This late January marks both the birth and death of actor J. Carrol Naish, who was born on January 21, 1896 and died just shortly after his 77^th birthday on January 24, 1973.  Naish received two Oscar nominations for his supporting roles in the films “Sahara” (1943) and “A Medal for Benny” (1945), the latter of which also earned him a Golden Globe.  But he also had an extensive radio career.  Most prominently, he was the star of “Life With Luigi,” which cast him as a naïve Italian immigrant, Luigi Basco.  For all its stereotypes, and – because it was a comedy, its exaggerations – the series reflected the affection immigrants held for their new nation and home.  “Life With Luigi” is ultimately about making a new life in a land of infinite possibilities, and the desire to truly integrate one’s self into the best of American culture.  Tonight, we present two very different performances by Nash.  The first is someone the polar opposite of the sweet Luigi.  In this episode of “Suspense,” Naish plays a conniving, murderous husband.  Will crime pay?  Then on “Life With Luigi,” our hero’s quest to become a citizen is thwarted by his countryman, Pasquale (played by Fred Flintstone himself, Alan Reed).

Episodes

Suspense
August 1, 1946
“Commuter’s Ticket”  
2:44

Life With Luigi
January 10, 1950
“Luigi’s First Citizenship Papers"
32:41

I like to start off the new year with these adaptations by “The Lux Radio Theater.”  Tonight, Leslie Howard reprises his 1934 starring role as the original secret identity hero, “The Scarlet Pimpernel.”  Here, Olivia de Havilland plays his wife.  A year later, the two would appear as husband and wife again, in “Gone with the Wind,” as Ashley Wilkes and Melanie Hamilton.  Radio lends itself well to “The Scarlet Pimpernel,” which began life as a 1903 play, and so, from the start, has always relied heavily on dialog. 

Episode

The Lux Radio Theater
December 12, 1938
“The Scarlet Pimpernel”
2:40

We start off tonight with another “X Minus One” adaptation of a classic science fiction short story.  This time it’s Tom Godwin’s “The Cold Equations,” a controversial tale that’s still a subject of discussion.  Then on “The Great Gildersleeve,” Mr. Peavy finally gets a day off while Gildy minds the drug store.  What could possibly go wrong?

Episodes

X Minus One

August 25, 1955

“Cold Equations” 

2:02

The Great Gildersleeve

February 7, 1951

“Day Off for Peavy – 30^th Anniversary”

26:18

We start off tonight with another episode of that wonderful quiz show, “Information Please.”  This is an Armed Forces recording, which means that the original was recorded and then all the ads were taken out and replaced with short classical music breaks.  Are you up on the publication dates of certain famous literary works, the details of perfume production, and the strange behaviors of animals?  Then on “The Adventures of Ellery Queen,” Ellery finds himself investigating a twisty tale of diamond snuggling and murder.

Episodes

Information Please

October 2, 1944

“Guests:  Christopher Morley and Esme Davis”

2:26

The Adventures of Ellery Queen

September 7, 1947

“Number Thirty One”

33:14

I like to start off the new year with these adaptations by “The Lux Radio Theater” of light, amusing tales.  “The Canterville Ghost” was a short story written by Oscar Wilde in 1887. Over the years, there have been numerous adaptations.  The latest version just aired in the U.K. on the BBC and starred Anthony Head of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” as the title character.  I assume this will be coming to American television soon.  So, in anticipation, here is the 1945 rendition, which features a lot of World War II-era material. 

The Lux Radio Theater

June 18, 1945

“The Canterville Ghost”

2:31

Even tough-guy detectives sometimes get involved in sentimental or humorous situations during their Christmas episodes.  And the fabulous, freelance insurance investigator of “Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar,” is no exception.  Then it’s time for the cast of “The Jack Benny Program” to put on a play about letters to Santa before Jack and Mary go Christmas shopping at a department store.

Episodes

Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar

December 23, 1956

“The Missing Mouse Matter”

1:39

The Jack Benny Program

December 17, 1939

“Christmas Shopping for Perfume and a Necktie”

32:38

Welcome to another Christmas season on “Presenting the Transcription Feature.”  We’ll be doing one mystery and one comedy during each of this month’s episodes.  We begin with Sydney Greenstreet as that mighty, if lazy, private investigator, the titular hero of “The New Adventures of Nero Wolfe.”  This episode might be little darker than most Christmas stories, but it’s still a good mix of coziness, tough-guy action, and Wolfian brain power.  Then we go Christmas shopping with “The Great Gildersleeve.”  Try as he might, he just can’t seem to economize this year.

Episodes

The New Adventures of Nero Wolfe

December 22, 1950

“The Slaughtered Santas”

1:50

The Great Gildersleeve

December 15, 1948

“Christmas Shopping” aka “Economy This Christmas”

32:09

This year would have been the 101st birthday of actor Ricardo Montalbán. We mark it with an episode of “Family Theater,” in which he plays the real-life hero / outlaw of Old California, Joaquin Murietta. Murietta was almost certainly the inspiration for the fictional hero / outlaw of Old California, Zorro. Then it’s Thanksgiving with all the gang on “The Jack Benny Program.” In this classic episode, Jack dreams he has been put on trial for the murder of a turkey. Both Phil Harris’ signature tune “That’s What I Like About the South,” and the Andrews Sisters’ hit “The Lady From 29 Palms,” get witty parodies.

The Jack Benny Program
November 30, 1947
“Turkey Dream”
33:06

This October 27 marks the 163^rd birthday of President Theodore Roosevelt.  T.R. is a mass of contradictions.  He was born sickly, but, through sheer force of will, built himself up to a big, bull moose of a man.  He was a One Percenter deeply concerned with the plight of the poor.  He was a native of Manhattan who went to Harvard, yet was passionate about the great outdoors and created the U.S. Forest Service which administers our National Parks.  On this

episode of “Biographies in Sound,” NBC radio interviews historians and contemporaries in order to gain insight into the man and his times.

Episode

Biographies in Sound

November 14, 1957 

“They Knew Theodore Roosevelt”

3:27

“Lights Out” was one of radio’s earliest suspense anthology dramas. A lot of its earlier episodes were criticized as being, frankly, gross, but this one is more restrained. It’s just plain creepy. Set in the typing pool / script department of a creepy radio show, it’s also one of the most meta. Then, on “The Jack Benny Program,” Dennis Day negotiates his contract, Rochester buys a race horse, and the gang puts on an Ozark melodrama.

Episodes

Lights Out

May 11, 1943

“Murder in the Script Department”

2:58

The Jack Benny Program

June 2, 1940

“Hillbilly Feud”

26:29

“The Columbia Workshop” was the CBS network’s series of experimental radio dramas, frequently adapting literary works. The show openly experimented with format, sound effects, and the power of music to convey emotion and theme. Tonight, we present an adaptation of a short story by the British fantasy writer Lord Dunsany. The music is by Bernard Herrmann. If that name sounds familiar, it’s because he went on to score movies like “Citizen Kane, “The 7th Voyage of Sinbad,” and “North by Northwest.” Then, we return to comedy-in-academia with “The Halls of Ivy.” Dr. Hall appears to have won a major literary award, and both the school and his wife have big plans.

Episodes

The Columbia Workshop

December 19, 1936

“The Gods of The Mountain”

3:00

 The Halls of Ivy

April 28, 1950

“The Scofield Prize”

33:07

We start off with another classic episode of “Dragnet.” There’s a good mystery with a high-stakes villain, and I really enjoy all the throw-away, one-liner character moments. Then on “The Aldrich Family,” a typical high school situation turns in to a classic sit-com misunderstanding. But this one is executed particularly well.

Episodes

Dragnet

January 4, 1951

“The Big Holdup”

1:34

The Aldrich Family

December 11, 1947

“School Ring” aka “Henry Wants a School Ring”

31:47

There was no shortage of private detectives during the golden age of radio. We’ll start tonight with an entry new to our program: “Michael Shayne, Private Detective.” You’d never guess by listening to his tough but lovable voice here that star Wally Maher was the voice of Screwy Squirrel and the Turkey in the classic 1945 Tex Avery short “Jerky Turkey.” Tonight, he takes on a tricky case at a local college. Then on “You Bet Your Life,” Groucho Marx complains to a pharmacist about the amount of cotton in pill bottles, then banters with a Hollywood baker and a couple who have eight children.

