Audiobooks by Hollywood 360

Here are original broadcasts of the old-time radio show featuring amateur detective Boston Blackie Created by author Jack Boyle, Boston Blackie was a master safecracker and hardened criminal who served time in a California prison. Rehabilitated, he decided to use his knowledge of the underworld to fight crime as an amateur detective. Known as "an enemy to those who make him an enemy, friend to those who have no friend," Boston Blackie's exploits were adapted to film, radio, and television. While investigating cases, Blackie would invariably encounter harebrained Police Inspector Faraday and always solve the crime before Faraday could. The initial friction between Blackie and Faraday gave way as the series continued and Faraday came to recognize Blackie's talents, occasionally even requesting his assistance. Blackie dated Mary Wesley, and for the first half of the series, his best pal Shorty was on hand. Boston Blackie is played by Richard Kollmar in these twelve exciting episodes, which aired between December 1946 and March 1947: "Mary, Registered Nurse" "Police Impersonator" "The Derailed Gold Train" "Carl Browning Cleaning Shop" "The Search for Jim Gary" "Jacques Pierre and the Diamonds" "Seven Years' Bad Luck for Florence Wells" "Joe Delivers the Goods" "Larry 'The Kid' vs. Savinni" "The Tenth Street Gym and the Stolen Car Ring" "Sam Fisher's Past" "The Horseroom Thefts of Boston Blackie"

Hollywood 360 (Author), A Full Cast, A Full Cast, Jan Miner, Maurice Tarplin, Richard Kollmar (Narrator)

Audiobook

Boston Blackie, Volume 1

Created by author Jack Boyle, Boston Blackie was a master safecracker and hardened criminal who served time in a California prison. Rehabilitated, he decided to use his knowledge of the underworld to fight crime as an amateur detective. Known as “an enemy to those who make him an enemy, friend to those who have no friend,” Boston Blackie’s exploits were adapted to film, radio, and television. Chester Morris, who had played Boston Blackie in a series of B movies for Columbia, originated the character on radio in 1944. By 1945 Richard Kollmar had taken over the title role in a radio series syndicated by Frederic W. Ziv. Over two hundred radio episodes were produced between 1944 and 1950. While investigating the cases, Blackie would invariably encounter harebrained Police Inspector Faraday (Maurice Tarplin) and always solve the crime before Faraday could. The initial friction between Blackie and Faraday gave way as the series continued and Faraday came to recognize Blackie’s talents, occasionally even requesting his assistance. Blackie dated Mary Wesley (Jan Miner), and for the first half of the series, his best pal Shorty (Tony Barrett) was on hand. Boston Blackie transitioned to television in 1951.

A Hollywood 360 Collection, Hollywood 360 (Author), Jan Miner, Maurice Tarplin, Richard Kollmar (Narrator)

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Box 13, Vol. 1

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 13.” It wasn’t long before his Box 13 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 and the adventure had already begun. Silvia Picker played Holiday’s scatter-brained secretary, Suzy. Suzy added touches of humor to the mystery-adventure and nail-biting storylines. Box 13 was produced by Mayfair Productions, a company run by Alan Ladd and Richard Sandville. The name came from Mayfair Restaurant, which Ladd and Sandville owned during World War II. In addition to producing Box 13 Ladd also wrote some of the scripts. Episodes include: The First Letter Insurance Fraud Blackmail Is Murder Actor’s Alibi Extra, Extra Shanghaied Short Assignment Double Mothers Book of Poems The Great Torino Suicide or Murder Triple Cross

Hollywood 360 (Author), Various, Various Narrators (Narrator)

