The Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen was a radio adventure serial created by writers Bob Burtt and Bill Moore, both of whom were from Kansas City, Missouri. The 15-minute program was broadcast from 1933 until 1947.
In 1933, Burtt was working as a freelance writer, while Moore was working the sports desk of the Kansas City Star and writing occasional scripts for the Star's affliated radio station WDAF-FM. Both Burtt and Moore had been flying aces in World War I. At a party in Kansas City, the two former pilots came up with the idea of a radio series targeted at children and teenagers concerning a 16-year-old pilot and his adventures flying around the world, primarily solving mysteries and crimes and participating in air show races. Burtt and Moore then wrote the initial script about Jimmie Allen, a young telegraph messenger at the Airways Station near Kansas City. A gruff man asks him to send a coded telegram. Later Allen is told that a plane carrying a million dollars to a bank is on its way. Allen figures out the plane is to be hijacked, so he joins his pilot friend, Speed Robertson, in a plan to thwart the hijacking. Moore brought the finished pilot script to WDAF where station manager Dean Fitzer promptly put the program into production.
During the course of auditions for prospective sponsors, a Kansas City advertising agency man named Russell C. Comer was called in. Comer was impressed with the serial's possibilities and in a short while had it sold to Skelly Oil.
WDAF turned its interests in The Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen at this point to Comer, with the understanding that locally the show must go on WDAF exclusively. Comer employed WDAF director John Frank to direct the show, and Frank, over 40 years old at the time, also decided to take the role of 16-year-old Jimmie Allen. Robert Fiske, an experienced veteran of radio, stage and screen, played Jimmie's older pal and mentor, Speed Robertson, who, like Burtt and Moore, was a pilot in World War I. Ed Prentiss served as the opening and closing narrator and announcer for the show during its 1930s run.
The Jimmie Allen program was first broadcast February 23, 1933, initially over three Midwestern radio stations, WDAF in Kansas City, KLZ in Denver, Colorado, and KVOO in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Over the years, the show was produced in a variety of recording studios in Hollywood, New York and Chicago.
In following episodes, Speed and Jimmie, in their attempt to thwart the hijacking, are captured but escape in a small plane which crashes, and then are recaptured. Throughout this initial story arc, Robertson is Jimmie's mentor. He does all the flying and continually teaches Allen a trick or two that he learned in World War I. After an exciting aerial dogfight near the end of the story, Robertson reveals that the FBI has made him a G-Man. In subsequent episodes of the series, Jimmie expresses interest in becoming a pilot and enrolls in flying school. Numerous exciting adventures follow, full of danger and mystery.
Burtt and Moore wove the plot around the character of a self-reliant youth of fine habits: resourceful, courageous, capable of thinking his way through danger and holding firmly to "fine American ideals." They never deviated from that theme of the character, and they surrounded their hero with friends and enemies who personified other traits that would emphasize the character of their hero.
Soon after the first broadcast, seven more radio stations were added to the Jimmie Allen show's roster, and Skelly Oil found itself involved in one of the great promotions of early radio. A Jimmie Allen Flying Club was created: all a kid had to do was apply at any Skelly station. Applicants received many premiums, highly treasured today --- a set of wings, a membership emblem and a "personal letter" from Jimmie Allen. Other giveaways included a Jimmie Allen picture puzzle (a Skelly truck refueling a light airplane), a "secret service whistle" and a Jimmie Allen album.
The club newspaper was sent to 600,000 listeners a week, and Jimmie Allen Air Races --- attended by tens of thousands of people --- were held in major Midwest cities where the show was heard. Because of John Frank's age, 16-year-old Murray McLean stepped in when personal appearances of Jimmie Allen were scheduled. Skelly had to hire a special staff just to answer the mail. Flying lessons, model plans and other promotions were part of the mix, available to listeners who displayed their club credentials at their Skelly Oil station.
Comer remained in the background most of the time but kept close check on the serial as it was developed. He never sold the show to a network (which is the main reason why its history has remained so vague). By marketing the show himself (to the Richfield Oil Company on the West Coast and to scores of individual businesses elsewhere), he kept control of it. When Comer would see the serial taking a direction that was contrary to what he believed he could sell readily to a sponsor, he came up with an idea or suggestion that ran counter to the ideas of the authors. An argument would begin, with Comer producing here and there, and in the end the serial came around the way he wanted it. When the production was ready for recording, it fell naturally to Comer to take over production rights, with the authors reserving, of course, their royalty rights.
