Live Music Archive
Librivox Free Audio
Metropolitan Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Internet Arcade
Console Living Room
Books to Borrow
Open Library
TV News
Understanding 9/11Stand By for Crime
Item Preview
OTRR_Certified_Stand_By_For_Crime.jpg
STAND BY FOR CRIME
This show, from the early 1950s, is a good example of the true story style of delivery made popular in radio's classic crime shows Gangbusters and Mr. District Attorney. Of course, the best and most popular of the true crime shows was Dragnet -- the monotone, "just the facts" style demanded by Jack Webb in the show made two points at once: first, that the show wasn't a typical melodramatic crime show, as had been on radio since "the good old days", and more importantly, that we were along for the ride on another day at the office -- in this case, a policeman's “day at the office". Not a true crime show, as this is drama, but this show features Chuck Morgan, as played by Glen Langen, a very believable news anchor at KOP, a Los Angeles radio station. He is pals with Lieutenant Bill Miggs of the police force, who tips him off to hot crime news. Also in on the capers is Morgan's "Gal Friday", Carol Curtis, played by Adele Jurgens. The three meet all types -- mostly on the shady side of the street. In real life, Glen and Adele were husband and wife, the two marrying in 1949. They had met on the movie set of The Treasure of Monte Cristo. On the show, the repartee between the two is strictly old school and quite enjoyable. The dialogue is solid and makes the most of the plots. Unheralded and left for dead, Stand By for Crime is well worth your time.
OTRR Certification Information: Series Name: Stand By for Crime Certification Status: OTRR Certified Accurate Certification Date: April 5, 2006 Certification Version: Version 1 Number of CDs: 1 From the Old Time Radio Researcher's Group. See "Note" Section below for more information on the OTRR.
Notes
OLD TIME RADIO RESEARCHER'S GROUP
If you are interested in preserving old time radio, you may wish to join the Old Time Radio Researchers Group at Yahoo.
Relax, listen, and enjoy!
OTRR Definitions:
OTRR Certified Accurate -- A series that is Certified Accurate indicates that all the episodes are properly identified and labeled but that the series does not contain all known extant episodes.
OTRR Certified Complete -- A series that is Certified Complete is the highest level of certification available under the OTRR Certified Standards. This certification level implies that all the files in the series are Certified Accurate but also indicates that the series is as complete as possible – it includes all extant episodes.
Reviews
Reviewer:
slick.james785@gmail.com
-
favoritefavoritefavoritefavorite -
November 24, 2010
Subject: Stand by for Crime
Subject: Stand by for Crime
I agree with IanKoro. I listen to a LOT of OTR detective programs. One cannot argue that "Sam Spade" was one of the best. One needs to get and listen to "Betrayal and Bumpass Hell" to get where "serious" programs CAN and DID tounge in cheek! The Episode is well written humor! (Esp the interplay of Spade and Effie at the end) There also was a Halloween episode (I Can't think of the title right now) that is as funny. So enjoy adding "Stand By for Crime" to your OTR list. Hell, I even at times enjoy "Danger Dr. Danfeild" All OTR beats ANYTHING of Network TV today!
Reviewer:
IanKoro
-
favoritefavoritefavorite -
August 18, 2010
Subject: Not bad.
Subject: Not bad.
I'm not really sure what confused the other reviewers. The idea that tongue-in-cheek semi-parody was rare in the 50's has to come from someone with only a passing familiarity with the era. There were a number of parody radio shows from that era, The Whisperer, for example, and plenty of other shows, like Sam Spade, had moments that verged on parody.
Contrary to popular belief, dark humor, satire, and genuine wit weren't invented in the late 60's. The post-war years weren't all Ozzy and Harriet, there's plenty of interesting humor out there.
Also, "Glamour Puss" is her nickname, she also has an actual name in the show, but I can't remember it off the top of my head. Claiming that detail is somehow emblematic of the entire show is just plain silly.
Overall, it's not a bad show. It's certainly not the best of the era, but the actors have a decent amount of personality, and the writing isn't too bad either.
Contrary to popular belief, dark humor, satire, and genuine wit weren't invented in the late 60's. The post-war years weren't all Ozzy and Harriet, there's plenty of interesting humor out there.
Also, "Glamour Puss" is her nickname, she also has an actual name in the show, but I can't remember it off the top of my head. Claiming that detail is somehow emblematic of the entire show is just plain silly.
Overall, it's not a bad show. It's certainly not the best of the era, but the actors have a decent amount of personality, and the writing isn't too bad either.
Reviewer:
KinsmanRedeemer
-
favoritefavoritefavoritefavoritefavorite -
August 18, 2010
Subject: Love this show
Subject: Love this show
I used to listen to SBFC as a kid on KNX in LA during the 1980s...yes, it's a "real" show from that era.
I don't see the show as being 'cheesy' as much as it is tongue-in-cheek. It's a bit like how seriously "Face" took the situations on the A-Team or Roger Moore handled dilemmas while James Bond.
So enjoy...only now do I realize that this show has been historically unpopular, but it's definitely worth the listen.
I don't see the show as being 'cheesy' as much as it is tongue-in-cheek. It's a bit like how seriously "Face" took the situations on the A-Team or Roger Moore handled dilemmas while James Bond.
So enjoy...only now do I realize that this show has been historically unpopular, but it's definitely worth the listen.
Reviewer:
polistra
-
favoritefavoritefavoritefavorite -
April 15, 2009
Subject: Also puzzled
Subject: Also puzzled
I was also confused by this one. The actors are unquestionably real, and there's nothing wrong with the scripts (no events or phrases that don't belong in 1953).
But overall the show somehow sounds "modern". The audio is FM quality, with a bandwidth of 12 KHz. Perhaps it was reprocessed later, but it sounds better than that.
And I hear the same tongue-in-cheek or ironic tone in the voices. This tone wasn't impossible in those days (think of Stan Freberg for instance) but it was certainly rare.
But overall the show somehow sounds "modern". The audio is FM quality, with a bandwidth of 12 KHz. Perhaps it was reprocessed later, but it sounds better than that.
And I hear the same tongue-in-cheek or ironic tone in the voices. This tone wasn't impossible in those days (think of Stan Freberg for instance) but it was certainly rare.
Reviewer:
Mark January
-
favoritefavorite -
July 2, 2007
Subject: Stand by for CRIME
Subject: Stand by for CRIME
This is really from the '50s? Huh. I thought it was a more recent parody of the old detective format. I guess that says a lot about the show.
If you're looking for cheese, this will probably give you what you want, but it seems way too tongue-in-cheek for me to be able to get into. The fact that the main character has a ditzy seceretary named Glamour Puss ought to give you an idea of what to expect.
If you're looking for cheese, this will probably give you what you want, but it seems way too tongue-in-cheek for me to be able to get into. The fact that the main character has a ditzy seceretary named Glamour Puss ought to give you an idea of what to expect.
16,234 Views
16 Favorites
Uploaded by OTRRArchive on
