Bela Lugosi's "lost" 1928 Dracula Performance

Bela Lugosi as Dracula

Not a week goes by that someone is not asking me via e-mail for information about some radio broadcast that has yet to be documented. I feel bad about not having the time to answer every request, but the enclosed story reveals how a Holy Grail for old-time radio fans was unearthed as a result -- not from a request -- but from of a wager. And a prime example of how much effort can go into one search... and hopefully a few ideas for researchers to apply. 

About a year ago I was shaking hands with a friendly fellow, Jerry Robbins, who introduced himself as an authority on all things Bela Lugosi. I was an attendee at the annual Monster Bash convention in Butler, Pennsylvania, and Jerry brought a copy of a magazine article I wrote a few years back about Lugosi's 200+ radio appearances (also citing the sources of where those radio appearances were referenced). What peaked his interest was a notation I made referring to as "the earliest known radio appearance" of Bela Lugosi. 

News Flash: I phrased "earliest known" because there is no possible way anyone can generate a list of a Hollywood actor's radio career and claim the earliest known is their "radio premiere." A number of newspapers and magazines of the twenties and thirties publicly hailed Hollywood and Broadway celebrities making their "radio debut" -- but that was always for publicity and newspaper editors rarely questioned what was reported in press releases. I find that when you dig far enough you will often find an appearance that pre-dates any such proclamation.

Anyway, the entry in question was in the spring of 1928, when Bela Lugosi supposedly appeared before a radio microphone to act out the role of Dracula, the title character of a stage play adapted from the Bram Stoker novel of the same name. The Broadway play premiered in 1927 and exists today only through playbills, photographs, newspaper articles, tabloid briefs and Lugosi's reprisal on the silver screen in 1931. As is often the case in Hollywood, Lugosi found himself typecast and played the role of a vampire many times (or suspected of being a vampire as in the case of the 1935 motion-picture, Mark of the Vampire).

http://www.monsterbashnews.com/bash.html

Anyway, two months ago, Jerry called me on the phone to ask if I was planning to attend Monster Bash in a few weeks, now held in Mars, Pennsylvania. After reminding me of our discussion about the 1928 radio broadcast, Jerry asked if a recording of that broadcast was ever found. Again, my answer had not changed from last year. No, it had not and probably will not. Why? In 1928, radio broadcasts were not even considered a viable commercial property. Rarely was a broadcast sponsored because companies both local and national questioned just how many people had a radio in their living room. 1928 was the same year Amos and Andy premiered in Chicago, radio station WOL in Washington, D.C. opened for business, and it was not until December 23 that NBC was set up to broadcast as a coast-to-coast network. This means most radio stations (depending on the wattage) offered programming on a local/regional basis. Ten years later, in 1938, the cost of a half-hour transcription disc was $90 (yeah, that was a lot of money back then) and while the reasons why radio broadcasts of the thirties, forties and fifties exist today vary, depending on the program, someone had to foot the bill. If the Lugosi broadcast of 1928 was ever recorded, what would be the reason and who would have paid the bill? Per statistics (via Hickerson), only four (general) radio broadcasts exist in recorded form that pre-date 1928, so the chances of the long-rumored radio broadcast Jerry asked about remains almost improbable.

Jerry, being determined, asked me if a copy of the radio script exists. "It might," I told him, explaining that there was no industry standard for radio scripts in 1928. At that time, many radio program were broadcast without the use of scripts. The few that were scripted were molded from the format of stage plays. And dramas were few and far between in 1928. Radio provided mostly news and music... especially music. Singers who knew the lyrics didn't need anything but a finger to cue their vocal chords.

Since I completed that "Lugosi on Radio" article a few years back, I amassed over 70 radio scripts with Lugosi featured in the cast, verifying what his role was on those particular programs. Of amusement was the Dr. Heggi role on Quick as a Flash where the script was found in an archive. (Click the link to see that radio script.) Because of this, Jerry offered me a proposition. He wagered me a box of Krispy Kreme donuts that I couldn't find a copy of the 1928 radio script within 30 days.