Episodes

November 5, 1946

“Return to Huxley”

2:23

You Bet Your Life

October 28, 1953

“The Secret Word is ‘Chair’”

28:40

Time to return to those thrilling days of yesteryear with “The Lone Ranger.” This time the Masked Man and Tonto intervene with competing gold strikes threaten to turn deadly. Then we see how things are going for “The Great Gildersleeve” and family. Inspired by such self-starters as Abraham Lincoln, Gildy decided to make something of himself, possibly even in politics.

Episodes

The Lone Ranger

June 6, 1941

“Gold Strike in the Chattos”

1:32

The Great Gildersleeve

October 22, 1947

“Congressman Gildersleeve”

31:15

We return to the world of crusading journalism with “Big Town.” Edward J. Pawley takes over from Edward G. Robinson as Steve Wilson, managing editor of “The Illustrated Press,” the leading newspaper in some Big Town. This episode proves conclusively that crime doesn’t pay and there is no honor among thieves. Then on “Fibber McGee and Molly,” Fibber thinks he’s found a sure-fire way to avoid taxes. Will the study of his town’s most ancient laws put him in clover or will he be eating crow?

Episodes

Big Town

November 9, 1948

“The Fatal Chain”

1:48

Fibber McGee and Molly

May 19, 1953

“Old Law to Escape Taxes”

32:38

On “Rogers of the Gazette,” Will Rogers, Jr. returns as the editor of that fictional small-town newspaper, the “Illyria Weekly Gazette.” Along with dispensing homespun common sense and aphorism-filled advice to the betterment of his readers and fellow citizens, this week he’s solving a minor mystery: is Abraham Lincoln complaining about the maintenance of the town’s city hall clock? Then on “Archie Andrews,” Archie and Jughead’s passion for using all the latest slang in conversation isn’t going over so well with the rest of Riverdale’s residents.

Episodes

Rogers of the Gazette

November 11, 1953

“The Town Clock”

2:07

Archie Andrews

May 18, 1946

“Jive Talk” aka “Hip Talk”

32:22

Lucille Ball stars in a dramatic, criminal role on “Suspense.” She plays an ambitious woman who won’t let anything stand in her way – not even murder. Then, on “The Jack Benny Program,” Jack and the gang broadcast from Corona Naval Hospital. Tonight, they’re accompanied by the world-famous (really!) harmonica player Larry Adler, who amazes with his virtuosity.

 Episodes  

Suspense

October 25, 1945

“A Shroud for Sarah”

1:43

The Jack Benny Program

November 19, 1944

“From Corona Naval Hospital”

32:24

We start off with more of Old Time Radio’s quintessential medical drama, “The Story of Dr. Kildare.”  A tricky operation performed at a hospital is one thing, but a simple operation performed at in an unusual location is another.  How will Dr. Kildare remove an appendix from a man who is miles away at sea?  Then on “Duffy’s Tavern,” the Great Gildersleeve himself drops by to listen to another one of Archie’s business opportunities.

Episodes

The Story of Dr. Kildare

August 17, 1950

Appendicitis Operation at Sea

1:53

Duffy’s Tavern

November 24, 1944

“Guest: Harold Peary”

29:04

We start off with another episode of “Information Please.” Are you up on the sizes of sports venues, the significance of ringing bells, and literary wives? Then on “Gunsmoke,” a criminal seeks revenge on a whole town for the shooting of his kid brother. Not every Western is about cowboys and Indians. Sometimes, like this episode, they can be tight, psychological dramas.

Episodes

Information Please

December 12, 1941

“Guest: Dr. George N. Shuster”

1:37

Gunsmoke

February 21, 1953

“Meshougah”

29:29

"Jeff Regan, Investigator” is a Jack Webb series that just predates “Dragnet.” This P.I. has an even drier delivery than Detective Friday, but he’s much more sarcastically verbose. In tonight’s episode, movie cowboys and racehorses get entangled in a big-money scam. Then on “The Jack Benny Program,” Jack goes into Beverly Hills to try to buy a new violin string and ends up getting a parking ticket.

Episodes 

Jeff Regan, Investigator

November 13, 1948

“The Guy From Gower Gulch”

2:32

The Jack Benny Program

January 17, 1954

“Jack Gets A Parking Ticket”

32:45

Let’s return to “The Lux Radio Theater” for an adaptation of the brilliant 1944 film noir mystery, “Laura.”  You can miss a lot in an audio adaptation of a film noir, but luckily this version features the two main stars and one of the supporting players.  Dana Andrews and Gene Tierney return, as does Vincent Price.  Otto Kruger Takes over Clifton Webb’s role.  Close your eyes and enjoy.

The Lux Radio Theater

February 5, 1945

“Laura”

1:53

Part two of our annual Christmas spectacular begins with the holidays coming to “The Jack Benny Program.” The whole gang is gathering for big party at Jack’s, and there’s lots of laughs, despite some faulty tree lights. Then it’s a week later on “The Great Gildersleeve,” and Gildy doesn’t want to go to the town’s big New Year’s Eve bash if he can’t go with his best gal.

Episodes

The Jack Benny Program

December 24, 1944

“Trimming A Tree”

2:17

The Great Gildersleeve

January 1, 1947

“Big New Year’s Costume Ball”

32:32

We begin a month of Christmas episodes with America’s favorite teen-ager, the titular “Archie Andrews.” Archie and Jughead go Christmas shopping. Unbeknownst to them, the rest of the Andrews family and all their friends are also at the department store, resulting in all sorts of predicaments. Then on “Big Town,” Edward J. Pawley replaces Edward G. Robinson as Steve Wilson, crusading managing editor of the Big Town “Illustrated Press.” In tonight’s episode, two refugees from a shattered post-war Europe are welcomed to America from their Displaced Persons camp, but the little immigrant girl gets lost in the big city just before Christmas.

Episodes

Archie Andrews

December 17, 1949

“Christmas Shopping”

1:32

Big Town

December 21, 1948

“Prelude To Christmas”

30:24

The radio series “Claudia” was a daily slice-of-life drama centering on the low-stakes problems of the newly-married Claudia and David Naughton. A typical post-war couple, their greatest difficulties involve finding an apartment, Claudia learning to drive, and (eventually) what to name the baby. In these two episodes, Claudia and David host an unorthodox Thanksgiving dinner and attend an auction. Then Bing Crosby celebrates Thanksgiving on “Philco Radio Time.” Guest 24-year-old Judy Garland is on hand for the festivities. She sings a song for her just-born daughter Liza Minelli and joins Bing for a turkey-hunting sketch.

 Episodes

Claudia

November 27, 1947

“Thanksgiving Dinner”

December 1, 1947

“We’re Just Looking”

2:30

Philco Radio Time

November 27, 1946

“Guest: Judy Garland”

32:47

Now we’re going to launch a whole month of Thanksgiving-related episodes. We start off with “The Jack Benny Program.” Jack and the gang are gathering at Mary’s place for a huge Thanksgiving dinner. There’s disagreements about Pilgrim history, Jack’s ancient tuxedo attracts attention, and the band displays uncouth table etiquette. Then on “The Abbott and Costello Program,” there are big plans for Bud to entertain the snooty set for Thanksgiving.

Episodes

The Jack Benny Program

November 30, 1952

“Thanksgiving Pilgrims”

1:35

The Abbott and Costello Program

November 23, 1944

“Thanksgiving Dinner at Bud’s House”

31:42

On “Let George Do It,” freelance detective and problem solver George Valentine is hired to prove that a spooky old house isn’t haunted. But is it? Then, it’s Election Day in Springfield on “The Great Gildersleeve,” and Gildy switches his allegiances back and forth between the two candidates for mayor.

