CBS Radio Mystery Theater: Difference between revisions
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| creator = [[Himan Brown]] |
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| writer = Sam Dann, Ian Martin, Elspeth Eric, Bob Juhren, Henry Slesar |
| writer = Sam Dann, Ian Martin, Elspeth Eric, Bob Juhren, [[Henry Slesar]], [[Alfred Bester]] |
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| director = Himan Brown |
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'''''CBS Radio Mystery Theater''''' (a.k.a. '''''Radio Mystery Theater''''' and '''''Mystery Theater''''', sometimes abbreviated as '''''CBSRMT''''') is a [[radio drama]] series created by [[Himan Brown]] that was broadcast on [[CBS Radio Network]] affiliates from 1974 to 1982, and later in the early 2000s was repeated by the [[NPR]] satellite feed. |
'''''CBS Radio Mystery Theater''''' (a.k.a. '''''Radio Mystery Theater''''' and '''''Mystery Theater''''', sometimes abbreviated as '''''CBSRMT''''') is a [[radio drama]] series created by [[Himan Brown]] that was broadcast on [[CBS Radio Network]] affiliates from 1974 to 1982, and later in the early 2000s was repeated by the [[NPR]] satellite feed. |
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The format was similar to that of classic [[Golden Age of Radio|old time radio]] shows like ''[[The Mysterious Traveler]]'' and ''[[The Whistler]]'', in that the episodes were introduced by host [[E. G. Marshall]] who provided pithy wisdom and commentary throughout. Unlike the hosts of those earlier programs, Marshall is fully mortal, merely someone whose heightened insight and erudition plunge the listener into the world of the macabre |
The format was similar to that of classic [[Golden Age of Radio|old time radio]] shows like ''[[The Mysterious Traveler]]'' and ''[[The Whistler]]'', in that the episodes were introduced by host [[E. G. Marshall]] who provided pithy wisdom and commentary throughout. Unlike the hosts of those earlier programs, Marshall is fully mortal, merely someone whose heightened insight and erudition plunge the listener into the world of the macabre. |
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As with Himan Brown's prior ''[[Inner Sanctum Mysteries]]'', each episode of ''CBS Radio Mystery Theater'' opened and closed with the ominous sound of a creaking |
As with Himan Brown's prior ''[[Inner Sanctum Mysteries]]'', each episode of ''CBS Radio Mystery Theater'' opened and closed with the ominous sound of a creaking door. This [[sound effect]] is accompanied by Marshall's greeting, "Come in!… Welcome. I'm E. G. Marshall." At each show's conclusion, the door swings shut, and Marshall signs off with: "Until next time, pleasant… dreams?" This is followed by an extended variation of the show's theme music. |
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''CBSRMT'' was broadcast each weeknight, at first with a new program each night. Later in the run, three or four episodes were new originals each week, and the remainder repeats. There were 1,399 original episodes. The total number of broadcasts, including repeats, was 2,969. Each episode was allotted a full hour of airtime, but after commercials and newscasts, each episode typically ran for around 45 minutes. |
''CBSRMT'' was broadcast each weeknight, at first with a new program each night. Later in the run, three or four episodes were new originals each week, and the remainder repeats. There were 1,399 original episodes. The total number of broadcasts, including repeats, was 2,969. Each episode was allotted a full hour of airtime, but after commercials and newscasts, each episode typically ran for around 45 minutes. |
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When repeats of the show were broadcast in the early 2000s, Himan Brown re-recorded E.G. Marshall's original host segments. |
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E. G. Marshall hosted the program from January 1974 until February 1, 1982, when actress [[Tammy Grimes]] took over for the series' final season, maintaining the format. Himan Brown re-recorded E.G. Marshall's original host segments for NPR's broadcast of the show in the 2000s. |
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==Target audience== |