[pause behind the phone for a moment...]

"Sixty days," I told him. "I will be attending Cinevent and the Cincinnati Nostalgia Expo and among my duties will be introducing a film short, and I need to prepare for a slide show presentation... among other things. Give me sixty days." Jerry accepted the terms and as King Henry IV (Shakespeare) remarked, "the game's afoot." Before our phone conversation concluded, I did ask Jerry who else he approached, in case someone else has been working on the same and might have a few leads I could start with. No, the only person who could solve the mystery and find a script to the 1928 broadcast would be me, Jerry insisted.

Radio News in 1928

So how do you go about finding a radio script from 1928, with nothing but the information described above? I started by narrowing down the possibilities. The Dracula stage play went on tour across the country but it was still rooted in New York City at the time of the broadcast. It was an educated guess that the broadcast originated from New York City and would have been a local broadcast, not a coast-to-coast presentation. That narrowed down the number of radio stations. The broadcast more than likely would have been between 1927 and 1929, with a focus to publicize the stage drama and encourage listeners to visit the theater.

Newspaper listings are rarely consulted because it has been proven that one out of every eight listings is inaccurate (refer to the article Unreliable Newspaper Logs from 2011). Remember, newspapers should not be used as reference, but as a tool for reference. My listing of Lugosi's radio credits in a magazine article a few years ago cited which of his "known" appearances were featured in specific newspapers across the country but proven to be inaccurate, while 12 still remain questionable. In this case, I used a number of New York newspaper archives (especially the valuable fultonhistory.com). Nothing came up referring to Dracula or Lugosi. Most likely the Dracula production was a dramatic highlight of a radio program. Using key words such as "Broadway" and "Stage," and consulting Jay Hickerson's Ultimate Guide book (recommended for anyone who plans to do research on old-time radio), I narrowed down the possibilities to 98 programs (might be 97 or 99, I did a loose count here). Scratching off anything originating from Buffalo or Syracuse, the number came down to 93.

For each and every program, I dug into the series history and scratched off anything that aired in the evening. The actors could not have performed the drama during the evening since they had a play to perform. That narrowed down to morning or afternoon. Down to 23. Looking over the list, one program caught my eye. Fifteen Minutes of Drama remained a strong possibility. No one said the cast of the stage play had to perform the entire drama (why give away the entire story?) so a sample or teaser was a likely theory. Photographed below is a snapshot taken on my new iPhone5 which provided both the time and the network.

Screen capture of the potential and elusive Bela Lugosi.

Finding the exact program and air date would be trial and error. As you can see above (click to enlarge), Mary Margaret Chester was a temporary substitute for the series regular, Aileen Berry. This offers two additional leads: the names of the female hosts. But two days of digging only suggested I was walking down an empty alley. Everything referring to the two women helped document Fifteen Minutes of Drama but nothing referring to Dracula. For anyone curious, WJZ was one of two stations representing NBC (NBC Red and NBC Blue) and originated from Newark, New Jersey. Located about 30 minutes outside of New York City, it remained possible that the stage actors, Lugosi included, made the trek down to Newark and their performance might have originated from New Jersey. Following this lead my next course of action was to contact The New Jersey Historical Society. Located on Park Place, for anyone who is not familiar with Newark, New Jersey, I recommend you make the trip only if necessary. Remember the joke in New Year's Eve (2011) about how bad an area Newark is? Yeah, I was afraid my car might be stolen after I parked and locked it.

Bela Lugosi as Dracula in the 1931 movie.

The Historical Society, however, turned up negative regarding anything I was seeking. (Found good radio material but nothing leading to Dracula.) The next phase was to start scanning through old periodicals like Broadcasting and Variety. I scanned every page of Broadcasting at College Park in searchable pdf format but in this case it did not help. Broadcasting didn't start until 1931. Variety was a crap-shoot. Then I made the trek into New York City and went to the Billy Rose Theatre Collection at the New York Public Library at Lincoln Center. Using their card files on the second floor, I found a number of newspaper clippings for radio programs that featured the words "Broadway" and "Stage." That is when one item came across my attention...

