Re: Whistler Upgrades

by greybelt 6/20/2022, 6:27 am

Some Whistler network promos (file is 1 min 30sec long)
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by greybelt 6/21/2022, 1:36 pm

Radio critic Zuma Palmer writes about The Whistler.

1943-07-22 Los Angeles CA Evening Citizen News

There are very few newspaper clips about the series. Without the big guest stars, it was usually just another program that was on, and did not get special attention. The fact that it caught on in popularity is a testament to its writing, direction and superb ensemble cast.

I could not find a second installment of this topic, though it is implied at the end.

by greybelt 6/22/2022, 3:45 pm

Los Angeles area radio critic Allen Rich always had favorable comments about The Whistler. This column reports his viewing of the prior week's production, The Cistern.

1945-12-17 San Fernando CA Valley Times

by greybelt 6/26/2022, 4:39 am

Two episodes to kick off weeks and weeks of The Whistler upgrades. The series was first organized at Cobalt by completedayman over 10 years ago as we unraveled the different series inside the concept. CBS Pacific Network is the main one, but the series had three other runs elsewhere in the country. In 1946, it had a sustained period as a summer replacement for the Jack Carson Show. It was also performed at WBBM in Chicago with a local cast with Everett Clarke as The Whistler (and a studio audience!), and finally under the sponsorship of Household Finance. There are lots lots lots more details at [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] Be sure to watch the video of the presentation from 2019 with Karl Schadow and yours truly that can be accessed there.

The part of The Whistler is played by... Vern Carstensen?

They tried to keep the identity of The Whistler secret as a show publicity gimmick, so the part was usually uncredited until the late 1940s. For part of 1943, Vern Carstensen had the role. He was multitalented in radio as an actor, director, and producer and other positions. We know him best as the announcer for Box 13, but he was involved in the production of that and Damon Runyon Theater. There is still uncertainty about how long he had the role, but it seems to be for most of 1943. Yet another radio pro whose many activities were usually uncredited.

Whistler 1943-06-26 58 The Blank Wall UPGRADE-3.mp3
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Whistler 1943-07-09 60 An Eye for an Eye (bulletin at end) UPGRADE.mp3
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by greybelt 6/27/2022, 7:33 am

Whistler 1943-08-13 65 Death in the Air UPGRADE.mp3
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I hope you've had a chance to visit [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] page that has lots of information (and... The Whistler song!), as well as the video about the series.

The show log has had a lot of updates... and needs more episode data... can you help?
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I'm always looking for quirky stuff in the episodes, and they don't have to be just flubs (though they are so very rare). Sometimes street addresses have interesting histories (in YTJD, Johnstone was always using his very own street address and those of friends). Sometimes names of staff members are snuck in (In YTJD, sound effects artist Tom Hanley was listed as a beneficiary of a will). And of course, there are patterns in the advertising format. I'll list some of those soon -- perhaps we can get start dates and end dates of them noted in the log.

by greybelt 6/28/2022, 3:05 am

Whistler 1943-09-10 69 Tangled Web UPGRADE.mp3
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by artatoldotr 6/28/2022, 8:50 am

Thanks greybelt

Best regards
Art

by greybelt 6/29/2022, 9:28 am

Whistler 1944-06-11 108 The Doctor Prescribes Death AFRSMystPhs#4 UPGRADE-2.mp3
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A MISSING GUNSMOKE HAS BEEN FOUND!!
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by greybelt 6/30/2022, 6:06 am

Whistler 1944-12-04 132 Doctor Operates in Crime UPGRADE.mp3
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What is it with The Whistler and doctors? Yesterday a doctor prescribed death, and today they operate in crime!

by artatoldotr 6/30/2022, 11:47 am

Thanks greybelt

Best regards

Art

by greybelt 7/1/2022, 4:17 am

Two episodes today because they're accidentally related...

This first one is just fine...

Whistler 1944-12-11 133 Lie or Consequences (cop shot storyline) UPGRADE-2.mp3
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... but 2 weeks later, someone forgot to edit the script properly, and in the first 30 seconds they announce Lie or Consequences again. The episode name is "Christmas Bonus." This recording seems to be edited by an enterprising collector, decades later, saving the long-gone production staff from the embarassment of its error. (This is one of those completist things for us to keep it).

Whistler 1944-12-25 135 Christmas Bonus (flub- announced as LieOrConsequences EDITED OUT).mp3
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The bottom line... there is an episode called "Christmas Bonus" but it's never announced. It would be great if we could see a script, but the KNX collection of Whistler scripts that used to be at Thousand Oaks does not start until six months after this broadcast.

