Listen now to Chandu the Magician
Closed Published November 29th, 2008 in new in the Listening Library
Chandu the Magician, one of the longest running juvenile adventure serials on radio, was heard on several different networks and aired in two distinctly different series, one in the 1930s and a revival 12 years later in the 1940s and 1950s.
Launched October 10, 1932 on KHJ in Los Angeles, the series was soon heard through the West Coast when broadcast on the Don Lee Network, expanding in the mid-1930s to the Midwest on Mutual. The series was sponsored by White King Soap in the West and by Beech Nut Gum in the East.
Gayne Whitman had the lead role of American-born Frank Chandler, who had learned occult secrets from a yogi in India. Known as Chandu, he possessed several supernatural skills, including astral projection, teleportation and the ability to create illusions. Chandu’s goal was to “go forth with his youth and strength to conquer the evil that threatens mankind.” His sister, Dorothy Regent, was portrayed by Margaret MacDonald. Cyril Armbrister directed the scripts by Vera Oldham which took Chandu to far-flung locales, both mythical and real. Romantic interludes for Chandu were introduced with Egyptian Princess Nadji. Music was first furnished by Felix Mills and then Raymond Paige.
In 1935, the production moved to WGN Chicago with a new cast, including Howard Hoffman in the title role and Cornelia Osgood as Dorothy. Her children, Bob and Betty, were played by Olan Soule and Audrey McGrath. This series came to an end in 1936.
Twelve years later, the series was revived on Mutual June 28, 1948 as a 15-minute weekday program, starring Tom Collins as Chandu and Luis van Rooten as the villainous Roxor plotting world domination. With Howard Culver as the announcer and music by organist Korla Pandit, this series continued until [January 28]], 1949. The serial format was dropped February 2, 1949 in favor of 30-minute episodes, each with a self-contained storyline, and this series continued until April 28, 1949.
On October 15, 1949, Chandu the Magician moved to ABC where it was heard Saturdays at 7:30pm until June and then on Wednesdays at 9:30pm. The last broadcast was September 6, 1950
NEWS
Sat 29 Nov 2008 The remainder of l the audios will be ready for listening by midnight tonight.
LISTEN NOW to Chandu the Magician
001 Chandler Returns.mp3
002 Regents Secret aka Secret Papers Missing.mp3
003 Psychic Summons aka Is Regent Alive.mp3
004 Off to Egypt aka In Alexandria.mp3
005 Dorothy Disappears aka Rug Shop.mp3
006 Search for Dorothy aka Hypnotic Persuasion.mp3
007 Slave Auction aka Dorothy Is Rescued.mp3
008 To Cairo aka Cab Ride To Cairo.mp3
009 Blue Flame aka Message In The Blue Flame.mp3
010 Secret Place aka Journey Up The Nile.mp3
011 Note from Nadji aka Pyramid And The Hotel.mp3
012 Betty Meets Abdullah aka Rendezvous In The Garden.mp3
013 Chandu Meets Nadji aka Meeting With Princess Nadji.mp3
014 Betty Is Kidnapped.mp3
015 Betty Is Found.mp3
016 Roxor Meets Nadji.mp3
017 The Secret aka The Hand of Horis
018 Spell on Dorothy aka Spell Of The Ancient Statue.mp3
019 Crystal Ball aka Statutes Secret.mp3
020 Betty and Bob Disappear.mp3
021 Breaking the Spell aka Exorcism.mp3
022 Secret Door.mp3
023 Hand Of Horus.mp3
024 Roxor Threatens Death.mp3
026 Abdullah Disappears.mp3
028 Disappearing.mp3
029 Looking.mp3
030 Sick Camel.mp3
031 Trouble.mp3
032 Low Water Supply.mp3
033 Abdullah.mp3
034 Gordon Douglas.mp3
