Magic Island - Single Episodes
Old Time Radio Researchers Group
MAGICÂ ISLAND
Magic Island was a syndicated serial that first aired sometime in 1936 and consisted of one hundred thirty 12-minute episodes. The storyline dealt with a wealthy woman and her search for her long lost daughter. She finds her on a man-made island that can submerge to avoid detection. The series was targeted for a juvenile audience and small children are the main focus of the story line. From the Old Time Radio Researcher's Group. See "Note" Section below for more information on the OTRR. Information from "The Ultimate History of Network Radio Programming and Guide To All Circulating Shows" by Jay Hickerson, and Roger Hohenbrink.
This recording is part of the Old Time Radio collection.
Chapters
Reviews
highly recommend
Tim L
With thousands and thousands of books and Orr shows available, I must admit a weakness. Over the past several years I've relistened to "Magic Island" 3 times from beginning to end. It's hard to find such a good serial with so many episodes to hold your imagination. Also, this series is unique by not having a 5 minute moaning organ intro before the show actually starts. Highly recommended show
Thank You
d-boy
For quite some time now, i've been feeling dangerously close to running out of OTR shows worth listening to. And now with only four episodes left of The Magic Island, that feeling is coming back. Somebody slipped a lot of real science into all the Golly Gee action......and somehow one really does come to care about these Old School American characters. Certainly the best self-contained serial i've heard since City of the Dead (Adventures by Morse). now it looks like i'll have to make do with Jerry of the Circus!
Mystery Solved and Wonderful Memories Revisted
wendu
For sixty years I've had fleeting recall of an old radio show I listened to with my older brother in Vancouver, BC in 1951. As a young child I didn't fully understand what I was hearing but recalled that people were on a boat trapped in a strange, mysterious fog. I've often wondered what it was really about. A few days ago I began an online search for "old radio show boat lost in fog" and very quickly discovered "Magic Island". I am currently working my way through all 130 episodes and enjoying them immensely. What a lovely trip down Memory Lane to a simpler time!
Perfect story for kids of all ages!
guitarmanvt
My family started listening on a road trip months ago. It enthralled them...and made the trip a fun journey with Jerry Hall, Joan Gregory and company. Even after the trip, every time we got in the car, it was, "Daddy, can we hear more of The Magic Island?" This is a rare gem on Librivox.
magic island
stevo
awesome series ...sorry I finished it ...but will listen to it again ...the scientific references for a show from 1936 is amazing ...I'd like to know who the writers were and the cast ...
Enchanting
shavon
Just the kind of radio program that keeps you glued to the radio. And that you never want to miss.
Smart, fascinating, addicting best kept secret in OTR
AncientAxim
This is my 2nd review. The recording is perfect, there's no muffling or overly compressed files that make it hard to hear or make out the words, its just like hearing it off of an LP, so thank you very much to the original recorder! I can only describe this genre as "Science Fantasy". It combines fantasy and real science, and fiction science too. It's from the 1930s and as I said remarkably fine recording. Special agent "G-lady" Patricia and her Man Friday "Tex" and boy wonder "Jerry Hall" take a yacht trip to the 30th parallel, to investigate the possible report of Patricia's long lost daughter whom she has not seen since the girl was an infant (from a shipwreck 14 yrs previous) as reported via amateur radio aired by dying sailor who'd miraculously escaped a mysterious island- an amateur report heard by the boy: Jerry is "one of two people in the world with a 1 and a half meter amateur license" that quote was from the program. I think it's around 200 MHz, you'd have to look up the amateur bands and 1930s history to look this up but the show is fantasy, after all. There is a lot of real science in the program, that in the 1930s more of the listening audience would be sure to understand probably better than today's audience.Show aimed toward children ostensibly, but adults were found to be enthralled by the show (like your reviewer) Tubes that need heating up, electro-magnetism, other sorts of then-technology is featured strongly along with amateur and HF/VHF radio. sailing terminology, electronics, and suspensions of disbelief but the writing, acting, and dialogue make this show top shelf, and this is no easy ace given here. Sally Creighton as "Patricia Gregory" her voice is lovely and I found her character believable and quite appealing. Rosa Barcelo as the long-lost daughter "Joan" aka "'Cleostra' (her name given her by "G-47", the evil head man of Euclidia- the Magic Island) Patricia Gregory finds Joan, her long lost daughter on the magic island, named "Euclidia" a created island that can submerge to evade passing ships and planes! What a miraculous James Bond evil lair, created by an (evil?) genius, who has plans to create a one world technocracy. Amazing moments: In the first few episodes, when "Joan" is getting to know her long lost mother, Patricia's character teaches Joan to pray. Patricia weeps with thankfulness and joy, and sadness that her daughter never was taught to pray before. The episode fades out to the words of Joan repeating the word of Patricia :"now I lay me down to sleep.. I pray the Lord my soul to keep.." From The Digital Deli FTP website there is a definitive guide to Magic Island, and it mentions the fact the program refers to science such as: The emerging theory of electromagnetic pulse (EMP) technology and weapons. Hydrogen as a power source. The theory of binary chemical weapons. fascinating program.
Surprising good!
Corelli'sbelly1
I've been listening to OTR for close to 15 years and this series somehow missed my attention until last month. Quite good, and despite supposedly being a "young person's show" I found it quite good. Production values are good, acting good, and the recording quality is very good, About a half dozen episodes seem out of order but only by 1 episode and the episodes are so short that you can keep up easily. Don't be dissuaded by the large episode count, they go fast and the story never bogs down.