The Zero Hour (aka Hollywood Radio Theater) was a 1973–74 American radio drama anthology series hosted by Rod Serling.[1][2] With tales of mystery, adventure and suspense, the program was broadcast for two seasons.
The radio series debuted on September 3, 1973, in syndication, and was picked up by the Mutual Broadcasting System in December. The original format featured five-part dramas broadcast Monday through Friday with the story coming to a conclusion on Friday. Including commercials, each part was approximately 30 minutes long. Mutual affiliates were free to broadcast the series in any available time slot that they wished.[3]
In 1974, still airing five days a week, the program changed to a full story in a single 30-minute installment with the same actor starring throughout the week in all five programs. That format was employed from late April 1974 to the end of the series in July 1974.
Producer J. M. Kholos was a Los Angeles advertising man who acquired the rights to suspense novels, including Tony Hillerman's The Blessing Way, for radio adaptations. In some cases, the titles were changed. For example, the five-part "Desperate Witness" was an adaptation of The Big Clock by Kenneth Fearing. To create a strong package, Kholos followed through by lining up top actors, including John Astin, Edgar Bergen, Joseph Campanella, Richard Crenna, John Dehner, Howard Duff, Keenan Wynn, Richard Deacon, Patty Duke, Nina Foch, George Maharis, Susan Oliver, Brock Peters and Lurene Tuttle.
The opening theme music was by Ferrante & Teicher. Don Hills produced the series for StudioHouse, which also produced the Salvation Army's Heartbeat Theatre. Counting each five-part show as five episodes, there were a total of 130 episodes. Failing to find a large audience due to the initial weekly serial format and lack of promotion, Mutual canceled the program, and the final episode was broadcast on July 26 1974, though many Mutual affiliates continued broadcasting repeats for several months afterwards. According to director Elliott Lewis, "They wanted as much name value as possible to help with sales. They forgot they had to sell it. Everybody sat in the office and waited for someone to call them up and buy the show."[4]
Highbridge Audio released six of the five-part stories on audiocassettes. "Desperate Witness"; "Face Of The Foe"; "But I Wouldn't Want To Die There"; "Wife Of The Red-Haired Man"; "The Heir Hunters" and "If Two Of Them Are Dead."
Episodes – Series One
edit| Episode | Title | Written by / based on novel by | Airdate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1–5 | "Wife of the Red Haired Man (parts 1-5)" | Bill S. Ballinger | September 3, 1973 to September 7, 1973 | |
|
"This week Bill S. Ballinger's best selling novel of the pursuit of a damned couple, starring Patty Duke Astin, John Astin, and Howard Duff." | ||||
| 6–10 | "Someone's Death (parts 1-5)" | Charles Larson | September 10, 1973 to September 14, 1973 | |
|
"This week Charles Larson's inside story of television murder, starring George Kennedy, Joyce Bulifant and Robert Reed." | ||||
| 11–15 | "Fourth of Forever (parts 1-5)" | Bill S. Ballinger | September 17, 1973 to September 21, 1973 | |
|
"This week Bill S. Ballinger's study of a deadly obsession, starring John Dehner and Susan Oliver." | ||||
| 16–20 | "Face of the Foe (parts 1-5)" | Patricia Power | September 24, 1973 to September 28, 1973 | |
|
"This week Patricia Power's eerie saga of a neighborhood besieged, starring Jessica Walters, Joe Campanella and Judy Carne." | ||||
| 21–25 | "Blessing Way (parts 1-5)" | Tony Hillerman | October 2, 1973 to October 6, 1973 | |
|
"This week Tony Hillerman's haunting tour of terror, starring Ed Nelson, Barbara Anderson, and Tige Andrews." | ||||
| 26–30 | "Princess Stakes Murder Case (parts 1-5)" | Kin Platt | October 8, 1973 to October 12, 1973 | |
| 31–35 | "Queen in Danger (parts 1-5)" | Adam Hall | October 15, 1973 to October 19, 1973 | |
|
"This week Adam Hall's chess match of continental intrigue, starring Juliet Mills, Robert Brown and Murray Matheson." | ||||