035 Douglas Dinner.mp3 show
036 Douglas Is An.mp3 show
037 Finding a Letter.mp3 show
038 Nile Curse.mp3 show
039 Chandus Disappeared.mp3
040 Manuscript.mp3
041 Douglas Tells.mp3
042 Letter Arrives.mp3
043 Roxors Plan.mp3
044 Frauds Idendity.mp3
045 Abdullah Stabbed.mp3
046 Inquest Plan.mp3
047 Douglas Disappears.mp3
048 Lost in the Cave.mp3
049 Chandu’s Rescue.mp3
050 Roxor Is Alive.mp3
051 Chandu Escapes.mp3
052 Reaching the Ruins.mp3
052 Reaching the Ruins
053 Judy Allen
054 Torture Chamber
055 Story Teller
056 Cairo Restauant
057 Robert’s Ring
059 Curse on Betty
060 Ben Ali’s Home
061 Opening the L
062 Sonya Shoots
063 Betty and Bob
064 Arenia Is Shot
065 Message for N
066 Mirror of Life
067 Roxor Is Killed
068 Exploring the Garden
069 Family Is Reunited
070 Visions of Di
071 Danger at Home
072 Gardener Recognized
073 Bribery Attempt
074 Secret Meeting
075 Landmark Spotted
076 Map Found
077 Fortune Told
078 Dancing Partner Recognized
079 Meets Dimitri
080 Spell Cast on Bob
081 Gypsy Coming After Betty and Bob
082 Dimitri Asked to Leave
083 Castle Plans Found
084 Warning from Nadji
085 Advice for Nicholas
086 Tells About Plans
087 Spell Cast
088 Nadji Told of Curse
089 Looking for Dorothy
090 Finding Dorothy’s Hat
091 Nicholas Has Disappeared
092 Trying to Escape
093 Thinks Nicholas Is in the Castle
094 Nicholas Found
095 Dwarf Spotted
096 Chandler Admits Real Mission
097 To Go to Scimitar Mountain
098 Call from Paris
099 Threat from Dimitri
100 Stranger Spotted
101 Fortune Told
102 Chandler Trapped
103 Enters Cave
104 Learns Estaben’s Identity
105 Influences Dimitri
106 Metsos Killed
107 Spell Broken
108 Threat from Dwarf
109 Nadji Arrives
110 Fire
111 Chandler Escapes Fire
112 Forged Letter
113 Nadji Leaves
114 Lupu Arrives
115 Chandler Discovered
116 Reveals Himself as Chandu
117 Kingdom Regained
118 Phone Call from Robert
119 Lab Emptied
120 Gomez Spotted
121 Robert Seen in Crystal
122 Learns Roxor’s Location
123 Wants to Enter Village of the Lost
124 Jeff Worried
125 Warned About Jeff
126 Jeff’s New Mission
127 House in the Desert
128 Saved from Spider
129 Jeff Found
130 Tries to Contact Robert
131 Imposter Found Out
132 Robert Found
133 Story Told
134 Looking for Betty
135 Dorothy in Temple
136 Talks to Chief
137 Fate to Be Decided Soon
138 Fails Cobra Test
139 Refuses Escape Plan
140 Robert Returns
141 Dr Shaw’s Secret
142 Truth About Dr Shaw
143 Help from Yogi
144 Murderer Revealed
145 Dorothy Safe
146 Planning Tiger Hunt
147 Tiger Killed
148 Saves Lao Sing
149 In Calcutta
150 Dinner Invitation
151 Dr Shaw in Calcutta
152 Under Dr Shaw’s Influence
153 Impersonates Chandler
154 Bob Missing
155 Strange Markings
156 Frank Returns to India
49/02/03 1 The Black Steps
49/02/10 2 The Village of Thieves
49/02/17 3 Man with the Photographic Memory
49/02/24 4 The Brotherhood of the Blood Oath
49/03/03 5 The Spell of Dimitri
49/03/10 6 Framed for Drug Smuggling
49/03/17 7 The Temple at Karnak
49/03/24 8 Temple Under the Sea
49/03/31 9 The House of Fear
49/04/14 11 The Voice of Darkness
49/04/21 12 The Ominous Sahara
49/04/28 13 The Fog on the Forgotten Valley
49/11/19 1 Drug Runner
49/11/26 2 Temple Under The
49/12/03 3 Death On The Golden Horn
49/12/10 4 Wizard Of The Kalahari
49/12/17 5 Terror In The Negev Desert
49/12/24 6 Counterfeiters
50/07/26 7 Rocket Sabotage
50/08/02 8 Clever Jeff Adams
50/08/09 9 The Dress Designer
50/08/16 10 Black Market Hijackers
50/08/23 11 Coleman Alias Dr Bauer
50/08/30 12 Naval Drug Fraud