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Box 13, Vol. 2

Movie star Alan Ladd played Dan Holiday, a former newspaperman turned mystery novelist and adventurer. To gain ideas for his books, Holiday placed an ad in the Star-Times newspaper: "Adventure wanted-will go anywhere, do anything-write Box 13, Star-Times." It wasn't long before his post office box became jammed with adventure offers galore. The stories follow his escapades when he responds to the letters. 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 and the adventure had already begun. Holiday's scatterbrained secretary, Suzy, played by Sylvia Picker, added touches of humor to this mystery-adventure and its nail-biting story lines. Box 13 was produced by Mayfair Productions, a company run by Alan Ladd and Richard Sandville. In addition to producing Box 13, Ladd also wrote some of the scripts. Included are these twelve exciting episodes: "Hot Box" (26 Dec 48), "The Better Man" (2 Jan 1949), "The Professor and the Puzzle" (9 Jan 1949), "The Dowager and Dan Holiday" (16 Jan 1949), "Three to Die" (23 Jan 1949), "The Philanthropist" (30 Jan 1949), "Last Will and Nursery Rhyme" (6 Feb 1949), "Delinquent Dilemma" (13 Feb 1949), "One One Three Point Five" (20 Mar 1949), "Dan and the Wonderful Lamp" (27 Mar 1949), "Tempest in a Casserole" (3 Apr 1949), and "Mexican Maze" (10 Apr 1949).

Hollywood 360 (Author), A Full Cast, A Full Cast (Narrator)

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Broadway Is My Beat, Vol. 1

Broadway Is My Beat was a dark, gritty radio crime drama that ran on CBS from 1949 until 1954. The series was originally broadcast from New York with Anthony Ross portraying Times Square Police Detective Danny Clover. Produced by Lester Gottlieb, it was directed by John Dietz. But by the thirteenth episode, the series moved to Hollywood (still set in NYC) with producer Elliott Lewis directing a new cast in scripts by Morton Fine and David Friedkin (the duo that would later write and develop TV's popular secret-agent series I Spy). The re-creation of Manhattan's rich, aural tapestry required the talents of three sound effects artists. The opening theme of "I'll Take Manhattan" introduced Detective Danny Clover (now played by Larry Thor) as a hardened New York City cop who worked homicide "from Times Square to Columbus Circle-the gaudiest, the most violent, the lonesomest mile in the world." Clover narrated tales of the Great White Way to the music of Wilbur Hatch and Alexander Courage. Episodes included are: "The Val Dane Case," "The Henry Baker Case," "The Jimmy Hunt Case," "The Julie Dixon Case," "The Dion Hartley Case," "The Hope Anderson Case," "The Morris Bernstein Case," "The Stephen Courtney Case," "The Celia Jordan Case," "The Mary Dimming Case," "The Tom Corey Case," and "The Linda Arnold Case."

Hollywood 360 (Author), A Full Cast, A Full Cast (Narrator)

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Candy Matson, Yukon 2-8209, Vol. 1

Candy Matson was no girl detective ... she was all woman. Candy Matson was a response to all the hard-boiled detectives on the radio like Philip Marlowe, Sam Spade, and Pat Novak, and all those other detectives who were beaten up on a regular basis. Candy, played by Natalie Park, was hard-boiled in her own way. She never compromised her femininity but she did know how to use a gun and didn't hesitate to use it when it was necessary. She didn't take any guff from the guys-the good guys or the bad guys. With a snappy comeback, she could take anybody's head off. Candy was fearless, never hesitating to go wherever she needed to solve a case from the lowest dive to the classiest nightclub. Candy worked hard to get her goon. Men orbited around her like she was the sun. Her best friend and partner in detection was Rembrandt Watson, a flamboyant photographer. All private detectives need a police detective foil and, in Candy's case, that was Lt. Ray Mallard. It didn't hurt that Mallard was easy on the eyes (plus she and the good detective dated). Candy Matson aired on NBC from 1949 until 1951 and was a regional success. Natalie Park Masters starred as Candy, and her husband, Monty Masters, wrote the show. Episodes included are: "Donna Dunham Case," "The Fort Ord Story," "The Devil in the Deep Freeze," "Jack Frost," "Insurance Crash," "Eric Spaulding Concert," "Symphony of Death," "The Movie Company," "The Egyptian Amulet," "San Juan Bautista," "Candy's Last Case," and "Fortune Teller."