| 36–40 | "Desperate Witness (parts 1-5)" | Kenneth Fearing | October 22, 1973 to October 26, 1973 | |
|
"This week Kenneth Fearing's study of a deadly obsession, starring Richard Crenna, Keenan Wynn, and Julie Adams." | ||||
| 41–45 | "If Two of Them Are Dead (parts 1-5)" | Stanton Forbes | October 29, 1973 to November 2, 1973 | |
|
"This week Stanton Forbes' bizarre retrospective tale of entanglement, starring Earl Holliman, Catherine Burns, and Nina Foch as Sister Love." | ||||
| 46–50 | "But I Wouldn't Want to Die There (parts 1-5)" | Stanton Forbes | November 5, 1973 to November 9, 1973 | |
|
"This week Stanton Forbes' labyrinth of tropical intrigue, starring Nehemiah Persoff, Brock Peters, and Marge Redmond." Also starring Alan Reed.[5] | ||||
| 51–55 | "Heir Hunters (parts 1-5)" | Bill S. Ballinger | November 12, 1973 to November 16, 1973 | |
|
"This week Bill S. Ballinger's sound portrait of an unlikely hero, starring Ken Berry, Joanne Worley, Edgar Bergen." | ||||
| 56–60 | "A Die in the Country (parts 1-5)" | Tobias Wells | November 19, 1973 to November 23, 1973 | |
|
"This week Tobias Wells' neogothic tale of small-town terror, starring Peter Marshall, Susan Strasberg, and Andrew Duggan." | ||||
| 61–65 | "The Dead Man's Tale (parts 1-5)" | Merwin Gerard | November 26, 1973 to November 30, 1973 | |
|
"This week Merwin Gerard's study of a man pursued, starring George Maharis, Craig Stevens and Charles McGraw." | ||||
Episodes – Series Two
edit| Starring | Episode | Title | Written by / based on novel by | Airdate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mel Torme | ||||
| 66 | "Bye-Bye Narco" | Keith Walker | April 29, 1974 | |
|
"Today Keith Walker's odd tale of violated sanctuary..." | ||||
| 67 | "Terror in the Night" | Glenhall Taylor | April 30, 1974 | |
|
"Today Glenhall Taylor's frightening suspense thriller..." | ||||
| 68 | "Scream of the Hawk" | Keith Walker | May 1, 1974 | |
|
"Today Keith Walker's story of the ultimate revenge..." | ||||
| 69 | "Extortionist" | Glenhall Taylor | May 2, 1974 | |
|
"Today Glenhall Taylor's tale of a threatened death..." | ||||
| 70 | "Price of Admission" | Kim Weiskopf | May 3, 1974 | |
|
"Today Kim Weiskopf's audio glimpse of the mayhem on the midway..." | ||||
| Jackie Cooper | ||||
| 71 | "Shortage Story" | Kim Weiskopf | May 6, 1974 | |
|
"Today Kim Weiskopf's twisted tale of modern times..." | ||||
| 72 | "Escape to Nowhere" | Glenhall Taylor | May 7, 1974 | |
|
"Today Glenhall Taylor's tale of murder and futile escape..." | ||||
| 73 | "Fair's Fair, You Know" | Keith Walker | May 8, 1974 | |
|
"Today Keith Walker's convoluted tale of now you see it now you don't..." | ||||
| 74 | "Housecall" | Kim Weiskopf | May 9, 1974 | |
|
"Today Kim Weiskopf's unravelling of a grisly prescription..." | ||||
| 75 | "Violation" | Keith Walker | May 10, 1974 | |
|
"Today Keith Walker's frightened story of blinded justice..." Featured in the cast: John Larch | ||||
| Dick Sargent | ||||
| 76 | "Arm's Length" | Kim Weiskopf | May 13, 1974 | |
|
"Today Kim Weiskopf's grisly tale of detachment..." Featured in the cast: Ross Martin | ||||
| 77 | "Some People Die Only Once" | Glenhall Taylor | May 14, 1974 | |
|
"Today Glenhall Taylor's story of a mysterious death..." | ||||
| 78 | "Reward" | Keith Walker | May 15, 1974 | |
|
"Today Keith Walker's oblique look into the other side of crime..." | ||||
| 79 | "Villainous Verdict" | Glenhall Taylor | May 16, 1974 | |
|
"Today Glenhall Taylor's drama of deception and death..." | ||||
| 80 | "Strange Odyssey of Sandy Mitchell" | Keith Walker | May 17, 1974 | |
|
"Today Keith Walker's spine-tingling tale of the supernatural..." Featured in the cast: Casey Kasem | ||||
| Lyle Waggoner | ||||
| 81 | "White Flame Burning Bright" | Glenhall Taylor | May 20, 1974 | |
|
"Today Glenhall Taylor's macabre adventure in pyromania..." | ||||
| 82 | "Mind of the Beholder" | Kim Weiskopf | May 21, 1974 | |
|
"Today Kim Weiskopf's sidelong glance at a small town entanglement..." | ||||
