Collection Summary
Carlton E. Morse Script Collection
1939-1952
1939-1952
Morse, Carlton E., 1901-
5 linear feet (15 boxes)
English
Collection materials are in English
Recorded Sound Research Center, National Audio-Visual Conservation Center,
Library of Congress
Washington, D.C.
Photocopies of sixty-four radio scripts
written by Carlton E. Morse for the detective series Adventures by
Morse, I Love a Mystery, and I Love Adventure.
RPA 00195-RPA 00209
Selected Search Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the LC
Catalog. They are grouped by name of person or organization, by subject or location, and
by occupation and listed alphabetically.
People
Morse, Carlton E., 1901-1993.
Subjects
Detective and mystery radio programs--United States--Authorship.
Detective and mystery radio programs--United States.
Detectives--Drama.
Long, Doc (Fictitious character)
Packard, Jack (Fictitious character)
Yorke, Reggie (Fictitious character)
Titles
I love a mystery (Radio program)
Form/Genre
Detective and mystery radio programs.
Photocopies.
Radio scripts.
Provenance
The Carlton E. Morse Script Collection was registered and deposited for copyright at the
Library of Congress in 1990 and 1991 by the Morse Family Trust. It is housed in the
Recorded Sound Research Center in the National Audio-Visual Conservation Center, Library
of Congress.
Accruals
No further accruals are expected.
Processing History
The collection was processed by Karen Fishman in February 2004.
Copyright Status
Restrictions may exist on copying, quoting, or publishing materials included in the
collection. For additional information, contact a reference librarian in the Recorded
Sound Research Center, National Audio-Visual Conservation Center, Library of Congress,
Washington, DC, 20540-4690; (202) 707-7833.
Access and Restrictions
The Carlton E. Morse Script Collection is open for research.
Preferred Citation
Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information:
[Container number, eg., Box 3], Carlton E. Morse Script Collection, National
Audio-Visual Conservation Center, Library of Congress.
Biographical Note
Carlton E. Morse (1901-1993) was born in Jennings, Louisiana, in 1901. He and his family
moved to Oregon in 1906 following his parents' purchase of a fruit and dairy ranch.
After some years, the family relocated to Sacramento, California. Morse attended the
University of California at Berkeley but never graduated.
Morse's early career included working as a newspaper writer for the
Sacramento Union
, covering radio and police news. He wrote for several other newspapers before
landing in 1928 at the
San Francisco Bulletin
. Due to a change in the paper’s ownership, Morse left that job and became a
writer for radio station KGO, writing radio musical shows, mystery dramas, and serials.
His well-known radio serial,
One Man's Family
, debuted in 1932 and ran until 1959, becoming one of the longest-running
American radio soap operas.
After retiring to Woodside, California, Morse wrote six novels. In 1984, his first wife
of sixty years, Patricia De Ball, died. Carlton E. Morse died in 1993 at the age of 91,
survived by his second wife, Millie and daughter, Noel.
Scope and Content Note
When
I Love a Mystery
debuted in 1939, Carlton E. Morse was quite well known as the writer, director,
and producer of the popular radio serial
One Man's Family
.
One Man's Family
became one of the longest-running American radio soap operas, broadcasting
3,256 episodes from 1932 to 1959.
I Love a Mystery
, which Morse also wrote, directed, and produced, aired until 1952. Morse
created other radio serials including
I Love Adventure
,
China Town Squad
,
Adventures by Morse
,
Family Skeleton
, and
His Honor, the Barber
.
The Carlton E. Morse Script Collection, spanning the years 1939 to 1952, consists of
photocopies of radio scripts, a few with annotations. It includes four
Adventures by Morse
scripts, forty-seven
I Love a Mystery
scripts, and thirteen
I Love Adventure
scripts, for a total of sixty-four scripts in 105 folders.
Collection Arrangement
The collection is arranged in three series:
- Series 1:
Adventures by Morse
Scripts, 1944
- Series 2:
I Love a Mystery
Scripts, 1939-1944, 1949-1952
- Series 3:
I Love Adventure
Scripts, 1948
Each series is organized by episode title and then chronologically by year and by story
number.
Catalog Record: [https://lccn.loc.gov/2008647467]
Container List
Series 1.