Episodes

Let George Do It

August 16, 1948

“The Ghost on Bliss Terrace”

1:51

The Great Gildersleeve

November 1, 1950

“Election Day”

32:34

Tonight, we present our first medical show, and it’s the classic “The Story of Dr. Kildare.”

The stars of the popular movie series, Lew Ayres as Dr. James Kildare and Lionel Barrymore as his friend and mentor Dr. Leonard Gillespie, reprised their roles for radio. Together, they interacted with people from all walks of life who had all manner of difficulties, medical and other. Then we return to “Life With Luigi.” J. Carroll Naish plays the optimistic, yet naïve, Italian immigrant trying to adapt to a new life in America. Tonight, he’s hoping to use the new technology of television to drum up business.

Episodes

The Story of Dr. Kildare

February 9, 1951

“Anthrax Infection”

2:28

Life With Luigi

January 24, 1950

“Using Television to Increase Business”

30:30

 We start off with the original old-time radio western, “Death Valley Days.”  In this episode, a female prospector goes to extraordinary lengths to prevent claim jumpers.  Then on “The Jack Benny Program,” Rochester is cleaning Jack’s den while Jack travels to the Department of Motor Vehicles to renew his driver’s license.

Episodes

Death Valley Days

June 16, 1939

“Shoo Fly” 

2:11

The Jack Benny Program

November 16, 1947

“Cleaning Jack’s Den”

28:32

Vincent Price returns as Simon Templar, aka “The Saint,” the Robin Hood of Modern Crime, solving tricky problems for all sorts of folks.  Here the case of a kidnapped heiress takes him to an exclusive finishing school where romance has led to danger.  Then on “The Great Gildersleeve,” a fishing expedition lands Gildy and Leroy hot water.

Episodes 

The Saint

November 5, 1950

“Miss Godby’s School for Girls” 

2:37

The Great Gildersleeve

May 5, 1948

“Fish Fry”

32:00

 We start off with the first episode of “Big Town.”  Edward G. Robinson creates the role of Steve Wilson, the crusading, yet sometimes muckraking, editor of a big city newspaper.  There’s dark humor, drama, and plenty of melodrama.  Then Joan Davis, who would eventually star in the early television classic comedy “I Married Joan,” begins her career in radio.  She plays the proprietress of a small village store in “The Sealtest Village Store.”  She’s prone to all the difficulties an unmarried woman in radio comedy had to face, but there’s some great laughs and songs.

Episodes

Big Town

October 19, 1937

“Steve Wilson Is Shot”

3:44

The Sealtest Village Store

June 7, 1945

“Sell Bonds, Win a Screen Test”

35:05

 “Lux Radio Theatre” presents yet another star-studded adaptation of a cinema classic.  This time, it’s the 1950 film “All About Eve.” Bette Davis, Anne Baxter, and Gary Merrill reprise their roles from the Academy- Award-wining film originally written and directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz.

Lux Radio Theater 

October 1, 1951

“All About Eve”

2:14

We start off with another episode of “The Aldrich Family,” that domestic sitcom featuring the adventures of teen-ager Henry Aldrich.  This episode, centering on a neighborhood wedding, is several notches above the usual fare, with some particularly clever lines and funny misunderstandings – all the elements you need for a solid sitcom.  Then let’s test our collective brainpower with an episode of “Information Please.”  Are you up on famous elopements, occupations of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence, and schoolteachers in fiction?

Episodes

The Aldrich Family

May 13, 1948

“Date with Helen Forbes” 

aka “Wedding Day Date with Helen Forbes”

1:47

Information Please
August 1, 1941

“Guests:  Lyman Bryson and Henry Noble McCracken”

30:18

 Groucho Marx kicks things off with an episode of “You Bet Your Life.”  He trades barbs with a taxi driver from Vienna, and an Irish-American Texan tells how he met his wife when he ruined her cake at a St. Patrick’s Day party.  Then, on “Vic and Sade,” their teen-aged son Rush is staying up late hoping to finish off the leftovers from a neighbor’s party.  Later, both Rush and Vic have to fight the temptation to draw a mustache on a sleeping man.

Episodes

You Bet Your Life

December 6, 1950

“The Secret Word is ‘Hair’”

2:08

Vic and Sade

1940

“Too Many Faces in the Windows” 

aka “Ice Cream and Salted Peanuts at Midnight” 

“Mr. Sludge Grows a Mustache”

aka “Sleepers Beware”

31:48

 We start off this week with some clever science fiction in the form of “X Minus One.”  In this episode, some hapless humans find themselves at the mercy of an alien lifeboat bent on saving their lives no matter what.  It’s an adaptation of Robert Sheckley’s “The Lifeboat Mutiny.”  Then, on “The Jack Benny Show,” Jack obsesses about the $4.75 he lost on a horse race, and the event manifests itself in the form of a hilariously strange dream. Also, the gang sings a parody of that ballad of a fighting Irishman, “Clancy Lowered the Boom.”

Episodes

X Minus One

September 11, 1956

“The Lifeboat Mutiny”

1:46

The Jack Benny Show

May 2, 1954

“Jack Loses $4.75 at the Race Track”

31:56

It’s National Library Week, from April 19th to 25th of 2020, so we’re going to present two transcriptions, one a thriller and the other a comedy, centering on libraries.  First up, in this episode of “Suspense,” movie star Myrna Loy, who you probably know as Nora Charles in the “Thin Man” movies, is a librarian whose investigations into a vandalized copy of “Gone With the Wind” seem to point to a kidnapping.  Then on “Fibber McGee and Molly,” Fibber receives a bill for an overdue library book, which he can’t find.

Episodes

Suspense 

September 20, 1945

“Library Book”

2:13

Fibber McGee and Molly

November 21, 1939

“Overdue Library Book”

33:52

Will Rogers, Jr. was an American politician, writer, and newspaper publisher. When he wasn’t involved in politics, he was frequently found acting in movies, television, and even radio.  Tonight we present “Rogers of the Gazette,” his series where he plays a modified version of himself. Here he runs the fictional small-town newspaper, the “Illyria Weekly Gazette,” and dispenses homespun common sense and aphorism-filled advice to the betterment of his readers and fellow citizens.  Then on “Our Miss Brooks” what could possibly go wrong when one of Connie’s students whips up a new form of egg dye?

Episodes

Rogers of the Gazette

August 12, 1953

“Land Deal”

2:13

Our Miss Brooks

April 9, 1950

“Dyeing Easter Eggs”

32:21

Here’s another bonus quarantine-themed episode for you to help pass the time.  We begin with “The Adventures of Horatio Hornblower.”  Horatio Hornblower started life in a series of adventure novels written by C. S. Forester from the 1930s to the 1960s.  Hornblower is a British officer in the Royal Navy during the Age of Sail, the Napoleonic Wars of the 1800s.  That’s the same time period as Patrick O’Brian’s Aubrey-Maturin or “Master and Commander” series.  If you like one, you’ll like the other.  Then, on “Fibber McGee and Molly,” all the usual gang has been quarantined at the McGee residence for a week due to measles.  Let’s check in and see if everyone is still on their best behavior.

Episodes

The Adventures of Horatio Hornblower

August 18, 1952 / May 8, 1953

“Quarantined for the Plague”

2:47

Fibber McGee and Molly

March 11, 1941

“Quarantined With Measles”

24:27

“If Freedom Failed” was a radio program created by the Armed Forces Radio Service. It depicted an alternate America in the 1950s that had been taken over by Communists. Each of the 26 episodes was inspired by actual events in Communist nations, but presented filtered through the prism of American life in fictional Springfield, U.S.A. This episode centers on a museum where historical facts are being altered to suit the Party.  Then on “Duffy’s Tavern,” actor Vincent Price drops by to visit “The Ham’s Club,” a dining establishment for actors only that barkeep Archie is trying to promote.

Episodes

If Freedom Failed
Episode 1, 1951
“A Matter of Fact”
2:37

Duffy’s Tavern
January 26, 1951
“Actor’s Club at the Tavern”
34:55

Here’s a special bonus episode for everyone stuck inside and starved for entertainment -- two episodes on the theme of quarantine.  First up on “Have Gun Will Travel,” Paladin helps a Native American man whose sick cattle result in others enforcing a quarantine around his land with their rifles.  Then on “The Jack Benny Program,” Jack is sick in bed, and the gang is NOT practicing “social distancing” as they keep dropping by to visit.

