The Adventures of Frank Race

Last updated
Tom Collins portrayed Frank Race in 22 episodes. Tcollins.jpg
Tom Collins portrayed Frank Race in 22 episodes.

The Adventures of Frank Race was an American radio adventure serial syndicated by Bruce Eells Productions. The 30-minute program's first East Coast broadcast was 1949, and the show ran 43 episodes. Because it was syndicated, it aired on different stations on different days. For instance, in New York City, the first episode ran on WINS on April 9, 1949. [1] It "began running in some markets May 1, 1949. [2] The series was broadcast on the West Coast from 1951–52.

Contents

Each episode opened with a one-minute organ theme and then the following from announcer Art Gilmore:

The war changed many things; the face of the earth and the people on it. Before the war, Frank Race worked as an attorney, but he traded his law books for the cloak-and-dagger of the OSS. And when it was over, his former life was over, too... adventure had become his business!

Characters and story

Frank Race mainly investigated international insurance scams around the globe in various exotic locations, making him something of a cross between James Bond and Johnny Dollar. After Tom Collins played the title role for the first 22 episodes, Paul Dubov took over the lead role. Tony Barrett portrayed Race's sidekick, Mark Donovan. Other actors included Jack Kruschen, Wilms Herbert, Lillian Buyeff, Frank Lovejoy and Harry Lang.

The series was written and directed by Joel Murcott and Buckley Angel. [3] Ivan Ditmars provided the background organ music.

Episodes

East Coast premiere broadcasts

#DateTitle
01May 1, 1949"The Hackensack Victory"
02May 8, 1949"The Darling Debutante"
03May 15, 1949"The Istanbul Adventure"
04May 22, 1949"The Seventeen Black"
05May 29, 1949"The Enoch Arden Adventure"
06June 5, 1949"The Vanishing President"
07June 12, 1949"The Baradian Letters"
08June 19, 1949"The Airborne Adventure"
09June 26, 1949"The Shanghai Incident"
10July 3, 1949"The Juvenile Passenger"
11July 10, 1949"The Reckless Daughter"
12July 17, 1949"The Silent Heart"
13July 24, 1949"The Garrulous Bartender"
14July 31, 1949"The Vanishing Favorite"
15Aug 7, 1949"The Embittered Secretary"
16Aug 14, 1949"The Talking Bullet"
17Aug 21, 1949"The Fat Man's Loot"
18Aug 28, 1949"The General's Lady"
19Sept 4, 1949"The Violent Virtuoso"
20Sept 11, 1949"The Fourth Round Knockout"
21Sept 18, 1949"The Three on a Match"
22Sept 25, 1949"The Roughneck's Will"

(last episode with Tom Collins)

23Oct 2, 1949"The Green Doubloon"

(first episode with Paul Dubov)

24Oct 9, 1949"The Sobbing Bodyguards"
25Oct 18, 1949"The Diver's Loot"
26Oct 25, 1949"The Adventures in Mormon Country"
27Nov 1, 1949"The Brooklyn Accent"
28Nov 6, 1949"The Six Week Cure"
29Nov 13, 1949"The Fairway Beauty"
30Nov 20, 1949"The Runway Queen"
31Nov 27, 1949"The Lady in the Dark"
32Dec 4, 1949"The Silent Tongue"
33Dec 11, 1949"The Kandy Killing"
34Dec 18, 1949"The Undecided Bride"
35Dec 25, 1949"The Gold Worshiper"
36Jan 1, 1950"The House Divided"
37Jan 8, 1950"The Pharaoh's Staff"
38Jan 15, 1950"The Count Trefanno Crest"
39Jan 22, 1950"The Night Crawler"
40Jan 29, 1950"The Kettle Drum"
41Feb 5, 1950"The Lovable Character"
42Feb 12, 1950"The Black Friar's Bridge"
43Feb 19, 1950"The Big Top"

(last show of series)

Related Research Articles

<i>Space Patrol</i> (1950 TV series) American television series

Space Patrol is an American science fiction adventure series set in the 30th century that was originally aimed at juvenile audiences via television, radio, and comic books. It was broadcast on ABC from March 1950 to February 1955. It soon developed a sizable adult audience, and by 1954 the program consistently ranked in the top 10 shows broadcast on a Saturday.

The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes is a radio drama series which aired in the USA from 1939 to 1950, it ran for 374 episodes, with many of the later episodes considered lost media. The series was based on the Sherlock Holmes stories by Arthur Conan Doyle. Some of the surviving episode recordings may be found online, in various audio quality condition.

<i>I Love a Mystery</i> American radio drama series, 1939-1944

I Love a Mystery is an American radio drama series that aired 1939–44, about three friends who ran a detective agency and traveled the world in search of adventure. Written by Carlton E. Morse, the program was the polar opposite of Morse's other success, the long-running One Man's Family.

<i>Death Valley Days</i> American television series

Death Valley Days is an American television anthology series featuring true accounts of the American Old West, particularly the Death Valley country of southeastern California. Created in 1930 by Ruth Woodman, the program was broadcast on radio until 1945. From 1952 to 1970, it became a syndicated television series, with reruns continuing through August 1, 1975. The radio and television versions combined to make the show "one of the longest-running Western programs in broadcast history."

