210:. And if radio entertainment is to keep in’ step, it must do the same. The old- fashioned thriller, with its dead bodies, secret trapdoors, sinister arch-villains, and frail, beautiful heroine, simply will not be accepted seriously by modem audiences. The newer type of entertainment presents these thrills, at the same time poking gentle fun at them. This I have attempted to do in
239:
The Third Task: The Stag of
Cerynea (24 Oct 1938) "When Eleanor Hclmes heard of the queer business of her uncle, Alexander Marston, she set Hector Cousins the almost impossible task of finding the truth behind the fantastic business. Cousins went among the eccentric Marsden family and encountered a
270:
The Final Task (19 Dec) - "And so we come to the final labor of Hector
Cousins, our twentieth century Hercules. And although it is rather different from the others, it is, as Bartholomew warns him, the most difficult of them all. It concerns a cruel trick played upon the young man by Eleanor Holmes
247:
The Fifth Task "The Hind of
Keryneia" (7 Nov) - "When the wealthy and eccentric Mrs. Charles Irving gave a garden party in honor of the visiting film star, Miss April Joy, she little realised the trouble she was inviting. It was during thus party that the actress’s diamond disappeared completely and
266:
The Tenth Task "The
Creatan Bull" (12 Dec) "Hector Cousins and Joseph “Elackie” Bentley come to grips for the last time in this adventure, which tells of an ingenious confidence trick practised on a wealthy jeweller. Percival Old-meadow. As his hide-out, Bentley chooses a houseboat in a remote and
235:
The Second Task "The Girdle of
Hippolyte" (17 Oct 1938) - according to a press release "When Frederick Potby got himself mixed up with Blackie Bentley’s gang and gave them his aunt’s diamond bracelet for hush-money it was to his friend Eleanor Holmes that he came for sympathy. The romantic Eleanor
173:
According to the press release, "it is the story of a capricious girl's "dare" to her suitor. Hector
Cousins, nicknamed "Hercules," a name that fits him like, a glove. Aided by the superior intellect of his butler, Bartholomew Stubbins, Hector sets out to perform twelve "Labours of Hercules" at the
251:
The Sixth Task "The Apples of
Hesperides" (14 Nov) - "Eleanor Holmes had no difficulty in finding the sixth task for Hector Cousins to perform, since it was committed in her own household. A valuable ornament in the form of a cluster of golden apples disappeared from her father’s museum and vari-
228:"A young man, Hector Cousins... is in love with the daughter of a professor of Greek mythology. A madman leaves him £5OOO and a butler. The girl will marry him on one condition, and that is he must perform twelve tasks similar to those performed by Hercules of old. She will set a task each month."
231:
The First Task "The Hydra of Leona" (10 Oct 1938) - - According to a press release, "Hector
Cousins, accompanied bv his man, Bartholomew, journey down to Jervis Bay to investigate the storv of a mysterious half-human creature that prowls the countryside after nightfall. Their investigations lead
262:
The ninth Task "The Augean
Stables" (5 Dec) "When the Government invited tenders for the demolition of slum cot-tages in Surrey Hills, and the wealthy firm of Garson, Merrill, and Company put in a price so absurdly low that it aroused the suspicions of a prominent newspaper, Hector Cousins and
243:
The Fourth Task "The
Stymphalian Birds" (31 Oct) "When the N.S.W. Defence Department asked Hector Cousins to deliver the secret plans of a new aircraft to the Victorian Defence Department, he turned to Bartholomew for advice. And that gentleman, recalling the ancient legend of Hercules and the
284:
said "The highlight of this prologue seemed to be Hector's friend, ‘‘Nobby.” His voice was new to me, and sounded fresh and interesting. I could not understand at times what Sparrow, the butler, was talking about."
258:
The Eighth Task "The Erymanthian Boar" (28 Nov) "When Hector Cousins, was set the task of capturing the kidnappers of the wealthy Ronald van Reaper, he needed all his strength and cunning to complete the
236:
at once set Hector Cousins on the trad of the bracelet, and the mythological Hercules could have found the original task no more difficult than the one that confronted his twentieth century namesake."
864:
232:
them into the house of Dr. Karl Sudermann, and it takes all Bartholo-mew’s ingenuity to get them out again. It is during this adventure, too, that they encounter Jean Moreland."
