<![CDATA[C.H. Sessums' Substack: The Soundbox]]>https://chsessums.substack.com/s/the-soundboxhttps://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!L-CB!,w_256,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd4570363-cc3f-4eaa-abdf-81aabd98581e_739x739.pngC.H. Sessums' Substack: The Soundboxhttps://chsessums.substack.com/s/the-soundboxSubstackSat, 25 Jul 2026 02:03:13 GMT<![CDATA[The Big Crime]]>https://chsessums.substack.com/p/the-big-crimehttps://chsessums.substack.com/p/the-big-crimeSun, 19 Jul 2026 13:00:07 GMTToday I’ve got an episode of my favorite fictional police detective, Joe Friday from Dragnet. This episode is entitled “The Big Crime” in which Friday investigates the serious crime involving two little girls who go missing. This originally aired on February 15, 1951.

Escape into clever Texas whodunits with vintage-style suspense and small-town mysteries. Guaranteed to spark your inner sleuth and deliver feel-good resolutions every time.

A trip to state prison puts Jenny on the trail for a stolen necklace and right into the path of a killer…

Get it today!

]]><![CDATA[Search for a Killer]]>https://chsessums.substack.com/p/search-for-a-killerhttps://chsessums.substack.com/p/search-for-a-killerSun, 28 Jun 2026 14:30:56 GMTI was looking for something different for today’s Soundbox and I found this gem from Vincent Price’s series, The Saint. What makes this one especially cool is the news broadcast at the start of the program. Have a listen to “Search for a Killer” from July 2, 1950.

Escape into clever Texas whodunits with vintage-style suspense and small-town mysteries. Guaranteed to spark your inner sleuth and deliver feel-good resolutions every time.

A trip to state prison puts Jenny on the trail for a stolen necklace and right into the path of a killer…

Get it today!

]]><![CDATA[A Piece of Publicity]]>https://chsessums.substack.com/p/a-piece-of-publicityhttps://chsessums.substack.com/p/a-piece-of-publicitySun, 14 Jun 2026 17:53:43 GMTIt’s no secret that one of my absolute favorite radio actors is none other than Bob Bailey of Yours Truly Johnny Dollar. Turns out Bob was born on June 13, 1913 so in celebration I’m sharing an episode from his other series, Let George Do it. This one is titled "A Piece of Publicity,” or “Hired for a Bodyguard. Let's enjoy this one from June 14, 1948.

Escape into clever Texas whodunits with vintage-style suspense and small-town mysteries. Guaranteed to spark your inner sleuth and deliver feel-good resolutions every time.

A trip to state prison puts Jenny on the trail for a stolen necklace and right into the path of a killer…

Get it today!

]]><![CDATA[The Price of Fame Matter]]>https://chsessums.substack.com/p/the-price-of-fame-matterhttps://chsessums.substack.com/p/the-price-of-fame-matterSun, 31 May 2026 14:00:48 GMTThe great Vincent Price was born on May 27, 1911 and I decided what better way to celebrate his birthday than to play an episode of my favorite Old Time Radio Series, Yours Truly Dollar, featuring Price… in the role of… Vincent Price. Let’s enjoy “The Price of Fame Matter” which aired on February 2, 1958.

Escape into clever Texas whodunits with vintage-style suspense and small-town mysteries. Guaranteed to spark your inner sleuth and deliver feel-good resolutions every time.

]]><![CDATA[Retribution]]>https://chsessums.substack.com/p/retributionhttps://chsessums.substack.com/p/retributionSun, 17 May 2026 16:54:39 GMTYesterday marked the 84th anniversary of the airing of the very first episode of The Whistler. The unknown “whistler” narrates every episode, spinning the hidden thoughts and plans of the characters. Let’s have a listen to that pilot episode titled “Retribution” and dated May 16, 1942

Escape into clever Texas whodunits with vintage-style suspense and small-town mysteries. Guaranteed to spark your inner sleuth and deliver feel-good resolutions every time.

]]><![CDATA[End as a World]]>https://chsessums.substack.com/p/end-as-a-worldhttps://chsessums.substack.com/p/end-as-a-worldSun, 03 May 2026 14:02:18 GMTThis one is like a taste of real nostalgia. A sci-fi story from a child’s perspective. It was Saturday morning and the headline in the paper read This Is The Day The World Ends… I just love this episode of X Minus One because of the complexity of what might have been just a normal Saturday morning in the 1950s combined with a subtle but intense suspense about “the day the world ends. Let’s have a listen to this episode dated January 8, 1957.

Escape into clever Texas whodunits with vintage-style suspense and small-town mysteries. Guaranteed to spark your inner sleuth and deliver feel-good resolutions every time.