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The program was pitched, at least initially, to an audience old enough to remember classic radio; Brown was a legend amongst radio drama enthusiasts for his work on ''[[Inner Sanctum Mysteries]]'', ''[[The Adventures of Nero Wolfe]]'' and many other programs dating back to the 1930s. Many scripts, especially those by Ian Martin, showed a tin ear for 1970s youth slang ("Don't let her give you no run-around, dad!";<ref>''Ghost Plane'', originally broadcast September 12, 1975</ref> "I think bein' around here's gonna be kicks!";<ref>''Don't Let It Choke You'', May 21, 1975</ref> "I dig a man who's far out!"<ref>''The Shock of His Life'', February 19, 1979</ref>). As late as 1981, Sam Dann's scripts included uncomfortable or skeptical references to "[[feminist movement|women's lib]]", a term that was by then around a decade out of date. In short, Brown made no attempt to broaden the program's appeal beyond the older generation that had been raised on radio. |
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The debut of ''CBSRMT'', only a few months after the ''[[American Graffiti]]'' phenomenon, coincided with the wave of 1950s nostalgia that swept young America during the mid to late 1970s. The program rapidly developed a very large fan base among teenage and young adult listeners, in addition to its older, target audience. |
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==Music== |
==Music== |
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| ⚫ | The series' theme music features three descending notes from double basses, a stopped [[French horn|horn]] sting and timpani roll, then a low, eerie theme played by the [[bass clarinet]]. The opening and closing themes for ''CBSRMT'' are excerpted from the music from the score for ''[[The Twilight Zone (1959 TV series)|Twilight Zone]]'' episode "Two", composed by [[Nathan Van Cleave]]. Series listeners will immediately recognize the "RMT Theme" beginning about 1:35 on the "Two" soundtrack selection from the ''Twilight Zone'' CD boxed set.{{citation needed|date=March 2015}} Other background tracks from the ''Twilight Zone'' music library, to which CBS owned full rights, were featured repeatedly in episodes of ''CBSRMT''. The theme song and the other music was also previously used in the 1950s and 1960s in other CBS-owned radio and television dramas (''[[Perry Mason (1957 TV series)|Perry Mason]]''; ''[[Rawhide (TV series)|Rawhide]]''; ''[[The Fugitive (1963 TV series)|The Fugitive]]''; ''[[Gunsmoke]]''; ''[[Have Gun Will Travel]]''; ''[[Suspense (radio drama)|Suspense]]''; ''[[Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar]]''; etc.), in addition to ''Twilight Zone'', as it was all owned by CBS.{{citation needed|date=April 2021}} |
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Each show began with host E. G. Marshall intoning, "The ''CBS Radio Mystery Theater'' presents…", followed by the sound of a creaking door slowly opening, seeming to invite listeners in for the evening's adventure. Three descending notes from the double basses introduced Marshall's sinister intonation, "Come in… Welcome." A stopped [[French horn|horn]] sting and timpani roll, then: "I'm E.G. Marshall." A low, eerie theme played by the [[bass clarinet]] followed as Marshall introduced the program. At the end of each show, Marshall delivered his classic sign-off, "… inviting you to return to our ''Mystery Theater'' for another adventure in the macabre. Until next time, pleasant…dreams?" The door then creaked and slammed shut, followed by a repeat of the show's ominous theme music. |
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| ⚫ | The opening and closing themes for ''CBSRMT'' are |
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==Scope== |
==Scope== |
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Despite the show's title, Brown expanded its scope beyond [[Mystery fiction|mysteries]] to include [[horror fiction|horror]], [[science fiction]],<ref name="hardsf1">{{cite web |url=http://www.hardsf.org/HSF0CBSM.htm |title=Free Audio SF – CBS Radio Mystery Theater |publisher=Hard SF |access-date=2011-02-10 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110629055815/http://www.hardsf.org/HSF0CBSM.htm |archive-date=2011-06-29 }}</ref> [[historical fiction|historical drama]], [[Western (genre)|westerns]] and [[comedy]], along with seasonal dramas at Christmas: ''[[A Christmas Carol]]'', starring host Marshall as Scrooge, aired every Christmas Eve except 1974 and 1982. |
