Gang Busters - The Case of Matson, Barry & Grant - Ep 374 - Aired 7-14-44 - Bird Youmans

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Radio's Golden Years

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1,380

Published on January 7, 2023 11:40:37 PM ● Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnJUA9xB56Y

Game:

Gang Busters (1988)

Duration: 24:58

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This was one of the early crime drama police shows. To lend an extra air of authenticity to the presentation, Lord had Norman Schwarzkopf Sr., former head of the New Jersey State Police give a short talk to lead into the actual dramatization. (Schwarzkopf was the father of General Norman Schwarzkopf Jr., leader of the coalition forces in the 1990–1991 Persian Gulf War.) That authentic voice became even more important after Lord ended his connection with the FBI. After about 1945, Lewis Joseph Valentine, crime-busting New York City Police Commissioner replaced Schwarzkopf as the authoritative opening speaker.

Gang Busters aired on CBS from January 15, 1936 to June 15, 1940, sponsored by Colgate-Palmolive and Cue magazine. From October 11, 1940 to December 25, 1948, it was heard on the Blue Network, with various sponsors that included Sloan's Liniment, Waterman pens and Tide. Returning to CBS on January 8, 1949, it ran until June 25, 1955, sponsored by Grape-Nuts and Wrigley's chewing gum. The final series was on the Mutual Broadcasting System from October 5, 1955 to November 27, 1957.

Gang Busters often featured prominent names in radio broadcasting, many of whom also starred in movies and television. Two of the most famous were Richard Widmark and Art Carney. Widmark was typecast as a villain for many years, but finally managed to break that mold. Carney became especially famous for his role with Jackie Gleason on The Honeymooners, but he had a much broader career than that. Joan Banks, who later played many TV roles, was a regular cast member. Her husband, Frank Lovejoy, also appeared often, and later went on to star in many movies and an ABC crime drama. Larry Haines was another regular on the show. He went on to an extensive career in TV soap operas. A lesser known actor on the show was Leon Janney, who apparently played both juvenile roles and ones requiring an unusual accent.

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