Adventures by Morse
Scripts, 1944
1944
6 folders
RPA 00195 (box 1)
Adventures by Morse
was a fifty-two-week run of mysteries written by Carlton E. Morse after
his series
I Love a Mystery
was cancelled by NBC. It broadcast as a transcribed syndication from 1944
to 1945 in thirty-minute weekly episodes. The radio series was divided into major
stories which ran for ten weeks followed by a three-week story line. The show
recounted the adventures of Captain Bart Friday, a San Francisco detective, and
his assistant, Skip Turner.
Elliott Lewis, David Ellis, and Russell Thorson alternately played the role of
Captain Friday, while Jack Edwards played Skip Turner.
1
1
"You'll Be Dead in a Week," undated
undated
Also titled "You'll Be Dead in a Month."
1
2
"A Coffin for the Lady," undated
undated
1
3
"The City of the Dead," episodes 1-5, 1930 September 26-October
24
1930 September 26-October 24
1
4
"The City of the Dead," episodes 6-10, 1930 October 31-November
28
1930 October 31-November 28
1
5
"Dead Men Prowl," episodes 1-5, 1931 October 28-November
25
1931 October 28-November 25
1
6
"Dead Men Prowl," episodes 6-10 1931 December 2-December
30
1931 December 2-December 30
Series 2.
I Love a Mystery
Scripts, 1939-1944, 1949-1952
1939-1944, 1949-1952
4 linear feet
RPA 00196-RPA 00209 (boxes 2-15)
I Love a Mystery
was the story of three adventurers, Jack Packard, Doc Long, and Reggie
Yorke, who wandered the world solving cases for the A-1 Detective Agency.
I Love a Mystery
first aired on the NBC West Coast network as a daily fifteen-minute
serial. In October 1939, Fleishmann's Yeast began sponsoring the program, which
now was broadcast nationally. In 1940 it became a thirty-minute weekly program
airing Monday evenings on NBC's Blue Network. In 1943 the show changed back to a
fifteen-minute serial for CBS and was sponsored by Proctor and Gamble until 1944,
when it left the air for five years. In 1949
I Love a Mystery
was back on the Mutual network as a fifteen-minute serial, broadcasting
weeknights from New York. It ran until 1952.
The cast included Michael Raffetto, Barton Yarborough, Walter Paterson, and Gloria
Blondell as the lead performers during the West Coast run from 1939 to 1944. In
New York, Jim Boles, Russell Thorson, Tony Randall, and Mercedes McCambride
performed reruns of previous scripts from 1949 until 1952.
2
1
"The Snake with the Diamond Eyes," chapters 1-6, 1940 April 4-May
9
1940 April 4-May 9
2
2
"The Snake with the Diamond Eyes," chapters 7-13, 1940 May 9-June
27
1940 May 9-June 27
2
3
"The Twenty Traitors of Timbuktu," episodes 196-207, 1943
December 17-1944 January 5
1943 December 17-1944 January 5
2
4
"The Twenty Traitors of Timbuktu," episodes 208-219, 1944 January
6-January 21
1944 January 6-January 21
2
5
"The Twenty Traitors of Timbuktu," episodes 220-232, 1944 January
24-February 9
1944 January 24-February 9
2
6
"The Twenty Traitors of Timbuktu," episodes 233-244, 1944
February 10-February 25
1944 February 10-February 25
2
7
"You Can't Pin a Murder on Nevada," episodes 300-306, 1944 May
15-May 23
1944 May 15-May 23
2
8
"You Can't Pin a Murder on Nevada," episodes 307-314, 1944 May
24-June 2
1944 May 24-June 2
3
1
"The Corpse in Compartment C, Car 76," episodes 315-319, 1944
June 5-June 9
1944 June 5-June 9
3
2
"The Thing Wouldn't Die," episodes 320-328, 1944 June 12-June
23
1944 June 12-June 23
3
3
"The Thing Wouldn't Die," episodes 329-338, 1944 June 26-July
7
1944 June 26-July 7
3
4
"Portrait of a Murderess," episodes 428-437, 1944 November
10-November 23
1944 November 10-November 23
3
5
"Portrait of a Murderess," episodes 438-447, 1944 November
24-December 7
1944 November 24-December 7
3
6