Despite the show's title, Brown expanded its scope beyond [[Mystery fiction|mysteries]] to include [[horror fiction|horror]], [[science fiction]],<ref name="hardsf1">{{cite web |url=http://www.hardsf.org/HSF0CBSM.htm |title=Free Audio SF – CBS Radio Mystery Theater |publisher=Hard SF |access-date=2011-02-10 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110629055815/http://www.hardsf.org/HSF0CBSM.htm |archive-date=2011-06-29 }}</ref> [[historical fiction|historical drama]], [[Western (genre)|westerns]] and [[comedy]], along with seasonal dramas at Christmas: ''[[A Christmas Carol]]'', starring host Marshall as Scrooge, aired every Christmas Eve except 1974 and 1982. |
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In addition to original stories, there were adaptations of classic tales by such writers as [[O. Henry]], [[Ambrose Bierce]], [[Algernon Blackwood]], [[Wilkie Collins]], [[Arthur Conan Doyle]], [[Charles Dickens]], [[H. Rider Haggard]], [[Oscar Wilde]] and others. Brown typically devoted the first full week of each January to a five- or seven-part series on a common theme. These included a full week of stories by an American writer, ([[Edgar Allan Poe]] in 1975, [[Mark Twain]] in 1976); week-long adaptations of classic novels (''[[The Last Days of Pompeii]]'' in 1980, ''[[Les Miserables]]'' in 1982); and original dramas about historical figures ([[Nefertiti]] in 1979, [[Alexander the Great]] in 1981). |
In addition to original stories, there were adaptations of classic tales by such writers as [[O. Henry]], [[Ambrose Bierce]], [[Algernon Blackwood]], [[Wilkie Collins]], [[Arthur Conan Doyle]], [[Charles Dickens]], [[H. Rider Haggard]], [[Henry James]], [[Guy de Maupassant]], [[Edith Wharton]], [[Oscar Wilde]] and others. Brown typically devoted the first full week of each January to a five- or seven-part series on a common theme. These included a full week of stories by an American writer, ([[Edgar Allan Poe]] in 1975, [[Mark Twain]] in 1976); week-long adaptations of classic novels (''[[The Last Days of Pompeii]]'' in 1980, ''[[Les Miserables]]'' in 1982); and original dramas about historical figures ([[Nefertiti]] in 1979, [[Alexander the Great]] in 1981). The works of Russian writers, including [[Nikolai Gogol|Gogol]], [[Fyodor Dostoevsky|Dostoevsky]] and [[Leo Tolstoy|Tolstoy]], were also adapted. |
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Radio historian [[John Dunning (radio historian)|John Dunning]]<ref name=Dunning>{{cite book |url= https://archive.org/details/onairencyclop00dunn |url-access= registration |quote= The CBS Radio Mystery Theater, dramatic. |last=Dunning |first=John |author-link=John Dunning (detective fiction author) |title=On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio |date=1998 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=New York, NY |isbn=978-0-19-507678-3 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/onairencyclop00dunn/page/142 142]–143 |edition=Revised |access-date=2019-09-06}}</ref> argued the ''CBSRMT'' scripts varied widely in quality and concept. Many of the hour-long scripts were padded with filler, Dunning suggested, and could have been worked better as 30-minute programs, while other episodes suffered due to having been scripted by writers unfamiliar with the unique needs of radio drama. |
Radio historian [[John Dunning (radio historian)|John Dunning]]<ref name=Dunning>{{cite book |url= https://archive.org/details/onairencyclop00dunn |url-access= registration |quote= The CBS Radio Mystery Theater, dramatic. |last=Dunning |first=John |author-link=John Dunning (detective fiction author) |title=On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio |date=1998 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=New York, NY |isbn=978-0-19-507678-3 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/onairencyclop00dunn/page/142 142]–143 |edition=Revised |access-date=2019-09-06}}</ref> argued the ''CBSRMT'' scripts varied widely in quality and concept. Many of the hour-long scripts were padded with filler, Dunning suggested, and could have been worked better as 30-minute programs, while other episodes suffered due to having been scripted by writers unfamiliar with the unique needs of radio drama. |
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==Notable performers== |
==Notable performers== |
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Prominent actors from the |
Prominent actors from the stage, radio, film and television performed on the series. Notable regulars included [[Mason Adams]], [[Lloyd Battista]], [[John Beal (actor)|John Beal]], Ralph Bell, [[Howard Da Silva]], [[Keir Dullea]], [[Patricia Elliot]], [[Morgan Fairchild]], [[Bernard Grant]], [[Veleka Gray]], [[Jack Grimes (actor)|Jack Grimes]], [[Fred Gwynne]], [[Marian Hailey-Moss|Marian Hailey]][[Larry Haines]], [[Paul Hecht]], [[Celeste Holm]], [[Russell Horton]], [[Kim Hunter]], [[John Lithgow]], [[Roberta Maxwell]], [[Mercedes McCambridge]], [[Kevin McCarthy (actor)|Kevin McCarthy]], [[Arnold Moss]], [[William Redfield (actor)|William Redfield]], [[Tony Roberts (actor)|Tony Roberts]], [[Norman Rose]], [[Alexander Scourby]], [[Marian Seldes]], [[Kristoffer Tabori]] and [[Michael Tolan]]. |