Hollywood 360 (Author), A Full Cast, A Full Cast (Narrator)

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Casey, Crime Photographer, Vol. 1

In the March 1934 issue of the legendary pulp magazine Black Mask, Jack “Flashgun” Casey, crime photographer, made his debut. His creator was former newspaper and advertising executive George Harmon Coxe Jr., who wrote more than sixty crime fiction novels in his lifetime. Casey’s keen eye for detail served him well on the job, helping him to solve the crimes he was assigned to photograph for the newspapers. These “Flashgun Casey” stories were an instant success with Black Mask readers and soon made the leap to both radio and the silver screen. Voiced by Staats Cotsworth for more than a decade, Casey was aided in his amateur detecting by fellow reporter Ann Williams, who, like Casey, worked for the Morning Express. When not at work, they frequented the Blue Note Café, a late night lounge where the bartender, Ethelbert, provided both a sounding board and levity for Casey and Ann as they awaited their next job. Casey, Crime Photographer aired on radio from 1943 until 1955 and made the transition to television in 1951. Episodes include “The Grey Kitten,” “The Twenty-Minute Alibi,” “The Mysterious Lodger,” “The Demon Miner,” “Box of Death,” “The Gentle Strangler,” “The Laughing Killer,” “Pickup,” “Self-Made Hero,” “Photo of the Dead,” “A Bright New Star,” and “The Chivalerous Gunman.”

Hollywood 360 (Author), A Full Cast, Staats Cotsworth, Various, Various Narrators, Various Narrators (Narrator)

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Classic Radio Spotlights: Frank Sinatra

One of the top entertainers of the twentieth century, Frank Sinatra, stars in fourteen broadcasts from the golden age of radio. Although "Ol' Blue Eyes" would conquer records, film, and television, it was radio that first made Frank Sinatra a star. Spanning the years 1943 to 1954, this collection showcases Sinatra from such shows as Suspense, The Frank Sinatra Show, The Jack Benny Program, The Burns and Allen Show, and more. Included is the final episode of Sinatra's action/detective series, Rocky Fortune, a low-budget radio series that he decided not to continue after winning his Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in From Here to Eternity. Enjoy these fourteen radio broadcasts from eleven different radio series starring one of the greatest entertainers of all time, Frank Sinatra. "The greatest singer of the twentieth century."-Robert Christgau, music critic, praise for Frank Sinatra

Hollywood 360 (Author), A Full Cast, A Full Cast, Frank Sinatra (Narrator)

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Classic Radio Spotlights: Jack Benny

Set in Los Angeles, and starring Jack Webb as the stoic Sergeant Joe Friday, Dragnet is perhaps the most famous and influential police procedural drama of all time, having made extensive runs on both radio and television. Webb, also the producer of the show, took the series to new highs, insisting on realism in every facet of the program. The dialogue was clipped and sparse, taking its cue from hard-boiled crime fiction à la Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett. The stories were fast-paced but thorough, making sure to chronicle every step of the police work from start to finish. As a result, Dragnet draws listeners deeply in to its world of gritty crime and dedicated cops, guaranteeing an exhilarating audio experience. Episodes included are: "The Big Friend," "The Big Threat," "The Big Saint," "The Big Mailman," "The Big Imposter," "The Big Building," "The Big Run," "The Big Cliff," "The Big Love," "The Big Set-Up," "The Big Seventeen," and "The Big Waiter."

Hollywood 360 (Author), Jack Benny, Jack Benny (Narrator)

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Classic Radio Spotlights: Jack Webb

Jack Webb (1920-1982) was a popular American actor, television producer, director, and screenwriter. He started out in the entertainment industry in comedy but achieved his first success playing the title character in the radio show Pat Novak, for Hire. His greater success came from his role as Los Angeles Police Department sergeant Joe Friday in the show Dragnet, which he created based on actual LAPD criminal case files and which ran for many years on both radio and television. This classic radio collection spotlights Jack Webb in episodes from a variety of series from the golden age of radio. The Jack Webb Show: "Slim Slade, Western Bandleader" (17 Apr 46) Suspense: "Murder by an Expert" (24 Jul 47) Escape: "Ring of Thoth" (11 Aug 47) The Whistler: "Meeting on Tenth Street" ( 25 Feb 48) Jeff Regan, Investigator: "The Guy from Gower Gulch" (13 Nov 48) Pat Novak, for Hire: "Watch Wendy Morris" (8 May 49) The Whistler: "The Eager Pigeon" (28 Aug 49) Escape: "Border Town" (13 Dec 49) Escape: "Poison" (28 Jul 50) Pete Kelly's Blues: "Shy Woman" (29 Aug 51) Dragnet: "Big Jolt" (5 Oct 52) Dragnet: "Big Pill" (19 Oct 52)

