Tue 12 Jul 2011
An Old Time Radio Review by Michael Shonk: RESULTS, INC (1944).
Posted by Steve under Old Time Radio , Reviews[3] Comments
RESULTS, INC. Mutual Broadcasting System. 30 minutes. October 7, 1944 through December 30, 1944. Sustaining (no sponsor). Recorded in Hollywood. Aired nationally. Three episodes are known to have survived. Created by Lawrence Taylor. Cast: Lloyd Nolan (Johnny Strange) and Claire Trevor (Theresa “Terry” Travers).
Results, Inc. was a comedy mystery radio series featuring film stars, Lloyd Nolan and Claire Trevor. The pair promised to solve any problems, from finding a missing uncle to filling out your crossword puzzle.
Johnny Strange was the typical “wise guy,” full of bravado and sarcasm. Before he started his new business, he had been a trombone player for a traveling circus, reporter, deck hand on a freighter, and a detective.
Terry Travers answered his ad for a secretary and assumed the job’s duties before Johnny could say a word. Terry would become secretary and Vice President, as well as the only other staff member besides Johnny, President of Results, Inc. She was the female equal of the “wise guy,” beautiful, blonde, and brassy. Her past included jobs as reporter, lingerie model, magician’s helper, and secretary to a producer.
Johnny was impressed by her job as a secretary to a producer “right in the lap of the entertainment field.”
The cases would sound silly or harmless but always lead to Johnny and Terry’s lives in danger. Villains seemed to be proactive in revealing themselves, so suspects and clues were often gratuitous. But it was the humor of the situations and the interaction of the characters that was the series’ main appeal.
According to the radio logs of the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times, New York (WOR) and Los Angeles (KHR) aired Results, Inc. every Saturday except November 4th when a speech by President Roosevelt pre-empted programming. Thus, it is likely twelve episodes aired in the thirteen weeks the show was on the air.
According to radio historian and author Jack French, the series had many production changes during its short life. It is odd the series’ creator, Lawrence Taylor was not credited for writing the first (or perhaps any) episode. But he may have been busy with WWII. Billboard (October 7, 1944) referred to Results, Inc.’s writer as “Sgt. Larry Taylor.”
While not the best of the radio’s comedy mystery genre, Results, Inc. had more than enough funny and exciting moments to satisfy any comedy mystery fan. A lack of a sponsor and the busy schedule of the two movie stars were the most likely reasons for the program’s short life.
EPISODE GUIDE:
“Haunted House” (October 7, 1944). Written: Leonard St. Clair. Johnny starts Results, Inc and hires Terry. Their first case is a little old lady who wants them to find her a haunted house, preferably with a ghost included. The client writes gruesome mysteries and is looking for a place with atmosphere to inspire her.
“Bloody Gillettes” (December 16, 1944). Written: Leonard St. Clair and “Stewart Sterling.” Terry’s hairdresser is the last surviving member of a deadly family feud and has been offered money by a reporter to pose for a picture. But the hairdresser does not believe he lives up to the proper image of the tough Gillettes. Terry volunteers Johnny to pose as the last Gillette, and Johnny soon finds himself the last target of the feud.
“Queen Sheshack,” aka “Mummy Walks” (December 30, 1944) Written: Sol Stein and Martin Wirt. While arguing over how to spend New Year’s Eve, Johnny and Terry are hired by a night watchman at the local museum. He needs them to sit up with him and make sure the mummy does not walk off when he falls asleep.
SOURCES:
Places to listen to episodes for free:
My Old Radio (free membership is required):
http://www.myoldradio.com/rare-shows/results-inc-the-haunted-house/1
http://www.myoldradio.com/rare-shows/results-inc-ep-1/1
http://www.myoldradio.com/rare-shows/results-inc-ep-2/1
Radio Detective Story Hour Ep. 81 “Bloody Gillettes.” http:/www.otr.com/blog/?p=42
Radio logs: http://www.jjonz.us/RadioLogs/
Private Eyelashes: Radio’s Lady Detectives, by Jack French. BearManor Media. Kindle edition.
July 12th, 2011 at 8:56 pm
While hardly mistakable for one of the best private eye shows ever on radio, this series is as much fun to listen to as Michael says.
What is really remarkable is that three of the episodes actually exist.
July 9th, 2018 at 6:02 pm
I recently learned of a 1946 Republic film, THE INNER CIRCLE, that used some elements of “Results, Inc.” for its story. Warren Douglas plays Johnny Strange, and Adele Mara is his newly hired secretary, renamed Gerry Travis for the film. The detective agency’s name is also changed to Action, Incorporated. There’s at least one snippet of dialogue, when Douglas is describing the type of secretary he’s looking to hire, that’s taken directly from the radio show’s first episode. The film’s plot differs from the tone of the radio series by being more of a straight whodunit, with Mara’s character at first manipulating Strange for her own mysterious purposes. The manner in which the murderer is revealed, though, is an intentional nod to the lead characters’ radio origin. The film is available for viewing in a decent print on YouTube.
July 11th, 2018 at 12:03 am
Good catch.
The film titles credits say “suggested by a radio script by Leonard St. Clair and Lawrence Taylor”
Both men wrote for RESULTS, INC. The radio series was carried on Mutual which was the weakest of the radio networks.
I need to watch the film and see if I can match the plot to any of the radio series episodes plots. The series did not last long and could have had some scripts never used.
I collect forgotten couple mysteries so look forward to watching INNER CIRCLE.
Thanks for sharing.