CBS Pacific Net affiliate KNX premieres Magic Island in 1935

Independently produced, transcribed and syndicated by Radio Producers Sales Company in 1935, Los Angeles CBS Pacific Network affiliate KNX Radio was the first station to broadcast Magic Island. Radio Producers Sales Company of Hollywood had produced, transcribed and syndicated at least the following productions by 1936:

• 1931 Songs of The West
• 1932 Bits of Life
• 1935 Marion and Reggie
• 1935 Netty Needle Nurt
• 1935 Magic Island
• 1936 Album of Justice
• 1936 Album of Life

Radio Producers Sales Company was one of the early independent transcription houses later incorporated into Bruce Eells' Broadcasters Program Syndicate.

From the October 19th, 1940 edition of the Panama City News-Herald: 

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Initially targeted to a juvenile audience, Magic Island was compelling enough to capture the imagination of entire families of the era. The back story of Magic Island was framed as a tragic, fourteen-year missing person case. A wealthy Los Angles widow, Mrs. Patricia Gregory had been shipwrecked with her family fourteen years previously, while sailing in the South Pacific. Mrs. Gregory had been the only apparent survivor. While her own survival and rescue remained somewhat murky, she clung to the belief that perhaps her baby daughter Joan may have survived the shipwreck as well.

A Field Guide to Magic Island [Warning: May Contain Spoilers]

Here follows our own 'Field Guide to Magic Island':

• Mrs. Gregory. One of America's wealthiest women, Patricia Gregory's conviction that her baby daughter may still be alive drove her to devote her entire fortune to a fourteen year search for her daughter Joan. Mrs. Gregory had widely posted a large reward for any information about a "white child" that may have been found anywhere in the South Pacific during the ensuing fourteen years.
• Captain Charles 'Tex' Bradford. Patricia Gregory had retained multi-talented ex-Army Air Force Captain 'Tex' Bradford to manage her estate, pilot her planes, and master her yacht. Captain Bradford appears to have become attracted to Patricia Gregory during those fourteen years--and vice versa.
• Gerald 'Jerry' Hall. 16-year old Jerry Hall, a short-wave enthusiast from Hollywood, had heard about Mrs. Gregory's 14-year search and had picked up an odd short-wave transmission apparently emanating from somewhere out in the Pacific Ocean. The transmission, in broken English, referred to an old sailor sick in a hospital "somewhere near Honolulu." The old seaman had apparently been raving about his escape from a mysterious island in the South Seas. But more importantly, the old sailor's delirious ravings referred to a "beautiful little white girl" that was living on the mysterious island with some "strange people." Jerry's favorite utterance whenever he was animated about something was "Golly Whiskers!." Jerry's reference to anything truly remarkable was "it's darb!." Jerry's Dad was apparently an equally enthusiastic Radio expert with an extensive background in early Radio prior to his retirement.
• Joan Gregory. Patricia Gregory's baby Joan had been born with a tiny star-shaped mark on the back of her neck. Mrs. Gregory and Tex had understandably withheld that critical means of identification from all the accounts of Mrs. Gregory's search. Joan's 'Euclidian' name was 'Cleostra', "the living symbol of the perfect calendar" derived from the Greek Astrologer Cleostratus. Mrs. Gregory's 800 horsepower seagoing yacht, 'The Joan Gregory' was named after Joan. The Gregory's yacht that was destroyed in the shipwreck was named 'The Patricia Gregory.'
• The Old Sailor. The 'delerious old sailor,' formerly a seasoned navigator and first officer, initially referred to in the transmission picked up by both Jerry and Capt. Bradford. The old sailor appeared to have continued to transmit clues at approximately 1.5 meters to Mrs. Bradford's land station, call sign 'J12C,' further relayed to J24Y on Mrs. Gregory's yacht, 'The Joan Gregory' by 'Johnson,' another of Mrs. Gregory's retainers back at her Los Angeles estate.
• Captain John Craig. The skipper of Mrs. Gregory's yacht, 'The Joan Gregory.' Skipper Craig is a man of few words--very few words.
• Clyde Johnson. Another of Mrs. Gregory's highly skilled retainers. Johnson was Captain Bradford's First Sergeant during World War I and had also worked for Patricia Gregory for fourteen years. Johnson acted as Mrs. Gregory's caretaker and communications expert. Johnson also piloted Mrs. Gregory's diesel-powered, 100-foot 'hyroplane' cruiser.
• Angus 'Mac' MacLeod. The First Mate of Mrs. Gregory's rescue boat.
• 'Bo'sun' and 'Bo'sun's Mate.' The Joan Gregory's two homing pigeons. Kept in a pigeon cote aboard The Joan Gregory, they could fly up to 40 miles per hour and had a homing range of up to 1,000 miles.
• Engineer Hansen. The engineer aboard 'The Joan Gregory' for the previous three years.
• 'G-47'. The reputed 'mad' scientist on an artificial island of scientists named 'Euclidia.' G-47's real name was Professor Hubbard, the world's greatest and most respected scientist. Patricia Gregory had herself underwritten some of Professor Hubbard's earliest work.
• Commander S-1. The Senior Commander among the eight all-female Euclidian Submarine Commanders. Commander S-1 piloted Euclidian Submarine ES-1, the Euclidians' lead submarine of their fleet--at the age of 22. Commander S-1 was eventually banished from Euclidian Society and consigned to live with the Gregory Party. Her real name was Elaine Raleigh.
• Thales. The Chief Electrician of Euclidia. He took his name from Thales of Miletus, the first known Greek philospher and mathematician. Thales, though an islander, had never learned to swim.
• Old Octavo. Euclidia's somewhat deaf Sound Engineer. Octavo's ten-year project was a study of the destructive vibrational qualities of specific ring tones. Octavo referred to a specifically destructive tone as a 'keystone note.'
• Jin Lo. Patricia Gregory's seagoing cook of nine years.
• 'Pete' Petersen. A Swede. One of The Gregorys' seagoing engineers.
• Cheops, the Master Builder of Euclidia. Euclidia's chief building, rocket, plane, and submarine architect. He took his name from Cheops--or Khufu--the master builder of Egypt's pyramids. Cheops, though a Master Builder was apparently not a master swimmer.

