Category Archives: adventure

History provides bad example for Gunsmoke newsies

Posted on October 14, 2013 by Bob Stepno

The six-gun adventures reported by 19th century writer Ned Buntline came up in conversation more than once in the 1952-1961 radio drama “Gunsmoke.” As an “adult” Western during the mature days of American radio drama, Gunsmoke distanced itself from the … Continue reading →

Posted in 1950s, 19th century, adventure | Tagged | Leave a comment

Superman reboots… and Lois suffers?

Posted on June 14, 2013 by Bob Stepno

With the new “Man of Steel” movie opening today, I have to point out that the keepers of the Superman flame have seen fit to “reboot” the storyline many times in its history, and the role of journalism in the … Continue reading →

Posted in 1940s, adventure, Clark Kent, editors, Lois Lane, Perry White, Superman | Leave a comment

Orson Welles Impersonates a Journalist

Posted on January 13, 2013 by Bob Stepno

No this isn’t about “Citizen Kane.” It’s about one of the famous actor’s returns to radio in the 1950s. (Before his first film, he was famous on radio — for everything from “The Shadow” to that Mercury Theater “War of … Continue reading →

Posted in 1950s, adventure, crime, Drama, reporters | Leave a comment

Reporter reveals Europe Confidential mysteries

Posted on January 6, 2013 by Bob Stepno

The radio series “Europe Confidential” told mystery tales in the guise of newspaper columns, and is now available as MP3 files with titles like “The Blackmailed Spy Affair.”The “World’s Greatest Mysteries” program is a bit of a mystery itself — … Continue reading →

Posted in 1950s, adventure, Drama, Europe, foreign correspondents, Syndication | Leave a comment

Clark Kent, super burglar or stupid bungler?

Posted on March 31, 2012 by Bob Stepno

Being on the side of truth and justice appears to have justified some “might means right” tactics in Clark Kent’s early reporting repertoire, including burglary, threats, assault and kidnapping. For example, in this sequence from the second year of the … Continue reading →

Posted in 1940s, adventure, Clark Kent, ethics, Jimmy Olsen, Perry White, reporting, Superman | Leave a comment

Something Green for St. Patrick’s Day

Posted on March 17, 2012 by Bob Stepno

  The band played an Irish jig  whenever derby-wearing Michael Axford entered the scene in The Green Hornet Strikes Again, the 1941 movie serial closely based on the Green Hornet radio program. Cop-turned-reporter Axford, played by Wade Boteler in the … Continue reading →

Posted in 1940s, adventure, GreenHornet, movies, radio, reporters, undercover, women | Leave a comment

Spring Break Superman Double Double-Feature

Posted on March 2, 2012 by Bob Stepno

This week, four episodes of “Professor Thorpe’s Bathysphere,” transported from the fall of 1940 for your March 2012 spring-break entertainment. 5: Sept. 4, 1940 6: Sept. 6, 1940 7: Sept. 9, 1940 8: Sept. 11, 1940 On the radio, America’s … Continue reading →

Posted in 1940s, adventure, Clark Kent, journalism, newspaper stunts, newspapers, Perry White, reporters, science reporting, Superman | Leave a comment