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The series introduced a new generation of listeners to many of the great |
The series introduced a new generation of listeners to many of the great radio voices, including [[Joan Banks]], [[Jackson Beck]], [[Virginia Gregg]], [[Victor Jory]], [[Mandel Kramer]], [[Marvin Miller (actor)|Marvin Miller]], Dan Ocko, [[Santos Ortega]], [[Alan Reed]], [[Rosemary Rice]], [[Anne Seymour (actress)|Anne Seymour]], [[Arnold Stang]], [[Les Tremayne]], [[Lurene Tuttle]] and [[Janet Waldo]]. |
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A number of well-known veteran and future stars of film and TV made |
A number of well-known veteran and future stars of stage, film and TV made appearances, including |
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* [[Diane Baker]] |
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* [[Theodore Bikel]] ("Just One More Day," first aired May 29, 1975) |
* [[Theodore Bikel]] ("Just One More Day," first aired May 29, 1975) |
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* [[Len Cariou]] |
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* [[Hans Conried]] |
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* [[Richard Crenna]] ("Ghost Plane," September 12, 1975) |
* [[Richard Crenna]] ("Ghost Plane," September 12, 1975) |
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* [[Ruby Dee]] |
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* [[Sandy Dennis]] |
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* [[Nina Foch]] |
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* [[John Forsythe]] |
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* [[Vincent Gardenia]] |
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* [[Jack Gilford]] |
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* [[Joan Hackett]] ("The Eye of Death," March 7, 1975) |
* [[Joan Hackett]] ("The Eye of Death," March 7, 1975) |
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* [[Margaret Hamilton (actress)|Margaret Hamilton]] ("Triptych for a Witch," October 30, 1975) |
* [[Margaret Hamilton (actress)|Margaret Hamilton]] ("Triptych for a Witch," October 30, 1975) |
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* [[Mariette Hartley]] |
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* [[Casey Kasem]] ("The Headless Hessian," September 23, 1975) |
* [[Casey Kasem]] ("The Headless Hessian," September 23, 1975) |
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* [[Joanne Linville]] |
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* [[Anne Meara]] |
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* [[Agnes Moorehead]] (appeared in the first broadcast, "The Old Ones Are Hard to Kill"; and "The Ring of Truth," January 26, 1974) |
* [[Agnes Moorehead]] (appeared in the first broadcast, "The Old Ones Are Hard to Kill"; and "The Ring of Truth," January 26, 1974) |
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* [[Julie Newmar]] |
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* [[Patrick O'Neal]] |
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* [[Jerry Orbach]] ("The Follower," January 25, 1975) |
* [[Jerry Orbach]] ("The Follower," January 25, 1975) |
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* [[Sarah Jessica Parker]] ("The Child Cat's Paw", May 17, 1977) |
* [[Sarah Jessica Parker]] ("The Child Cat's Paw", May 17, 1977) |
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* [[Mandy Patinkin]] ("Lost Dog," January 9, 1974) |
* [[Mandy Patinkin]] ("Lost Dog," January 9, 1974) |
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* [[Brock Peters]] |
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* [[Kathleen Quinlan]] ("Ring of Evil," April 16, 1979) |
* [[Kathleen Quinlan]] ("Ring of Evil," April 16, 1979) |
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* [[Stephan Schnabel]] |
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* [[Frances Sternhagen]] |
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* [[Jerry Stiller]] ("The Frontiers of Fear," August 13, 1974) |
* [[Jerry Stiller]] ("The Frontiers of Fear," August 13, 1974) |
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* [[Beatrice Straight]] |
