Cloak and Dagger was a high-quality spy thriller that ran in the summer and fall of 1950. 

Though it was short-lived, it made an impression and picked up a lot of fans, what with the star power of Willis Cooper, "Raymond" from Inner Sanctum, Everette Sloan of Citizen Kane fame, and Superman's "Look, up in the sky, it's a bird" announcer, Jackson Beck. 

The Cloak and Dagger stories were inspired by the book of the same name, written by Corey Ford and Alistair MacBain. 

This episode, The Last Mission, first aired on September 9, 1950. 

An Irishman playing an Italian?  Somehow it worked.  Luigi Basco, newly arrived in Chicago from the Old Country, writes a letter each week to his mother back home in Ireland.  And each episode of Life With Luigi is the story told in Luigi's letter.

J. Carroll Naish was Luigi, and Alan Reed (TV's Fred Flintstone) was Luigi's friend Pasquale. 

The show touched a tender spot in many Americans, and it aired from 1948 to 1953.

This episode, Luigi's First Date with an American Girl, first aired on January 9, 1949.

Are you itching to use that new detector you got for Christmas, but the ground is still frozen and snow-covered? 

Don't waste the next couple of months just waiting for spring - teach yourself the fine points of using that new machine right now, before you ever dig a signal.

By setting up a test box in your living room, you can learn to recognize the good from the bad, and avoid many of the problems most newbies encounter.

This show gives you a ton of ideas on experiments you can conduct with your detector and a cardoboard box.  Learn how your machine reacts to various metallic items, learn to pinpoint and determine depth, learn to tell junk from good stuff, and a lot more.  All in the comfort of your living room. 

Take notes on this one!  There's a lot of information here, and it's delivered in just three and a half minutes.

For more articles on metal detecting and an ad for my book, The Metal Detecting Manual, visit http://treasuremanual.com.

Space Patrol was on radio and TV simultaneously, from 1950 to 1955. 

Ed Kemmer was Commander Buzz Corry, and Lyn Osborn was his young sidekick, Cadet Happy. 

The Space Patrol took place in the 30th century, and the setting was the entire universe, thanks to the spaceship Terra 5. 

This episode, The Immortal Brain, first aired on May 30, 1953.

Night Editor is another of those OTR shows that fell through the cracks, even though it ran on NBC for 13 years. 

Unfortunately, it had no stable day or airtime, so it was hard to find unless you kept up with your radio schedule regularly.

Hal Burdick starred as the night editor of a big-city newspaper, and he told stories to his young assistant Bobby. 

The show was so popular that it was made into a movie in 1946, starring William Gargan and Janis Carter. 

The radio version ran just 15 minutes, so I'll play you two episodes in this show.

This episode of In the Treasure Corner began with a random discussion with my wife on the age of George Washington.  I was able to figure it out without going to Google, because I know my American coins.  And that led me to some other fascinating trivia about our coins.

How can your numismatic knowledge (or coin smarts) help you determine the birth years of our two most famous presidents? 

Did you know that the figure represented on the Indian head penny is the same as the one on the Mercury dime? 

Who was the first president to appear on common United States coins?  The first non-president?

How many ridges are on a dime?  A quarter?  And why aren't there ridges on pennies and nickels?

The answers and more are right here.  Click the POD icon, top left, to the left of the big program number and title.

For more articles about treasure hunting and metal detecting, and a look at my book The Metal Detecting Manual, check out my web site, http://treasuremanual.com.

Command Performance!  Possibly the best variety show ever to air on radio - and people who lived in the USA didn't get to hear it! 

Because it was broadcast via shortwave to our Armed Forces overseas during World War II, but not to the folks here at home. 

Soldiers - thousands of them every week - wrote letters to Command Performance, requesting that a certain star sing a certain song, or a particular female star just "sigh" into the microphone, or a team from the show travel to a small town in Indiana to record birds singing.

The idea was that the soldiers were giving the orders, rather than obeying them as they had to do in real life. 

And every star, every technician, every stagehand - they all worked the show for no pay.  Even the networks lent their studios and equipment free for this show.

Virtually every star in Hollywood appeared on Command Performance during the war.  This episode, from June 17, 1944, features Jack Benny, Bing Crosby, and Harpo Marx.  (Pictured here:  Don Wilson and Carole Landis)

Johnny Roventini was a huge voice in a tiny body.  He was a real bellhop who was spotted by an advertising executive who thought Johnny might be the spark he needed for a cigarette campaign. 

He auditioned Johnny right there in the Hotel New Yorker, and hired him to represent Philip Morris cigarettes.

Johnny appeared on a lot of radio shows, including (what a surprise) The Philip Morris Playhouse.  The show ran, off and on, from 1939 to 1953. 

This episode, Murder Needs an Artist, stars Vincent Price.  It first aired on May 6, 1950.

Richard Yeo was fortunate to get a job during the depression.  He was hired as an advertising and marketing representative for the Whitman Publishing Company. 

He didn't like the product he was hired to promote, though, so he redesigned it.  And as a result of his brashness, the modern coin collecting hobby was born. 

That was just the beginning for Mr. Yeo.  He went on to write the world's two best-known books about United States coins.  And now, over a quarter of a century after his death, new editions of his books are still issued every year.

For more stories about treasure hunting and metal detecting, drop by http://treasuremanual.com.

Bob Hope lived to be a hundred, and his wife lived to 102. 

He got a lot of mileage out of those one hundred years - singing-dancing-joking in vaudeville; radio, movies, TV, books, and live shows all over the world, mostly in war zones.  And even Bob Hope comic books.

Bob was at his best in wartime, entertaining the troops.  And this episode of the Bob Hope Show, from February 27, 1945, was broadcast live from a troop hospital in California.

Quick as a Flash was a quiz show with just five questions - four fast ones, then a fifth one that took up over half the show.  It ran for six years, first as a prime time show, then as a daytime show.

Six audience members were selected as contestants, and after they answered the first four questions, the program shifted to a mystery show!  A short mystery play was performed, with a different guest star each week.  The contestants then had to solve the mystery.

The show had three hosts over the years:  Ken Roberts for 2 years, Win Elliot for 2 years, and Bill Cullen for 2 years.

In this episode, the guest star is the Shadow, as played by Bret Morrison.  It first aired on March 23, 1947.

Suggestions on how to choose a first detector for your (or somebody elses) child. 

Get a cheapie?  A top-of-the-line?  Something in between?  What about weight, and buttons and dials and knobs and meters? 

As you might guess from the photo, I think you should take a good look at the Tesoro Compadre. 

One thing I forgot to mention in the program - Tesoro is the only company that gives a lifetime warranty on all their detectors (no, they don't pay me). 

I also offer a quickie little exercise you can do with your child to help him (her) learn to use his (her) new machine efficiently.

For more tips on metal detecting, and a sales pitch for my book The Metal Detecting Manual (hint, hint - Christmas!!), visit http://treasuremanual.com.

Top Secret was an espionage series that ran on NBC in the summer and part of the fall of 1950.  It never had a steady time slot, and it was often preempted, so it didn't really get the chance it deserved to become a regular prime time thriller series.

Ilona Massey ("the new Dietrich") starred as a female spy.  She was born in Budapest, and her heavy accent was natural.  Massey appeared in several movies in the 1940s.

This episode, The Case of the Tattooed Pigeon, first aired on August 13, 1950.

The Cinnamon Bear is a 26-episode adventure serial about Jimmy and Judy Barton's quest to regain the star that tops their Christmas tree. 

With an all-star cast, fascinating fairytale characters, and an exciting storyline, the Cinnamon Bear  has become an annual tradition with many families, over three-quarters of a century after it first aired  in 1937.

Actors who appear in this serial include Joseph Kearns, Frank Nelson, Howard McNear, Gale Gordon, Elliott Lewis, Verna Feldon, and Barbara Jean Wong. 

My podcast includes the first two episodes of The Cinnamon Bear.  You should gather the kids together at bedtime and play them Episode One on November 29.  Each episode runs about 12 minutes.  The next night at bedtime, play them Episode Two.  Then either download the other 24 episodes, or play them directly from the website each night:  http://tinyurl.com/66mlwr. 

And why start on November 29?  Because then the last episode will play on Christmas Eve. 

John (not his real name) had a map that showed him where a long-ago 1850s schoolhouse had stood, and he knew the name of the farmer who owned the property. 

John's dilemma:  How to ask permission?  What to do, what to say, what NOT to do or say? 

In this show, I discuss the approach John used, and then I give my own thoughts on what John did right, and what he did that maybe wasn't so right, and what he could have done instead.

After you listen to the show (about 4 1/2 minutes), drop by http://treasuremanual.com and read some of the fan mail I get about my book, The Metal Detecting Manual.

But for Shakespeare and the Bible, she is the best-selling author of all time. 

Her book AND THEN THERE WERE NONE is the best-selling mystery novel of all time.

Her book THE MURDER OF ROGER ACKROYD was voted the Best Crime Novel ever by the CWA (Crime Writers Association).

And her play THE MOUSETRAP is the longest-running stage play of all time - over 62 years now and still going strong.

I'm speaking of AGATHA CHRISTIE, creator of that aggravating little Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot, who came to radio near the end of World War II.  This episode, Murder Wears a Mask, first aired on May 3, 1945.

Quick - What was the first old-time radio show about the Royal Canadian Mounted Police?  Hint:  It started as a 15-minute triweekly show, then was expanded to a half hour. 

If you cheated and saw the name of this episode, you know it was Renfrew of the Mounted, which ran on the CBS network two years before Sergeant Preston showed up on Mutual.  Both the Sergeant Preston show (Challenge of the Yukon) and Renfrew began as 15-minute programs, and then went to a half-hour. 

Starring as Renfrew was House Jameson, who is better known as Sam Aldrich, Henry's father, on the Henry Aldrich Show. 

Renfrew ran from 1936 to 1940, and this episode, The Bribe, aired on February 4, 1939. 

It all started when a classmate of mine told me she'd bought her grandson some inexpensive civil war relics she'd found on eBay.  They were being offered by a treasure hunter who had found them with his metal detector. 

And I thought, what a great idea!  We all have boxes or jars or buckets full of stuff we've dug that may not be worth anything to us, but just might be considered fun and exciting to non-treasure hunters.

So I did a little research, and what I found just might surprise you.  I will tell you this much:  It didn't turn out quite the way I thought it would.  For the rest, just listen to the show.  (It's short - about 3 1/2 minutes). 

P.S.  The photo is of an assortment of metal detector finds that sold recently on eBay, all as one package.  I discuss it in the show.

Hey!  Christmas is less than 7 weeks away!  Buy a copy of my book for somebody!  They'll be happy, you'll be happy they're happy, and I'll be happy!  Read all about it at http://treasuremanual.com!

Alan Young? Wasn't he Wilbur Post on Mr. Ed? You mean he did RADIO?

Yep, Alan's first show was on the CBC (Canada) just before World War II. He was born in England (his real name is Angus, not Alan), lived in Scotland for a spell, then moved to Canada when he was six.

He became attached to radio when he was a child, listening to it while spending long stretches at a time in bed because of his bad case of asthma.

He came to the United States in 1944, where The Alan Young Show became an instant hit. The TV version won him the "Outstanding Lead Actor" Emmy in 1951, and he made several films until he was chosen to be Mr. Ed's sidekick in 1961.

This episode of The Alan Young Show, from February 7, 1947, is called Photo of a Bank Robbery.

P.S. That's Dorothy Lamour in the photo with Alan.

Like scary stuff?

The Sealed Book was a short-lived but well-remembered old-time radio show of horror, terror, murder, and madness. 

Written by the same team who wrote The Mysterious Traveler, The Sealed Book was on the air for just six months, from March to September, 1945. 

This episode, Queen of the Cats, first aired on June 24, 1945.

Canadian pennies!  Most of us have found them with our detectors. 

But did you know that for 15 years, they weren't round, but had 12 sides? 

And that for 13 years they were made of steel?

And that Canada hasn't made any pennies at all for almost three years?

All that and more in my latest show.

And for articles that will help you find more and deeper coins with your metal detector, visit http://treasuremanual.com.

Arch Oboler sold his first short story to a magazine when he was ten. 

He started writing for radio because he thought radio should be a lot more than the soap operas he was hearing. 

Most people either loved him or hated him.  His "strong personality" (which got him expelled from college) often overshadowed his genius. 

Oboler wrote some of the best radio plays ever aired.  He wrote this one after World War II war correspondent Ernie Pyle was killed by a Japanese sniper just months before the war ended.

(In the photo, Raymond Edward Johnson watches as Arch Oboler is on the phone.)

Charles Boyer made 80 movies, generally appearing as a suave leading man. 

He also did short-lived radio series in which he played a romantic rogue name Michel. 

In each episode, Michel told a story about one of his adventures to a writer named Bart Conway, and Conway sold the stories to an American magazine.

This episode, Madamoiselle Cinderella and the Brooklyn Dodger, first aired on June 27, 1950.

1862 was the year, and the only year, that postage stamps were used as coins. 

The Civil War was in full force, coins were hard to come by because they were used in the war effort (and people hoarded them), so in July 1862, the government okayed the use of stamps as legal tender. 

An enterprising businessman patented a brass shell for stamps, and he made a quick fortune with his little frame that turned stamps into coins. 

How long were they used? Why were they suddenly dropped?  What are they worth now?  Listen to the show for the answers.

For articles that will help you find more and deeper coins with your metal detector, visit http://treasuremanual.com.

Though Jack Webb's first love was police work, his second love was jazz. 

And in his series Pete Kelly's Blues, he played the leader of a jazz combo in 1920's Kansas City.  The program oozed of gangsters, gun molls, G-men, and hot, smoky music.

The series ran on NBC in the summer of 1951.  There were only 12 episodes, but the show is still well-remembered. 

This is the first episode, called Gus Trudeau.  It ran on July 4, 1951.

The Big Story, which ran from 1947 to 1955 on NBC, told true crime stories through the eyes of newspaper reporters. 

The show's producer, Bernard Prockter, scoured newspapers from around the country for lurid stories, usually of murder, that he could turn into radio shows.  And of course, the names were changed to protect the innocent.  Or the guilty.

The newspaper reporters who had originally written the stories were paid $500 at the end of his or her episode. 

This episode, The Bobbysox Kid, originally aired on October 10, 1947.

Bill Shaffer's story:  He found a Medal of Honor, it was taken from him under false pretenses, and now he has a chance to get it back. 

But he needs your help! 

The missing clue that may win the day for Bill's case is a photograph that was printed in a treasure magazine 30 years ago.  Do you have a copy? 

Listen to Bill's story, and if you can help, buzz me at danhughesmail@gmail.com. 

If you like these shows, you'll love my book, The Metal Detecting Manual.  Order your copy at http://treasuremanual.com.  My family will thank you.

Richard Thorne and Carl Greyson created The Hall of Fantasy when they worked together at radio station KALL in Salt Lake City.  In its first incarnation, it was a pretty standard mystery show, where the bad guys always got what was coming to them. 

Thorne and Greyson left KALL in 1947, but two years later they were reunited at radio station WGN in Chicago.  They put together a new version of The Hall of Fantasy, but this time they did terror and the supernatural instead of mystery. 

Their show ran for three years on WGN before it was picked up nationally by the Mutual Network. 

This episode, The Automaton, first aired on July 27, 1953.

Stars acting in their pajamas?  Well, it WAS radio, and the radio audience couldn't see them....

Stars Over Hollywood aired early on Saturday afternoon, when many people were just getting out of bed.  And Hollywood stars liked their Saturdays informal, too, and they loved the relaxed atmosphere of the studio where Stars Over Hollywood originated.

Running for over 13 years on CBS, Stars Over Hollywood showed the world that light comedies and romances for adults could succeed on Saturday afternoons. 

This episode featured Debbie Reynolds in The First Man She Met.  It first aired on August 23, 1952.

Eighteen coins in 10 minutes with no detector, no pinpointer, and no digging tools?

At first blush, that sounds pretty great.  But not really, as you'll realize when you hear the story. 

And though the results of this one particular experience are not as earthshaking as they seem, the METHOD used to obtain the results has tons of potential. 

And THAT is what this story is really all about.

For articles that will help you find more and deeper coins with your metal detector, visit http://treasuremanual.com.

Do you recognize the name Henry Calvin?  No?  Well, howsabout Sergeant Garcia, on Walt Disney's Zorro?

Henry Calvin was a singer, a Broadway actor, and a film and television actor.

But he started as a radio actor, and in 1950 he starred in the NBC radio series The Big Guy. 

The Big Guy, Joshua Sharp, was even bigger than Don Wilson!  His shoe size, he said, was "902 in a triple D".  He was a detective who got a lot of help from his two small children, Josh Junior and Debbie.

The show was short-lived; it ran for just six months. 

This is the first episode, called The Unheard Voice.  It was heard on May 7, 1950.

Stan Freberg's first radio show wasn't the infamous Jack Benny summer replacement show of 1957 - it was the 1954 satirical sitcom, That's Rich. 

Freberg played Richard E. Wilk of the Consolidated Paper Works Company. 

The list of actors in the show was spectacular:  Frank Nelson, Alan Reed, Daws Butler, Hal March, Peter Leeds. 

In later life, Freberg was an advertising genius.  He won 21 Cleos (the advertising world's equivalent of the Oscar). 

