January 3, 2014
In the 1950s, it was fairly common for a long-running radio series to be adapted for television -- but it was practically unheard of for a successful TV series to make its way to radio. But, on November 23, 1958, that's exactly what happened when the CBS Television series Have Gun, Will Travel came to CBS Radio.Created by Herb Meadow and Sam Rolfe, Have Gun, Will Travel was first aired on CBS-TV September 14, 1957 and starred Richard Boone as Paladin, a cultured, educated, and sophisticated man with an eye for the ladies, a taste for gourmet food, wine, and cigars, and enough skill, nerve, and well-oiled artillery to make him a top-notch gunfighter. Headquartered at the fashionable Carlton Hotel in San Francisco, Paladin had earlier attended West Point and was also a former Army officer, but now chose to finance his luxurious lifestyle by being a combination go-between, negotiator, and hired gun - a white knight, as it were - for those who needed such assistance. Unlike the more scruffy gunsels of the wild west, Paladin relied on his brains as much as his nerve -- and made his reputation by use of a distinctive business card that featured the symbol of a white chess knight and read, simply, "Have Gun, Will Travel. Wire Paladin, San Francisco." When one hired Paladin to do a job, he did it...for a sizeable fee, of course. Questions of morality did come into play - Paladin was, after all, intending to be more of a protector of the helpless than a murdering hit man - so, throughout the series, most who eventually came to face to face with the barrel of his custom-made six shooter had already done quite a lot to deserve their fate. (He also had the good sense to conceal a derringer under his belt, as well as a few expensive cigars in his boot. Classy guy.)
On radio, Paladin was played by John Dehner, a talented character actor who had made his name in featured roles on similar radio series such asGunsmoke and Frontier Gentleman. (Dehner, whose portrayal of Paladin was a bit more arch, suave, and sleek than his TV counterpart, had in fact earlier turned down the leading role of Sheriff Matt Dillon in Gunsmoke for fear of being typecast in western roles.) Dehner was understandably concerned about becoming nothing more than a pale copy of Richard Boone, and so insisted on making the role uniquely his own; radio historian John Dunning describes Dehner's portrayal as "a streamlined version, perhaps slighter of build...but just as deadly." The same smooth and slightly menacing voice that had made him such an effective villain on such series as Escape and The Adventures of Philip Marlowe, made him an equally effective Paladin -- someone you might enjoy an intellectual discussion with over a glass of decent sherry, but also someone you wouldn't want to disagree with too aggressively for too long.
There were, of course, many similarities between the TV and radio series, particularly since many (though not all) of the radio scripts were based on earlier television episodes. Both programs used the same musical themes and bridges and relied much more upon dialogue and atmosphere than rip-roaring action to attract audiences. (Paladin, who was well versed in the classics, was frequently given to quoting Shakespeare and recalling obscure bits of history when considering the best way to deal with his various assignments.) On radio, Have Gun, Will Travel also benefited from the presence of Gunsmoke and Fort Laramie producer/director Norman Macdonnell as well as writers Marian Clark and Les Crutchfield, sound effects men Tom Hanley and Ray Kemper, and a host of talented performers such as Sam Edwards, Jack Moyles, Larry Dobkin, and Harry Bartell. The stories were rich with detail, realistic, and typical of the more adult types of western that had evolved in the 1950s; less shoot 'em up, more introspection.
Have Gun, Will Travel was one of the last continuing radio dramas to leave the airwaves, ending a two-year CBS run on November 27, 1960. (The TV series lasted a bit longer - six years in total - and closed up shop on September 21, 1963.) While it lasted, however, Have Gun, Will Travel demonstrated that, even with television capturing the largest audiences and the most advertising dollars, radio could still effectively hold its own when given the opportunity to present quality programming. Heard today, even those who have never experienced quality radio drama firsthand can enjoy the programs simply as effective and engrossing pieces of well-produced audio entertainment.
This collection, the sixth volume in our ongoing series, offers another sixteen episodes of Have Gun, Will Travel, just as originally aired over CBS Radio in 1960. 8 hours. $23.98 Audio CDs / $11.99 Download.
Special 50% discount Offer
"Enemy to those who make him an enemy...Friend to those who have no friend!"
