Resolving 30 Mystery Broadcasts from The Lone Ranger, Sherlock Holmes, Sam Spade, and Box 13
Building on our first serial pass, this update tackles 30 longstanding mystery recordings across four legendary series: The Lone Ranger (1940 and 1950 transcription discs), The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (Tom Conway / Nigel Bruce 1947 runs…
Forensic Discoveries
Building on our first serial pass, this update tackles 30 longstanding mystery recordings across four legendary series: The Lone Ranger (1940 and 1950 transcription discs), The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (Tom Conway / Nigel Bruce 1947 runs & John Gielgud / Ralph Richardson BBC classics), The Adventures of Sam Spade, and Box 13.
1. The Lone Ranger — 1940 & 1950 Master Discs Dated
Contemporaneous General Mills (Cheerios / Wheaties) on-air sponsor billboards and master WXYZ electrical transcription logs date these 13 broadcasts:
| Title | Verified Airdate | Episode # / Log Notes |
|---|---|---|
| "Cattle Drive to Death" | 1940-06-14 | Episode #1181 |
| "Trap for a Fur Thief" | 1940-06-07 | Episode #1178 |
| "The Mountain Trap" | 1940-05-31 | Episode #1175 |
| "Holster Heritage" | 1950-05-26 | Episode #2624 (General Mills Cheerios) |
| "Wild Horse Roundup" | 1940-06-19 | Episode #1183 |
| "Path of Progress" | 1940-06-12 | Episode #1180 |
| "Death Rides with Daggett" | 1950-01-11 | Episode #2566 (Wheaties sponsor cue) |
| "Mysterious Cotton Pickers" | 1940-06-10 | Episode #1179 |
| "A Lesson for Congress" | 1940-06-05 | Episode #1177 |
| "The Widow Spider's Web" | 1950-01-04 | Episode #2563 |
| "The Last of the Gang" | 1950-01-20 | Episode #2570 |
| "Three Cent Mistake" | 1950-01-09 | Episode #2565 |
| "The Colonel's Son" | 1940-06-03 | Episode #1176 |
2. Sherlock Holmes — BBC and Mutual Broadcasts Dated
| Title | Verified Airdate | Cast & Source |
|---|---|---|
| "The Problem of Thor Bridge" | 1961-10-14 | Carleton Hobbs & Norman Shelley |
| "Dr. Watson Meets Sherlock Holmes" | 1954-10-05 | Sir John Gielgud & Sir Ralph Richardson |
| "The Armchair Solution" | 1947-03-30 | Tom Conway & Nigel Bruce |
| "The Adventure of the Noble Bachelor" | 1947-03-23 | Tom Conway & Nigel Bruce |
| "The Adventure of the Three Students" | 1947-04-06 | Tom Conway & Nigel Bruce |
| "The Disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax" | 1947-04-13 | Tom Conway & Nigel Bruce |
| "The Good Giant: A Portrait of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle" | 1959-05-22 | BBC Centenary Broadcast |
| "Silver Blaze (Part 2)" | 1978-01-08 | Edward Pepperbridge & David Peart |
3. The Adventures of Sam Spade — Spurious Labels Resolved
| Title | Verified Airdate | Forensic Notes |
|---|---|---|
| "The Terrified Tyrant Caper" | 1950-01-29 | Howard Duff (Episode #238) |
| "The First Nighter Program: Sam Spade Spoof" | 1947-10-23 | Campana's Italian Balm broadcast parodying Howard Duff |
| "The Maltese Falcon (Part 1)" | 1971-10-16 | BBC Saturday Night Theatre (Dashiell Hammett dramatization) |
| "The Maltese Falcon (Part 2)" | 1971-10-23 | BBC Saturday Night Theatre |
| "The Maltese Falcon (Part 3)" | 1971-10-30 | BBC Saturday Night Theatre |
| "The Maltese Falcon (Part 4)" | 1971-11-06 | BBC Saturday Night Theatre |
4. Box 13 — Alan Ladd Syndication Master
Original Filename:
Box_13_The_Bitter_Bitten_NoDate.mp3Title: "The Bitter Bitten" (Episode #32)
Verified Airdate: 1949-03-27
Forensic Audio Discovery: Alan Ladd opens: "Box 13, care of the Star-Times... Come to Room 507, Hotel Belvedere. Please waste no time because this is a matter of life and death..."