]]><![CDATA[Let George do it]]>https://chsessums.substack.com/p/let-george-do-ithttps://chsessums.substack.com/p/let-george-do-itSun, 19 Apr 2026 14:00:59 GMTAccording to Dr. Google, something is a classic when it is at least 20 to 25 years old. Well, today I have a more recent series that by that definition is still classic, though its hard for me to wrap my head around that because it was produced when I was alive! The CBS Radio Mystery Theater came about as a way to appeal to those audiences who were nostalgic for old-time radio. Today’s episode is called “Let George Do It” not to be mistaken for the series by that name produced in the 40s and 50s. This one is dated June 2, 1980.

Escape into clever Texas whodunits with vintage-style suspense and small-town mysteries. Guaranteed to spark your inner sleuth and deliver feel-good resolutions every time.

]]><![CDATA[This Time for Creeps]]>https://chsessums.substack.com/p/this-time-for-creepshttps://chsessums.substack.com/p/this-time-for-creepsSun, 05 Apr 2026 14:02:14 GMTHappy Easter! On today’s blessed day I am praying for goodness and joy for you all. I also have a fun mystery titled “This time for Creeps.” In it investigator Dyke Easter is hired by a man who committed a murder, except when Easter arrives he finds the supposed murdered man very much alive. This program is dated April 19, 1949.

Escape into clever Texas whodunits with vintage-style suspense and small-town mysteries. Guaranteed to spark your inner sleuth and deliver feel-good resolutions every time.

]]><![CDATA[Murder in the Sky]]>https://chsessums.substack.com/p/murder-in-the-skyhttps://chsessums.substack.com/p/murder-in-the-skySun, 22 Mar 2026 15:21:15 GMTToday I have a new-to-me radio production. The Phyl Coe Mysteries is a female-led series from the mid-1930s. Phyl was short for “Phyllis” and she was described in episodes as “the beautiful girl detective.” This is called “Murder in the Sky” and it’s from February 19, 1936. Let’s have a listen!

Escape into clever Texas whodunits with vintage-style suspense and small-town mysteries. Guaranteed to spark your inner sleuth and deliver feel-good resolutions every time.

]]><![CDATA[Nether, Nether Land]]>https://chsessums.substack.com/p/nether-nether-landhttps://chsessums.substack.com/p/nether-nether-landSun, 08 Mar 2026 14:02:34 GMTToday I have an episode of The Adventures of Phillip Marlow that is a little different. It’s a rehearsal of an episode called Nether, Nether Land. In this one, Marlow is just nodding off to sleep when a woman pounds on his door because someone is following her. Let’s enjoy “Nether, Nether Land” an episode that on September 1, 1951!

Escape into clever Texas whodunits with vintage-style suspense and small-town mysteries. Guaranteed to spark your inner sleuth and deliver feel-good resolutions every time.

]]><![CDATA[Murder in the Ring]]>https://chsessums.substack.com/p/murder-in-the-ringhttps://chsessums.substack.com/p/murder-in-the-ringSun, 22 Feb 2026 16:48:10 GMTToday marks the end of the 2026 Winter Olympics. I have to admit, I haven’t watched a single event. I may not be up on modern cover, but I do love a good historical tidbit. In the 1920 Summer Olympics, Eddie Eagan won the gold medal in boxing… in 1932 he won a gold medal again, that time in the Winter Olympics as a member of a four-man bobsled team. So for Eagan who won his first medal in boxing, I have an episode from the Bulldog Drummond Series titled, “Murder in the Ring.” which aired on October 14, 1946!

Escape into clever Texas whodunits with vintage-style suspense and small-town mysteries. Guaranteed to spark your inner sleuth and deliver feel-good resolutions every time.

]]><![CDATA[In the Dark]]>https://chsessums.substack.com/p/in-the-darkhttps://chsessums.substack.com/p/in-the-darkSun, 08 Feb 2026 20:53:41 GMTHello again! Welcome to the Soundbox. I’m your host Candace Sessums and I’m so glad you’re here. Now I have a question… can you whistle? Today I have an episode of the series titled “The Whistler.” The narrator of the story is the unseen “Whistler” who witnesses dark secrets with a sort of unnerving glee. Today’s episode is about a blind man and his unfaithful wife. Let’s have a listen to “In the Dark” which aired on February 7, 1943!

C.H. Sessums' Substack is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

]]><![CDATA[The Report on Edith Hamilton ]]>https://chsessums.substack.com/p/the-report-on-edith-hamiltonhttps://chsessums.substack.com/p/the-report-on-edith-hamiltonSat, 24 Jan 2026 21:39:04 GMTHello again! Welcome to the Soundbox. I’m your host Candace Sessums and I’m so glad you’re here. Remember you can follow or like The Soundbox wherever you’re listening whether on Substack, Spotify, Youtube or Apple. We are almost frozen here in East Texas today and nothing warms me up like a great mystery. Today I have an episode of Sam Spade about a woman on the edge of insanity… or is she? Let’s have a listen to the Report of Edith Hamilton which aired on the Armed Forces Radio Service on April 14, 1949. Let’s have a listen!

C.H. Sessums' Substack is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Step inside the Cozy & Sweet Bookstore!

