''Blackstone, the Magic Detective'' was a 15-minute radio series based on
Elmer Cecil Stoner's comic book series ''Blackstone, Master Magician''. The program aired Sunday afternoons at 2:45pm on the
Mutual Broadcasting System
The Mutual Broadcasting System (commonly referred to simply as Mutual; sometimes referred to as MBS, Mutual Radio or the Mutual Radio Network) was an American commercial radio network in operation from 1934 to 1999. In the golden age of U.S. ra ...
from October 3, 1948, until March 26, 1950.
Radio
Starring
Edwin Jerome as "the world's greatest living magician," the radio series was based on real-life magician
Harry Blackstone, Sr.
Harry Bouton Blackstone (born Henry Boughton; September 27, 1885 – November 16, 1965) was a famed stage magician and illusionist of the 20th century. Blackstone was born Harry Bouton in Chicago, Illinois. He began his career as a magician ...
The series was announced by Don Hancock from October 1948 through June 1949, and Alan Kent from July 1949 through to the end of the series in March, 1950. The background organ music was supplied by Bill Meeder. Scripts were mostly by
Walter B. Gibson
Walter Brown Gibson (September 12, 1897 – December 6, 1985) was an American writer and professional magician, best known for his work on the pulp fiction character '' The Shadow''. Gibson, under the pen-name Maxwell Grant, wrote "more than ...
, the ghostwriter of Blackstone's books, and Nancy Webb, who worked with Gibson on ''
Chick Carter, Boy Detective
''Chick Carter, Boy Detective'' is a 15-minute American old-time radio juvenile crime drama. It was carried on the Mutual Broadcasting System weekday afternoons from July 5, 1943 to July 6, 1945.
Premise
Chickering "Chick" Carter was the adopted ...
''.
Characters and story
The show usually opened with Blackstone (Ed Jerome) and his assistant Rhoda Brent (
Fran Carlon
Fran Carlon (August 15, 1913 – October 4, 1993)DeLong, Thomas A. (1996). ''Radio Stars: An Illustrated Biographical Dictionary of 953 Performers, 1920 through 1960''. McFarland & Company, Inc. . Pp. 49-50. was an American actress who was suc ...
) talking with a friend of theirs, either Don Hancock or Alan Kent (played by the episodes' announcers in-character as themselves) or John (
). A past adventure of Blackstone's would come up in conversation, and that mystery story was then dramatized as a flashback.
After the mystery's climax, the narrative returned to the three main characters as Blackstone performed a magic trick. After a commercial break handled by the announcer, Blackstone returned to demonstrate and explain the trick so that listeners could perform it for the amusement of their friends.
See also
* ''
Blackstone, Master Magician'', the comic book series on which the show was based
References
{{Reflist
External links
''Blackstone, the Magic Detective'' episodesat the
Internet Archive
The Internet Archive is an American digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It provides free public access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, software applications/games, music, ...
Zoot Radio, free 'Blackstone, the Magic Detective' old time radio downloads
American radio dramas
Detective radio shows
1948 radio programme debuts
1950 radio programme endings
1940s American radio programs
1950s American radio programs
Radio programs based on comic strips
Mutual Broadcasting System programs
Fictional amateur detectives
Fictional characters who use magic
Radio characters introduced in 1948
Male characters in radio