Radio Retropolis

ORSON WELLES/MARGOT STEVENSON FINAL EPISODE! A scientist who is working on an electronic disintegration machine is murdered. After Margot Lane and Lamont Cranston discover the dead professor, they quickly locate the whereabouts of his killer. During the standoff, Margot is in danger and can only be saved if The Shadow reveals his true identity. This is the very last Orson Welles episode of all tim...

A gripping tale of ambition, deception, and danger when a charming, narcissistic engineer takes a job with a shady mining operation in Mexico that smuggles gold ore across the border.  JR speaks on the comntroversial life of star Burt Lancaster.

With Clark and Lois finding the hidden message left by the murdered foreign correspondent mentioning a "Phillipe" living in France as a possible lead to find Bucky Taylor, Kent, as Superman, high tails it across the ocean to begin his search for the missing boy.   JR speaks about the 1940 Look article "How Superman Would End the War" ...and why he couldn't.

Professor Millmoss, a speaker at Liz's women's club, convinces Liz that the way to have a happy marriage is for her to be interested in everything that interests George. Commentary on the popularity of this episode in which it was remade twice for radio and once for television. Plus, we discuss Harpo Marx, Lucy's inspiration in physical comedy, and how ill he really was while filming the mirror ga...

Two rival gangs are planning to rumble and Friday must stop it from happening in spite of a naive mother of the gang leader who refuse to believe her kid is involved.  Commentary on how gangs evolved and operated during the 1950's which wasn't much different than West Side Story.  Plus guest stars Charles Smith and Eddie Firestone.

Lois and Clark headed to port to greet Bucky Taylor only to find the young boy has disappeared from the ship.  Nobody on the ship knows where he could be.  JR speaks about Superman 2025 not being quite the financial success as had been initially reported.

A dying woman promises her husband that she will return from the grave. She does return...several times!  Commentary on iconic thriller actor Peter Lorre.  Plus guest actress Judith Evelyn who was on a ship that was sunk by a German sub in WWII.

In 1692, a clergyman sentences a woman to be burned at the stake due to witchcraft. A curse is then put upon the clergy's family. Generations later, the young son of the current reverend is killed out of superstitious revenge. Margot puts herself in grave danger as she investigates and the Shadow must get to her before she is the next victim. Commentary on racism in Hollywood during the 30's and h...

A wealthy woman fakes a pregnancy and kidnaps a baby passing him off as her own while convincing her skeptical husband, who's currently in India fighting in the war, that it's really his.  JR speaks on the key problems with this episode.

As Vincent Kirby is sentenced to death for his crimes behind the White Carnation, a new sinister figure emerges threatening global peace with only a young boy  having the power to stop him must now be protected by Perry White, Clark and Lois.  JR speaks on what he didn't love about the 2025 Superman movie.

George makes a bargain with Liz: If she'll learn to swim, they can go to the beach with the Atterburys for their vacation.  Commentary on how Jess Oppenheimer frequently used old scenes from the series' earliest days simply because they were funny.  We play the scene between Katy and Liz in this episode with an earlier pre-Jess Oppenheimer episode called Vacation Time from April 29, 1949.

While undercover exposing a top heroin ring, Friday may have gotten himself in too deep which could expose his cover and threaten his life.  Commentary on the medicinal benefits of heroin back in the early days including treating respiratory illnesses or to reduce pain which is why pharmaceutical companies like Bayer got behind it.

While Superman races to the mountains after figuring out the carnation clues to rescue Jimmy and Jack, Kirby intensifies his plans of the Knights of the White Carnation by planning to incite the students of the high school to track down all foreign born citizens.  JR speaks on this radio series input into the Superman comics.

A psychologist meets with a man on Death Row, who is about to be executed in two hours, to learn why he killed his wife. Instead, he becomes caught up in the fascination of why this man committed murder to the point where he himself is faced with those same inner demons.  Commentary on the inner demons in all of us and what we would do if there were no repercussions. Boris Karloff stars.

An Oriental shop owner will kill anyone to regain a statue from the Far East, beginning with the lawyer to whom the statue was sold by mistake.

A stifled man who lives with his suffocating passive aggressive aunt turns himself into the police claiming to have killed her.  JR speaks on star Van Heflin.

Jimmy's dying, motionless body lies still on the floor while Jack worries he may now be faced with the same fate. JR speaks about Superman producer Robert Maxwell.

Liz is fed up with George's messy habits around the house, so she draws a line down the middle of the living room and divides the house in two--her half and his. Commentary on how this plot line of the divided room from this episode and the subsequent I Love Lucy episode was used in dozens of top sitcoms over the years.  Plus a very special Radio Retropolis exclusive interview excerpt from guest a...

A convict Friday put away for narcotics dealing has been released and is willing to help Friday catch the big man behind a heroin ring.  In order to do so, Friday goes undercover to expose him.  Commentary on why this was a standout episode for Jack Webb.  Plus, Barney Phillips as new partner Ed Jacobs and why he was not long for the show.

Kent, who just found out about the story in the Planet called in by Jimmy, was astonished that Jimmy would write such a smear campaign against the players.  Commentary on Kent's ability to break impossible codes.

A tramp steamer captain rescues a man lost at sea who says he abandoned the ship because they were attacked by some sea monster that turned the water to blood with the crew started disappearing one by one.  Commentary on the Manhattan Project which coincided with this day in history.  Plus, actor Arthur Vinton who starred.

After a professor is fired dishonorably from the faculty, he seeks revenge by planning to set off a bomb at the chapel during graduation day.  The countdown to the last of the Orson Welles episodes continues with four more to go.

A worried mother has a son with a severe life-threatening fever. Because of a widespread flu epidemic, she has to face the problems alone.  JR speaks on actress Martha Scott.

Kirby's smear campaign framing the two players depends upon Jimmy calling in the gambling story to the Planet.   When Jimmy refuses, Kirby threatens a brutal response unless he complies.  JR speaks on Candy Meyers and the infamous Stolen Costume episode from The Advetures of Superman television series.

Liz inadvertently returns a dress to a more expensive store than where she bought it, and makes money on the deal. So she decides to go into business buying dresses at one store and returning them at the other. Commentary tonight on how this episode was remade on radio and adapted for I Love Lucy.  Plus a look at how Lucille Ball redefined her comedic image from the early stages of radio into the...