<i>The Life of Riley</i> American radio situation comedy series of the 1940s

The Life of Riley is an American radio situation comedy series of the 1940s that was adapted into a 1949 feature film, as well as two different television series, and a comic book.

<i>Mr. District Attorney</i> Radio, television, and comic book crime drama series

Mr. District Attorney is a radio crime drama produced by Samuel Bischoff that aired on NBC and ABC from April 3, 1939 to June 13, 1952. The series focused on a crusading district attorney initially known only as Mister District Attorney or Chief, and was later translated to television. On television, the attorney's name was Paul Garrett, and the radio version adopted the name in its final years when David Brian played the role. A key figure in the dramas was secretary Edith Miller.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frank Lovejoy</span> American actor (1912–1962)

Frank Andrew Lovejoy Jr. was an American actor in radio, film, and television. He is perhaps best remembered for appearing in the film noir The Hitch-Hiker and for starring in the radio drama Night Beat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marvin Miller (actor)</span> American actor

Marvin Elliott Miller was an American actor. Possessing a deep baritone voice, he began his career in radio in St. Louis, Missouri before becoming a Hollywood actor. He is remembered for voicing Robby the Robot in the science fiction film Forbidden Planet (1956), a role he reprised in the lesser-known The Invisible Boy (1957).

<i>One Mans Family</i> American radio and television soap opera

One Man's Family is an American radio soap opera, heard for almost three decades, from 1932 to 1959. Created by Carlton E. Morse, it was the longest-running uninterrupted dramatic serial in the history of American radio. Television versions of the series aired in prime time from 1949 to 1952 and in daytime from 1954 to 1955.

Martin Kane, Private Eye is an American crime drama radio and television series sponsored by United States Tobacco Company. It aired via radio from 1949 to 1952 and was simultaneously a television series on NBC from 1949 to 1954. It was the "earliest of successful cops-and-robbers series" on television.

<i>The Adventures of Dick Cole</i> Comic book series

The Adventures of Dick Cole was a 1940s comic book series, created by Bob Davis. It was published by Novelty Press, and later, Star Publications. Dick Cole is a heroic cadet at the fictional Farr Military Academy. The character was introduced in the "Origin of Dick Cole," in the first issue of Novelty Press' Blue Bolt Comics.

<i>The Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen</i> 1933–1937 American radio serial

The Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen is an American radio adventure serial broadcast from 1933 until 1937. The 15-minute syndicated program was created by writers Robert M. Burtt and Wilfred G. Moore, both of whom were from Kansas City, Missouri.

<i>Chandu the Magician</i> Old time radio show

Chandu the Magician is an American supernatural radio drama which originally aired from 1931–1936. A revival on a different network took place 12 years later, airing from 1948–1950. The series was created by Harry A. Earnshaw (1878–1953) and Raymond R. Morgan. The two series portrayed the adventures of Frank Chandler, also known as Chandu, an American who had learned mystical arts, such as astral projection, which he used to fight criminals and villains, including the evil Baron Roxor. Chandu was Steve Ditko's and Stan Lee's inspiration for the more famous Marvel Comics character Doctor Strange.

Public Prosecutor is an American television series produced in 1947–1948, which first aired in 1951.

Frontier Town was an American radio adventure serial syndicated by Bruce Eells Productions. The 30-minute programme's first known broadcast was in 1949, and the show ran for 47 episodes. Because it was syndicated, it aired on different stations on different days. For instance, in New York City, the first episode ran on WINS on March 5, 1949.

Dangerous Assignment was an NBC Radio drama starring Brian Donlevy broadcast in the US 1949–1953, a syndicated television series distributed in the US 1951–52, and an Australian radio series broadcast in 1954-56 as remakes of the original American radio scripts.

Gang Busters is an American dramatic radio program heralded as "the only national program that brings you authentic police case histories." It premiered on January 15, 1936, and was broadcast over 21 years through November 27, 1957.

The Saint was a radio adventure program in the United States that featured a character created by author Leslie Charteris. As the program's introduction said, The Saint, was "known to millions from books, magazines, and motion pictures." Several versions of the program appeared on different networks.

Hopalong Cassidy is a radio western in the United States, featuring the character Hopalong Cassidy created by writer Clarence E. Mulford. It was syndicated via electrical transcription, beginning in 1948 and continuing into 1950. Its network broadcasts began on Mutual January 1, 1950, and ended on CBS December 27, 1952.

Gasoline Alley was an American radio sitcom based on the popularity of the newspaper comic strip Gasoline Alley by Frank King. It first aired in 1931 under the name "Uncle Walt and Skeezix".

References

  1. The New York Times, ”Programs on the Air”, April 9, 1949
  2. Dunning, John (1998). On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio (Revised ed.). New York, NY: Oxford University Press. p. 10. ISBN   978-0-19-507678-3 . Retrieved 2019-10-20.
  3. Sies, Luther F. (2014). Encyclopedia of American Radio, 1920–1960, 2nd Edition, Volume 1. McFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN   978-0-7864-5149-4. p. 13.

Listen to