The 90th Anniversary of the Radio Show Gang Busters

It was 90 years ago today, on January 15, 1936, that the radio show Gang Busters debuted on CBS. Gang Busters was an anthology series that dramatized real-life police histories based on files from  police departments across the country. It was known for its opening, which featured the sound of a machine gun, a police siren, the sound of convicts marching, and a police radio. It gave rise to the phrase, "come on like Gang Busters," which is still in use to this day. Gang Busters proved to be phenomenally popular and would expand into media beyond radio. It would have a lasting impact as one of the earliest examples of the true crime genre. 

The origins of Gang Busters go back to an earlier radio show titled G-Men. Both shows were created by Phillips H. Lord, who had earlier created Sunday Evening at Seth Parker's, what might be described today as a faith-based program. It was after that show ended that Phillips H. Lord created G-Men, which largely owed its existence to the 1935 movie of the same name starring James Cagney. G Men (1935) was released in the spring of 1935 and proved to be a smash hit. The success of G Men, as well as the popularity of the true crime genre in general at the time, convinced Phillips H. Lord that a radio show based on real-life F.B.I. cases could be successful.

G-Men proved to be a somewhat difficult experience for Phillips H. Lord. J. Edgar Hoover did not particularly approve of a radio show based on F.B.I. cases. Fortunately the United States Attorney General of the time, Homer Cummings did like the idea of the program and as a result Phillips H. Lord obtained access to the F.B.I's files. Unfortunate for Mr. Lord, G-Men would still have to produced with the cooperation of J. Edgar Hoover, who insisted that only closed cased be used for the show and that every single script be approved by him or another high ranking F.B.I official. J. Edgar Hoover also insisted that the F.B.I. agents on the show conform to his vision of G-men, who were invariably strong, educated, intelligent, and free of any eccentricities who pretty much simply cogs in the machine that was the F.B.I. This was completely at odds with what Phillips H. Lord wanted, which was a radio show filled with excitement. Although the show was popular, it was because of the clashes between Phillips H. Lord and J. Edgar Hoover that G-Men ran only one season on NBC Blue, from July 20, 1935 to October 12, 1935.

G.Men would return after a fashion as Gang Busters. Gang Busters was in some respects the same show as G-Men, except that it focused on local law enforcement across the country for the most part instead of the F.B.I.  In other words, Phillips H. Lord would not have to deal with J. Edgar Hoover. To lend more credibility to Gang Busters, Phillips H. Lord had  former head of the New Jersey State Police Norman Schwarzkopf Sr. introduce the show. Later  New York City police commissioner Lewis Joseph Valentine would handle the introductions. 

Not only would Gang Busters feature well-known law enforcement officials introducing the show, but it also featured well-known radio stars, some of who would go onto success in other media. Among them were Joan Banks and her husband Frank Lovejoy, Art Carney, Larry Haines, and Richard Widmark. 

As mentioned earlier, the success of Gang Busters led to the phrase "come on like Gang Busters" entering the English language. It also lead to Gang Busters being adapted to other media, In 1942, Universal produced 13 chapter movie serial, Gangbusters, starring  Kent Taylor, Irene Hervey, Ralph Morgan, and Robert Armstrong. Among the most successful adaptations of Gang Busters to another medium was a comic book published by DC Comics from 1947 to 1959 for 67 issues. 

Like many radio shows, Gang Busters would make the transition to television, although it did so because of another radio show, Dragnet. When Dragnet first came to television, however, its creator and producer Jack Webb had difficulty producing a half hour episode each week.  NBC needed a show to air during the weeks that they did not have episodes of Dragnet. As a result Gang Busters came to television as a temporary show that would alternate weeks with Dragnet until Jack Webb could begin producing weekly episodes. The television version of Gang Busters debuted on March 20, 1950, on NBC, and proved to be a hit. It ranked no. 14 in the Nielsen ratings for the 1951-1952 season. For the 1952-1953 season, it actually ranked no. 8. Unfortunately for the producers of Gang Busters, by 1952 Jack Webb was able to provide NBC with a new episode of Dragnet every week. NBC then cancelled Gang Busters despite the fact that it was the no. 8 show for the season.

