Old Time Radio Shows

Enjoy this amazing old time radio program for  Memorial Day :  This experimental old time radio episode follows US troops occupying France and their philosophical and petty rambling pondering their role in the world. Columbia Workshop's "Brewsie and Willie" from Oct 12, 1946 was written by Gertrude Stein:

Today is the 8st anniversary of the premiere of The Jack Benny Program ! A regular in vaudeville comedy, Jack Benny made his first professional on air appearance in May 2, 1932 on the Canada Dry Program . A different Jack Benny than you know and love, hear Jack Benny as MC in this early 1932 broadcast...

The War Department created the Armed Forces Radio Service on May 26, 1942. The directive brought together separate attempts at broadcasting by and for military personnel. Some of these projects had mission significance, but largely they were attempts on the part of soldiers to entertain their barracks mates. In 1954 Television was added to the service, as well as a less than flattering moniker (AFRTS, "A-Farts"), which has held on even after the 1994 renaming as "The Armed Forces Network". Hollywood began providing free or extremely low priced programming to the AFRS from the very beginning, and this tradition was strengthened after Pearl Harbor. The explosion of patriotism as America entered the War explains this to a certain extent. It is also easy to believe that despite the very public pedestal radio celebrities perched, most held genuine affection and admiration for the boys in uniform. No name is more connected with performing for the troops than  Bob...

It is impossible to chronicle the birth of the Fred Allen-Jack Benny radio feud without going into the life and background of Fred Allen . At the age of fourteen, Fred Allen opened a book that would forever change the course of his life . Working as a stock clerk at the Boston Public Library, he picked up a book on the subject of humor. Not only did this literary work put him on the path of comedy, it also sparked a passion that culminated in a book collection. By the time of his death, Fred Allen’s personal library contained thousands of volumes written on the subject of comedy. Beginning his career in vaudeville, Allen soon learned that his comedic skills greatly outweighed his juggling ability and he decided to use the juggling act as an anchor for his comedy. He also appeared in a few short films, before getting his break on radio. At the age of thirty-eight, Fred Allen landed a job, as host of  The Linit Bath Club Revue . The show premiered on October 23, 1932 ...

In the mid 1950's the British Light Programme service had the idea that a Science Fiction radio series would be popular. The assignment was handed over to producer Charles Chilton. Chilton didn't have any background in science, or science fiction, but the general thought was that if he could produce a successful western from London (Riders of the Range had six seasons, ending in 1953) he should be able to handle a trip to the moon! Originally scheduled for eight episodes, Journey to the Moon proved to be somewhat tedious listening through the first four episodes, as the "groundwork' was established for a moon launch using the best guesses of the potential technology from a 1953 perspective. Once the mission "got off the ground, following the launch of the spacecraft in episode 5, the popularity soared as well, and the series was extended to 18 episodes (the network re-recorded the original series for overseas distribution in 1958, as Operation Luna. This time...

Maybe Saint Patrick didn't actually banish the serpents from Ireland (there weren't any snakes on the island to banish!) And as it turns out the Irish don't really drink beer that has been dyed green! None the less Americans take time every March 17th to celebrate the Irish; if not the true facts of their homeland, at least we celebrate their marvelous sense of humor! Radio would never have gone anywhere without a sense of humor! Parades are all well and good, but we think a better way to pass the time while we're waiting for the corned beef to boil is to listen to some   free St Patricks radio shows  to enjoy. Remember when SPAM wasn't the bad stuff that got into your computer? SPAM never was a good thing (it isn't all that great boiled with cabbage and potatoes) but Hormel certainly brought us a load of fun with  George Burns and Gracie Allen  on  St Patrick's Day . Most of the episode is dedicated to Gracie's romance with Artie Shaw, but there ...

It had been a few very good years for Humphrey Bogart. With the success of The Maltese Falcon and Casablanca , Warner Bros was finally letting the actor loose to explore his versatility. Bogie was incredibly dedicated to his craft; in over 80 films he never arrived late to the set or unprepared with his lines. Unfortunately he was in an unhappy marriage with a woman he cared deeply for. The final tipping point for the "battling Bogart's" came when production began on his 1944 project, and adaptation of Hemingway's To Have And Have Not . The female lead was given to a sultry model from Harper's Bazaar named Betty Perske. Betty took the stage name Lauren Bacall, and after Bogie saw her screen test he told her "We're going to have a lot of fun together." To Have And Have Not was the story of an American drifter running a charter boat service in the Caribbean, facing forces that are greater than he is while remaining true to his ideals and t...