Mandrake the Magician (Radio Show)

Country:	USA / English

"Mandrake the Magician" was a 15 minute serial radio show from late 1940 to early 1942. The sponsor, Taystee Bread Company, had a special membership in the Mandrake Magicians Club.

History

The New York City radio station "WOR" aired a 15 minute three days a week serial with Mandrake from November 11 1940 to February 6 1942. The serial was recorded at "WOR"'s studio in New York. About August 1941 the radio serial was aired also over NBC stationes as: "KPAC", "KLUF", "KFDM", and "KPRC" (Texas); "WLAC" (Tennessee); and perhaps also a few more radio stationes in US.

Mandrake did return as a 15 minute three days a week serial March 23 1942, now aired over the New York City radio station "WINS". The return, which may have been replays of the original serial, seems to have been ended June 2 (or 26) 1942.

The radio serial made its debut over "Mutual" October 12 1942, probably as replays of the original serial.

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  WOR & Taystee Bread
  December 12, 1940

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  WOR & Taystee Bread
  October 8, 1941

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  Newspaper review

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  NBC Network ad

Note

The official history that are written in some books, is something like this:

• "From the 11 nov. 1940 to 02 june 1942 Mutual radio network, New York, aired a 15 minute serial with Mandrake the Magician. It started in New York over station WOR as a three days a week serial and then five days a week beginning in 1941."

Radio programs in New York newspapers in 1941 only advertise the Mandrake serial aired at Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, with a few exceptions due to the holidays.

Presenting Mandrake the Magician

The show opened with Mandrake invoking his chant, Invoco Legem Magicarum (I invoke the laws of magic) which moved the story forward. At least 195 episodes were recorded, but only few of them are known today. In the episodes Mandrake fight against evil doers such as; Capt. X, Barracuda, Hithpitch, The Red Baron, Mr. Z and The Green Mask. The plots seems taken from the war theme with bombs, spy rings, submarine attacks near New York City and so on. There were also some episodes made to promote the observance of health rules among children.

Cast & Crew

Writing credits

• Charles Spain Chuck Verral

Director

• Carlo De Angelo

Producer

• Henry Souvaine

Cast

• Raymond Edward Johnson as Mandrake
• Juano Hernandez as Lothar
• Jessica Tandy and Francesca Lenni as Princess Narda
• Others by the Resident equity company

Reprints

Vinyl

Mandrake the Magician Original Radio Broadcasts was published by George Garabedian Productions in 1973.

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Internet

Radio Echoes has a wide selection of Old Time Radio shows that one can listen to, among them 29 episodes of Mandrake.

• Mandrake the Magician