As a special bonus for you, I've added  his most famous one-minute radio spot at the end of this show.  It's the one where, with the help of the Royal Canadian Air Force, he turns Lake Michigan into a huge chocolate sundae.

Six years ago, I decided to start a treasure hunting podcast.  Other such podcasts had come and gone, most of them dying after half a dozen episodes at best. 

And, truth be told, they deserved an early death.  They were virtually unlistenable.  Long pointless chatter, usually two or more guys laughing at their own private jokes, the content bouncing back and forth between painful and pointless.  Totally unscripted and lasting a half hour or longer, with maybe two minutes of actual information scattered within the chaff. They reminded me of what one of my broadcasting instructors said seemed to be the standard rule:  "Keep talking until you think you've said something."

My show (brag alert!) was different.  It is completely scripted, with just one voice, and a scant three to five minutes for most episodes. It has had nearly 400,000 downloads.

And it has lasted for six years and 157 episodes. 

In this birthday episode, I discuss the number of people who listen, where they are from, and how they listen.  I list the most popular episodes, and I point you to past episodes that you really should hear. 

And after you've listened to all that, you just might be impressed enough to order my book, The Metal Detecting Manual.  You can do that here:  http://treasuremanual.com.

The Answer Man was kind of a goofy show. 

For 15 minutes, the narrator would throw questions at the Answer Man (Albert Mitchell), and Mitchell would throw back his answer.  Back and forth at a rapidfire pace, and there were no boundaries for the question topics, which were mailed in by listeners. 

The show ran on Mutual from 1937 to 1956, and overseas versions ran with different local hosts as the Answer Man.

If you wanted to know Adolph Hitler's phone number, or how many muscles were in a elephant's trunk, the Answer Man could tell you.

The Skippy Hollywood Theatre was one of the first radio programs that was NOT aired live in front of a studio audience.  Instead, it was recorded and edited before it went on the air. 

And until its final year on the air, it wasn't on a national network.  It was a syndicated program, meaning that individual stations contracted to carry the show.  Skippy Peanut Butter had a good thing going, because in the markets where the Skippy Hollywood Theatre played, Skippy Peanut Butter sales skyrocketed.

This episode, Three Strikes Yer Out, first aired on August 13, 1948.

Counterfeit coins have been in the news recently, and this show examines some of the more common types of counterfeits.

From making your own from scratch, or altering dates on real coins, or combining two real coins into a third coin that is worth thousands of dollars more than either of the originals. 

The latest instance of fakery centers around the 1883-S Morgan dollar.  The photo shows how coins can have their faces shaved off, and then two halves are pressed together to make a "new" coin which is much more valuable than the two coins you started with.

You can also read some articles on metal detecting, and check out my ad for my treasure hunting book, at http://treasuremanual.com.

Cartoonist Ed Dodd, who was also a Boy Scout leader and a National Parks guide, created the newspaper comic strip Mark Trail in 1946. 

Mark Trail was a wildlife writer and photographer.  The strip started in 45 newspapers, and at its peak it appeared in over 400 markets.

The comic strip became a radio show in 1946, first as a half-hour program airing three times a week, and later as a 15-minute show.

This episode, Purse Strings of Danger, first aired on September 25, 1950.

J. Donald Wilson produced two radio series:  The Whistler, and Dark Venture.

Dark Venture began as a west-coast-only show (as did The Whistler), but after a year it expanded to the nationwide ABC radio network.

It was a psychological thriller.  The listener was able to get inside the murder's head, hearing his thoughts as he (or she) rationalized and planned their foul deeds.

Dark Venture ran from 1945 to 1947.  This episode, The Last Inhabitant, originally ran on November 18, 1946. 

All because of a bum knee. 

Mr. Doe had been collecting coins for over half a century, and he found a good many silver coins in half-dollar coin rolls he bought from banks around his home in New Orleans.

But he gave up the hobby a few years ago, when the silver pretty much dried up.

A knee replacement operation left him rehabbing in his easy chair, and rather than just vegetate, he took up his old hobby of coin roll hunting again. 

And this show tells the story of his unbelievable find.

You can also read some articles on metal detecting, and my spiffy book ad, at http://treasuremanual.com.

Husband and wife writing team Frank and Anne Hummert (pictured here) were known as the parents of the radio soap opera.  Among their many creations are Ma Perkins, Just Plain Bill, Mary Noble Backstage Wife, Stella Dallas, Young Widder Brown, Lorenzo Jones, Our Gal Sunday, and the Romance of Helen Trent. 

 But they also created some nighttime shows, too, like Front Page Farrell, Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons, and Mr. Chameleon.  And Inspector Thorne,  a murder mystery summer replacement series.  It ran on NBC from July to September of 1951. 

 Inspector Thorne was played by Karl Webber for the first half of the run, and then Staats Cotsworth took over for the rest of the run.

This episode, The Defrosted Refrigerator Murder Case, first ran on August 10, 1951.

Author's Playhouse turned the world's finest short stories into half-hour radio shows. 

The program aired from 1941 to1945 on the NBC Network. 

This episode, The Man Who Woke Up Famous, first aired on July 15, 1944.

In 1857, a ship loaded with gold from the California Gold Rush sank off the coast of South Carolina.  430 passengers and crew members drowned, and the ship ended up a mile and a half down, on the floor of the Atlantic Ocean.

In 1980, a scientist from Columbus, Ohio, decided to search for the ship.  He collected a lot of money from investors, and after several years of work, he found the ship and pulled millions of dollars worth of gold from it. 

But he made no payouts, and soon his investors began suing for the promised money they never got.  Next thing you know, he disappeared.  And he took his secretary (also his mistress) with him. 

Here's the whole sordid story.

And if you need a really great book on metal detecting, either for yourself or for a gift, please give mine a look.  It's at http://treasuremanual.com, along with some articles and tips and secrets to help you improve your detecting skills.

Bob Hastings, who died last month, was best-known by old-time radio fans as Archie Andrews, of the Archie-Jughead-Betty-Veronica series. 

But before playing Archie, Bob was Jerry, the young mate on Captain Silver's ship, the Seahound.  The Seahound sailed the seven seas in search of adventure.  The program was written by Fran Striker, who also created and wrote scripts for The Lone Ranger.

The Seahound had two runs, from 1942 to 1944, and then as a summer replacement show in 1948. 

Because the episodes were just 15 minutes each, I've been able to fit two of them into this show.  They are called The Capture and The Escape, and they both aired in October, 1944.

Tales of Tomorrow was a short-lived radio show wherein short stories from Galaxy science fiction magazine were adapted into half-hour radio dramas. 

Host of the series was the famous "Raymond" - Raymond Edward Johnson.  The series started on ABC and then moved to CBS.  It was on the air from New Year's Day to April 9, 1953. 

Galaxy editor H.L. Gold, who also wrote for the magazine, bought stories that had a psychological, sociological, or satirical bend, rather than the "earth vs. aliens" stories that were popular in other magazines.   

This story, Gold's own The Old Die Rich, appeared in the March 1953 issue  of Galaxy, and was broadcast on Tales of Tomorrow on March 26, 1953. 

Remember your first detector?  Your first find?  Your first GOOD find? 

This week's show is a look at my beginning, and the find that hooked me into this wonderful hobby forever. 

I'd love to hear about your first good find; just click below to leave a COMMENT. 

And if you need a really great book on metal detecting, either for yourself or for a gift, please give mine a look.  It's at http://treasuremanual.com, along with some articles and tips and secrets to help you improve your detecting skills.

The radio sitcom The Magnificent Montague was created by Nat Hiken, who was a comedy writer for Fred Allen and Milton Berle. 

He later created You'll Never Get Rich (The Phil Silvers Show) and Car 54, Where Are You. 

The star of The Magnificent Montague was Monty Wooley, a college professor turned actor. 

He starred in both the Broadway production and movie version of The Man Who Came to Dinner before he went into radio.

Montague was a Shakespearean actor who had fallen on hard times and had to take a job as - gasp! - a RADIO actor!

This is the first episode.  It aired on November 10, 1950.

College credits by radio!  Sounds great for those enrolled in the class, but who else would want to listen to "educational programs" on the radio, when all the fun stuff was on the other stations?

That was the dilemma the NBC University Theater faced.  People were afraid they might be educated if they listened to the show!  And we all know how boring THAT is.

Nonetheless, this show, which was on the air from 1948 to 1951, more than held its own with the other radio programs that adapted books and short stories to the air.  Big name stars appeared, and the scripts were outstanding.  If the program had been given a more enticing name, it might well have garnered a much larger audience.

This episode, Mark Twain's The Man That Corrupted Hadleyville, first aired on January 24, 1951.

The rare 1903-O (for New Orleans) silver dollar was worth a lot of money in the early 1960s. 

Then several thousand of them were found, stored uncirculated in bags of a thousand each, in a vault at the Philadelphia mint.  Suddenly, their value dropped by two-thirds.

This show explains why the mint made more silver dollars than they needed for half a century, and why silver dollars are suddenly in demand every November. 

And how, in November 1962, the Philadelphia mint sold millions of uncirculated old silver dollars that had been hidden away in its vaults.

If you need a really great book on metal detecting, either for yourself or for a gift, please give mine a look.  It's at http://treasuremanual.com, along with some articles and tips and secrets to help you improve your detecting skills.

The Lineup was probably inspired by the success of Dragnet on the radio. 

The Lineup ran on CBS from 1950 to 1953, and it had an impressive cast presenting well-written stories.

Bill Johnstone, who had played the Shadow for five years (between Orson Welles and Bret Morrison) starred as Police Lieutenant Ben Guthrie in "a great American city."

This episode, The Silk Stocking Bandit, originally aired on March 25, 1952.

Poor Gregory Hood.  He got no respect from Mutual or ABC, the two networks that carried him. 

Six different actors in five years played Hood, and his time slot changed (both day AND time) seven times during its run.

Gregory Hood was an importer and amateur detective who lived in San Francisco.  The scripts were written by the same team who scripted the Sherlock Holmes radio series.  (Gregory Hood began as a summer replacement for Sherlock.)

This episode, Gregory Hood, Suspect, first aired on September 30, 1946.

Do you use Google to research for metal detecting honeyholes and treasure leads? 

Do you know how to winnow over three million poor leads into a few dozen good ones?  (Look at the two different Google searches in the graphic).

Herewith, with bigtime thanks to Dick Stout, are some tips on keywords you should be using for your area, and some secrets of eliminating the hits you don't want. 

Dick writes a treasure hunting blog you should be reading:  http://stoutstandards.wordpress.com.  He's fun, he's controversial, and he's knowledgeable.  (And he's cute, too!)

You can also read some of my articles on metal detecting, and my spiffy book ad, at http://treasuremanual.com.

The House of Mystery ran on Mutual from 1945 to 1949. 

Narrator Roger Elliott (played by John Griggs) told ghost stories to kids. 

The show started as a 15-minute strip, but soon expanded to a half-hour. 

This episode, A Gift from the Dead, first aired on August 3, 1947.

"One of the most outstanding programs in radio" - Variety.
"The boldest and hardest-hitting program of 1944" - New York Times.

Words at War ran just two years, from June 1943 to June 1945.  Its theme was World War II.  Novels and short stories were featured, as were non-fiction war correspondents like Ernie Pyle. 

In this episode, host Carl Van Doren presents Fair Stood the Wind for France, which is both a war story and a love story, and is considered one of the very best shows of the series.  It first aired on June 27, 1944.

Here's how to be a volunteer for charity, get free lunch in the deal, and maybe score some nice things for yourself that you'd never be able to get any other way.

Last year, I bought a Bounty Hunter Quick Draw 2 metal detector for two dollars.

This year, a thousand dollar TV set for 15 bucks.

In this show, I explain how these deals came about.

This photo is just one room of the sales building, and we have just as much stuff on the grounds outdoors.

You can also read some articles on metal detecting, and my spiffy book ad, at http://treasuremanual.com.

Fannie Brice had two careers.  She was the actress and singer as portrayed by Barbra Streisand in the movies Funny Girl and Funny Lady, and she was an exasperating six-year-old girl on the Baby Snooks Show. 

Baby Snooks first appeared on the radio in 1936, when Brice was 46 years old.  The last episode of her show aired the day she died suddenly of a brain aneurism in 1951.

In this episode from November 21, 1940, Jack Benny is the guest star.

The Cincinnati Nostalgia Expo will be held this Friday and Saturday (May  16 and 17), and you're invited!  Meet Jon Provost, Lassie's Timmy; Old Yeller's Beverly Washburn; and Ivan Curry, radio's Bobby Benson. 

Complete details are at http://cincyotr.info - click the links in the header of that page.

Instead of an old-time radio episode, this week you can hear all the questions (and answers!) from last year's Nostalgia Trivia Bowl, which was held at the convention.  The photo is the team that won the first trivia quiz, the Tom Mix Ralston Straightshooters.

There will another trivia bowl this year, Friday night at 8:30, written and hosted by yours truly.  I'd love to see you there!

In 1856, the United States Mint decided to do away with the penny that had been used since the beginning.  The half-dollar-sized cent was replaced with a new penny the same size as the one we use today. 

The Flying Eagle cent stole its design from the silver dollar of 20 years earlier.  The eagle on the back of that coin was used as the front of the new penny.

The Flying Eagle cent was minted for just three years.  Or two, if you don't count the experimental coins made in 1856. 

Why did the U.S. switch from big to small pennies?  Why was the Flying Eagle cent replaced after so short a time?  How much is that experimental 1856 Flying Eagle penny worth today?

Listen to this podcast and find out all this and more.

For some informative articles on treasure hunting, and a nice ad for my book The Metal Detecting Manual, visit http://treasuremanual.com.  And if you buy my book and would like it autographed, just let me know when you order.

Every Saturday at noon from late 1941 to early 1954, CBS radio presented a romantic drama "theater" called the Armstrong Theater of Today.  It was named after its sponsor, the Armstrong Quaker Rug and Linoleum Company.

Each week, a different play was presented, with stars from the Hollywood movie industry. 

This episode, Thunder and a Miracle, stars Joan Caulfield, pictured here.  It first aired on January 3, 1948.

Calling All Cars was a groundbreaking police procedural program that paved the way for later shows like Gangbusters and Dragnet.

On the air from 1933 to 1939, it was written and directed by William N. Robson, who later received acclaim for his work on such shows as Suspense and Escape.

This episode, The 26th Wife, is about a man whose hobby is marrying women and then killing them.  It first aired on July 20, 1939.

Writing a letter to ask permission to hunt private property is usually a bad idea, because it seldom works. 

But sometimes there is no other way. 

So if you do have to write a letter, what should you say? 

More importantly, what should you NEVER say? 

Listen to learn the secrets of giving yourself the highest odds possible when you HAVE to write that letter.

For more articles about metal detecting and a look at my book, The Metal Detecting Manual, visit http://treasuremanual.com.  And if you order a copy of my book and would like me to autograph it for you, just let me know!

Some of you may know that in another life, I am a treasure hunter.  And sometimes my hobbies collide. 

I once found a 1935 Radio Orphan Annie decoder wheel while I was searching for old coins with a metal detector.  And this past weekend, I found another OTR treasure while perusing an old bookstore.

I picked up a first-edition copy of The Quiz Kids, a 1947 book written by the chief researcher for the show.  And the book was signed by the author, the host of the radio show, and three of the quiz kids themselves.  Hog Heaven!

And since I haven't run a Quiz Kids episode yet, now seems to be the perfect time. 

In fact, this episode  was aired on March 9, 1947 - the day after my book was signed at the autograph party in Chicago. 

The Silver Theater was so named because it was sponsored by the Rogers Silverware Company.  It ran for 11 years on CBS. 

Most of the shows were original dramas written especially for this program, though sometimes they ran movie adaptations. 

Many of Hollywood's stars appeared on the Silver Theater, including Cary Grant, Clark Gable, and Helen Hayes. 

This episode, starring Robert Montgomery as a not-so-nice guy, first aired on April 16, 1939.  It's called Expert Opinion.

Why was the first mint established in Philadelphia instead of Washington, D.C.? 

Why did we abandon the shillings-and-pounds money of our homeland? 

By federal law, the portrait of whom (or what) had to appear on all United States coins? 

Who was the first president to appear on a regularly-circulated United States coin? 

And what four coins authorized by the original Coinage Act of 1792 are no longer minted for circulation? 

Hear the answers to all these questions, and more, in this fast-moving three-minute program. 

By the way, this photo is of the very first United States Mint in Philadelphia, which operated from 1792 until 1833.

And for a look at my book, and some free articles on treasure hunting and metal detecting, visit http://treasuremanual.com.

Consumer fraud has been around a long time. 

In 1952, Chicago's WMAQ, in conjuction with the Better Business Bureau of Chicago, produced a series of half-hour radio dramas illustrating how con men work. 

It ran for four months, and it was called Hello Sucker!

This episode, Spare Time Sucker, first aired on March 1, 1952.

Double Detective magazine wanted a character like The Shadow, so they hired a writer to create one. 

Result:  The Green Lama, a multimillionaire American who studied under Tibetian masters, and returned to the United States with superpowers. 

The Green Lama began as a series of short novels in Double Detective magazine, then he appeared in a series of comic books, and finally CBS put him on the radio, with voice artist extraordinaire playing the Green Lama.  

This episode, The Last Dinosaur, first aired on July 2, 1949.

