A Radio Christmas Sampler, Vol. 4
Season 12, Episode 12
December 16, 2024
Our fourth sampling of radio holiday programs
Re-Imagined Radio's "A Radio Christmas Sampler, Vol. IV" samples from Christmas episodes of This Is Your FBI, It's a Wonderful Life (starring Jimmy Stewart), and Richard Diamond, Private Detective. The latter is a very interesting retelling of the classic story by Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol.
Access the episode script
Background
This Is Your FBI
"The Return of St. Nick."
December 24, 1948, Episode #195
Quick Info about This Is Your FBI
April 6, 1945-January 30, 1953
American Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)
Weekly, 30 minute episodes, 283 titles, 409 total possible episodes
Stories were adapted from actual Federal Bureau of Investigation case files.
Stacy Harris as Special Agent Jim Taylor
Written by Jerry D. Lewis
Music composed and conducted by Frederick Steiner
Narrated by William Woodson
Created, Directed, and Produced by Jerry Devine
Announced by Fred Keating
Episodes of This Is Your FBI were taken from actual FBI cases. For our "Radio Christmas Sampler, Vol. 4," Re-Imagined Radio samples from "The Return of St. Nick." Episode #195. December 24, 1948. Special Agent Taylor reunites Kenneth and Grace Norton, brother and sister, long estrained over an apparaent embezzlement of family money. Taylor, using "the science of handwriting analysis" proves the check withdrawal of $10,000 was forged by a business partner, not written by Kenneth. Reunited at The Settlement House, a home for young boys, Grace helps Kenneth don his Santa Claus costume and then attends the annual Christmas party. Everyone is happy.
References
"This Is Your FBI." Jerry Haendiges Vintage
Radio Logs.
Lux Radio Theatre
"It's A Wonderful Life"
March 10, 1947, Episode #562
This radio adaptation followed the success of the movie starring James Stewart, Donna Reed, and Victor Moore, directed by Frank Capra, released 20 December 1946.
George Bailey (Stewart) has so many problems that he contemplates suicide. An angel, Clarence, voiced by Moore, is sent to intercede. Clarence helps George get his life back on track. George helps Clarence earn his angel's wings. Mary, George's wife (voiced by Donna Reed) is happy with all the outcomes. The radio adaptation is faithful to the orignal movie. The performances by Stewart, Reed, and Moore are all quite solid.
Lux Radio Theatre
Lux Radio Theatre was a
weekly radio anthology series, 1934-1955. Sponsored by Lever Brothers, manufacturers of Lux Toilet Soap.
Beginning in the 1920s, Lux Soap used celebrity product endorsements in magazine advertisements. In
1934, Lever Brothers agreed to sponsor an hour-long radio program that would use well-known stage and
movie actors to perform the leading roles.
Began in New York
The first episode, Seventh Heaven by Austin Strong, was broadcast 14 October 1934 from the
NBC affiliate radio station WJZ in Radio City, in downtown Manhattan, New York. Subsequent episodes
featured faithful adaptations from original Broadway stage performances by well-known stage and screen
stars acting in the leading roles in three to four acts with commercials between the first and second
acts. At the end of the dramatic portion of the program, the star(s) returned out of character to
participate in an informal, but scripted, chat with the program's host, Douglas Garrick.
For the first two seasons, because of its New York location, Lux Radio Theatre focused on adapting theatrical performances, including well-known plays and performers popular in previous years. But, because first the NBC and then CBS radio networks carried the program across the country, the producers of Lux Radio Theatre began increasingly focusing on actors with national reputations, and this led to an increasing focus on movie actors.
Moved to Los Angeles
After two seasons, Lux Radio Theatre moved to the Music Box Theatre (now the Henry Ford
Theatre), on Hollywood Boulevard, in Los Angeles, California. Several other changes were also
implemented. First, audiences were encouraged to attend each live broadcast. Audiences were not a part
of the New York broadcasts, so their addition at the instance of Lever Brothers offered significant
promotional opportunities. Hollywood actors, with national reputations, were contracted to voice roles
from their current movies. Louis Silvers, an Academy Award winning music director was hired. Cecil B.
