Lorre Radio Co-Star Harry Morgan Birthday Block on SiriusXM

During the week of April 6 to 12, 2020, actor Harry Morgan (born April 10, 1915) gets the birthday star treatment from old-time radio host Greg Bell when the SiriusXM Radio channel Radio Classics airs a two-hour block of Morgan radio appearances, including two episodes of Peter Lorre’s 1947 series Mystery in the Air.

The four programs include – Mystery in the Air, “The Queen of Spades” (Sept. 11, 1947) and “The Horla” (Aug. 21, 1947); This is Your FBI, “Backstage Shakedown” (Nov. 10, 1950); and Broadway is My Beat, “Johnny Clark” (Nov. 29, 1952).

The Morgan tribute will air these dates and times –

Tuesday, April 7, 2020 ~
7 am Pacific
10 am Eastern

Friday, April 10, 2020 ~
7 pm Pacific
10 pm Eastern

Sunday, April 12, 2020 ~
11 am Pacific
2 pm Eastern

Satellite radio provider SiriusXM airs Radio Classics over channel 148. Subscribers may also listen to the programs over the internet. Log-in with your User ID and password. Not a subscriber? A free 30-day trial is also available through the SiriusXM radio website.

As “The Voice of Mystery”, Harry Morgan acted as narrator on Peter Lorre’s radio series Mystery in the Air, a replacement series for The Bud Abbott and Lou Costello Show in the summer of 1947.

Mystery in the Air presented tales of suspense “culled from the four corners of world literature”, adapted from such famous tales as Alexander Pushkin’s “The Queen of Spades” and Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Black Cat”, as well as original radio dramas.

Morgan hosted all 13 episodes, beginning with “The Tell-Tale Heart” on July 3 and continuing to the final program, “Crime and Punishment”, adapted from Peter’s 1935 Columbia Studios film, on Sept. 25, 1947.

In the image above, Morgan (in black suit) stands, looking over Hans Conried’s shoulder at his script, with Peter Lorre at the microphone.

On March 14, 1979, author Stephen Youngkin took an interview with Harry Morgan for his Lorre biography, The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre, published in September, 2005, through University Press of Kentucky. Morgan recalled working with Lorre on Mystery in the Air, describing the intensity of Peter’s performances as he played to the microphone, not the studio audience.

The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre may be purchased from Amazon U.S., Amazon Canada, and Amazon U.K, as well as other booksellers.

Click on any of these links, and the order page will open.