THE CRIMSON WIZARD
[RADIO-SERIAL]
“The program was to feature the adventures of Peter Quill, a hunchback who used his scientific
ingenuity to defend America against a Communist spy ring.”
The Quill series was the closest that radio in the 1930s ever came toward duplicating the uber-
frenzied doom-laden thrills of over-the-top pulp magazines such as Operator 5 or The Spider.
[Big Spring Daily Herald, June 1, 1939] “In many a radio show, a six-foot heroine sighs while a
five-foot-three hero whispers soft words of romance. The radio is funny that way. There is one
program, however, ‘Peter Quill,’ that is different. The characters look as much as possible like
what they are supposed to represent.
“Alice Hill, who plays the heroine, is a petite blonde. Ken Griffin, the hero, is six feet tall and
weighs 175 pounds.
“The part of ‘Peter Quill’ is more difficult. Qull is supposed to be a distorted, ugly genius. Actor
Hugh Studebaker is not only one of Chicago’s best actors, but a master at make-up.”
[Time, October 14, 1940—“Defender”] For the past year the most ingenious defender of the U. S.
on the air has been an inventive wizard named Peter Quill. Against the machinations of foreign
agents he has thrown the resources of a laboratory that would startle even Jules Verne. He has
discovered a substance called therminite which burns at 6,000 degrees, melts all metals, renders
water explosive by breaking it down into hydrogen and oxygen. He has invented a delayed-action
"explosive" which explodes so gradually that it can be used on sinking submarines to expel water
and chlorine. He has devised a magnetic screen so powerful that when it is struck by bombs it
shatters them to fragments. Last week he was back on the air for Chicago's WGN and other
Mutual stations after a summer pause, still busy saving the U. S. from doom.
“Peter Quill is the joint creation of Bill Lee, late managing editor of the Chicago Tribune, and
radio Writer-Producer-Director Blair Walliser. Originally Quill was known as The Crimson
Wizard, and in the beginning neither Lee nor Walliser was certain whether their man was a
menace or a hero. Last fall it was decided he ought to be a stanch American, and ever since then
Walliser has held him on the patriotic line.
“Walliser's show is distinguished from rivals by the fact that his inventions are all based,
however remotely, on real discoveries. Walliser is now considering a sleep ray for Peter Quill,
which will paralyze an enemy's hypothalamus, send him off into a gentle doze.
“Small, slight, 32-year-old Walliser is a Phi Beta Kappa from Northwestern University, despite
the fact that he was nearly thrown out three times before he graduated. As an editorial writer on
the Daily Northwestern, he wrote a bitter editorial criticizing the library, was forthwith fired from
the paper. Next he tried his hand at the Purple Parrot, Northwestern's comic sheet, turned out a
parody American Mercury, with a story about prostitutes, that resulted in the Parrot's
suppression. As his farewell to collegiate belles-lettres, Walliser took over the high-brow Scrawl,
had that suppressed when he tried to build up circulation with an article attacking marriage.
“Walliser has written, directed and produced scripts for the past eleven years—more than 3,000
scripts, 12,000 shows. Nearly all have followed the soap-opera pattern. Just Plain Bill, Backstage
Wife, The Romance of Helen Trent are among those he has directed. For three years he provided
ideas for The Gumps for Sidney Smith, quit soon after Smith died. He now writes his stuff so fast
he can't remember any of his sequences. After listening to three-quarters of a Peter Quill episode
of last year, he admitted he had no idea how it would turn out.”
PETER QUILL, THE CRIMSON WIZARD
America's Radio Hunchback Hero
by Karl H. Schadow, © 2004
(From Radio Recall, October 2004)
For one to have invented invisible lightning, a stethometer, and even an insomnia germ, this
individual must have been a scientific genius or wizard. In fact, there was such a person; his name
was Peter Quill. Known as The Crimson Wizard, Quill's exploits originated at WGN and were
aired over the Mutual Network.
Previous research of this series has been limited because to date, no scripts or recordings have
been located; and the notion that the program aired for only one season, 1940-41. A 1997 article
by Bill Kiddle that appeared in Chuck Schaden's Nostalgia Digest reported that Marvin Mueller
played the lead with support from Alice Hill, Ken Griffin and Olan Soulé. Although the plots were
bizarre, the inventions incorporated into the stories were all based upon scientific fact. This
program information was gleamed from the radio columns of the Chicago Tribune, owners of
WGN. An October 1940 review in TIME indicated that the program had returned to the air after a
summer hiatus. It was this clue that lead to the discovery of not one, but two additional seasons of
the spy-thriller, melodrama.