For syndication, the television version of Gang Busters was re-titled Captured and nine new episodes were added to the seventeen episodes broadcast on NBC. Episodes of the show were also edited, along with new footage, into two feature films: Gang Busters (1955) and Guns Don't Argue (1957). 

Gang Busters ultimately had a long run on radio, although it did change networks from time to time. It aired on CBS until 1940, at which point it moved to the NBC Blue Network, its first episode airing there on October 11, 1940. It moved back to CBS on January 8, 1948. It was in 1955 that it moved to the Mutual Broadcasting System with its final season starting there on October 5, 1955. In the end, it ran until November 27, 1957 At twenty one years, it was one of the longest running, broadcast network radio shows. 

Gang Busters would have a lasting impact beyond a still common phrase in English. It was one of the earliest true crime shows in any medium, and would pave the way for other, similar radio shows. Border Patrol, Call the Police, Dragnet The Black Museum, and yet others owe something to Gang Busters. Perhaps Calling All Cars, which debuted in 1933 and dramatized Los Angeles Police Department cases, had as much impact on Gang Busters. Gang Busters' impact would even be felt on television, and can be seen in shows from Dragnet to America's Most Wanted. It is still seen today in the form of true crime podcasts and shows like Dateline NBC. Chances seem good that Gang Busters will still have an impact 90 years from now.

The 60th Anniversary of the TV Series Batman

The classic TV series Battman, starring Adam West as Batman and Burt Ward as Robin, debuted 60 years ago today, on January 12, 1966. I have already written considerably about Batman on this blog, so I will not write another detailed post today. Regardless, I did want to recognize today, as Batman is one of the most significant TV shows in my life, if not the most significant. Quite simply, I first saw Batman when I was very young, before I could even read. It is because of that show that I sought out Batman comic books when I could read. It was comics books that led to me to want to become a writer. In other words, without the TV show Batman, this blog might not even exist.

Anyhow, if you want to read the history of Batman, I wrote a two part article on it years ago, "Batmania: How Batman Conquered America in 1966" . There is also a good deal of information on the show in my post "Batman Turns 75 Part Three: Television, Radio, and Other Media. For now I will leave you with the opening credits for Batman, featuring one of the most popular theme songs of all time. 

The 60th Anniversary of Daktari

If you're a younger Baby Boomer, Gen Xer, or a Millennial, it is quite possible that you might remember a show called Daktari.Daktari is a family drama about a veterinarian in Africa that aired on CBS from 1966 to 1969. It proved to be popular as a syndicated rerun on local stations in the Seventies, and aired on cable channels from the Eighties into the Naughts. Today it can be found on more than one streaming channel. Daktari debuted sixty yeas ago today, on January 11, 1966, on CBS.

Daktari centred on Dr. Marsh Tracy (Marshall Thompson), a veterinarian who runs a the fictional Wameru Study Centre for Animal Behaviour, in East Africa.. He was assisted by his daughter Paula (Cheryl Miller), native African Mike Makula (Hari Rhodes), and animal hospital member Jack Dane (Yale Summers). Marsh and Cheryl had two unusual pets in the form of a cross-eyed lion  named Clarence and a chimpanzee named Judy. As to the title, it is the Swahili word for "doctor."

The origins of Daktari go back to the 1965 movie Clarence the Cross-Eyed Lion, produced by Ivan Tors. Ivan Tors's inspiration for Clarence the Cross-Eyed Lion (1965) came from the real-life work of Dr. Antonie Marinus Harthoorn and his wife Sue Hart, who operated an animal sanctuary in Kenya. Ivan Tors went to Kenya on vacation, where he visited Antonie Marinus Harthoorn and Sue Hart's animal sanctuary. Ivan Tors's visit led to the movie Clarence the Cross-Eyed Lion, which in turn led to Daktari. Marshall Thompson and Cheryl Miller reprised their roles as Dr. Marsh Tracy and his daughter Paula for the TV series.

