BLACK MAGIC
[RADIO-SERIAL]
[Oakland Tribune, May 29, 1931—KGO, 8:30-9:00—BLACK MAGIC, written by L. Scott Perkins—
Harold Dana as Colonel “Simba Bob” Knox narrates “his strange tale of the pit of black magic
which he found by accident in the Mt. Kenya district in East Africa…”
[Los Angeles Times, June 12, 1931—KFI, 8:30-9:00—“For the Friday night playgoers, KFI at
8:30 is to bring the Adventures of Kenya Bill and his companions. This episode, the fourth in ‘The
Pit of Black Magic Series,’ is to deal with their reaching a path leading to the hidden pit.”
[Broadcasting, February 1, 1933: “McGregor and Solie, San Francisco transcription producers,
are recording a mystery serial called ‘Black Magic’ for syndication to broadcasters. The series was
originally given two years ago over Pacific coast NBC hook-up under caption of ‘Kenya Bill’ for S.
and W. Coffee Co.”
George Rand played Kenya Bill in San Francisco (and also “The Old Ranger” in the West Coast
version of Death Valley Days.)
ORIGINATION: KGO, San Francisco, California (NBC-COAST).
DURATION: May 22-June ??, 1931.
PERSONNEL: L. Scott Perkins (scriptwriter, producer).
CAST: Harold Dana (Colonel “Simba Bob” Knox), Tom Hutchinson (Jim Carlisle), Thomas Kelly, George
Rand (Kenya Bill), Ann Sawyer (Jane Worthington), Fred Thomas.
SPONSOR: S. and W. Coffee Co.
EXTANT RECORDINGS: None.
THE ADVENTURES OF KENYA BILL—“BLACK MAGIC” (KGO, SAN FRANCISCO)
[Friday—8:30-9:00 PM]
May 22, 1931 [EP. 1]
[“…a Kenya Bill adventure… This story is based on fact. It tells of a girl,
the first white woman to enter the Kenya Hills district, and gives details
of her disastrous adventure with the Black Magic of the tribes…”]
May 29, 1931 [EP. 2]
[“…Colonel ‘Simba Bob’ Knox will continue his tale of the pit of black
magic which he found in the Mt. Kenya district in East Africa…”]
June 5, 1931 [EP. 3]
[“…The third episode will tell the price Will Worthington paid for his
disloyalty to his wife, Jane, and Keats, of the finding of a hidden passage
that may lead to the storehouse of treasure in ivory and will reveal the
discovery made by Simba Bob, Kenya Bill and Tom Keats in the lower
end of the pit of Black Magic…”]
June 12, 1931 [EP. 4]
[“…Kenya Bill and his companions receive a mysterious message from
the past… Jane Worthington, Bob Swale, Tom Keats and Kenya Bill will
tread softly and walk warily for they are to enter into the hidden recesses
leading to the center of the pit…”]
June 19, 1931 [EP. 5]
[“…In this fifth episode new plans are afoot to capture Kurze, a leading
character, in a desperate effort to recover the valuable Twin Diamonds of
Ugadii...but Eli, a half-breed Arabian son of Hassan, the Muni chieftain,
forms an alliance which makes success seem remote.”]
BLACK MAGIC
[RADIO-SERIAL]
Found in the radio listings of the San Francisco Examiner. No information about the plot or
characters. Listed as presented by the March Players.
[CHRONOLOGY]
BLACK MAGIC (KTAB, SAN FRANCISCO)
[Saturday—10:15-10:45 PM]
May 13, 1933 [EP. 1]
May 20, 1933 [EP. 2]
[Wednesday—8:00-8:30 PM]
May 24, 1933 [EP. 3]
May 31, 1933 [EP. 4]
June 7, 1933 [EP. 5]
June 14, 1933 [EP. 6]
June 21, 1933 [EP. 7]
June 28, 1933 [EP. 8]
BLACK MAGIC
[RADIO-SERIAL]
Listed in HC-N as a presentation of the “March Players.”
