The Whistler stood out as a rather unique crime anthology program, and not simply because of its unusual narrator. Most crime shows of the period in which The Whistler became famous either were clear whodunits, leaving the identity of the criminal until the end, or straightforward retellings of crimes and their consequences. The writers of The Whistler wrote the character in such a way that listeners could feel like they were involved in an almost illicit conversation with The Whistler, the witness to these horribly thrilling tales they heard each week. The Whistler would make pithy, sardonic comments without interfering and allowed listeners to even be somewhat complicit, watching with him as criminals received the justice due them.
Less host and more narrator, The Whistler, particularly after 1944, took no part in the unfolding drama. He led readers into each episode, letting the unwitting characters stumble and fall into their own mistakes and traps.
The characters in the stories told on The Whistler were not always bad people, but more likely just average citizens, like the show’s listeners. Regardless, the usual outcome for the protagonists was hardly ever positive. There were episodes, however, that The Whistler’s final words did not necessarily spell out death and gloom for those involved. A few shows actually ended on, if not on a happy note, at least with the possibility of hope for those involved. This actually makes The Whistler, as a whole, a show as focused on humanity itself as it is on the darker side of things.
Listen as The Whistler exposes the darkness of men’s souls in this chilling Radio Archives collection. The Whistler Volume 21 from Radio Archives, featuring twelve broadcasts restored to sparkling digital quality, as originally aired in 1949 and 1950.
#391 The Clever Mr Farley
Sunday, November 27, 1949 - 30:00 - CBS Pacific Network, sponsored by Signal Oil
#392 Impulse
Sunday, December 4, 1949 - 30:00 - CBS Pacific Network, sponsored by Signal Oil
#393 Swan Song
Sunday, December 11, 1949 - 30:00 - CBS Pacific Network, sponsored by Signal Oil
#394 Patroness of Murder
Sunday, December 18, 1949 - 30:00 - CBS Pacific Network, sponsored by Signal Oil
#395 Letter From Cynthia
Sunday, December 25, 1949 - 30:00 - CBS Pacific Network, sponsored by Signal Oil
#396 Evening Stroll
Sunday, January 1, 1950 - 30:00 - CBS Pacific Network, sponsored by Signal Oil
#397 Return to Riondo
Sunday, January 8, 1950 - 30:00 - CBS Pacific Network, sponsored by Signal Oil
#398 Escape to Skull Island
Sunday, January 15, 1950 - 30:00 - CBS Pacific Network, sponsored by Signal Oil
#399 The Go-Between
Sunday, January 22, 1950 - 30:00 - CBS Pacific Network, sponsored by Signal Oil
#400 Burden of Guilt
Sunday, January 29, 1950 - 30:00 - CBS Pacific Network, sponsored by Signal Oil
#402 Desert Reckoning
Sunday, February 12, 1950 - 30:00 - CBS Pacific Network, sponsored by Signal Oil
#403 Five-Cent Call
Sunday, February 19, 1950 - 30:00 - CBS Pacific Network, sponsored by Signal Oil