Of course, given the movie's title, it should come as no surprise that Clarence the cross-eyed lion was more or less the star of both the film and the TV show. Clarence was born and raised in the animal reserve Africa USA in California. Ivan Tors took an interest in Clarence and was convinced of his star potential. Despite this, Clarence's visual impairment would cause problems from time to time. Fortunately, Clarence's vision would improve over time. It was in part because of Clarence's visual impairment, in part because he was frightened of vehicles, and in part because he was so tame that stunt doubles were used for him. . In those scenes with vehicles present, then, a lion named Leo was used. At the time Leo was the lion appearing in the MGM logos of the time. Yet another, much less gentle lion also named Leo was used for those scenes in which Clarence was called upon to growl or snarl. 

Daktari debuted on Tuesday, January 11, 1966, and proved to be a hit. In its first season, it ranked no. 14 for the year in the Nielsen ratings. It performed even better in its second season, ranking no. 7 for the season in the Nielsens. The show's popularity would lead to merchandise associated with the series. Dell published a Daktari comic book that ran for four issues from 1967to 1969. A paperback novel was published by Ace Books in the U.S. There was also a Big Little Book. Four Darktari paperbacks were published in the UK by Souvenir Press Ltd. Corgi Toys put out a set that included the Land Rover from the show as well as figures of Clarence, Dr. Tracy, Paula, and Judy.

For its third season, Daktari dropped in the ratings from no. 7 to 33. In its first season, Daktari faced such competition as My Mother the Car and Please Don't Eat the Daisies on NBC and Combat! on ABC. The firs two shows bombed in the ratings for the season, while Combat! did not appeal to children the way Daktari did. For its second season, Daktari continued to face Combat! on ABC, but its competition on NBC continued to be another low-rated show, The Girl From U.N.C.L.E. For its third season, Daktari faced stronger competition on NBC in the form of I Dream of Jeannie. While I Dream of Jeannie received mediocre ratings during its original network run, it was popular with children, the primary audience for Daktari.

For its fourth season, Daktari saw some changes. Yales Summers left the show. He was replaced by Ross Hagen as Bart Jason, a popular guide for safaris who had been a hunter and ranger. Also joining the cast was a young Erin Moran, who played Jenny Jones, an orphan who joined the Tracy household. Unfortunately, Daktari would only last one more season.

Perhaps because its ratings had declined, CBS moved Daktari from Tuesday night at 7:30 Eastern/6:30 Central to Wednesday night at 7:30 Eastern/6:30 Central. In its new times slot, its ratings toppled catastrophically. Unfortunately, its new Wednesday night time slot put it against the still popular Western The Virginian on NBC. The Virginian ranked no. 17 for the year.Ultimately, CBS cancelled Daktari only 15 episodes into its fourth season. It was replaced by The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour, which did much better in the time slot.

While Daktari had ended its original network run, it was hardly forgotten. The show entered syndication and proved to be poplar on local TV stations in the United States from the Seventies well into the Eighties. CBN (the forerunner of the Family Channel that later became Freeform) aired the show in Eighties. In the Nineties, it could be seen on TNT and still later on Animal Planet. Currently, Daktari can be streamed on Tubi and The Roku Channel.

Daktari remains fondly remembered by many people of a certain age, whether they discovered it in its original network run, as a syndicated rerun on their local TV station, or as a rerun on a cable channel. It is the sort of animal show made for children that they simply don't make any longer. Despite this, it seems possible that it might continue to be seen sixty years from now. 

Changes: The 10th Annivesary of David Bowie's Death

David Bowie is one of the few celebrities whom have cried over uncontrollably upon learning of his death 10 years ago today, on January 10 2016. David Bowie had kept his 18 month fight with liver cancer hidden from the public eye, so his passing came as a total surprise to the general public. Faced with the death of a legend whose music I had loved since I was a child, I did what many did and dissolved in tears. 

