall of 1942, Abbott and Costello had their own weekly radio program and topped the popularity polls of Radio Daily and Radio Guide. The Abbott and Costello Show ran for seven years until the summer of 1949. Enjoy 16 of the best comedy broadcasts of Abbott and Costello.

The Screen Director’s Playhouse came to NBC in 1949 and became one of the top drama anthologies featuring Hollywood actors reprising their screen roles a la Lux Radio Theater. The primary focus of the program was the original movie’s director, who not only served as a guest host but also participated in an interview towards the end of the broadcast. Unlike Lux, which featured Cecil B. DeMille as a regular host, The Screen Director’s Playhouse had a different director every week. Alfred Hitchcock, Frank Capra, and Lewis Milestone were among those appearing.

Our Miss Brooks was a situation comedy show heard on radio and seen on television and films. It starred Hollywood film and New York stage veteran Eve Arden, who had specialized in playing the wisecracking friend to the heroine. Arden's skill with the wicked one-liner and acid aside was beginning to lead to typecasting so, to find a new image, Arden signed on for the lead in radio's Our Miss Brooks.

The golden age of radio had incredible detective shows that kept Americans glued to their radio sets. Families gathered around their living room radios to hear their favorite detective find out "who done it?" From 1949 until 1962, Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar was one of the most popular detective shows on the air. Dollar was an insurance investigator who received a cut of the money he saved his agency for proving an insurance claim was not on the level. His insurance cases usually led to murder and a beautiful woman.

Radio westerns were aimed at kids until 1952 when Gunsmoke hit the radio airwaves. Produced for adult listeners, the stories were grim, the deaths brutal and life on the plains was harsh. Radio audiences had never heard anything like Gunsmoke and they made it the #1 western on radio. It soon made a successful transition to television becoming the longest-running dramatic series in TV history.