© 1938 WGN Radio (Reprinted with permission) Above ad from 10-07-38 issue of Chicago
Tribune
Readers of the Color Graphic Section of the September 25, 1938 Chicago Sunday Tribune were
enticed to listen to WGN at 8:00 p.m. the following Friday for the initial installment of The
Crimson Wizard. The program was to feature the adventures of Peter Quill, a hunchback who
used his scientific ingenuity to defend America against a Communist spy ring, The Red Circle. A
unique aspect of this series was that the events of each episode were aired "live" over the radio
and "permanently recorded" in the newspaper the following Sunday. This documentation was the
result of the program's creators, Robert M. Lee and Blair Walliser who were at the time, Chicago
Tribune Managing Editor and WGN Program Director, respectively.
The first season ran twelve weeks and starred Hugh Studebaker, one of Chicago's radio soap
opera veterans as the lead. Maida Travers played by Donna Reade was a vocalist whose singing
inspired Quill to give purpose to his life. Born a frightful hunchback, Peter Quill never ventured
outside his laboratory. His discovery of invisible lightning involved him in a plot against The Red
Circle to recover stolen battleship plans. The blueprints were drawn by naval architect, Eric
Lambert (Olan Soule). The investigation was lead by Secret Bureau Chief Allan Tyler (David
Gothard). Members of The Red Circle included: Sonya Danilo (Irene Lorraine), Michael Raclov
(Leslie Spears) and Comrade Petrovich (Henry Saxe). The story begins in Washington, DC with
the theft of the plans. The action moves to New York and the Jersey Coast, then across the
Atlantic to the British Isles. The final showdown occurs in the Mediterranean Sea with a
treasonous Peter Quill on a Red Fleet battleship. How did he get there? Was he a traitor? This was
all a clever ruse to deceive The Red Circle who wanted him to use his invisible lightning against
the free world.
The program with the title simply, Peter Quill, resumed just a few weeks later with the second
series commencing Friday, February 24, 1939. Once again, the focus was thwarting the insidious
Red Circle. Hugh Studebaker continued as the lead. Quill was assisted by his friend, Sharon (Betty
Lou Gerson) to whom he confided that he had survived a terrific explosion aboard a Red Fleet
vessel and was no longer a hunchback. The second season lasted twenty weeks and featured many
of the same characters (and cast). Several new inventions of The Crimson Wizard were introduced
and used throughout this season. The most significant of these was thermion, a substance that
could generate intense heat and be incorporated into devices of various shapes and sizes. Other
notable gadgetry included: silent anaesthetic pellet gun, thermoradiant condensator,
electromagnetic force gun, and a delayed-action explosive. Quill's pursuit of The Red Circle took
him from Coast to Coast and also to various islands off the Atlantic Seaboard. It was in Havana
that Quill acquired the assistance of the romantic team of Gail Carson (Alice Hill) and Captain
Roger Dorn (Ken Griffin) both members of the Secret Bureau who would continue their vigilance
throughout this and the following 1940-41 season.
The third and final season which began on Sunday, October 6, 1940 featured Marvin Mueller as
Peter Quill. Mueller, a talented actor was also heard during the week in various roles from Santa
Claus, and the Mutual Monikers quiz show emcee, to commentator for Chicago Opera broadcasts.
Quill continued his fight to destroy The Red Circle with his latest inventions: stethometer, electric
bullet and a cerebroscope. Experiments with various chemicals availed him to control extreme
cold and devastating fires. His travels took him to the far reaches of the African jungles where his
adversaries were not only spies but black panthers.
The Chicago Sunday Tribune ended its full page Graphic Section coverage with the 1939 season.
Thus, there is less information of the 1940-41 season available to OTR historians. Moreover, to
compound problems, not all geographic editions of the Chicago Sunday Tribune (as well as other
newspapers) included program publicity in their respective radio columns.
