The Whistler
Volume 1
“I am the Whistler and I know many things, for I walk by night. I know many strange tales hidden in the hearts of men and women who have stepped into the shadows. Yes, I know the nameless terrors of which they dare not speak!”
Haunting stories of fate, dramas of crime, deception, and manipulation building to a sudden and shocking denouement...and, through it all, the sardonic, mocking laughter of — The Whistler!
One of radio’s most memorable thriller anthologies, The Whistler was a west-coast favorite for over a decade but, despite two attempts to go nationwide, never was able to achieve the same success as a coast to coast feature. But for listeners across the western states served by the Signal Oil Company, the program’s eerie theme music opened a weekly window into the very darkest corners of the human soul. It was so popular, in fact, that Columbia Pictures produced eight second-feature films based on the concept, all but one of which starred Richard Dix.
The Whistler himself was an omniscient narrator -- the voice of Fate itself, one might suggest, or perhaps of conscience. And his stories revolved around ordinary people, pushed by the pressures of daily life into taking drastic actions. Or perhaps a sudden circumstance, an unexpected twist of life’s path, suddenly placed these protagonists on a road leading inexorably to their own destruction. Greed, lust, and perfidy of every kind figure in the plots -- and when Fate inevitably catches up with these unfortunate, driven souls, The Whistler is always ready, at the very end, to see that the knife is properly twisted.
Produced by George W. Allen, with hauntingly evocative musical scores by Wilbur Hatch, The Whistler was a prime outlet for the cream of Hollywood’s top radio performers - actors such as Wally Maher, Cathy and Elliott Lewis, Gerald Mohr, Lurene Tuttle, and Betty Lou Gerson, who emphasized skill over star power - as well as announcer Bill Forman in the title role, with Marvin Miller voicing the commercials.
Hear some of The Whistler’s strangest stories in this unforgettable Radio Archives collection - twenty original CBS network broadcasts sponsored by Signal Oil, just as originally aired in 1947.
Night Melody
Monday, January 27, 1947 - 30:00 - CBS, sponsored by Signal Oil
Seven Steps to Murder
Monday, February 3, 1947 - 30:00 - CBS, sponsored by Signal Oil
Safety in Numbers
Monday, February 10, 1947 - 30:00 - CBS, sponsored by Signal Oil
A Woman’s Privilege
Monday, February 17, 1947 - 30:00 - CBS, sponsored by Signal Oil
Mavis Cameron Disappears
Monday, March 17, 1947 - 30:00 - CBS, sponsored by Signal Oil
The Lady and the Knife
Monday, March 24, 1947 - 30:00 - CBS, sponsored by Signal Oil
The Blank Wall
Monday, March 31, 1947 - 30:00 - CBS, sponsored by Signal Oil
Backlash
Monday, April 21, 1947 - 30:00 - CBS, sponsored by Signal Oil
The Black Book
Monday, April 28, 1947 - 30:00 - CBS, sponsored by Signal Oil
Fateful Friday
Monday, May 26, 1947 - 30:00 - CBS, sponsored by Signal Oil
Caesar’s Wife
Monday, June 2, 1947 - 30:00 - CBS, sponsored by Signal Oil
Juggernaut
Monday, June 9, 1947 - 30:00 - CBS, sponsored by Signal Oil
Ambassador of Death
Monday, June 16, 1947 - 30:00 - CBS, sponsored by Signal Oil
The Gentle Way
Monday, June 23, 1947 - 30:00 - CBS, sponsored by Signal Oil
Beyond Reasonable Doubt
Wednesday, July 16, 1947 - 30:00 - CBS, sponsored by Signal Oil
Dark Future
Wednesday, August 6, 1947 - 30:00 - CBS, sponsored by Signal Oil
Whispered Verdict
Wednesday, August 13, 1947 - 30:00 - CBS, sponsored by Signal Oil
The Girl Next Door
Wednesday, August 20, 1947 - 30:00 - CBS, sponsored by Signal Oil
Curtain Call
Wednesday, August 27, 1947 - 30:00 - CBS, sponsored by Signal Oil
Sleep My Pretty One
Wednesday, September 24, 1947 - 30:00 - CBS, sponsored by Signal Oil