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* [[Holland Taylor]] |
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* [[Roy Thinnes]] ("Journey Into Terror," August 14, 1974) |
* [[Roy Thinnes]] ("Journey Into Terror," August 14, 1974) |
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* [[Ruth Warrick]] |
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At the beginning of the show's run, actors were paid union scale at around $73.92 per show. Writers earned a flat rate of $350 per show. Production took place with assembly-line precision. Brown met with actors at 9:00 a.m. for the first script reading. After he assigned roles, recording began. By noon, the recording of the actors was complete, and Brown handed everyone checks |
At the beginning of the show's run, actors were paid union scale at around $73.92 per show. Writers earned a flat rate of $350 per show. Production took place with assembly-line precision. Brown met with actors at 9:00 a.m. for the first script reading. After he assigned roles, recording began. By noon, the recording of the actors was complete, and Brown handed everyone checks. The program was taped at the CBS Studio Building, 49 East 52nd Street in Studio G, formerly Studio 27 (renamed in honor of Arthur Godfrey whose programs originated in the building for decades). |
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==Episodes== |
==Episodes== |
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==Continuing popularity== |
==Continuing popularity== |
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From June 3 to November 27, 1998, ''CBSRMT'' was rebroadcast over CBS radio affiliates and, in 2000, on some [[NPR]] stations, in both cases, Himan Brown |
From June 3 to November 27, 1998, ''CBSRMT'' was rebroadcast over CBS radio affiliates and, in 2000, on some [[NPR]] stations, in both cases, Himan Brown re-recorded the original introduction and narrations of E.G. Marshall and Tammy Grimes. |
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''CBSRMT'' remains popular with collectors, with numerous websites, discussion forums and a [[Usenet]] newsgroup devoted to trading [[MP3]] files of episodes. Many episodes are available for listening on [[YouTube]]. Many of these episodes were recorded with original network and local news and commercials embedded, providing an interesting insight into the period when the program was originally broadcast. |
''CBSRMT'' remains popular with collectors, with numerous websites, discussion forums and a [[Usenet]] newsgroup devoted to trading [[MP3]] files of episodes.{{citation needed|date=April 2021}} Many episodes are available for listening on [[YouTube]]. Many of these episodes were recorded with original network and local news and commercials embedded, providing an interesting insight into the period when the program was originally broadcast. |
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==Realted Publications== |
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The episode "Children of Death", broadcast February 5, 1976, written by Sam Dann, served as the basis for Dann's 1979 novel ''The Third Body'', published by Popular Library. Another of his stories for ''Mystery Theater'', "Goodbye |
The episode "Children of Death", broadcast February 5, 1976, written by Sam Dann, served as the basis for Dann's 1979 novel ''The Third Body'', published by Popular Library. Another of his stories for ''Mystery Theater'', "Goodbye Karl Erich" from the 1975 season, was also turned into a novel by the same name, first published in 1985. |
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In 1976, a paperback anthology with three short stories adapted from the series' radio scripts was published by Pocket Library, ''Strange Tales from the CBS Radio Mystery Theater'', edited and with a [[foreword]] by Himan Brown. |
In 1976, a paperback anthology with three short stories adapted from the series' radio scripts was published by Pocket Library, ''Strange Tales from the CBS Radio Mystery Theater'', edited and with a [[foreword]] by Himan Brown. |
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In January 1999, McFarland & Company, Inc. published ''The CBS Radio Mystery Theater'' |
In January 1999, McFarland & Company, Inc. published ''The CBS Radio Mystery Theater''. The book, by Gordon Payton and [[Martin Grams, Jr.]], includes a brief history of the program and an episode guide. |
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In October 2006, |
