Radio Legends:
This Is Your FBI, Volume 1
Liner notes written by Harlan Zinck

^{Item #RL09 - Ten CD Set $19.95}

During radio's 'golden age,' there was only one series that carried the official approval of the Federal Bureau of Investigation -- an approval so strong, in fact, that Bureau Chief J. Edgar Hoover frequently referred to it as "our show".

Featuring newsreel-type dramatic music and employing a semi-documentary style in both its narration and in its portrayal of both criminals and federal agents, "This Is Your FBI" was not only officially sanctioned by the Bureau but was even allowed to use closed case files as the basis for its weekly stories. Jerry Devine, the producer/director of the series, was even allowed to attend a two-week session at the FBI academy in order to get a true-to-life feel for the workings of the Bureau -- and maintained his familiarity with evolving FBI procedures by making regular trips to Washington throughout the series' eight-year run.

For the first two years of the series, "This Is Your FBI" was broadcast from New York, where it benefited from the acting talents of many of the most familiar voices in network radio. Performers such as Mandel Kramer, Elspeth Eric, and Santos Ortega lent an air of authenticity to the proceedings with their realistic portrayals of extortionists, kidnappers, murderers, racketeers, and other criminals -- all of whom would eventually be caught and convicted by the patient and methodical agents of the FBI. Likewise, the steady and intense narrative skills of Frank Lovejoy and Dean Carlton brought the stories full-circle, emphasizing not only the nature of the crimes but the tireless efforts of the Bureau to gather the evidence necessary to bring the criminals to justice.

"This Is Your FBI" was a big hit for the American Broadcasting Company, bringing increased popularity and higher ratings to the then-two-year-old network - plus the generous funding provided by its sponsor: the wealthy and venerable Equitable Life Assurance Society. Consequently, ABC lavished considerable resources on its production -- including the use of a full orchestra, original musical scores, and subtle but effective sound effects techniques that brought each episode to full dramatic life. Heard today, it's obvious that the goal of the series was to glorify the workings of the FBI -- but what's surprising is the dramatic punch many of the episodes still carry for modern listeners; an undeniable tribute to the men and women who produced the series so many years ago.

The twenty programs in this Radio Legends collection are taken primarily from the first year of the series, when the show was based in New York and offer ten full hours of engrossing radio drama from one of the premier crime anthology series of all time.

Here is the complete content of this ten-CD collection:

Escaped Prisoners Of War
Friday, April 27, 1945 - 30:00 - ABC
Sponsored by the Equitable Life Assurance Society

Espionage
Friday, July 20, 1945 - 30:00 - ABC
Sponsored by the Equitable Life Assurance Society

Misery Chiseler
Friday, July 27, 1945 - 30:00 - ABC
Sponsored by the Equitable Life Assurance Society

Extortion
Friday, August 3, 1945 - 30:00 - ABC
Sponsored by the Equitable Life Assurance Society

The Strange Extortion
Friday, October 5, 1945 - 30:00 - ABC
Sponsored by the Equitable Life Assurance Society

The Marriage Racket
Friday, October 19, 1945 - 30:00 - ABC
Sponsored by the Equitable Life Assurance Society

The Serviceman's Fraud
Friday, October 26, 1945 - 30:00 - ABC
Sponsored by the Equitable Life Assurance Society

The Desert Dictator
Friday, November 2, 1945 - 30:00 - ABC
Sponsored by the Equitable Life Assurance Society

The Allotment Swindle
Friday, November 16, 1945 - 30:00 - ABC
Sponsored by the Equitable Life Assurance Society

The Bobby Socks Bandits
Friday, November 23, 1945 - 30:00 - ABC
Sponsored by the Equitable Life Assurance Society

The Big Breakout
Friday, November 30, 1945 - 30:00 - ABC
Sponsored by the Equitable Life Assurance Society

Fourth Anniversary Of Pearl Harbor
Friday, December 7, 1945 - 30:00 - ABC
Sponsored by the Equitable Life Assurance Society

The Highway Hijacker
Friday, December 14, 1945 - 30:00 - ABC
Sponsored by the Equitable Life Assurance Society

The Sorrowful Swindler
Friday, December 21, 1945 - 30:00 - ABC
Sponsored by the Equitable Life Assurance Society

Murder On The High Seas
Friday, December 28, 1945 - 30:00 - ABC
Sponsored by the Equitable Life Assurance Society

Crime In The Roaring Twenties
Friday, January 4, 1946 - 30:00 - ABC
Sponsored by the Equitable Life Assurance Society

The Innocent Killer
Friday, January 11, 1946 - 30:00 - ABC
Sponsored by the Equitable Life Assurance Society

The Cold Blooded Kidnapper
Friday, January 18, 1946 - 30:00 - ABC
Sponsored by the Equitable Life Assurance Society

The Unwelcome Guest
Friday, January 25, 1946 - 30:00 - ABC
Sponsored by the Equitable Life Assurance Society

The Sinister Souvenir
Friday, February 1, 1946 - 30:00 - ABC
Sponsored by the Equitable Life Assurance Society
 

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