Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons was one of radio’s longest running shows,
airing for 15-minutes on Tuesday October 12, 1937 to April 19, 1955. It was
first heard on the NBC Blue network until 1947, when it switched to the CBS
radio network becoming a weekly half-hour show. Bennett Kilpack (above)
was the original detective Mr. Keen and Phil Clarke took over the role late
in the series run.
Ann Thomas and Bennett Kilpack (1947, CBS)
The action/adventure drama series Zorro was produced by Walt Disney. It was
based on the well-known fictional character created in 1919 by pulp writer Johnston McCulley. The series premiered on Thursday October 10, 1957 with the final network broadcast on June 2, 1959. A total of seventy-eight episodes were produced.
Guy Williams (left) with Portland’s TV cowboy Heck Harper during a 1958 visit
Cavalcade of America is an anthology drama series that documented historical
events and occasionally presented a musical, such as an adaptation of Show
Boat. The show was sponsored by the DuPont Company and debuted on
Wednesday October 9, 1935 and ran till March 31, 1953. DuPont’s motto,
"Maker of better things for better living through chemistry," was read at the
beginning of each program. It featured numerous Broadway and Hollywood
stars. The show was also on CBS television from 1952 to 1957.
.
Bill Johnstone and Jeanette Nolan of the Cavalcade of America dramas
The Iceman Cometh was written by playwright Eugene O’Neil in 1939. The play
premiered on Broadway at the Martin Beck Theatre in New York on October 9,
1946. It was directed by Eddie Dowling and ran for 136 performances closing
on March 15, 1947.
Eugene O’Neill