That's Boston Blackie, safecracker turned crime fighter and a long-running favorite with fans of straight-ahead detective fiction in a wide range of media. Beginning inauspiciously in a 1919 short story by author Jack Boyle, Blackie progressed from the printed page into silent films, then into talkies, and finally, in the 1940s, into radio.
The first radio Blackie was Chester Morris, a handsome leading man who played the role in a long series of B movies made for Columbia Pictures during the 1940s. First heard in 1944 as a summer replacement series for "Amos 'n' Andy," Morris gave Blackie a certain wrong-side-of-the-tracks charm, giving the character a well-crafted introduction to the broadcast medium.
But the actor who would ultimately be radio's Blackie for the greatest length of time seemed, initially, to be a rather odd choice for the part: Broadway leading man and sometime soap opera actor Richard Kollmar, best known to radio fans along the Eastern seaboard as the urbane Dick of WOR's "Breakfast with Dorothy and Dick," a morning show which also featured his wife, newspaper columnist Dorothy Kilgallen. In 1938, Kollmar had made his Broadway debut in "Knickerbocker Holiday," the Maxwell Anderson/Kurt Weill musical play, followed by an appearance in the Rodgers and Hart musical "Too Many Girls" along with fellow cast members Desi Arnaz, Eddie Bracken, and Van Johnson. Like many stage actors wishing to supplement their income between engagements, Kollmar regularly worked in radio. In 1944, he was contracted to star in a series of 220 syndicated episodes of "Boston Blackie," produced at station WOR in New York City and distributed by the Frederic W. Ziv Company of Cincinnati. The programs were not intended to be groundbreakers or trendsetters; instead, this solid, workmanlike product of the WOR writing and dramatic staff was designed to be equally successful in both major metropolitan markets and small-town settings.
Its professional gloss, coupled with lighthearted storytelling, kept "Boston Blackie" in distribution well into the 1950s, remaining for many years a reliable feature for small-town stations across the United States. The able and rather charming Kollmar is joined in these syndicated episodes by two other familiar WOR voices: Maurice Tarplin - the "Mysterious Traveler" himself - as Inspector Faraday, and Jan Minor, who would later best be known as Madge, the wisecracking manicurist for Palmolive Dishwashing Detergent, as girlfriend/inconvenience Mary Wesley.
There's no tormented noir drama here, no deep layers of introspection, just good old-fashioned crime solving fun. And you can enjoy the clean, crisp sound of these newly restored episodes in this second collection from Radio Archives - ten more hours of great sounding light-hearted detective action and adventure. Included are the first two shows from the 1944 summer series starring Chester Morris, as broadcast over NBC, and the remaining shows feature Dick Kollmar in the leading role. 10 hours. Regular Price $29.98 - Specially priced until January 16 for $14.99 Audio CDs / $7.49 Download.
Will Murray's Pulp Classics #42
by Robert J. Hogan
Read by Nick Santa Maria. Liner Notes by Will Murray
Out of war-torn skies soars…G-8 and His Battles Aces! The greatest combat pilot of the War to End All Wars, G-8’s true name was stricken from all official records. Flying a supercharged warplane, backed by his wild wingmen, Bull Martin and Nippy Weston, G-8 fought the most horrific foes the Kaiser could throw at him.
The creation of writer Robert J. Hogan, G-8 and His Battles Aces appeared in the magazine of that same name for over a decade.
It was the summer of 1933, and despite the Great Depression, Popular Publications was booming. Part of their Autumn expansion plans entailed launching The Spider, and a companion to be aimed at the legions of readers who drank up fictionalized accounts of World War I Allied aces versus Imperial Germany’s various bi-winged counts and barons, red and otherwise.
Popular Publications publisher Harry Steeger hired Hogan and helped brainstorm the concept. “I can remember that Bob Hogan and I picked ‘G-8’ because G-8 was the hero of his first novel and I added ‘Battle Aces’ so that people would know what type of magazine it was and also because Battle Aces had been a very successful book,” Steeger recalled.
Envisioning the expected strain on the writer’s imagination a monthly novel would enact, Steeger and Hogan agreed that the new series would soon grow stale if they didn’t spice it up with elements of the fantastic. This recipe ranged from merely super-scientific death rays to unabashedly supernatural manifestations. Nothing was taboo in G-8. Hogan was a pioneer of over-the-top plotting generations before the term was coined.
