Chandu the Magician, one of the longest running radio adventure serials, was heard on several different networks and aired in two distinctly different series, one in the 1930s and a revival 12 years later in the 1940s and 1950s. The series was created by Harry A. Earnshaw (1878 -1953) and Raymond R. Morgan.
Launched October 10, 1932 on KHJ in Los Angeles, the series was soon heard through the West Coast when broadcast on the Don Lee Network, expanding in the mid-1930s to the Midwest on Mutual. The series was sponsored by White King Soap in the West and by Beech Nut Gum in the East.

Gayne Whitman played the lead role of American-born Frank Chandler, who had learned occult secrets from a yogi in India. Known as Chandu, he possessed several supernatural skills, including astral projection, teleportation and the ability to create illusions. Chandu's goal was to "go forth with his youth and strength to conquer the evil that threatens mankind."

His sister, Dorothy Regent, was portrayed by Margaret MacDonald. Cyril Armbrister directed the scripts by Vera Oldham which took Chandu to far-flung locales, both real and mythical. Romantic interludes for Chandu were introduced with Egyptian Princess Nadji (Veola Vonn). Music was first furnished by Felix Mills and then Raymond Paige.[1] According to Veola Vonn, the program was broadcast from the KHJ building on Melrose Avenue; the KHJ building is still standing, although the KHJ studios are long gone.

In 1932, Walter Winchell noted, "One of the smaller radio chains has a feature called Chandu, which is Hindu-Chinese for an opium preparation. In fewer words--Dope."

In 1935, the production moved to WGN Chicago with a new cast, including Howard Hoffman in the title role and Cornelia Osgood as Dorothy. Her children, Bob and Betty, were played by Olan Soule and Audrey McGrath. This series came to an end in 1936.
Twelve years later, the series was revived on Mutual June 28, 1948 as a 15-minute weekday program, starring Tom Collins as Chandu and Luis van Rooten as the villainous Roxor plotting world domination. With Howard Culver as the announcer and music by organist Korla Pandit, that series continued until January 28, 1949. The serial continuity was dropped February 2, 1949 in favor of 30-minute episodes, each with a self-contained storyline, continuing in that format until April 28, 1949. Culver often read commercials with Pandit's organ music in the background.

On October 15, 1949, Chandu the Magician moved to ABC where it was heard Saturdays at 7:30pm until June and then on Wednesdays at 9:30pm. The last broadcast was September 6, 1950.
In 1932 Chandu the Magician was produced as a film, with Edmund Lowe as Chandu and Bela Lugosi as Roxor. In The Return of Chandu (1934) Lugosi portrayed Chandu. On February 26, 1934, the "Looking Back" column in the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, noted:

Radio fans who have been enjoying the Chandu the Magician broadcasts, which have been sponsored by the National Grocery and Reliance Coffee, will be happy to know that the program has been made into a talking picture. The broadcast which is regularly heard over KFQD, can be seen at the Empress Theater for this premier production.

EPISODES LIST

Series: "CHANDU, THE MAGICIAN"
        MUTUAL-DON LEE   WHITE KING     154 EPISODE SERIAL
        MUSIC: Juan Rolando (Korla Pandit) at the Organ
        STARS: Tom Collins, Irene Tedrow, Lee Miller, Joy Terry, Vieola Vonn,
        Luis Van Rooten

