The Whistler was one of American radio's most popular mystery dramas, with a 13-year run from May 16, 1942 until September 22, 1955.The Whistler was the most popular West Coast-originated program with its listeners for many years. It was sponsored by the Signal Oil Company: "Let that whistle be your signal for the Signal Oil program, The Whistler." Writer-producer J. Donald Wilson established the tone of the show during its first two years, and he was followed in 1944 by producer-director George Allen. Other directors included Sterling Tracy and Sherman Marks with final scripts by Joel Malone and Harold Swanton. A total of 692 episodes were produced, of which over 200 no longer have copies in existence. In 1946, a local Chicago version of The Whistler with local actors aired Sundays on WBBM, sponsored by Meister Brau beer. Episodes of The Whistler began with the ominous narration:
- I am the Whistler, and I know many things, for I walk by night. I know many strange tales, many secrets hidden in the hearts of men and women who have stepped into the shadows. I know the nameless terrors of which they dare not speak.
Those opening words were spoken along with the echo of footsteps and Wilbur Hatch's 13-note theme, whistled weekly by Dorothy Roberts for 13 years. Bill Forman had the title role of host and narrator. Others who portrayed the Whistler at various times were Gale Gordon (Lucille Ball's future television nemesis), Joseph Kearns (played Mr. Wilson on TV series Dennis the Menace), Marvin Miller (soon the announcer for The Bickersons and, later, television's Michael Anthony on The Millionaire), Bill Johnstone (who played The Shadow on radio 1938-1943) and Everett Clarke. The stories followed an effective formula in which a person's criminal acts were typically undone by their own stupidity. Ironic twist endings were a key feature of each episode of the series. The Whistler narrated, often commenting directly upon the action in the manner of a Greek chorus, taunting the criminal from an omniscient perspective. The Whistler seldom featured any major Hollywood stars, but the quality of writing and performance made it a radio mainstay.
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Satires
Spike Jones provided a musical satire: "I am the Whistler, and I know many things, for I walk by night... I have to. I can't sleep." The Whistler was also the target of a parody on the 20 October 1946 edition of The Jack Benny Program. In this parody, Benny cast members Mary Livingstone and Dennis Day played an ostensibly happily married young couple, Phil Harris played the secret lover of the young wife, and Benny himself played The Fiddler – complete with scraping the theme on his infamous violin to punctuate his periodic ghostly observations and interventions ("I am the Fiddler... I play by night. I influence the lives of innocent people. And sometimes I even drive them to murder... mwa-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!"), as he manipulated the clandestine lovers into murdering the young husband. Along with Fred Allen's parody of Queen for a Day the same year, these were two of the most successful parodies of contemporarily popular radio shows. The Whistler himself appeared just as the sketch was to begin, complete with the famous whistling theme and a short version of his usual opening remark.
Films
The Whistler was adapted into a film noir series from Columbia Pictures. The first seven featured actor Richard Dix (playing a different character in each).
- The Whistler (1944) (Directed by William Castle)
- The Mark of the Whistler (1944) (Directed by William Castle and based on Cornell Woolrich's story, "Dormant Account")
- The Power of the Whistler (1945)
- Voice of the Whistler (1945) (Directed by William Castle)
- The Secret of the Whistler (1946)
- Mysterious Intruder (1946) (Directed by William Castle)
- The Thirteenth Hour (1947)
- Return of the Whistler (1948)
The "Voice of the Whistler" was provided by an uncredited Otto Forrest.
See also
Listen to
- OTR Network Library: The Whistler (79 episodes)
- The Internet Archive: The Whistler - download for free
External links
- The Whistler at the Internet Movie Database
- The Mark of the Whistler at the Internet Movie Database
- The Power of the Whistler at the Internet Movie Database
- Voice of the Whistler at the Internet Movie Database
- The Secret of the Whistler at the Internet Movie Database
- Mysterious Intruder at the Internet Movie Database
- The Thirteenth Hour at the Internet Movie Database
- The Return of the Whistler at the Internet Movie Database
