Land of the Lost (radio)
Encyclopedia
Land of the Lost was a 1940s radio fantasy adventure, written and narrated by Isabel Manning Hewson, about the adventures of two children who traveled underwater with the fatherly fish Red Lantern. Each week the show opened with the line, "In that wonderful kingdom at the bottom of the sea...", and then Red Lantern showed Billy and Isabel where different lost objects were stored beneath the waves.
The Land of the Lost radio series aired from 1943 to 1948 on the Mutual Broadcasting System
and ABC
. Betty Jane Tyler was the voice of the young Isabel, and Ray Ives was the voice of Billy. Several actors voiced Red Lantern, including Art Carney
, Julius Matthews and William Keene
. The announcer was Michael Fitzmaurice
, and Cyril Armbrister directed.
With music by John Winters and lyrics by Barbara Miller, Peggy Marshall did the vocal arrangements. Organist Bob Hamilton provided background music.
A pioneer female radio commentor prior to Land of the Lost, Hewson did a food shopping show, Morning Market Basket, on the NBC Red network during World War II. She launched Land of the Lost October 9, 1943, and it was broadcast Saturday mornings at 11:30am on the ABC Blue network until September 22, 1945. In 1944, it also was on ABC Tuesdays at 7:00pm from July 4 until October 3. On October 14, 1945, the series moved to Mutual, where it was heard until July 6, 1946 (Sundays at 3:30 until mid-January and then Saturdays at 11:30am). Sponsored by Bosco, Land of the Lost aired on ABC from October 11, 1947 until the end of the run on July 3, 1948.
, Land of the Lost, was published by Whittlesey House (an imprint of McGraw Hill) in 1945. Hewson's story was outlined in the back cover blurb:
Born in Dayton, Ohio
, Olive Bailey learned drawing from her mother while she traveled throughout the west with her family as a small child. Bailey studied painting at the University of Detroit and married the British-born artist, Arno Scheiding.
, Hewson's stories were animated as a short-lived series of Famous Studios
film shorts: Land of the Lost (1948), Land of the Lost Jewels (1950) and Land of Lost Watches (1951). Voices in these animated films included Mae Questel
(as Isabel and Rosita Wristwatch), Jack Mercer
(as the Knives of the Round Table and various characters), Cecil Roy (as Billy) and Jackson Beck
(as Red Lantern and other characters).
In 1950, Columbia Records issued the LP, Bongo and the Land of the Lost (Columbia JL-8503). Side one featured Dinah Shore
and a supporting cast in a tale about Bongo from Walt Disney's Fun and Fancy Free. Side two, written and produced by Hewson, was a journey to the Magic Sea Kingdom.
The Land of the Lost radio series aired from 1943 to 1948 on the Mutual Broadcasting System
Mutual Broadcasting System
The Mutual Broadcasting System was an American radio network, in operation from 1934 to 1999. In the golden age of U.S. radio drama, MBS was best known as the original network home of The Lone Ranger and The Adventures of Superman and as the long-time radio residence of The Shadow...
and ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
. Betty Jane Tyler was the voice of the young Isabel, and Ray Ives was the voice of Billy. Several actors voiced Red Lantern, including Art Carney
Art Carney
Arthur William Matthew “Art” Carney was an American actor in film, stage, television and radio. He is best known for playing Ed Norton, opposite Jackie Gleason's Ralph Kramden in the situation comedy The Honeymooners....
, Julius Matthews and William Keene
William Keene
William Keene was an American television actor who appeared on several popular television shows more than one separate occasion as a different character...
. The announcer was Michael Fitzmaurice
Michael Fitzmaurice
Michael Fitzmaurice was a radio actor, best known for his portrayal of Superman.Born in Chicago, the baritone-voiced Fitzmaurice was heard often on radio dramas during the 1940s as both announcer and actor. From 1944 to 1947, he was the host of Mutual's Quiz of Two Cities...
, and Cyril Armbrister directed.
With music by John Winters and lyrics by Barbara Miller, Peggy Marshall did the vocal arrangements. Organist Bob Hamilton provided background music.