Indeed, David Bowie has been a part of my life for so long that I cannot remember when or where I first heard of him. I could have possibly heard one of his songs on one of the rock stations out of Columbia, St. Louis, or Kansas City. I know I didn't first encounter him on television. By the time I saw him on Cher in 1975, I was already familiar with David Bowie and his songs. Indeed, I knew of him by the time of his release of The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars in mid-1972. Of course, I would see him again on television from time to time. I saw what might be his most famous television appearance when it aired, the Christmas special Bing Crosby's Merrie Olde Christmas, complete with his famous duet with Bing Crosby and the video for "Heroes." He appeared on both Saturday Night Live and The Tonight Show. I remember seeing him perform "Space Oddity" on Dick Clark's special Salute to the Seventies in 1979.

As I mentioned earlier, I did hear David Bowie on the radio. It might seem odd to many today, but David Bowie did not burn up the Billboard Hot 100 in the Seventies. "Changes," one of his most famous songs, only reached no. 41 on the chart. "The Jean Genie" and "Rebel Rebel" didn't even do that well. It would only be in the middle of the decade that Mr. Bowie would do well on the Hot 100. "Fame" actually made it to no. 1 on the chart, while "Golden Years" reached no. 10. Of course, as a kid I was barely aware of the Billboard Hot 100 and I wouldn't care how well David Bowie did on the chart if I had been. I simply loved his songs. 

Regardless of how I learned of David Bowie, I remained a fan of David Bowie all through my teens and into my twenties. As his acting career bloomed, I saw him in such movies as The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976), The Hunger (1983), and Labyrinth (1986). I listened to such albums as Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps), Let's Dance, and Tonight. I was a huge fan of his supergroup Tin Machine, which only released two albums.

As to why David Bowie appealed to me as a kid, I have to think it was because he was different from any music artist before or since, particularly during his Ziggy Stardust era. As a kid, I loved science fiction, fantasy, old pulp novels, classic movies, and comic books. The word "neurodivergent" would not be coined for another two decades, but if I had heard it described to me as a lad, I would have known it applied to people like me. It was quite natural then that this music artist who dressed like no one else and performed songs like one else would appeal to me. The plain truth is I had more in common with David Bowie than I would, say, the members of Foreigner or Lynyrd Skynyrd. David Bowie didn't sing about love, sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll like a lot of artists in the Seventies. He sang about a lost astronaut ("Space Oddity"), reinventing oneself ('Changes"), dystopias ("1984"), and so on.

In some ways, it still doesn't seme possible that David Bowie is gone. And I believe I can speak for many when I say that I still miss him. While he left behind a legacy of music that remains unmatched, it hurts that we will never have any new David Bowie songs. I don't think I am alone in saying he was one of the greatest music artists of all time.

Richard Dimitri Passes On

Richard Dimitri, who played twins Bertram and Renaldo on Mel Brooks's sitcom When Things Were Rotten and crated the sitcom Daddy Dearest, died on December 18, 2025, at the age of 83. He had suffered with lung and heart illness for decades.

Richard Dimitri was born on June 27, 1942, in New York City. His father abandoned his family when he was only a toddler. He was raised by his mother and his maternal grandfather. He graduated from Yonkers High School and then attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in 1962. He made his debut on Broadway in 1968 in The Guide. He appeared on Broadway in 1969 in Zorba.

In the Seventies, Richard Dmitri appeared in Lysistrata. He taught at Queens College In New York City. He moved to Los Angeles when he was cast on Mel Brooks's television series When Things Were Rotten. It was a parody of the Robin Hood legend, with Richard Dmitri playing twins Bertram (an assistant to the Sheriff of Nottingham) and Renaldo (one of Robin Hood's Merry Men). When Things Were Rotten only lasted 13 episodes. Afterwards, Richard Dimitri guest starred on the shows Starsky and Hutch; Welcome Back, Kotter; Hawaii Five-O; This is the Life; and Tenspeed and Brown Shoe. He appeared in the mini-series Seventh Avenue. He appeared in the movie The World's Greatest Lover (1977).

In the Eighties, Richard Dimitri appeared in the movies Johnny Dangerously (1984) and Let It Ride (1989). He guest starred on the TV shows CBS Summer Playhouse and Trying Times. In the Nineties, he guest starred on the shows Hearts Afire and Tracey Takes On, and appeared in the mini-series OP Center. 