The biggest question about the Saddle Ridge Hoard (1,427 gold coins shallowly buried in seven metal cans) is, Why did the finders publicize their find? 

Was that a stupid move, or a smart one? 

This show explains the reasoning behind the public announcement, and it also discusses a few theories on how the coins got there in the first place.

For some informative articles on treasure hunting, and a nice ad for my book The Metal Detecting Manual, visit http://treasuremanual.com.  And if you buy my book and would like it autographed, just let me know when you order.

When the DuPont Company was getting a bad name for profiteering from World War I, they decided to fight back by sponsoring a patriotic radio program.  Cavalcade of America first aired in 1935. 

DuPont hired the most prestigious writers for the show - a two-time Pulitzer Prize winner, and poets Carl Sandburg and Stephen Vincent Benet.  They also used famous Hollywood movie actors in major roles, rather than radio actors.

These factors made Cavalcade of America one of the most professional programs ever to air.  This episode, All That Money Can Buy, first ran on October 20, 1941.

The Black Museum was the name given to Scotland Yard's Crime Museum by a newspaper reporter, and it stuck. 

The Crime Museum was opened in 1875.  In 1951, a radio series about the musuem was recorded in Australia for the BBC, and it featured Orson Welles as the narrator. 

Each week, Welles would pick up a display item that was used in an actual crime,  and its story would be told. 

The series was carried in the United States on the Mutual Network from January to December, 1952. 

This episode tells the story of A Pair of Spectacles.

The largest treasure hoard ever found was discovered by accident by an anonymous couple in California. While walking their dog, they saw a piece of metal sticking out of the ground. 

After some scraping with a stick, they unearthed this metal can containing 170 gold pieces.  More digging and seven cans later, their trove was worth ten million dollars.

Where did it come from? 

Was it stolen loot from a stagecoach or bank? 

Was it buried by a rich but eccentric miser? 

Can they keep it all?  Can they keep ANY of it?

And why did they wait a year to report it?

Please check out my book, The Metal Detecting Manual, and read some free articles on treasure hunting and metal detecting, at http://treasuremanual.com.

NOTE:  A complete index for all the In the Treasure Corner shows is at http://danhughes.net/indext.htm.

Who remembers Beryl Vaughn?  She was probably best-known playing Penny on radio's Sky King.  When she lived in Detroit, she was a member of legendary radio station WXYZ's talent pool, and she played many female characters on the Lone Ranger, the Green Hornet, and Challenge of the Yukon. 

In 1946, she teamed with first Jim Ameche, and later Olan Soule, as the two stars of Grand Marquee, a weekly romantic comedy play on NBC. 

This episode, A Man's Home is Her Castle, first aired on February 20, 1947.

Raymond Edward Johnson was an old-time radio actor from the early 1930s until the late 1940s.  His best-known role was Raymond, the ghoulish host of Inner Sanctum.

He also appeared on Broadway, and he played Alexander Graham Bell in the 1947 movie Mr. Bell. 

In that same year, he played treasury agent Joe Lincoln in the ABC series Treasury Agent.

This episode, The Faithful Wife, first aired on August 11, 1947.

Canada did something really weird a couple of weeks ago.  They did away with pennies.

As of February 4, banks could no longer get pennies from the mint.  In fact, they have to turn in all their pennies.  And merchants can no longer give pennies in change. 

Basically, Canada is trying to get all pennies out of circulation, and be done with them forever.  Like we did with half-cents back in 1857.

And for a look at my book, The Metal Detecting Manual, and some free articles on treasure hunting and metal detecting, visit http://treasuremanual.com.

NOTE:  A complete index for all the In the Treasure Corner shows is at http://danhughes.net/indext.htm.

Tailspin Tommy started as a newspaper comic strip in 1928, and it spawned two movie serials, four movies, a comic book series, a Big Little book (pictured), a novel - and a radio show.

Tailspin Tommy Thompson, his best friend Skeets Milligan, and his girlfriend Betty Lou Barnes all fly for airship developer Paul Smith in a town called Three Point, Texas. 

Strangely enough, the actors are unknown.  Anybody?

This was the first radio episode, known both as "The Hidden Mine" and "Murder in the Sky."  It aired on September 5, 1941.

NBC needed a show to replace Mr. District Attorney, which had gone to ABC. 

They came up with The Defense Rests. 

But at the last minute, they turned it down and ABC picked it up, renaming it Defense Attorney. 

The title character was played by Mercedes McCambridge, and Howard Culver played a newspaper reporter. 

The show was on in 1951 and 1952, and this episode, The Jim Leonard Case, first aired on September 14, 1951.

The United States is paying 9.4 cents for every nickel it mints.  And Congress is not very happy about it. 

So tests are underway to find cheaper materials for nickels, and the latest experiment involves making nickels with the same formula used to make pennies - a zinc base covered with a thin layer of copper. 
 
And we all know what those zinc pennies look like when they've been in the ground a while - will the same fate soon befall our nickels too? 

This photo shows the experimental nickels.  (They don't have the markings of regular nickels, because the mint doesn't want collectors clamoring for them.)

And for a look at my book, and some free articles on treasure hunting and metal detecting, visit http://treasuremanual.com.

NOTE:  A complete index for all the In the Treasure Corner shows is at http://danhughes.net/indext.htm.

The Continental Celebrity Club aired for just half a year, but it had several big stars appear in those few shows. 

Newsman John Daly and the Aldrich Family's Jackie Kelk hosted the show.

Clayton (Bud) Collyer announced, Margaret Whiting was the show's vocalist, and Ray Bloch's Orchestra provided the music. 

And each week, a guest celebrity appeared for a song or two or a dramatic or comedy sketch.

This episode, with guest star Dorothy Lamour, first aired on May 4, 1946.

Eddie Bracken was in show biz at age 9 as a vaudeville performer.  He was in a Broadway musical (Too Many Girls) in 1939 which was made into a movie (starring Eddie) in 1940.

He did several more movies in the forties, appeared as a guest star on numerous radio shows, and had his own show in 1945-47. 

Later he returned to Broadway, doing Hello Dolly, The Sunshine Boys, and The Odd Couple.  He also guested on serveral television shows, from the fifties through the nineties.

This episode of The Eddie Bracken Show is called Switching Beauty Contest Photos.  It originally aired on April 1, 1945.

Clues to treasure may be where you least expect them.  We all know about poring over old county history books and old school yearbooks, looking for places to metal detect.

But here's another source, just for YOU, because few other people have access to this private source:  Your old family photographs! 

Next time you go through those old photograph albums, ask yourself a new question as you flip the pages:  Can this picture lead me to a treasure-hunting area? 

I offer you several ideas in this week's podcast.  Give yourself four minutes to check out this program.

(And yes, that's me with my little sister, about 1953.)

While you're here, check out my free treasure articles and my book, The Metal Detecting Manual, at http://treasuremanual.com.

Can you name the American fiction author whose works have been translated into the most languages? 

The answer is Erle Stanley Gardner, creator of Perry Mason.  Gardner was a self-taught attorney who found writing for the pulp magazines more exciting than lawyering. 

In 1949, Gardner was asked to create a new radio series.  The show was called A Life In Your Hands, and the main character, Jonathan Kegg, solved crimes in the courtroom, much like Perry Mason. 

This episode, Murder at the Eye Doctor's, first aired on July 31, 1952.  And the newspaper clipping you see here advertises this very episode.

Stars in the Air was on the air for just shy of seven months.  Like the Screen Guild Theater, it featured the biggest Hollywood stars in half-hour adaptations of famous movies. 

It was a project of the actors' union, the Screen Actors Guild, and the performers worked for little or no pay, because they saw their work as a contribution to their union. 

The hope was that as people heard these movie adaptations on the radio, they would go to the movies more often.

This episode, The House on 92nd Street, stars Humphrey Bogart and Keefe Braselle.  It first aired on May 3, 1952.

(NOTE:  There is background noise in this program, a voice coming and going, but I felt the show is so good that it's worth putting up with the interference.)

One of the first "old" coins many of find when we begin metal detecting is the Indian head penny.

Why did the Flying Eagle cent, which preceded the Indian head penny, last just three years? 

Who was used as a model for the Indian on the penny? 

And which Indian head penny is worth a thousand dollars, even in not-so-great condition?

These questions and more are all answered in this week's show.

For some informative articles on treasure hunting, and a nice ad for my book The Metal Detecting Manual, visit http://treasuremanual.com.

This show had everything going for it.  A Hollywood star in the lead role, a great radio network, excellent writing, and fantastic reviews.

Still, CBS cancelled it after just three months. 

Mickey Rooney played Shorty Bell, who worked in the newspaper business like his father before him. 

But Shorty wanted to be a reporter, instead of the truck driver who delivered the newspaper bundles around town.

This is the first episode of Shorty Bell, from March 28, 1948.

Leonidas Witherall, as created by Alice Tilton, looked just like William Shakespeare. 

He ran a private school for boys and wrote detective novels on the side.  He was also an amateur detective himself. 

His stories were confusing but fun, and Miss Tilton's books sold well from the late 1930s through World War II. 

In 1944, the Mutual Network turned them into a radio series. 

This episode, The Case of the Vanishing Housekeeper, is from July 23, 1944.

This special New Year's edition of In the Treasure Corner tells you how to earn over 2,000 percent a year on your money, AND what you can easily do to earn $360 an hour!

But wait a minute, you say!  There must be a catch, right? 

Well, of COURSE there's a catch!  Do you think if I could do those things regularly I'd waste my time on treasure podcasts?  No way!

So join the fun and check it out. 

And help Dan earn his high percentage rate faster by buying his book now!  Details at http://treasuremanual.com.

Al Pearce was on the air for almost two decades.  His show was mostly broad vaudeville-style humor, the type that ages poorly. 

But Al brought to radio many future stars - Morey Amsterdam, Yogi Yorgesson, Lord Bilgewater, Eb and Zeb, and fast-talking Arlene Harris.

And Al himself was famous for his shy door-to-door salesman character, Elmer Blurt. 

This episode, from March 6, 1940, features special guest star Gene Autry.

The Columbia Workshop was an experimental program on CBS from 1937 to 1947, with a break during the war years. 

It featured programs about the technical side of radio, about sound effects and microphones and how music can enhance radio drama. 

It also featured Orson Welles in Hamlet and MacBeth, and radio plays based on short stories and poetry by authors both historic and contemporary. 

But its most famous broadcast was its adaptation of the Archibald MacLeish work The Fall of the City, about the relentless march of Fascism.

Pictured here, left to right, are actor Orson Welles, producer/director Irving Reis, and author/poet Archibald MacLeish, working in the Manhattan Armory with over 200 extras, performing this week's featured show:  The Fall of the City, first broadcast on April 11, 1937.

For the last show of 2013, we (really just me, but "we" makes me sound more important) tie up some odds and ends, and add a P.S. or two to some earlier shows. 

We (I) also give a well-deserved plug to fellow treasure hunter and writer Dick Stout, whose handsome picture graces this page. Check out his blog at http://stoutstandards.wordpress.com.

And for a look at my book, The Metal Detecting Manual, and some free articles about treasure hunting, visit http://treasuremanual.com.

He hosted the 1938 Academy Awards show.

His newspaper column was carried in 240 papers. 

He had major roles in 25 movies, and he was the male lead in eight of them.

And the Army named a weapon after a musical instrument he invented, the Bazooka.

Yet few people recognize the name Bob Burns, the Arkansas Traveler. 

His radio show ran for six years, and his house band was Spike Jones and the City Slickers.  In this episode from May 6, 1943, Spike plays a great song called The Sound Effects Man.

(Photo is of the Army bazooka, and Bob Burns with his musical Bazooka.)

The CBS radio show Romance is little-known, because in its 15-year run, CBS used it mostly as filler.  It had no long-term time slot or day of the week.  It would appear whenever CBS had a slot to fill.

Which is sad, because it was a top-flight program, with excellent writing and great stars.  In this episode, you'll hear William Conrad, John Dehner, Parley Baer, Joseph Kearns, Vic Perrin, Sam Edwards, and Virginia Gregg.

And stay tuned afterwards for a short but hilarious clip from George Burns and Gracie Allen.

This episode of Romance was the last episode ever broadcast.  It's called Uncle Fats and the Goose Step, and it aired on January 5, 1957.

My best find ever?  That's easy.  Twenty-eight thousand bucks.  I kid you not!  And no metal detector was involved.

This show is about things found without the use of electronic locating devices. 

From finding a dozen golf balls one morning 52 years ago, to finding 19 softballs in five minutes nine weeks ago, here are stories of what you might find when you just watch the ground when you're out walking.

What have YOU found without a detector?  I'll bet you've got some stories, too.

Let me recommend the perfect gift for your treasure hunting friends: The Metal Detecting Manual!  http://treasuremanual.com.

Though novels were often adapted for radio plays, short stories seldom made it to the air in dramatized form. 

In the latter days of the Golden Age of Radio, NBC ran a weekly short story dramatization called NBC Presents: Short Story.  It ran for 15 months, from early 1951 to mid-1952. 

Authors represented included Steinbeck and Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ray Bradbury.  Hollywood's best actors appeared in the series.

This episode, Beautiful Summer at Newport, first aired on April 18, 1951.

Goodman Ace was a radio writer, a television writer, a magazine columnist, and a joke doctor. 

His show, Easy Aces, featured Goodman and his wife Jane, who was a scatterbrain much like Gracie Allen.

They were on the air from 1930 until his show was dumped after the 1945 season by its sponsor, Anacin, because Ace insulted them. They came back for one more season in 1948. 

This episode, The Radio Show Talent Hunt, first aired on March 6, 1948.

Yet another congressman has initiated a bill to do away with the dollar bill.  Instead, we would all use dollar coins. 

Hey, it works in Canada!  Would it work here?

Well, it WOULD save the government a cool 5 1/2 billion dollars over a 30-year period.

Find out who's for it, and who's against it, in this show.

Let me recommend the perfect gift for your treasure hunting friends: The Metal Detecting Manual!  http://treasuremanual.com.

Leroy Ripley liked the name Robert better than Leroy, so he became Robert.  And he liked the idea of being born on Christmas Day better than being born on the day after, so he changed his birthday to December 25. 

Hopefully, he was more accurate with the truth of the claims he made in his Believe It or Not shows than he was with the facts of his own life. 

Robert Ripley's professional cartoon career began in 1918, when he drew a daily one-panel sports cartoon called Champs and Chumps.  The following year it became Believe It or Not, and in time it appeared in magazines, books, movies, radio, and television.

The radio version aired from 1930 to 1948, the year before Ripley died.  This episode, Warden's Pardon, first aired on June 30, 1939.

Basil Rathbone was coming off a big success as Sherlock Holmes when Fatima cigarettes hired him to play a private detective named - Basil Rathbone. 

Rathbone was given clues to his cases by an otherworldly female voice named Fatima.  What a coincidence - just like the cigarettes!

And Rathbone even read the Fatima commercials. 

The program aired on the CBS radio network, and it lasted from January to October, 1949.

This episode, Time to Kill, first aired on May 28, 1949. 

What do President Jimmy Carter, singer Cyndi Lauper, Yankees catcher Yogi Berra, and explorer Admiral Byrd have in common?

They all autographed books (or in Cyndi's case, a CD) that I found for sale in thrift shops.

This show tells you the secrets of finding valuable autographs where nobody would expect them to be - on the bookshelves of Goodwill and Salvation Army stores.

For a look at my book, The Metal Detecting Manual, and some free articles about treasure hunting, visit http://treasuremanual.com.

The Blue Falcon was a salvage ship that sailed the world under the direction of Captain Gunnar Carlisle.

Based on the life of deep-sea diver Captain Carlisle, Out of the Deep aired on the Mutual Network in 1945 and 1946. 

This episode, The Panther Story, first aired on February 9, 1946. 

Paul Winchell had polio as a child, and while sick in bed he answered a magazine ad for a ventriloquism kit for a dime.  He built his first dummy in shop class at school, and named it after his shop teacher. 

Winchell appeared on the Major Bowes Amateur Hour radio show, and he won.  So at age 14, Paul Winchell became a professional ventriloquist. 

In later life he did cartoon voices.  He was Walt Disney's Tigger the Tiger.  And he was an inventor - he held a patent for the world's first artificial heart. 

This episode of his radio show aired on July 10, 1944.

Teddy Roosevelt didn't like Charles Barber.  Teddy thought outside the box.  He wanted to hire a famous sculptor to design our penny, nickel, dime, quarter, and half dollar, all in one fell swoop. 

But Charles Edward Barber, the Chief Engraver of the United States, had the call, and he designed all of those (except the penny) himself.  And a lot of people thought he did a pretty poor job of it.

Barber, and his father before him, together occupied the position of Chief Engraver for 48 straight years, so the Barber influence was felt in this country for a LONG time.

The story is here, In the Treasure Corner.

For a look at my book, The Metal Detecting Manual, and some free articles about treasure hunting, visit http://treasuremanual.com.

Mandel Kramer was Lt. Tragg on the radio version of Perry Mason, and Richard Denning was Lucille Ball's husband in My Favorite Husband.  Together with Gail Collins, they starred in a short-lived, light-hearted detective series called It's a Crime, Mr. Collins.

The series ran from August 1956 to February 1957, and it was pretty much a copy of The Adventures of the Archers, which was pretty much a copy of Mr. and Mrs. North. 

