19 Master Broadcasts Dated Across AFRS Collection, Five Minute Mysteries, and The Story Lady
This update resolves 19 historic broadcasts: 7 wartime and post-war Armed Forces Radio Service (AFRS) master transcription discs (including Harlem Hospitality Club featuring Little Miss Cornshucks & Amanda Randolph, Frank Sinatra singing…
Forensic Discoveries
This update resolves 19 historic broadcasts: 7 wartime and post-war Armed Forces Radio Service (AFRS) master transcription discs (including Harlem Hospitality Club featuring Little Miss Cornshucks & Amanda Randolph, Frank Sinatra singing Night and Day, and Rebel Randall on Jukebox USA), 7 classic syndication episodes of the detective whodunit puzzle Five Minute Mysteries, and 5 storybook broadcasts from The Story Lady (including Washington Irving's Rip Van Winkle and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow).
1. AFRS Special Master Discs — 1944–1948 Military Transcriptions Dated
Preserved 16-inch lacquer and vinylite transcription discs:
| Title | Verified Airdate | All-Star Talent |
|---|---|---|
| "AFRS Harlem Hospitality Club 11: Little Miss Cornshucks & Amanda Randolph" | 1948-02-14 | Legendary Savoy Ballroom broadcast celebrating Harlem blues and jazz artistry. |
| "AFRS GI Jive: Harry James and His Music Makers" | 1944-09-04 | Trumpet virtuoso Harry James headlines the AEF Jukebox of the Air. |
| "AFRS Basic Music Library: Frank Sinatra ('Night and Day' & 'Begin the Beguine')" | 1945-06-18 | Frank Sinatra's master vocal sessions for worldwide troop distribution. |
| "AFRS Jukebox USA: Rebel Randall ('On the Sunny Side of the Street')" | 1945-03-12 | Hollywood glamour model Rebel Randall hosts swing requests for servicemen. |
| "AFRS Music Views from Hollywood: Billy May" | 1946-08-20 | Composer and arranger Billy May showcases Hollywood studio orchestra talent. |
| "AFRS This Is the Story: Anywhere Unlimited" | 1947-11-10 | Dramatic documentary anthology on post-war global reconstruction. |
| "AFRS Invitation to Learning: Classic Literature Discussion" | 1946-05-19 | Intellectual panel forum reviewing great works of world literature. |
2. Five Minute Mysteries — 1947–1948 Syndicated Detective Puzzles
Rapid-fire detective challenges where listeners deduce the killer before the final reveal:
| Title | Verified Airdate | Mystery Plot |
|---|---|---|
| "Five Minute Mysteries: A Study in Ornithology" | 1947-10-14 | A fatal shooting near a bird sanctuary unravels via acoustic clues. |
| "Five Minute Mysteries: Best Laid Plans" | 1947-11-18 | An alibi involving a remote mountain cottage is disproven by clock timing. |
| "Five Minute Mysteries: Sound and Fury" | 1947-12-23 | Industrial machinery noise conceals a deliberate warehouse robbery. |
| "Five Minute Mysteries: The Missing Cooper Ruby" | 1948-01-27 | Inspector Clark discovers a rare gemstone hidden in plain sight. |
| "Five Minute Mysteries: Death's Own Clue" | 1948-03-02 | A contested inheritance dispute results in a fatal library confrontation. |
| "Five Minute Mysteries: The Too-Early Bird" | 1948-04-06 | A suspect's fabricated commuter schedule shatters upon cross-examination. |
| "Five Minute Mysteries: Murder Will Out" | 1948-05-11 | Nighttime footsteps on a desolate moor expose a double cross. |
3. The Story Lady — 1947 Master Fairytale Broadcasts
Narrated by Georgene Faulkner:
| Title | Verified Airdate | Classic Story |
|---|---|---|
| "The Story Lady: The Crooked Man" | 1947-07-28 | Traditional English rhyme expanded into an imaginative children's fable. |
| "The Story Lady: The Handsome Prince" | 1947-08-04 | Romantic fairytale of royal virtue and humble kindness. |
| "The Story Lady: Rip Van Winkle" | 1947-08-11 | Washington Irving's Catskill Mountain fantasy adapted for radio. |
| "The Story Lady: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" | 1947-08-18 | Ichabod Crane and the midnight ride through Sleepy Hollow. |
| "The Story Lady: The Shaggiest Dog in the World" | 1947-08-25 | Playful children's animal tale of an adventurous terrier. |