[1] With limited funding and the enthusiasm that young idealists possess, Laurie York Erskine, along with three good friends, founded the Solebury School for Boys in October 1925.
This inspired Erskine to write a number of adventure novels, in the hopes of making another sale to Hollywood, including The River Trail (1923), The Laughing Rider (1924), Valor of the Range (1925), The Coming of Cosgrove (1926), and Power of the Hills (1928).
[1] Six months after publication, Renfrew Rides the Sky (published September 1928) was included in the official library of the Imperial War Museum at South Kensington, England.
[1] Laurie York Erskine made his radio debut as a narrator of fictional adventures for the weekly Macy's Boys Club over WOR in New Jersey, from 1930 to 1931.
This series spawned a number of premiums including a red pin, a postcard, two campfire handbooks and a map so listeners could follow along with the adventures.
The program was never renewed after 52 weeks because the sponsor, after an extensive study, revealed that almost 90 percent of the bread purchased was not from children but adult females.
Continental was against the use of premiums in fear it cheapened their product image and the advertising agency insisted on giveaways because such gimmicks were used extensively to convince sponsors of the popularity of the programs.
Unlike the first two renditions, Erskine now served as narrator and told brief stories of adventure ranging from American historical events to cowboys and Indians, much like a storyteller by the campfire.
On average, once every two weeks Erskine would recount a story involving Inspector Douglas Renfrew of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
[1] In the film Broadway Limited, ZaSu Pitts' character insists on listening to Renfrew on the radio in the train's lounge car.
[1] Prior to television, Hollywood was populated with poverty row pictures, slang used to refer to a variety of independent (and short-lived) movie studios.
Hired to play the role was James Newill, who had recently been a weekly singer on the George Burns and Gracie Allen radio program.
After an exchange of letters between Douglas Storer and Goldstone at Criterion, it was agreed that the company could continue to produce additional movies under the same financial arrangement.
[1] Under a contract dated October 11, 1951, Max Alexander of M&A Productions edited the eight movies into 13 half-hour television pictures with James Newill hosted new openings and closings to bridge the scenes.