Blackstone, the Magic Detective was a 15-minute radio series which aired Sunday afternoons at 2:45pm ET on the Mutual Broadcasting System from October 3, 1948 until April 3, 1949. The series, starring Ed Jerome as "the world's greatest living magician," was based on real-life magician Harry Blackstone Sr. Storylines usually opened with Blackstone (Jerome) telling his friends John (Ted Osborne) and Rhoda (Fran Carlon) about an experience from his past, and this mystery story was then dramatized in a flashback. At the end, Blackstone challenged the audience to find a solution to the magical mystery. Each show concluded with Blackstone outlining a trick that listeners could perform for the amusement of their friends. The announcer for the series was Alan Kent, and the background organ music was supplied by Bill Meeder. The scripts were written by Walter B. Gibson, the ghostwriter of Blackstone's books. Gibson also created EC Comics' Blackstone the Magician Detective Fights Crime in 1947. The comic book series continued at Marvel as Blackstone the Magician (#2) and Blackstone the Magician Detective (#3, #4).
