Old Radio

March 28: Happy Birthday, Frank Lovejoy We can't know if Frank Lovejoy was voted "Most Likely To Be The Blue Beetle " by his high school class, but it seems possible. The steely-eyed, square-jawed actor exuded intensity and a detective's predatory determination. If we were alive, he'd be celebrating his one hundred and first birthday. Lovejoy's voice was one of the most recognized in the business, for Blue Beetle and several other shows.  Blue Beetle  hit the airwaves in May of 1940. Lovejoy gave voice to the title character, a superhero (whose alter-ego's name was Dan Garrett) with the strength of ten men. He carried a beetle pendant and left it around town to alert evil-doers he was on to them. Lovejoy held down this gig only for a Summer, and then future episodes went uncredited as to the voice. Frank Lovejoy is also well-known for his parts in Box 13 , Nightbeat , Dragnet , and This Is Your FBI . When they needed a stern cop or investiga

65 Years Ago Today: February 26, 1950, Night Beat made its radio debut.  You can stream a free episode of the series (starring Frank Lovejoy ) by visting NightBeat Old Time Radio !

September 27: Happy Birthday, William Conrad ! A great voice that during an era seemed to be everywhere on radio including the the role of Matt Dillon in Gunsmoke , and appearances in Escape , Lux Radio Theater , Suspense , This is Your FBI , Nightbeat , and Suspense . An amazing voice actor, his radio roles were most memorable when he toned his "deep, tough-guy voice down", and when he played an effeminate Emperor Nero in Crime Classics  or a Chinese merchant in Escape 's Misfortune Isle. Although he missed his shot to be Matt Dillon on TV, he brought us Cannon and Jake and the Fatman and his narration of The Fugitive with David Janssen and Rocky & Bullwinkle voice-over.   He was so much more than that fat detective, with a phone in his Mark IV, named 'Cannon' on TV.  He was quite versatile. He was a heavy in the movie THE KILLERS and did the voice of the Steward of Gondor in the Rankin Bass animated RETURN OF THE KING.