But those were pretty good shows to copy, and Mandel Kramer did a super job with this program.

John Nesbitt's father left him a treasure chest full of old news clippings of strange and wondrous things.  Nesbitt used those clippings to launch a radio show that lasted for 15 years, from 1937 to 1951. 

His programs were similar to what Robert Ripley did on Believe It or Not. 

Nesbitt talked of disasters, disappearances, amazing coincidences, and unexplained phenomena.  He told tales of fanatics, swindlers, andventurers, and treasure hunters. 

He called the show The Passing Parade. 

Here are two episodes from 1949.  The first talks of minor events that caused great events to happen, and the second tells the tale of the airplane that crashed into the Empire State Building.

Thirty of our states issued Tax Tokens during the depression. 

But by the end of World War II, most of them were gone.  And there are few people alive today who know they ever existed. 

Except for us treasure hunters who dig them up, of course.

They were round with holes in the middle, they were square, they were made of compressed paper, or zinc, or aluminum, or brass or copper.  They came in many sizes and denominations, all of them worth less than a penny.

In this week's episode of In the Treasure Corner, we take a look at State Tax Tokens.

For more articles about metal detecting and a look at my book, The Metal Detecting Manual, visit http://treasuremanual.com.

Four women against one man - that was the basic setup of Leave It to the Girls, a Mutual Radio series that aired from 1945 to 1949. 

Listeners sent in their "Dear Abby" type problems, and the celebrity panel offered their solutions. 

The producers of the program expected the show to be serious, but much to their surprise - and delight - the panelists were often quite funny. 

This episode originally aired on December 8, 1945. 

Abie's Irish Rose opened on Broadway and ran for six and a half years - at the time, the longest Broadway run ever.  (The record was finally broken 40 years later by Hello, Dolly.)

The plot was simple:  A Jewish boy marries a Catholic girl, against their families' wishes. 

Two movie versions were made, and a radio version ran on NBC from 1942 to 1944.  This episode, Abie Buys a New Jersey store, was originally broadcast on January 13, 1943.

The Roosevelt dime was designed by John Sinnock, who was the chief engraver of the United States Mint when Roosevelt died. 

He said he based the design on a Roosevelt medal he had designed four years earlier. 

But others believe he used the design of an African-American sculptress named Selma Burke, who had been commissioned to design a Roosevelt plaque in 1944. 

The design on the left is Sinnock's original, and the one on the right is Burke's.  Which one looks the most like the Roosevelt dime to you?

And why in the world would a rumor start that the JS below Roosevelt's neck stood for someone much more sinister than John Sinnock?  Listen to the show for the answers!

For more articles about metal detecting and a look at my book, The Metal Detecting Manual, visit http://treasuremanual.com.

Abe Burrows was a New York wit, a composer/singer of clever parodies that made him a favorite of Danny Kaye, Robert Benchley, and Groucho Marx. 

He also wrote Broadway musicals, like Breakfast at Tiffany's, Can-Can, and Guys and Dolls.  And he won a Pulitzer Prize for How to Succeed In Business Without Really Trying. 

His radio show ran from 1947 to 1949, and since it was just 15 minutes nightly, this show is comprised of two back-to-back episodes.

One of the best-selling books of 1942 was THIS IS MY BEST, edited by Whit Burnett.  Burnett asked 93 different authors to name their best short story, and those stories were printed in this anthology. 

In 1944, the anthology became a CBS radio series.  Orson Welles hosted the show for a short time, but he was fired because one of the scripts he chose just happened to be one in which he had a financial interest.

This episode, Miss Dilly Says No, first aired on March 20, 1945.

Did you know our Jefferson nickel was designed by a man who fought against the United States in World War I? 

Felix Schlag was a German soldier in that war, but in 1929 he became an American, and in 1938 his design was chosen for the Jefferson nickel. 

The back of his nickel looked rather goofy, and he was instructed to redesign it.  (The photo is Schlag's original design.)

The Jefferson nickel might never have been, except for the problems the Buffalo nickel was causing. 

And the prize money Mr. Schlag won for his design was just about enough to pay for his wife's funeral. 

This podcast tells these and other fascinating tales about the history of the Jefferson nickel.

For more articles about metal detecting and a look at my book, The Metal Detecting Manual, visit http://treasuremanual.com.

That Brewster Boy was a radio sitcom that ran pretty much concurrently with World War II. 

The formula was typical of radio sitcoms - Mom and Dad, and cute, popular teenage daughter, and younger, boisterous son. 

The main character, Joey Brewster, was played first by Eddie Firestone, then by Arnold Stang, and finally by Dick York.  (Yes, THAT Dick York.)

This episode, A Visit From Dottie, first aired on December 29, 1941.

In 1947, Elizabeth Short was murdered.  Now, two-thirds of a century later, the crime is still unsolved. 

Sixty people have confessed to the murder, but they were all lying.  Or were just 59 of them lying? 

Somebody Knows ran on CBS in 1950.  Each week, a true-life murder was reenacted, and a $5,000 reward was offered to anyone providing information that led to the arrest of the murderer. 

This episode is about the still-unsolved murder of Elizabeth Short, in a case that has become known as the Black Dahlia Murder.

Five years of In the Treasure Corner under my belt! 

In this annual birthday show, I discuss which shows have been listened to most, who's listening, and where those listeners are. 

The most-listened-to show of the past three years?  A bit of a curiosity!  But the show in second place is no surprise at all.  We take a quick look at eight of the most-listened episodes of all time.

And in this show, I'll point you to an episode of In the Treasure Corner that you should be sure to hear if you haven't already -it could increase your finds dramatically.

For more articles about metal detecting and a look at my book, The Metal Detecting Manual, visit http://treasuremanual.com.

Orson Welles, comedian?

This little-known talent of the master was exhibited in his radio show, The Orson Welles Almanac, which was broadcast in 1944. 

Each week, Orson did both comedy and drama.  His show also featured musical numbers, random facts, and guest stars. 

This episode features actress Mary Boland, and it was first broadcast on March 29, 1944.

Mystery writer John Dickson Carr published 45 novels under his own name and 25 more under the pen name Carter Dickson. 

He also hosted this radio mystery show.  Murder By Experts was on the air from 1949 to 1951. 

Each week, a different mystery novelist recommended his or her favorite mystery story, and that story was told on Murder By Experts.

This episode, The Case of the Missing Mind, aired December 26, 1949.

Three times her design for the new Washington quarter was recommended for approval by the George Washington Bicentennial Committee and the United States Fine Arts Commission.

Three times the Secretary of the Treasury turned her down without explanation.

This is the story of Laura Gardin Fraser, and the United States quarter that never was.

For more articles about metal detecting and a look at my book, The Metal Detecting Manual, visit http://treasuremanual.com.

Arch Oboler was the second - and best known - host of the horror show Lights Out. 

He also wrote and directed Arch Oboler's Plays.  When that show became popular, the name was changed to Everyman's Plays.

This episode, Cat Woman, first aired on October 18, 1940.

Death Valley Days was written by a female New York advertising copywriter who travelled once a year to the wild west to gather ideas for her stories. 

The series ran for 40 years total on radio and TV.  Sometimes the stories were fiction, sometimes they told the story of famous westerners. 

This episode, from August 27, 1936, is the story of the famous outlaw Sam Bass.

Did little Hallie Daggett really spend a shiny new 1894-S Barber dime for a dish of ice cream? 

The same 1894-S dime that just sold for over 2 million dollars? 

Why are they so valuable?  Where are the 15 missing ones?  Can you find one? 

Answers are at the Treasure Corner.  Check it out!

For more articles about metal detecting and a look at my book, The Metal Detecting Manual, visit http://treasuremanual.com.

Some radio shows were so popular that the rival networks ran imitations. 

The Adventures of the Abbotts was in a way a copy show.  It was about a sophisticated married couple who solved mysteries, a la Nick and Nora Charles, and Mr. and Mrs. North.

But this particular copy was pretty much as good as (and sometimes better than) the originals.  The Abbotts began as a series of novels by Frances Crane.

This episode, The Fabulous Emerald Necklace, first aired on April 3, 1955.

Groucho Marx is best-known for his radio and TV quiz show, You Bet Your Life. 

But before that, during World War II, he did a comedy show called Blue Ribbon Town (you can guess the sponsor).  Groucho did a lot of vaudeville jokes, and he had a different guest star each week. 

This episode, from February 26, 1944, features Jack Benny.

To some treasure hunters, Ermal Fraze is despised. 

Why?  Because he invented the pulltab. 

Many coinshooters and ring hunters hate his invention, but I celebrate it. 

Because if there were no pulltabs, I'd never find a gold ring.

The history of the pulltab is fascinating.  Check it out!

For more articles about metal detecting and a look at my book, The Metal Detecting Manual, visit http://treasuremanual.com.

Grand Central Station had quite a run - from 1937 until 1954.  Over the years, it appeared on CBS, NBC, ABC and the Blue Network. 

Each week, it followed a random passenger who was getting off a train in Grand Central Station. 

The programs were usually light romantic comedies. 

This episode, Moon Blind, originally aired on August 24, 1946.

Chandu the Magician was the alter ego of Frank Chandler, an American who had learned occult powers from a yogi in India.  Sounds a lot like Lamont Cranston and The Shadow!
 
Chandu had two OTR runs twelve years apart.  First in the early 1930s, then again in the late 1940s.  Each series was written by Vera Oldham.

Chandu was played by Gayne Whitman and Howard Hoffman in the early run.

This episode is from the later run of the show, with Tom Collins as Chandu and Irene Tedlow as Chandu's sistor Dorothy.  It first aired on November 26, 1949.

Somebody asks you to use your metal detector to hunt for his mother's wedding ring.  He describes it, and where she lost it a decade ago, and you recognize it because you found it three years ago, and sold it to a gold dealer.

What do you tell this person?

You're digging in your own yard and you find a human skeleton.  Do you tell the authorities?  Even if you know it's going to cost you $5,000, like it did a Canadian citizen a few weeks ago? 

Ethical dilemmas, morality problems.  What to do?

For more articles about metal detecting and a look at my book, The Metal Detecting Manual, visit http://treasuremanual.com.

Dr. Christian ran from 1937 to 1954.  In its later years, the scripts for the show were written by listeners.  Prizes were awarded for the best scripts, and those scripts were actually used for the show. 

Two college students who sold scripts to Dr. Christian later went on to become famous:  the Twilight Zone's Rod Serling, and The Waltons creator Earl Hamner Jr.

This episode, Old Battle Ax, originally aired on November 2, 1949.

Words at War was a World War 2 program that was pretty much forgotten after the war ended. 

But Newsweek magazine called it "one of the best contributions to serious commercial radio in many a year", and the show business newspaper Variety said it was "one of the most outstanding programs in radio."

See for yourself if it stands up to that billing.  This show, Fair Stood the Wind for France, is considered one of the best episodes of the series.  It originally aired on June 27, 1944.

My doctor told me I had to lose weight when I was diagnosed with diabetes.  So I did, much to his surprise. 

I found it pretty easy, and if you need to drop some pounds, diabetic or not, listen to this show.  This is the diet that has worked for me for over a decade, and has totally eliminated all my diabetic symptoms too.

PLUS, a report on a study that shows how you can cut your exercise time in half and still lose three times as much weight as you would have lost the old way.

And no, I'm not selling anything!  (Well, except my Metal Detecting Manual, of course, but this stuff isn't in the book.)

Oh, and speaking of my book...

For more articles about metal detecting and a look at my book, The Metal Detecting Manual, visit http://treasuremanual.com.

Elliott Lewis was the consummate radio man.  Actor, director and producer, Lewis was superb in both comedy and drama.  From Suspense to the Phil Harris-Alice Fay show to Nero Wolfe to the Adventures of Maisie, Elliott Lewis seemed to be just about everywhere. 

One place he was often found was on board the Scarlet Queen, an adventure ship that sailed the seven seas. 

Lewis was the narrator of the series, and also the captain of the ship. 

This episode, The Bubble Dancer and the Buccaneers, first aired on January 28, 1948.

The Screen Guild Theater was another of those programs that turned  full-length movies into half-hour radio shows.  But this show was a little different.  All the stars worked for free. 

The money they would have earned instead went to the Motion Picture Relief Fund, and it was used to build a rest home for retired performers. 

The show was on the air from 1939 to 1952, and in this episode we hear Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell present the radio version of their hit movie, His Girl Friday.  It originally aired on March 30, 1941.

John Sutter was a poor California settler who got rich when he found gold at his mill.  Right?  Nope!  In fact, that's almost exactly backwards. 

Listen to how Sutter lost his fortune, and nearly his life, because of the discovery of gold on his land. 

And marvel at how close he came to owning both San Francisco and Sacramento. 

For more articles about metal detecting and treasure hunting, and for a look at my book The Metal Detecting Manual, visit http://treasuremanual.com.

Dragnet, Pete Kelly's Blues, Pat Novak For Hire, Johnny Modesto.  Jack Webb fans know those names intimately. 

But what about One Out of Seven? 

It was aired on the west coast only, and it ran just a few months in early 1946.  Jack Webb did all the voices, and all the ethnic accents.  The show ran 15 minutes, and each week it fought racial intelerance. 

Here are two episodes, and I think you'll find them fascinating.

What western replaced The Lone Ranger on the Mutual Network when the Lone Ranger switched to the Blue Network? 

What quiz show gave us Beulah the Buzzer? 

The town of Waters, Arkansas, changed its name to honor what radio show in 1936? 

According to the jingle, where should you never put bananas?

Find out the answers to these questions, and many more, on this week's episode of In the Old-Time Radio Corner. 

In this special program, you'll hear all the questions - and answers - from last year's Cincinnati Old-Time Radio Trivia Bowl. 

This year's Trivia Bowl, which will be held Friday night, May 31, 2013, at the Cincinnati Nostalgia Convention, is recruiting contestants now.  If you'd like to play, just find me at the convention and I'll sign you up.  Or email me at dan@radiofun.info.

The photo, by the way, is last year's winning team, the Tom Mix Ralston Straightshooters.  Left to right, Jim Widner, Meredith Granger, Dan Riedstra, and Randy Larson.

This week, a show for geeks only, as I describe the equipment and methods I use to produce In the Treasure Corner.

Though I use a $300 microphone, there's another mic almost as good that you can buy for $33.00.  With this USB mic and some free software you can download from the internet, you can produce your own professional-sounding podcast. 

The photo shows the audio track of the show as seen on the computer screen, my small mixer, and my microphone in its sound-isolating box.

So if you'd like to know how my shows are produced, and maybe pick up some tips on how to do your own show, give a listen to this four-minute explanation.

For a look at my book, The Metal Detecting Manual, and some free articles about treasure hunting, visit http://treasuremanual.com.

And here's the complete index to all these In the Treasure Corner shows.

After Japan bombed Pearl Harbor in 1941, our west coast feared air attacks.  Private citizens were asked to constantly watch the skies for enemy aircraft. 

And in 1942, NBC created the program Eyes Aloft to promote the Aircraft Warning Service.  This series ran only on west coast radio stations.

This episode, featuring guest star Henry Fonda, aired on August 24, 1942.

The best-selling hard-boiled detective of them all?  Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer. 

Hammer first appeared in the novel I the Jury, a book that sold over 6 million copies in the United States alone. 

Spillane's detective novels have sold  over 225 million copies worldwide, and the Mutual radio network turned the popular private eye into a radio series, That Hammer Guy. 

This episode, The Saddle Shoes, first aired on April 7, 1953.

Attention, coinshooters:  Do you find more nickels, or dimes?

Do you find more wheatback pennies, or quarters?

Do you know?  Do you keep ratio records?

Here are my percentages over the years, and some reasons as to why they are what they are. 

.

For a look at my book, The Metal Detecting Manual, and some free articles about treasure hunting, visit http://treasuremanual.com.

And here's the complete index to all these In the Treasure Corner shows.

Bobby Benson was an early - and late - kids' western show.  Bobby was an orphan who inherited a ranch in Texas. 

His ranch handyman, Windy Wales, was played by Don Knotts, who would later become much better known as Andy Griffith's deputy, Barney Fife. 

The show first appeared on the air in 1932, and last appeared in 1955.  But the show was only broadcast for 10 years, because it disappeared in 1936 and didn't reappear until 1949.

Over the years, several actors played Bobby.  Ivan Cury had the part in 1949 and 1950, and Ivan will be one of the guests at this year's Cincinnati Nostalgia Expo.  He will play Bobby Benson again at the convention, and you're invited.

The Expo will be Friday and Saturday, May 31 and June 1, 2013.  Details here:  http://expo.wayback.net.  I'd love to see you there! 

This episode, Double Dare, was first broadcast on November 25, 1949.

Hollywood Star Playhouse was a half-hour program that featured a different Hollywood movie star every week, appearing in a radio drama especially written for the show.

Marilyn Monroe made her first radio appearance on the Hollywood Star Playhouse. 

And the episode we have for you here proved so popular that it evolved into a series of its own - The Six Shooter, starring Jimmy Stewart.

Pity the stupid counterfeiter. 

Francis Leroy Henning had a brilliant idea - instead of counterfeiting something valuable (he had already been busted for making fake $5.00 bills), why not make some fake nickels?  Who pays attention to small change?  Who would notice?

Unfortunately, he made a small mistake.  And ended up dumping 400,000 counterfeit nickels into two rivers.  Most of them are still there.