48-06-28 001 FRANK CHANDLER RETURNS
48-06-29 002 ROBERT REGENTS SECRET
48-06-30 003 THE PSYCHIC SUMMONS
48-07-01 004 OFF TO EGYPT
48-07-02 005 THE RUG SHOP
48-07-05 006 HYPNOTIC PERSUASION
48-07-06 007 DOROTHY IS RESCUED
48-07-07 008 CAB RIDE TO CAIRO
48-07-08 009 MESSAGE IN THE BLUE FLAME
48-07-09 010 JOURNEY UP THE NILE
48-07-12 011 THE PYRAMID AND THE HOTEL
48-07-13 012 RENDEZOUS IN THE GARDEN
48-07-14 013 MEETING WITH PRINCESS NADJI
48-07-15 014 BETTY IS KIDNAPPED
48-07-16 015 AHMED THE FORTUNE TELLER
48-07-19 016 NADJI AND ROXOR
48-07-20 017 THE HAND OF HORUS
48-07-21 018 SPELL OF THE ANCIENT STATUE
48-07-22 019 THE STATUES SECRET
48-07-23 020 EXORCISM
48-07-26 021 BETTY AND BOB DISAPPEAR
48-07-27 022 SECRET DOOR
48-07-28 023 ROXOR THREATENS DEATH
48-07-29 024 BOB RESCUED
48-08-02 025 ABDULLAH DISAPPEARS
48-08-03 026 EMERALD CASKET
48-08-04 027 DISAPPEARING INK
48-08-05 028 LOOKING FOR CASKET
48-08-06 029 SICK CAMEL
48-08-09 030 TROUBLE WITH GUIDES
48-08-10 031 LOW WATER SUPPLY
48-08-11 032 ABDULLAHS AFFECTIONS
48-08-12 033 GORDON DOUGLAS
48-08-13 034 DOUGLAS DINER
48-08-16 035 DOUGLAS IS AN IMPOSTER
48-08-17 036 FINDING A LETTER
48-08-18 037 NILE CURSE
48-08-19 038 CHANDUS DISQUISE
48-08-20 039 MANUSCRIPT FOUND
48-08-23 040 DOUGLAS TELLS ROXOR
48-08-24 041 LETTER ARRIVES
48-08-25 042 ROXORS PLAN
48-08-26 043 FRAUDS IDENTITY
48-08-27 044 ABDULLAH STABBED
48-08-30 045 INQUEST PLANNED
48-08-31 046 DOUGLAS DISAPPEARS
48-09-01 047 LOST IN THE CATACOMBS
48-09-02 048 CHANDUS RESCUE
48-09-03 049 ROXOR IS ALIVE
48-09-06 050 CHANDU ESCAPES
48-09-07 051 REACHING THE RUINS
48-09-08 052 JUDY ALLEN
48-09-09 053 TORTURE CHAMBER
48-09-10 054 STORY TELLER
48-09-13 055 CAIRO RESTAURANT
48-09-14 056 ROBERTS RING
48-09-15 057 ARENIA THE SPIDER
48-09-16 058 CURSE ON BETTY
48-09-17 059 BEN ALIS HOME
48-09-20 060 OPENING THE LETTER
48-09-21 061 SONYA SHOOTS NAGI
48-09-22 062 BETTY AND BOB RUN
48-09-23 063 ARENIA IS SHOT
48-09-24 064 MESSAGE FOR NAGI
48-09-27 065 MIRROR OF LIFE
48-09-28 066 ROXOR IS KILLED
48-09-29 067 EXPLORING THE GARDEN
48-09-30 068 FAMILY IS REUNITED
48-10-01 069 VISIONS OF DISASTER
48-10-04 070 DANGER AT HOME
48-10-05 071 PSYCHIC COMMUNICATION
48-10-06 072 CALIFORNIA INTRIGUE
48-10-07 073 RENDEVOUS IN PARIS
48-10-08 074 SPECTOR OF THE SWORD
48-10-11 075 THE MAP IN THE WALL
48-10-12 076 A GYPSY WARNING
48-10-13 077 AT THE BALL
48-10-14 078 PRINCE DIMITRI
48-10-15 079 INCANTATION OF EVIL
48-10-18 080 THE INTRUDER
48-10-19 081 MEETING WITH DIMITRI
48-10-20 082 ANCIENT HISTORY
48-10-21 083 MESSAGE FROM NADJI
48-10-22 084 THE FIGURINE OF BLACK MAGIC
48-10-25 085 MEETING WITH VONMETZOSS
48-10-26 086 TREACHERY ON THE TRAIL
48-10-27 087 OFF TO PARIS
48-10-28 088 DOROTHY IN PERIL
48-10-29 089 IN THE CAVERNS OF THE CASTLE
48-11-01 090 THE YOGIS WARNING
48-11-02 091 GYPSY TRICKERY
48-11-03 092 THE KEY
48-11-04 093 THE PORTRAITS SECRET
48-11-05 094 THE MAN IN THE SHADOWS
48-11-08 095 THE HOWLING DOG
48-11-09 096 THE SPY
48-11-10 097 MOURNING FOR A KING
48-11-11 098 NEW TREACHERY
48-11-12 099 AROUND THE GYPSY CAMPFIRE
48-11-15 100 GYPSY WARNING
48-11-16 101 UP THE MOUNTAIN OF THE SCIMIT
48-11-17 102THE SECRET OF THE CAVE
48-11-18 103 BLACK MAGIC STRIKES
48-11-19 104 THE LETTER IS ORO
48-11-22 105 CONFRONTATIONS
48-11-23 106 DUEL OF THE SORCERERS
48-11-24 107 THE MALEVOLENT DWARF
48-11-25 108 HYPNOTIC INTERROGATION
48-11-26 109 SURPRISE VISIT
48-11-29 110 PLOTTERS OF DEATH
48-11-30 111 DEMITRIS OFFER
48-12-01 112 THE LETTER FROM PARIS
48-12-02 113 RETURN OF THE ASSASSIN
48-12-03 114 THE BROTHERS OF JEOPARDY
48-12-06 115 RETURN OF ROXOR
48-12-07 116 RETURN OF THE KING
48-12-08 117 NADGIS SECRET
48-12-09 118 THE MISSING SCIENTIST
48-12-10 119 CAFE OF INTRIGUE
48-12-13 120 PSYCHIC VISION
48-12-14 121 STRANGERS ON A TRAIN
48-12-15 122 MISSION TO CAIRO
48-12-16 123 DESERT VISITORS
48-12-17 124 THE STORY TELLER
48-12-20 125 SINSITER SCHEMES
48-12-21 126 THE HOUSE OF FEAR
48-12-22 127 THE RETURN OF THE SPIDER
48-12-23 128 PSYCHIC VISION
48-12-24 129 OCCULT POWERS
48-12-27 130 THE POWER OF CHANDU
48-12-28 131 THE YOGI SPEAKS
48-12-29 132 THE TIME OF TERROR
48-12-30 133 MYSTERY IN SIAM
48-12-31 134 THE MARK OF THE COBRA GOD
49-01-03 135 POWERLESS
49-01-04 136 CONDEMNED TO DEATH
49-01-05 137 MIDNIGHT TRIAL
49-01-06 138 BOBS AND BETTYS PLANS
49-01-07 139 NATIVE TREACHERY
49-01-10 140 DR. SHAWS SECRET
49-01-11 141 THE DARK CLOUDS OF FEAR
49-01-12 142 JUNGLE EXORCISM
49-01-13 143 NIGHT OF THE TIGER
49-01-14 144 VISITOR FROM BANGKOK
49-01-17 145 TIGER HUNT
49-01-18 146 THE CAPTIVE PRINCE
49-01-19 147 RENDEVOUS IN CALCUTTA
49-01-20 148 TOAST TO DEATH
49-01-21 149 DEADLY SPIES
49-01-24 150 IN THE GRIP OF DARK FORCES
49-01-25 151 THE VOICE OF CHANDU
49-01-26 152 STRUGGLE IN THE DARK
49-01-27 153 THE MARK OF THE COBRA GOD
49-01-28 154 BANISHED TO OBLIVION