For our newest exciting G-8 release, we have selected Patrol of the Cloud Crusher, a particularly wild tale torn from the June, 1936 issue. Hogan outdoes himself by pitting his hero against an astounding threat—titanic disembodied hands reach out of the clouds to ensnare and crush Allied aircraft! Even the Master Spy is baffled.
It begins with a ghostly hand that snatched an important clue and vanished! If that wasn't baffling enough, a patrol flying past a giant cloud encountered a monster arm whose crushing fingers destroyed their warplanes.
Taking to the skies, G-8 rushes to investigate the so-called Hand of Providence that had seemingly taken the German side in the war. But it was one thing to fly into that hell cloud. Quite another to survive the encounter!
When the Flying Spy and his Battle Aces take on the challenge of the Patrol of the Cloud Crusher, will they return––or will their own aircraft be pulverized by the seemingly supernatural power? Herr Doctor Kreuger strikes again!
Nick Santa Maria narrates this ripping yarn of World War I air-to-air combat with his usual mastery, while the backup short stories, “The Flying Hippopotamus” and “The Sky Shark,” are read with aplomb by Milton Bagby and Roger Price.
Nick DeGregorio composed the music for the G-8 and His Battle Aces series of audiobooks. 6 hours $23.98 Audio CDs / $11.99 Download.
New Will Murray's Pulp Classics eBooks
The best of timeless Pulp now available as cutting edge eBooks! Will Murray's Pulp Classics brings the greatest heroes, awesome action, and two fisted thrills to your eReader! Presenting Pulp Icons such as the Spider and G-8 and His Battle Aces as well as wonderfully obscure characters like the Octopus and Captain Satan. Will Murray's Pulp Classics brings you the best of yesterday's Pulp today!
In order to terrorize the tough, patriotic mining town of Minto, Colorado, The Killer had to order a mass slaughter that would cut the jugular vein of America’s defenses!... How could Dick Wentworth, half frozen and wounded, descend into the earth’s depths with any hope of crushing Hell’s Termites single-handed! Total Pulp Experience. These exciting pulp adventures have been beautifully reformatted for easy reading as an eBook and features every story, every editorial, and every column of the original pulp magazine. $2.99.
In 1934 a new type of magazine was born. Known by various names — the shudder pulps, mystery-terror magazines, horror-terror magazines — weird menace is the sub-genre term that has survived today. Dime Mystery Magazine was one of the most popular. It came from Popular Publications, whose publisher Harry Steeger was inspired by the Grand Guignol theater of Paris. This breed of pulp story survived less than ten years, but in that time, they became infamous, even to this day. This ebook contains a collection of stories from the pages of Dime Mystery Magazine, all written by Arthur Leo Zagat, reissued for today’s readers in electronic format. $2.99.
Not even G-8 could fathom the ungodly powers of the cloud crusher! A hand that struck from nowhere — a haunting, terrible messenger of death! And yet the Master Spy’s duty was clear — this menace must be destroyed, even though a very life be exchanged for the answer to this horrible curse of the skies! G-8 and his Battle Aces rode the nostalgia boom ten years after World War I ended. These high-flying exploits were tall tales of a World War that might have been, featuring monster bats, German zombies, wolf-men, harpies, Martians, and even tentacled floating monsters. Most of these monstrosities were the work of Germany’s seemingly endless supply of mad scientists, chief of whom was G-8’s recurring Nemesis, Herr Doktor Krueger. G-8 battled Germany’s Halloween shock troops for over a decade, not ceasing until the magazine folded in the middle of World War II. G-8 and his Battle Aces return in vintage pulp tales, reissued for today’s readers in electronic format. $2.99.