This one is indeed hard to believe.

For more articles about metal detecting and a look at my book, The Metal Detecting Manual, visit http://treasuremanual.com.

And here's the complete index to all these In the Treasure Corner shows.

New York City had The First Nighter, Chicago had Curtain Time.  The shows were quite similar. 

The idea in each case was that you were not listening to your radio, but actually attending the premiere of a new play in the downtown theatre district.

Most of the plays on Curtain Time were lighthearted comedy romances. 

This play, The Dishonest Ghost, first aired on July 10, 1948.

Al Jolson was once known as the World's Greatest Entertainer.  He had his own radio show from 1932 to 1949.  He starred in the first "talkie" movie, The Jazz Singer, in 1927. 

His radio show had many names over the years.  This version was called The Kraft Music Hall, and this episode, from May 6, 1948, features special guest Groucho Marx.

This photograph caught my eye the other day.

A Garrett metal detector, put together like Dr. Frankenstein's monster, like Bizarro, with most of the parts but just put together crazily. The shaft upside down, the coil cord running directly from the coil to the control box, instead of being wrapped around the rod.

Turns out this is a counterfeit Garrett, made in China. And some of these fakes have found their way into the United States.

Here's the story.

For more articles about metal detecting and a look at my book, The Metal Detecting Manual, visit http://treasuremanual.com.

And here's the complete index to all these In the Treasure Corner shows.

In this short-lived sitcom, Janet and Jimmy played Janet and Jimmy. 

Janet Waldo (who played radio's Corliss Archer, and much later, TV's Judy Jetson) and Jimmy Lydon (who played Henry Aldrich in nine movies,  and much later was co-creator of M*A*S*H) starred.  They played a secretly-married young college couple. 

This episode, Jimmy and Janet Get Jobs, first aired on August 15, 1949.

20 Questions was one of the most popular quiz shows to ever air.  It drew as many as 20,000 letters in one week. 

The contestants were mostly the Van Deventer family - Mom, Pop, and two kids - but they used different last names so the audience wouldn't know they were related.

The show was simple. The contestants had to identify a mystery "something" by asking no more than 20 yes-or-no questions, and their only clue was that the answer was animal, vegetable, or mineral. 

From this basic concept, hilarity often ensued.

This episode first aired on September 10, 1946.

A newbie recently asked me to send him any leads I might have on buried treasures or lost mines in his area. 

And it hit me that when I was a newbie, I dreamed of finding the Big One, too.

Only after learning the basics do we realize that metal detecting brings lots of small treasures, seldom really big ones. 

And what do we do when we discover this Truth?

For more articles about metal detecting and a look at my book, The Metal Detecting Manual, visit http://treasuremanual.com.

And here's the complete index to all these In the Treasure Corner shows.

Bride and Groom was a daytime "reality" show that aired from 1945 to 1950. 

Each weekday afternoon, a happy couple told about how they met, their first date and their first kiss, and some funny stories about their romance. 

After their wedding, they were given gifts like appliances and a honeymoon trip. 

This episode first aired on May 24, 1947.

Here's one of the early radio horror shows - The Witch's Tale.  It began on local New York City radio station WOR in 1931, and three years later it moved to the Mutual Network.

Old witch Nancy cackled with glee as she introduced gory and grisly tales, and her black cat Satan screeched in the background. 

This episode, Firing Squad, first aired on August 21, 1933.

How much do you know about the coins you're finding? 

How many presidents have appeared on our coins? 

How many non-presidents? 

Who were they? 

Here's a fun little quiz to test your powers of observation.

For more articles about metal detecting and a look at my book, The Metal Detecting Manual, visit http://treasuremanual.com.

And here's the complete index to all these In the Treasure Corner shows.

Clark Kent and Superman.  Bruce Wayne and Batman.  And Steve Adams and Straight Arrow!

Steve Adams was a full-blooded Comanche indian who was raised by white settlers.  As a teen, he heard a legend of a fierce Comanche warrior who would someday appear to fight for the good and for the right.  And he decided that he was to be that warrior. 

As Straight Arrow, he had a secret cave, and a wonder horse named Fury, and a white sidekick named Packy. 

This episode of Straight Arrow, The Doctor and the Quack,  originally aired on December 16, 1948.

Stan Freberg was doing cartoon voices for Walt Disney when he was 18. 

In the early 1950s he had several national hits with satirical songs like Little Blue Riding Hood and St. George and the Dragonet. 

And in 1957, he was chosen to do a radio show as the summer replacement for the Jack Benny Program. 

Freberg's radio shows were full of satire, often swipes at network censors.  The audience loved them, the network executives were worried by them, and the show ran for just that one summer.

In this episode, Freberg fights with a network censor as he tries to sing the song Old Man River.

Many of us have found, and returned, rings. 

Here's a genuine rags-to-riches story of a homeless man who returned a ring, and came out a lot better in the end than anyone could ever imagine.

For more articles about metal detecting and a look at my book, The Metal Detecting Manual, visit http://treasuremanual.com.

And here's the complete index to all these In the Treasure Corner shows.

FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover called this show "the finest dramatic program on the air. 

Not only did he endorse the show, he also met regularly with the show's producer-director Jerry Devine. 

He even sent Devine to a two-week FBI school so he would better understand the workings of the Bureau.

This is Your FBI was on the air from 1945 to 1953.  This episode, Campus Shakedown, first aired on March 31, 1950.

Actor Lloyd Nolan appeared in over sixty films in his career.  Claire Trevor won an Oscar for her role in Key Largo.

Together, they starred in a short-lived detective series called Results, Incorporated. 

Nolan played private detective Johnny Strange, and Trevor was his secretary Theresa Travors.  (That's Claire holding Lloyd in the photo.)

This episode, The Haunted House, was the pilot for the series.  It aired on October 7, 1944.

The other day I got a letter in the mail, handwritten, from a treasure hunter in Nevada.

He was working on a lead, and he needed help finding two old magazines that might contain information that will help him in his search.

As I read his letter, I realized how difficult this man was making it for himself by avoiding the world of computers.

This show tells that story.

For more articles about metal detecting and a look at my book, The Metal Detecting Manual, visit http://treasuremanual.com.

And here's the complete index to all these In the Treasure Corner shows.

Scattergood Baines, a small town hardware merchant, was a well-known character three-quarters of a century ago.  

He was created by Clarence Budington Kelland, who was also well-known back then.  Kelland wrote hundreds of short stories, many appearing in the Saturday Evening Post, and dozens of popular novels.  

Scattergood Baines aired on CBS for six years (1937-1942), then returned in 1949 on Mutual.  This episode, Sweet Charity, was originally broadcast on February 24, 1949.

Most well-known shows from the Golden Age of Radio ran for several years.  This week, we're going to hear one that lasted for just three months. 

Rex Harrison, who would later win both a Tony and an Oscar for his role as Professor Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady, starred in this radio series.  He played a private detective named Rex Saunders. 

This episode, A Shocking Still Life, originally aired on May 9, 1951.

When you skip over pulltabs, you skip over gold rings.  It's as simple as that. 

I found more gold in one year with my primitive, non-discriminating metal detector than I've found in the past 30 years. 

How should you set your detector if you want a shot at those gold rings? 

For more articles about metal detecting and a look at my book, The Metal Detecting Manual, visit http://treasuremanual.com.

And here's the complete index to all these In the Treasure Corner shows.

Damon Runyon was as much of a character as the gamblers, grifters and gangsters he wrote about. 

This episode of the Damon Runyon Theater, The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown, gave us the musical Guys and Dolls, with Sky Masterson, Nathan Detroit, Harry the Horse, and Nicely-Nicely Jones (Nicely-Nicely Johnson in the movie version).

Narrator Broadway (John Brown, who also played Digger O'Dell, the Friendly Undertaker, on The Life of Riley) tells the story.

Arch Oboler was radio's Rod Serling, best known for writing and hosting the horror show Lights Out.  Remember Bill Cosby's "Chicken Heart that Consumed the World"?  That was Arch Oboler. 

So was the infamous Adam and Eve skit that got Mae West banned from radio for 30 years. 

But another side of Oboler, perhaps the most important part of his character, was his patriotism.  He created an anti-Nazi radio series in 1942 called Plays for Americans, and some of the biggest names in Hollywood lined up to take part in the show.

This episode, Letter at Midnight, stars Jimmy Stewart.  It first aired on March 15, 1942.

Last month, the United States Mint submitted a 400-page report to Congress that could make the coin identification circuitry of our metal detectors obsolete.

A move is afoot to save the government big bucks by changing the metal composition of our coins. 

No longer would a penny be a zincoln.  No longer would our dimes and quarters be made from the 92% - 8% copper-nickel ratio we use now. 

And metal detectors that are programmed to recognize our current coins would be mightily confused with different metal formulations.

This is a photo of a prototype quarter, made from a metal formulation that would give it a yellow or golden hue. (NOTE:  The picture and wording are random because the mint didn't want to create "collectible" experimental coins).

Is this the future of our United States coinage system?

For a look at my book, The Metal Detecting Manual, and some free articles about treasure hunting, visit http://treasuremanual.com.

And here's the complete index to all these In the Treasure Corner shows.

There were lots of quiz shows on radio in the golden days.  Here's one that pitted husband against wife in a battle of the sexes.

The stunts were crazy, the audience was enthusiastic, and host Tiny Ruffner really got into the show.

Enjoy this episode from September 23, 1949.

Before Jack Webb was Joe Friday of Dragnet, he was Jeff Regan of The Lyon's Eye Detective Agency. 

He solved crimes for ten bucks a day, plus expenses. 

A year into this series, he left to begin Dragnet. 

But here, you can hear Jack Webb as a private eye.  This episode, The Lonesome Lady, first aired on July 24,1948.

A few days ago, I got an email from a treasure hunter who asked me to boycott the new dollar coins. 

Well, for starters, there aren't any new dollar coins. 

Turns out this was one of those email chain letters that just keep going and going.  Worse, it was designed to mislead people, and make them mad.

I tell the story in this show.

Jimmy Durante was a gruff, ragged burlesque and vaudeville veteran.

Garry Moore was a young, handsome, crewcut-topped radio emcee.

One night by chance they appeared together on a radio show, and a savvy radio producer was fascinated by their contrasts and convinced them to team up for a radio show.

The result is the Durante-Moore Show, which aired from 1943 to 1947.

This episode was broadcast on December 22,1944.

What do you do when you lose your team sponsor? 

Find a new sponsor, make the team members pay the fee, or disband the team.

OR...have a fundraiser. 

Even if you haven't lost your sponsor, but want money for snazzy new uniforms or a new team bat or two, have a fundraiser. 

This show explores a few fun ways to raise money for your team.

For articles on slowpitch softball, and a look at my book:  http://slowpitchbook.com

For the index to all these softball shows:  http://danhughes.net/indexs.htm

Mix equal parts of Doc Savage and the Shadow, and what do you get?  The Avenger! 

Author Paul Ernst wrote the Avenger novels on which the radio shows were based.  Ernst had two mentors:  Walter Gibson, who wrote the Shadow novels, and Lester Dent, who, under the pen name Kenneth Robeson, wrote the Doc Savage novels.

The Avenger was on the air twice - in 1941-42, and again in 1945-46. 

This episode, Keys of the City, first aired on September 21, 1945.

Why do some coins have smooth rims and others have rims that look like sawteeth? 

Why is our paper money all the same size, but our coins all different sizes? 

What two United States coins existed at the same time and were worth the same amount, but looked completely different and even had different names? 

And what does this dateless buffalo nickel have to do with this show?

These questions and more are answered in the latest edition of In the Treasure Corner.

For a look at my book, The Metal Detecting Manual, and some free articles about treasure hunting, visit http://treasuremanual.com.

And here's the complete index to all these In the Treasure Corner shows.

Elliott Lewis, one of the most versatile radio actors who ever lived, was perfectly at home in any radio genre. 

Here he tackles a western, playing cattleman Hawk Larabee in radio's first adult western drama. 

Six years before Gunsmoke, Elliott Lewis, with Burton Yarborough as his sidekick, had weekly adventures in Texas of the 1840s.
 
This episode, The California Kid, aired on October 18, 1946.

When the pitching height limit was lowered from 12 feet to 10 feet, pitchers lost two feet from their pitching window. 

This show tells you how to get back the sharp drop those extra two feet gave you, without throwing illegal pitches.

For articles on slowpitch softball, and a look at my book:  http://slowpitchbook.com

For the index to all these softball shows:  http://danhughes.net/indexs.htm

Doctor IQ, which aired from 1939 to 1950, was one of the most popular quiz shows of all time. 

With six assistants roving the theater with microphones, choosing contestants, Doctor IQ handed out silver dollars to winners and boxes of candy to losers. 

The doctor was on stage, and he called on each of his assistants in turn to supply the next contestant. 

The remembered catchline from the show was "Doctor, I have a lady in the balcony."

The show moved at breakneck speed, and the questions were fairly difficult. 

This episode aired on January 26, 1942.

Even people who know little about treasure hunting have heard of the Lost Dutchman's Mine. 

And several people have lost their lives trying to find it.

Just last week, the remains of a treasure hunter who disappeared while searching for the mine three years ago were found in the Superstition Mountains.

Here are parts of some of the 62 different versions of the tale of the Lost Dutchman's Mine, to give you a brief idea of what this is all about.

According to the Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio, the opening sequence of The First Nighter Program ranks right up there with the creaking door of Lights Out and the haunting, sarcastic, scornful laugh of the Shadow.

Every week for 23 years, Mr. First Nighter took us to that Little Theater off Times Square, where we witnessed Opening Night of a new production. 

Most of the shows were light romantic comedies, and both Don Ameche and Les Tremaine became famous as regular performers on this show. 

This show stars Olan Soule, who later moved to television and appeared in hundreds if not thousands of shows, including I Love Lucy, Andy Griffith, Bonanza, and Dallas.  And from 1968 to 1980 he was the cartoon voice of Batman. 

From July 20, 1952, this episode is called Speak Ever So Gently.

The American Association of Amateur Softball had their annual meeting last week. 

This program outlines the rule changes that will take effect in 2013.  Most of them are fairly small tweaks. 

But one really big change will go into effect in 2014.

They're all here, In the Softball Corner.

For articles on slowpitch softball, and a look at my book:  http://slowpitchbook.com

For the index to all these softball shows:  http://danhughes.net/indexs.htm

Before Candid Camera, there was Candid Microphone. 

Allen Funt, fresh out of the Army, worked as an idea man for the radio show Truth or Consequences. 

He had an idea of his own, and he turned it into first a radio show and then a television show that was on the air for over two decades.

Here's how it started.  A hidden microphone and a wacky situation thrust upon an unsuspecting stranger. 

In this episode, from August 10, 1947, Funt tries to get people to donate to a charity set up to help Eskimos who struggled through a too-warm winter.

Nudity!  Murder!  Suicide! And sixty-five years in an insane asylum!  All of these things are involved in the lurid story of … the Mercury dime?

Did you know that the first nude movie actress in Hollywood posed for at least one, probably two, United States coins?

Did you know that the portrait on the Mercury dime is not only not the Roman god Mercury, it isn't even a male?

Did you know that the real Mercury had wings on his sandals, not his head?

And do you know what mythical character appeared on more United States coins than all other subjects (presidents, statesmen, historical figures) combined?

You'll know all that and more after you listen to this program.

For a look at my book, The Metal Detecting Manual, and some free articles about treasure hunting, visit http://treasuremanual.com.

And here's the complete index to all these In the Treasure Corner shows.

Do you know the connection between the TV shows I Love Lucy and Green Acres? 

You'll find out when you listen to this episode of the Old-Time Radio Corner. 

Gale Gordon, Bea Benaderet, and Parley Baer starred in Granby's Green Acres, a spinoff of My Favorite Husband. 

Though the show featured three of the biggest stars in radio, it lasted just two months.  

This episode, Granby Lays an Egg, first aired on July 31, 1950.

Does your team do practices?  I have four teams, and we have non-mandatory, informal batting practice every Sunday. 

In the last couple of years, attendance at these practices has dropped dramatically. 

This program examines a few of the possible reasons.

For articles on slowpitch softball, and a look at my book:  http://slowpitchbook.com

For the index to all these softball shows:  http://danhughes.net/indexs.htm

In 1951, Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall were major Hollywood stars.  They had met and fallen in love while they were making the movie To Have and Have Not. 

He was 44, she was 19. 

They made three other films together, all hits:  The Big Sleep, Dark Passage, and Key Largo.  And in 1951, they starred together in a radio series, Bold Venture, for which they were paid $4,000 for each half-hour episode. 

Bogart played the owner of a hotel in Cuba, and Bacall was his sidekick.  Jester Hairston was the mysterious singer who advanced the story lines with his songs.  And Bold Venture was Bogart's ship.

In this episode, from May 28, 1951, Lauren Bacall is framed for murder.

This week's show takes a look at a senior league with opposing lifestyles. 

Half the teams play to win; the other half play for fun. 

What happens when one meets the other?  It ain't pretty. 

Here's how one league made a rule change that helped level the playing field.

Click http://slowpitchbook.com for articles on slowpitch softball, and a look at my book.

And click http://danhughes.net/indexs.htm for the index to all these softball shows.

Before Tom Swift, before the Hardy Boys, before Jack Armstrong.  There was Frank Merriwell, the All-American Boy. 