Series: "CHANDU, THE MAGICIAN"
        ABC  WHITE KING

49-02-03 001 BLACK STEPS
49-02-10 002 VILLAGE OF THIEVES
49-02-17 003 PHOTOGRAPHIC MEMORY
49-02-24 004 BLOOD OATH
49-03-03 005 SPELL OF KIMITRI
49-03-10 006 DRUG SMUGGLING
49-03-17 007 TEMPLE AT KARNAK
49-03-24 008 TEMPLE UNDER THE SEA
49-03-31 009 THE HOUSE OF FEAR
49-04-14 010 THE VOICE OF DARKNESS
49-04-21 011 OMINOUS DEADLY SAHARA
49-04-28 012 FOG OF FORGOTTEN VALLEY

Series: "CHANDU, THE MAGICIAN"
        ABC  Sustained

49-11-19 001 The Drug Runner
49-11-26 002 Temple Under the Sea
49-12-03 003 Death on the Golden Horn
49-12-10 004 Wizard of the Kalahari
49-12-17 005 Terror in the Negev Desert
49-12-24 006 Counterfeiters

Series: "CHANDU, THE MAGICIAN"
        ABC  Sustained

50-07-26 001 Rocket Sabotage
50-08-02 002 Clever Jeff Adams
50-08-09 003 Dress Designer the
50-08-16 004 Black Market Hijackers
50-08-23 005 Coleman Alias Dr Bauer
50-08-30 006 Naval Drug Fraud