Whistler (Pacific Network)

The Joe Hehn Memorial Collection

(4.6 stars; 4 reviews)

The Whistler was one of radio's most successful franchises, but it was rarely a true national program. It began on the CBS Pacific Network in 1942. It became so popular that a movie series of eight films, was released by Columbia Pictures between 1944 to 1948. In 1946, The Whistler was a summer replacement series for The Jack Carson Show on the CBS non-Pacific network. WBBM in Chicago began its own broadcasts with its own actors, orchestra, and direction, with scripts from the Hollywood productions. In 1947, Household Finance Corporation (HFC) sponsored the series for the non-Pacific network. The sponsorship brought an end to the WBBM broadcasts, which was the agreement with CBS when those productions started. The HFC programs usually had the same titles as the Pacific productions, but used different scripts with different endings, as well as different directors and casts. Some of HFC's advertising executives were uncomfortable with The Whistler 's proven formula as being too gruesome or cynical for its target audience. CBS made this accommodation to retain their sponsorship, which ended in 1948. After the Pacific sponsorship of Signal Oil ended, the series became truly national in the early 1950s for the first time as a sustained program. Even then, it was broadcast on different days by CBS affiliates, by transcription for most of those last years. Despite lack of national broadcast continuity, the character remained popular enough that a syndicated television series was produced in the mid-1950s, lasting one year. * * * These recordings are part of the Joe Hehn Memorial Collection. Mr. Hehn (1931-2020) was a pioneering collector of radio recordings when the hobby emerged in the 1960s. Digitizing his collection of reel tapes and discs is the effort of a wide range of North American volunteers, and includes assistance of some international collectors. The groups supporting this effort with their funds, time, technology and skills are the Old Time Radio Researchers and a small group of transcription disc preservationists who refer to themselves as the "The Knights of the Turning Table." NOTE: Whistler 480218 Quiet Suicide added on 12/31/2020

This recording is part of the Old Time Radio collection.