R O C K Y F O R T U N E --------- ------------- 1953 - 1954 First Show: Oct 6, 1953 Last Show: Mar 30, 1954 Number Shows: 25? Audition Show: none Series Description: ROCKY FORTUNE appeared on NBC for only a short run of 25 or 26 shows (See Log Comments section below). The lead character, who goes by the name of Rocky Fortune but whose real name is Rocko Fortunato, was played by Frank Sinatra. Rocky, always ready with a wise remark, seems to be a magnet for trouble, most often with the variety of odd jobs he takes. There is frequently a beautiful woman involved, some good girls, some bad. Rocky's a tough guy who stays just inside of the law but we get an occasional glimpse of a soft heart beneath the hard exterior. It's a character that Mr. Sinatra plays nicely. Unfortunately, Mr. Sinatra's movie career took precidence over a radio career with the success of "From Here to Eternity" (he uses "from here to eternity" occasionally) and this series came to an early end. Most scripts were written by Ernest Kinoy and George Lefferts, who also wrote DIMENSION X and X MINUS ONE scripts. (You'll frequently hear the same music bridges used for X MINUS ONE in early espisodes of this series). Fred Weihe and Andrew Love directed. Log Comments: Since the shows were untitled and show titles vary widely from source to source, there's questions if there was 25 or 26 shows produced. Joe Berg (see "Feedback" section below) supplied information he gathered from listening to the teasers at the end of the shows and from research. He verified the dates of the first and last show and was able to fix the date of "Rocket Racket" from a promo at the end of that show. There's no teaser at the end of "Carnival One Way". Based on that information, a couple of different chronologies are possible. First, there were only 25 shows and it was pre-empted once during the series, possibly 11-03-53 for election coverage (as Joe suggested). Second, there are 26 shows and one missing. The missing one could be between "Carnival One Way" and "Paid Companion" or the first show is the missing one. ROCKY FORTUNE was followed by FIBBER MCGEE AND MOLLY and there are F&M shows for both suspect dates. Since these were 15 minute shows, it seems likely that F&M would be preempted if ROCKY FORTUNE was. (Possible Rocky Fortune shows not followed by F&M: 01-05-54, 01-12-54, 03-16-54). This log assumes 25 shows with a gap for the elections. Because of the wide variation in titles, all found are listed, the most common found first. Others are listed below the common title, as alternates. Chronological Log: Date Num Title In The Cast Avail ------------ --- ------------------------------ ---------------- ----- ... all shows air Tuesdays ... Oct 06, 1953 1 "Oyster Shucker" yes Alt: "Pearl Smugglers" Oct 13, 1953 2 "Insurance Fraud" yes Alt: "Steven In a Rest Home" Alt: "Steven Crandel" Alt: "Double Indemnity" Oct 20, 1953 3 "Shipboard Jewel Robbery" yes Alt: "Ship's Steward" Oct 27, 1953 4 "Pintsized Payroll Bandit" yes Alt: "Short Order Cook" Nov 03, 1953 .... possible election .... .... coverage .... Nov 10, 1953 5 "$100 An Hour Messenger" Georgia Ellis yes Alt: "Messenger Boy" Alt: "Messenger for Murder" Nov 17, 1953 6 "A Hepcat Kills the Canary" Jack Kruschen yes Alt: "A Little Jazz Goes A Long Way To Murder" Nov 24, 1953 7 "Drama Citic's Bodyguard" Arnold Moss yes Alt: "Nursemaid To a Drama Critic" Alt: "Murder on the Isle" Dec 01, 1953 8 "Art Store Handyman" Jan Miner yes Alt: "Parlormaid To a Statue" Alt: "Murder Among the Statues" Dec 08, 1953 9 "Carnival One Way" Barney Philips yes Alt: "The Kid And The Carnival" Dec 15, 1953 10 "Paid Companion" Herb Vigrin yes Alt: "Companion To A Chimp" Dec 22, 1953 11 "The Plot To Murder Santa Mary McGovern yes Claus" Alt: "Department Store Santa" Dec 29, 1953 12 "Prize Fighter" Barney Philips yes Alt: "Prize Fighter Setup" Alt: "The Great Gondolfo" Jan 05, 1954 13 "On The Trail Of A Killer" Barney Philips yes Alt: "Love And Death" Alt: "Sister Ellie is Dead" Jan 12, 1954 14 "Rodeo Murder" Don Diamond yes Alt: "Ride 'em Cowboy" Jan 19, 1954 15 "The Museum Murder" June Foray yes Alt: "Murder In The Museum" Alt: "Museum of Ancient History" Jan 26, 1954 16 "Hauling Nitro" Lynn Allen yes Alt: "Hollywood Or Boom" Feb 02, 1954 17 "Football Fix" Lou Krugman yes Feb 09, 1954 18 "Social Director" Barney Phillips yes Alt: "Catskills Cover-up" Feb 16, 1954 19 "Too Many Husbands" Betty Lou Gerson yes Alt: "The Too Much Married Blond" Feb 23, 1954 20 "Decoy For Death" Kay Stewart yes Alt: "Hit List" Alt: "The Grinder" Mar 02, 1954 21 "Drug Addict" Raymond Burr yes Alt: "The Doctor's Delemma" Mar 09, 1954 22 "Incident In A Bar" Paul Frees yes Alt: "Let's Find A Murderer" Alt: "Fresh Corpse" Mar 16, 1954 23 "Psychological Murder" Marvin Miller yes Alt: "The Little Voice Of Murder" Alt: "Witness to a Kill" Alt: "Witness to a Will" Mar 23, 1954 24 "Rocket Racket" Howard McNear yes Alt: "Rocket To The Morgue" Alt: "Zenith Foundation" Mar 30, 1954 25 "Boarding House Doublecross" yes (last show) Alphabetical Listing: Title Date Num ----------------------------------------- -------- --- $100 An Hour Messenger 53-11-10 5 Art Store Handyman 53-12-01 8 Boarding House Doublecross 54-03-30 25 Carnival One Way 53-12-08 9 Catskills Cover-up 54-02-09 18 Companion To A Chimp 53-12-15 10 Decoy For Death 54-02-23 20 Department Store Santa 53-12-22 11 Doctor's Delemma, The 54-03-02 21 Double Indemnity 53-10-13 2 Drama Citic's Bodyguard 53-11-24 7 Drug Addict 54-03-02 21 Football Fix 54-02-02 17 Fresh Corpse 54-03-09 22 Great Gondolfo, The 53-12-29 12 Grinder, The 54-02-23 20 Hauling Nitro 54-01-26 16 Hepcat Kills the Canary, A 53-11-17 6 Hit List 54-02-23 20 Hollywood Or Boom 54-01-26 16 Incident In A Bar 54-03-09 22 Insurance Fraud 53-10-13 2 Kid And The Carnival, The 53-12-08 9 Let's Find A Murderer 54-03-09 22 Little Jazz Goes A Long Way To Murder, A 53-11-17 6 Little Voice Of Murder, The 54-03-16 23 Love And Death 54-01-05 13 Messenger Boy 53-11-10 5 Messenger for Murder 53-11-10 5 Murder Among the Statues 53-12-01 8 Murder In The Museum 54-01-19 15 Murder on the Isle 53-11-24 7 Museum Murder, The 54-01-19 15 Museum of Ancient History 54-01-19 15 Nursemaid To a Drama Critic 53-11-24 7 On The Trail Of A Killer 54-01-05 13 Oyster Shucker 53-10-06 1 Paid Companion 53-12-15 10 Parlormaid To a Statue 53-12-01 8 Pearl Smugglers 53-10-06 1 Pintsized Payroll Bandit 53-10-27 4 Plot To Murder Santa Claus, The 53-12-22 11 Prize Fighter 53-12-29 12 Prize Fighter Setup 53-12-29 12 Psychological Murder 54-03-16 23 Ride 'em Cowboy 54-01-12 14 Rocket Racket 54-03-23 24 Rocket To The Morgue 54-03-23 24 Rodeo Murder 54-01-12 14 Ship's Steward 53-10-20 3 Shipboard Jewel Robbery 53-10-20 3 Short Order Cook 53-10-27 4 Sister Ellie is Dead 54-01-05 13 Social Director 54-02-09 18 Steven Crandel 53-10-13 2 Steven In a Rest Home 53-10-13 2 Too Many Husbands 54-02-16 19 Too Much Married Blond, The 54-02-16 19 Witness to a Kill 54-03-16 23 Witness to a Will 54-03-16 23 Zenith Foundation 54-03-23 24 References: * "The Ultimate History of Network Radio Programming and Guide To All Circulating Shows", by Jay Hickerson, Box 4321, Hamden, CT 06514 * OTR club and vendor catalogs or web sites: * 'Hello Again, Radio', 10280 Gunpowder Rd., Florence, KY 41042 * AVPRO, Don Aston, PO Box 1392, Lake Elsinore, CA 92531-1392 * Crabapple Sound, Henry Hinkel, 254 Florida Ave., Amsterdam, NY 12010 * Edward J. Carr, 216 Shaner Street, Boyertown, PA 19512 * Great American Radio, Gary Kramer, PO Box 504, Genesee, MI 48437 * Jerry Haendiges Productions, Jerry Haendiges, 13808 Sunset Dr., Whittier, CA 90602 * North American Radio Archives, 134 Vincewood Dr., Nicolasville, KY 40356 * Radio Historical Association of Colorado, PO Box 1908, Englewood, CO 80150 * Radio Memories, Ted Davenport, 1600 Wewoka St., North Little Rock, AR 72116 * Radio Showcase, Steve Kelez, PO Box 4357, Santa Rosa, CA 95402 Other Logs or Books: * ROCKY FORTUNE log, Jerry Haendiges Productions, 13808 Sunset Dr., Whittier, CA 90602 (http://www.otrsite.com) Reader Feedback: * Joe Berg added corrections based on teasers for next week's show at the end of each show and from his own research. Last Update: May 20, 2004 This log is informational only. It does not imply that I or my references have these shows for trade or sale. The shows may still be protected under copyright law and should be obtained only from authorized dealers. The log may be freely reproduced and published on a no-profit basis. Please send error corrections or additional information to Frank M. Passage, 109 Elmwood Road, Verona, NJ 07044 (email: wb2ntp@arrl.net).