Frank was a Yale athlete, a star in baseball, basketball, football, track, and crew.  He also solved mysteries.  And he neither drank nor smoked.

Frank first appeared in a juvenile serial magazine, Tip Top Weekly, in 1896. 

His creator, Miles L. Standish (real name Gilbert Patton), was one of the most prolific authors of all time.  He wrote a 20,000-word book a week, every week for 20 years.

In the early part of the 20th century, Frank Merriwell books actually outsold the Bible.
 
His radio show ran briefly in 1934, then weekly on NBC from 1946 to 1949. 

This episode, Sold At Auction, first aired on July 24,1948.

From 1999 to 2008, every state in the union was honored with its own state quarter. 

Five a year for ten years, and then six bonus coins, for Washington, DC and the United States territories.

These coins can still be found in general circulation, and some of them are worth money.

This episode of In the Treasure Corner describes how the series came to be, and tells you about a few of the coins that are worth much more than their face value.

Everybody remembers Jack Benny and Fibber McGee and Molly.  But there was another radio program that was in the Hooper Radio Ratings Top Ten for many years, and it is not so well remembered. 

It was called Mr. District Attorney, and it was the most popular crime show on radio throughout the 1940s. 

It was gritty, true to life, and written by an attorney who spent most of his time at bars and dives, talking with the people he was writing about. 

His scripts were so realistic that he was once visited by the FBI, who thought he was somehow getting information they couldn't get.

Jay Jostyn starred as the nameless District Attorney, and Len Doyle was Harrington, his chief investigator.

This episode, The Case of the Hijacked Worker, aired on August 19, 1942.

Have you written your metal detecting or treasure hunting book yet? 

Too hard, you say? 

Nah. 

If Michael Lotito can eat this Cessna 150 (he did!), you can write a book. 

Because the method is the same - eat a plane, or write a book, one tiny bite at a time. 

Here's how I write my books, and how you can do it too.

Screen Directors Playhouse was one of those shows that let you watch a movie on your radio. 

Each week, a movie director would introduce a radio version of his latest film, often featuring the same stars that had appeared in the movie.  And after the show, the director chatted with the stars. 

Screen Directors Playhouse ran from 1949 to 1951.  This episode stars a young Lucille Ball, recreating her movie Miss Grant Takes Richmond.  It originally aired on May 19, 1950.

You're playing a team that is absolutely horrible.  Can't hit, can't field, can't run, can't pitch. 

And they have two team bats:  a wooden one, and a Hammer.

Do you show no mercy and win by 30? 

Or do you cut them some breaks? 

Thoughts on that, and more, in this show.

Click http://slowpitchbook.com for articles on slowpitch softball,and a look at my book.

And click http://danhughes.net/indexs.htm for the index to all these softball shows.

Mayor of the town was part comedy, part drama, a Norman Rockwell picture of small-town life during World War II. 

Lionel Barrymore starred in this program that aired from 1942 to 1949.

Agnes Moorehead played his housekeeper, and Conrad Binyon was his young ward. 

This episode, The Mayor Takes Care of Five Cats, originally aired on June 23, 1943.

The Buffalo nickel first appeared in 1913, a year later than planned.  In this podcast, you'll learn what caused the delay, and why the coin design was changed midway through the first year of its issue. 

The identity of the Indian, and the identity of the buffalo (which isn't a buffalo) are both still somewhat of a mystery today. 

Here's the story.

Here's a show that failed to click on both radio and television. 

The idea behind Wanted sounded good on paper - real-life crime stories, using the actual voices of the policemen and victims who were involved in the cases. 

The stories were interesting -this one is about the famous bank robber Willie Sutton.

But the problem was that the police officers and crime victims were the real thing, not actors, and some of them had trouble reading their lines realistically. 

The show aired for just one summer, in 1950.  This is the pilot episode.

What do you do when you have two strikes on you, and the next pitch is on its way?  You swing at it.  

Unless it's totally out of your reach, you swing at it.  

Because you never know what the ump is going to call it, and you look like a complete idiot if you're called out on strikes.  

And that's what this program is all about.

Like The Whistler and Inner Sanctum, the Mysterious Traveler was a half-hour radio series of strange tales narrated by an all-knowing host. 

The Mysterious Traveler was on the air for ten years, from 1943 to 1952, on the Mutual network. 

This episode, about a mysterious wagon train trapped in a cave, is one of the most popular of the series.  It aired several times over the run of the show.  This version was broadcast on November 6, 1951.

I used to write regularly for Treasure Quest magazine.  I subscribed to Treasure and Treasure Search and Treasure Found and True Treasure and Treasure World. 

What do these magazines have in common?  None of them exist now. 

Why did they all disappear? 

In this episode of In the Treasure Corner, we examine several reasons that magazines find it difficult to survive today.

For seven weeks in early 1948, the question on the lips of America was, "Who is the Walking Man?"

The Walking Man was heard walking across the stage every week on the radio show Truth or Consequences, and the prizes awarded the winner of the contest totalled nearly a quarter of a million dollars in today's money.

The winner, and the Walking Man, are revealed in this episode of Truth or Consequences.

Truth or Consequences, created and hosted by Ralph Edwards, ran from 1940 to 1956 on radio, and from 1950 to 1978 on television.

This episode, with guest William Bendix who was then starring in The Life of Riley, first aired on March 6, 1948.

I've been playing softball for over 30 years, and I still make some fundamental mistakes sometimes. 

Blame it on laziness, stupidity, or senility, it doesn't matter - they still cost my team runs. 

Here are a couple of baserunning problems I see crop up time and again, often from people who should know better. 

Like me. 

For a look at my more sane moments, and some articles about playing slowpitch softball, and a plug for my book on coaching, managing, and playing adult slowpitch softball, visit http://slowpitchbook.com.

Paul Frees was a lot like Mel Blanc, only not so well-known by the public. 

Frees was the voice of the Pillsbury Doughboy, Boris Badinoff, Professor Ludwig Von Drake, and two of the Beatles in the popular cartoon series. 

He was both female voices when Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis posed as women in Some Like It Hot. 

He was the deep-voiced narrator of hundred of films, from The Manchurian Candidate to Hardware Wars to Earth vs. the Flying Saucers.

And he did every single voice heard on the short-story radio series The Player.

This week, we present two episodes of The Player, starring Paul Frees, Paul Frees, and, of course, Paul Frees.

What was the first coin you ever found with a metal detector?  For the great majority of us, it was a Lincoln penny.  There are more Lincoln pennies out there right now than all the other coins combined.

How much do you know about the Lincoln cent? 

Who was responsible for its being issued? 

Why was it such a gutsy move? 

Why Lincoln? 

And who was Viktoras Barnauskas and why was he important?

These questions and more are answered in this program about the lowly Lincoln penny.

And please check out the ad for my book (which I wrote myself) (the ad AND the book) at http://treasuremanual.com.  Guaranteed to make you chuckle!

P.S.  Thanks to eagle-eyed (or rather, eagle-eared) Coin Magnet of coinhunting.net for catching a mistake in the show - I said "buffalo nickel" when I should have said "Liberty nickel." 

Easy Money was a show about crooked gambling. 

Two-time Emmy winner Larry Haines played Mike Trent, a professional magician turned private eye who specialized in exposing dirty gambling schemes.

In this episode he takes on a crew of crooked dice gamblers.

From November 11, 1954, this episode of Easy Money is called Galloping Ivories.

This show covers lots of common questions beginners ask.  

How do you pitch the knuckleball?
What's the best way to do a rundown?
Should I buy a new bat?
Why shouldn't you use a warm-up bat donut?

And for managers:
How do I find sponsors?
How do I set my batting order?
Where do I recruit new players?
What do I do about late-comers and no-shows?
Get your pencil and papers ready, here are all the answers.

(And here's the complete index:  http://danhughes.net/indexs.htm)

A Bulldog Drummond episode on In the Old-Time Radio Corner is long overdue, so here's a show from the detective series that ran from 1941 to 1954.

Over the years, several different radio actors played Bulldog Drummond, the Brtitish World War I hero-turned-private detective. 

In this episode, Help Wanted, from August 13, 1945, Ned Wever takes on the title role.

This show covers lots of common questions beginners ask. 
What detector should I buy? 
Where should I hunt? 
How can I get better depth? 
What if a policeman approaches me?  Uh-oh!
Get your pencil and papers ready, here are all the answers.

And here's the complete index:

http://danhughes.net/indext.htm

You can also read some articles on metal detecting, and my spiffy book ad, at http://treasuremanual.com.

Other radio quiz shows paid under $100 to their winners, but Break the Bank often gave prizes in the thousands of dollars. 

Bert Parks and Bud Collyer were both on Break the Bank at the same time, and the show aired from 1945 to 1955. 

This episode was first broadcast on October 5, 1949.

Oh no, another birthday!

Rather, two birthdays in the same week.

My show is four years old, and I'm 65.

In this birthday episode, I look back on previous shows and recommend a few you might have missed. And I reveal the most-listened-to show in the series.

I also discuss the new program index, which is at:

http://danhughes.net/indexs.htm

This week, another show that had a tremendous audience in its day (it lasted for 17 years), but is pretty much forgotten now.

It was called Vox Pop, which means "Voice of the People." 

Each week, the hosts would have bizarre conversations with people chosen at random, asking strange questions and awarding them small amount of cash if they could properly answer a quiz question. 

This episode, from September 9, 1939, was recorded live at the 1939 New York World's Fair.

Oh no, another birthday!  Rather, two birthdays.

My show is four years old, and I'm 65. 

In this birthday episode, I look back on previous shows and recommend a few you might have missed. And I'll tell you the top three downloaded shows since the series began.

I also discuss the new program index, which is at http://danhughes.net/indext.htm

Spike Jones began as an ordinary musician, but somewhere along the line he went totally nuts. 

He added new instruments to his band that had never been heard before, like pistols and anvils and cowbells and a stringed toilet seat called the Latrinaphone.

He wore suits that must have been specially made for him, because nobody else alive would wear them. 

And he had lots of hit records in the 1940s.  His radio show aired from 1945 to 1949, and on this episode his special guest was Lassie. 

After the show, stay tuned for a special bonus:  Spike's hit record, Cocktails for Two.

I have three main hobby interests:  treasure hunting,  magic, and softball.  In the past five years, there have been dozens of books published about treasure hunting, probably over a hundred books on magic, and exactly three on slowpitch softball. 

In this podcast, I speculate on why that is, and I name the three books that should be in every serious softballer's library.

Here's a quick look at the reasons why so few new books are being written, and how you can pretty much own a complete library of the current softball literature by buying just three books.

Two of the books are reviewed in my podcasts #70 and #72, and information on the third (mine!) is at http://slowpitchbook.com.

Nick Carter was a fictional detective who, over the course of more than a century, starred in hundreds of books, a dozen movies, forty years' worth of magazines, and a 13-year radio series. 

So why haven't you heard of him? 

Dan tells all, before he plays you the January 21, 1945 episode called Death by Ricochet, or Nick Carter and the Mystery of the Abandoned Gravel Pit.

NOTE:  A COMPLETE INDEX TO ALL THE "IN THE TREASURE CORNER" SHOWS IS NOW POSTED AT:

http://danhughes.net/indext.htm

Roy Volker was a prospector, a diver, and a professional treasure hunter. 

Dick Richmond was a newspaper writer and a good friend of Roy's.

Together, they wrote a classic book on treasure hunting.  Short but packed with great advice, TREASURE UNDER YOUR FEET came out in 1974. 

The book consists of 26 chapters covering all aspects of treasure hunting, from coinshooting to relics to sunken ships to ghost towns.  Eight of the chapters were written by "guest experts," so you're getting ten authors here for the price of one.

Long out of print but easy to find on the internet, this book will whet your appetite for your next hunt.

For a look at MY book, and some free articles on treasure hunting and metal detecting, visit http://treasuremanual.com.

The short story spawned a novel, the novel spawned a movie, and the movie spawned a radio series. 

The novel and the movie were Mr. Blandings Builds His Dreamhouse, and the radio show was Mr. & Mrs. Blandings. 

The movie and the radio series both starred Cary Grant, and in the radio version, Mrs. Blandings was played by the real-life wife of Cary Grant, Betsy Drake (seen in this photo). 

The series lasted less than 20 episodes, reportedly because Grant felt he wasn't being paid enough.

This is the pilot episode, from November 8, 1950.

Sure, you know the infield fly rule. 

What about the force out vs. appeal play rule? 

This show tells you how to get your rules straight, and how to talk to some of the best umps in the country about softball rule interpretation.

ASA, USSSA, NSA - Whatever rules your league uses, you'll find the answers here.

For tips and tricks on playing adult slowpitch softball, go to http://slowpitchbook.com.

Dizzy Dean was the last National League pitcher to win 30 games in one season, in 1934, and he won TWO world series games that year.  He entered the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1953.

But he is probably better-known by more people as a hillbilly baseball play-by-play announcer.  He was on the air from soon after his retirement from baseball in 1947 until 1965.

He did a 15-minute weekly show in the summer of 1948, and in these two episodes Dizzy discusses the 1948 All-Star game, and he lists his own All-Time All-Star team.

NOTE:  A COMPLETE INDEX TO ALL THE "IN THE TREASURE CORNER" SHOWS IS NOW POSTED AT:

http://danhughes.net/indext.htm

The chart here shows average North American temperatures for the past century, with the heavy line showing the rise since 1975.  Let the politicians argue why - what concerns us is how to handle the changes.

As heat becomes oppressive, people have a harder time coping.  So this is the perfect time to know that CPR rules have changed.  It's a lot easier now - no breathing into the mouth of the victim, no switching activities while you work to save a life.  Just chest compressions. 

This show explains how you can give CPR without taking a course, and without carrying an instruction sheet in your wallet.

So invest less than three minutes to save a life. Listen to this show.

Please.

Many of the movies on the Academy Award Theater did not win Academy Awards.  The only requirement was that either the movie, or one of its stars, had been nominated for an Oscar.  That left the door open for a huge number of movies to appear on this radio-adaptation series. 

The Academy Award Theater ran for just one season, in 1946. 

This episode, My Sister Eileen, starred Rosalind Russell (who was nominated for Best Actress) and Janet Blair, both in the movie and in this radio version of the movie. 

It originally aired on May 18, 1946.

CPR rules have changed.  It's a lot easier now - no breathing into the mouth of the victim, no changing activities while you work to save a life.  Just chest compressions. 

This show explains how you can give CPR without taking a course, and without carrying an instruction sheet in your wallet.

It's also about playing ball in extreme heat.  The chart here shows average North American temperatures for the past century, with the heavy line showing the rise since 1975. 

Let the politicians argue why - what concerns us is how to handle the changes.  Herewith, some tips on keeping safe in hot weather.

For tips on pitching, hitting, fielding, and managing adult slowpitch softball, and a look at my book Managing and Coaching Adult Slowpitch Softball, visit http://slowpitchbook.com.

Though Jack Paar is best known as the host of the Tonight Show before Johnny Carson, he was active in radio in the 1930s and 1940s. 

He was a DJ on stations in Cleveland, Indianapolis, Detroit, and Buffalo before World War II.  He entertained the troops in the South Pacific during the war, and one of the fans who saw him perform was Jack Benny. 

Thanks to some inside pull from Benny, Paar was named  the summer replacement for Jack Benny in 1947. 

In this episode, broadcast on August 17, 1947, Jack Benny is a contestant in a talent contest designed to find a "fall replacement" for the Jack Paar Show. 

When the temperature outdoors tops 100 degrees, and the ground is hard enough to break your Lesche digger, it's time to change your treasure hunting tactics. 

In this show, I discuss a couple of ways you can continue your metal detecting without breaking your tools, or harming the grass, or overworking yourself into a stroke or worse.

For more secrets of treasure hunting and a look at my book on metal detecting, visit my site:  http://treasuremanual.com.

Here's something different - three short radio promos for the Walt Disney movie Song of the South, featuring all the stars and Walt himself. 

These shows were sent to radio stations in October, 1942, when the movie premiered.

After the movie promos, we have time for a short Vic and Sade script that was written on the spot by Paul Rhymer when he realized the show was running short and he needed to add one more bit. 

Only Rhymer's twisted mind could come up with these methods of measuring yourself for ordering the right size of mail-order underwear.

This is the 100th program from In the  Softball Corner, and instead of discussing softball this time, I give you an inside view of how and why this show exists. 

Why do I do the show? 

Why is each episode so short? 

Why are there no guests or co-hosts, or groups of people around the microphone for rousing discussions? 

Get the inside scoop - give this episode a listen.

And for free articles about playing, coaching, and managing adult slowpitch softball, visit my book page, http://slowpitchbook.com.

NOTE:  The inline audio player that normally appears here has evidently been discontinued by Google.  So to hear the show, you need to either click the POD icon up top left, or click the Direct Download link on the next line:

Groucho Marx was approached by a radio producer with the idea of hosting a quiz show.

Groucho wasn't excited.  Then they told him he could adlib. 

He gave it a shot, and the rest is history. 

This episode of You Bet Your Life first aired on October 25, 1947.

The inline audio player is no more, so to listen to this show just click the POD icon up top left, or click the "Direct Download" link down below.

This is the 100th program from In the Treasure Corner, and instead of discussing metal detecting this time, I give you an inside view of how and why this show exists. 

Why do I do the show? 