Throughout the 1930s, interest was high. Boys were fascinated by the adventures of Jimmie, Speed and their mechanic Flash Lewis. Together they solved mysteries (even murder, unusual for juvenile fare at that time, when Jimmie's passenger Quackenbush died under mysterious circumstances), went on hunts for treasure and raced in air shows around the country. Their enemies were Black Pete and Digger Dawson. A Big Little Book, Jimmie Allen and the Great Air Mail Robbery, was based on the show's earliest scripts by Burtt and Moore.
The serial was adapted to film with The Sky Parade (1936), a Paramount feature about the post-war adventures of WWI pilots. The film featured some of the cast from the radio show playing different parts.
The popularity began to wane in 1937 when it was dropped by Skelly Oil. Production ceased, and Comer began focusing his attention on a new Burtt and Moore-authored boy-pilot series, Captain Midnight (which featured Jimmie Allen announcer Ed Prentiss as the title character). Repeats of the "Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen" continued to air on radio stations across the country and in Australia, Canada, and New Zealand until 1943.
This collection of "The Air Adventures Of Jimmie Allen" radio programs features 124 shows on 1 compact disc. Each episode is presented in the .mp3 format.
The CD is labeled and provided in a highly protective jewel case. A list of the programs on the disc as well as the date the program originally aired (if known) is also provided.
PLEASE MAKE SURE YOUR EQUIPMENT WILL PLAY MP3 FORMATTED FILES BEFORE PURCHASING THIS ITEM.
IT IS ULTIMATELY THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE BUYER TO ENSURE THAT HIS OR HER EQUIPMENT IS COMPATIBLE WITH THE MP3 FORMAT.
A note concerning sound quality. The sound quality for the shows in this collection is very good to good. It is difficult to find perfect recordings from the golden age of radio due to the equipment used for recording and the fact that many of the recordings were made 60, 70 or even 80 years ago.
Episode Listing for the Air Adventures Of Jimmie Allen programs included in this collection:
Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1936 - 0417 Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1936 - 0418 Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1936 - 0419 Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1936 - 0420 Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1936 - 0421 Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1936 - 0422 Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1936 - 0423 Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1936 - 0424 Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1936 - 0425 Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1936 - 0426 Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1936 - 0439 Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1936 - 0440 Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1936 - 0441 Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1936 - 0442 Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1936 - 0447 Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1936 - 0448 Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1936 - 0450 Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1936 - 0458 Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1936 - 0459 Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1936 - 0464 Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1936 - 0465 Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1936 - 0468 Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1936 - 0469 Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1936 - 0476 Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1936 - 0477 Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1936 - 0482 Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1936 - 0483 Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1936 - 0486 Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1936 - 0487 Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1936 - 0490 Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1936 - 0491 Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1936 - 0492 Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1936 - Air Race (Part 01).mp3 2627 KB Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1936 - Air Race (Part 02).mp3 2610 KB Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1936 - Flash Crashes (No Close).mp3 2293 KB Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1936 - Flash Explains (No Open).mp3 Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1937 - 1039 - Reluctance For Solo Flight Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1937 - 1040 - Speed Lands Jimmie's Plane Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1937 - 1041 - Sabotage Suspected Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1937 - 1042 - Speed To Be Jimmie's New Instructor Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1937 - 1043 - Secret Drawings Stolen Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1937 - 1044 - Major Moto Spotted Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1937 - 1045 - Strut Breaks During Flight Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1937 - 1046 - Looking Over Wreckage Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1937 - 1047 - Flash Overhears Meeting Time Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1937 - 1048 - Secret Meeting Overheard Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1937 - 1049 - Lead Bars Found In Major Moto's Pockets Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1937 - 1050 - Trouble During Test Flight Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1937 - 1051 - Lead Weight Found In Wreckcage Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1937 - 1052 - Near Collision With Major Moto Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1937 - 1053 - Stolen Documents Found In Speed's Possession Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1937 - 1054 - Speed Held At Gunpoint Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1937 - 1055 - Setting Trap For Thieves Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1937 - 1056 - Mason Spotted In The Hangar Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1937 - 1057 - Speed Cleared - Thieves Caught Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1937 - 1058 - Pursuing Major Moto Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1937 - 1059 - Major Moto's Plane Shot Down Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1937 - 1060 - Search For Major Moto Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1937 - 1061 - Major Moto Captured Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1937 - 1062 - Imposter Leaves With Major Moto And Secret Documents Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1937 - 1063 - Kidnapped By Moto's Gang Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1937 - 1064 - Moto's Gang Captured - Secret Paper's