Episodes

Have Gun Will Travel

February 22, 1959

“Winchester Quarantine”

1:43

“The Jack Benny Program”

March 18, 1951

“Jack Talks About His Illness the Previous Week”

26:36

Just in time for St. Patrick’s Day, it’s “Lux Radio Theatre” with their adaptation of the 1949 film “Top o’ the Morning.”  This tale of a singing insurance investigator – NOT Johnny Dollar – stars Dennis Day from “The Jack Benny Show.”  Academy Award-winner Barry Fitzgerald and nominee Ann Blyth reprise their roles as residents of the Emerald Isle caught up in Day’s search for the stolen Blarney Stone.

Lux Radio Theatre 

March 17, 1952

“Top o’ the Morning”

2:55

 “It Pays to Be Married” was a daytime game show aimed at housewives.  Five days a week, Jay Stewart interviewed couples from all walks of life who had faced and solved problems within their marriages. It was an inspirational, if generally light-hearted, program.  On tonight’s program, Jay interviews a Latvian war bride who had trouble adjusting to life in America.  Then Phil Harris and Alice Faye explain the marriage-centric origin of their radio show and tell the unexpectedly moving story of the birth of their first child.  Next, on “The Bob Hope Show,” Bob teams with fellow radio comedian Fred Allen.  The two bemoan television’s threat to their radio careers and decide to break into the new medium.

Episodes

It Pays to Be Married

January 27, 1954

“Guests:  Mr. and Mrs. John Scovern”

March 8, 1954

“Guests:  Phil Harris and Alice Faye”

2:31

The Bob Hope Show

February 7, 1950

“From the Vine Street Playhouse with Fred Allen”

32:30

 We start out with a very faithful adaptation of the one of the oddest short stories in American literature, Herman Melville’s “Bartleby, the Scrivener.” It’s the story of a Wall Street office clerk, Bartleby, whose job is to make copies of documents. Then one day, he doesn’t want to, saying simply "I would prefer not to."  Indeed, he would prefer not to do anything.  It’s an enigmatic tale presented by the “The NBC Theater.”  Then the cast of “The Danny Kaye Show” celebrates Valentine’s Day.  Danny portrays “Dan Cupid” in a sketch about the little cherub spreading love and sings one of his patented dialect songs about Russian acting coach Stanislavski.

Episodes

The NBC Theater

December 2, 1950

“Bartleby, the Scrivener”

2:52

The Danny Kaye Show

February 10, 1945

“A Valentine for Jack Benny”

32:52

During the Golden Age of Radio, there was almost no Afrocentric programming, and what little there was was comedy or music.  “New World A-Coming” broke that mold.  This series of docudramas was created by African-American journalist Roi Ottley and inspired by his Peabody-Award-winning book of the same name examining life in Harlem.  This episode takes on domestic service inequality as well as the inequality which took place in the armed forces during World War II.  Then on “You Bet Your Life,” Groucho grills two high school students about vocabulary they should know.  Next, a married couple sailing around the world recall how they met while in the Army.

Episodes

New World A-Coming

June 18, 1944

“The Mammy Legend”

3:04

You Bet Your Life

January 30, 1952

“The Secret Word is ‘Food’”

28:24

​SLXLM​​​

“The Jack Benny Show” starts the year off right, with talk of Christmas presents and Jack and the gang going to the Rose Bowl for the New Year’s Day game.  Then on “Information Please,” are you up on are you up on famous dinner parties, the first words of poems, and the specialized slang of obscure professions?  Get ready to stump the experts.

The Jack Benny Show

January 5, 1941

“Rose Bowl Game – Stanford vs. Nebraska”

2:13

Information Please

January 23, 1942

“Guests: and Alexander Wolcott and Deems Taylor”

32:20

We’re going to spend Christmas with “The Great Gildersleeve” and family.  Teen-aged Marjorie would rather go out on date, unexpected guests drop by, and we’re treated to Lillian Randolph as Birdie singing a Christmas spiritual.  Then Eve Arden returns as “Our Miss Brooks,” a high school English teacher who never gets a break, not even during the holidays.  In need of cash to attend a New Year’s party, she lets herself be talked in to babysitting job on the big night.

The Great Gildersleeve

December 23, 1945

“Christmas Eve at Home”

1:46

Our Miss Brooks

January 1, 1950

“Babysitting on New Year’s Eve”

32:18

What would Christmas be without Jack Benny going Christmas shopping and doing it on the cheap?  On this episode of “The Jack Benny Show,” Jack tries to decide between metal- or plastic-tipped shoe laces as a gift for Don Wilson.  Then on “Fibber McGee and Molly,” Fibber tries to make a fruitcake using an old family recipe, but his lack of skills (not to mention smarts) keeps getting in the way.

The Jack Benny Show

December 8, 1946

“Jack Buys Don Shoe Laces for Christmas”

2:06

Fibber McGee and Molly

December 16, 1947

“Aunt Sarah’s Fruitcake”

32:00

 Thanksgiving is coming for the great schnozzola and his handsome sidekick on “The Jimmy Durante and Gary Moore Show.”  We learn about Gary’s ancestor, Casanova Moore’s, efforts to invent the kiss. Then the cast gives a jazzy spin to the Miles Standish / John Alden / Priscilla Mullins love triangle.  Next up is “Duffy’s Tavern.” This is not specially a Christmas episode, but it references Christmas and centers on Archie’s plan to make a little money for the holidays.

Episodes

The Jimmy Durante and Gary Moore Show

November 22, 1946

“Thanksgiving Pilgrim Opera”

3:18

Duffy’s Tavern

December 21, 1951

“Archie to Buy a Split Atom”

32:53

Bob Bailey stars as the man with the action-packed expense account, that fabulous freelance insurance investigator, the eponymous “Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar.”  Johnny finds himself in Los Angeles, where the beneficiary of murdered penny arcade operator’s insurance is an aging movie queen from the days of the silent films.  The plot’s twists and turns take Johnny from Venice Beach to skid row to a swanky movie colony beach house.  

Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar 

October 29 – November 2, 1956

“The Silent Queen Matter”

2:18

 Tonight we’re going to do something unusual. I’m going to give you two versions of the same World Series-themed episode of “The Bob Hope Show.” But don’t worry; you’ll get very little repeated material. The show as aired went out on October 11, 1949. We’ll play that second.  First you’ll hear the longer, unedited rehearsal for that episode, recorded a week earlier. Some of that audio was used in the final broadcast and some of the bits were re-recorded.  You’ll hear flubs, false starts, and ad libs.

Episodes

The Bob Hope Show

October 6, 1949

“Rehearsal”

4:17

The Bob Hope Show

October 11, 1949

“Guests: Jackie Robinson & Joe Page”

41:37

We start off with “You Bet Your Life.” Groucho talks with a woman who met her husband when she fell into his drum kit, a “spinster,” and a lighthouse keeper.  Then on “Romance of the Ranchos,” we visit the islands off the coast of southern California.  If you’ve read Scott O’Dell’s “Island of the Blue Dolphins,” you may be familiar with some of the strange goings-on in these islands’ past.

Episodes

You Bet Your Life

November 30, 1949

“The Secret Word is ‘Window’”

2:48

Romance of the Ranchos

February 4, 1942

“The Island of Santa Catalina and the Channel Islands”

34:45

 We start off with “Information Please.” Are you up on the wives of King Henry VIII, children in literature, Shakespeare, and soup?  Get ready to stump the experts.  Then on “The Abbott and Costello Show,” Lou returns to his old grade school, P.S. #15 in Patterson, NJ to appear in a production of “Romeo and Juliet.”