A pioneer female radio commentor prior to Land of the Lost, Hewson did a food shopping show, Morning Market Basket, on the NBC Red network during World War II. She launched Land of the Lost October 9, 1943, and it was broadcast Saturday mornings at 11:30am on the ABC Blue network until September 22, 1945. In 1944, it also was on ABC Tuesdays at 7:00pm from July 4 until October 3. On October 14, 1945, the series moved to Mutual, where it was heard until July 6, 1946 (Sundays at 3:30 until mid-January and then Saturdays at 11:30am). Sponsored by Bosco, Land of the Lost aired on ABC from October 11, 1947 until the end of the run on July 3, 1948.
Book
Illustrated by Olive Bailey, the children's bookChildren's literature
Children's literature is for readers and listeners up to about age twelve; it is often defined in four different ways: books written by children, books written for children, books chosen by children, or books chosen for children. It is often illustrated. The term is used in senses which sometimes...
, Land of the Lost, was published by Whittlesey House (an imprint of McGraw Hill) in 1945. Hewson's story was outlined in the back cover blurb:
- Billy 13, and Isabel, 11, fishing from their rowboat, catch Red Lantern, the Guiding Light of the Land of the Lost. In return for letting him go, Red Lantern takes them to the wonderful kingdom under the sea where all lost things eventually arrive. Here they find the doll Henrietta that Isabel had lost overboard and the toy soldier Sergeant Pine, who is now a captain. Then there is the villainous Kid Squid and his band of cuttlefish, who nearly prevent Isabel and Billy's return to earth. Best of all are the Knives of the Square Table, with Billy's lost Jack Knife, the Great Horn Spoon, Sir Keen Carver and Lavinia Ladle. These fascinating stories have been developed from Isabel Manning Hewson's Blue Network radio program, Land of the Lost, which, as this book goes to press, is carried on more than 80 radio stations throughout the United States. Mrs. Hewson also reports that there are more than 3500 Land of the Lost Clubs and the number is growing daily.
Born in Dayton, Ohio
Dayton, Ohio
Dayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...
, Olive Bailey learned drawing from her mother while she traveled throughout the west with her family as a small child. Bailey studied painting at the University of Detroit and married the British-born artist, Arno Scheiding.
Comic books and animation
In addition to the Land of the Lost comic book series, drawn by Olive Bailey for EC ComicsEC Comics
Entertaining Comics, more commonly known as EC Comics, was an American publisher of comic books specializing in horror fiction, crime fiction, satire, military fiction and science fiction from the 1940s through the mid-1950s, notably the Tales from the Crypt series...
, Hewson's stories were animated as a short-lived series of Famous Studios
Famous Studios
Famous Studios was the animation division of the film studio Paramount Pictures from 1942 to 1967. Famous was founded as a successor company to Fleischer Studios, after Paramount acquired the aforementioned studio and ousted its founders, Max and Dave Fleischer, in 1941...
film shorts: Land of the Lost (1948), Land of the Lost Jewels (1950) and Land of Lost Watches (1951). Voices in these animated films included Mae Questel
Mae Questel
Mae Questel was an American actress and vocal artist best known for providing the voices for the animated characters, Betty Boop and Olive Oyl. She began in vaudeville, and played occasional small roles in films and television later in her career, most notably the role of Aunt Bethany in 1989's...
(as Isabel and Rosita Wristwatch), Jack Mercer
Jack Mercer
Jack Mercer was an American animator, storyman and voice actor. He is best known as the voice of cartoon character Popeye the Sailor...
(as the Knives of the Round Table and various characters), Cecil Roy (as Billy) and Jackson Beck
Jackson Beck
Jackson Beck was an American actor best known as the announcer on radio's The Adventures of Superman and the voice of Bluto in the Famous era Popeye theatrical shorts.-Career:...
(as Red Lantern and other characters).
Recordings
During the late 1940s, Columbia released on 78 rpm, The Land of the Lost, as a three-record album.In 1950, Columbia Records issued the LP, Bongo and the Land of the Lost (Columbia JL-8503). Side one featured Dinah Shore
Dinah Shore
Dinah Shore was an American singer, actress, and television personality...
and a supporting cast in a tale about Bongo from Walt Disney's Fun and Fancy Free. Side two, written and produced by Hewson, was a journey to the Magic Sea Kingdom.