Fly By Night (radio serial)

1936 Australian radio drama

Radio show

Fly By NightGenre| serial drama

|

Running time| 20 mins (7:40 pm - 8:00 pm)
Country of origin| Australia
Language(s)| English
Syndicates| ABC
Written by| Max Afford
Directed by| Charles Wheeler
Original release| 14 April 1937
No. of series| 1
No. of episodes| 14

Fly By Night is a 1937 Australian radio serial by Max Afford. It was his first radio serial featuring Afford's detective hero, Jeffrey Blackburn.[1] In this serial he was not married to Elizabeth but they would be married for subsequent serials.[2]

The play was published in book form in 1942 under the titles Fly By Night and Owl of Darkness.

One critic wrote "by my stop-watch, averages a new knife thrown, pistol shot, warning received, or document stolen every minute.. it is VERY swift and forceful; but why Scotland Yard? Why not give Sydney’s C.I.D. a chance? "[3]

The production was very successful, selling to the BBC in England, as well as South Africa and New Zealand, and leading to several more Jeffrey Blackburn adventures.[4][5]

Afford had written some Jeffrey Blackburn novels in which he was single. This was his first radio serial. He introduced the character of Elizabeth, who Jeffrey married at the end of Fly By Night. When Afford was commissioned to write a second Blackburn serial he decided to keep Jeffrey married.[6]

## Cast

[edit]

* James Raglan as Jeffrey Blackburn
* Hilda Scurr as Elizabeth
* Vivian Edwards as Chief Inspector Read
* Max Osbiston as Edward Blaine
* John Weston as Robert Ashton
* Ben Lewin as Sir Anthony Atherton-Wayne

## Episode

[edit]

* Ep One "Formula Number Four" (14 April)[7]
* Ep Two "Design for Death" (21 April)[8]
* Ep Three "The Gentleman from Buenos Aires" (28 April)[9]
* Ep Four "Mixed Doubles" (5 May)[10]
* Ep Five "The Highest Bidder" (19 May)[11]
* Ep Six "Ashton Learns the Truth" (26 May)[12]
* Ep Seven "Black and White Evidence" (2 June)[13]
* Ep Eight "The Intriguing Mr Todhunter" (4 June)[14]
* Ep Nine "Terror By Night" (11 June)[15]
* Ep Ten - "The Secret of the Vault" (23 June)[16]
* Ep Eleven "Ashes to Ashes" (30 June)[17]
* Ep Twelve "Find the Woman" (7 July)[18]
* Ep Thirteen "The Owl Unmasked" (14 July)[19]
* Final ep "The Owl Unmasked" (21 July)[20]

## External links

[edit]

* Fly By Night at Austlit
* Owl of Darkness - complete text at Project Gutenberg

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Australasian Radio Relay League. (April 9, 1937), "Thrills IN NEW Radio Serial", The Wireless Weekly: The Hundred per Cent Australian Radio Journal, 29 (15), nla.obj-718551784, retrieved 26 December 2023 - via Trove
2. ^ "Coming on the Air", ABC Weekly, 4 (1), Sydney: ABC, 3 January 1942, nla.obj-1330125997, retrieved 26 December 2023
3. ^ "BETWEEN YOU AND Mr AND THE MICROPHONE Three Plays", The Wireless Weekly: The Hundred per Cent Australian Radio Journal, 29 (19), May 5, 1937, nla.obj-719804579, retrieved 26 December 2023 - via Trove
4. ^ "Max Afford and his Plays", ABC Weekly, 2 (19), 11 May 1940, nla.obj-1370253175, retrieved 26 December 2023
5. ^ "MANY AUSTRALIAN RADIO PLAYS SOLD OVERSEAS". Daily Examiner. Vol. 30, no. 7010\. New South Wales, Australia. 16 August 1939. p. 2. Retrieved 26 December 2023 - via National Library of Australia.
6. ^ "AUSTRALIA ON THE AIR", ABC Weekly, 3 (2), 11 January 1941, nla.obj-1309858540, retrieved 26 December 2023
7. ^ "WEDNESDAY APRIL 14", The Wireless Weekly: The Hundred per Cent Australian Radio Journal, 29 (15), April 9, 1937, nla.obj-718552537, retrieved 26 December 2023
8. ^ "WEDNESDAY [APRIL 21]", The Wireless Weekly: The Hundred per Cent Australian Radio Journal, 29 (16), April 16, 1937, nla.obj-719972143, retrieved 26 December 2023
9. ^ "WEDNESDAY APRIL 28", The Wireless Weekly: The Hundred per Cent Australian Radio Journal, 29 (17), Sydney, April 23, 1937, nla.obj-718566806, retrieved 26 December 2023
10. ^ "WEDNESDAY MAY 5", The Wireless Weekly: The Hundred per Cent Australian Radio Journal, 29 (18), Sydney: Wireless Press, April 30, 1937, nla.obj-718579144, retrieved 26 December 2023
11. ^ "WEDNESDAY MAY [19]", The Wireless Weekly: The Hundred per Cent Australian Radio Journal, 29 (20), May 14, 1937, nla.obj-718591861, retrieved 26 December 2023
12. ^ "WEDNESDAY MAY [26]", The Wireless Weekly: The Hundred per Cent Australian Radio Journal, 29 (21), May 21, 1937, nla.obj-718604445, retrieved 26 December 2023
13. ^ "WEDNESDAY JUNE [2]", The Wireless Weekly: The Hundred per Cent Australian Radio Journal, 29 (22), May 28, 1937, nla.obj-718619296, retrieved 26 December 2023
14. ^ "WEDNESDAY JUNE [9]", The Wireless Weekly: The Hundred per Cent Australian Radio Journal, 29 (23), June 4, 1937, nla.obj-718634167, retrieved 26 December 2023
15. ^ "WEDNESDAY [JUNE 16]", The Wireless Weekly: The Hundred per Cent Australian Radio Journal, 29 (24), June 11, 1937, nla.obj-718644189, retrieved 26 December 2023
16. ^ "WEDNESDAY JUNE [23]", The Wireless Weekly: The Hundred per Cent Australian Radio Journal, 29 (25), June 18, 1937, nla.obj-718668312, retrieved 26 December 2023
17. ^ "WEDNESDAY [JUNE 30]", The Wireless Weekly: The Hundred per Cent Australian Radio Journal, 29 (26), June 25, 1937, nla.obj-718724943, retrieved 26 December 2023
18. ^ "WEDNESDAY [JULY 7]", The Wireless Weekly: The Hundred per Cent Australian Radio Journal, 30 (1), July 2, 1937, nla.obj-714770188, retrieved 26 December 2023
19. ^ "WEDNESDAY JULY 14", The Wireless Weekly: The Hundred per Cent Australian Radio Journal, 30 (2), July 9, 1937, nla.obj-714761312, retrieved 26 December 2023
20. ^ "WEDNESDAY [JULY 21]", The Wireless Weekly: The Hundred per Cent Australian Radio Journal, 30 (3), July 16, 1937, nla.obj-714865015, retrieved 26 December 2023

*[No.]: Number