Episodes

Information Please

May 30, 1941

“Guests:  Jan Struther and Cornelia Otis Skinner”

1:41

The Abbott and Costello Show

November 16, 1944

“Lou Visits His Grade School”

31:03

First up, it’s “The New Adventures of Nero Wolfe” with Sidney Greenstreet as the rotund, yet brilliant private investigator.  Hard to believe it, but Wolfe actually leaves his brownstone mansion to do a little detecting.  Then we return to England as the bumbling government officials of “The Men from the Ministry” investigate a phantom train in a country village.

Episodes

 The New Adventures of Nero Wolfe

March 16, 1951

“The Case of the Midnight Ride”

1:50

The Men from the Ministry

August 29, 1965

“Train of Events”

31:00

 First up it’s “X Minus One” with one of their most intellectual episodes:  “Appointment in Tomorrow,” which asks what role public perception plays in science.  Then Bob Bailey stars private problem-solver George Valentine in “Let George Do It.”  It’s up to George to find some missing currency paper before it’s used by a counterfeiting ring.  The economy of a nation is at stake.

Episodes

X Minus One

November 7, 1956

“Appointment in Tomorrow”

2:19

Let George Do It

August 2, 1948

“The Money Maker”

30:55

We start this week with “The Bob Hope Show.”  Bob is in England.  He teams up with legendary British music hall and screen comedian Jerry Desmond for jokes about the National Health Service and a sketch about Bob’s school days.  Then Orson Welles stars as “The Shadow,” that mysterious righter of wrongs with the power to cloud men’s minds.  Who know what evil lurks in the hearts of men? He does.

Episodes

The Bob Hope Show

June 5, 1951

“With Jerry Desmond from London”

2:55

The Shadow

December 12, 1937

“The Death Triangle”

28:47

 Tonight we present two quiz shows recorded a little over a decade apart, but featuring the same contestant.  In the 1940s young Margaret Merrick was a frequent panelist on “The Quiz Kids,” where it was no secret that she had had polio.  Before we had the term, she was a “poster child” for what was then called “infantile paralysis.”  Margaret then appears with her husband on Groucho Marx’s “You Bet Your Life,” where she talks about her youth and the couple tackle questions about numbers in everyday life.

Though polio has nearly been eradicated worldwide, The March of Dimes still exists.  It’s currently dedicated to preventing premature birth and birth defects.  You can donate here.

Episodes

The Quiz Kids

January 24, 1943

“Would You Be Pleased If Varicella Paid You A Visit?”

3:26

You Bet Your Life

October 21, 1953

“The Secret Word is ‘Name’”

33:12

A few weeks back, we presented the radio drama version of the classic film, “Sunset Boulevard.”  Tonight, “The Jack Benny Program” is going to render (in the best sense of the word) its version.  Mary is out sick, but her real-life sister, Babe, is on hand to play the Gloria Swanson role.  Then we present three episodes of the little-known Basil Rathbone series, “Word Detective.”  These three-minute investigations into word origins were really just ads for the Underwood typewriter company, but they are informative and entertaining nonetheless.

Episodes

The Jack Benny Program

March 25, 1951

“Sunset Boulevard”

2:33

Word Detective

November 2, 1959

“Tangerine”

November 5, 1959

“Melba Toast”

November 6, 1959

“Stoic”

32:34

This week, we have two programs we’ve never presented before.  Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall had their own adventure radio series in the 1950s, “Bold Venture.”  It was part “Casablanca” and part “African Queen.”  Bogie plays the proprietor of a Havana hotel frequented by conmen, gamblers, and treasure hunters, and every week brought the couple adventure and excitement.  Next, it’s America’s favorite bow-tie-wearing redhead, “Archie Andrews.”  Light on the adventure, but high on the domestic comedy and teen-aged shenanigans, here Archie finds the simple act of getting dressed for a date to be quite a challenge.

Episodes

Bold Venture

April 23, 1951

“Spanish Gold”

02:47

Archie Andrews

July 10, 1948

“Archie Gets Dressed for a Date”

30:27

 “Sunset Boulevard” is justifiably regarded as one of the finest films ever made.  The tale of faded silent-era film star Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson), desperate to make a comeback, and the screenwriter she dragoons into working for her (William Holden) has been a favorite with critics and viewers since its premiere in 1950.  Although the film noir classic loses its striking visuals in this radio adaptation, the fact that it sticks so closely to the original dialog and has

Swanson and Holden reprise their Academy Award-nominated roles makes listening to this “Lux Radio Theater” production the next best thing to watching the film.

Episode

The Lux Radio Theater

September 17, 1951

“Sunset Boulevard”

2:06

Among other topics, “Information Please” asks about measures of length in common metaphorical phrases, “Huckleberry Finn,” and then-recent current events of 1939.  Next we present for the first time, “The Jimmy Durante Show.”  Jimmy is interested in politics, so he travels around the nation celebrating the 50 states and trying to get his show business friends to pledge their votes.

Episodes

 Information Please

July 11, 1939

“Guest: Elliott Roosevelt”

01:44

The Jimmy Durante Show

April 21, 1948

“Jimmy Solicits The Show Biz Vote” aka “Guests:  Lou Clayton and Eddie Jackson”

33:43

 On “X Minus One” big-game hunters go after the biggest of game:  dinosaurs.  It’s time-travelers vs their prehistoric trophies in “A Gun for Dinosaur.”  Then on “The Great Gildersleeve,” Gildy helps out with the neighborhood women’s Red Cross committee.  What could possibly go wrong?

X Minus One

March 7, 1956

“A Gun for Dinosaur”

02:13

The Great Gildersleeve

March 11, 1945

“Chairman of Women’s Committee”

33:27

For the 100th episode of “Presenting the Transcription Feature,” we present two of the best programs from the radio’s golden age:  “Dragnet” and “The Jack Benny Program.”  First up, detectives Friday and Romero track a hold-up man all around town, using brains and patience while ducking bullets and punches.  Then Jack and the cast have lunch at a drug store, providing plenty of opportunities for cheapness, mispronunciations, and a visit from entertainment legend Eddie Cantor.

Dragnet

December 14, 1950

“The Big Break”

02:53

The Jack Benny Program

May 8, 1949

“Jack is Upset with the Cast”

33:20

After World War II, there was a severe housing shortage that criminals took advantage of.  In this episode of “Boston Blackie,” our hero tries to right that wrong.  Then on “Vic and Sade,” first young Rush wants to invest in a lifetime pass to the movies, then Vic is delighted to learn that his face will be on the cover of his industry magazine.

Episodes

Boston Blackie

September 17, 1946

“The Apartment Swindler”

1:47

Vic and Sade

December 17, 1940

“A Bijou Lifetime Pass”

May 2, 1941

“Vic’s Picture on Quarterly Cover”

30:13

It’s the battle of the sexes on “The College Quiz Bowl,” with women’s college Mt Holyoke vs. then-men’s college Colgate (Colgate went co ed in 1970).  How well do you know your famous men nicknamed “Fox,” Greek myths, and British poets?  Then on “Our Miss Brooks,” Connie has to work hard to get her beau, Mr. Boynton, to ask her out for Valentine’s Day dinner.

Episodes

The College Quiz Bowl

November 9, 1955

“Mt Holyoke vs. Colgate”

01:44

Our Miss Brooks

February 19, 1950

“Valentine’s Day Date”

26:02

Let's start the new year with an episode of “Information Please.”  It's 1939, and we're still in the middle of the Great Depression.  Do you know your “Gulliver’s Travels,” love songs, and baseball pennant-winners?  Then we’ll return to Wistful Vista for another visit with “Fibber McGee and Molly.”  It’s a new year for them as well, and they’re planning to host a sleigh ride.

Episodes 

Information Please

April 18, 1939

"Guest:  H. V. Kaltenborn"

1:43

Fibber McGee and Molly

January 11, 1949

“Organizing a Sleigh Ride”

30:26

We transition from Christmas to New Year’s in this episode.  First Sherlock Holmes spends the season investigating the mystery of The Blue Carbuncle on “The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.”  Who stole the valuable gem and how did it end up in a Christmas goose?  This incarnation of the Great Detective stars two of the finest actors of the 20th Century:  Sir John Gielgud as Holmes and Sir Ralph Richardson as Watson.  Then on “The Phil Harris-Alice Faye Show,” Phil is trying to help his pal Elliott with a New Year’s Eve party.  Nothing could possibly go wrong, right? 