214:. Ihe dominant note is comedy... Although the adventures provide plenty of thrills, these are more than balanced by the humor of these two ill-assorted characters.
174:
behest of his lady love, who demands their performance as the price of her hand. Each labour constitutes the material of an "episode" of the serial. "
844:
839:
271:
and how Bartholomew. keeping in mind that desperate ills need desperate remedies, used his resourceful mind to help his master for the last time."
859:
854:
849:
263:
Bartholomew were invited to clear up a mess easily comparable with the task of the ancient Hercules and the Augean Stables."
435:
206:
252:
ous members of the household, including an Argentine Count and a rival collector, came under suspicion."
267:
deserted backwater of Sydney Harbor and in this lonely location the final battle of wits is fought."
200:
194:
369:. Vol. 13, no. 3699. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 14 August 1939. p. 2
365:
307:
417:
833:
439:. Vol. 33, no. 1691. New South Wales, Australia. 14 October 1938. p. 6
430:
165:
A copy of the script is at the Fryer Library at the University of Queensland.
153:
84:
302:
360:
244:
Stymphalian Birds, evolved an ingenious plan for outwitting their pursuers."
388:
803:
772:
741:
710:
679:
648:
617:
586:
555:
524:
493:
459:
330:
494:"SOUD DNDISE A Criticism of Plays and Players BY THE RADIO SCORPION"
808:
The Wireless Weekly: The Hundred per Cent Australian Radio Journal
777:
The Wireless Weekly: The Hundred per Cent Australian Radio Journal
746:
The Wireless Weekly: The Hundred per Cent Australian Radio Journal
715:
The Wireless Weekly: The Hundred per Cent Australian Radio Journal
684:
The Wireless Weekly: The Hundred per Cent Australian Radio Journal
653:
The Wireless Weekly: The Hundred per Cent Australian Radio Journal
622:
The Wireless Weekly: The Hundred per Cent Australian Radio Journal
591:
The Wireless Weekly: The Hundred per Cent Australian Radio Journal
560:
The Wireless Weekly: The Hundred per Cent Australian Radio Journal
529:
The Wireless Weekly: The Hundred per Cent Australian Radio Journal
498:
The Wireless Weekly: The Hundred per Cent Australian Radio Journal
464:
The Wireless Weekly: The Hundred per Cent Australian Radio Journal
335:
The Wireless Weekly: The Hundred per Cent Australian Radio Journal
311:. No. 1358. Queensland, Australia. 7 January 1938. p. 13
341:(7), Sydney: Wireless Press, August 12, 1938, nla.obj-714563749
188:
192:] debunked’ the mystery-thriller with such films as
802:
Australasian Radio Relay League. (December 16, 1938),
709:
Australasian Radio Relay League. (November 25, 1938),
678:
Australasian Radio Relay League. (November 11, 1938),
771:
Australasian Radio Relay League. (December 9, 1938),
740:
Australasian Radio Relay League. (December 2, 1938),
647:
Australasian Radio Relay League. (November 4, 1938),
616:
Australasian Radio Relay League. (October 28, 1938),
458:
Australasian Radio Relay League. (November 4, 1938),
585:
Australasian Radio Relay League. (21 October 1938),
554:
Australasian Radio Relay League. (14 October 1938),
492:
Australasian Radio Relay League. (14 October 1938),
523:Australasian Radio Relay League. (7 October 1938),
134:
123:
98:
90:
80:
72:
64:
56:
48:
40:
32:
24:
162:It was produced again in 1944, starting 29 May.
814:(25), Sydney: Wireless Press, nla.obj-714552220
783:(24), Sydney: Wireless Press, nla.obj-714502185
752:(23), Sydney: Wireless Press, nla.obj-714485354
721:(22), Sydney: Wireless Press, nla.obj-714494007
690:(20), Sydney: Wireless Press, nla.obj-714067594
659:(19), Sydney: Wireless Press, nla.obj-713922132
628:(18), Sydney: Wireless Press, nla.obj-713900215
597:(17), Sydney: Wireless Press, nla.obj-713162924
566:(16), Sydney: Wireless Press, nla.obj-713123050
535:(15), Sydney: Wireless Press, nla.obj-731433454
504:(16), Sydney: Wireless Press, nla.obj-713121562
470:(19), Sydney: Wireless Press, nla.obj-713920066
865:Australian radio dramas set in New South Wales
8:
19:
447:– via National Library of Australia.