| 83 | "Why Is Ted Marcosi Driving Aunt Sally Insane?" | Keith Walker | May 22, 1974 | |
|
"Today Keith Walker's romp through the ? of horror..." | ||||
| 84 | "There is a Man in 211" | Kim Weiskopf | May 23, 1974 | |
|
"Today Kim Weiskopf's strange saga of apartment living..." | ||||
| 85 | "Death is a Puppeteer" | Glenhall Taylor | May 24, 1974 | |
|
"Today Glenhall Taylor's story of murder in a theater..." | ||||
| William Shatner | ||||
| 86 | "Dr. Rivington, Presumably" | Kim Weiskopf | May 27, 1974 | |
|
"Today Kim Weiskopf's health chart of an epidemic family..." | ||||
| 87 | "Wanted: A Willing Companion" | Kim Weiskopf | May 28, 1974 | |
|
"Today Kim Weiskopf’s overview of an underground newspaper ad..." | ||||
| 88 | "Pigs Could Put You in the Pen" | Glenhall Taylor | May 29, 1974 | |
|
"Today Glenhall Taylor's drama of a macabre humor..." | ||||
| 89 | "Sky Lab Are You There?" | Keith Walker | May 30, 1974 | |
|
"Today Keith Walker's double tale of terror in space..." | ||||
| 90 | "Favor You Can't Refuse" | Keith Walker | May 31, 1974 | |
|
"Today Keith Walker's caustic account of disorganized crime..." | ||||
| Greg Morris | ||||
| 91 | "Death at Half a Length" | Keith Walker | June 3, 1974 | |
|
"Today Keith Walker's drama at the races..." | ||||
| 92 | "Floating Down the River" | Glenhall Taylor | June 4, 1974 | |
|
"Today Glenhall Taylor's tale of a watery grave..." | ||||
| 93 | "Once a Thief" | Kim Weiskopf | June 5, 1974 | |
|
"Today Kim Weiskopf's thumbnail sketch of a light-fingered filcher..." | ||||
| 94 | "Other Sins Only Speak, Murder Shrieks Out" | Glenhall Taylor | June 6, 1974 | |
|
"Today Glenhall Taylor's story of a murderous triangle..." | ||||
| 95 | "Rehabilitation of Citizen Fimple" | Keith Walker | June 7, 1974 | |
|
"Today Keith Walker's whimsical tale of love and crime..." | ||||
| Lee Meriwether | ||||
| 96 | "Bonnie and Clyde are Alive and Living as Mary and Bill" | Glenhall Taylor | June 10, 1974 | |
|
"Today Glenhall Taylor's study in violence..." | ||||
| 97 | "Sisters of Satan" | Glenhall Taylor | June 11, 1974 | |
|
"Today Glenhall Taylor's suspenseful drama of a peaceful but dangerous mission..." | ||||
| 98 | "The Mannequin Sham" | Kim Weiskopf | June 12, 1974 | |
|
"Today Kim Weiskopf's unmasking of a consumer fraud..." Featured in the cast: Les Tremayne | ||||
| 99 | "Double Date to Destiny" | Keith Walker | June 13, 1974 | |
|
"Today Keith Walker's chilling story of assassination..." | ||||
| 100 | "Clay Pigeons" | Kim Weiskopf | June 14, 1974 | |
|
"Today Kim Weiskopf's study of cinema murder come to life..." | ||||
| Peter Lupus | ||||
| 101 | "Past is Always Present" | Glenhall Taylor | June 17, 1974 | |
|
"Today Glenhall Taylor's suspensful drama of a hidden drama..." | ||||
| 102 | "Woman in Black" | Sue Dunham | June 18, 1974 | |
|
"Today Sue Dunham's postmortem of a vicious cycle..." | ||||
| 103 | "Come Light My Fire" | Glenhall Taylor | June 19, 1974 | |
|
"Today Glenhall Taylor's offbeat story of people who play with matches... and death..." | ||||
| 104 | "Riders Wanted: Share Expenses" | Sue Dunham | June 20, 1974 | |
|
"Today Sue Dunham's trackdown of a curious caravan..." Featured in the cast: Casey Kasem | ||||
| 105 | "Death on Canvas" | Sue Dunham | June 21, 1974 | |
|
"Today Sue Dunham's portrait of an artist in trouble..." Featured in the cast: Casey Kasem | ||||
| Shelley Berman | ||||
| 106 | "House That Clemont Built" | Keith Walker | June 24, 1974 | |
|
"Today Keith Walker's hilarious tale of death by error..." | ||||
| 107 | "Joint Account" | Kim Weiskopf | June 25, 1974 | |
|
"Today Kim Weiskopf's bank statement of miscalculations..." | ||||
| 108 | "Tiger Cages" | Keith Walker | June 26, 1974 | |
|
"Today Keith Walker's nasty tale of political chicanery..." | ||||
| 109 | "Violence Takes a Curtain Call" | Glenhall Taylor | June 27, 1974 | |
|
"Today Glenhall Taylor's tragedy of murder in a theater..." | ||||
| 110 | "Children Are Dying" | Keith Walker | June 28, 1974 | |
|