March 13, 1955

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

“The Blue Carbuncle”

3:14

December 28, 1952

The Phil Harris-Alice Faye Show

“New Year's Eve Party At The Harrises”

30:39

We start off the Christmas season with two comedies.  First, on “The Bob Hope Show,” Bob visits Blondie and Dagwood Bumstead from the comic strip “Blondie” on Christmas Eve and then stumbles upon a haunted house. “The Bing Crosby Show” features Bing premiering “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” and kidding around with his good friend Louis Armstrong.

Episodes

The Bob Hope Show

December 20, 1938

“Christmas”

2:59

The Bing Crosby Show

November 28, 1951

"Guests:  Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald"

34:48

In celebration of Thanksgiving, we start off with the Pilgrims leaving England on “You Are There.”  Various economic and religious refugees are about to set sail for New England aboard the “Mayflower.”  Then on “Fibber McGee and Molly,” the couple are hard at work preparing all the fixings for the big day.

EPISODES

You Are There

December 21, 1947

“The Sailing of the Mayflower”

2:43

Fibber McGee and Molly

November 25, 1935

“Buying Vegetables At A Roadside Stand”

32:26

 We start off with Groucho Marx hosting the funniest game show of all time, “You Bet Your Life.” A movie location scout talks about how parts of Los Angeles are more like Italy than Italy itself, and a married man with the last name of Bachelor stirs up laughs.  Then on “The Great Gildersleeve,” it’s the middle of World War II, and Gildy is worried about saboteurs on the Home Front.

Episodes

You Bet Your Life

April 18, 1951

“The Secret Word is ‘Light’”

1:38

The Great Gildersleeve

January 24, 1943

"Sabotage"

31:21

We celebrate All Hallows Eve with a couple of Halloween-related episodes.  First, on “The New Adventures of Nero Wolfe,” the rotund P.I., famous for almost never leaving the comfort of his house, does so to obtain some orchids and ends up in a spooky old house high on a hill.  Then on “The Jack Benny Show,” Jack throws a Halloween party.  His silk tights fail to remind anyone of Romeo.  Meanwhile, Rochester’s efforts to spike the punch are continually thwarted.

Episodes

The New Adventures of Nero Wolfe

January 26, 1951

“The Phantom Fingers”

1:46

The Jack Benny Show

October 29, 1939

“Masquerade Party”

31:54

Orson Welles revived the character of Harry Lime (who dies at the end of the film “The Third Man”) in the radio series “The Lives of Harry Lime.”  In the radio show, Harry is a ne’er do well con man, as opposed to a cold-blooded killer.  In tonight’s episode, he’s conning some young lovelies with a fake painting.  Then, Lucille Ball stars as Liz Cooper, the proto-Lucy Ricardo, on “My Favorite Husband.”  In classic Liz / Lucy style, a simple request to some neighbors balloons into a classic fiasco.

The Lives of Harry Lime

October 29 1952

“Art is Long and Lime is Fleeting”

2:52

My Favorite Husband

June 27, 1949

“The Television Suit”

34:14

“Candy Matson” was one of the few solo female private eyes of radio’s Golden Age.  Based in San Francisco, she may look like a pinup and have the most sultry voice on the airwaves, but she’s smart, tough, and fast-talking.  In this episode a Hollywood movie company is filming near her apartment, and it’s not long before a corpse turns up.  Then it’s time to visit “Duffy’s Tavern.”  It may not be the place where everybody knows your name, but close enough.  Manager / bartender Archie falls for a get-rich-quick scheme to patent electricity.  It’s a little-known fact (so to speak) that Benjamin Franklin meant to, but accidentally patented the kite instead.

Episodes

Candy Matson

August 29, 1950

“The Movie Company”

3:56

Duffy’s Tavern

February 23, 1949

“Archie Wants to Patent Electricity”

36:24

On “X Minus One,” a man continually wakes up from dreams of an explosion to find that every day is June 15th.  But this is no wacky “Groundhog Day”; it’s a tense drama in which he slowly learns that the things around him are copies and he’s being watched.  Based on the classic short story by Frederik Pohl, get ready to explore “The Tunnel Under the World.”  Then on “The Bob Hope Show,” Bob broadcasts from a Marine base in Barstow, California.  Along with joking about military habits, Bob tries to get glamorous movie star Claudette Colbert to hire him as the leading man in her next picture.

Episodes 

X Minus One

March 14, 1956

“The Tunnel Under the World”

2:03

The Bob Hope Show

April 1, 1952

Guests: Claudette Colbert and Jo Ann Greer

31:04

“The Romance of the Ranchos” was one of the more unusual series to be broadcast during the Golden Age of Radio.  Each episode traced the history of a certain district of Southern California, from the Days of the Ranchos – when everything was still owned by Spain and Mexico in the 1700s – up to then-contemporary times, the 1940s. Tonight, the vignettes center on Newhall, Saugus, and Santa Clarita.  Then, on “The Jack Benny Show,” the gang tells their own version of Old California, complete with rancho, Jack as a wealthy Mexican land-owner, and Don Wilson as 500 head of cattle.

Episodes

 The Romance of the Ranchos

November 26, 1941 

“The Newhall Region and the Rancho del Valle”

4:16

The Jack Benny Show

May 16, 1943 

“Rancho Benny”

34:13

“Vic and Sade” is the driest of domestic comedies.  We present two 15-minute visits to “the small house half-way up on the next block.”  Young Rush wants to host a party that will make you swallow your shoes (so to speak) and Sade gets the guys to move two tons of coal from a neighbor’s cellar to theirs.  Then, on the dramatic anthology show “Family Theater,” the cast of a radio crime drama are moving to television as part of a summer replacement experiment.

Episodes

Vic and Sade

March 3, 1938 

“Official Host”

July 5, 1939 

“Two Tons of Coal #1”

02:08

Family Theater

December 1, 1954 

“Summer Replacement”

28:42

Monty Woolley, the actor, writer, radio and movie star, is probably best known as the star of “The Man Who Came to Dinner.”  But he also headlined his own radio comedy, “The Magnificent Montague.”  He played Edwin Montague, once the leading light of the legitimate theatre, now reduced to acting in a radio melodrama.  In these two episodes Montague goes to Hollywood.  He’s supposed to star in a film version of “Macbeth,” but neither Tinseltown nor he are ready for each other.

Episodes

The Magnificent Montague

January 19, 1951

“Lost in Hollywood”

3:22

The Magnificent Montague

January 26, 1951

“The Screen Test”

34:21

"Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar" ran 15 minutes a day, five days a week.  The tales of the freelance insurance investigator, who had an action-packed expense account, were full of action, cleverness, and style.  In this binge-listen of a full week’s adventure, Dollar is hired to protect a very special laird, one with four legs and a tail.

April 9-13, 1956

Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar

“The Laird Douglas-Douglas of Heatherscote Matter”

3:11

Eve Arden returns, or perhaps premiers, in “Our Miss Brooks,” as we present the very first episode of that comedy classic.  There’s a new principal, and Miss Brooks just can’t stop bumping into him.  Then on “Gunsmoke,” Marshal Matt Dillon tries to help a family from being unfairly run off their land.

Episodes

Our Miss Brooks

July 19, 1948

“The First Episode”

2:07

Gunsmoke

October 24, 1952

“The Mortgage”

33:00

This month marks the 124th birthday of radio legend Fred Allen.  Though best known for his “feuds” with fellow comedian Jack Benny, Allen had a long and prolific career.  We present tonight a classic episode of “The Fred Allen Show.” First, Fred takes us on a walk down Allen’s Alley to meet the colorful characters who live there, then Frank Sinatra drops by songs and laughs.  Then, on “Information Please,” Fred starts out as a contestant and ends up as host.

