Old Time Radio Shows

Lurene Tuttle worked on so many shows that she was called "the most heard woman in America", and she also helped to organize the union which allowed radio actors to make a living wage. The American labor movement rose in the closing decades of the nineteenth century and gained traction in the first two of the twentieth. Although collective bargaining and the other tools of the movement would lead to the high standard of living workers expect and deserve today, the Socialist elements of these tactics gave rise to the First Red Scare in the aftermath of the Great War and the Russian Revolution. The first Scare made 'Communist' an obscenity in the American vernacular, leading almost inevitably to McCarthyism and the Hollywood Blacklist. The specter of Communism overshadows what the labor movement truly was – not workers trying to overthrow the industries and bosses they were working for but demanding workplace dignity, safety, and a living wage in exchange for the wor...

Young and old people enjoy Old Time Radio alike. People who grew up during the Radio Age are naturally fans of OTR. It isn't a surprise when kids from the Age of Television discover Radio, and the fact that it is often a superior storytelling medium. When we hear about folks who grew up in the age of the Internet professing their enthusiasm for old radio shows, we choose to just put on a smug and satisfied smile. A lot of young fans find they laugh at themselves for actually liking radio drama, but they are fascinated by how effective the speaking voice can be in conveying a story. As long tie OTR fans know, rarely do we see how effective this is as in the scariest Horror and Thriller radio programs . 5) “The Yellow Wall Paper”  starring Agnes Moorehead on Suspense , 1948.  Orson Welles called Moorehead one of his favorite actresses to work with.  4)“The Walking Dead” from Creeps By Night , 1944.  Rise of Zombie Apocalypse in popular culture for this o...

Suspense!  was one of the most well produced, acted, and written dramas on radio, as well as one of the most prolific. There were an estimated 945 episodes broadcast, most of which have survived. During the twenty year run, probably the most exciting times were from the late 40's and early 50's under Autolite Autoparts sponsorship. Pitchman Harlow Wilcox wasn't as big part of the show as he had been on  Fibber McGee and Molly , but his over the top plugs for sparkplugs and car batteries were entertaining and informative. The direction and production by Anton Leader,  Gunsmoke  co-creator Norman Macdonnell, and Elliot Lewis were all of the highest quality. An important feature of the program that all three directors made the most of was the use of famous movie actors and comedians, and playing them "out of type". It is a bit of a shock for audiences to hear  Lucille Ball  or  Bob Hope  as potential murderers, but  Suspense!  made it...

Some how, London of the late 1880s manages to become even more creepy coming to us from the speakers of our radio . This is the London of foggy nights and shady dealings and fast talking. The London where a bloke in the wrong part of town after dark could get his head thumped and his purse pinched quicker than you can say "Bob's your Uncle"! It is also the London that is terrorized by Jack The Ripper . The case of Jack The Ripper, also known as the Whitechapel Murders, is perhaps the most infamous of unsolved crimes. By the late 1800s modern police departments, including Scotland Yard, had adopted scientific investigation as an important part of their procedures. Despite this, there is very little that is definite about Jack the Ripper , including the number of his victims. The poverty of the Whitechapel district at the time made it a hotbed of crime, so there were murders that could have been the hidden work of the Ripper, while some which he is credited with sho...

A working definition of Christian Missionary work is "One who is to witness across cultures." The term Missionary comes from the Latin term  missionem,  "to send forth". Many churches have sent their representatives out into the world to spread their message and to do good works in the name of the church. Radio has always been a valuable missionary tool. There is anecdotal evidence that radio sets came into the homes of many  Fibber McGee and Molly ,  Buck Rogers , and  Suspense!  fans so that a senior member of the family could enjoy the gospel music and sermons of a favorite radio preacher. And in many cases these religious were very entertaining, although there are cases where the spiritual leaders found themselves embroiled in scandal. It is not the purpose of this article to pass judgment on these scandals, but merely to report where appropriate. Father Coughlin The Catholic Hour  became part of the NBC line-up in 1936 with the c...