DeMille, known to even casual movie fans, was engaged as the program's new host. The first broadcast
from Hollywood was 1 June 1936. From then on, every Lux Radio Theatre broadcast was like an
opening night, with marquee lights, new stars, and movie fans seeking autographs.
Resources
"Lux Radio Theatre." Jerry Haendiges Vintage
Radio Logs.
Richard Diamond, Private Detective
"A Christmas Carol"
December 24, 1949, Episode #035
Starring Richard (Dick) Powell). Powell, as Richard Diamond, narrates an iconic adaptation of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. His friends at the police department help out by voicing the characters of this great story, Scrooge, Marley, the Christmas Ghosts, Cratchit, and others. At the close, Powell sings a song about sunshine and celebrating Christmas in Hawaii.
Richard (Dick) Powell began his entertainment career in the 1930s, singing and dancing in a number of films for Warner Brothers and Paramount. Seeking to take on serious dramatic roles, he played Philip Marlow in the 1944 film noir, Murder, My Sweet, adapted from Raymond Chandler's novel Farewell My Lovely. Powell was the first to portray Marlow, by name, in moving pictures. The film was a big success.
Powell reprised his performance as Philip Marlow on June 11, 1945 with co-star Claire Trevor for Lux Radio Theater. With this performance, Powell became the first to portray Philip Marlow on radio. Powell performed in several other Lux episodes until 1955.
Following his successful type transition, Powell was tapped for the lead in Rogue's Gallery, a detective series heard on NBC and ABC, September 27, 1945 to 1951. Powell played Richard Rogue, private detective for the first two seasons, 1945-1946. Powell played his character in a light-hearted manner, and critics and historians agree although the series did not make a serious mark it was good rehearsal for Richard Diamond, Private Detective.
In 1948, Powell auditioned for the lead role in the popular Your's Truly Johnny Dollar series, playing Dollar as a lovable rogue. Powell's audition was never broadcast and he never appeared in any episodes, but, according to Adam Graham, his audition gives an interesting picture of how the series might have been (Graham).
But, the next year, 1949, Powell was tapped as the lead for Richard Diamond, Private Detective. The new series was created by Blake Edwards, who later wrote the very successful Pink Panther movies starring Peter Sellers. Powell, as Richard Diamond, played a fun-loving former police officer turned private detective.
Episodes began with Powell whistling the show's theme song, "Leave It to Love." Then a client visits or telephones Diamond's office to engage his services. The middle part of each episode was usually rough going, requiring Diamond's OSS training and detective skills.
At episode's end, Diamond relaxes with girlfriend Helen Asher in her Park Avenue, New York, penthouse. Often he sings a standard, popular song, or a showtune.
Works Cited
Graham, Adam. Yours
Truly Johnny Dollar→. The Great Detectives of Old Time Radio.
Production
Contents
As with previous iterations of our "Radio Christmas Sampler," we offer unexpected Christmas episodes from vintage radio programs. For 2024, we sample from three radio drama series.
This Is Your FBI
"The Return of St. Nick"
Learn more about This Is Your FBI
Lux Radio Theatre
"It's A Wonderful Life"
Learn more about Lux Radio Theatre
Richard Diamond, Private Detective
"A Christmas Carol"
Learn more about Richard Diamond, Private Detective
Credits
Produced and Hosted by John F. Barber
Graphics by Sydney Nguyen Design
Post Production by Marc Rose
Significance
This is the twelfth year offering "A Radio Christmas Carol" as a live, community performance. And our first year for collaboration between Re-Imagined Radio and Metropolitan Performing Arts since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Producer's Notes
Producer's Notes
This is our fourth sampler of radio holiday programs. Again, Re-Imagined Radio offers an interesting iteration of "A Christmas Carol," this one told by a private detective and the local police force.
Our podcast of this episode ranked Top-10 Most Listened by Goodpods listeners
Promotion
Press
Graphics