Episodes

The Fred Allen Show

October 21, 1945

“Hillbilly”

5:15

Information Please

February 15, 1943

“Guest: Fred Allen”

34:10

First up on “You Bet Your Life,” Groucho Marx interviews a female Air Force sergeant and the parents of triplets.  Then on “Dragnet,” a brightly-colored car leads detectives Friday and Romero all around Los Angeles, from its mean streets to an amusement park.

Episodes

You Bet Your Life

June 27, 1951

"The Secret Word is Table"

1:47

Dragnet

November 30, 1950

“The Big Car”

31:52

First up, on “Fibber McGee and Molly,” two duo race around town trying to reclaim a very valuable coin accidentally spent on some cigars.  The comic coincidences and tongue-twisters will leave your head spinning.  Then we present, for the first time, an episode of “Boston Blackie.” Blackie is a righter of wrongs, a reformed safecracker and jewel thief.  He first appeared in 1914, and his tough-but-clever style has taken him from magazines to films, television, and, of course, radio.  This is a baseball-themed episode.

Episodes

Fibber McGee and Molly

April 15, 1947

"1880 Quarter"

Boston Blackie

April 29, 1947

“Baseball and Gambling”

“Vic and Sade” is the driest of domestic comedies.  We present two 15-minute visits to “the small house half-way up on the next block.”  First, Sade may have at last found a place to store all of her husband’s fraternal lodge regalia that’s always cluttering up the house.  Then, what did people do for entertainment at the height of the Depression?  Rush’s pal Rotten makes performance art out of a collapsed porch.  Finally, on “Escape,” we all escape to Kafiristan, via an adaptation of the Rudyard Kipling classic story, “The Man Who Would Be King.”

Episodes

 Vic and Sade

[1939]

“Mr. Gumpox Offers Sade a Stall”

 June 13, 1939

“Porch Collapses, Rotten Takes the Blame”

2:37

Escape

August 1, 1948

“The Man Who Would Be King”

29:18

Bing Crosby leads “The Kraft Music Hall” with special guest, Lucille Ball.  Before she was “Lucy,” the comedy legend, she was a would-be glamour girl with a knack for comedy.  Then on “The College Quiz Bowl” students from Barnard College and Syracuse University tackle topics as diverse as mythology, anatomy, and politics.

Episodes

The Kraft Music Hall

March 2, 1944

“Guest: Lucille Ball”

2:40

The College Quiz Bowl

October 20, 1954

“Syracuse vs Barnard”

33:04

On “The Great Gildersleeve,” Gildy receives a visit from his old friends (and stars of their own radio show), Fibber McGee and Molly.  Knowing he’s in for some ribbing, Gildy tries to hide the fact that he’s engaged to be married.  Then on “X Minus One,” we have an adaptation of a classic bit of science fiction by Fredric Brown, “The Last Martian.”

Episodes

The Great Gildersleeve

January 10, 1943

“Fibber McGee and Molly Visit”

2:48

X Minus One

August 7, 1956

“The Last Martian”

32:45

It’s February, and that means Valentines Day – or at least couples.  First up, it’s “Life With Luigi,” the adventures of a recent Italian immigrant in Chicago.  Luigi has a date for Valentine’s Day, and nothing could possibly go wrong.  Then on “Information Please,” there are two female guest panelists and lots of questions about couples:  separated couples, couples in literature, broken courtships, and even the phrase "ladies and gentlemen" are all covered.

Episodes

Life With Luigi

February 14, 1950

“Valentine’s Date at the Pump Room”

2:18

Information Please

April 5, 1943

Guests:  Jan Struther and Cornelia Otis Skinner

30:36

First up, on “Dragnet,” a movie set is the scene of a murder.  Jack Webb’s Sergeant Friday hits the soundstage and talks with gaffers, best boys, and directors while investigating a murder that puts the tarnish on Tinseltown.  Then on “You Bet Your Life,” Groucho interviews two doctors -- one for people and one for the birds.  Later, there’s a woman who met her husband while selling underwear door-to-door and an engaged couple who work at the same department store.

Episodes

Dragnet

November 2, 1952

“The Big Light”

2:45

You Bet Your Life

December 7, 1949

“The Secret Word is Dust”

32:37

For New Year’s, we sum up all of 1939.  First it’s “Information Please” from January of that year.  The guest is Alexander Wolcott, the inspiration for the titular character in our previous episode, “The Man Who Came to Dinner.”  The panelists take questions from columnist Walter Winchell, make up poker hands from Mother Goose, and identify famous generals.  Then on the “The Jack Benny Show” it’s New Year’s Eve.  Jack has a date, but forces conspire to prevent him from keeping it.  Western star Andy Devine drops by to talk about taking his parents to Phil Harris’ wild late show.

Episodes

Information Please

January 10 1939

Guest:  Alexander Wolcott

2:22

The Jack Benny Show

December 31,1939

“Gladys Zybisco Disappoints Jack on New Year’s Eve”

33:19

We present two Christmas-themed comedy programs this time.  First up, on “The Bob Hope Show,” guest Gregory Peck debates with Bob about who’s the handsomer.  Then Bob tries to buy a cheap Christmas tree.  On “The Great Gildersleeve,” Gildy spends considerable time and effort selecting just the right present for his old pal Fibber McGee.  Enjoy these broadcasts – which aired exactly seven years apart, as it happens – while trimming your tree or wrapping your gifts.

Episodes

The Bob Hope Show

December 21, 1948

Guest:  Gregory Peck

4:15

The Great Gildersleeve

December 21, 1941

 “Christmas Gift for Fibber McGee”

 35:51

“The Man Who Came to Dinner” was a 1939 Broadway comedy written by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart.  It has since become a classic.  When radio commentator and professional wit Sheridan Whiteside is visiting a prominent family in a small town in Ohio a few weeks before Christmas, he injures himself and is confined to their house for a month.  He may be stuck but the show must go on.  “Sherry,” as his friends call him, continues to run his business, see friends and associates, and drive his nice suburban hosts crazy.  This one-hour adaptation stars Clifton Webb and Lucille Ball.

Episodes

Lux Radio Theater

March 27 1950

“The Man Who Came to Dinner”

5:58

We present two comedies, both Thanksgiving-themed, and both featuring the perils of trying to save money by buying a live turkey.  First on "Our Miss Brooks," teachers never have enough money, so Connie tries to work herself and her date into a big dinner with all the fixings at her principal’s house.  Then on “The Jack Benny Program,” you can trust Jack to try to save a few pennies by getting his turkey the hard way.  And it turns out to be even harder than he anticipated.

Episodes

Our Miss Brooks

November 19, 1950

“Thanksgiving Turkey”

2:01

The Jack Benny Program

November 29, 1953

“Thanksgiving Dinner”

32:40

Real-life bandleader for “The Jack Benny Show,” Phil Harris, and his wife, Alice Faye, had their own sitcom radio show during the 1940s – 50s.  Accompanied by his pal Frankie Remley (or is that Elliott Lewis?  Listen and all will be explained.), Harris would stumble into problems surpassed only by the team of Flintstone and Rubble.  This time around, it’s the infamous traffic in Los Angeles that will be the guys’ undoing.  Then it’s time to see what you remember from school.  On “College Quiz Bowl” we cover music, witches, and international capitals.

Episodes

The Phil Harris – Alice Faye Show

November 27, 1953

“The Traffic Problem in Los Angeles”

4:56

College Quiz Bowl

November 27, 1954

“Minnesota vs Smith”

34:59

On “The Jack Benny Show,” Jack has a terrible time trying to listen to the 1950 World Series.  When he’s not being interrupted by visitors, his radio keeps jumping between a performance of “Bali Hai” and a boxing match from the 1920s.  Then “X Minus One” adapts Ray Bradbury’s classic short story, “The Veldt.”  How real is too real for the television of the future?

Episodes

The Jack Benny Show

October 8, 1950

“Jack Listens to the World Series and the Dempsey-Tunney Fight”

4:10

X Minus One

August 4, 1955

“The Veldt”

36:14

 On “You Bet Your Life” a horsewoman and a fisherman come in for some good-natured ribbing, but they give as good as they get from the one, the only, Groucho Marx.  And, as usual, a simple question like “How did you meet your spouse?” opens up a world of comedy.  Then on “Dragnet,” there is no honor among thieves.  When a jewel thief is caught, he’s quick to turn on his fellows once he learns that they’ve cheated him.

