Speed Gibson

of the

International Secret Police

 

 

Clint Barlow is a brilliant operative for The International Secret Police and he's doing his best to raise the 15 year orphan lad, Speed Gibson É

 

É a typical American boy:

 interested in Short Wave radio, aviation and most of all -

The International Secret Police

 

Through a combination of circumstances Speed becomes involved in one of Clint's most important and difficult cases: the super-gang and its dreaded leader "The Octopus" his its tentacles in crime everywhere especially in the Orient "smuggling dope and natives - running dope in and natives out". Clint, his associate Barney ("Suffering Wangdoodles!") Dunlap and Speed are to be sent to Hong Kong to investigate and hopefully apprehend The Octopus before he can do more damage to world order. But first Speed must be inducted into The International Secret Police and take the Oath of Allegiance:

 

Do you, Speed Gibson, as a member of the International Secret Police

promise to obey and protect law and order in your own country

or wherever else your duties may carry you?

Will you cooperate with the foreign police after you have fulfilled your mission?

And will you, above all else recognize the Code of the Secret Police:

Courage, Honour and Silence? - and not betray it any manner whatsoever?

 

Travel will be via the fabled China Clipper taking off from Alameda, California whence to Honolulu, Midway Island, Wake Island, Guam, Manila and Hong Kong.

Each 15 minute adventure is action packed as Speed and his pals do their best to thwart the evil plans of The Octopus both along the various Clipper stops and in Hong Kong. The action then moves to Tibet for the final gambit.

 

There were 178 episodes broadcast from 1937 and all have survived!

The first 100 episodes encompass the Menace of The Octopus adventure which concludes with the villain's seeming demise over The Himalayas. Then Episode No. 101 begins the second (78 episode) story: Adventure in Africa which takes the boys (again via Clipper) to the African jungles and The Sahara Desert in search of The Atlantean Syndicate, a business enterprise who claim to have positive proof of the existence and exact location of The Lost City of Atlantis. Unfortunately Barney is sick in Hospital at this point and his place is taken by (Alabama boy) Smiley Preston for this following interesting and exciting story.

 

Yes, its high adventure all of the way with this excellent (and complete) adventure serial. Beautifully restored to crystal clarity, boasting great sound effects and fabulous music, Speed Gibson is an excellent listen!

 

Questions remain about the cast of this wonderful series: what is known is that Howard McNair played Clint Barlow with John Gibson as Barney Dunlap. It is known that Elliott Lewis played a part (at the time he was 19 years of age), but not as Speed - he, in fact can be clearly identified as Splinters.

The Octopus may well have been played by Bela Lugosi (itŐs a good fit and many amateur listeners - including myself - tend to agree on this unsubstantiated point)

Who plays Speed Gibson exhibiting such youthful exuberance of the title character? - its apparently not know- any ideas?

(BTW: Elliott Lewis went on to become a true legend of radio often being dubbed Mr Radio  and of course he played Captain Philip Carney in The Voyage of the Scarlet Queen - which is also available from this website).

 

Want to check out some episodes of one of this radio serial? - why not "taste & try"?

Below are the first five episodes of the Menace of The Octopus adventure - fabulous!

These episode can be freely downloaded to your computer - just right button click on any link below and chose "Download Linked File" (or words to that effect). The file is on an average about 9Mb - download time will depend on your (broadband) speed

 

SGMO_1937-01-02 Episode No. 001.mp3

SGMO_1937-01-09 Episode No. 002.mp3

SGMO_1937-01-16 Episode No. 003.mp3

SGMO_1937-01-23 Episode No. 004.mp3

SGMO_1937-01-30 Episode No. 005.mp3

 

 

These 3 MP3 CDs contain all 178 episodes of

Speed Gibson of The International Secret Police

All 178 episodes have been painstakingly restored

and are of great sound quality - perfect!

 

 

 

1. Menace of the Octopus

 

- 100 x 12 minute episodes

 

2. Adventure in Africa

 

- 78 x 12 minute episodes

 

 

 

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