The Good Old Days of Radio Show

This week, John Tefteller and radio historian Dr. Joe Webb continue our Whistler series with a story about Clyde (no, this has nothing to do with the Phil Harris-Alice Faye Show). He is a jealous ballroom dancer who believes his young wife is about to leave him for her new dance partner, Ricky. Determined to stop them, he puts together “the perfect plan” to commit murder and pin the crime on his unsuspecting rival. But, as the trademark of this series goes, one small detail threatens to bring the entire scheme crashing down. John and Joe discuss the career of radio actor Marvin Miller and share some behind-the-scenes insights into the way these programs were written, including how scripts were sometimes adjusted on the fly during live broadcasts.

There is a show notes website! Dr. Joe has created a site dedicated to this series! https://sites.google.com/view/whistlershownotes/home 

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We continue our run of The Jack Benny Program as we get closer to Jack's much-anticipated radio adaptation of The Horn Blows at Midnight. In this episode, Jack gets pressure to call off the show, first from the producer of The Ford Theater, Fletcher Markle, and then the powerful studio executive Jack Warner (one of the legendary Warner Brothers). Jack Benny, known behind-the-scenes for his strict adherence to the script, has a rare extended adlib as Jack Warner loses his place and the show goes off the rails. It was live radio after all. The cast is delightful, as usual, and includes Rochester (Eddie Anderson), Phil Harris, and Mary Livingstone. This is a sharp, extremely well-written radio comedy, and the Jack Benny Program at the absolute top of its game.

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Today John Tefteller and radio historian Dr. Joe Webb continue our Whistler series with a clever 1946 episode s set in the romantic world of the golden age of radio studio. An announcer, played by Joseph Kearns, believes he's devised the perfect murder with an airtight alibi. But as always with The Whistler, even the most carefully constructed scheme can come undone in the most unexpected way (as Jack Benny’s satires on these types of programs put it, “the fickle finger of fate”). John and Joe dig into the production history of the episode, discussing the cast, the writers, and a few interesting details about radio broadcasting in the 1940s.

There is a show notes website! Dr. Joe has created a site dedicated to this series! https://sites.google.com/view/whistlershownotes/home 

Visit our website: https://goodolddaysofradio.com/

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This week, John Tefteller continues our short run of The Jack Benny Program with another 1949 episode leading up to Jack's much-loved radio sendup of The Horn Blows at Midnight. The show picks up with Jack still trying to force announcer Don Wilson to sign his new contract. From there, Jack attempts to land a starring role in a radio production, competing with Vincent Price during a rehearsal at Claudette Colbert's home. Also on this episode is the producer of the Ford Theater, Fletcher Markle. 

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This week, John Tefteller and radio historian Dr. Joe Webb continue our Whistler series with a 1946 sustaining broadcast titled "The Broken Chain." The story follows Arnold Stanton, a man convinced the only way out of his unhappy marriage is murder. After carefully staging what appears to be a tragic accident, strange encounters and unsettling clues begin to make him question everything he thought he knew. John and Joe discuss the differences between the sponsored and sustaining versions of The Whistler, explore some of the production techniques that gave the series its distinctive sound, and talk about why these classic suspense stories remain so enjoyable nearly eighty years later.

There is a show notes website! Dr. Joe has created a site dedicated to this series! https://sites.google.com/view/whistlershownotes/home 

Visit our website: https://goodolddaysofradio.com/

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This week, we're starting something we have meant to do for awhile: The Horn Blows At Midnight radio broadcast on The Ford Theater (starring Jack Benny and Claude Rains). It is an entertaining program by itself, but what makes this so special is the incredible build up on The Jack Benny Program that went for weeks prior to the broadcast, and was one of Jack's most hilariously written self-parodies. We’re starting with The Jack Benny Show right before the running gag kicked off, broadcast on January 30, 1949. This episode finds Jack settling into his new home at CBS following his much-publicized move from NBC, and includes another running gag that has announcer Don Wilson locked in Benny's den.

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This week, John Tefteller and radio historian Dr. Joe Webb continue our Whistler series with a terrific 1944 episode titled "Death Sees Double." At the center of the story are identical twin sisters whose lives are torn apart by jealousy. One of them is determined to take over the other's life, including the man she loves, but things don't unfold quite the way she planned. John and Joe spotlight the incredible double performance of Lurene Tuttle, playing both sisters. They also talk about the talent of Golden Age radio performers, who often delivered complex, polished performances with very little rehearsal.

There is a show notes website! Dr. Joe has created a site dedicated to this series! https://sites.google.com/view/whistlershownotes/home 

Visit our website: https://goodolddaysofradio.com/

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This week we have something unusual; two rare Henry Morgan broadcasts from the early days of World War II, both preserved from original transcription discs and unheard by collectors for decades. The first program aired on Christmas Day 1941, just weeks after Pearl Harbor. The broadcast is cut short for an interesting live report from Honolulu, offering a firsthand glimpse into life in Hawaii as the nation adjusted after the events of Pearl Harbor. The second show, from January 1942, finds Henry Morgan settling into the sharp satire that would later make him famous. He takes aim at everything from jukeboxes to offbeat inventors with the irreverence that became his trademark. 

Visit our website: https://goodolddaysofradio.com/

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This week, John Tefteller and radio historian Dr. Joe Webb continue our Whistler series with a 1944 episode about an artist who commits the perfect crime,,, or so he thinks. When a wealthy woman provides him with an unexpected alibi, the two are drawn together in a relationship built on secrets and mutual suspicion. As the years pass, the past refuses to stay buried, and what starts as a murder mystery gradually turns into a tense psychological battle. John and Joe take a closer look at what made The Whistler one of radio's premier series. They discuss Signal Oil's role in supporting the program's high production values, the unforgettable narration of Bill Forman, and the performances of real-life husband-and-wife team Elliott and Cathy Lewis. It's another excellent example of the clever writing and atmospheric storytelling that made The Whistler a radio classic.

There is a show notes website! Dr. Joe has created a site dedicated to this series! https://sites.google.com/view/whistlershownotes/home 

Visit our website: https://goodolddaysofradio.com/

Subscribe to our Facebook Group for news, discussions, and the latest podcast: https://www.facebook.com/groups/881779245938297

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We've got another round of ridiculous comedy with a 1945 Armed Forces Radio Service broadcast of It Pays to Be Ignorant. Host Tom Howard and his panel of "experts", including Lulu McConnell and Harry McNaughton, take the stupid questions and from there pure chaos ensues. The puns come fast, and nobody is interested in getting the right answer. Originally distributed to American servicemen near the end of World War II, this episode also includes a few interactions with military guests. This comes straight from an original transcription disc, preserving the outstanding sound quality of this delightfully zany radio classic. If you're in the mood for pure, carefree nonsense, this one's hard to beat.

Visit our website: https://goodolddaysofradio.com/

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