Tales of the Texas Rangers is a 20th century Western old-time radio police procedural drama which originally aired on NBC Radio from 1950 to 1952. Film star Joel McCrea voiced the radio show as the fictitious Texas Ranger Jayce Pearson, who uses the latest scientific techniques to identify criminals. His faithful horse, Charcoal (or "Charky"), helps Pearson to track down the culprits. The radio shows are reenactments of actual Texas Ranger cases.

It was sponsored for part of its run by Wheaties cereal. Captain Manuel T. "Lone Wolf" Gonzaullas, who was said to have killed thirty-one men during his 30-year career as a Texas Ranger, was the consultant for the radio series. On radio, Joel McCrea's Pearson often worked by request with a local sheriff's office or police department.

The radio series used contemporary cases and modern detective methods to solve crimes; it was a procedural drama, in many ways like Jack Webb's Dragnet with a western flavor.

Note: The complete collection totaled 96 episodes including the very first audition episode. Four episodes have historically been lost and sadly throughout history have not been recovered.

Lost Episodes:

#1 – Murder Money
#16 – Murder Merry-Go-Round
#29 – Strange Confession
#41 – Hot Cargo – First half was lost but the last 00:16:33 was recovered.

Episodes that were never broadcasted include:

#97 - Trial by Terror
#98 - Misfire
#99 - Tracer
#100 - Blind Spot
#101 - Deception

Broadcast History:
Network: NBC

04/19/50 Audition Program
07/08/50 to 09/30/50 Saturday 9:30 p.m.
10/08/50 to 05/27/51 Sunday 8:30 p.m.
09/30/51 to 09/14/52 Sunday, 6:00 p.m.

Producer / Director: Stacy Keach

Writers: Joel Murcott, Charles E. Isreal, Bob Wright, Arthur Brown, Jr., Robert A. White, Will Gould, Adrian Gendeaux

Announcers: Hal Gibney

Narrator: Tony Barrett

Sound Patterns: Monty Fraser

Technical Advisor: M.T. Lone Wolf Gonzaullas

Sponsor Pitchman: Frank Martin

Sponsors: General Mills (Wheaties) sponsor for the first eight broadcasts (07/08/50 - 08/26/50).

Ranger Pearson's Horse: Charcoal

Theme: The Eyes of Texas are Upon You

Cast: Joel McCrea as Ranger Jase Pearson

Also heard: Peggy Webber, Parley Baer, Herb Vigran, Lurene Tuttle, Wilms Herbert, Ed Begley, Tony Barrett, Richard Beals, Paul McVey, Lou Krugman, Jeff Corey, Bryron Kane, Robert Bruce, Jeanette Nolan, Paul Dubov, Sam Edwards, Virginia Gregg, Tom Holland, William Johnstone, Jack Kruschen, Tom McKee, Jay Novello, Russell Simpson, Dee J. Thompson, Lilliam Buyeff, Herb Butterfield, David Ellis, Paul Frees, Bob Cole, Joe Dubov, Bert Holland, Tom Tully, Peter Leeds, Jeanne Bates, Reed Hadley, Wilms Herbert, Dick Ryan, Joan Banks, Francis X. Bushman, Vivi Janniss, Herb Ellis, Ken Harvey, Barney Phillips, Michael Ann Barrett, Hal March, Herb Butterfield, Betty Lou Gerson, Wally Maher, Ann Diamond, Peggy Webber, Nestor Paiva, Gerald Mohr, Shephard Menken, James Nusser, Victor Rodman, Roy Glenn, Rye Billsbury, Ernie Newton, Jeanette Nolan, Betty Moran, G.G. Pierson, Tom Cook, William Conrad, Stacy Harris, Bill Johnstone, Lamont Johnson, Earl Keen, Roy Glenn, Joseph Kearns, Barbara Luddy, Ernest Whitman, Will Wright, Whitfield Connor, Ken Christy, Joe Forte, Edmond McDonald, Herb Linton, Lou Krugman, Whitfield Connor, Jester Herston, John Frank, Brad Brown, Frank Gerstle, Marion Richman, Charlotte Lawrence, Tim Graham, Bob David, Colleen Collins, Forrest Lewis, Harry Lang, Howard McNear, John Stevenson, Leo Curley, Don Diamond, Marian Richman, Jan Arvin, Jess Kirkpatrick, Ralph Moody, Hy Averback, Bob Isreal, Junie Ellis, Leroy Leonard, Bert Holland, Jeffrey Silver, Dan Riss, Henry Roland