Bold Venture was a syndicated radio series starring Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall that aired from 1951 to 1952. Morton Fine and David Friedkin scripted the taped series for Bogart's Santana Productions.
Salty seadog Slate Shannon (Bogart) owns a Cuban hotel, Shannon's Place,[1] sheltering an assortment of treasure hunters, revolutionaries, and other shady characters. With his sidekick and ward, the sultry Sailor Duval (Bacall), tagging along, he encounters modern-day pirates and other tough situations while navigating the waters around Havana. Aboard his boat, the Bold Venture, Slate and Sailor experience "adventure, intrigue, mystery and romance in the sultry settings of tropical Havana and the mysterious islands of the Caribbean."
Calypso singer King Moses (Jester Hairston) provided musical bridges by threading plot situations into the lyrics of his songs.[2] Music for the series was by David Rose.[3]
The series combined elements of a number of past Bogart/Bacall film collaborations, most notably To Have and Have Not which also cast Bogart as a boat owner in the Caribbean who reluctantly becomes involved in intrigue while romancing Bacall. The relationship between Shannon and King Moses, and his ownership of an inn, is strongly reminiscent of the dynamic between Rick Blaine and Sam in Casablanca.
Beginning in March 1951, the Frederic W. Ziv Company syndicated 78 episodes via electrical transcription.[4] Some sources have claimed that the 78 episodes include reruns, and that there were only around 30 episodes but more than 50 shows have now come to light. Heard on 423 stations, the 30-minute series earned $5,000 weekly for Bogart and Bacall.[3]
57 episodes are now known to exist, some are known by more than one title which can make it appear that there are more.
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1 Deadly Merchandise - 27:22
2 Kuan Yin Statue - 26:43
3 Opium Smugglers and Young Girl - 26:25
4 Johnny Rice Story - 26:23
5 Treasure on Flamingo Cay - 26:28
6 He Who Laughs Last - 26:40
7 Espionage and Murder in San Toma - 26:39
8 A Muncie Murderess in Havana - 26:59
9 Fake American Passport - 26:43
10 Sailor Framed for Murder - 26:51
11 The Blue Moon - 28:16
12 The Tears Of Siva - 26:48
13 A Half Million Reasons to Find Gary - 26:33
14 The High Price of Treason - 26:45
15 Russian Roulette - 25:56
16 The Mystery of the Mary K - 24:42
17 Death At The Wedding - 26:56
18 A Twelve Year Promise - 25:37
19 Voodoo Vendetta - 26:37
20 The Search for Tommy Reed - 26:34
21 Sunken Treasure at 20 Fathoms - 26:37
22 The Ghost Ship - 26:48
23 Bold_Venture_5x-xx-xx_ep23_Jenny_Ward,_Slate's_Old_Flame - 26:06
24 Terminal Key - 26:19
25 Out of Control - 26:47
26 Black Tie Affair - 25:18
27 Murder in the Yucatan Peninsula - 26:51
28 Bold_Venture_5x-xx-xx_ep28_Slate_Shannon,_Sucker - 26:41
29 Slate Shannon Held for Ransom - 26:39
30 Camellias and a Ruby - 26:42
31 Passage for Mario Carada - 26:50
32 Darby and Joan Incorporated - 26:47
33 Mutineers of the SS Marino Victory - 26:47
34 Bold Venture Stolen - 26:39
35 Bold_Venture_5x-xx-xx_ep35_Slate's_Stolen_DaVinci - 26:31
36 Paolo Framed for Jewel Robbery - 26:39
37 Cruise To Batabano - 26:33
38 Bold_Venture_5x-xx-xx_ep38_Slate's_Stolen_Identity - 26:26
39 Tabard Of Pizarro - 26:20
40 Escape From Guantanamo - 26:24
41 Crazy Old Carlo - 26:36
42 Innocence in Trujillo - 26:34
43 An Invitation to Death - 26:58
44 Background Shots Can Kill You - 26:35
45 Revenge Equals Murder Times Two - 26:31
46 Bold_Venture_5x-xx-xx_ep46_A_Backstabbing_at_Shannon's_Place - 26:56
47 Bold_Venture_5x-xx-xx_ep47_I'm_Going_To_Die - 26:32
48 The One That Got Away - 26:19
49 Man From Sumatra - 26:35
50 The Big KO - 26:26
51 El Indio - 26:46
52 Diamond Fencing and Fisticuffs - 27:02
53 Revenge is Sweet - 26:52
54 Bold_Venture_5x-xx-xx_ep54_Haven's_Venezuelan_Isle - 26:50
55 With Friends Like These - 26:50
56 Marriage And Murder - 26:57
57 Bold_Venture_5x-xx-xx_ep60_Señor_Rufio - 26:18