A hidden, terrible menace to the country brings the Green Lama to a convention city — there to battle and reveal the instigators of a gigantic plot to take over the free election of a free people. The jade-robed Buddhist priest who battled crime as The Green Lama is back! Conceived in 1939 at the behest of the editors of Munsey Publications to compete with The Shadow, it was an outlandish concept. While The Shadow possessed the power to cloud men’s minds after his time in the East, The Green Lama relied on other, even weirder, powers — including the ability to become radioactive and electrically shock opponents into submission! He carried a traditional Tibetan scarf, which he employed to bind and befuddle opponents, and possessed a knowledge of vulnerable nerve centers which he put to good use in hand-and-hand combat. Om Mani Padme Hum! The Green Lama knows! The Green Lama returns in vintage pulp tales, reissued for today’s readers in electronic format. $2.99.
99 cent eBook Singles
Each 99 cent eBook Single contains a single short story, one of the many amazing tales selected from the pages of Terror Tales and Rangeland Romances. These short stories are not included in any of our other eBooks.
Life with Sarah was wonderful until she talked with her dead sister, then measured my throat with a razor! In 1934 a new type of magazine was born. Known by various names — the shudder pulps, mystery-terror magazines, horror-terror magazines — weird menace is the sub-genre term that has survived today. Dime Mystery Magazine was one of the most popular. It came from Popular Publications, whose publisher Harry Steeger was inspired by the Grand Guignol theater of Paris. This breed of pulp story survived less than ten years, but in that time, they became infamous, even to this day. This ebook contains a classic story the pages of Dime Mystery Magazine, reissued for today’s readers in electronic format. $0.99.
Marion Carter actually tried to keep her date with Death. In 1934 a new type of magazine was born. Known by various names — the shudder pulps, mystery-terror magazines, horror-terror magazines — weird menace is the sub-genre term that has survived today. Dime Mystery Magazine was one of the most popular. It came from Popular Publications, whose publisher Harry Steeger was inspired by the Grand Guignol theater of Paris. This breed of pulp story survived less than ten years, but in that time, they became infamous, even to this day. This ebook contains a classic story the pages of Dime Mystery Magazine, reissued for today’s readers in electronic format. $0.99.
Ever since Sheila, in girlhood, was saved from the monstrous attack of Crazy Charlie, her obsession grew — her obsession that the madman, long dead, was reaching from the grave to take her. When lovely Connie’s severed head was flung from the night into our cabin — Sheila knew her time had come... In 1934 a new type of magazine was born. Known by various names — the shudder pulps, mystery-terror magazines, horror-terror magazines — weird me most popular. It came from Popular Publications, whose publisher Harry Steeger was inspired by the Grand Guignol theater of Paris. This breed of pulp story survived less than ten years, but in that time, they became infamous, even to this day. This ebook contains a classic story from the pages of Terror Tales magazine, reissued for today’s readers in electronic format. $0.99.
The owlhoot trail is tough on a girl. But lovely Nancy told her fugitive sweetheart that any other trail would be just as tough — without him. One of the most popular settings for romance stories was the old west, where men were men and women were women. As many a swooning damsel could attest, "There's something about a cowboy." The western romance became one of the most popular types of magazines sold during the early and mid-twentieth century. $0.99.
All eBooks produced by Radio Archives are available in ePub, Mobi, and PDF formats for the ultimate in compatibility. When you upgrade to a new eReader, you can transfer your eBook to your new device without the need to purchase anything new.
Richard Wentworth, in the guise of his crime-fighting alter-ego, returns in two 1930s tales of The Spider. First, in "Slaves of the Crime Master" (1935), criminal mastermind The Tempter broadcasts his message of evil via the radio, urging the maddened populace to destroy! Lured by his mysterious and persuasive voice, the youth of the nation flock to join his army of vicious criminals. His path blocked by police and criminals alike, The Spider wages a seemingly hopeless crusade to save humanity. Then, in "The Spider and the Fire God" (1939), its pay tribute or die as the Fire God demands his just dues and destroys the unbelieving in a burst of searing flame. Not since ancient times have so many people worshipped a strange and terrible god, abandoning their religion for fear of agonizing death. The Spider alone remains to battle this monstrous cult-leader from Hell! These two exciting pulp adventures have been beautifully reformatted for easy reading and feature both of the original full color covers as well as interior illustrations that accompany each story. $14.95.
