Casey, Crime Photographer (radio series)

Casey, Crime Photographer, known by a variety of titles on radio (aka Crime Photographer, Flashgun Casey, Casey, Press Photographer) was a media franchise from the 1930s to the 1960s. The character was the creation of novelist George Harmon Coxe. Casey was featured in the pulp magazine, Black Mask, novels, comic books, radio, film, television and legitimate theatre.[3]

This article is about the radio program. For the entire media franchise, see Casey, Crime Photographer.
Casey, Crime Photographer
Other namesFlashgun Casey,
Casey-Press Photographer, Crime Photographer
GenreMono
Running time30 minutes
Country of originUnited States
Language(s)English
SyndicatesCBS
TV adaptationsCrime Photographer
StarringMatt Crowley
Jim Backus,
Jan Miner,
John Gibson
AnnouncerBob Hite
Tony Marvin
Bill Cullen
Created byGeorge Harmon Coxe (stories)
Written byAlonzo Deen Cole
Directed byAlbert Ward,
Rocco Tito,
and John Dietz[1]
Produced byChester Ranier
and John Dietz
Original release07/07/43 –
04/22/55[2]
No. of series5
Audio formatMono
Sponsored byAnchor Hocking
Toni Home Permanents
Philip Morris
PodcastStream episodes from Archive.org

Jack "Flashgun" Casey, was a crime photographer for the newspaper The Morning Express. With the help of reporter Ann Williams, he solved crimes and recounted his stories to Ethelbert the bartender (portrayed by John Gibson) and other friends at the Blue Note, their favorite tavern and jazz club where the Archie Bleyer Orchestra[4] and the Teddy Wilson Trio were featured. The role of Ann Williams was portrayed throughout most of the run of the series (as well as the Casey, Crime Photographer television series) by Jan Miner, perhaps best remembered as "Madge" the manicurist on Palmolive's television soap commercials from the 1960s and 1970s.[4]

Radio

Begun as over 20 popular short stories in Black Mask, there were films and novels before the stories were brought to radio under various names. The series aired on CBS. The radio show was sustained by the network when a sponsor could not be found. Sponsors of the show include Anchor Hocking, Toni home permanents, Toni Shampoo and Philip Morris.[4]

Cast

Air dates
  • 07/07/43 – 04/01/44 (as Flashgun Casey)
  • 04/08/44 – 06/26/45 (as Casey, Press Photographer)
  • 07/11/45 – 03/13/47 (as Crime Photographer)
  • 03/20/47 – 11/16/50 (as Casey, Crime Photographer)
  • 01/13/54 – 04/22/55 (as Crime Photographer)

In the period between the fourth and fifth series, the live television version was telecast.

Other media
Main article: Casey, Crime Photographer
Here's Flash Casey (1938)

"Flashgun" Casey was featured in 21 short stories in Black Mask,[7] a popular pulp magazine of the time. Collections of these stories were published in anthology form as well. Coxe wrote five novels featuring Casey from the 1930s to the 1960s. Two films Women Are Trouble and Here's Flash Casey were produced in the 1930s. Timely Comics published four issues of a comic book tie-in to the radio show in 1949, with art by Vernon Henkel.

Television
Main article: Casey, Crime Photographer (TV series)

In 1951 the popular series moved to television:

  • First Telecast: April 19, 1951
  • Last Telecast: June 5, 1952
  • Casey (April–June 1951): Richard Carlyle
  • Casey (June 1951 – April 1952): Darren McGavin
  • Ann Williams: Jan Miner (reprising her radio role)

McGavin commented, "The cast of Crime Photographer didn’t go down fighting. They took off for the hills. It was so bad that it was never re-run, and that's saying something when you recall the caliber of television programs in those days."[8]

References
  1. "article, Casey Crime Photographer". Archived from the original on January 25, 2015. Retrieved August 12, 2010. The Definitive Casey Crime Photographer article and log
  2. "episode log, Casey Crime Photographer". Retrieved October 22, 2008. Audio Classics Archive
  3. Cox, J. Randolph (2005). Flashgun Casey, Crime Photographer: From the Pulps to Radio And Beyond. David S. Siegel, William F Nolan. Yorktown Heights, NY: Book Hunter Press. ISBN 1-891379-05-4.
  4. Lackmann, Ronald W. (2000). "Casey, Crime Photographer". The Encyclopedia of American Radio: An A-Z Guide to Radio from Jack Benny to Howard Stern. Facts On File. p. 60. ISBN 0-8160-4137-7.
  5. Dunning, John (1998). "Casey, Crime Photographer". On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio (Revised ed.). New York, NY: Oxford University Press. pp. 140–141. ISBN 978-0-19-507678-3. Retrieved 2019-09-02.
  6. "'Casey' Cast". Harrisburg Telegraph. Harrisburg Telegraph. September 21, 1946. p. 17. Retrieved October 7, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  7. Hagemann, Edward R. (1982). "cite= George Harmon Coxe". A Comprehensive Index to Black Mask, 1920–1951: With Brief Annotations, Preface, and Editorial Apparatus. Bowling Green, Ohio: Bowling Green State University Popular Press. ISBN 0-87972-202-9.
  8. "Casey, Crime Photographer". Archived from the original on February 1, 2009. Retrieved October 22, 2008. DarrenMcGavin.net
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