THE CAT’S CLAW
[STAGE-PLAY]
Listing in New York Times…
[Program information]
ORIGINATION: WEVD, New York City, New York.
DURATION: October 1, 1930
PERSONNEL: Unknown.
EXTANT RECORDINGS: None.
[Program log]
(WEVD, NEW YORK)
[Wednesday—2:45-3:00 PM]
October 1, 1930 “The Cat’s Claw”
THE CAT’S CLAW
[STAGE-PLAY; RADIO-SERIES]
“Ed Van Riper (no relation to Kay) has turned out a new mystery serial, ‘The Cat’s Claw,’ which
makes its debut at the ‘ghostly hour’ of 11:45 p.m. over KMTR. Adapted from the stage play of the
same name which was produced on the New York stage, the air production guarantees a certain
amount of shivers and shudders.”
[LAT, 4-5-36] “The sixth and final episode of the mystery serial, ‘The Cat’s Claw,’ will be offered
over KMTR at 11:45 p.m. However, the same group of players will continue to present a complete
mystery story each Sunday evening at the same time.”
[KMPC] This quarter-hour KMPC series had three distinct runs in relatively quick succession
between the end of 1937 and the beginning of 1939. It possibly could be considered a forerunner
to the Beverly Hills station's version of The Hermit's Cave, which started in 1940, a year after The
Cat's Claw went off the air. The possibility also exists that it could have been a re-broadcast of an
earlier series of the same name which ran in 1936-37 on KMTR (and, later, KFAC) and was
written by Ed Van Riper.
In all likelihood it was a straight-forward mystery series rather than horror, but some of the
story titles suggest a creepy edginess to the proceedings: "House of No Doors" (11/7/38),
"Through Dead Man's Eyes" (11/14/38), "White Lady of the Tower" (1/2/39), and "House of Mad
Laughter" (1/9/39).
ORIGINATION: KMTR, Hollywood, California (first series); KFAC, Los Angeles, California (second series);
KGER, Long Beach, California (third series); KMPC, Beverly Hills, California (fourth series).
DURATION: March 1-May 31, 1936 (KMTR); July 9, 1936-February 6, 1937 (KFAC); March 10-November
23, 1937 (KGER); December 11, 1937-January 16, 1939 (KMPC).
PERSONNEL: Ed Van Riper (scriptwriter, producer).
EXTANT RECORDINGS: None.
[CHRONOLOGY]
THE CAT’S CLAW (KMTR, HOLLYWOOD)
[Sunday—11:45 PM-12:00 MIDNIGHT]
March 1, 1936 “The Cat’s Claw” [PART 1]
March 8, 1936 “The Cat’s Claw” [PART 2]
March 15, 1936 “The Cat’s Claw” [PART 3]
March 22, 1936 “The Cat’s Claw” [PART 4]
March 29, 1936 “The Cat’s Claw” [PART 5]
April 5, 1936 “The Cat’s Claw” [PART 6]
April 12, 1936
April 19, 1936
April 26, 1936
May 3, 1936
May 10, 1936
May 17, 1936
May 24, 1936
May 31, 1936
THE CAT’S CLAW (KFAC, LOS ANGELES)
[Thursday—11:45 PM-12:00 MIDNIGHT]
July 9, 1936
July 16, 1936
July 23, 1936
July 30, 1936
August 6, 1936
August 13, 1936
August 20, 1936
August 27, 1936
September 3, 1936
September 10, 1936
September 17, 1936
September 24, 1936
October 1, 1936
October 8, 1936
October 15, 1936
October 22, 1936
October 29, 1936
November 5, 1936
November 12, 1936
November 19, 1936 “Message from the Dead”
November 26, 1936
December 3, 1936
December 10, 1936
[Saturday—9:30-9:45 PM]
January 30, 1937
February 6, 1937 “Voice from the Dead”
[“…It’s a cheery little piece about a man who appears to tell his heirs how
his money should be spent…”]
THE CAT’S CLAW (KGER, LONG BEACH)
[Wednesday—10:30-10:45 PM]
March 10, 1937
March 17, 1937
March 31, 1937
[Wednesday—10:15-10:30 PM]
April 7, 1937 “Murder in 819”
April 14, 1937
April 21, 1937
[Wednesday—10:30-10:45 PM
April 28, 1937
May 5, 1937
May 12, 1937
May 19, 1937
[Tuesday—9:30-9:45 PM]
June 1, 1937
June 8, 1937 “House of Mad Shrieks”
[“…the story of how three servants plot the death of their mistress by
driving her insane…”]
June 15, 1937 “The Haunted Tea Room”
June 22, 1937
June 29, 1937
July 6, 1937
July 13, 1937
July 20, 1937
July 27, 1937
August 3, 1937
August 10, 1937
August 17, 1937
[Tuesday—9:35-9:45 PM]
August 24, 1937
August 31, 1937
September 7, 1937
September 14, 1937
September 21, 1937
September 28, 1937
October 5, 1937
October 12, 1937
October 19, 1937
October 26, 1937
[Tuesday—10:05-10:20 PM]
November 2, 1937
November 9, 1937
November 16, 1937
November 23, 1937
THE CAT’S CLAW (KMPC, BEVERLY HILLS)
[Saturday—11:45 PM-12:00 MIDNIGHT]
December 11, 1937
December 18, 1937
December 25, 1937
January 1, 1938
January 8, 1938
January 15, 1938
January 22, 1938
January 29, 1938
February 5, 1938
February 12, 1938
February 19, 1938
Feb. 26, 1938
March 5, 1938
March 12, 1938
March 19, 1938
March 26, 1938
April 2, 1938
April 23, 1938
April 30, 1938
May 7, 1938
May 14, 1938
May 21, 1938
[Monday—10:15-10:30 PM]
June 13, 1938
June 20, 1938
June 27, 1938 “Ghost of the Waning Moon”
[“…a story of an eccentric inventor…”]
July 4, 1938
July 11, 1938
July 18, 1938
July 25, 1938 “Clue of the Flying Fish”
[Monday—10:45-11:00 PM]
August 22, 1938 “Bullets of Mercy”
August 29, 1938
September 5, 1938
September 12, 1938
September 19, 1938
September 26, 1938 “Clue of the Orange Lantern”
[“…a woman detective breaks up a spy ring…”]
October 3, 1938
October 10, 1938
October 17, 1938
October 24, 1938
October 31, 1938
November 7, 1938 “House of No Doors”
[“…A young couple will outwit a gang of kidnappers…”]
November 14, 1938 “Thru Dead Man’s Eyes”
November 21, 1938
November 28, 1938
December 5, 1938
December 12, 1938
December 19, 1938
December 26, 1938
January 2, 1939 “White Lady of the Tower”
January 9, 1939 “House of Mad Laughter”
January 16, 1939
[Sources]
PERIODICALS: Los Angeles Times, Hollywood Citizen-News.