A radio program known as Stardom of Broadway which, on the afternoon of March 2, 1928, featured an adaptation of "The Racket" with Williard Robertson, Hugh O'Connell and Harry English reprising their stage roles. The clipping made mention of the play at the Ambassador Theatre and how screen options were recently purchased by a major film studio. The same clipping also stated that "The Racket" would be the first of many Stardom of Broadway radio broadcasts to highlight scenes from popular and "highly-acclaimed melodramas." The director of the radio program was Mortimer Stewart. The sponsor was Barbour, Crimmins & Bryant, a theatrical firm based out of New York City. Obviously the producers bought radio air time to promote a number of stage plays including "Excess Baggage," presently playing at The Ritz Theatre, which they were producing on Broadway. (Special thanks to Jo Bagwell for her assistance with the sponsor.)

Looking through Variety for an obituary for Mortimer Stewart, I was able to discover who the next of kin was "survived by son and daughter..." From there I was able to use www.whitepages.com and track down a family relative, but no one even knew Stewart did radio. They thought he did stage plays. Dead end again.

I put in a plea on Craig's List for tracking down a family relative of a radio script writer responsible for the Dracula radio program. I did receive one response but afterwards discovered it was for a different Dracula script.

Makes you wonder what she is listening to?

So I began digging into the history of Stardom of Broadway. Here was what I was able to dig up about the program: Mortimer Stewart was a member of the WJZ staff so his duties served as director and writer for dozens of radio programs over a short time, in many cases he managed as many as three programs a day! Stardom of Broadway lasted a mere five weeks -- five broadcasts. The series aired from 3:30 to 4:00 p.m. Eastern. The presentation of March 9 remains unknown. On the afternoon of March 16, "Our Betters" was dramatized, based on the stage play by W. Somerset Maugham. On the afternoon of March 23, "Excess Baggage" was presented, a comedy by John McGowan. On the afternoon of March 30, "Dracula" was presented. I have not been able to verify a Stardom of Broadway broadcast on April 6 and I suspect March 30 was the fifth and final broadcast of the series.

Now that I had a broadcast date, finding the script would be easier. The WJZ Radio Station archives might have something. So off I went to the microfilm division and keeping in mind that finding something there is like searching for a needle in a haystack without knowing the broadcast date, time and name of program, I find WJZ's accounting of radio broadcasts on March 30, 1928. News bulletins, titles of programs and... BINGO! I found the radio script.

Keep in mind that in 1928 radio scripts were not necessary when the stage actors could recite their lines forwards and backwards. Week by week the stage actors were expected to know their lines and deliver them flawlessly. And there does not appear to be any rehearsals. Exactly what scene or scenes from Dracula were acted out before the radio microphone still remains a mystery. But what you see pictured below is a copy of the radio script for the benefit of the radio announcer and, yes, it is hand-written! The first two pages opened the drama and introduced the principal actors. The third page was the closing announcements after the drama concluded. I also verified that the program did not end on time. Scheduled to end at 4:00 p.m., the drama ran over eight minutes and concluded at 4:08 p.m. Note the name of the drama is the same as the stage play, with no variation. 

Click to enlarge.

Click to enlarge.

Click to enlarge.

I consider this a major find for what is possibly a Holy Grail for old-time radio and horror buffs, despite the fact some have since come out of the woodwork and claimed they knew all of this beforehand and that this was something old, not a new discovery. 

I e-mailed Jerry Robbins this past Wednesday night and told him to check out my blog entry this coming Friday.

Jerry,  it appears you owe me a box of Krispy Kremes.

For a copy of the radio script for Lugosi's radio appearance on The Vitalis Program, CLICK HERE.

Bela Lugosi on QUICK AS A FLASH

This one is for all you Bela Lugosi fans.