377:– via National Library of Australia.
319:– via National Library of Australia.
248:brought the entire house under suspicion."
159:The serial was popular and sold overseas.
18:
294:
186:The talkies have hopelesssly [
280:Reviewing the prologue "Sparrow" from
487:
485:
224:Prologue (3 Oct 1938) - According to
152:is a 1938 Australian radio serial by
7:
14:
156:based on the legend of Hercules.
36:30 mins (8:00 pm – 8:30 pm)
587:"RADIO PLAYS – NATIONAL NETWORK"
556:"RADIO PLAYS – NATIONAL NETWORK"
845:1940s Australian radio serials
840:1930s Australian radio serials
418:The Twelve Labours of Hercules
149:The Twelve Labours of Hercules
135:
124:
20:The Twelve Labours of Hercules
1:
860:1944 Australian radio dramas
855:1938 Australian radio dramas
850:Radio serials by Max Afford
436:Nambucca and Bellinger News
881:
804:"MONDAY .... DECEMBER 19"
773:"WON DAY.... DECEMBER 12"
711:"MONDAY .... NOVEMBER 28"
399:(22), Sydney, 27 May 1944
389:"Max Afford's new serial"
255:The Seventh Task (21 Nov)
182:Afford said at the time:
680:"MONDAY ... NOVEMBER 14"
460:"THE LABORS OF HERCULES"
361:"AUSTRALIAN RADIO PLAYS"
331:"mr and mrs. max aftord"
742:"MONDAY.... DECEMBER 5"
649:"MONDAY.... NOVEMBER 7"
618:"MONDAY... October 31"
525:"RADIO PLAYS-NATIONAL"
216:
212:The Labors of Hercules
207:There's Always a Woman
184:
303:"CHANGES PLANNED IN"
201:The Ex-Mrs. Bradford
21:
431:"Radio Programmes"
366:The Canberra Times
822:– via Trove
791:– via Trove
760:– via Trove
729:– via Trove
698:– via Trove
667:– via Trove
636:– via Trove
605:– via Trove
574:– via Trove
543:– via Trove
512:– via Trove
478:– via Trove
407:– via Trove
349:– via Trove
145:
144:
112:December 26, 1938
41:Country of origin
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99:Original release
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282:Wireless Weekly
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226:Wireless Weekly
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204:and the recent
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76:Neva Carr Glynn
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94:Lawrence Cecil
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441:. Retrieved
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371:. Retrieved
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343:, retrieved
338:
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313:. Retrieved
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199:
195:The Thin Man
193:
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146:
57:Home station
33:Running time
28:drama serial
240:nightmare."
138:of episodes
91:Directed by
49:Language(s)
834:Categories
818:26 October
787:26 October
756:26 October
725:26 October
694:26 October
663:26 October
632:26 October
601:26 October
570:26 October
539:26 October
508:26 October
474:26 October
443:26 October
403:26 October
393:ABC Weekly
373:26 October
345:26 October
315:26 October
289:References
178:Background
154:Max Afford
116:1938-12-26
106:1938-10-03
85:Max Afford
81:Written by
65:Syndicates
16:Radio show
276:Reception
127:of series
102:October 3
44:Australia
219:Episodes
73:Starring
169:Premise
114: (
110: –
104: (
52:English
259:task."
420:at UQ
25:Genre
820:2023
789:2023
758:2023
727:2023
696:2023
665:2023
634:2023
603:2023
572:2023
541:2023
510:2023
476:2023
445:2023
405:2023
375:2023
347:2023
317:2023
189:sic
136:No.
125:No.
68:ABC
60:2BL
836::
812:32
810:,
806:,
781:32
779:,
775:,
750:32
748:,
744:,
719:32
717:,
713:,
688:32
686:,
682:,
657:32
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651:,
626:32
624:,
620:,
595:32
593:,
589:,
564:32
562:,
558:,
533:32
531:,
527:,
502:32
500:,
496:,
484:^
468:32
466:,
462:,
433:.
395:,
391:,
363:.
339:32
337:,
333:,
305:.
198:,
141:12
397:6
130:1
118:)
108:)
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