Archival Dispatch: Orson Welles' The Black Museum and Perry Mason Radio Dramas Dated
Date:
Author: radio index
Reading: 4 min
Tags: The Black Museum, Orson Welles, Perry Mason, Scotland Yard, Original Filenames, Primary Scans
Batch 3 Forensic Discoveries
Batch 3 resolves 24 longstanding mystery recordings across two iconic dramatic canons: Orson Welles' legendary London production of The Black Museum (Scotland Yard's repository of murder relics, Towers of London / Mutual 1952 syndication) and Bartlett Robinson / John Larkin's 1949 CBS daytime courtroom run of Perry Mason.
1. The Black Museum (Host: Orson Welles) — 1952 Mutual / Towers Discs Dated
Every episode of The Black Museum is built around a physical homicide exhibit from Scotland Yard. ASR transcription of Orson Welles' introductory monologues directly maps each tape to the 1952 master broadcast register:
| Original Circulating Filename | Canonical Story Title | Verified Airdate | Exhibit Object & Synopsis |
|---|---|---|---|
Black_Museum_The_Silencer_Undated.mp3 |
"The Silencer" | 1952-04-29 | Improvised firearm silencer constructed from bicycle parts and rubber washers. |
Black_Museum_Meatjuice_NoDate.mp3 |
"Meat Juice" | 1952-01-22 | Bottle of Valentine's Meat Juice laced with arsenic. |
Black_Museum_Glassshards_Unknown.mp3 |
"Glass Shards" | 1952-03-18 | Broken window shards from a country estate burglary. |
Black_Museum_Thetelegram.mp3 |
"The Telegram" | 1952-02-05 | Morse-coded dispatch leading to the recovery of a Thames dock victim. |
Black_Museum_A_Can_Of_Weed_Killer.mp3 |
"A Can of Weed Killer" | 1952-10-21 | Sodium arsenite garden weed killer container. |
Black_Museum_44_Thestraightrazor.mp3 |
"The Straight Razor" | 1952-11-25 | Sheffield barber's razor retrieved from a Soho lodging room. |
Black_Museum_Thehammerhead.mp3 |
"The Hammerhead" | 1952-05-06 | Iron ball-peen hammer head recovered from the Regent's Canal. |
Black_Museum_Aclawhammer.mp3 |
"The Claw Hammer" | 1952-12-16 | Carpenter's claw hammer with forensic wood splinter match. |
Black_Museum_Afrench_English_Dictionary.mp3 |
"A French-English Dictionary" | 1952-03-25 | Pocket pocket lexicon containing handwritten cipher notes. |
Black_Museum_The_22_Caliber_Pistol.mp3 |
"The .22 Caliber Pistol" | 1952-01-15 | Premiere episode (#1) murder weapon. |
Black_Museum_A_Letter.mp3 |
"A Letter" | 1952-11-18 | Postmarked blackmail letter with watermarked stationary. |
Black_Museum_The_Sheath_Knife.mp3 |
"The Sheath Knife" | 1952-01-29 | Solingen steel hunting knife dropped in Hyde Park. |
2. Perry Mason — 1949 CBS Daytime Serial Storylines Dated
| Original Circulating Filename | Canonical Title | Verified Airdate | Key Plot Development |
|---|---|---|---|
Perry_Mason_Halverson_At_Dellas_Apartment.mp3 |
"The Case of the Innocent Girl: Halverson at Della's Apartment" | 1949-04-12 | Halverson confronts Della Street regarding missing estate paperwork. |
Perry_Mason_Mae_To_Visit_Dorrie.mp3 |
"The Case of the Innocent Girl: Mae to Visit Dorrie" | 1949-05-04 | Courtroom revelation as Dorrie Grant learns of her true family background. |
Perry_Mason_At_Wallaces_Office.mp3 |
"The Case of the Murdered Banker: At Wallace's Office" | 1949-05-09 | Perry stages accidental death scenario to bait the real perpetrator. |
Perry_Mason_Perry_Stops_Kate.mp3 |
"The Case of the Murdered Banker: Perry Stops Kate" | 1949-05-13 | Ed Beekman interrogated in the District Attorney's office following Gordon Webber's murder. |
Perry_Mason_HQ_Finds_Pete.mp3 |
"The Case of the Murdered Banker: HQ Finds Pete" | 1949-05-19 | Midnight meeting between Perry Mason and Lt. Donald at Police HQ. |
Perry_Mason_PM_At_Kates_House.mp3 |
"The Case of the Murdered Banker: Perry at Kate's House" | 1949-05-20 | Mason investigates Kate Beekman's undercover nightclub employment. |
Perry_Mason_Ed_Beakman_Confesses.mp3 |
"The Case of the Murdered Banker: Ed Beekman Confesses" | 1949-05-24 | 2:00 AM jailhouse statement signed before D.A. Burger. |
Perry_Mason_Gordy_Talks_With_Kate.mp3 |
"The Case of the Murdered Banker: Gordy Talks with Kate" | 1949-05-26 | Nightclub confrontation over the stolen safe deposit records. |
Perry_Mason_DAs_Office_Drake_At_Nightclub.mp3 |
"The Case of the Murdered Banker: Drake at Nightclub" | 1949-06-01 | Paul Drake tails key witness to District Attorney Frederick's office. |
Perry_Mason_Riley_Goes_To_The_Morgue.mp3 |
"The Case of the Murdered Banker: Riley Goes to the Morgue" | 1949-06-07 | Francis Riley transported from City Jail to identify crucial physical evidence. |