Recovered Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1937 - 1065 - Solo Flight Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1937 - 1066 - Gangsters To Escape Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1937 - 1067 - Dick Needs A Job Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1937 - 1068 - Offer To Buy Tract Of Land Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1937 - 1069 - Mrs. Croft Wants To Sell Land Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1937 - 1070 - Signing Of Agreement Delayed Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1937 - 1071 - Suspicious Of Rip Bender Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1937 - 1072 - Plans To Look Over Property Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1937 - 1073 - Discussing Flight Plan To Texas Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1937 - 1074 - Gangster's Plane Seen Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1937 - 1075 - Spark Plugs Switched Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1937 - 1076 - Fight With Biffer & Ace Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1937 - 1077 - Oil Pressure Drops Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1937 - 1078 - Forced Landing Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1937 - 1079 - Telegram For Mrs. Croft Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1937 - 1080 - Airplane Heard Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1937 - 1081 - Jimmie, Flash & Speed Finally Arrive Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1937 - 1082 - Looking Over The Croft Property Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1937 - 1083 - Told Of Buried Treasure Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1937 - 1084 - Airplane Tracks Seen Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1937 - 1085 - Russell Seen On The Mountain Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1937 - 1086 - Parchment Found Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1937 - 1087 - Parchment Is Treasure Map Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1937 - 1088 - Flash Reads Poetry Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1937 - 1089 - Speed Discovers Bomb Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1937 - 1090 - Landmark Found Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1937 - 1091 - Bag Of Gold Coins Found Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1937 - 1092 - Hiding Airplane Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1937 - 1093 - Plan To Apprehend The Gangsters Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1937 - 1094 - Barbara Kidnapped Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1937 - 1095 - Leaving For Home Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1937 - 1096 - Telegram For Jimmie Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1937 - 1097 - Collision In The Air Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1937 - 1098 - Movie Contract Offered Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1937 - 1099 - Telephone Threat Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1937 - 1100 - Proposition From Nails Ballou Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1937 - 1101 - Ramsey Recognizes Ballou Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1937 - 1102 - Trouble During Practice Flight Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1937 - 1103 - Flash Arrives Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1937 - 1104 - Harry Phelps Is Unconscious Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1937 - 1105 - Mike Blackmailed By Ballou Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1937 - 1106 - Collision In The Air Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1937 - 1107 - Having To Bail Out Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1937 - 1108 - Chasing Harry Phelps In The Air Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1937 - 1109 - Speed & Ballou Fight Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1937 - 1110 - Discussing Delays With The Filming Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1937 - 1111 - Flash Prowling In The Hangar Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1937 - 1112 - Flash Questions Mike Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1937 - 1113 - Plans For Crash Being Made Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1937 - 1114 - Warning From Mike Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1937 - 1115 - Jimmie Does The Crash Stunt Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1937 - 1116 - Mike Disappears Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1937 - 1117 - Apology Letter From Mike Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1937 - 1118 - Sandy Carson Arrives Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1937 - 1119 - Crash Landing Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1937 - 1120 - Asking Roy For Help Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1937 - 1121 - Manuscripts Found Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1937 - 1122 - Where Is Harry Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1937 - 1123 - Harry Phelps Fell Out Of Plane Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1937 - 1124 - Ballou Was Nazi Spy Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1937 - 1125 - Harry Phelps Is Dead Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen - 1937 - 1126 - Ballou Killed
IMPORTANT NOTE!: The CD presented for sale contains radio programs recorded and preserved in the MP3 audio format. The MP3 format allows for audio compression and can allow the storage of over 50 hours of audio per CD. The MP3 format is compatible with many newer DVD and portable CD players, as well as MP3 players. The MP3 format is also playable on Windows based computers using Real Player, Windows Media Player or other players.
Attention EBay: After a careful search of the Library of Congress and the United States Trademark and Patent Office, it has been determined that the programs listed for sale here are in the Public Domain. They are being offered with the understanding that no valid or active copyright, trademark, and/or patent exist for them. These recordings are sold for private home listening and use only. No broadcast rights are stated, implied, or given. Historical Media assumes no responsibility for unauthorized use of these programs. The Library Of Congress has ruled that old radio broadcasts are within the Public Domain, since they were not qualified for copyright protection when presented, nor was any attempt to place them under such copyright protection when the opportunity existed in 1978-1979 when the copyright law regarding these programs was revised. Radio shows created before January 1, 1978 are protected by the Copyright Act of 1909. These shows are listed in accordance with current EBay policies concerning selling Old Time Radio Public Domain materials.
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