The Good Old Days of Radio Show

Episode #401: Norman Corwin: We Hold These Truths Rehearsal

Today it’s our annual Independence Day episode. This year, we are bringing you a rare chance to hear a rehearsal recording of Norman Corwin's famous "We Hold These Truths" program, originally aired on December 15, 1941, shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor. This newly discovered audio was recorded two days prior to the live broadcast and features different actors in key roles, along with the notable absence of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's intended closing remarks. The program itself is a dramatic exploration of the Bill of Rights, tracing its creation and its enduring significance through historical reenactments, debates, and reflections on its continued relevance in 1941, emphasizing its role in safeguarding American liberties during a time of national crisis.

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Episode #400: Norman Corwin: Seems Radio is Here to Stay

Today in our tribute to Norman Corwin, we’re bringing you his 1939 Columbia Workshop production, "Seems Radio is Here to Stay." The broadcast is a poetic exploration of the nature and reach of radio, celebrating its ability to connect people across vast distances and its multifaceted role in society, including news, entertainment, and the work of countless individuals behind the scenes. The program features narration and excerpts of a performance, including a scene from Shakespeare's Hamlet, and emphasizes radio's capacity to bring diverse voices and content to a wide audience. 

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Episode #399: Norman Corwin: Daybreak

Today we bring you a lovely radio show from the series "Columbia Presents Corwin," in Norman Corwin's work titled "Daybreak," which stars actor Ronald Coleman. This is the second performance from July 10, 1945,  repeat of a highly regarded radio play written in the early 1940s, known for its poetic style. The central segment of the broadcast is the radio drama "Daybreak" itself, which chronicles the journey of dawn as it circles the globe, depicting various scenes and locations as daylight arrives. 

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Episode #398: Norman Corwin: The Lonesome Train

We continue to feature programs written, directed, and produced by Norman Corwin. Today’s episode shows not only the strong poetic touch of Corwin, but integrates it with music, as sung by folk great Burl Ives. It is the historical drama and folk cantata, "The Lonesome Train," which recounts the journey of Abraham Lincoln's funeral train after his assassination. Film buffs will recognize Raymond Massey (Abe Lincoln in Illinois) reprising his iconic role of Abraham Lincoln.

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Episode #397: Norman Corwin: The Fred Allen Show

We continue our short series dedicated to writer/director/producer, Norman Corwin, with an episode of The Fred Allen Show that is not broadly in circulation, originally broadcast on May 14th, 1944, with Corwin as special guest. Allen does a satirical adaptation of the Jack and Jill nursery rhyme presented in Corwin's dramatic style. The second half of the discs were badly damaged, but worth presenting, as it is the only time we know of that Allen and Corwin ever appeared together.

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Episode #396: Norman Corwin: So This Is Radio and Unity Fair

This podcast is dedicated to showcasing the very best of vintage radio, and with that effort in mind, for the next few weeks we will be highlighting the work of writer/director/producer Norman Corwin. These days he's not exactly a household name, but once you hear his work from the '30s, '40s, and '50s, you will understand why he was so influential. We're kicking things off with a Corwin program from 1939 called "So This Is Radio," which offers an in-depth look at the various roles and processes involved in creating a radio broadcast. Following this, you will get to hear these radio techniques put into practice with one of Corwin's famous radio plays "Unity Fair" from 1945, featuring Groucho Marx. 

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Episode #395: Comedians On Suspense: Death On My Hands

This is week 11 of our series dedicated to comedians on the thriller series Suspense, and we decided to extend it one more week to present an episode that is not one of the better scripts but stars one of our favorite comedian-couples Phil Harris and Alice Faye. Joining us one last time in this series is Suspense Researcher Joe Webb. There were many other comedians who appeared on the series during its long history, and you can find them all, complete with fascinating research notes (as you heard here) on Dr. Joe’s legendary blog: suspenseproject.blogspot.com

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Episode #394: Comedians On Suspense: The Phil Harris-Alice Faye Show

This is the final week on our series Comedians on Suspense. The stars are bandleader Phil Harris and his real-life wife, glamour movie star Alice Faye, appearing here in an episode of their sitcom from April 22, 1951. The storyline centers on a farcical attempt by Phil to write a serious drama, ultimately a parody of the series “Suspense.” Harris and Faye would appear as guest stars on “Suspense” two weeks later, which we will hear on Thursday.

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Episode #393: Comedians On Suspense: Alibi Me

Today we are bringing you another unlikely comedian in a Suspense episode. This one comes late in the Suspense series, and it features the young comedian/writer/voice talent Stan Freberg in a dramatic role, a surprising departure from his usual work. Host John Tefteller and guest Dr. Joe Webb discuss Freberg's diverse talents and his unexpected appearance in this thriller, about a man who gets murdered with a telephone!

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Episode #392: Comedians On Suspense: The Stan Freberg Show

We are listening to episode thirteen of the Stan Freberg Show today from 1957. If you listen to this podcast regularly, you will know Stan Freberg is one of John’s favorite comedians, and when we found out Freberg was a guest star on the thriller series, Suspense, we had to do it. In this episode of his comedy show, they do a horror movie parody about a teenage werewolf who transforms into an advertising executive, and a humorous, ultimately abandoned, panel discussion on the circus. The broadcast also includes the announcement of the show's impending cancellation.

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