Casey, Crime Photographer (radio series)
 | |
| Other names | Flashgun Casey, Casey-Press Photographer, Crime Photographer |
|---|---|
| Genre | Mono |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Language(s) | English |
| Syndicates | CBS |
| TV adaptations | Crime Photographer |
| Starring | Matt Crowley Jim Backus, Jan Miner, John Gibson |
| Announcer | Bob Hite Tony Marvin Bill Cullen |
| Created by | George Harmon Coxe (stories) |
| Written by | Alonzo Deen Cole |
| Directed by | Albert Ward, Rocco Tito, and John Dietz[1] |
| Produced by | Chester Ranier and John Dietz |
| Original release | 07/07/43 – 04/22/55[2] |
| No. of series | 5 |
| Audio format | Mono |
| Sponsored by | Anchor Hocking Toni Home Permanents Philip Morris |
| Podcast | Stream episodes from Archive.org |
Casey, Crime Photographer, known by a variety of titles on radio (aka Crime Photographer, Flashgun Casey, Casey, Press Photographer) was a media franchise from the 1930s to the 1960s. The character was the creation of novelist George Harmon Coxe. Casey was featured in the pulp magazine, Black Mask, novels, comic books, radio, film, television and legitimate theatre.[3]
Jack "Flashgun" Casey, was a crime photographer for the newspaper The Morning Express. With the help of reporter Ann Williams (best remembered portrayed by Jan Miner, Palmolive's "Madge"), he solved crimes and recounted his stories to friends at the Blue Note, their favorite tavern and jazz club where the Archie Bleyer Orchestra[4] and the Teddy Wilson Trio were featured. .[4]
Radio
Begun as over 20 popular short stories in Black Mask, there were films and novels before the stories were brought to radio under various names. The series aired on CBS. The radio show was sustained by the network when a sponsor could not be found. Sponsors of the show include Anchor Hocking, Toni home permanents, Toni Shampoo and Philip Morris.[4]
Cast
- Matt Crowley, Casey
- Jim Backus, Casey (briefly [5])
- Staats Cotsworth, Casey
- Jan Miner, Ann Williams
- Lesley Woods, Ann Williams[6]
- John Gibson, Ethelbert the bartender
- Tony Marvin, announcer[6]
Air dates
- 07/07/43 - 04/01/44 (as Flashgun Casey)
- 04/08/44 - 06/26/45 (as Casey, Press Photographer)
- 07/11/45 - 03/13/47 (as Crime Photographer)
- 03/20/47 - 11/16/50 (as Casey, Crime Photographer)
- 01/13/54 - 04/22/55 (as Crime Photographer)
In the period between the fourth and fifth series, the live television version was telecast.
Other media
"Flashgun" Casey was featured in 21 short stories in Black Mask,[7] a popular pulp magazine of the time. Collections of these stories were published in anthology form as well. Coxe wrote five novels featuring Casey from the 1930s to the 1960s. Two films Women Are Trouble and Here's Flash Casey were produced in the 1930s. A four-part Marvel Comics tie-in to the radio show was published in the 1940s.
Television
In 1951 the popular series moved to television:
- First Telecast: April 19, 1951
- Last Telecast: June 5, 1952
- Casey (April–June 1951): Richard Carlyle
- Casey (June 1951-April 1952): Darren McGavin
- Ann Williams: Jan Miner (reprising her radio role)
Darrin McGavin commented, "The cast of Crime Photographer didn’t go down fighting. They took off for the hills. It was so bad that it was never re-run, and that’s saying something when you recall the caliber of television programs in those days."[8]
References
- ^ "article, Casey Crime Photographer". Archived from the original on January 25, 2015. Retrieved August 12, 2010.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) The Definitive Casey Crime Photographer article and log - ^ "episode log, Casey Crime Photographer". Retrieved October 22, 2008. Audio Classics Archive
- ^ Cox, J. Randolph (2005). Flashgun Casey, Crime Photographer: From the Pulps to Radio And Beyond. David S. Siegel, William F Nolan. Yorktown Heights, NY: Book Hunter Press. ISBN 1-891379-05-4.
- ^ a b c Lackmann, Ronald W. (2000). "Casey, Crime Photographer". The Encyclopedia of American Radio: An A-Z Guide to Radio from Jack Benny to Howard Stern. Facts On File. p. 60. ISBN 0-8160-4137-7.
- ^ Dunning, John (1998). "Casey, Crime Photographer". On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-time Radio. Oxford University Press US,. p. 140. ISBN 0-19-507678-8.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link) - ^ a b "'Casey' Cast". Harrisburg Telegraph. September 21, 1946. p. 17. Retrieved October 7, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Hagemann, Edward R. (1982). "cite= George Harmon Coxe". A Comprehensive Index to Black Mask, 1920-1951: With Brief Annotations, Preface, and Editorial Apparatus. Bowling Green, Ohio: Bowling Green State University Popular Press. ISBN 0-87972-202-9.
- ^ "Casey, Crime Photographer". Retrieved October 22, 2008. DarrenMcGavin.net