In October 2006, Michael Anthony Stahl published ''The CBS Radio Mystery Theater As An Educational Degree''. The book was selected for inclusion into the libraries of The [[University of Georgia]], (one of the few venues with a complete collection of the series from the CBS vaults) as well as included into their Walter J. Brown Media Archives and Peabody Awards Collection of the Film and Television Library in Summer, 2009.{{citation needed|date=April 2021}} |
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All three books were reviewed in an article by Roger Sobin in ''Old-Time Detection Magazine'' in the Spring 2008 issue. |
All three books were reviewed in an article by Roger Sobin in ''Old-Time Detection Magazine'' in the Spring 2008 issue.{{citation needed|date=April 2021}} |
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==See also== |
==See also== |
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Revision as of 16:55, 13 April 2021
 Logo of CBS Radio Mystery Theater | |
| Other names | Mystery Theater |
|---|---|
| Genre | Radio drama |
| Running time | 45 minutes |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Language(s) | English |
| Home station | CBS Radio Network |
| Hosted by | E. G. Marshall (1974–82) Tammy Grimes (1982) |
| Created by | Himan Brown |
| Written by | Sam Dann, Ian Martin, Elspeth Eric, Bob Juhren, Henry Slesar, Alfred Bester |
| Directed by | Himan Brown |
| Produced by | Himan Brown |
| Original release | January 6, 1974 – December 31, 1982 |
| No. of episodes | 1,399 |
| Audio format | Monaural sound |
CBS Radio Mystery Theater (a.k.a. Radio Mystery Theater and Mystery Theater, sometimes abbreviated as CBSRMT) is a radio drama series created by Himan Brown that was broadcast on CBS Radio Network affiliates from 1974 to 1982, and later in the early 2000s was repeated by the NPR satellite feed.
The format was similar to that of classic old time radio shows like The Mysterious Traveler and The Whistler, in that the episodes were introduced by host E. G. Marshall who provided pithy wisdom and commentary throughout. Unlike the hosts of those earlier programs, Marshall is fully mortal, merely someone whose heightened insight and erudition plunge the listener into the world of the macabre.
As with Himan Brown's prior Inner Sanctum Mysteries, each episode of CBS Radio Mystery Theater opened and closed with the ominous sound of a creaking door. This sound effect is accompanied by Marshall's greeting, "Come in!… Welcome. I'm E. G. Marshall." At each show's conclusion, the door swings shut, and Marshall signs off with: "Until next time, pleasant… dreams?" This is followed by an extended variation of the show's theme music.
CBSRMT was broadcast each weeknight, at first with a new program each night. Later in the run, three or four episodes were new originals each week, and the remainder repeats. There were 1,399 original episodes. The total number of broadcasts, including repeats, was 2,969. Each episode was allotted a full hour of airtime, but after commercials and newscasts, each episode typically ran for around 45 minutes.
Hosts
E. G. Marshall hosted the program from January 1974 until February 1, 1982, when actress Tammy Grimes took over for the series' final season, maintaining the format. Himan Brown re-recorded E.G. Marshall's original host segments for NPR's broadcast of the show in the 2000s.
Music
The series' theme music features three descending notes from double basses, a stopped horn sting and timpani roll, then a low, eerie theme played by the bass clarinet. The opening and closing themes for CBSRMT are excerpted from the music from the score for Twilight Zone episode "Two", composed by Nathan Van Cleave. Series listeners will immediately recognize the "RMT Theme" beginning about 1:35 on the "Two" soundtrack selection from the Twilight Zone CD boxed set.[citation needed] Other background tracks from the Twilight Zone music library, to which CBS owned full rights, were featured repeatedly in episodes of CBSRMT. The theme song and the other music was also previously used in the 1950s and 1960s in other CBS-owned radio and television dramas (Perry Mason; Rawhide; The Fugitive; Gunsmoke; Have Gun Will Travel; Suspense; Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar; etc.), in addition to Twilight Zone, as it was all owned by CBS.[citation needed]
Scope
Despite the show's title, Brown expanded its scope beyond mysteries to include horror, science fiction,[1] historical drama, westerns and comedy, along with seasonal dramas at Christmas: A Christmas Carol, starring host Marshall as Scrooge, aired every Christmas Eve except 1974 and 1982.