Episodes

You Bet Your Life

April 9, 1952

The Secret Word is “Sign”

2:34

Dragnet

April 26, 1953

“The Big Scrapbook”

32:26

Radio quiz shows were all the rage during the 1940s and 1950s, from the comedy of “You Bet Your Life” to the erudition of “Information Please.”  Tonight we present an episode of “College Quiz Bowl,” where the best and brightest of two colleges square off.  Here it’s Brown and its affiliated women’s college, Pembroke, vs the University of Minnesota.  For a transcribed program, this show is brimming with spontaneity.  Then, on an early episode of “The Great Gildersleeve,” our hero is dragooned into investigating the City Jail . . . from the point of view of a prisoner.

Episodes

College Quiz Bowl

January 15, 1955

“Brown vs University of Minnesota”

3:42

The Great Gildersleeve

October 5, 1941

“Investigate the City Jail”

33:25

“Vic and Sade” is the driest of domestic comedies.  We present two 15-minute visits to “the small house half-way up on the next block.”  First, the son of the house, young Rush, has plans to single-handedly tear down a brick building – purely for the honor.  Then Rush recruits his father to teach his high school principle, Mr. Chinbunny, the manly art of cigar smoking.  “The New Adventures of Nero Wolfe” are based on the classic characters created by Rex Stout and star the magnificently-voiced (and appropriately-girthed) Sydney Greenstreet as New York’s brilliant, but lazy, private investigator. Wolfe leaves the legwork to his assistant, Archie Goodwin – a man about town who really gets around.

Episodes

Vic and Sade

November 14, 1939

“Tearing Down a Three-Storey Brick Building”

June 2, 1940

“Mr. Chinbunny Wants to Smoke Cigars”

3:30

The New Adventures of Nero Wolfe

April 20, 1951

“The Lost Heir”

23:36

Sports, poetry, music, and military campaigns are all topics for clever questions and clever answers on “Information Please.”  Then we present the first episode of a little-known but hilarious (and surprisingly timeless) radio comedy, “The Magnificent Montague.”  Starring writer and actor Monty Woolley (you may know him as the star of “The Man Who Came to Dinner”), Woolley plays a former Broadway star forced to take a role on a cheesy afternoon radio melodrama.  The character of Edwin Montague is the precursor to Frasier Crane ands Charles Emerson Winchester III -- loveable in his pomposity.

 

Episodes

 

Information Please

April 19,1943

“Guests:  Ford Frick and Grantland Rice”

1:42

 

The Magnificent Montague

November 10, 1950

“A Starring Role in Radio”

34:15

The Weekly Podioplex returns to find war. This week belongs to Caesar and the apes as they dominate the box office, but still have considerable ground to make up in their own franchise. Meanwhile, Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets, Christopher Nolan's take on Dunkirk, and a Girls Trip will challenge the apes for the throne. Can they hold the line?

The home entertainment slate also stars an ape as Kong: Skull Island invades store shelves. Joining the king are a Promise, The 100, The Expanse, and the car-leaping antics of T.J. Hooker. After that, Denise wraps things up in the Quick Flicks with comic book news and a celebration of the Thirteenth Doctor. This and more comprise a new edition of The Weekly Podioplex, brought to you on The Chronic Rift Network.

Weekly Podioplex Notes for July 18th, 2017

Introduction

Opening Clip: Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets

Box Office Report

Top Ten

#1 – War for the Planet of the Apes – [New Release]
#2 – Spider-Man: Homecoming – [-1]
#3 – Despicable Me 3 – [-1]
#4 – Baby Driver – [-1]
#5 – The Big Sick – [+3]
#6 – Wonder Woman – [-2]

#7 – Wish Upon – [New Release]
#8 – Cars 3 – [-2]
#9 – Transformers: The Last Knight – [-4]
#10 – The House – [-3]

Tops From the Past

2012 – The Dark Knight Rises
2007 – I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry
1997 – Men in Black
1987 – RoboCop
1977 – The Island of Dr. Moreau
 

Box Office Premieres for the week of July 21st, 2017

Wide

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets – [PG-13]

Dunkirk – [PG-13]

Girls Trip – [R]

Limited

Landline – [R]
The Midwife – [UR]

Home Entertainment for the week of July 18th, 2017

New Releases on DVD and Blu-Ray

Kong: Skull Island – [PG-13]

The Promise – [PG-13]

New Releases on Digital Video

The Circle – [PG-13]

With Great Power: The Stan Lee Story (2010) – [UR]

TV on DVD and Blu-Ray

The 100: Season Four (2017)

The Expanse: Season Two (2017)

T.J. Hooker: Complete Series (1982-1986)

Blu-Rays From the Past 

State Fair (1962) – [NR]

Podcast Promos

British Invaders

The British Invaders podcast features a lively two-person exchange about different television series, tele-films and mini-series. These discussions serve as both an introduction and an entertaining conversation, catering to both those who have seen and those who have yet to see these British science fiction and fantasy shows. Each show is presented in two parts, with new episodes appearing every two weeks. British Invaders covers everything from story-lines to production details to spinoff material. Past topics have included Doctor Who, Sapphire and Steel, Red Dwarf, Day of the Triffids, Jekyll, Robin of Sherwood, and many more.

Quick Flicks

Martin Landau and George Romero
Doctor Who: The Thirteenth Doctor
Wonder Woman’s strong box office performance
Ben Affleck’s script is out for Batman
The Joker is cured?

Links

Visit the Chronic Rift site
Send us an e-mail
Tweet on Twitter:  The Chronic Rift, The Weekly Podioplex, Denise, and Michael
Listen on Stitcher Radio

Leave a review on iTunes:  The Chronic Rift

Shop the Rift’s Best Bets or search our Amazon Store. 

Michael’s blog at Creative Criticality

Denise’s blog at Accessories Not Included

Greek restaurateurs have their say on this episode of “Presenting the Transcription Feature.”  We start off with a fictional one, the loveable Parky of “Meet Me at Parky’s.”  A famous food critic is coming to his restaurant, and Parky is desperate for a good write-up.  So desperate that he looks for help from con-man Orville Sharpe, the only person of Parky’s acquaintance with more of a talent for malapropisms than he.  Then, on “You Bet Your Life,” Groucho Marx welcomes an actual Greek restaurateur.   Other contestants include a Las Vegas masseur and a real-life “Rosie the Riveter.”

Episodes

Meet Me at Parky’s

March 3, 1946

“Visit from a Gourmet”

2:19

You Bet Your Life

April 21, 1954

“The Secret Word is People”

32:33

For Father’s Day, we start off with “The Great Gildersleeve.”  He’s only an uncle, but he’s been like a father to his niece and nephew, so they decide to get him a great, big, stuffed club chair.  They aren’t the only ones.  This episode is a classically-structured farce with people and chairs coming and going to beat the band.  Then on the science fiction anthology program “X Minus One,” a couple of lab rats find themselves caught up in government bureaucracy.  

Episodes

The Great Gildersleeve

June 21, 1942

“Father’s Day Chair”

2:09

X Minus One

November 21, 1956

“Chain of Command” 

32:00

The March of Dimes gets mentioned on both our quiz show and our comedy in this installment.  On “Information Please,” the guest is General Hugh Johnson, head of President Roosevelt’s National Recovery Administration, who also worked hard to raise money to fight polio.  Then, on “The Danny Kaye Show,” the versatile comedian / actor / singer plays an exaggerated version of himself.  As he tries to get to Washington for a March of Dimes fund-raiser, he finds plenty of opportunities to use his patented fake-foreign accents and scat-patter as well as sing a sweet song or two.

Episodes

Information Please

January 24, 1939

“Guest:  General Hugh Johnson”

3:29

The Danny Kaye Show

January 27, 1945

“Flying to Washington for March of Dimes” 

36:30