The novel quiz program with the mystery twist, Quick as a Flash, debuted over Mutual on Sunday, July 16, 1944. Created by director Richard Lewis and emcee Ken Roberts, the program offered listeners 30 minutes of fast-paced entertainment. Along with Lewis, the program was produced by Bernard Prockter, with mystery scripts penned by Eugene Wang. Historical events, movies, works of literature and famous situations were dramatized in short skits or by musical selections conducted by Ray Bloch and the Helbros Orchestra. The highlight of each program was the Helbros Derby, featuring a guest detective in a mystery fair enough for even the radio audience to guess the solution.

Photo courtesy of Terry Salomonson.

With mystery vignettes featuring clues hidden in the action, the quiz program gave six studio contestants ample opportunity to don fore-and-aft cap and a mental magnifying glass to track down the villainous malefactor for cash awards. Initially sponsored by the Helbros Watch Company, a wristwatch was also awarded as a prize. Among the guest detectives was Lamont Cranston, alias The Shadow. Jay Jostyn was featured as Mr. District Attorney in the premiere episode. Former NYPD Commissioner Lewis J. Valentine, known for his role as the Gang Busters narrator, was featured on the broadcast of December 2, 1945. The Sheriff, as portrayed by Robert Haag, then later by Don Briggs, appeared so often he could have been mistaken as a regular on the program. That master of accents and disguises, Karl Swenson as Mr. Chameleon, made numerous performances. Dr. Benjamin Ordway (Everett Sloane and House Jameson) presented trials from the Crime Doctor series.

Ken Roberts

Many of the guest appearances were established to help cross-promote programs that aired over Mutual. Scotland Yard’s Inspector Burke, played by Basil Rathbone, hosted one whodunit. Rathbone appeared on the quiz show a mere 10 days following the January 21, 1947, start of the Burke program on MBS. The final episode of the season, the broadcast of June 3, 1945, featured Jean and Pat Abbott, newlywed private detectives based on Frances Crane’s crime stories. Their appearance on the show was clearly to promote their new series, which was to premier on June 10 in the same time slot as a summer replacement for Quick as a Flash. They came back again for the same reason in June of 1946 and 1947.

Photo of Ken Roberts courtesy of the Bill Fox Collection, Archives of Appalachia, East Tennessee State University. Reprinted with signed permission.

Guest detectives who originated from other networks, however, did not receive the same consideration. At the close of every episode, a mention of the program on which they could be heard weekly was extended by the announcer. However, if it was not a Mutual show, there was no mention of day or time or the rival network. One example was on September 17, 1944, when Raymond Edward Johnson (of Inner Sanctum Mystery) displayed his horrific wit. Did CBS allow him to bring the creaking door or were the Mutual soundmen charged with a most difficult task of creating a duplicate? The Columbia Broadcasting System was never referenced by name. 

A scheduling conflict among programs was the “case” for David Harding, Counterspy, who, during the 1944-45 and 1945-46 seasons appeared on at least six occasions. In the fall of 1946, his program was slotted directly opposite Quick as a Flash at 5:30 p.m., preventing him from returning. When ABC juggled the schedule for 1948-49, not only did Don MacLaughlin return as a regular, he delighted all associated with the program by bringing back many listeners who had left with him. 

Before portraying Mark Chase, Don Briggs played that revered attorney, Perry Mason, in his lone appearance on April 21, 1946. In the milestone one-hundredth episode of December 8, 1946, Hercule Poirot (Harold Huber) voiced his sole escapade. Richard Keith was cast as Special Investigator Frank Brock and also as True Detective Mysteries editor John Shuttleworth on the programs of April 13, 1947, and May 23, 1948, respectively. Nero Wolfe (Luis Van Rooten) and Peter Salem (Santos Ortega) were two additional sleuths whose tenure was limited to a single performance. Two members of the “Press” who appeared often were Casey, Crime Photographer (Staats Cotsworth) of the Morning Express and the editor of Big Town’s Illustrated Press, Steve Wilson (Ed Pawley). A “host” of many a Helbros Derby was Geoffrey Barnes (Roc Rogers followed by Bernard Lenrow) of Mystery Theatre. As a group, private eyes, both amateurs and those on the professional side were featured most frequently, led by the grandfather of them all, Nick Carter (Lon Clark). Other notables included Mr. Keen (Bennett Kilpack), Charlie Chan (Ed Begley and Santos Ortega), Ellery Queen (Sidney Smith), Boston Blackie (Dick Kollmar) and The Fat Man (Jack Scott Smart). 