CBS Radio, Hollywood 360 (Author), A Full Cast, Jack Webb, Various, Various Narrators, Various Narrators (Narrator)

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Classic Radio Spotlights: Lucille Ball

This collection showcases Lucille Ball's amazing spectrum of radio work, from comedy to mystery and everything in between. As Lucy Ricardo, Lucille Ball brought a tomboy's enthusiasm and a scatterbrained quality to the long-running television program I Love Lucy. She was the wacky wife making life difficult for her loving but exasperated husband Ricky Ricardo, played by Ball's real-life husband Desi Arnaz. Long before I Love Lucy, Ball worked her way up Hollywood's ladder, appearing in films and many radio shows, including dramatic roles in which she could show her acting chops. In the summer of 1948, she accepted the role of Liz Cooper, a zany housewife who found herself facing comical situations, in the radio comedy My Favorite Husband. In the series, Liz Cooper's husband George Cooper was played by veteran actor Richard Denning. But Lucille Ball also acted in episodes of the radio mystery Suspense and in Lux Radio Theatre's adaptation of Broadway plays. This collection of eleven episodes that aired from 1945 to 1951 includes: From My Favorite Husband: "George's Mother Visits" From Suspense: "A Shroud for Sarah" From Lux Radio Theatre: "The Dark Corners" with Lucille Ball and Mark Stevens From "Bill Stern Sports Newsreel" with Lucille Ball as guest From Suspense: "A Little Piece of Rope" From The Screen Guild Players: "Too Many Husbands" with Bob Hope, Frank Sinatra, and Lucille Ball From The Screen Director's Playhouse: "Bachelor Mother" with Lucille Ball and Robert Cummings From Suspense: "The Red-Headed Woman" with Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz From The Screen Director's Playhouse: "Her Husband's Affairs" From The Kraft Music Hall with Al Jolson and Lucille Ball From The Screen Director's Playhouse: "Miss Grant Takes Richmond"

Hollywood 360 (Author), A Full Cast, Lucille Ball (Narrator)

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Classic Radio Spotlights: Orson Welles

This collection spotlights the iconic Orson Welles in nine of his works from the golden age of radio. These radio dramas, airing from 1938 through 1951, are among his very best and can be enjoyed for years to come. Armed with the nickname the "Boy Genius," Orson Welles graduated from the New York stage to expand his creative talents in the radio industry, hoping to use the audio medium to promote his stage ventures. Welles followed the practice followed by most stage actors: he played roles in hundreds of radio dramas produced by advertising agencies and the radio networks. After creating a minor panic among radio listeners with his 1938 War of the Worlds broadcast, Welles attracted the attention of a movie studio that offered the actor the spotlights of tinsel town-resulting in Citizen Kane. Making the move to California, Welles continued to appear on radio programs, became established as a Hollywood actor, and made numerous guest appearances on variety, comedy, and dramatic programs. In 1941 and again in 1946, he starred in a chilling story titled "The Hitch-Hiker," scripted by Lucille Fletcher, which thirteen years later was adapted into a television episode of The Twilight Zone. In the early 1950s, when Welles was temporarily blacklisted, he moved to England and narrated the radio program The Black Museum and starred in The Lives of Harry Lime, a prequel to the classic The Third Man, now regarded as one of the 100 best movies ever made. In this collection: The Mercury Theatre on the Air: "Three Short Stories" The Campbell Playhouse: "Mutiny on the Bounty" Suspense: "The Marvelous Barastro" The Black Museum: "The Champagne Glass" The Lux Radio Theatre: "The Break of Hearts" This Is My Best: "Diamond as Big as the Ritz" The Mercury Summer Theatre: "The Hitchhiker" The Lives of Harry Lime: "Art Is Long and Lime Is Fleeting" The Lives of Harry Lime: "In Pursuit of a Ghost"

Hollywood 360 (Author), Orson Welles, Orson Welles (Narrator)

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