The Knight of Darkness returns in two more classic pulp thrillers, including "The Voodoo Master," voted the favorite novel in a 1937 Shadow Magazine readers' poll and again acclaimed as one of the top Shadow novels by pulp fans nearly a half century later. Walter Gibson's 1936 novel introduces The Shadow's arch-foe Dr. Rodil Mocquino, the master of black magic who returned in two subsequent novels and several Golden Age comic book stories. In "The Red Blot" (1933), Lamont Cranston first meets Commissioner Weston, setting up the friendship that would be featured in the famous radio series, and investigates a series of crimes orchestrated by a malevolent mastermind who leaves a bloody mark as his calling card. This book also features the original pulp covers by George Rozen, all the original interior illustrations by Tom Lovell, and historical commentary by Will Murray, principal author of "The Duende History of 'The Shadow Magazine'", and Anthony Tollin, co-author of "The Shadow Scrapbook". $12.95.
Pulp fiction's legendary Man of Bronze returns in two of his most engrossing adventures. In "Death in Silver", ruthless terrorists launch a series of attacks that leave Manhattan in flames. The Man of Bronze, his Iron Crew, and Doc's beautiful cousin Patricia Savage must unmask the leader of the Silver Death's-Heads before they achieve their murderous goals, in an epic tale by Lester Dent, writing as Kenneth Robeson. Then, in "Golden Peril", an international band of mercenaries invades the Republic of Hidalgo to usurp the source of Doc's secret wealth in the sequel to the first Doc Savage novel. These thrilling adventures are reproduced with the original pulp covers by Walter Baumhofer and Robert Harris, interior illustrations by Paul Orban, and historical commentary by Will Murray. $12.95.
The Knight of Darkness confronts his greatest superfoe in the classic pulp novels that inspired the 1994 Shadow film starring Alec Baldwin! In "Shiwan Khan Returns," the last descendent of Genghis Khan comes back from the dead for a titanic rematch with The Shadow! Then, the Dark Avenger and the exotic Myra Reldon team up to battle the mesmeric menace of "The Invincible Shiwan Khan" in another of Walter Gibson's greatest pulp thrillers! This instant collector's item showcases both original color pulp covers by Graves Gladney, the classic interior illustrations by legendary artist Edd Cartier and historical commentary by Will Murray and Anthony Tollin. $14.95.
The pulp era's greatest superhero returns in two-fisted pulp classics by Harold A. Davis and Lester Dent writing as "Kenneth Robeson." First, graduates of Doc Savage's Crime College revert to their earlier evil ways, leading the Man of Bronze into a deadly confrontation with an uncanny trickster and "The Purple Dragon." Then, a failed murder attempt and a gorgeous damsel in distress set Doc, Monk and Ham on the trail of an evil mastermind in "Colors for Murder." BONUS: a classic Doc Savage script from the Golden Age of Radio! This deluxe pulp reprint also features a classic color pulp cover by Emery Clarke and the original interior illustrations by Paul Orban, plus new historical commentary by Will Murray, author of 13 Doc Savage novels. $14.95.
This is an authentic replica of an original pulp magazine published by Girasol Collectables. This edition is designed to give the reader an authentic taste of what a typical pulp magazine was like when it was first issued - but without the frailty or expense of trying to find a decades-old collectable to enjoy. The outer covers, the interior pages, and the advertisements are reprinted just as they appeared in the original magazine, left intact to give the reader the true feel of the original as well as an appreciation for the way in which these publications were first offered to their avid readers. To further enhance the “pulp experience”, this edition is printed on off-white bond paper intended to simulate the original look while, at the same time, assuring that this edition will last far longer than the original upon which it is based. The overall construction and appearance of this reprint is designed to be as faithful to the original magazine as is reasonably possible, given the unavoidable changes in production methods and materials. $35.00.
by Will Murray
The Writers of the Purple Wage have long since taken the last trail into dusty memory. But, now, they live again––to retell tall tales of those distant days when they helped forge the fabled West of American Imagination.
They’re all here!
*The Popular hacks!
*The Spicy bestsellers!
*The Thrilling myths!
*The Spicy bestsellers!
*The Thrilling myths!
Those amazing million-words-a-year men!
True Westerners born on the Range!
Broadway cowboys never West of Hoboken!
True Westerners born on the Range!
Broadway cowboys never West of Hoboken!