]]><![CDATA[Joe Finley's Ulcer]]>https://chsessums.substack.com/p/joe-finleys-ulcerhttps://chsessums.substack.com/p/joe-finleys-ulcerSun, 11 Jan 2026 15:14:33 GMTHappy New Year! This is the first Soundbox episode of 2026 and I have to say I’m looking to this year with a bit of hope and a lot of nostalgia. As many of you may know my Mom left us on the first of December. Some of my mom’s favorite series to watch were medical dramas. I can remember as a young girl we would watch Trapper John, M.D. Later it was ER, Chicago Hope and more recently Grey’s Anatomy and The Pitt. So in honor of my mom’s love of medical dramas, here is an episode of Dr. Kildare titled Joe Finley’s Ulcer from October 4, 1950. Let’s have a listen!

C.H. Sessums' Substack is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Step inside the Cozy & Sweet Bookstore!

]]><![CDATA[Hot New Year's Eve Party]]>https://chsessums.substack.com/p/hot-new-years-eve-partyhttps://chsessums.substack.com/p/hot-new-years-eve-partySun, 28 Dec 2025 15:00:45 GMTWe’re only a few days away from the start of a brand-new year and I just want to take this time to thank you all for listening to the Soundbox. I so enjoy sharing these old-time episodes with you. Today I have an episode of Casey, Crime Photographer called “Hot New Years Eve Party” which aired originally on January 1, 1948 and deals with arson and murder. Let’s have a listen!

C.H. Sessums' Substack is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Step inside the Cozy & Sweet Bookstore!

]]><![CDATA[Five Days off for Christmas]]>https://chsessums.substack.com/p/five-days-off-for-christmashttps://chsessums.substack.com/p/five-days-off-for-christmasSun, 14 Dec 2025 15:01:36 GMTFrank Lovejoy is one of my favorite radio and early film actors. His voice was sometimes described as the “everyman” with a believable, down-to-earth quality. Today I have an episode of Nightbeat just in the time for the holidays where newspaper man Randy Stone find himself with “Five Days off for Christmas” which aired originally on December 21, 1951. Enjoy!

C.H. Sessums' Substack is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Step inside the Cozy & Sweet Bookstore!

]]><![CDATA[Dwellers in Silence]]>https://chsessums.substack.com/p/dwellers-in-silencehttps://chsessums.substack.com/p/dwellers-in-silenceSun, 30 Nov 2025 15:01:03 GMTWell I couldn’t let November pass without celebrating Sci Fi month with an episode of one of our favorite radio series, Dimension X. One of the kings of early sci fi was writer Ray Bradbury. This episode, called “Dwellers in Silence” is based on one of his stories and is one of my favorites. In it a crew of astronauts return to earth after an atomic war and find a single family of survivors. Let’s sit back and have a listen.

C.H. Sessums' Substack is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Step inside the Cozy & Sweet Bookstore!

]]><![CDATA[The Mei Ling Buddha Matter]]>https://chsessums.substack.com/p/the-mei-ling-buddha-matterhttps://chsessums.substack.com/p/the-mei-ling-buddha-matterSun, 16 Nov 2025 15:00:55 GMTI’m hopping through all of my favorite radio detectives and if you know me at all, you know that Bob Bailey’s Johnny Dollar is my favorite. The five part episodes are by far the best. Many of the single part episodes were frankly a little corny. Still there are some jewels like this one titled “The Mei Ling Buddha Matter” from June 28, 1959. Enjoy!

C.H. Sessums' Substack is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Step inside the Cozy & Sweet Bookstore!

]]><![CDATA[The Bow Window Caper]]>https://chsessums.substack.com/p/the-bow-window-caperhttps://chsessums.substack.com/p/the-bow-window-caperSun, 02 Nov 2025 14:01:04 GMTLast time it was Raymond Chandler’s Phillip Marlowe and this week it’s Dashiel Hammet’s Sam Spade. This episode sees Spade hired by a doctor whose jealous wife is ruining his practice. This episode is called The Bow Window and its from November 9, 1947. Let’s sit back and listen!

C.H. Sessums' Substack is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Step inside the Cozy & Sweet Bookstore!

]]><![CDATA[Last Wish]]>https://chsessums.substack.com/p/last-wishhttps://chsessums.substack.com/p/last-wishSun, 19 Oct 2025 13:02:39 GMTYes, I know I’ve been absent for a while and I’m incredibly sorry about that. While we are still on a difficult journey with my mom’s cancer, she’s back home right and doing well. I’m so grateful for all of your thoughts and prayers. Today I have an episode of the Adventures of Phillip Marlowe. For radio, Marlowe was brought to life by prolific voice actor Gerald Mohr. The great thing about the radio episodes is that while Marlowe remains that gritty and cynical detective, we also occasionally get to see a bit of heart. And that’s just what we have in this one titled The Last Wish its from July 19, 1950. Let’s sit back and listen!

C.H. Sessums' Substack is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Step inside the Cozy & Sweet Bookstore!

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