Signal OilThe Whistler (May 16, 1942)

THE WHISTLER, Crime Melodrama

Broadcast History :

May 16th, 1942 - September 8th, 1955
CBS, West Coast regional network for Signal Oil
1943-1954; various 30m timeslots.

Cast :

Bill Forman as The Whistler
Gale Gordon and Joseph Kearns also as The Whistler
Marvin Miller as The Whistler while Forman was int he army.
Bill Johnstone as The Whistler in 1948

Supporting Cast :

Cathy and Elliott Lewis, Joseph Kearns, Betty Lou Gerson, Wally Maher, John Brown,
Jans Conried, Gerald Mohr, Lurene Tuttle, Donald Woods, Gloria Blondell, John McIntire,
Jeanette Nolan, Frank Lovejoy, Jeff Chandler, Joan Banks, Mercedes McCambridge


Orchestra ; Wilbur Hatch

Whistler : Dorothy Roberts

Producer - Director : George Allen

Writer-Producer : J. Donald Wilson

Writers : Many freelancers, Harold Swanton, Joel Malone

Engineer : Robert Anderson

Sound Effects : Berne Surrey, Gene Twombly, Ross Murray

This item is part of the collection: Old Time Radio

Author: Signal Oil
Date: 1942-05-16
Keywords: old time radio ; the whistler ; signal oil ; mystery ; suspense

Notes

This entry to the IA is meant as a companion piece to the many episodes of The Whistler that already reside here. I know that many who browse the internet archive are on dial-up, and are unable to download many of the OTR shows available here, because of there huge file sizes. These encodes are lower bit-rate encodes, which decreases the file size by half, meaning they can be downloaded in half the time. For the OTR purist, or for those on high speed internet who must have the best quality episodes, use this following link to search for more episodes of The Whistler.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE WHISTLER EPISODES

Individual Files

Write a review Reviews

Downloaded 248,299 times Average Rating:

Reviewer: justaskmike - - October 30, 2007
Subject: Radio's Whistler uses O' Henry gimmick

The Whistler was unique in that while you knew who the murderer was, the denouement came after the last commercial break where a bizarre turn of events brought a twist to the story. Much like the American author O'Henry who used this device in all of his stories. It was a device which added something to the story particularly when the criminal was acting so guilty to people around him, it was surprizing to the listner thatn they did not become suspicious. Announcer Marvin Miller later became famous as "Michael J. Anthony", the secretary to "Millionaire" John Tipton of early television.

Reviewer: nightkey5 - - October 11, 2007
Subject: Incorrect Shows

430529054FinalDecree.mp3 was the same file as 490626FinalDecree.mp3 Since the show says it is broadcast on Sunday, the correct date is 490626

450312DeathMarkstheDoubleCross.mp3 was 45-02-26 Gateway To Danger

510715AttemptedMurder.mp3 was an episode of The Whisperer (a different show)

510826TakenforaRide.mp3 was an episode of The Whisperer (a different show)

Reviewer: telegonus - - April 23, 2007
Subject: Radio Noir

THE WHISTLER was a hugely popular radio show of the 40's and 50's, broadcast from the west coast, it holds up beautifully today despite its "dated" framing of the "Whistler" himself, who introduces each episode, accompanied by a haunting whistling melody, and then at the conclusion delivers the "kicker ending" that always comes as a surprise, at least to this listener. This show was popular at around the same time as SUSPENSE, which it resembles in many respects in being (for want of a better term) radio noir. Both shows specialized in dark tales of mystery and suspense, with THE WHISTLER admittedly more gimmicky, but it's a gimmick that works, for me anyway. At its best its just as good as SUSPENSE, often going into creepier territory, with many an episode seeming shrouded in fog, drizzle or thunderstorms. Many episodes either literally are or simply feel like ghost stories. THE WHISTLER often touches on "straight" horror, but tends to pull back most of the time, as there were so many horror shows on the radio in those days. I find the show moodier than SUSPENSE, and far more daring (to say the least) in its storytelling style. Not to make invidious comparisons here. Both were excellent shows, but THE WHISTLER seems a little overshadowed by its better known rival. A fine series overall. OTR at its best.