All these episodes have been digitally restored and remastered. Each episode has had the major clicks, pops, and distortions removed while preserving the vintage sound.
- That Ghost That Trapped A Killer
Blackstone is asked by the police to help prove a suspect is a murderer. He sets out to do so, with the help of a ghost!
Blackstone teaches how to knock a match off a nickel while it is under a glass. Originally broadcast 10/03/1948
- The Reluctant Buzzsaw
Rhoda, Blackstone's assistant, witnesses a robbery, and when the criminals return to silence her they find that they must deal with Blackstone himself!
Blackstone also reveals a few fun bar tricks. Originally broadcast 10/10/1948
- The Emerald In The Fishbowl
Where did the fishbowl that mysteriously appears every night in Blackstone's act originate? Blackstone explains!
Then, learn how to pick up a coin out of a saucer full of water without getting your fingers wet using Blackstone's magic. Originally broadcast 10/17/1948
- The Maharaja's Gold
Blackstone's command performance for the Maharaja is ruined by a mysterious swami who changes sand into gold. Can Blackstone discover his secret before the Maharaja has to give up his throne?
Blackstone then teaches you The Great Hindu Coin Trick. Originally broadcast 10/24/1948
- The Educated Dummy
At a war bond rally Blackstone first performs and then is accused of stealing the $25,000 that was raised! Can he solve another mystery by magic and find the real crooks to clear his good name?
After Rhoda scoffs at yet another "pick a card" style trick, Blackstone teaches a simple prediction trick with two piles of cards. Originally broadcast 10/31/1948
- The Riddle of the Talking Skull
Nemo challenges Blackstone to escape from a cabinet he has constructed, and of course the Magic Detective takes up his gauntlet. Once they enter Nemo's "magic grotto" both Rhoda and Blackstone are trapped inside his terrible cell! How will they escape?
A little mental trick ends the episode as Blackstone teaches you to predict which of a group of objects that is being thought of by a volunteer. Originally broadcast 11/07/1948
Or buy all 56 episodes:
Blackstone Detective.
Listen along to the thrilling adventures of Blackstone, the Magic Detective. Each week he will solve a variety of mysteries with magic. Along with his main assistant, the beautiful Rhoda Brent (voiced by Fran Carlon) and their radio announcers Alan Kent and Don Hancock (or here and there John, played by Ted Osborne, who may be Rhoda's boyfriend) we get to hear thrilling inside stories about the mementos he has collected when solving fantastic crimes or the magic apparatus Blackstone has used to solve them. Then, Blackstone lets us in on the magic we can do at home and "reveal the guarded secrets of the world's greatest living magician!"
The truth is, of course, that they are all simple little tricks, sometimes little more than barbets. In fact, Blackstone is not even the real Blackstone but veteran radio actor Ed Jerome. Many episodes were written by Walter Gibson, though, with Nancy Webb penning the rest. These are great stories for magicians and anyone who appreciates the exciting, if sometimes a bit sensational, storytelling found in old time radio.
At one time, there were as many as 78 episodes. However, about two dozen have been lost over the years. This represents the most complete collection known to exist, minus the so-called Shark Island Story, which is sometimes represented as an episode from an unknown date. It is actually The Voodoo Treasure.
If you like these kinds of stories you might also be interested in The Blackstone Magic Comics which feature also Blackstone using his magic knowledge to defeat the thieves and other criminals.