With each season, Peter Quill was heard on an ever-increasing number of stations. Of special
note is that the program was only aired during 1941 in New York. WOR featured Peter Quill as
part of it's daily 3 O'Clock Playhouse. Each day, a different program was broadcast in this
afternoon slot. Some of these other programs included: Lew Loyal, Mystery Hall, Ned Jordan-
Secret Agent, and The Green Hornet. Produced from various Mutual outlets, they could not be
aired at their original time because of scheduling conflicts at WOR. Perhaps WOR recorded Peter
Quill on ETs each Sunday as it came over the wire from WGN? This is one hope that an episode
maybe found in the future.
© 1941 Hubbard Broadcasting Inc. (Reprinted with permission) Above ad from 1-6-41 issue of
Minneapolis Star-Journal
Another possible opportunity to chance upon a transcription may have come as a result of the
program aired on a non-Mutual station. During the first half of the 1940-41 season, listeners in
the Minneapolis-St. Paul area tuned in the local Mutual outlet-WLOL on Sunday afternoons to
hear Peter Quill. Starting on Monday, January 6, 1941, the program was broadcast at 6:30 p.m.
over KSTP, the NBC-Red affiliate in that market. How did KSTP negtiate to air the program? Did
this station record it directly from Mutual, or were ETs provided from a syndicator?
A most intriguing item is that KSTP promoted "easy-to-get" premiums associated with the
program. As none of these are mentioned in any radio premium book, it's unknown if these were
rings or perhaps a miniature stethometer. Were they offered on a Nation-wide basis or solely
through KSTP? Was a sponsor involved?
During the first two seasons, the program was a sustainer over Mutual. By the third season, the
Paul F. Beich Company was sponsoring the program promoting its Whiz Candy Bars. The ad
agency handling the account was N.W. Ayer & Son, Inc. The archives of these companies may
provide additional information on the premiums and other aspects of the program. Production
costs of only $800 per week were expended for each episode. This was similar to the $850 for
Inner Sanctum Mystery, but much less as compared to The Shadow ($1,600) and Mr. District
Attorney ($2,800).
The standard OTR reference books note that the opening signature was produced by having
Marvin Mueller "wail into the strings of a piano while the sostenuto pedal was held down," a most
unusual effect. How were sound effects made for the invisible lightning, radiosonic compass and
other inventions? The artist performing these amazing feats was Russell Raycroft who was
required to work behind a screen per the orders of Director Blair Walliser. Thus, even the 600
who attended the weekly performances left the studio wondering how the unique sounds were
accoplished. Moreover, the audience enjoyed the live music provided by the WGN Concert
Orchestra under the direction of Henry Weber.
RADIO LOG: Peter Quill - The Crimson Wizard
Created by: Robert M. Lee & Blair Walliser; Writer/Producer/Director: Blair Walliser; Sound
Effects Artist: Russell Raycroft; Music: Henry Weber Conducting WGN Concert Orchestra.
The Crimson Wizard - Season 1
September 30, 1938-December 16, 1938.
Friday 8:00-8:30 p.m. (CT)
WGN and other Midwest Mutual stations only.
CAST: Hugh Studebaker (Peter Quill), Donna Reade (Maida Travers), David Gothard (Allan
Tyler), Olan Soule (Eric Lambert), Irene Lorraine (Sonya Danilo), Henry Saxe (Comrade
Petrovich), Leslie Spears (Michael Raclov).
September 30, 1938 "The Crimson Wizard"
October 7, 1938 "Murder in the Dark"
October 14, 1938 "Drama at Sea"
October 21, 1938 "Atlantic Flight"
October 28, 1938 "Radio Warning"
November 4, 1938 "Peter Quill Escapes"
November 11, 1938 "Thunder Over London"
November 18, 1938 "Escape from The Reds"
November 25, 1938 "Mobilization"
December 2, 1938 "Armada of Death"
December 9, 1938 "Armageddon"
December 16, 1938 "Veil of Mystery"
Peter Quill - Season 2
February 24, 1939-July 7, 1939.
Friday 8:00-8:30 p.m. (CT)
WGN and other Midwest Mutual stations; various days and times on West Coast, Don Lee
Network.
CAST: Hugh Studebaker (Peter Quill), Betty Lou Gerson (Sharon), Olan Soule (Allan Tyler),
Reese Taylor (Stephen Blade), Irene Lorraine (Sonya Danilo), Henry Saxe (Comrade Petrovich),
Leslie Spears (Michael Raclov), Alice Hill (Gail Carson), Ken Griffin (Captain Dorn), with Bob
Barron, Clare Baum, Frank Behrens, Charles Calvert, Kay Campbell, Fran Carlon, Ken Christie,
Leo Curley, Frank Dane, Patricia Dunlap, Chris Ford, Murray Forbes, Genelle Gibbs, Dolores
Gillen, Stanley Gordon, Hilda Graham, Percy Hemus, Doug Hope, Barry Hopkins, John Larkin,
Burr Lee, John Matthews, Don Merrifield, Bob Middleton, Marvin Mueller, Vernile Murrin, C.