"Today Keith Walker's hellish tale of heroin on the streets..." | ||||
| Bob Crane | ||||
| 111 | "Bend, Spindle and Mutilate" | Sue Dunham | July 1, 1974 | |
|
"Today Sue Dunham's computer readout of automated murder..." | ||||
| 112 | "Murder is a Work of Art" | Glenhall Taylor | July 2, 1974 | |
|
"Today Glenhall Taylor's eerie drama of mummies and revenge..." | ||||
| 113 | "Edwards Tug and Salvage" | Keith Walker | July 3, 1974 | |
|
"Today Keith Walker's low comedy on the high seas..." | ||||
| 114 | "Larceny on the Lake" | Glenhall Taylor | July 4, 1974 | |
|
"Today Glenhall Taylor's story of an FBI agent who almost loses his life in the line of duty..." | ||||
| 115 | "OLAM aka On the Lam aka The Lamb(s)" | Keith Walker | July 5, 1974 | |
|
"Today Keith Walker's outsized story of heroism in Korea..." | ||||
| Monte Markham | ||||
| 116 | "Corpse Takes a Sleigh Ride" | Glenhall Taylor | July 8, 1974 | |
|
"Today Glenhall Taylor's chiller drama of blood in the snow..." | ||||
| 117 | "Marionettes" | Sue Dunham | July 9, 1974 | |
|
"Today Sue Dunham's eerie tale of 'no strings attached'..." | ||||
| 118 | "Ghost of the Black Plague" | Keith Walker | July 10, 1974 | |
|
"Today Keith Walker's gothic tale of revenge..." Featured in the cast: Peggy Walton, Ben Wright, Parley Baer, Rhoda Williams, and Daws Butler. | ||||
| 119 | "Trunkful of Trouble" | Glenhall Taylor | March 1974 | |
|
"Today Glenhall Taylor's gruesome account of murders in a ? house..." | ||||
| 120 | "Grand Prize" | Sue Dunham | July 12, 1974 | |
|
"Today Sue Dunham's bizarre quiz program aftermath..." | ||||
| Joe Campanella | ||||
| 121 | "Welcome Home Denny Shackleford" | Sue Dunham | July 15, 1974 | |
|
"Today Sue Dunham's front row seat at a family reunion..." | ||||
| 122 | "Death of a Genius" | Glenhall Taylor | July 16, 1974 | |
|
"Today Glenhall Taylor's dramatic account of a shocking murder..." | ||||
| 123 | "Remember Me?" | Gus Bayes | July 17, 1974 | |
|
"Today a story by Gus C. Bayes of love and murder..." | ||||
| 124 | "Lost in Time" | Keith Walker | July 18, 1974 | |
|
"Today Keith Walker's frightening voyage into the past..." | ||||
| 125 | "Once Upon a Truck" | Sue Dunham | July 19, 1974 | |
|
"Today Sue Dunham's nursery rhyme of highjacking..." | ||||
| Ross Martin | ||||
| 126 | "Corpse Takes a Stand" | Glenhall Taylor | July 22, 1974 | |
|
"Today Glenhall Taylor's weird tale of a cadaver in a courtroom..." | ||||
| 127 | "Carnival of Menace" | Glenhall Taylor | July 23, 1974 | |
|
"Today Glenhall Taylor's black episode of circus life..." | ||||
| 128 | "Chicago John and The Glitter People" | Kim Weiskopf | July 24, 1974 | |
|
"Today Kim Weiskopf's oblique excursion down Tin Pan Alley..." Featured in the cast: Daws Butler | ||||
| 129 | "Smoke Screen" | Glenhall Taylor | July 25, 1974 | |
|
"Today Glenhall Taylor's story of a small-town lawman with a big-time mind..." | ||||
| 130 | "The Holdout" | Gus Bayes | July 26, 1974 | |
|
"Today a story by Gus C. Bayes about a jury... and justice..." | ||||
References
edit- ^ The Zero Hour Radio Log
- ^ "Submitted for Your Perusal The Zero Hour – 1974" (RodSerling.com)
- ^ Zero Hour at The Digital Deli Too
- ^ Dunning, John (1998). On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio (Revised ed.). New York, NY: Oxford University Press. pp. 744–745. ISBN 978-0-19-507678-3. Retrieved 2019-09-28.
- ^ Yabba Dabba Doo!: The Alan Reed Story. BearManor Media. p. 199.
External links
edit- Jerry Haendiges Vintage Radio Logs: The Zero Hour
- Rod Serling's ZERO HOUR PROMO PODCAST - Original audio promo for the series from 1973. [When accessed on February 22, 2017, this link was no longer active]
- Libsyn podcasts First 6 programs; subsequent episodes appear by scrolling down on page.
- History of Mutual radio's Zero Hour and Rod Serling
- The Digital Deli Too
- Glenhall Taylor: Before Television
- Times Past Old Time Radio Opening description on this page above appears to come from this site.
- Society to Preserve and Encourage Radio Drama, Variety, and Comedy Gus Bayes, sound man.