BLACK MAGIC (KMPC, BEVERLY HILLS)
[Saturday—9:00-9:30 PM]
August 5, 1933 [EP. 1]
August 12, 1933 [EP. 2]
August 19, 1933 [EP. 3]
August 26, 1933 [EP. 4]
September 2, 1933 [EP. 5]
September 9, 1933 [EP. 6]
September 16, 1933 [EP. 7]
BLACK MAGIC
[Hollywood Citizen-News, September 24, 1933] “KMTR at 8 broadcasts the first
episode of ‘Black Magic,’ a mystery serial by Hazel Lindoft. The cast of 8 is
headed by Ursula March, formerly associated with KTAB, San Francisco.”
Billed as “a story of India.”
ORIGINATION: KMTR, Los Angeles, California.
DURATION: September 24-[October 21], 1933.
PERSONNEL: Hazel Lindoft (scriptwriter), Ursula March (director).
CAST: Ursula March, et al.
EXTANT RECORDINGS: None.
BLACK MAGIC (KMTR, LOS ANGELES)
[Sunday—8:00-8:30 PM]
Sep. 24, 1933
Oct. 1, 1933
Oct. 8, 1933
Oct. 15, 1933
Oct. 22, 1933
Oct. 29, 1933
Nov. 5, 1933
Nov. 12, 1933
Nov. 19, 1933
Nov. 26, 1933
Dec. 3, 1933
BLACK MAGIC
This series ran on Chicago station WIND in 1936. It was first listed as a "mystery
sketch" and later described as "eerie stories dramatized." It is uncertain whether
this was a WIND original or whether it might be the 1935 MacGregor-Solie
transcription serial, of which two episodes survive. (Or possibly four, since the
author has acquired a transcription disc with Episodes 17 and 18, but has not had
the opportunity to listen to them yet.)
[Broadcasting, February 1, 1933: “McGregor and Solie, San Francisco
transcription producers, are recording a mystery serial called ‘Black Magic’ for
syndication to broadcasters. The series was originally given two years ago over
Pacific coast NBC hook-up under caption of ‘Kenya Bill’ for S. and W. Coffee Co.”
[BIG QUESTION: Did MacGregor record one BLACK MAGIC serial in 1933 that
was based on the Kenya Bill story, and then record another BLACK MAGIC serial
in 1935 that had nothing to do with Kenya Bill or the Pit of Black Magic?)
[Broadcasting, December 1, 1935: “MacGregor & Sollie Inc., San Francisco
transcription producers, is recording a 15-minute, 156-episode mystery drama,
Black Magic, written by James De Ball, former continuity writer of KYA, that
city.”
[San Francisco Examiner, May 16, 1937: “Dorothy Scott, attractive blonde
microphone thespian, formerly associated with the C.P. MacGregor transcription
studios… When the studios moved from San Francisco to Hollywood last year,
Miss Scott went along to complete a long contract as the lead in two transcription
programs, ‘Black Magic’ and “Cub Reporter.’ Her versatility became apparent
when she played the role of a serious-minded heiress in one and a scatter-brained
comedienne in the other. As Maryellen in ‘Black Magic’ she moves through many
a swift episode of mystery, her footsteps dogged by the wily charlatan, Sandram
Khan…”
George Rand played Kenya Bill in San Francisco (and also “The Old Ranger” in
the West Coast version of Death Valley Days.)
ORIGINATION: MacGregor & Solie Inc., San Francisco, California (electrical
transcriptions).
DURATION: Recorded in 1933 and 1935.
[Broadcast dates of [March 17-June 27], 1936, indicate the program’s run on
WIND, Chicago.]
PERSONNEL: Unknown.
CAST: Walter Paterson, Dorothy Scott (Maryellen).
EXTANT RECORDINGS: Episodes 2, 3, 17, and 18 of the MacGregor-Sollie
series.
BLACK MAGIC (MACGREGOR-SOLIE)
[1]
[2]
[3] “The Serpent of the Nile”
[“…Who is the Serpent of the Nile?
Sandram Khan and his Black Magic
are prime suspects…”]
[4]
[“…Sandram Khan and a
demonstration of evil arts in his
cabin…”]
[5]
[6]