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Chicagoland Mystery Players

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Chicagoland Mystery Players
GenreMystery
Directed byErnest Lukas
StarringRobert Smith
Gordon Urquart
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
Production
Running time30 minutes
Original release
NetworkWGN-TV (1947-50)
DuMont (1949-50)
ReleaseSeptember 11, 1949 (1949-09-11) –
July 23, 1950 (1950-07-23)

Chicagoland Mystery Players, a police procedural, was "television's first crime series".[1] The series was one of several on DuMont that began in a local TV market before being picked up nationally.[citation needed]

Local origin

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The live television series was first shown locally in Chicago in 1947, sponsored by the Chicago Tribune.[1]

When the series aired on WGN-TV in Chicago, viewers were not given the solution to the crime. Instead they were told that they could find the solution in the next day's Chicago Tribune,[2] the newspaper that sponsored the program.[3] WGN-TV was owned by the Tribune.[citation needed] During its time on DuMont, the end was included as part of the program.[4]

Network

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It was picked up by the DuMont Television Network and first aired on the network September 18, 1949,.[5] or September 11, 1949.[6] The 30-minute show aired on Sundays at 8 pm Eastern Time.[5] The show was also known as The Chicagoland Players.[6]

Gordon Urquhart portrayed police officer Jeffrey Hall, who examined each crime scene, questioned witnesses, and interrogated suspects.[4] Bob Smith portrayed Sergeant Holland. The director was Bruno VeSota.[7]

In March 1950 the show's title changed to Chicagoland Players, and the format changed to dramatic presentations that would "cover a wider range of subjects."[8]

DuMont dropped the program on July 23, 1950, and it is unknown if it continued in Chicago for any time.

Episodes

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The June 26, 1949, episode was "Adventures of the Curious Cat", written by George Anderson.[7] Other episodes of the series included:

  • "The Fangs of Death"[5]
  • "Kiss of Death"[5]
  • "Tryst with a Dummy"[5]

No episodes of the series are known to have survived.[citation needed]

Critical response

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Chris Raczkowski, in the book A History of American Crime Fiction, wrote that dramatizations on the program "were presented with as much of an air of realism as possible".[1] Raczkowski added that publishing the solutions to cases in the newspaper "added even more of an air of reality."[1]

See also

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Bibliography

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  • David Weinstein, The Forgotten Network: DuMont and the Birth of American Television (Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 2004) ISBN 1-59213-245-6

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Raczkowski, Chris (October 26, 2017). A History of American Crime Fiction. Cambridge University Press. p. 327. ISBN 978-1-108-54843-4. Retrieved July 29, 2023.
  2. ^ Labov, William; Browne, Ray Broadus; Browne, Pat (2001). The Guide to United States Popular Culture. Popular Press. p. 565. ISBN 978-0-87972-821-2. Retrieved April 8, 2021.
  3. ^ Raczkowski, Chris (26 October 2017). A History of American Crime Fiction. Cambridge University Press. p. 327. ISBN 978-1-108-54843-4. Retrieved April 8, 2021.
  4. ^ a b Bianculli, David (2017). The Platinum Age of Television: From I Love Lucy to the Walking Dead, How TV Became Terrific. Anchor Books. p. 149. ISBN 978-1-101-91132-7. Retrieved April 8, 2021.
  5. ^ a b c d e Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle F. (June 24, 2009). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946-Present. Random House Publishing Group. p. 249. ISBN 978-0-307-48320-1. Retrieved July 29, 2023.
  6. ^ a b McNeil, Alex (1996). Total Television: the Comprehensive Guide to Programming from 1948 to the Present (4th ed.). New York, New York: Penguin Books USA, Inc. p. 160. ISBN 0-14-02-4916-8.
  7. ^ a b "New mystery series begins on WGN-TV today". Chicago Tribune. June 26, 1949. p. 22. Retrieved April 8, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Chicagoland Players to Widen Range of Dramas". Chicago Tribune. March 5, 1950. p. Part 3 - Page 10. Retrieved July 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
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