In addition to original stories, there were adaptations of classic tales by such writers as O. Henry, Ambrose Bierce, Algernon Blackwood, Wilkie Collins, Arthur Conan Doyle, Charles Dickens, H. Rider Haggard, Henry James, Guy de Maupassant, Edith Wharton, Oscar Wilde and others. Brown typically devoted the first full week of each January to a five- or seven-part series on a common theme. These included a full week of stories by an American writer, (Edgar Allan Poe in 1975, Mark Twain in 1976); week-long adaptations of classic novels (The Last Days of Pompeii in 1980, Les Miserables in 1982); and original dramas about historical figures (Nefertiti in 1979, Alexander the Great in 1981). The works of Russian writers, including Gogol, Dostoevsky and Tolstoy, were also adapted.
Radio historian John Dunning[2] argued the CBSRMT scripts varied widely in quality and concept. Many of the hour-long scripts were padded with filler, Dunning suggested, and could have been worked better as 30-minute programs, while other episodes suffered due to having been scripted by writers unfamiliar with the unique needs of radio drama.
Notable performers
Prominent actors from the stage, radio, film and television performed on the series. Notable regulars included Mason Adams, Lloyd Battista, John Beal, Ralph Bell, Howard Da Silva, Keir Dullea, Patricia Elliot, Morgan Fairchild, Bernard Grant, Veleka Gray, Jack Grimes, Fred Gwynne, Marian HaileyLarry Haines, Paul Hecht, Celeste Holm, Russell Horton, Kim Hunter, John Lithgow, Roberta Maxwell, Mercedes McCambridge, Kevin McCarthy, Arnold Moss, William Redfield, Tony Roberts, Norman Rose, Alexander Scourby, Marian Seldes, Kristoffer Tabori and Michael Tolan.
The series introduced a new generation of listeners to many of the great radio voices, including Joan Banks, Jackson Beck, Virginia Gregg, Victor Jory, Mandel Kramer, Marvin Miller, Dan Ocko, Santos Ortega, Alan Reed, Rosemary Rice, Anne Seymour, Arnold Stang, Les Tremayne, Lurene Tuttle and Janet Waldo.
A number of well-known veteran and future stars of stage, film and TV made appearances, including
- Diane Baker
- Theodore Bikel ("Just One More Day," first aired May 29, 1975)
- Len Cariou
- Hans Conried
- Richard Crenna ("Ghost Plane," September 12, 1975)
- Ruby Dee
- Sandy Dennis
- Nina Foch
- John Forsythe
- Vincent Gardenia
- Jack Gilford
- Joan Hackett ("The Eye of Death," March 7, 1975)
- Margaret Hamilton ("Triptych for a Witch," October 30, 1975)
- Mariette Hartley
- Casey Kasem ("The Headless Hessian," September 23, 1975)
- Joanne Linville
- John Lithgow ("The Deserter," February 6, 1980)
- Anne Meara
- Agnes Moorehead (appeared in the first broadcast, "The Old Ones Are Hard to Kill"; and "The Ring of Truth," January 26, 1974)
- Julie Newmar
- Patrick O'Neal
- Jerry Orbach ("The Follower," January 25, 1975)
- Sarah Jessica Parker ("The Child Cat's Paw", May 17, 1977)
- Mandy Patinkin ("Lost Dog," January 9, 1974)
- Brock Peters
- Kathleen Quinlan ("Ring of Evil," April 16, 1979)
- Stephan Schnabel
- Frances Sternhagen
- Jerry Stiller ("The Frontiers of Fear," August 13, 1974)
- Beatrice Straight
- Holland Taylor
- Roy Thinnes ("Journey Into Terror," August 14, 1974)
- Ruth Warrick
At the beginning of the show's run, actors were paid union scale at around $73.92 per show. Writers earned a flat rate of $350 per show. Production took place with assembly-line precision. Brown met with actors at 9:00 a.m. for the first script reading. After he assigned roles, recording began. By noon, the recording of the actors was complete, and Brown handed everyone checks. The program was taped at the CBS Studio Building, 49 East 52nd Street in Studio G, formerly Studio 27 (renamed in honor of Arthur Godfrey whose programs originated in the building for decades).
