Chandu The Magician Show Summary

CHANNNNNDOOOOOOO the Magician!



Chandu was broadcast in two runs separated by 12 years. Frank Chandler, fought the world's evil forces with occult powers he acquired from a yogi in India and a far-reaching crystal ball. Evil was personified in Roxor, a villain who dominated both runs. It was a traveling series, whisking those first-generation radio listeners to Monrovia, Algiers, and other exotic locales in the Middle East.(source: John Dunning On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio )

Chandu was played on radio by Gayne Whitman and in later years Tom Collins in one of the longest running serials on radio. Since it was a series aimed at kids two of the main characters had to be young. Betty and Bobby along with their mother Dorothy had to get themselves into all kinds of danger so Chandu could of course save the day. I really like this show its silly and fun. Though this show was obviously aimed at children given the 15 minute format in the 1932 run and the 48 run the writing was tight and dramatic and made the show a favourite of adults as well. In 1949 the show moved to a 30 minute format and only ran 13 episodes. The scripts from the 1932-36 run were used again in the 48-49 run. For the short 1950 run Chandu became a sort of mystical private eye taking cases and solving them in each show. The writing for this run of 13 episodes was not as good as the previous runs.

The show was broken up into four chapters:



Chapter 1 The Search For Robert Regent

Chapter 2 Mission To Montabania

Chapter 3 The Return Of Roxor

Chapter 4 The Search For Robert Regent (30 min shows, a version of chapter 1)



1932-36 run



Producer: Mutual Don Lee

Episodes Aired: 81

Writers: Vera Oldman, (Edit: Vera Oldham wrote ALL of the Chandu scripts. Harry A. Earnshaw, R.R. Morgan put their names on the scripts without her knowledge. Harry Earnshaw had her scripts bound and copyrighted them without her knowledge. Source Vera Oldham letter to Joe Hehn June 16th 1966)

Music : Felix Mills, Raymond Page

Chandu: Gayne Whitman

Dorothy: Margaret MacDonald

Bob: Bob Bixby

Betty: Betty Webb



1948/49 Run (My Favourite run)



Network/Sponsor: Mutual Don Lee - White King

Producer/Director: Cyril Ambruster

Announcer: Howard Culver

Episodes Aired: 1948 =154 1949 =13

Writers: Vera Oldman

Music : Juan Rolando,

Mystic Organist: Korla Pandit

Chandu: Tom Collins

Dorothy: Irene Tedrow

Bob: Lee Millar

Betty: Joy Terry

Nadji: Veola Vonn

Roxor: Luis Van Rooten



1950 run on ABC



Producer: Cyril Ambruster - Sponsor United States Saving Bonds

Episodes Aired: 49-50 shows 13 30 minute shows

Writers: Sam Dan

Music : Albert Berman,

Theme Music: 30's theme

Effects: King Crockett, Harold Johnson

Chandu: Tom Collins

Rotating Cast: Santos Ortega, Leon Jenny, Briana Rayburn and many others



In my travels I have only heard tell of 3 shows from the 1932-36 even though I have heard 80 still exist. And 167 shows from the 48/49 run. I have managed to collect 166 shows. I must add that what I really like about Chandu is Tom Collins he was brilliant. He is one of my favourite OTR actors and he was very busy also playing Reggie on I love Adventure and Frank Race in the Adventures of Frank Race.



Update: I have since located most of the shows from 32-36 thanks to the help of the Cobalt Club members. Now trying to find the shows from the 1950 ABC run.');

Update June 12th 2021. I have edited this summary to fully credit Vera Oldham who wrote all of the Chandu scripts by herself. The scripts were used in both runs of the show. Her letter to Joe Hehn in 1966 states clearly she wrote all of the shows and the movie scripts plus many other shows at the time. A very talented writer.