The Mysterious Mr. Lynch

The Mysterious Mr Lynch

Wireless Weekly 4 October 1939
Genre	serial drama
Running time	30 mins (8:00 pm – 8:30 pm)
Country of origin	Australia
Language(s)	English
Syndicates	ABC
Starring	Peter Finch
Written by	Max Afford
Directed by	Laurence H. Cecil
Original release	October 9 (1939-10-09) – December 18, 1939 (1939-12-18)
No. of series	1
No. of episodes	11

The Mysterious Mr. Lynch is a 1939 Australian radio serial by Max Afford. It starred Peter Finch as its detective hero, Jeffrey Blackburn.

It was one of several serials written by Afford.[1] The serial is a sequel to Afford's popular Fly By Night.[2] The Mysterious Mr Lynch also did well and led to a sequel, Greyface.[3]

The ABC produced the scripts again in 1946, once more starring Finch, directed by Frank Harvey.[4]

Premise

Jeffrey Blackburn investigates a series of killings by Mr Lynch.

Cast

• Vivien Edwards as Chief-Inspector Read
• Peter Finch as Jeff Blackburn
• Neva Crry Glynn as Beth

Episodes

• One (9 October 1939) – "The Running Noose"
• Two (16 October 1939) – "The Barred Door"[5]
• Three (24 October 1939) – "Death Moves at Midnight"[6]
• Four (31 October 1949) – "The Black Executioner"[7]
• Five (7 November 1939) – "Shadows from the Past"[8]
• Six (14 November 1939) – "The Man from the Moor"
• Seven (21 November 1939) – "The Playdelle Inheritance"
• Eight (28 November 1939) – "Dawn of Reason"
• Nine (4 December 1939) – "The Opening of the Door"[9]
• Ten (11 December 1939) – "Gathering of the Threads"[10]
• Eleven (18 December 1939) – "Murder Unmasked"[11]

Reception

The Wireless Weekly said "the play moved ahead in rattling good style. Anonymous telephone calls, mysterious pieces of rope, blood-curdling legends about a locked door, kept popping up... There is no doubt that Max Afford, who wrote the play, can be afraid of nothing, least of all his own vivid imagination "[12]

References

1. "Playwrights of Australia", The Wireless Weekly: The Hundred per Cent Australian Radio Journal, 35 (39), Sydney: Wireless Press, September 28, 1940, nla.obj-720714449, retrieved 12 September 2023 – via Trove
2. "Australia on the air", ABC Weekly, 3 (2), Sydney, 11 January 1941, retrieved 12 September 2023 – via Trove
3. "Thrilling Mew Serial", ABC Weekly, 2 (50), Sydney, 14 December 1940, retrieved 12 September 2023 – via Trove
4. "New A.B.C. Serial Mystery Killer Stalks London", ABC Weekly, 8 (23), Sydney: ABC, 22 June 1946, retrieved 12 September 2023 – via Trove
5. ""THE MYSTERIOUS MR. LYNCH"". Macleay Argus. No. 8734. New South Wales, Australia. 10 October 1939. p. 6. Retrieved 12 September 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
6. "Monday October 23", The Wireless Weekly: The Hundred per Cent Australian Radio Journal, 34 (30), Sydney: Wireless Press, October 18, 1939, nla.obj-726362000, retrieved 12 September 2023 – via Trove
7. "Radio plays of the week", ABC Weekly, 8 (26), Sydney, 13 July 1946, retrieved 12 September 2023 – via Trove
8. "Monday November 6", The Wireless Weekly: The Hundred per Cent Australian Radio Journal, 34 (32), Sydney: Wireless Press, November 1, 1939, nla.obj-726492498, retrieved 12 September 2023 – via Trove
9. "Plays of the week", ABC Weekly, 8 (31), Sydney, 17 August 1946, nla.obj-1400501179, retrieved 12 September 2023 – via Trove
10. "Plays of the week", ABC Weekly, 8 (32), Sydney, 24 August 1946, retrieved 12 September 2023 – via Trove
11. "Monday Dec 18", The Wireless Weekly: The Hundred per Cent Australian Radio Journal, 34 (39), Sydney: Wireless Press, December 16, 1939, retrieved 12 September 2023 – via Trove
12. "Mystery Thrills And Chills", The Wireless Weekly: The Hundred per Cent Australian Radio Journal, 34 (30), Sydney: Wireless Press, October 18, 1939, retrieved 12 September 2023 – via Trove