Gang Busters
Country of origin | United States |
---|---|
Language(s) | English |
Created by | Phillips H. Lord |
Original release | January 15, 1936 – November 27, 1957 |
Gang Busters is an American dramatic radio program heralded as "the only national program that brings you authentic police case histories." It premiered on January 15, 1936, and was broadcast over 21 years through November 27, 1957.[1]
History
So-called "
G-Men dramatized FBI cases, but Hoover insisted that only closed cases would be used. Hoover also demanded that he or a top-level aide review and approve every script. Hoover preferred that scripts downplay gunfights and car chases, and spend more time on systematic investigation and legwork. Agents should be shown as intelligent, hard-working and essentially faceless cogs in his technically savvy crime-fighting organization.[2] Those restrictions hampered Lord, who saw his creation as a public service, but one that had to entertain as well as inform.
The first program dramatized the story of the notorious gangster John Dillinger,[3] who was tracked down by FBI agents and shot to death outside the Biograph Theater on July 24, 1934. The second covered Lester Joseph Gillis, aka Baby Face Nelson. Although the shows were a hit with the general public, there were naysayers, some of whom deplored this sensational new style of radio show. Hyper-sensitive to any criticism, Hoover almost squelched the project and made life more and more difficult for Lord.[4]
G-Men, using only FBI cases, was subject to Hoover's whims and restrictions. Gang Busters, however, featured interesting and dramatic crimes from the files of law enforcement organizations all over the country.[2] G-Men was on NBC Radio from July 20 to October 12, 1935, sponsored by Chevrolet.
The "sequel," Gang Busters, debuted in mid-January, 1936. If anything, the opening sound effects became even more elaborate and aggressive.[5] The show opened with a barrage of blaring sound effects – a shrill police whistle, convicts marching in formation, police siren wailing, machine guns firing, and tires squealing. Then, an authoritative voice would announce the title of that night's program: "Tonight, Gang Busters presents the Case of the —." Finally, the opening would end with more blasts from a police whistle. This intrusive introduction led to the popular catchphrase "came on like Gangbusters."
To lend an extra air of authenticity to the presentation, Lord had
Gang Busters aired on
Gang Busters often featured prominent names in radio broadcasting, many of whom also starred in films 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 films 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.
Comics
The popularity of the radio show prompted a spin-off comic book published by
Film and television versions
Universal Pictures made a very popular Gang Busters serial film in 1942, starring Kent Taylor, Irene Hervey, Ralph Morgan, and Robert Armstrong.
Episodes of the show were later reedited into two feature films, Gang Busters (1955, with Myron Healey as Public Enemy No. 4) and Guns Don't Argue (1957, with Healey as John Dillinger).
In 1953, NBC Film Division syndicated the episodes, with the title changed to Captured. An ad for the program indicated that nine episodes of the syndicated version were new;[8] those episodes had a copyright date of 1955. Vivi Janiss was cast in three television episodes: "The Blonde Tigress" (1952), "The Rocco Case" (1952), and The Rocco Trapani Case" (1955).
References
- ^ Harmon, Jim (1967). "Crime Lord". The Great Radio Heroes. Doubleday & Company. pp. 39–53. Retrieved 9 April 2020.
- ^ a b c Kathleen Battles, Calling All Cars: Radio Dragnets and the Technology of Policing, University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis (2010).[ISBN missing][page needed]
- ^ Grams, Martin, Jr., Gang Busters, OTR Publishing, Churchville, Maryland (2004).[ISBN missing][page needed]
- ^ Christopher H. Sterling (ed.), The Biographical Encyclopedia of American Radio, Routledge, Taylor & Francis Books, New York (2011).[ISBN missing][page needed]
- ^ ISBN 978-0-19-507678-3. Retrieved 2019-09-21.
- ISBN 978-1-4654-8578-6.
- ^ "Fifties Website – Top Rated TV Shows". fiftiesweb.com.
- ^ "(ad for "Captured")" (PDF). Television Age. August 1953. Retrieved 12 December 2014.
External links
- "Gang Busters" Frank Lovejoy
- "Gang Busters" in the Old Time Radio Archive (19 episodes)
- Radio Lovers: Gang Busters (20 episodes)
- Gang Busters Step In
- Gang Busters at IMDb
- Gang Busters at the Grand Comics Database
- Gang Busters at the Comic Book DB (archived from the original)
- Crime Busters at CVTA with episode list
- True Crime Radio and Listener Disenchantment with Network Broadcasting, 1935–1946