Join Max Brand, Luke Short, Johnston McCulley, Ernest Haycox, Walt Coburn, Frank Gruber, Ryerson Johnson, & a hard-working, fast-drawing posse of freelance fictioneers!
And those two-fisted foremen of New York’s fiction factories–magazine editors Frank Blackwell, Rogers Terrill, Leo Margulies, Robert Lowndes & Fanny Ellsworth!
Together, in their own words, these veteran pulpsters & others offer startling inside stories of how they created the mythology of the Golden West!
*Blazing action! Savage characterization! Real emotion!
Ride with the Old West’s top gunhands, greatest pulpsmiths & legendary brands. From Buffalo Bill, Deadwood Dick & Hopalong Cassidy to Gunsmoke & Louis L’Amour, this is their saga.
Armed with forgotten interviews, controversial essays & candid letters first not seen in generations, acclaimed pulp historian Will Murray, author of The Wild Adventures of Doc Savage, reveals the epic life & frequent deaths of the Pulp West! 469 pages, approx. 6"x9" $29.98
By John Olsen
The Red Blot was originally published in the June 1, 1933 issue of The Shadow Magazine. Crime has struck New York. Strange, unexplainable crime. All orchestrated by the master criminal who leaves behind a red blot. The Shadow must uncover his hidden hoard of mobsters before he can confront the mastermind known as the Red Blot!
The Shadow is on the case. As our story opens, The Shadow is in his sanctum, reviewing the crimes that have left men of wealth in terror. A bank messenger had been shot down in broad daylight. The assailants mysteriously disappeared after a police chase. Upon the sidewalk where the man had been slain was a huge blot of crimson. That was how it all began. But it didn't stop there.A gambling club was the next target of the strange band. Police had arrived at the club as the crooks were escaping with a large amount of cash. Again, the perpetrators escaped by some strange unknown method. And on the green felt of the central card table in the club was a huge dab of dulled crimson. The Red Blot had struck again.Then there was the theft of a painting valued at many thousands. Left behind, a large red blot. Once again the criminals departed with impunity, disappearing before the police could gather them up. And most recently, a big-time fight promoter was strangled in his apartment. His bankroll of a hundred thousand dollars was stolen; on his white starched shirt front was the familiar dread sign of spattered crimson.
The police were baffled. They had not gathered a single clue. As we view The Shadow in his sanctum, he begins piecing together what few meager clues his agents have accumulated. The report sheets and clippings seem to point The Shadow in the right direction: old Timothy Baruch's pawnshop.Timothy Baruch is one of the oddest characters on the East Side. He's been a pawnbroker for years and rumor has it that his safe contains jewels and other wealth of great enough value to tempt the Red Blot. The Shadow decides a visit to the pawnshop is in order. Word from the underworld, via his secret agents, is that the pawnshop will be struck at 11 PM. The Shadow decides to show up early.
With plenty of time to spare, The Shadow appears at Baruch's pawnshop and ...
Double Novel reprint $12.95
Comments From Our Customers!
Mike Hopper writes:
Thanks....we got everything on Christmas Eve--You're the best!
Robin Ramos writes:
I really have enjoyed the shows I have ordered from Radio Archives this year. The sound quality of Box Thirteen, The Third Man, Dr. Jekyll, Cinnamon Bear, etc., is fantastic for shows that far into the past. Keep up the good work!
Ernst H. Spellmeyer writes:
Volumes #1 and #2 of Fort Laramie, and the two samples: Mr. President and Boston Blackie arrived this afternoon. The sound and quality are great! They rank right up there with Have Gun, Will Travel and Luke Slaughter of Tombstone.
I really have enjoyed the shows I have ordered from Radio Archives this year. The sound quality of Box Thirteen, The Third Man, Dr. Jekyll, Cinnamon Bear, etc., is fantastic for shows that far into the past. Keep up the good work!
Ernst H. Spellmeyer writes:
Volumes #1 and #2 of Fort Laramie, and the two samples: Mr. President and Boston Blackie arrived this afternoon. The sound and quality are great! They rank right up there with Have Gun, Will Travel and Luke Slaughter of Tombstone.
If you'd like to share a comment with us or if you have a question or a suggestion send an email to Service@RadioArchives.com. We'd love to hear from you!
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