The approximate location of Euclidia (click map for larger image)

• Euclidia. A man-made 'Magic Island' in the middle of the South Pacific, initially located at 29:00S, 124:30W. Here are some of its technologically advanced details:
  • Euclidia's 'magic island' was constructed of an artificial stone-like material over a natural coral bed.
  • The entire island was capable of submerging 8 fathoms below the surface to allow large ships to pass overhead, leaving Euclidia's Magic Island undetected. Magic Island could remain submerged for as long as a month.
  • Euclidia was home to a colony of scientists led by the 'mad' scientist 'G47,' who was bent on World domination.
  • Euclidia was also home to several expatriates from around the world who'd been promised special favors, territories and positions once the Euclidians subjugated the rest of the world.
  • The entire population of Euclidia was an estimated 250 Euclidians and 'others.'
  • Euclidia's Magic Island consisted of ten 'levels' below the surface of the island.
  • The island was an oval, approximately 800 feet by 600 feet.
  • Twelve 200-foot piers extended out from the island.
  • During 'safe periods' (e.g. when there was no projected sea lane traffic) the artificial 'fog ring' was lowered and some artificially accelerated palm seeds were planted in depressions across the surface of the island. The seeds grew into full-height palm trees in under five minutes providing shade from the blazing sun during the safe periods. Those same palm trees could be reduced to ash in a matter of seconds in the event of an unanticipated passing ship or plane passing by. The magnetically charged artificial fog ring was immediately raised and Euclidia was again shielded from view.
  • The entire man-made 'island' could move along the sea floor on a series of massive 'caterpillar tracks.'
  • Euclidia's real secrets lay on the ocean floor below its artificial island. Four hundred feet below the 'magic island' was a 'modern City of Atlantis.' The real Euclidia, it's huge complex on the ocean floor, housed a vast array of undersea facilities capable of generating organic power, fuel, natural food, air, sunlight, lifestock, and temperature. Below the ocean floor complex lay thirteen enormous chambers, twelve of which were one mile in diameter and 800 feet tall; and one of which was two miles in diameter and one mile tall. Each enormous cavern or chamber served a special purpose: such as horticulture, animal husbandry, flight testing, etcetera.
• Euclidian Technology. The Euclidians possessed extraordinarily advanced tehnology. Some examples follow:
  • Detection Beams. Euclidia's wide-spectrum detection beams had a range of approximately 200 miles.
  • Universal Prism Reflector. Even more powerful, the Euclidians' highly directional universal prism reflector could detect and track objects as far away as 8,000 miles--but only in daylight.
  • Euclidian Kelp Cloth. The island housed a special textile mill which produced a Euclidian kelp cloth, synthesized from seaweed and treated with a secret liquid formula. The resulting cloth was impervious to radar waves, magnetic waves, sound waves, radio waves, and light waves.
  • Magnetic Fog Ring. Euclidia's magnetic fog ring was powerful enough to pull in ships as large as 200 feet in length and from as far away as 200 yards to Euclidia's piers. Euclidia's artificial magnetized ring of 'fog' served to disguise the island from sea lane and air lane traffic.
  • Magnetic Sound-Deadening Paint. Throughout the island the Euclidians employ a remarkably effective sound-deadening paint. Its magnetic properties also served to provide a barrier to other types of waves.
  • Magnetic Elevators. Euclidia's elevators employed arrays of electromagnets and permanent magnets for both propulsion and braking. They could be individually controlled at the unit level from Euclidia's two Master Control Chambers (one on Magic Island and one on Euclidia itself on the ocean floor).
  • Neptu-Scope. The island employed a Neptu-Scope allowing it to see under--and through--the water at a great distance.
  • Strata-Plane. The Euclidians could also deploy high-altitude, 1,000 m.p.h. Strata-planes to intercept or bring down threats. Their Strata-Planes were also capable of acting as submarines. Strata-Planes had a theoretical range of 10,000 miles.
  • Transparent Steel. Many of Euclidia's structures and all of Euclidia's water craft and air craft were constructed of steel with transparent properties that could be invoked by electrically or magnetically charging the panels.
  • Food Pellets. The Euclidians had developed food pellets which provided all the flavor and dietary nutrition of a full meal.
  • Euclidian Submarine Fleet. Euclidia's eight 100-ft. submarines were docked in undersea locks between Magic Island's twelve piers at about 8 fathoms (50 feet) below sea level. The submarine locks were accessed from the 5th level of Euclidia's Magic Island underground complex. Euclidian submarines 'docked' by screwing themselves into Euclidia's locks. Euclidia's submarines could reach a speed of 40 knots below the surface. Silently gas turbine-propelled, Euclidia's submarines had a range of approximately 8,000 miles. Euclidia's submarines were clad in a special transparent steel. Each of Euclidia's submarines were commanded by a female commander only and a single crewmember.
• Euclidians. The Euclidians were an early 20th Century dystopian technocracy comprised of a colony of scientists and selected specialists--and prisoners rescued from ships or planes that Euclidia had scuttled or wrecked. Or, in the case of The Gregory Party, individuals that G-47 had been deliberately lured--or recruited--to Euclidia by one clever ruse or another. The rescuees were retained or discarded by the Euclidians based on their previous training, talents or skills, but served as slaves while on Euclidia. The Euclidians were ruled by the 'mad' scientist G-47 who aimed to utilize Euclidian technology to take over the rest of the world. There were approximately 200 Euclidians on the island and 50 'others.' All Euclidians were assigned either a name derived from the various early students or followers of the Greek mathematician and astronomer Euclid--or simply an alphanumeric designator based on their hierarchy in Euclidian society. All Euclidians had daily assigned duties and tasks, as well as auxilliary duties. The stranded prisoners agreed to their positions in Euclidian society secured by promises of high positions in the States, Provinces, countries and territories of the world once G-47 achieved his plans for world domination. Euclidians measured time in seconds rather than minutes and hours in recognition of their value for every second of time.

