Magic Island (radio series) facts for kids
Magic Island was an exciting science-fantasy radio show from the late 1930s and 1940s. It was like a podcast or TV series today, but people listened on the radio! The show had 130 episodes, each lasting 15 minutes, and amazingly, all of them still exist today.
The story followed a rich woman named Patricia Gregory. For 14 years, she searched the South Pacific for her daughter, Joan. When Joan was just one year old, their family yacht crashed near the 30th parallel south. Joan was tied to a lifeboat and everyone thought she was lost, except for Patricia.
In the first episode, Patricia gets a clue about a white girl living on a mysterious island in the Pacific. This island was home to very smart people with advanced science. After Patricia and Joan finally reunite, the show tells about their amazing adventures on the island. The island itself was super cool because it could actually sink underwater to hide from others!
The show was made for young people, like you! It featured talented actors:
- Sally Creighton played Patricia Gregory.
- Rosa Barcelo played Joan Gregory.
- Tommy Carr played Jerry Hall.
- Will H. Reynolds played Captain Tex Bradford.
The person who created and wrote Magic Island was Perry Crandall. He also acted in the show and was its announcer! Perry Crandall had been an actor in the 1920s. In the early 1930s, he wrote for a Hollywood radio station called KNX. That's where Magic Island first aired in 1935. In 1937, his company, Atlas Radio Corp., started sharing Magic Island with many other radio stations.
Meet the Characters
Here are some of the main characters you would hear on Magic Island:
- Mrs. Patricia Gregory (Sally Creighton) – She is a wealthy woman who spends years searching for her daughter, Joan, after a shipwreck. The show hints that she might even be a secret agent for the U.S. government!
- Cleostra/Joan Gregory (Rosa Barcelo) – She is Patricia's 15-year-old daughter. She is found safe and sound on the mysterious island of Euclidia.
- Captain Tex Bradford – He is Mrs. Gregory's loyal helper in her search for Joan. Like Patricia, he is also hinted to be a U.S. government agent and a clever inventor.
- Jerry Hall – This boy overhears a secret radio message from Euclidia about Joan. He then joins Patricia and Captain Bradford on their journey to the Magic Island.
- G-47 – This character is the scientist who leads the people on Euclidia.
- "Girl Submarine Commander"/Elaine – She commands the submarine fleet of Euclidia. Later in the series, she joins Patricia's group on their adventures.
Did You Know?
The popular TV show Lost, which was about people stranded on a mysterious island, has some similar story ideas to Magic Island. It's interesting how old stories can inspire new ones!
Images for kids
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Article about Magic Island on the Panama City News-Herald radio page (December 15, 1940)