These two episodes... and the one with the original flub... are in this WeTransfer link, good for 7 days https://we.tl/t-1QeWjJ1WDa

by greybelt 7/2/2022, 6:48 am

Two episodes today because the first episode has the word "two" in it...

Whistler 1945-01-01 136 Two for the Money UPGRADE.mp3
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Whistler 1945-01-29 140 Murder on Paper UPGRADE-2.mp3
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by greybelt 7/3/2022, 8:06 am

I don't know why this recording is labeled this way. "Gateway to Danger" is what is announced. The KNX script listing does not have this date. Jerry Haendiges log has only "Murder Opens a Gate." RGI has "Gateway to Danger" but references the other title. My guess is that the former is the original script title but someone selected the other because it sounds a bit more exciting, possibly the day of broadcast. There are no newspaper clippings available with titles. The Whistler had virtually no publicity for individual episodes, and when they did, it was usually a one-sentence plot description. It's 1945, and except for the CBS Pacific Network, the only national recognition of the character was the two movies released in 1944. The Whistler and The Mark of the Whistler were in theaters in 1944, the latter still in theaters at the time of this broadcast. In a few weeks, The Power of the Whistler would be released. At the end of 1945, The Voice of the Whistler would be released. It would not be until 1946 that non-Pacific network broadcasts would become available to the rest of the country.

Whistler 1945-02-26 144 Murder Opens A Gate aka Gateway To Danger UPGRADE-2.mp3
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RGI mentions a scene about the bill at a steakhouse dinner for two for $3.85. That's $63.25 in 2022 US$. At some popular steakhouses, even that might seem cheap today, especially for two! The scenes related to the restaurant begins at about 17:00, and the particular line is uttered by a waitress shortly after 20:00.

by ItsThatBriGuy 7/3/2022, 8:30 am

The link here leads to yesterday's second file.

greybelt wrote:
Whistler 1945-02-26 144 Murder Opens A Gate aka Gateway To Danger UPGRADE-2.mp3
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by greybelt 7/3/2022, 10:59 am

FIXED!
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by greybelt 7/4/2022, 5:09 am

Whistler 1945-03-19 147 Murder Will Shout UPGRADE.mp3
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by artatoldotr 7/4/2022, 9:23 am

Thanks greybelt

Best regards
Art

by greybelt 7/5/2022, 5:56 am

Whistler 1945-04-02 149 Return of the Innocent UPGRADE.mp3
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by artatoldotr 7/5/2022, 9:26 am

Thanks greybelt
Best regards
Art

by mjnunes84 7/5/2022, 12:44 pm

Thanks, greyebelt.

I just got a chance to start listening to the upgrades, starting with: Whistler 1943-06-26 58 The Blank Wall UPGRADE-3.mp3.The episode was a bit strange, going backwards in the plot, but also sounded familiar, and then the Whistler says the writer in the story had used the script the previous November. So, I went back and compared, and the same script for the Whistler was used for "The Other Woman" 1942-11-22, only going forward in plot rather than backwards. I wonder what was behind the choice to reuse the script the the plot in reverse for "The Blank Wall." Perhaps the writer really did hit a "blank wall" on ideas that week?

by greybelt 7/5/2022, 1:28 pm

Love finding this stuff!
"Wilson" is referring to show creator J. Donald Wilson who also wrote the script for both episodes. This makes the situation even funnier, with his creation, The Whistler , explaining how he, referred to in the third person, may have actually had writers block, as you suspected. GREAT CATCH!

This was the time when The Whistler was more of a playful explainer, sometimes a participant in the stories, toying with the audience. Wilson had a particular vision for the character that might have been hard for other writers to execute.

This definitely gets a note in the Whistler log!

This is his Wikipedia page...
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1943-09-11 Fresno CA Bee

by mjnunes84 7/5/2022, 1:36 pm

Great clipping, greybelt! There are some references at the beginning of the episode to some other murders and victims. I'll have to go back to some of the episodes leading up to it to see if they were referring to previous episodes of The Whistler.

by greybelt 7/6/2022, 3:27 am

Whistler 1945-05-07 154 Accident -- According to Plan UPGRADE-2.mp3
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There's always been some question about the exact wording and punctuation about the title; this should help clear that up...

1945-05-07 Los Angeles CA Evening Citizen News

Format of the title of a Whistler program was the least of the world's interests on this day...

by artatoldotr 7/6/2022, 11:02 am

Thanks greybelt
Best regards

Art

by greybelt 7/7/2022, 3:37 am

Whistler 1945-05-28 157 Escape to Danger UPGRADE-2.mp3
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