The Falcon was portrayed by three actors: James Meighan, Les Tremayne and Les Damon. Arguably, the character most associated with the program today is The Shadow. During the initial season of 1944-45, John Archer portrayed the illustrious crime fighter at least half-a-dozen times. It remains doubtful that his appearance on the quiz program was to promote his show since Quick as a Flash was broadcast next on Mutual. The Shadow’s appearance probably did more to promote the quiz program, as evidenced when the announcer closed specific Shadow broadcasts asking the listeners to stay tuned for The Shadow’s guest appearance.

Each script was penned by New Yorker Eugene Wang, a writer for several popular radio shows during the 1940s and 1950s, most notably The Adventures of the Falcon and The Amazing Mr. Malone. Wang never wrote for The Shadow, which means his scripts merely borrowed the fictional characters but did not follow the same format.

Throughout the calendar year of 1947, Hollywood celebrities began appearing on the program. Not as a contestants, but as participants of the mystery sketches. Ezra Stone, Martha Vickers and Bela Lugosi included. What? The actor who played Dracula on stage and screen in a mystery sketch? He sure did. (He actually appeared on radio more than 200 times by last count.) 

On the afternoon of May 18, 1947, Bela Lugosi made a guest appearance on the quiz program, playing the role of a Hungarian detective, Dr. Heggi, in a drama titled "A Severe Case of Murder." Fans of Bela Lugosi know that a recording of this radio broadcast is not known to exist. The contract between Helbros and Mutual did not stipulate the arrangement of the broadcasts to be transcribed. After all, someone had to pay the bill and since neither saw a rhyme or reason to do so, most of the Quick as a Flash radio broadcasts from 1947 do not exist in recorded form. For fans of Bela Lugosi who would like to know what the mystery was about, I have good news to report... the mystery has been solved! Thanks to expensive airfare to fly out to the Midwest, and cheap copy fees, and Mike Klaus who allowed me access to his private script collection, enclosed is a copy of that script for your amusement.

FYI

For years a recording of the March 16, 1947, broadcast has been incorrectly dated March 17, 1947, March 23, 1947, March 29, 1947 and February 14, 1948. Scripts have been consulted to verify the accurate broadcast date. (For anyone who wants to debate, allow me to apply some information that will avoid debate. There was never a Quick As A Flash broadcast on the incorrect dates), per schedule below.

BROADCAST SCHEDULE

July 16, 1944 to June 3, 1945 

Helbros Mutual Sun. 6 to 6:30 p.m. Weekly

September 9, 1945 to June 2, 1946 

Helbros Mutual Sun. 6 to 6:30 p.m. Weekly
(5:30 as of January 20, 1946)

September 8, 1946 to June 1, 1947 

Helbros Mutual Sun. 5:30 to 6 p.m. Weekly

September 7, 1947 to May 30, 1948 

Helbros Mutual Sun. 5:30 to 6 p.m. Weekly

September 5, 1948 to May 29, 1949 

Helbros Mutual Sun. 5:30 to 6 p.m. Weekly

September 24, 1949 to December 17, 1949 

Helbros Mutual Sun. 7:30 to 7:55 p.m. Weekly

December 12, 1949 to June 9, 1950 

Quaker ABC 11:30 a.m. to 12 M-W-F

May 30, 1950 to August 4, 1950 

Toni ABC 15 minutes Weekdays, five-a-week

September 19, 1950 to June 29, 1951 

Block Drug ABC 11:30 to 12 noon Weekdays, five-a-week

Various sections of this article are excerpts from the book, The Shadow: The History and Mystery of the Radio Program, 1930-1954 by Martin Grams.