[78-L] The Mystery of the Missing Mystery

[David Lennick]

This is an odd one. May be a coincidence, but odd just the same. Many years ago 
I picked up a batch of transcriptions in rotten shape, a set of Charlie Chan 
programs recorded in Hollywood by RCA, missing the first 6 episodes but 
otherwise complete through #39. No sleeves, somewhat scuffed and scratched, 
covered with that oily gunk that exudes from Victrolac pressings from this era. 
I don't know if I even auditioned them at the time (probably the late 70s) but 
a few years later I donated them to an archive, along with several hundred 
other discs and tapes I thought I could do without. Recently I got some of this 
material back, including the Charlie Chans, and just this weekend I set to work 
cleaning them and transferring them (an adventure in itself, since it took 4 
cleanings and 2 playings to get everything out of the grooves). Not a bad 
series, although I have no idea who's performing on it since it's not in any of 
the OTR encyclopedias. I think I hear Frank Nelson (Mike or Elizabeth, any 
thoughts?).

I also wondered whether the missing parts or the complete series might be out 
there anywhere. Extensive googling kept coming up with links to a Charlie Chan 
series, missing the first 6 episodes. What the hell? Did someone transfer this 
set before I had it? Did someone transfer this set while it was in that archive 
(which is in Alberta)? If so, wouldn't you think they'd have cleaned the discs 
and put them in something other than folded white paper off a long roll, which 
is how they came to me?

Most inscrutable! No credits, the announcer is identified only (by Chan) as 
"Mr. Wilson", no titles but the series is something like The Madam Landini 
Murder Case. Recorded between August and December 1935.

dl