"Bury Your Dead, Arizona," episode 1; episodes 235-240, 1949
November 21; 1939 December 12-December 19
1949 November 21; 1939 December
12-December 19
3
7
"Bury Your Dead, Arizona," episodes 241-248, 1939 December
20-December 29
1939 December 20-December 29
3
8
"The Million Dollar Curse," story number 4, episodes 1-7, 1949
December 12-December 20
1949 December 12-December 20
3
9
"The Million Dollar Curse," story number 4, episodes 8-15, 1949
December 21-December 30
1949 December 21-December 30
4
1
"The Temple of Vampires," story number 5, episodes 1-10, 1950
January 2-January 13
1950 January 2-January 13
4
2
"The Temple of Vampires," story number 5, episodes 11-20, 1950
January 16-January 27
1950 January 16-January 27
4
3
"The Battle of the Century," story number 6, episodes 1-9, 1950
January 30-February 9
1950 January 30-February 9
4
4
"The Battle of the Century," story number 6, episodes 10-22, 1950
February 10-February 22
1950 February 10-February 22
4
5
"The Tropics Don't Call It Murder," story number 7, episodes 1-8,
1950 February 23-March 6
1950 February 23-March 6
4
6
"The Tropics Don't Call It Murder," story number 7, episodes 9-17,
1950 March 7-March 17
1950 March 7-March 17
4
7
"The Tropics Don't Call It Murder," story number 7, episodes 18-26,
1950 March 20-March 30
1950 March 20-March 30
5
1
"The Case of the Nevada Man Killer," story number 8, episodes 1-12,
1950 March 31-April 17
1950 March 31-April 17
5
2
"The Case of the Nevada Man Killer," story number 8, episodes 13-25,
1950 April 18-May 4
1950 April 18-May 4
5
3
"The Turn of the Wheel," story number 9, episodes 1-10, 1950 May
5-May 18
1950 May 5-May 18
5
4
"The Turn of the Wheel," story number 9, episodes 11-20, 1950 May
19-June 1
1950 May 19-June 1
5
5
"The Blue Phantom Murders," story number 10, episodes 1-7, 1950
June 2-June 12
1950 June 2-June 12
5
6
"The Blue Phantom Murders," story number 10, episodes 8-15, 1950
June 13-June 22
1950 June 13-June 22
6
1
"The Flight to Death," story number 12, episodes 1-7, 1950 July
30-August 8
1950 July 30-August 8
6
2
"The Flight to Death," story number 12, episodes 8-15, 1950
August 9-August 18
1950 August 9-August 18
6
3
"Murder in Turquoise Pass," story number 13, episodes 1-7, 1950
August 21-August 29
1950 August 21-August 29
6
4
"Murder in Turquoise Pass," story number 13, episodes 8-15, 1950
August 30-September 8
1950 August 30-September 8
6
5
"Whose Body Got Buried?" story number 14, episodes 1-7, 1950
September 11-September 19
1950 September 11-September 19
6
6
"Whose Body Got Buried?" story number 14, episodes 8-15, 1950
September 20-September 29
1950 September 20-September 29
6
7
"Escapade of the Desert Hag," story number 15, episode 1; episodes
92-97, 1950 October 2; 1939 May 23-May 30
1950 October 2; 1939 May 23-May
30
6
8
"Escapade of the Desert Hag," story number 15, episodes 98-105,
1939 May 31-June 9
1939 May 31-June 9
7
1
"Trouble at Sea," story number 17, episodes 1-6, 1950 November
13-November 20
1950 November 13-November 20
7
2
"Trouble at Sea," story number 17, episodes 7-12, November
21-November 28
November 21-November 28
7
3
"Incident Concerning Death," story number 18, episodes 1-7, 1950
November 29-December 7
1950 November 29-December 7
7
4
"Incident Concerning Death," story number 18, episodes 8-15, 1950
December 8-December 19
1950 December 8-December 19
7
5
"The Case of the Roxy Mob," story number 19, episodes 1-7, 1950
December 20-December 28
1950 December 20-December 28
7
6
"The Case of the Roxy Mob," story number 19, episodes 8-14, 1950
December 29-1951 January 8
1950 December 29-1951 January 8
7
7
"The Case of the Transplanted Castle," story number 20, episodes 1-9,
1951 January 9-January 19
1951 January 9-January 19