Henry Nathan, Herb Nelson, George Noise, William Rath, Olga Rosanova, Wally Seitz, Dan
Sutter, Arthur Van Slyke, Peggy Wahl, John Walsh, Sam Wanamaker, Duke Watson, Joan
Winters, Leslie Woods.
February 24, 1939 "The Return of Peter Quill"
March 3, 1939 "The Red Circle's Cruel Trap"
March 10, 1939 "The Red Circle Grasps for 10 Billion Dollars"
March 17, 1939 "Red Ghost of Washington"
March 24, 1939 "Red Dawn Over Panama"
March 31 1939 "Red Rain of Death"
April 7, 1939 "Under the Red Mask"
April 14, 1939 "The Red House of Terror"
April 21, 1939 "The Captain Conquers Death"
April 28, 1939 "The Riddle of The Red Imposter"
May 5, 1939 "Detour to Doom"
May 12, 1939 "The Revenge of The Red Circle"
May 19, 1939 "The Isle of Terror"
May 26, 1939 "Attack and Counter-Attack"
June 2, 1939 "The Phantom Ship"
June 9, 1939 "The Spy School"
June 16, 1939 "Caught in the catacombs"
June 23, 1939 "The Devil's Work"
June 30, 1939 "The Red Sunset"
July 7, 1939 "Deep Sea Death"
Peter Quill - Season 3
October 6, 1940-March 30, 1941.
Sunday 3:00-3:00 p.m. (CT)
WGN and most of the Mutual Network, sporadic coverage on East Coast. Sponsored by Paul F.
Beich Company for Whiz Candy Bars. Produced by N.W. Ayer & Son, Inc. (Advertising Agency).
CAST: Marvin Mueller (Peter Quill), Alice Hill (Gail Carson), Ken Griffin (Captain Dorn), Olan
Soule (Allan Tyler), Irene Lorraine (Sonya Danilo), Leslie Spears (Michael Raclov), with Louise
Fitch, Jim Goss, Ann Kuper, John Walsh.
October 6, 1940 "The Thing That Couldn't Happen"
October 13, 1940 ...experiments with Uranium...
October 20, 1940 "The Child Giants"
October 27, 1940 "The Phantom of The Navy"
November 3, 1940 "The Creeping Plague"
November 10, 1940 ...use of atom-smasher...
November 17, 1940 "Flight Without Wings"
November 24, 1940 "Red Devil of Catamount Ridge"
December 1, 1940 "Sigma Ray"
December 8, 1940 Pre-empted by NFL Title Game
December 15, 1940 "The Frozen Terror"
December 22, 1940 "The River of Flame"
December 29, 1940 ...Naval base sabotage...
January 5, 1941 "A Night of Terror"
January 12, 1941 "Case of The Convivial Corpse"
January 19, 1941 "Devil's Magic"
January 26, 1941 "Death After Dark"
February 2, 1941 ...lycanthropy, werewolvery...
February 9, 1941 "An Eye for an Eye"
February 16, 1941 Title/plot unknown
February 23, 1941 Title/plot unknown
March 2, 1941 Title/plot unknown
March 9, 1941 "All Roads Lead to Madness"
March 16, 1941 "Life After Life"
March 23, 1941 Title/plot unknown
March 30, 1941 Title/plot unknown
[Program information]
ORIGINATION: WGN, Chicago, Illinois.
DURATION: September 23, 1938 (pilot episode on Curtain Time), September 30-December 16,
1938 (first series), February 24-July 7, 1939 (second series), October 6, 1940-March 30, 1941
(third series).
PERSONNEL: Robert M. Lee (scriptwriter), Donald Spatz (scriptwriter—pilot episode on
Curtain Time), Blair Walliser (scriptwriter, producer, director).
CASTS: Ken Griffin (hero), Alice Hill (heroine), Irene Leben (Sonia), Donna Reade (Maida
Travers), Hugh Studebaker (Peter Quill).
