Archival Dispatch: Resolving 30 Mystery Broadcasts from The Lone Ranger, Sherlock Holmes, Sam Spade, and Box 13
Date:
Author: radio index
Reading: 4 min
Tags: The Lone Ranger, Sherlock Holmes, Sam Spade, Box 13, Original Filenames, Primary Scans
Batch 2 Forensic Discoveries
Building on our first serial pass, Batch 2 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:
| Original Circulating Filename | Canonical Title | Verified Airdate | Episode # / Log Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
The_Lone_Ranger_The_Cattle_Drive_To_Death.mp3 |
"Cattle Drive to Death" | 1940-06-14 | Episode #1181 |
The_Lone_Ranger_The_Trap_For_A_Fur_Thief.mp3 |
"Trap for a Fur Thief" | 1940-06-07 | Episode #1178 |
The_Lone_Ranger_The_Mountain_Trap.mp3 |
"The Mountain Trap" | 1940-05-31 | Episode #1175 |
The_Lone_Ranger_Holster_Heritage_Undated.mp3 |
"Holster Heritage" | 1950-05-26 | Episode #2624 (General Mills Cheerios) |
The_Lone_Ranger_Wild_Horse_Roundup.mp3 |
"Wild Horse Roundup" | 1940-06-19 | Episode #1183 |
The_Lone_Ranger_Path_Of_Progress.mp3 |
"Path of Progress" | 1940-06-12 | Episode #1180 |
The_Lone_Ranger_Death_Rides_With_Daggett.mp3 |
"Death Rides with Daggett" | 1950-01-11 | Episode #2566 (Wheaties sponsor cue) |
The_Lone_Ranger_The_Mysterious_Cotton_Pickers.mp3 |
"Mysterious Cotton Pickers" | 1940-06-10 | Episode #1179 |
The_Lone_Ranger_A_Lesson_For_Congress.mp3 |
"A Lesson for Congress" | 1940-06-05 | Episode #1177 |
The_Lone_Ranger_The_Widow_Spiders_Web.mp3 |
"The Widow Spider's Web" | 1950-01-04 | Episode #2563 |
The_Lone_Ranger_The_Last_Of_The_Gang.mp3 |
"The Last of the Gang" | 1950-01-20 | Episode #2570 |
The_Lone_Ranger_Three_Cent_Mistake.mp3 |
"Three Cent Mistake" | 1950-01-09 | Episode #2565 |
The_Lone_Ranger_Helps_The_Colonels_Son.mp3 |
"The Colonel's Son" | 1940-06-03 | Episode #1176 |
2. Sherlock Holmes — BBC and Mutual Broadcasts Dated
| Original Circulating Filename | Canonical Title | Verified Airdate | Cast & Source |
|---|---|---|---|
Sherlock_Holmes_The_Problem_Of_Thor_Bridge.mp3 |
"The Problem of Thor Bridge" | 1961-10-14 | Carleton Hobbs & Norman Shelley |
Sherlock_Holmes_Dr_Watson_Meets_Holmes.mp3 |
"Dr. Watson Meets Sherlock Holmes" | 1954-10-05 | Sir John Gielgud & Sir Ralph Richardson |
Sherlock_Holmes_The_Armchair_Solution.mp3 |
"The Armchair Solution" | 1947-03-30 | Tom Conway & Nigel Bruce |
Sherlock_Holmes_The_Noble_Bachelor.mp3 |
"The Adventure of the Noble Bachelor" | 1947-03-23 | Tom Conway & Nigel Bruce |
Sherlock_Holmes_The_Three_Students.mp3 |
"The Adventure of the Three Students" | 1947-04-06 | Tom Conway & Nigel Bruce |
Sherlock_Holmes_70_Lady_Frances_Carfax.mp3 |
"The Disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax" | 1947-04-13 | Tom Conway & Nigel Bruce |
Sherlock_Holmes_The_Good_Giant_Conan_Doyle.mp3 |
"The Good Giant: A Portrait of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle" | 1959-05-22 | BBC Centenary Broadcast |
Sherlock_Holmes_Silver_Blaze_Part_2.mp3 |
"Silver Blaze (Part 2)" | 1978-01-08 | Edward Pepperbridge & David Peart |
3. The Adventures of Sam Spade — Spurious Labels Resolved
| Original Circulating Filename | Canonical Title | Verified Airdate | Forensic Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
Sam_Spade_Life_Can_Be_Murder_Undated.mp3 |
"The Terrified Tyrant Caper" | 1950-01-29 | Howard Duff (Episode #238) |
The_First_Nighter_Program_Sam_Spade_Spoof.mp3 |
"The First Nighter Program: Sam Spade Spoof" | 1947-10-23 | Campana's Italian Balm broadcast parodying Howard Duff |
Sam_Spade_Maltese_Falcon_BBC_Part_1.mp3 |
"The Maltese Falcon (Part 1)" | 1971-10-16 | BBC Saturday Night Theatre (Dashiell Hammett dramatization) |
Sam_Spade_Maltese_Falcon_BBC_Part_2.mp3 |
"The Maltese Falcon (Part 2)" | 1971-10-23 | BBC Saturday Night Theatre |
Sam_Spade_Maltese_Falcon_BBC_Part_3.mp3 |
"The Maltese Falcon (Part 3)" | 1971-10-30 | BBC Saturday Night Theatre |
Sam_Spade_Maltese_Falcon_BBC_Part_4.mp3 |
"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.mp3Canonical Title: "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..."