7
8
"The Case of the Transplanted Castle," story number 20, episodes 10-18,
1951 January 22-February 1
1951 January 22-February 1
8
1
"Murder on February Island," story number 21, episodes 1-9, 1951
February 2-February 14
1951 February 2-February 14
8
2
"Murder on February Island," story number 21, episodes 10-18,
1951 February 15-February 27
1951 February 15-February 27
8
3
"The Monster in the Mansion," story number 22, episodes 1-11,
1951 February 28-March 14
1951 February 28-March 14
8
4
"The Monster in the Mansion," story number 22, episodes 12-23,
1951 March 15-March 30
1951 March 15-March 30
8
5
"Eight Kinds of Murder," story number 23, episodes 1-8, 1951
April 2-April 11
1951 April 2-April 11
8
6
"Eight Kinds of Murder," story number 23, episodes 9-16, 1951
April 12-April 23
1951 April 12-April 23
9
1
"Secret Passage to Death," story number 24, episodes 1-10, 1951
April 24-May 7
1951 April 24-May 7
9
2
"Secret Passage to Death," story number 24, episodes 11-20, 1951
May 8-May 21
1951 May 8-May 21
9
3
"Terror at Frozen Corpse Lodge," story number 25, episodes 1-9,
1951 May 22-June 1
1951 May 22-June 1
9
4
"Terror at Frozen Corpse Lodge," story number 25, episodes 10-18,
1951 June 4-June 14
1951 June 4-June 14
9
5
"The Pirate Loot of the Island of Skulls," story number 26, episodes
1-12, 1951 June 15-July 2
1951 June 15-July 2
9
6
"The Pirate Loot of the Island of Skulls," story number 26, episodes
13-24, 1951 July 3-July 18
1951 July 3-July 18
10
1
"Brooks Kidnapping," story number 27, episodes 1-7, 1951 July
19-July 27
1951 July 19-July 27
10
2
"Brooks Kidnapping," story number 27, episodes 8-15, 1951 July
30-August 8
1951 July 30-August 8
10
3
"Murder Hollywood Style," story number 28, episodes 1-7, 1951
August 9-August 17
1951 August 9-August 17
10
4
"Murder Hollywood Style," story number 28, episodes 8-15, 1951
August 20-August 29
1951 August 20-August 29
10
5
"The Gird in the Gilded Cage," story number 29, episodes 1-7,
1951 August 30-September 7
1951 August 30-September 7
10
6
"The Gird in the Gilded Cage," story number 29, episodes 8-15,
1951 September 10-September 19
1951 September 10-September 19
10
7
"Blood on the Cat," story number 30, episodes 1-10, 1951
September 20-October 3
1951 September 20-October 3
10
8
"Blood on the Cat," story number 30, episodes 11-20, 1951 October
4-October 17
1951 October 4-October 17
11
1
"The Case of the Terrified Comedian," story number 31, episodes 1-10,
1951 October 18-October 31
1951 October 18-October 31
11
2
"The Case of the Terrified Comedian," story number 31, episodes 11-21,
1951 November 1-November 16
1951 November 1-November 16
11
3
"The Killer of the Circle M," story number 32, episodes 1-10,
1951 November 19-November 30
1951 November 19-November 30
11
4
"The Killer of the Circle M," story number 32, episodes 11-20,
1951 December 2-December 14
1951 December 2-December 14
11
5
"Murder Is the Word for It," story number 33, episodes 1-7, 1951
December 17-December 25
1951 December 17-December 25
11
6
"Murder Is the Word for It," story number 33, episodes 8-15, 1951
December 26-1952 January 4
1951 December 26-1952 January 4
12
1
"Stairway to the Sun," story number 34, episodes 1-10, 1952
January 7-January 18
1952 January 7-January 18
12
2
"Stairway to the Sun," story number 34, episodes 11-20, 1952
January 21-February 1
1952 January 21-February 1
12
3
"Stairway to the Sun," story number 34, episodes 21-30, 1952
February 4-February 15
1952 February 4-February 15
12
4
"The Graves of Whamperjaw, Texas," story number 35, episodes 1-7,
1952 February 18-February 26
1952 February 18-February 26
12
5
"The Graves of Whamperjaw, Texas," story number 35, episodes 8-15,
