For Mother’s Day, Dennis Day sings the ballad “Little Mother of Mine” on “The Jack Benny Show.”  On this episode, the gang is flying back to Los Angeles from New York.  At the time such a voyage was a rare treat.  It took a mere 18 hours; about half as long as a similar trip by train.  Then on “Have Gun Will Travel,” Paladin thinks he’s doing his Chinese friends a favor by exposing a con game as old as the hills.  But there’s a lot more to it than meets the eye of even the sharpest mind in the Old West.

Episodes

The Jack Benny Program

May 12, 1940

“Returns on a TWA Plane”

4:05

Have Gun Will Travel

April 10, 1960

“So True, Mr. Barnum”

34:57

The “Lux Radio Theater” usually adapted films, but this adaptation of “Lost Horizon” is based on the 1933 novel by James Hilton, not the 1937 film starring Ronald Colman and directed by Frank Capra.  And yet, this radio version also stars Ronald Colman.  He had become so identified with the film’s hero, Conway, that it was unthinkable to do a version without him.  If you’ve only seen the film, you’ll be surprised to find that the story is the same but many of the characters are different and / or missing.

Episodes

Lux Radio Theater

September 15, 1941

“Lost Horizon”

3:42

As promised last time, I’m giving you the first episode of the amateur detective drama “The Casebook of Gregory Hood,” a summer replacement series that became a hit in its own right.  Written by science fiction and mystery writer Anthony Boucher and writer Denis Green, it takes full advantage of its post-war San Francisco setting.  Then on the “Jack Benny Program,” Jack has to sneak around in order to avoid being seen by actor Ronald Colman.  Luckily, he has his old-lady costume from a production of “Charley’s Aunt.”  So on go the bonnet and high heels . . 

Episodes

The Casebook of Gregory Hood

June 3, 1946

“The Three Silver Pesos”

4:00

The Jack Benny Program

April 25, 1948

“Charley’s Aunt”

36:22

To celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, we present an episode of “The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes” set on the Emerald Island.  Today, kissing the Blarney Stone is must-do for tourists.  Back in Queen Victoria’s time, the tradition was less-known and a lot more dangerous - as the Great Detective and the Good Doctor are about to learn.  Then we double-dip into classic Americana with two episodes of “Vic and Sade.”  First Vic is requested to tackle some ballistic golf clubs, and then he receives a top honor in the world of kitchenware.

Episodes

The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

March 18, 1946

“The Adventure of the Blarney Stone”

6:03

Vic and Sade

April, 1941

“40 Lbs of Golf Clubs”

38:02

May 2, 1941

“Vic’s Picture on Quarterly Cover”

47:32

It’s a Presidents’ Day episode of “Presenting the Transcription Feature.”  On “Meet Me at Parky’s,” Greek restaurateur Parkyakarkus celebrates Abraham Lincoln’s Birthday.  He wants to do the Great Rail Splitter proud, but keeps having trouble with his decorating scheme.  Then on “The Great Gildersleeve” Gildy finds himself in a George Washington’s birthday bind.  He’s trying to set a good example for his nephew by not telling any lies, but reality keeps getting in the way.

Episodes

Meet Me at Parky’s

February 9, 1947

“Lincoln’s Birthday Decorations”

5:37

The Great Gildersleeve

February 22, 1942

“Selling the Drugstore”

39:13

On “Dragnet” Friday and Smith find themselves investigating a locked-room mystery with an apparent suicide that just doesn’t add up.  Then Groucho Marx runs contestants through their paces on “You Bet Your Life.”  Parlez-vous français?  Grouch does.  Or does he, when one of the players is a young lady from the French consulate.

Episodes

Dragnet

“The Big Bible”

September 29, 1954 

1:38

You Bet Your Life

“The Secret Word is Door”

March 1, 1950  

31:27

Let’s start the new year off with some New Year’s-themed episodes.  First off, the stars of “Fibber McGee and Molly” are thrilled to be invited to the New Year’s Eve dance at the highfalutin Wistful Vista Country Club.  They’ll be mixing with “society so high your nose will bleed.”  Then jump forward a couple of days to the first episode of “Information Please” from 1939.  The panelists will be quizzed about the previous year’s events, and they’ll have to untangle a very tricky poem.

Episodes

Fibber McGee and Molly

“The New Year’s Dance”

December 30, 1952

1:50

Information Please

“Guests: Cornelia Otis Skinner and Erwin Edgar”

January 3, 1939

30:18

For our second Christmas-themed episode this year, we move from Christmas into New Year’s.  We start off with Eve Arden in “Our Miss Brooks.”  It’s Christmas Eve, and Connie seems destined to spend it alone (if you don’t count her pathetic little Christmas tree), but what would a Christmas comedy be without a little miracle?  Then it’s time to “Meet Me at Parky’s,” where that congenial Greek restaurateur, Parky himself, will spend the end of December looking for tickets to the New Year’s Day Rose Bowl game in Pasadena.  If he can get any, that will be a miracle as well.

Episodes

Our Miss Brooks

"The Magic Christmas Tree"

December 19, 1948

2:34

Meet Me at Parky’s

“Rose Bowl Tickets”

December 7, 1947

34:34

For our first Christmas-themed episode this year, we present the LUX RADIO THEATER adaptation of the Judy Garland classic, “Meet Me in St. Louis.”  This one-hour version drops the character of Agnes, but retains, in the roles they originated in the 1944 film, Judy Garland and Margaret O’Brien as sisters Esther and Tootie Smith, as well as Tom Drake as The Boy Next Door, John Truett.  And you get to hear Garland perform a few songs that have since become standards, “The Boy Next Door,” “The Trolley Song,” and “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.”

Episodes

The Lux Radio Theater

“Meet Me in St. Louis”

December 2, 1946

3:35

For Thanksgiving, we present two Turkey Day-themed comedies.  First up, on “The Jack Benny Show,” Mary reads a poem she wrote just for 1939.  From 1939 to 1941, Thanksgiving was celebrated not on the fourth Thursday of the month, but the third.  Then Jack wonders what’s going on when the turkey he bought lays an egg as big as a cantaloupe.  “The Great Gildersleeve” was always filled with topical laughs.  As Thanksgiving approaches, Gildy hopes to get a coveted “B Ration” gas card, nephew Leroy has to perform in the school Thanksgiving play, and it becomes harder and harder to actually find a turkey.

Episodes 

The Jack Benny Show

“Jack Discovers He Has Purchased an Ostrich for Thanksgiving Dinner”

November 19, 1939

4:29

The Great Gildersleeve

“Thanksgiving Dinner”

November 22, 1942

38:21