Death Across The Board (Aired September 27, 1946) According to Billboard magazine, talent and production costs for Murder At Midnight averaged about $5000 per program, one of the higher costs of canned, syndicated programming of the era. But the investment shows. And indeed, well into its almost six years of syndication, the series continued to pull respectable audience shares. The talent included well known names such as Lawson Zerbe, Karl Swenson, Berry Kroeger, Lon Clark, Frank Readick, Elspeth Eric, Mandel Kramer, Michael Fitzmaurice, Alfred Shirley, and Raymond Edward Johnson--and his wife, among many other well-respected east coast actors of the era. Anton Leader, later famous for his Television work, directed the series. The writing staff was also top-notch, with names such as Max Erlich, Joe Ruscoll and Robert Newman, among others. THIS EPISODE: September 27, 1946. Program #24. KFI, Los Angeles origination, Cowan syndication, World transcription. "Death Across The Board". Commercials added locally. A good story about a murdering madman battling the police as a chess game...with dead bodies galore! The same script was used on "Inner Sanctum" on June 5, 1945. Raymond Morgan (host), Robert Newman (writer), Eric Dressler, Charles Paul (organist), Anton M. Leader (director), Louis G. Cowan (producer). 30:31. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.