Hodge-podging - Unanswered OTR questions and other stuff

What do we know about The Whistler?  This a man who whistles and walks by night and because of this, "knows many things."

The Whistler was nobody.  What I mean to say is that The Whistler didn't show up in his show, ever.  He just walked around at night whistling a very odd tune and telling us all he knew things - but when you boil it all down, what did he really know?

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Don't you love the way the show Suspense starts out?  First of all you have the incredible atmospheric Bernard Herrmann score then you hear SUSPENSE!

Well not always, Here's the normal way and then - another way:


That was Howard Duff in 1943, believe it or not.

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Alka Seltzer was a long-time sponsor of The Quiz Kids program.  In 1950, singer Tito Guizar made a guest appearance and ...


That's all I've got for now. Still looking for stuff to post...

©Jimbo 2010/2011

Very rare: ad for The Whistler

Bonus podcast plus!

Here's something really unique: a podcast about Lurene Tuttle playing twin sisters; first hear from Lurene herself as she speaks about The Whistler episode called, "Death Sees Double."  Then, hear the actual episode, sans commercials and then you can read about how Lurene did it, complete with photos.

How's that for bang for your buck?  Just a little treat from me as I start a new era of podcasting today.  Enjoy!



Download it!

©Jimbo 2010/2011

True mystery

Billboard vs Jimbo: The Whistler

The Whistler - like Suspense - is a thirty minute mystery/suspense tale that's better in the post-war years than the early 1940's.

Good guess here is that 20 of the first 30 shows use esentially the same cast, including Bea Benaderet and Gerald Mohr - Benaderet can use different dialects, Mohr is the same every show. (The cry in 1942 was probably, "Less of Mohr!")

The Whistler will always be the red-headed stepchild because it drew few stars to the batter's box than more expensive Suspense did.

Unlike Suspense, The Whistler has a twist ending always even if you know the solution.

The Whistler and Rocky Fortune and Tales of the Texas Rangers and The Black Museum

All the above shows share the same library of music - or did at one time.

The oddest thing I have heard is the distinctive theme of The Whistler heard somewhere during the middle of this Rocky Fortune episode (episode 531117.)