Counterspy (radio series)
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{{Infobox radio show
| show_name = Counterspy
| image =
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| other_names = David Harding, Counterspy
| format = Spy drama
| runtime = 30 minutes
| country = United States
| language = English
| home_station =
| syndicates = Blue Network/ABC
NBC
Mutual
| television =
| presenter =
| starring = Don MacLaughlin
| announcer = Roger Krupp
Bob Shepherd
| creator = Phillips H. Lord
| writer = Milton J. Kramer
Stanley Niss
Emile C. Tepperman
| director = Bill Sweets
Marx Loeb
Leonard Bass
Robert Steen
Victor Seydel
| senior_editor =
| editor =
| producer = Phillips H. Lord
| exec_producer =
| narrated =
| rec_location =
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| oth_location =
| first_aired = May 18, 1942
| last_aired = November 29, 1957
| num_series =
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}}
File:Mandell Kramer Don MacLaughlin Counterspy 1952.jpg
Counterspy was an espionage drama radio series that aired on the NBC Blue Network (later ABC) and Mutual from May 18, 1942, to November 29, 1957.{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EwtRbXNca0oC&dq=%22Counterspy+espionage%22&pg=PA181 |last=Dunning |first=John |author-link=John Dunning (detective fiction author) |title=On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio |date=1998 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=New York, NY |pages=181–182 |edition=Revised |isbn=978-0-19-507678-3|access-date=2024-11-10}}
David Harding (played by Don MacLaughlin) was the chief of the United States Counterspies, a unit engaged during World War II in counterintelligence against Japan's Black Dragon and Germany's Gestapo.Reinehr, Robert C. and Swartz, Jon D. (2008). The A to Z of Old-Time Radio. Scarecrow Press, Inc. {{ISBN|978-0-8108-7616-3}}. pp. 69–70. United States Counterspies was a fictional government agency devised by the program's creator, Phillips H. Lord after Lord "had a certain amount of difficulty with J. Edgar Hoover over story content in Gang Busters."Erickson, Hal (2014). From radio to the big screen: Hollywood films featuring broadcast personalities and programs. McFarland & Company, Inc. {{ISBN|978-0-7864-7757-9}}. pp. 253–255. Mandel Kramer played Peters, Harding's assistant.Buxton, Frank and Owen, Bill (1972). The Big Broadcast: 1920–1950. The Viking Press. SBN 670-16240-x. p. 62.
The program's plots progressed through three phases. During World War II they involved "threats from the Axis powers."Blottner, Gene (2012). Columbia Pictures Movie Series, 1926–1955: The Harry Cohn Years. McFarland & Company, Inc. {{ISBN|978-0-7864-3353-7}}. pp. 80–83. After the war ended, Cold War threats took precedence. In the third phase, "they addressed all manner of illegal activities.
Scriptwriters for the series included Milton J. Kramer, Emile C. Tepperman and Stanley Niss.
Adaptations
The radio drama was adapted to film twice, as David Harding, Counterspy (July 1950) and as Counterspy Meets Scotland Yard (November 1950). Both Columbia Pictures productions starred Howard St. John in the title role.
An unsuccessful pilot for a television version of Counterspy was produced in England in 1958, with Don Megowan as David Harding. The trade publication Broadcasting also reported on plans of Bernard L. Schubert Inc. to produce 39 episodes of David Harding, Counterspy with Reed Hadley in the title role{{cite news|title=Program Notes|url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1959/1959-09-07-BC.pdf|accessdate=13 August 2014|agency=Broadcasting|date=September 7, 1959}} and Telestar Films' releasing of Counterspy for syndication.{{cite news|title=Three New Series Syndicated To Stations by Telestar Films|url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/Archive-BC-IDX/58-OCR/1958-06-16-BC-OCR-Page-0046.pdf#search=%22counterspy%22|accessdate=13 August 2014|agency=Broadcasting|date=June 16, 1958}}
A Spanish version of Counterspy was transmitted to South America via shortwave radio in 1942. An article in Broadcasting reported that commercial were deleted and that the effort was "in cooperation with the Office of the Coordinator of Inter-American Affairs."{{cite news|title='Counterspy' in Spanish|url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1942/1942-10-26-BC.pdf|accessdate=13 August 2014|agency=Broadcasting|date=October 26, 1942}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
=Logs=
- [http://www.otrsite.com/logs/logd1037.htm Jerry Haendiges Vintage Radio Logs: Counterspy]
- [http://www.radiogoldindex.com/cgi-local/p2.cgi?ProgramName=Counterspy Episodic log of Counterspy from RadioGOLDINdex] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140814032237/http://www.radiogoldindex.com/cgi-local/p2.cgi?ProgramName=Counterspy |date=2014-08-14 }}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20140327045216/http://digitaldeliftp.com/DigitalDeliToo/dd2jb-David-Harding-Counterspy.html Episodic logs of Counterspy (and more) from The Digital Deli Too]
=Audio=
- [https://www.radioechoes.com/?page=series&genre=OTR-Thriller&series=Counterspy RadioEchoes: Counterspy]
- [http://www.otrr.org/FILES/Scripts_pdf/Misc/Counterspy%209-26-46.pdf Script of "Case of the Framed Congressman" episode of Counterspy] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140814015457/http://www.otrr.org/FILES/Scripts_pdf/Misc/Counterspy%209-26-46.pdf |date=2014-08-14 }}
- [http://zootradio.com/David_Harding_Counter_Spy.php Zoot Radio, free old time radio show downloads of "David Harding Counter Spy"]
=TV pilots=
- [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGcoMyx5gXc Pilot of TV version of David Harding, Counterspy, starring Reed Hadley]
- [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiHrc2xKgR8 Pilot of TV version of Counterspy starring Don Megowan]
=Magazine article=
- [http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Radio-Mirror/49/Mirror-1949-Sep.pdf Radio and Television Mirror article "by David Harding" with information from "actual cases from the Counterspy files."]
Category:American radio dramas
Category:1940s American radio programs
Category:1950s American radio programs
Category:NBC Blue Network radio programs
Category:Mutual Broadcasting System programs
Category:1942 radio programme debuts