Why is each episode so short? 

Why are there no guests or co-hosts, or groups of people around the microphone for rousing discussions? 

Get the inside scoop - give this episode a listen.

And for a look at my book, The Metal Detecting Manual, visit http://treasuremanual.com.

(NOTE: I'm having trouble posting the automatic player here - please click the POD icon up top left, or the  "Direct download" link below to hear the program.)

Blackstone was perhaps the most famous magician of the World War II era.  His extravagant stage show was legendary, and his career spawned both a comic book and a radio show. 

The radio show was Blackstone, the Magic Detective.  It ran on the Mutual network from 1948 to 1950 as a fifteen-minute Sunday afternoon show.  Most episodes began with the telling of a mystery that Blackstone had solved, and then Blackstone taught the radio audience a trick they could play on their friends. 

The scripts were written by Blackstone's friend Walter Gibson, a professional magician who also wrote novels.  Under the pen name Maxwell Grant, Gibson wrote over 300 stories of The Shadow.

Here are two episodes of the Blackstone radio show, both from the spring of 1949.

Time for another book review! 

The book is Fast- and Slow-Pitch Softball, by Mario Pagnoni and Gerald Robinson. 

Basically, an excellent book which I highly recommend, and you can buy a used copy for just a penny on Amazon!  (But you pay $3.99 for shipping - and it's still a good deal.)

Also, a followup on the five-dollar Easton early composite bat I talked about in the last show.

For a look at my own book on Coaching, Managing, and Playing adult slowpitch softball, visit http://slowpitchbook.com.

Like Frank Merriwell and Jack Armstrong, Dick Cole was a schoolboy athlete hero who also got involved in mystery and intrigue.

Dick Cole was a comic book hero from 1940 to 1950, and he got his own radio show in 1942.

This episode was probably broadcast in the summer of 1942.

I was just five minutes late for the Buy of the Century. 

At a Goodwill store in Plainfield, Indiana, I saw a treasure hunting newbie buy a like-new Minelab Sovereign metal detector for $14.98.

I was luckier a few years ago, when I scored a Teknetics Coin Computer detector for ten dollars at a garage sale.  This is a machine that sold new for $749.95 (I found an old ad after I recorded the podcast).

In this podcast, I talk about thrift shops, yard sales, and flea market finds.

What great finds have you made at thrift shops and yard sales?  I'd love to hear from you!

For a few of my articles about metal detecting and a look at my book, visit http://treasuremanual.com.

Jimmy Durante was born in New York City in 1893, and he played ragtime piano in honky-tonks when he was still in junior high. 

His 1934 record Inka Dinka Doo propelled him to national prominence, and he was a radio regular from then on. 

He got his own radio show in 1943, and this episode, from October 29, 1947, featured guest star Lucille Ball.

P.S. The Petrillo joke at the beginning of the show refers to the musicians union boss who forbid union musicians to record music in the mid-1940s (in a bid for higher royalties for musicians).

This weekend I bought a Freak 98 for two dollars. 

Do you do yard sales, thrift shops, church sales, and flea markets?  If not, you may be missing some of the greatest bargains ever on softball equipment. 

In this show, I talk about some of my best finds. 

What have you found at these sales?  I'll bet there are finds out there that make mine look like small potatoes.

For more articles on slowpitch softball, and a look at my book on playing, managing, and coaching, visit http://slowpitchbook.com.

For the second week in a row, we are spotlighting an obscure old-time radio show. 

As its name suggests, Radio Reader's Digest was a radio adaption of stories that originally appeared in Reader's Digest magazine. 

From the episodes available, my best guess is that the show ran from 1943 to 1948.

This performance, He Fell in Love With a Picture, is a humorous adaptation of the romance of Mark Twain and Olivia Langdon.  It originally aired on October 17, 1946.

A couple of shows ago we talked about the cost of other sports and hobbies that make metal detecting look like a bargain. 

The response to that show was phenomenal.  Listen to what people wrote me about the cost of their other pastimes. 

You'll never complain about the cost of a metal detector again.

For more articles about treasure hunting and a baldfaced ad for my metal detecting book, visit http://treasuremanual.com.

I still marvel at how little is known or remembered about old-time radio.  We know more about the history of ancient Rome than we do about radio shows of the 1940s. 

And here's another example - a program that is nearly forgotten, though it ran for over a year on the Mutual network during World War II.

The show is Murder Clinic, and it adapted murder mystery short stories into half-hour radio shows. 

This episode, Murder at Marsden Manor, featured Agatha Christie's detective Hercule Poirot.  It was first broadcast on October 6, 1942.

Last time we talked about the cost of other sports and hobbies that make softball look like a bargain. 

The response to that show was phenomenal.  Listen to what people wrote to me about the cost of their other pastimes. 

You'll never complain about the cost of a bat again.

For free articles about playing adult slowpitch softball, and a look at my book, Managing and Coaching Adult Slowpitch Softball, visit http://slowpitchbook.com. 

This week's Radio Corner show was a needle in a haystack. 

Though Art Linkletter's House Party was on the air for 24 years, it seems that nobody saved any of the episodes. 

I searched everywhere, and just as I was about to give up, I found the website of the granddaughter of a radio engineer who had recorded an episode of House Party in 1947.  The photo is the label of that recording.

And here's the show, just for you.

Though you should never use a rock tumbler to clean collectible coins, there are times when a tumbler can help you in your metal detecting hobby. 

This podcast tells you how.

For more articles on metal detecting and treasure hunting, check out http://treasuremanual.com.

Nightwatch was the first true-life, real-time radio police procedural.  Reporter Don Reed rode with Culver City, California cop Don Perkins on the night shift. 

Reed's tape recorder saved for posterity the drama of Officer Reed's exploits.

The show ran just one year near the end of the old-time radio era, from April 1954 to April 1955.  This episode, Three Time Loser and Shotgun Boy, aired on August 7, 1954.

Softball is probably one of the most expensive sports ever, right? 

No, not right!  Not at all. 

Compare our costs to the price of bowling, fishing, hunting, golf - and folks, it ain't so bad.

Listen to the show, then tell me what hobby or pastime YOU do that costs a lot more than softball.  Bet we get quite a list!

For free articles on coaching, managing, and playing adult slowpitch softball, and a look at my book, visit http://slowpitchbook.com.

Will Rogers Junior was much like his father - down-home, folksy, and always spouting gems of country wisdom.  

And Rogers of the Gazette was the perfect program for him. 

Rogers played a small-town newspaper editor who was constantly called upon to solve the problems in his community. 

With Georgia Ellis (radio's Miss Kitty on Gunsmoke) as his assistant Maggie Button, and Gunsmoke's Chester, Parley Baer, as the local doctor, there are several voices in this show you'll recognize. 

This episode also features Howard McNear, Gunsmoke's Doc Adams and Andy Griffith's Floyd the Barber.

From July 8, 1953, this is Newspaper Being Taken Over.

Metal detecting is probably the most expensive hobby ever, right? 

No, not right!  Not at all. 

Compare our hobby to bowling, fishing, softball, golf - and folks, it ain't so bad.

Here are some numbers to pass on to the little lady (or in some cases, for the little lady to pass on to her significant other) when he/she raises an eyebrow at the cost of that metal detector.

Check out my book, The Metal Detecting Manual, and read a few free articles about treasure hunting while you're there.

Peg Lynch is a national treasure.  She's still going strong at 95, and as funny as ever.

She assures us that she comes from a family of good genetic stock, her grandmothers living well into their 100s.  Speaking of one of them, Peg says: "She collected three war pensions.  Civil War, Spanish-American War, and World War I.  And I think she was a drummer boy in the Revolutionary War."

Peg performed last week at the Old-Time Radio Convention in Cincinnati.  She was a national radio fixture from the mid-1940s to the mid-1960s, first writing and starring in Ethel and Albert, then writing and starring in The Couple Next Door (same show, new name).  She wrote nearly 800 shows over two decades. 

Peg and her late partner, Alan Bunce, played a married couple who talked with each other.  A simple concept, and absolutely hilarious.  But rather than me talk about it, let's just listen to it.

Here are two 15-minute shows:  Ethel and Albert, More Storage Space, from June 4, 1945, and The Couple Next Door, Barking Test for Brownie, from May 7, 1959.

Should the pitcher use a big glove, a small glove, a light glove, a heavy glove? 

What about that favorite baseball glove you used in high school or college?

Does it really make much difference?

This show is for newbie pitchers who aren't sure what glove they should be using when they pitch.

For more articles on coaching, managing, and playing adult slowpitch softball, visit http://slowpitchbook.com.

Rin Tin Tin is known as the Dog That Saved Warner Brothers.  There are still rumors that he beat out Emil Jannings for the 1929 Oscar for Best Actor, but the Academy was too embarrassed to give the Oscar to a dog. 

Be that as it may, Rin Tin Tin ruled Hollywood from the late 1920s into the Depression.  He was discovered as an orphan pup by American soldier Lee Duncan somewhere along the French-German border in 1918.  When he died in 1932, news bulletins broke into radio programming around the world to report that Rin Tin Tin had passed away.

Rin Tin Tin enjoyed a second round of fame in the 1950s, when he became the star of a television series.  For most of 1955, Rin Tin Tin was also on the radio again. 

This episode, The Ambassador, first aired on November 13, 1955.

Treasure hunter Aaron Marcy says it's like playing the lottery, except if you don't win, you get all your money back.  

It's called Kitchen Table Koinshooting, it was "invented" by legendary treasure hunter Karl von Mueller, and anybody can play.  

This show tells you how. 

(THIS JUST IN - One listener tells me that for the past four years, he has averaged 150 silver coins per year with this method).

The photo is the cover of a pamphlet written by Karl under his psuedonym Deek Gladson.

For articles on getting better depth with your metal detector, what accessories you should be using, and much more, including a look at my book The Metal Detecting Manual, visit http://treasuremanual.com.

How much do you know about old-time radio? 

Match wits with the experts at the Cincinnati Old-Time Radio Convention!  This week's show was recorded at last year's convention, and it consists of the questions and answers from the 2011 Old-Time Radio Trivia Bowl. 

This year's convention is Friday and Saturday of this week - April 13 and 14, 2012. 

We need contestants for this year's contest, and if you're coming to the convention, I urge you to play the game!  Grab three partners - there are four players to a team - and put your heads together to answer the old-time radio questions. 

This is a photo of last year's winners.  Take a look - don't you think YOU could beat these guys?  C'mon, give it a try!

Complete rules are at http://CincyOTR.info. 

If you make it to the convention, please look me up.  I'd love to meet you!

Whether you like it or not, you pay taxes to support your local library. 

Here's how the avid softballer can take advantage of his or her library. 

Where to find books on softball, and why the books on baseball (which are much more plentiful than softball books) can also help you play softball better.

More tips on hitting, pitching, fielding, and coaching adult slowpitch softball here:  http://slowpitchmanual.com.

Bill Stern was the Walter Winchell of sports commentary. 

His stories were outrageous, dramatic, exciting, and often false. 

But he was so interesting to listen to that most listeners forgave him his exaggerating. 

Stern was on the air from 1937 until 1956, and the sensationalist broadcasters of today could learn a lot from listening to old tapes of Bill Stern. 

Here are two of his shows.  The first, from December 7, 1945, features boxing legend Joe Louis.  The second, from February 18, 1949, has New York Yankees manager Casey Stengel as guest.

Back in show #77, we talked about business cards for treasure hunters.  In this show, we take another look at the do's and don't's of business cards. 

Why a card can be TOO good-looking, why it can scare people away, with several tips about what NOT to put on your treasure hunting business card.

For more tips on treasure hunting and using a metal detector, and a look at my book The Metal Detecting Manual, visit http://treasuremanual.com.

Take It or Leave It was a quiz show that doubled the prize with each correct answer.  First you won a dollar, then two, then four, and on up to the top prize of $64.00. 

When the show went to television, it worked the same way, but the top prize was a thousand times more - hence the show name, The $64,000 Question.

The radio show was on the air from 1940 to 1952, and over the years it had several well-known hosts, including Phil Baker, Eddie Cantor, Garry Moore, and Jack Paar.

This episode, which first aired on November 8, 1942, featured special guest Jack Benny.

How does pitching strategy in co-rec softball differ from pitching strategy in all-guy or all-girls ball?

Should you have a guy pitching and a girl catching, or vice-versa? 

Are there situations where it might make sense to intentionally walk a guy? Or to intentionally walk a girl?

This show looks at some of the differences in the two games, and how a change in strategy may help you win some ball games.

For more tips on coaching, managing, pitching, hitting, and fielding adult slowpitch softball, visit http://slowpitchbook.com.

Red Ryder was a juvenile western that for a time rivaled and even topped The Lone Ranger in the Hooper ratings. 

First a series of short stories, then a newspaper comic strip, Red Ryder was so popular in the early 1940s that it spawned a series of movies and a comic book. 

Red Ryder was responsible for tons of branded merchandising items, including the Daisy Red Ryder BB rifle made famous in the movie A Christmas Story.

The radio series was on the air from 1942 to 1951.

Red Ryder was called "Red" because he had red hair and wore a red shirt.  He had a sidekick called Buckskin and a native American juvenile partner named Little Beaver. 

This episode, The Law Comes to Stovepipe, first aired on January 12, 1943.

Here's how you can apply 19th century philosophy to 21st century treasure hunting. 

The profits made from the ideas in this program were responsible for the founding of Temple University, and the lecture from which they came was as famous in its day as the Gettysburg Address and the Bill of Rights.  ("Its day" being the late 1800s through the early 1900s.) 

Confused? 

Listen to the show and it will all be clear.

For more tips on treasure hunting, and a look at my book The Metal Detecting Manual, visit http://treasuremanual.com.

Red Skelton began working in show biz when he was ten years old. 

He did vaudeville and burlesque, and he made his first radio appearance in 1937. 

He soon had his own show, and he was on the air with his own program (first radio, then TV) for 32 years.

In this episode, from January 8, 1950, Red is required to take a physical for CBS.

So you've just been named the manager of your new church co-rec softball team. 

What's the best way to set up your batting order?

This show suggests a simple but solid method to get started, and then offers suggestions for fine-tuning your line-up as the season progresses.

For more tips on coaching, managing, and playing adult slowpitch softball, read my articles (and buy my book) at http://slowpitchbook.com.

There were a lot of quiz shows on old-time radio, but none were quite like Author, Author. 

Famous authors, led by Ellery Queen, had to create a story that made sense out of a nonsense situation that was thrown at them. 

Ellery Queen was really two people - a pair of cousins named Manfred Lee and Frederic Dannay. 

This is the pilot episode, and the host here is humorist-poet Ogden Nash.  When the show was picked up for the regular schedule three months later, the host was humorist S.J. Perelman.

This pilot episode, The $2,001 Watch, was originally broadcast on January 4, 1939.

Coin World magazine is well worth a look by treasure hunters. 

In recent issues, you'd have learned that because our pennies and nickels cost more to make than they're worth, we may be getting new pennies and nickels, unlike anything we've seen before.

And yet another bill has been introduced in Congress to replace dollar bills with dollar coins - this one sponsored by two heavyweight senators, Iowa's Tom Harkin and ex-presidential candidate John McCain.

And for our friends in Canada - it looks like there will be a new loony, replacing the current one.  It will be lighter and made of multi-ply steel. 

These stories and more, in this edition of In the Treasure Corner.

Warm weather will soon be here - you need a copy of my book!  Check it out at http://treasuremanual.com.

Yukon 2-8208!

Old-time radio aficianados know that as the phone number for Candy Matson, San Francisco's female private eye. 

Created by Monty Masters and starring his wife Natalie Parks in the title role, Candy Matson ran on radio for three years, from 1949 to 1951.

This episode, Devil in the Deep Freeze, was originally broadcast on November 10, 1949.

A Reminder:  The Cincinnati Old-Time Radio Convention is almost here!  For all fans of old-time radio, the show will be held Friday and Saturday, April 13 and 14.  Come meet Bob Hastings, star of radio's Archie, and Lt. Elroy Carpenter on McHale's Navy.  Complete details at http://CincyOTR.info.

Co-rec softball is a whole other game. 

Five men, five women, with two of each in the infield, two of each in the outfield, and one of each at pitcher and catcher. 

What's the best defensive strategy for a new coed team that is just getting started? 

Where do you put your best players, your worst players, your good gloves and your slow runners? 

How does your infield affect your outfield? 

We offer a good starting placement, but you may have to change things around a bit to get the most out of your unique set of players.

I've written a book on coaching, managing, and playing adult slowpitch softball.  Check it out, along with some helpful articles, at http://slowpitchbook.com.

The Old Gold Comedy Theater was a short run (just one season, 1944-45) program that attempted to turn 90-minute movie comedies into 30-minute radio comedies. 

The show was not as successful as it should have been, lasting just one season, 1944-45. 

The host, Harold Lloyd, had been a movie star in the silent era, and was perhaps thought to be no longer relevant. 

And the shows had to move very fast and leave out a lot to finish in just 30 minutes. 

Still, the program was able to draw many of the biggest box office stars of the time, from Lucille Ball To Edward G. Robinson to June Allyson to Dick Powell.

This episode, Brewster's Millions, is about a man who must give away a million dollars in 30 days, or lose an inheritance of 30 million dollars. 

It aired on March 18, 1945.

Facebook users are under 13 years old, and over 100.

