Speed Gibson Of The International Secret Police 1

Speed Gibson of the International Secret Police was a radio adventure series written by Virginia Cooke. It was centered on the adventures of Speed Gibson, a fifteen year old pilot who, through his uncle Clint Barlow, becomes a member of the International Secret Police. Speed was described as “a typical American boy: interested in short wave radio, aviation and most of all - The International Secret Police.”

Speed Gibson of the International Secret Police ran weekly from January 2, 1937 to May 25, 1940. 178 Episodes of the show were produced with each episode lasting approximately fifteen minutes. Elliott Lewis starred in the title role of Speed Gibson. Howard McNear played his uncle Clint Barlow and John Gibson played his sidekick, Barney Dunlap, known for using such catch phrases as “Suffering wangdoodles!” Other voice actors contributing to the series were Hanley Stafford, Jack Mathers and Sam Edwards. The opening theme contained the drone of an airplane and the voice of an air traffic controller urgently calling, “Ceiling zero… ceiling zero… ceiling zero!”

The series was divided into two stories. The first 100 episodes cover The Menace of the Octopus. They highlight Speed’s induction into the International Secret Police and the subsequent pursuit of the Octopus and his gang throughout the Orient. The remaining 78 shows are titled Speed Gibson And The Atlantian Syndicate. This series follows Speed as he continues his adventures on the African continent and his quest to defeat the Octopus.

The series is notable in that all 178 episodes have survived intact.


Show Names : 1 The Octopus Gang Active, 2 Speed Is Inducted into Secret Police, 3 Heading for Hong Kong, 4 A Shooting Attempt, 5 The Octopus Orders a Kidnapping, 6 Remaining at Wake Island, 7 Speed Is Missing, 8 Splinters into Custody, 9 Splinters Gets Away, 10 Barney Flies the Mystery Plane, 11 The Trio Is Ambushed on Guam, 12 The Octopus Plans a Surprise, 13 The Arrival in Hong Kong, 14 Clint Suspicious of Mr Wu, 15 Clint to Stay with Dr Kingsley, 16 Hotel Rooms Are Ransacked, 17 Marsha Is Kidnapped, 18 The Octopus Reveals Plans, 19 Disguised as Coolies, 20 Speed Is Knocked Out, 21 Leave on Bullet Plane, 22 Speed Tries to Warn Clint, 23 Shot at and Forced Down, 24 Flower Boat Is Sighted, 25 Prisoners on the Flower Boat, 26 Clint and Barney Are Captured, 27 Speed Arrives and Helps Clint and Barney, 28 Bob Gilmore Sworn into Secret Police, 29 Speed and Bob Fly to Help Dr Kingsley, 30 The Octopus Secret Headquarters, 31 Speed Discovers the Secret Entrance, 32 A Trap Has Been Set, 33 Tunnel Fills with Water, 34 Water Continues to Rise, 35 Dynamite Must Be Used, 36 Speed Is Lost in the Tunnel, 37 Speed Is Found, 38 Barney Heads for the Hut, 39 A Teahouse Fire, 40 New Instructions from the Octopus, 41 The Octopus Continues Plans, 42 The Octopus Puts Plans into Effect, 43 Speed Thinks Quan Wu Is a Gang Member, 44 Set up in a Trap, 45 The Octopus Traps Speed and Jean, 46 Al Taken Prisoner, 47 The Octopus Escapes, 48 Hiding in a Secret Room, 49 Poison Gas Bomb Thrown, 50 How to Catch the Octopus, 51 Everyone Ready for the Trip, 52 Fighting Breaks Out, 53 Heading into Tibet, 54 The Octopus Will Go to Black Pass, 55 Following the Octopus to Tibet, 56 Monoplane Is Airborne, 57 Speed Talks with the Octopus Via Radio, 58 Follow the Dragon, 59 A Tibetan Avalanche, 60 All Narrowly Escape