The Whistler
 | |
| Genre | Mystery, Thriller, Horror |
|---|---|
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Languages | English |
| Home station | CBS |
| TV adaptations | 1954 |
| Air dates | May 16, 1942 to Sept. 25, 1955 |
| No. of episodes | 694 |
The Whistler is an American radio mystery drama which ran from May 16, 1942, until September 22, 1955, on the west-coast regional CBS radio network. The show was also broadcast in Chicago and over Armed Forces Radio. On the west coast, it was sponsored by the Signal Oil Company. There were also two short-lived attempts to form east-coast broadcast spurs: July 3 to September 25, 1946, sponsored by the Campbell Soup Company; and March 26, 1947, to September 29, 1948, sponsored by Household Finance.
Films and Television
Films
The Whistler was adapted into a film noir series of eight films by Columbia Pictures. The "Voice of the Whistler" was provided by an uncredited Otto Forrest. In the first seven films, veteran actor Richard Dix played the main character in the story – a different character in each film, ranging from mild-mannered sympathetic heroes to flawed and forceful villians. In the eighth film, made after Dix's retirement, Michael Duane played the main character.
- The Whistler – 1944, directed by William Castle
- The Mark of the Whistler – 1944, directed by William Castle
- The Power of the Whistler – 1945, directed by Lew Landers
- Voice of the Whistler – 1945, directed by William Castle
- Mysterious Intruder – 1946, directed by William Castle
- The Secret of the Whistler – 1946, directed by George Sherman
- The Thirteenth Hour – 1947, directed by William Clemens
- The Return of the Whistler – 1948, directed by D. Ross Lederman
Television
A syndicated TV version of The Whistler was produced and aired for a brief period in 1954. Bill Forman, the most frequently employed radio voice of the show's title character, reprised that role on TV.