CBS Radio Mystery Theater

[happyfilmluvguy]

During the vintage revival of the 1970's, Himan Brown brought to the speaker, CBS Radio Mystery Theater, a radio drama reliving the glory of the bygone radio programs of the 30's, 40's, and 50's, before Television was brought into our homes. The show ran from 1974, to 1984, 10 years of life. For most every episode, was hosted by E.G. Marshall, star of the 1957 film "12 Angry Men". Though the show did not run as long as most radio programs did in their heyday, they did bring a spark onto those urging for an alternative form of entertainment, and for old time radio enthusiasts and collectors. The many times I have mentioned this program I have gotten a positive response. My best friend's father used to tune into this show on his way home from work in the big city. He hadn't heard it in years, and I luckily had my laptop to revive some memory. Old Time Radio had not been lost, and is still going, and I find this show was both imaginitive, original, and was underestimated for it's way of locking people away from the world, as all radio is.

For the original listeners, let's hear your tall tales, and for everyone, what do you think about this radio program?

 

[nulty]

I really liked the atmosphere on those programs. The writing was consistent, the effects were good and E.G. Marshall was just a great Emcee. I used to go to sleep listening to those episodes..

I remember the opening music was somewhat ominous though....

 

[LizzieMaine]

I grew up with this show, along with its little brother, the General Mills Radio Adventure Theatre. Some of the early Mystery Theatre shows spooked me pretty bad, but as I got older and started to listen more critically I began to appreciate the work that was going into doing hour-long dramas on a nightly basis. A lot of radio-era pros were involved in this program, beginning with producer Himan Brown, who had filled a similar role with "Inner Sanctum Mysteries" in the '40s, and continuing on down thru many of the actors who appeared on the show over the years. The music also had an excellent pedigree -- much of it came from the CBS stock library, having originally been composed for "The Twilight Zone" in the early sixties!

In retrospect, the most astounding thing about the program is that CBS was willing to keep it running for eight years -- at a time when local stations had to be practically be beaten over the head to get them to clear that big a block of time for a network program. A lot of affiliates aired the shows at weird times -- the station where I regularly listened in the late '70s, WITS in Boston, would routinely use CBSRMT as a filler program, throwing it on in the late afternoon after a Red Sox game or something -- and this made it difficult to develop a solid fanbase. Oddly enough, I think CBSRMT is actually more popular now, twenty-five years after it went out of production, than it was when it was actually airing!

 

[panamag8or]

Man, when I was younger, that squeaking door used to creep me out. I would stay up late to listen each night.

Are you saying it is available online? I'd love to listen to a few of those shows again.

 

[happyfilmluvguy]

Man, when I was younger, that squeaking door used to creep me out. I would stay up late to listen each night.

Are you saying it is available online? I'd love to listen to a few of those shows again.

Here is a few.

(link deleted for copyright reasons -- sorry)

Many free sites carry them I am sure, but I'd be glad to send you what I have. 73 Episodes

 

[Bill O'Rights]

I grew up with CBSRMT in the mid to late '70s, and loved it. Oh, how I wish that there was a viable enough market to air it again.

Pleasant...dreams?

 

[Absinthe_1900]

I remember it well during it's run, although it wasn't the first syndicated radio show I listened to.

The first was ChickenMan, "He's Everywhere, He's Everywhere" back during my elementary school days in the late 60's.


http://www.danoday.com/chickenman/chickenman.shtml

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicken_Man_(radio_series)

 

[panamag8or]

I remember it well during it's run, although it wasn't the first syndicated radio show I listened to.

The first was ChickenMan, "He's Everywhere, He's Everywhere" back during my elementary school days in the late 60's.


http://www.danoday.com/chickenman/chickenman.shtml

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicken_Man_(radio_series)

I remember Chickenman during the late 70's/early 80's. When you are a teenager, that is some funny stuff!