The Radio Murder Mystery (1937)
"Love Is on the Air" (original title)

Andy McCaine is the ace crime reporter for a radio station. However, his exposés of corruption in high places gets him in trouble with the sponsor of his show, E.E. Nichols, who is in ... See full summary »

Director:

Nick Grinde

Writers:

Morton Grant (screen play), Roy Chanslor (from a story by),

Stars:

Ronald Reagan, June Travis, Eddie Acuff

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ronald Reagan	...	Andy McCaine
June Travis	...	Jo Hopkins
Eddie Acuff	...	'Dunk' Glover
Ben Welden	...	'Nicey' Ferguson
Robert Barrat	...	J.D. Harrington
Addison Richards	...	E.E. Nichols
Raymond Hatton	...	Weston
Tommy Bupp	...	Mouse
Dickie Jones	...	Bill - Mouse's Friend
Willard Parker	...	Les Quimby
William Hopper	...	Eddie Gould
Spec O'Donnell	...	Pinky
Herbert Rawlinson	...	Mr. George Copelin
Mary Hart	...	Mrs. George Copelin
Jack Mower	...	Police Captain Lang

Storyline

Andy McCaine is the ace crime reporter for a radio station. However, his exposés of corruption in high places gets him in trouble with the sponsor of his show, E.E. Nichols, who is in league with gangster Nicey Ferguson. Nichols pressures Andy's boss to demote him to a children's show, but Andy finds a way to use the kid show to bust open a murder case.

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Plot Keywords:

radio | murder | radio broadcasting | auditor | arson | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

2 October 1937 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Radio Murder Mystery

Filming Locations:

Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros

Technical Specs

Runtime:

59 min 62 min (copyright length)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

John Harron is in studio records/casting call lists, but did not appear in the movie.

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Connections

Version of The House Across the Street (1949)

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Soundtracks

"Love Is on the Air Tonight"
(1937) (uncredited)
Music by Richard A. Whiting
Played during the opening credits and occasionally in the score

User Reviews

Reagan Busts The Rackets

Dick Powell had introduced a song called Love Is On The Air in Varsity Show which is a nice number. Therefore one might have expected a film with this title to be a musical. Though the song is played over the opening title credits, this film is far from a musical.

Instead it is the film debut of former radio announcer Ronald Reagan playing a radio commentator who is getting the gangsters in his city all kinds of nervous with his hard hitting expose. But his sponsor Addison Richard is in league with those selfsame gangsters led by Ben Welden. He pressures station owner Robert Barrat to pull the plug on Reagan's show, but Ron's got a contract. Never mind the owner just assigns him to a kiddie show that June Travis formerly had.

Of course she's all kinds of put out, but Ron's charm wins her over in a number of ways and oddly enough the kid's show provides him with a lead that eventually busts the racketeer control wide open.

Casting Reagan as a radio commentator was no big acting stretch for him, but this did show the wisdom of Warner Brothers in developing new talent by giving them comfortable surroundings. Reagan's likability did the rest in this very easy to take B programmer based in part on Paul Muni's film Hi Nellie from a few years before.

The Gipper's fans ought to be pleased.