Soon, there will be one billion members.  That's three times as many Facebook users as there are people in the United States.

With all this activity, there is bound to be something for the metal detecting community there.

In this show, we take a look at how treasure hunters can use Facebook to do things besides laugh with friends and insult enemies.

For more tips on metal detecting and treasure hunting, and a look at my book, The Metal Detecting Manual,  visit http://treasuremanual.com.

The Falcon was a private detective who first appeared in a short story, and it was so popular that it spawned 16 Falcon movies in the 1940s. 

The radio version was on the air from 1943 to 1954. 

Over the course of its run, five different actors played the Falcon:  Berry Kroeger, James Meighan, Les Tremayne, Les Damon, and George Petrie.

This episode, The Case of the Puzzling Pinup, was broadcast on November 19, 1950.

Facebook users are under 13 years old, and over 100. 

Soon, there will be one billion members.  That's three times as many Facebook users are there are people in the United States. 

With all this activity, there is bound to be something for the slowpitch softball community there.

In this show, we take a look at how softballers can use Facebook to do things besides laugh with friends and insult enemies.

For more tips on coaching, managing, and playing adult slowpitch softball, visit http://slowpitchbook.com.

Roy Rogers was the King of the Cowboys (after Gene Autry relinquished the throne), and Dale Evans was Queen of the West. 

Together they rode the happy trails on Trigger and Buttermilk.

Where the Lone Ranger had silver bullets, Roy and Dale had a German shepherd  named Bullet. 

And where Gene Autry had a comic sidekick named Frog, Roy had a comic sidekick named Pat Brady. 

Roy's radio show was on the air from 1944 to 1955.  This episode, Ed Bailey's Bad Luck, originally aired on October 12, 1951. 

A "reality" treasure hunting TV show is due to air in the spring, and it looks like a doozy. 

A pro wrestler, his "enforcer" son, and his wife from Joisey (that's how some people say New Jersey) comprise the team that will "convince" homeowners to let them dig up their property - with a bulldozer. 

As Dave Berry says, I am NOT making this up.

I also discuss a reality treasure show that is now available on the internet.  The URL is http://exploringhistorystreasures.com.  (And the URL to purchase the downloads is here.)

Check out my own reality at http://treasuremanual.com.

Blondie was the most popular comic strip in America in the early 1930s, and in 1938 it became a movie series, with 28 films made and released in just the next 12 years. 

Blondie and Dagwood were played by the same actors in the movies and on the radio.  Penny Singleton was a redhead who had to dye her hair blonde for the part, and Arthur Lake played Dagwood.

The radio series began in 1939 and ran until 1950. 

This episode, The Entertainment Committee, ran on April 8, 1940.

Another show aimed at the newbies. 

What piece of equipment is more important to your softball game than your glove? 

What's the best glove size for an infielder, an outfielder, a pitcher? 

When should you not swing at a good pitch? 

These questions pose no problems for the long-time players, but newcomers to adult slowpitch softball have problems with them. 

This show will help you get started on the right foot.

For more tips on playing, coaching, and playing adult slowpitch softball, visit my book site, http://slowpitchbook.com.

Elliott and Cathy Lewis were two of the most talented radio actors who ever lived.  They were equally at home doing comedy and drama.

They appeared in thousands of radio shows, and in 1953 they starred in their own weekly radio theater. 

This show, Cathy and Elliott Lewis On Stage, showcased their talents for a year and a half, but it was created near the end of the radio era, and the explosion of television took away much of its luster. 

This is the premiere episode, from New Year's Day, 1953.  It's a fun story about a man who posed for a perfume ad, and found himself lusted after by the entire female population.  Sheldon Leonard (the smooth-talking "tout" on the Jack Benny Program) is hilarious in this show, The String Bow Tie.

Reality TV!  Has anything ever been so misnamed? 

Twice last year I was approached by reality television producers looking for a host for their proposed treasure hunting shows.

In this podcast, I explain what they wanted to do, and why I turned them down. 

For some REAL reality, read my book, The Metal Detecting Manual (http://treasuremanual.com).

Most of our shows are episodes of popular, well-remembered old-time radio shows.  This one is different - it's the pilot episode of a show that was not picked up as a regular series. 

It had two names:  The announcer calls it The Adventures of Max Chandler, but old-time radio fans call it The Whisper Men. 

Karl Swenson starred as Max Chandler, a spy-fighting radio commentator.  Karl was best known in radio as Lorenzo Jones in the series of the same name, and in television he played Lars Hanson on Little House on the Prairie.  He was also Eddie Haskell's father in Leave It to Beaver.

This episode of The The Whisper Men was broadcast on the Mutual network on October 20, 1945.

What's the best way for an outfielder to catch a routine fly ball? 

Which foot should an infielder have forward when he's waiting for the batter to hit the ball? 

Surprisingly, many long-time players don't know the answers to these questions. 

This episode of In the Softball Corner looks at some of the often-overlooked basics of playing defensive softball.

For more tips on coaching, managing, hitting, pitching, and fielding adult slowpitch softball, visit http://slowpitchbook.com.

Double or Nothing was a quiz show that ran for 14 years.  Over that time there were four hosts:  Walter Compton, John Reed King, and Todd Russell, and Walter O'Keefe.

Prizes were small, but the emcees were interesting enough that the program always drew a good audience. 

John Reed King, the host of this episode, was a World War II news correspondent for CBS before he moved to the Mutual Network and took over Double or Nothing.

This episode, from August 12, 1945, is unique in that early in the show it has a incorrect war bulletin.  A newsman breaks into the program to announce that Japan has agreed to sign the surrender papers agreeing to the Allies terms.  But later in the show another bulletin interrupts, stating that the first bulletin was in error and that Japan had made no such announcement.  (The actual announcement came three days later.)

Can a small town library really help you find places to hunt for old coins and relics? 

You bet! 

In this show, learn which parts of the library seem to help but really don't, and which parts can actually lead you to local treasure.

And check out my tips on how to find valuable, useful information in your library that remains hidden to other people.

For more metal detecting secrets, visit http://treasuremanual.com.

Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons, was the longest-running radio detective show of all time.  In the 18 years it was on the air, it aired 1,690 episodes. 

Mr. Keen began in 1937 as a three-a-week serial, and in December 1943 it became a half-hour stand-alone show. 

Mr. Keen was played by Bennett Kilpack, and his dimwitted partner, Jim Clancy, was played by Mike Kelly.

This episode, The Case of the Leaping Dog, first aired on April 13, 1944.

Another book review from the Softball Corner. 

This one is Let's Do It, a 1989 book divided into three sections:  The Team, The Practice, and The Game.

The Practice is the largest part of the book, with 41 pages of what each player does in each possible game situation. 

For example, what does each defensive player do with one out and a runner at second if the ball is hit to the left fielder? 

I think this situational strategy is the weakest part of the game for most players, and this section will help your guys learn how to handle most of the game situations you'll encounter.

For hints and tips on managing, coaching, and playing adult slowpitch softball, visit http://slowpitchbook.com.

Of all the teen sitcoms that aired during the golden days of radio, none was more popular than The Aldrich Family. 

Henry began as a minor character in a 1938 Broadway play, then moved to radio first as a one-time skit on the Rudy Vallee show, then as a weekly feature on the Kate Smith Show, then as the summer replacement for Jack Benny, and finally as its own stand-alone show in 1939.

Besides its radio success, Henry Aldrich has his own comic book, television series, and 11 Paramount movies. 

Ezra Stone played Henry (with time out as a soldier during World War II), and Jackie Kelk was his best friend Homer Brown. 

This episode, Girl Trouble, originally aired on October 17, 1939.

Recently (show #83), we looked at the attempt of some members of congress to phase out dollar bills and replace them with dollar coins. 

But in a sudden about-face, the White House has announced that the dollar coins will be virtually eliminated, except for those made for collectors. 

That is, they will not compete with paper money now. 

Listen to this show for the details.

For more articles on metal detecting and treasure hunting, check out http://treasuremanual.com.

The old-time radio program Gang Busters is famous for adding a phrase to the Dictionary of American Slang:  "Coming on like Gang Busters."  And indeed, the program had one of the wildest openings of all, with windows breaking, guns firing, and sirens screaming.

Gang Busters was created by Phillips H. Lord.  The show dramatized police cases, both famous and obscure.  FBI director J. Edgar Hoover begrudgingly promoted the show even though he wished it were not on the air. 

At the end of each episode, the description of a wanted suspect was broadcast, and over the 22 years that the program was on the air, it was responsible for the identification and capture of hundreds of suspected criminals.

This episode, The Case of the Unknown Killer, was first heard on June 9, 1944.

Earlier we talked about the new ASA rules that will take effect on January 1 (2012).  In this show, part two of a two-part series, we look at some of the rules that DIDN'T make it.

Some of these proposed rules are good enough that they will probably appear again next year, and some are just plain weird.   

Consider, and enjoy.

And for more articles on playing, coaching, and managing adult slowpitch softball, click:  http://slowpitchbook.com.

Many of the great authors who prospered during the Golden Age of Science Fiction were represented on the radio show X-1.  Its early shows were adaptations of stories appearing in Astounding Science Fiction magazine, and most of its later stories were from Galaxy Science Fiction magazine.

Poul Andersen, Robert Heinlein, Isaac Asimov, Robert Bloch, Theodore Sturgeon, and Ray Bradbury all had stories dramatized on the show. 

This episode was written by Ray Bradbury.  It originally appeared in The Saturday Evening Post on September 23, 1950, under the title The World the Children Made.  It aired as an X-1 episode entitled The Veldt on August 4, 1955.

I might add that this version has a happier ending than does the original story.

I love thrift shops.  They have given me many books and magazines that now occupy places of honor in my treasure library. 

In this podcast, I discuss resale store treasure hunting.  I also describe a magazine I recently picked up at a Goodwill store - a magazine with an article that virtually screams, "Get your old coins here - nothing newer than 1900!"

Well, mostly coins older than 1900, anyway. 

Because this once-prosperous village pretty much died when it was left an orphan by the railroad in 1873. 

And no, it's not in the old west.  Ghost towns can be found in virtually every state, and this one is in Indiana.

Christmas is here, and you probably know someone who would love a copy of my book The Metal Detecting Manual.  Check it out at http://treasuremanual.com.

Hopalong Cassidy was a national phenomenon in 1950. 

He was on television, in movies, in comic books, and in newspaper comic strips.

His image was on over a hundred products, from T-shirts to lunchboxes to toy guns to flashlights to pajamas. 

This episode of the Hopalong Cassidy radio show , The Mystery of Skull Mountain, originally aired on January 22, 1950.

Last time we talked about the new ASA rules that will take effect on January 1 (2012).  In this show, Part One of a two-part series, we look at some of the rules that DIDN'T make it.

Some of these proposed rules are good enough that they will probably appear again next year, and some are just plain weird.   

See what YOU think. 

And for tips on pitching, fielding, coaching, and managing, see my website http://slowpitchbook.com.

Ann Sothern is probably best remembered for her role as Susie McNamara in the TV series Private Secretary. 

But before that, she had starred in 11 movies about Maisie, a burlesque dancer who got herself into fixes that would have stymied even Lucille Ball. 

Maisie became a radio series in 1947, with Ann Sothern reprising her movie role. 

This episode of Maisie, Department Store Clerk, was broadcast on November 24, 1949.

Two short shows instead of one long one this week. 

First, an addendum to my earlier program about headphones for treasure hunters. And here's some info about the five-dollar headphones I talk about in the show(though they are more than $5.00 here):  http://tinyurl.com/6vc5m2z

Then, a look at a book written in 1860, and why it sparked my treasure hunting instincts.

For more of my articles about treasure hunting, and a look at my book on metal detecting, click to http://treasuremanual.com.

In the course of his radio career, Dick Powell played two detectives named Richard.  He is most famous as Richard Diamond, but before that he was Richard Rogue. 

Richard Rogue had a gimmick.  Whenever he was knocked unconscious (that is, in every episode), his alter ego Eugor spoke to him, giving him a clue as to how to proceed with the case. 

This episode of Rogue's Gallery, The Pat Flynn Case, first aired on June 6, 1946.

The proposed rule changes for the 2012 ASA season have been announced. 

The biggies including changing the distance between bases, allowing senior league players to swing the Big Bats, and the banning of bat warmers. 

In this show, I list the eleven rule changes the ASA is instituting next year.

NOTE:  I made a reading error on rule 6.  The first part is right, but then I said the word "attached" was changed to "taped."  I should have said the word "taped" was changed to "covered."  The rest of the statement is correct.

UPDATE:  ASA has now published the new rules in their final form, and they have dropped the reference to BPF numbers.  They have also stipulated that this change is for senior championship tournaments only:

Rule 3 Section 1A [4]: Exception: Senior Softball bats may be used in Senior Championship Play.

Comment: Add an exception to Rule 3 Section 1 that Senior Softball bats may be used in Senior Championship Play only.

For more of my articles on pitching, hitting, fielding, and managing adult slowpitch softball, visit http://slowpitchbook.com.

John Charles Daly is best known for hosting What's My Line in the early days of television, but before that he was a CBS newsman who anchored a unique radio program that went back in time. 

The show was called You Are There, and in it the CBS News department covered historical events live, like the landing of the Pilgrims, the assassination of President Lincoln, and in this episode, the battle of the Alamo. 

Originally broadcast on August 18, 1947.

Karl von Mueller was a mystery man.  His real name was Dean Miller.  He sometimes wrote as Deek Gladson.  But he mostly called himself Karl. 

He began his treasure hunting career in the 1920s, and he was still active well into the 1980s. 

Some of his books sell for several hundred dollars nowadays.  Little information is available on Karl, and if you have something to add please click the Comments button below and let us hear from you.

Listen to this show for info on Karl, and some of his insights on keeping your mouth shut.

For more stories and articles about how to become a better treasure hunter, visit my website http://treasuremanual.com.

UPDATE - THANKS TO THE DETECTIVE WORK OF ONE OF OUR LISTENERS, WE HAVE CONFIRMED THE BIRTH/DEATH DATES OF KARL. 

He was born Dean Miller on February 3, 1915, and he died on January 27, 1990 - one week shy of his 75th birthday.

Before Casey Kasem's American Top 40 Countdown, there was Your Hit Parade.  America tuned in every Saturday night, from 1935 until 1953, to find out what song was Number One. 

Each week, Your Hit Parade featured the top seven songs, performed not by the hit artists, but by the stable of singers who appeared on the show every week. 

Several regular performers on the show became stars, including Frank Sinatra, Doris Day, Dinah Shore, and Gisele MacKenzie.

See how many songs you remember from this episode, with Frank Sinatra, which originally aired on December 30, 1944.

Here's a look at an obscure softball book that was written over 20 years ago by two Canadians.  It's a small book with lots of drawings, and it is an excellent reference book for newbies to the game.

In this show, I walk through the book and point out some of the tips contained therein.

For more tips on playing and coaching adult slowpitch softball, visit http://slowpitchbook.com.

Cabin B13 was one of those fondly-remembered radio programs for which no recorded episodes survived.  Or so it was thought, until tapes of three of the shows were unearthed. 

Cabin B13 was the cabin of the ship's doctor on a luxury cruise liner, and the doctor was the narrator of the stories.  He was played by Arnold Moss, a Broadway actor who also appeared in movies and even a Star Trek episode.

This is the premiere episode of Cabin B13, and it originally aired on July 5, 1948.

If certain members of congress get their way, the one-dollar bill could soon become extinct.  There is a serious move afoot to replace the paper dollar with a dollar coin. 

Dollar coins have been tried and rejected before.  Compared to the Susan B. Anthony dollar, the Ford Edsel was a roaring success. 

But this time around, the dollar coin would be forced upon us, because the dollar bill would no longer be made. 

And by the way, did George Washington really throw that silver dollar across the Potomac River?  You'll hear that story here, too.

For more articles about treasure hunting and metal detecting, visit my book website at http://treasuremanual.com.

Buck Rogers in the 25th Century was the first radio science fiction series.  It was based on the comic strip which started in 1929, and the radio version was on the air for fifteen years, from 1932 to 1947. 

Several actors played Buck over the years, and the program went from fifteen minutes to a half hour and then back to fifteen minutes. 

On this show, you'll hear the very first episode and, fifteen years later, the very last episode.

From April 5, 1932, and from March 28, 1947, here is Buck Rogers in the 25th Century.

Every other Thursday, I post a new episode of In the Softball Corner. 

But this morning I woke up with laryngitis.  The only sounds I can make are barely-discernable croaks and squeaks. 

So rather than try to whisper my way through this week's show, I'm instead shutting up completely and presenting one of the all-time classic vaudeville duos, Bud Abbott and Lou Costello, and their most famous routine, Who's On First. 

Hopefully my voice will be back for the next show, but for now, please enjoy Abbott and Costello.

For articles on softball strategy, visit my website http://slowpitchbook.com.

The Adventures of Ellery Queen was a fun detective radio show, because the audience was given a chance to solve the crime before Ellery fingered the culprit. 

Near the end of each episode, Ellery would stop the show to announce that he had the necessary clues to solve the mystery, and he then invited the listening audience to name the villain. 

He often had famous guests in the studio who were challenged to figure out the clues.  After guesses were made, the program began again and revealed the criminal.

This episode, The Adventure of the World Series Crime, originally aired on September 30, 1943.