Richard Dmitri also wrote for television. He wrote the unsold 1977 TV pilot Roosevelt and Truman. He wrote two episodes of the sitcom House Calls. and the live action Saturday morning show Going Bananas. In the Nineties, he created the sitcom Daddy Dearest.

Richard Dmitri left the entertainment industry in 1998 because of his health. He began working as an art and antiques dealer and ran the gallery Engs-Dimitri Works of Art on on La Cienega Boulevard in Los Angeles.

Richard Dimitri had a great deal of talent as a comic actor. He was excellent on When Things Were Rotten, playing the fashion-conscious Bertram and his twin brother and the sheriff's lackey Renaldo, who could have just stepped off the boat from Puerto Rico. Even in a cast that included Dick Gautier, Dick Van Patten, and Bernie Kopell, Richard Dmitri stood out on the show. In the movie Johnny Dangerously, he played nightclub owner Roman Moronie, who never could get swear words correct. In :Let It Ride, he played gambler Tony Cheeseburger. Richard Dmitri had a gift for playing funny, off-the-wall characters and could hold his own with such talents as Gene Wilder, Michael Keaton, and Richard Dreyfuss. 

"Killing in the Name" by Rage Against the Machine

I won't go into it here, but right now I am not in the mood to do a full-fledged blog post, so I will leave you with a song fitting my mood at the moment. Here is "Killing in the Name" by Rage Against the Machine.

The 85th Anniversary of Inner Sanctum

It was 85 year ago today. on January 7, 2026, that the radio show Inner Sanctum Mystery, also known as Inner Sanctum Mysteries and Inner Sanctum, debuted on the NBC Blue Network. Inner Sanctum Mystery was an anthology series that featured tales of mystery, suspense, and horror. Inner Sanctum Mystery proved to be popular. While it would change networks over time (it moved to CBS in 1943, then to ABC in 1950, and then back to CBS for its final season in 1952), Inner Sanctum Mystery ran for eleven years. Indeed, not only was Inner Sanctum popular, but it also proved to be influential.

The origins of Inner Sanctum Mystery go back an imprint of books called "Inner Sanctum" first published by Simon & Schuster in 1930. Although the "Inner Sanctum" imprint was most closely associated with the mystery genre (published with green covers), it also featured books in the drama (published with blue covers) and romance (published with red covers) genres. Some well-known authors wrote for the "Inner Sanctum"imprint including Anthony Boucher, John Cowper Powys, J.P. McEvoy,  Patrick Quentin, Craig Rice, and even burlesque star Gypsy Rose Lee. 

The "Inner Sanctum" imprint proved popular enough that NBC bought the radio show rights to the imprint. The format of Inner Sanctum Mystery was developed by Himan Brown, who was also responsible for such radio shows as The Adventures of the Thin Man, Dick Tracy, and later CBS Radio Mystery Theatre. The show would open with a creaking door, the idea for which Himan Brown got from a creaking door in his basement. Strangely enough, the sound of the door was not actually provided by a door. They tried to create the creaking sound with a door, to no avail. It was Himan Brown who learned they could get the creaking sound they wanted by a rusty desk chair in which he sat and turned. 

The creaking door would be immediately followed by the host's introduction. In the early days the host was Raymond Edward Johnson, who would introduce himself simply as "Your host, Raymond" in a mocking voice. It was Raymond Edward Johnson's idea to simply be called, 'Your host, Raymond." Raymond was a sharp contrast to earlier hosts on radio shows. His introductions were tongue-in-cheek an often filled with macabre puns and jokes that were punctuated by the organ that provided the show's score. Raymond would close the show with, "Pleasant dreeeeaams, hmmmmm," after which listeners would once more hear the creaking door.

Although Raymond remains the best known host of Inner Sanctum, he left the show in May 1945 to serve in the U.S. Army. He was replaced by Paul McGrath, who was the host of the show for the remainder of the run. Despite the fact that the named "Raymond" was so closely tied to the show, Paul McGrath did not use the name for his introductions and referred to himself simply as "Your host." 