1952 February 27-March 7
1952 February 27-March 7
12
6
"The Decapitation of Jefferson Monk," story number 36, episodes 1-12,
1952 March 10-March 23
1952 March 10-March 23
12
7
"The Decapitation of Jefferson Monk," story number 36, episodes 13-25,
1952 March 26-April 11
1952 March 26-April 11
13
1
"The Hermit of San Felipe, Atabapo," story number 38, episodes 1-10,
1952 May 19-May 30
1952 May 19-May 30
13
2
"The Hermit of San Felipe, Atabapo," story number 38, episodes 11-20,
1952 June 2-June 13
1952 June 2-June 13
13
3
"The Deadly Sin of Sir Richard Coyle," story number 39, episodes 1-7,
1952 June 16-June 24
1952 June 16-June 24
13
4
"The Deadly Sin of Sir Richard Coyle," story number 39, episodes 8-15,
1952 June 25-July 4
1952 June 25-July 4
13
5
"The Man Who Hated to Shave," story number 40, episodes 1-10,
1952 July 7-July 18
1952 July 7-July 18
13
6
"The African Jungle Mystery," story number 41, episodes 1-10,
1952 July 14-August 1
1952 July 14-August 1
13
7
"The African Jungle Mystery," story number 41, episodes 11-20,
1952 August 4-August 15
1952 August 4-August 15
14
1
"The Cobra King Strikes Back," story number 42, episodes 1-10,
1952 September 1-September 12
1952 September 1-September 12
14
2
"The Cobra King Strikes Back," story number 42, episodes 11-20,
1952 September 15-September 26
1952 September 15-September 26
14
3
"The Widow with the Amputation," story number 43, episodes 1-10,
1952 September 30-October 13
1952 September 30-October 13
14
4
"The Widow with the Amputation," story number 43, episodes 11-20,
1952 October 14-October 27
1952 October 14-October 27
14
5
"I Am a Destroyer of Women," story number 44, episodes 1-7, 1952
October 28-November 6
1952 October 28-November 6
14
6
"I Am a Destroyer of Women," story number 44, episodes 8-15, 1952
November 10-November 19
1952 November 10-November 19
15
1
"The Bride of the Werewolf," story number 45, episodes 1-7, 1952
November 20-November 28
1952 November 20-November 28
15
2
"The Bride of the Werewolf," story number 45, episodes 8-15, 1952
December 1-December 10
1952 December 1-December 10
15
3
"Find Elsa Holberg, Dead or Alive," story number 46, episodes 1-6,
1952 December 11-December 18
1952 December 11-December 18
15
4
"Find Elsa Holberg, Dead or Alive," story number 46, episodes 7-12,
1952 December 19-December 26
1952 December 19-December 26
Series 3.
I Love Adventure
Scripts, 1948
1948
3 folders
RPA 00209 (box 15)
I Love Adventure
, also written and directed by Carlton Morse, continued the story of the
characters Jack, Doc, and Reggie from
I Love a Mystery
. It was broadcast in thirteen episodes as a thirty-minute serial on ABC
in 1948 on Sundays from April 25 to July 18. Actors Michael Raffetto and Barton
Yarborough played their original roles as Jack and Doc, and Tom Collins played
Reggie.
15
5
1948 April 25-May 16
1948 April 25-May 16
- "China Coast Incident," 1948 April 25, episode 1
- "Great Air Mail Robbery," 1948 May 2, incident 2
- "The Devil's Sanctuary," 1948 May 9, incident 3
- "The Pearl of Great Price," 1948 May 16, incident 4
15
6
1948 May 23-June 20
1948 May 23-June 20
- "The Hundred Million Dollar Manhunt," 1948 May 23, incident 5
- "The Girl's Finishing School Kidnapping," 1948 May 30, incident 6
- "But Grandma, What Big Teeth You Have," 1948 June 6, incident 7
- "The Man with the Third Green Eye," 1948 June 13, incident 8
- "Girl in the Street," 1948 June 20, incident 9
15
7
1948 June 27-July 18
1948 June 27-July 18
- "The Kwan-Moon Dagger," 1948 June 27, incident 10
- "The Assignment with a Displaced Person," 1948 July 4, incident 11
- "The Hearse on the Highway," 1948 July 11, incident 12
- "The Ambassador Ricardo Santos Affair," 1948 July 18, incident 13