Episodes
Below are lists of episodes for each of the nine seasons of CBS Radio Mystery Theater.
Awards
In 1974, CBSRMT won a Peabody Award,[3] and in 1990 it was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame.[4] On May 6, 1979, Himan Brown was presented a Broadcast Preceptor Award by San Francisco State University for his contributions with the CBSRMT.[citation needed]
Continuing popularity
From June 3 to November 27, 1998, CBSRMT was rebroadcast over CBS radio affiliates and, in 2000, on some NPR stations, in both cases, Himan Brown re-recorded the original introduction and narrations of E.G. Marshall and Tammy Grimes.
CBSRMT remains popular with collectors, with numerous websites, discussion forums and a Usenet newsgroup devoted to trading MP3 files of episodes.[citation needed] Many episodes are available for listening on YouTube. Many of these episodes were recorded with original network and local news and commercials embedded, providing an interesting insight into the period when the program was originally broadcast.
Realted Publications
The episode "Children of Death", broadcast February 5, 1976, written by Sam Dann, served as the basis for Dann's 1979 novel The Third Body, published by Popular Library. Another of his stories for Mystery Theater, "Goodbye Karl Erich" from the 1975 season, was also turned into a novel by the same name, first published in 1985.
In 1976, a paperback anthology with three short stories adapted from the series' radio scripts was published by Pocket Library, Strange Tales from the CBS Radio Mystery Theater, edited and with a foreword by Himan Brown.
In January 1999, McFarland & Company, Inc. published The CBS Radio Mystery Theater. The book, by Gordon Payton and Martin Grams, Jr., includes a brief history of the program and an episode guide.
In October 2006, Michael Anthony Stahl published The CBS Radio Mystery Theater As An Educational Degree. The book was selected for inclusion into the libraries of The University of Georgia, (one of the few venues with a complete collection of the series from the CBS vaults) as well as included into their Walter J. Brown Media Archives and Peabody Awards Collection of the Film and Television Library in Summer, 2009.[citation needed]
All three books were reviewed in an article by Roger Sobin in Old-Time Detection Magazine in the Spring 2008 issue.[citation needed]
See also
- The Zero Hour, a weekday anthology radio series from 1973–74, created and hosted by Rod Serling over syndication and the Mutual Broadcasting System
- Sears Radio Theater/Mutual Radio Theater, an hour-long weekday anthology series on CBS Radio which followed CBSRMT during much of its run before moving to the Mutual Broadcasting System.
References
- ^ "Free Audio SF – CBS Radio Mystery Theater". Hard SF. Archived from the original on 2011-06-29. Retrieved 2011-02-10.
- ^ Dunning, John (1998). On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio (Revised ed.). New York, NY: Oxford University Press. pp. 142–143. ISBN 978-0-19-507678-3. Retrieved 2019-09-06.
The CBS Radio Mystery Theater, dramatic.
- ^ "PDF list of winners at Peabody Award site" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-26. Retrieved 2009-08-27.
- ^ "Award testimonial at RHOF site". Archived from the original on 2009-08-20. Retrieved 2009-08-27.
External links
- Himan Brown's Audio Theater
- CBS Radio Mystery Theater Complete collection posted in internet archive
- CBSRMT.info - defunct fan forum
- OTR Plot Spot: CBS Radio Mystery Theater – plot summaries and reviews.
- "CBS Radio Mystery Theater". RadioEchoes. 1974–1982. 1399 episodes.
- Fielden Farrington scripts, at the University of Maryland libraries. Contains scripts and proposals from Radio Mystery Theater 1974-1976.