EXTANT RECORDINGS: None.
[Program log]
CURTAIN TIME (WGN, CHICAGO)
[Friday—9:30-10:00 PM]
September 23, 1938 “Kovar the Wizard”
[“…a weird thirty minute drama written by Donald Spatz, will be
presented on the W-G-N and Mutual dramatic show Curtain Time from
W-G-N’s audience studio… Hugh Studebaker will be starred with
Margery Hannon appearing opposite him. Blair Walliser will direct the
program…”]
THE CRIMSON WIZARD (WGN, CHICAGO)
[Friday—8:00-8:30 PM]
September 30, 1938 “The Crimson Wizard”
October 7, 1938 “Murder in the Dark”
October 14, 1938 “Drama at Sea”
October 21, 1938 “Atlantic Flight”
October 28, 1938 “Radio Warning”
November 4, 1938 “Peter Quill Escapes”
November 11, 1938 “Thunder Over London”
November 18, 1938 “Escape from the Reds”
November 25, 1938 “Mobilization”
December 2, 1938 “Armada of Death”
December 9, 1938 “Armageddon”
December 16, 1938 “Veil of Mystery”
PETER QUILL, THE CRIMSON WIZARD (WGN, CHICAGO)
[Friday—8:00-8:30 PM]
February 24, 1939 “The Return of Peter Quill”
March 3, 1939 “The Red Circle’s Cruel Trap”
March 10, 1939 “The Red Circle Grasps for 10 Billion Dollars”
March 17, 1939 “The Red Ghost of Washington”
March 24, 1939 “Red Dawn Over Panama”
March 31, 1939 “Red Rain of Death”
April 7, 1939 “Under the Red Mask”
April 14, 1939 “The Red House of Terror”
April 21, 1939 “The Captain Conquers Death”
April 28, 1939 “The Riddle of the Red Imposter”
May 5, 1939 “Detour to Doom”
May 12, 1939 “The Revenge of the Red Circle”
May 19, 1939 “The Isle of Terror”
May 26, 1939 “Attack and Counter-Attack”
June 2, 1939 “The Phantom Ship”
[“…a new exciting episode in the eerie locale of Scarab Island, off the
Atlantic seaboard…”]
June 9, 1939 “The Spy School”
June 16, 1939 “Caught in the Catacombs”
June 23, 1939 “The Devil’s Work”
June 30, 1939 “The Red Sunset”
July 7, 1939 “Deep Sea Death”
PETER QUILL (WGN, CHICAGO)
[Sunday—3:00-3:30 PM]
October 6, 1940 “The Thing That Couldn’t Happen”
October 13, 1940
October 20, 1940 “The Child Giants”
October 27, 1940 “The Phantom of the Navy”
November 3, 1940 “The Creeping Plague”
November 10, 1940
November 17, 1940 “Flight Without Wings”
November 24, 1940 “The Red Devil of Catamount Ridge”
December 1, 1940 “Sigma Ray”
December 15, 1940 “The Frozen Terror”
December 22, 1940 “The River of Flame”
December 29, 1940
January 5, 1941 “A Night of Terror”
January 12, 1941 “The Case of the Convivial Corpse”
January 19, 1941 “Devil’s Magic”
January 26, 1941 “Death After Dark”
February 2, 1941
February 9, 1941 “An Eye for an Eye”
February 16, 1941
February 23, 1941
March 2, 1941
March 9, 1941 “All Roads Lead to Madness”
March 16, 1941 “Life After Life”
March 23, 1941
March 30, 1941
THE CROOKED HOUSE
[from Broadcasting, March 15, 1937: “...the Chairman of the Board of Radio Events, Inc., Georgia
Backus, one of the keenest minds in radio, watches over its Editorial Department.”
“The Script Library...pays tribute to Tom Devore who in order to convince the sales staff of WBNS
of the possibilities of The Crooked House, made himself up like a corpse, doused the lights in the
studio, and as the program started with the announcement, “I am Alfred Drummond, dead for
eighteen years”, had a baby spot light hit his face to bring an added touch of startling realism to as
chilling a radio program as ever serialized.”
ORIGINATION: WBNS, Columbus, Ohio.
[NOTE: The script originated from The Script Library, a division of Radio Events, Inc.]
DURATION: Ca. 1937.
PERSONNEL: Unknown.
EXTANT RECORDINGS: None.