Inner Sanctum Mystery was a mixture of mystery, thriller, and horror, and the episodes often boasted a sense of humour. Many of the most memorable episode fell in the horror and thriller genres. The first season saw an adaptation of Edgar Allen Poe's "The Tell-Tale Star" starring Boris Karloff and Everett Sloane. The 1945 episode "Terror By Night" featured a killer on the loose. The 1942 episode "Dead Reckoning" featured the loan survivor of an abandoned and possibly haunted ship. The 1945 episode "Corridor of Doom" centered on ill man trapped in a seemingly endless hallway of a hospital. Inner Sanctum also featured a number of notable guest stars, including Boris Karloff, Paul Lukas, Everett Sloane, Claude Rains, Peter Lorre, Martha Scott, Agnes Moorehead, Mercedes McCambridge, Wendy Barrie, and yet others.

The success of Inner Sanctum Mystery lead Universal Pictures to buy the film rights to the "Inner Sanctum" imprint from Simon & Schuster  in June 1943 to produce a movie series called "The Inner Sanctum Mysteries." The series was mostly produced by Ben Pivar, who had produced various Universal programmers and the "Mummy" movies (The Mummy's Hand, The Mummy's Tomb, The Mummy's Ghost, and The Mummy's Curse), although Weird Woman (1944) was co-produced with Oliver Drake, Dead Man's Eyes (1944) co-produced with Will Cowan, and The Frozen Ghost (1945) by Will Cowan alone. 

Lon Chaney Jr. starred in each of the "Inner Sanctum Mysteries" movies, although playing a different role each time. Gale Sondergaard was set to star as well, but dropped out before the first movie in the series, Calling Dr. Death (1943), went into production. Although it was the success of the radio show that led to the films and they used the name of the "Inner Sanctum" book imprint, "The Inner Sanctum Mysteries" adapted neither the radio plays from the radio show nor the novels published by the 'Inner Sanctum" book imprint. Despite being produced by Universal and starring Lon Chaney Jr., nearly all of "The Inner Sanctum Mysteries" movies were closer to mystery than horror, the exception being Weird Woman (1944), which was based on the classic horror novel Conjure Wife (1944) by Fritz Lieber. While the radio show was critically acclaimed, Universal's film series "The Inner Sanctum Mysteries" has largely been dismissed, again with the possible exception of Weird Woman (1944).

Inner Sanctum Mystery would make the transition to television as a series simply titled Inner Sanctum. The TV version was developed by Himan Brown and produced by Himan Brown and his brother Mende Brown. Paul McGrath from the radio show hosted the TV version early in its run, followed by House Johnson as its host. While the TV series featured its share of horror stories, it also featured more straightforward crime stories. The TV series Inner Sanctum debuted on January 9, 1954, in syndication and ran for only one season. 

Inner Sanctum Mystery would prove to be influential. The show's original host, Raymond, would have an immediate impact on the hosts of other radio shows, such as Maurice Taupin on The Mysterious Traveler, who included macabre humour in their introductions. The influence of Raymond as the host of Inner Sanctum would go beyond radio shows. EC Comics' use of hosts in its horror titles Tales from the Crypt, The Vault of Horror, and The Haunt of Fear, was largely inspired by Raymond on Inner Sanctum. It seems likely that television's original horror host, Vampira, could have also drawn inspiration from Raymond on Inner Sanctum. Even the Master of Suspense himself, Alfred Hitchcock, may have been influenced by the Inner Sanctum with is humorous introductions to Alfred Hitchcock Presents/The Alfred Hitchcock Hour.

Himan Brown would draw upon Inner Sanctum for inspiration in creating CBS Radio Mystery Theatre. CBS Radio Mystery Theatre used the creaking door opening much as Inner Sanctum did. The introduction of the show's host for most of its run, E. G. Marshall, utilised humour similar to that of  the introductons on Inner Sanctum. Even E.G. Marshall's closing, "Until next time, pleasant… dreams?" drew inspiration form Raymond's "Pleasant dreeeeaams, hmmmmm?" 

Only around 200 out of the 511 episodes of Inner Sanctum Mystery survives, but it remains one of the most popular radios shows from the era of Old Time Radio. It certainly had a lasting impact that is still being felt to this day. Its influence may well still be felt 85 years from now.