I've started on a massive project to catalogue and listen to (as much as possible) my Old Time Radio show collection.
I thought that as a public service, I'd give my thoughts on some of the more obscure and interesting shows (I won't bother with the well known shows such as Dragnet, Shadow, etc., as it's likely you've heard them before and have formed your own opinions). I'll start with two that I've listened to recently.
The Magnificent Montague. A situation comedy starring Monty Woolley that ran for a short time during 1950-1951. The premise is that an out of work Shakespearean actor is forced into working on radio by his wife, and becomes a success as the character Uncle Goodheart. The show is nothing special, but does have its funny moments, and Woolley is very good in his role.
The Henry Morgan Show. This man was truly a genius, and his comedy still holds up well today, unlike others of his era. Nothing was sacred to Morgan, including the products of current and potential sponsors (the first show I listened to attacked cigarette smoking, among other things). The show started in 1946, and ran until at least 1950 - I say at least, because there are many episodes unavailable, both during that period and perhaps after. Highly recommended.
More in a couple of weeks.
I love all those radio dramas and Zoomer radio runs 2 of them every night and CHML Hamilton Ont. runs them from 10 till one oclock each night. But it's hard to listen there as they cut their power at night and it gets mixed with all the other stations trying to come in on top of it. CHML also runs the original commercials that ran with them including the Camels cigarette ones where 2000 doctors were surveyed across the nation and 60% of them smoke Camels and recommend them to their patients! The add goes on to say that people who smoke Camels that had sore throats reported that their throat was much better after a Camel cigarette!
But I like the CBS radio mystery theater best of all. Hundreds of full episodes are on Youtube and I listen to them all the time. They weren't just detective shows they were more like radio versions of the twilight Zone and Vincent Price horror movies. I remember every night glued to the radio in the seventies listening every night. Beats TV any day.
This is so amazing that I don't even know where to start to talk about it. I am fortunate enough to receive CHML on 900 and "Zoomer" radio on 740, as I live in Connecticut.
Both of those radio stations are special to me in different ways.
More on that some other time.
Please excuse any misprints or whatever.
Best Wishes
Brooce, Hartford
Regarding the CBS Radio Mystery Theater (sp?) -- it was a huge part of my life from it's start in roughly 1973 (?) to it's end in or about 1983. I listened no matter where I was and so did my friends. We caught it on local WPOP 1410, Hartford, CT at 10:PM, I think. If we missed
that we would catch it on WTOP, Washington DC, or thereabouts.
That was on 1500 at 11:PM. WTOP slammed into Hartford at night. It still does, but with a different callsign now.
I remember one hot summer night running between 2 friend's
houses listening to a creepy episode on a radio that I had with me. There are many episodes I remember very well.
Brooce
EG Marshal was the BEST narrator there ever was. Also if you remember Lucille Ball before she had the I Love Lucy Show she was on radio shows and sometimes Zoomer runs some of them.