A Remarkably Prescient Production

Short-wave Radio played a critical role in the plot development of the adventures of Magic Island. Radio transmissions, their propagation, the respective power of both portable and land stations, and short-wave triangulation proved critical to initially navigating to the 'Magic Island,' a mere dot in the middle of the vast central portions of the Pacific Ocean. But going even further, much of the scientific knowledge regarding the various invisible sound and light spectra then known came into play over and over again throughout Magic Island. Magic Island may well have been targeted to a juvenile audience but it becomes more obvious as the Magic Island adventures progress that the science described throughout Magic Island is not only compelling but quite sophisticated and accurate for the genre and era.

In fact Producer/Director/Writer Perry Crandall's scripts were chock full of educational scientific information for Magic Island's audiences. In the course of the 130 episodes of Magic Island listeners learn about:

• How to convert fathoms to feet.
• How to convert latitude and longitude degrees to miles.
• Respective power levels and ranges of mobile and stationary Radio stations.
• Ham Radio enthusiasts
• The characteristics of magnetic, light, sound, infra-red, ultra-violet, and radio waves.
• Ancient and modern alchemy.
• The range and speed of homing pigeons.
• Hydroplane technology.
• The altitude range of the stratosphere.
• The history of Greek mathematicians.
• The theory behind radio triangulation.
• The emerging theory of over the horizon (OTH) radar and bouncing radio waves off of the stratosphere.
• Submarine technology, speed and range.
• Early Television technology.
• Nautical navigation.
• The emerging theory of electromagnetic pulse (EMP) technology and weapons.
• Hydrogen as a power source.
• The theory of binary chemical weapons.
• Thin-film Copper technology.

Keep in mind that the series was in all likelihood written in late 1934 or early 1935. Needless to say, this was comparatively sophisticated information for a juvenile adventure serial of the era. Crandall also wisely employed young Joan Gregory (Rosa Barceló ?) to impart most of this information to Magic Island's Radio audience, the better to explain most of it in terms readily understandable to both adolescents and their predominately lay-parents alike.

Rosa Barceló (?) as Joan Gregory (Cleostra) was marvleous throughout the series. Her deliberately exaggerated elocution in portraying one of the earliest residents of Euclidia was both wonderfully authentic and brilliantly performed. Her elaborately precise and grammatically correct delivery--as scripted--correctly depicted a dispassionate, robotic method of communication increasingly informed by her renewed exposure to her mother, the crew of The Joan Gregory, and Jerry Hall. Having heard all 130 episodes repeatedly, we can remember no instance of Barceló (?) ever employing a contraction--except when repeating something 'Jerry' had said to her.