Saturday, December 10, 2016

25 More Days of Old Time Radio Christmas - Day 10: Christmas Shopping with Casey, Crime Photographer

Stepping away from the comedies for a bit, so that puts us my crime and mystery!  Lets visit Casey and listen to a crime series at the holidays. In last year's blog, I showcased Santa Claus of Bums' Boulevard (Casey Crime Photographer).  This year, we return to Casey and we learn the lesson that not all crimes are equal.  This year's episode features a known crook, who gets fingered for something that he did not do!  This is exactly when you need a photographer to help you out!  Here is a link to all the previous OTR Christmas entries.  If you have Sirius/XM, you can listen to Greg Bell's Old time radio channel (#148).  He does a great job of showcasing great holiday themed episodes, especially as we get close to Christmas.

Shopping All Over Singapore (May 2016)
Shopping in Bugis Street - Singapore (May 2015)

Casey, Crime Photographer is the crime series as features...as you could imagine...a guy named Casey who is...anyone...a photographer for a newspaper.  He is joined out and about in the city finding stories with reporter Ann Williams.  The show almost always opens and closes at the Blue Note Tavern and their great bartender Ethelbert.  The voice talent was primarily Staats Cotsworth as Casey, Jan Miner as Ann Williams and John Gibson as Ethelbert the bartender.  Despite being part of the CBS Network, these are not brilliant shows.  I love them because they have a charm that comes with the opening and closing conversations at the Blue Note.  It is a great frame for these programs and I think gives it a bit more than what one might imagine.

I really enjoy this series for a goofy reason.  If you knew anything about me, you would know that I am an avid photographer, so when I find another one out there - we have something in common.  This is true of people in both fiction and non-fiction.   So one of the great radio characters I found was Casey, Crime Photographer.  I love the idea of following a cameraman through the rough streets of the city. The series was sponsored by Anchor Hocking glass company of Lancaster, Ohio.

Casey and Annie are moving slowly through a department store getting some last minute gifts for family.  Oh they should have planned in advance!  When Casey spots "Fingers" Fogharty, one of the best pick-pocket in town, in the crowd at the store, Casey actually sees a crime in progress.  When Casey and Annie tell the victim that he was pick-pocketed....they were surprised at the response.  The person was not interested not concerned.  So when that same pickpocket gets arrested for spending money that was marked as a kidnapping ransom payment, Casey and Annie know something's rotten in the city.  The cast includes Tony Marvin (announcer), Herman Chittison (piano), and Lesley Woods. The Christmas script was written by Alonzo Deen Cole. Enjoy - and watch out when you are in Christmas shopping crowds!

Christmas Shopping (Casey, Crime Photographer - December 19, 1946)



Here are additional links to Casey, Crime Photographer items on the web.
      Another 25 Days of Old Time Radio Christmas (from 2016) & Other Links

      25 Days of Old Time Radio Christmas (from 2015) & Other Links

      25 Days of Old Time Radio Christmas (from 2014)
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