Voyage of the Scarlet Queen

Voyage of the Scarlet Queen was a radio drama portraying the adventures of the 78-foot ketch Scarlet Queen in the South Pacific. It was broadcast on Mutual from July 3, 1947 to February 14, 1948. 

The series followed the exploits of Captain Philip Karney, master of the Scarlet Queen, and his first mate Red Gallagher as they navigated the treacherous waters of the South Pacific. Each episode would open with a log entry from Karney, setting the scene for the adventure to come. The duo would then go ashore at various exotic ports of call, only to find themselves embroiled in trouble with local authorities, rival merchants, or desperate women in need of rescue.

After some investigation and a good fight or two, Karney and Gallagher would solve the problem, return to the ship, and sail away, sharing a laugh and a drink at the wheel before the captain’s closing log entry.

The Stars

The series starred Elliott Lewis as Captain Philip Karney and Ed Max as first mate Red Gallagher. Lewis had originally played the role of Gallagher in the pilot episode, with Howard Duff as Karney, but the roles were reversed for the series.

Other notable voice actors included Gloria Blondell, William Conrad, John Dehner, Verna Felton, Paul Frees, and Roddy McDowall.

Key Dates

• Voyage of the Scarlet Queen debuted on July 3, 1947.
• It ran for 35 episodes, with the final broadcast on February 14, 1948. 
• There were no significant breaks in the series run, though the spelling of the captain’s name varied between “Karney”, “Kearney”, and “Carney” across different sources. 

Other Information

Technically, Voyage of the Scarlet Queen was considered one of the better radio productions of its time, employing realistic sound effects and sailing terminology, well-paced stories, and colorfully detailed settings. Most of the locations visited by the Scarlet Queen were real, and the map coordinates provided by Karney were mostly, following a zigzag course around the South Pacific.

After the series was cancelled, there was an attempt to revive it under the title The Log of the Black Parrot, but only a pilot episode was produced in 1950.

A TV pilot titled The Log of the Black Pearl was also made in 1975, loosely based on the same concept, but it too failed to be picked up for a full series.