Legendary radio collector John Tefteller presents the best of mystery, comedy, horror, and adventure stories, produced by the greatest writers, directors, composers, and stars.
Episodes
Thursday Jan 15, 2026
Thursday Jan 15, 2026
It's part 3 of our 10-part adventure expedition today. Last time, the jungle made it clear that nowhere was safe, not even a locked hotel room. A deadly warning sends the group deeper into French Indochina, toward the towering ruins of Angkor Wat. An archaeologist vanishes, strange allies appear, and rumors of an emerald idol hint at forces powerful enough to ignite a rebellion.
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Our theme music is "Why Am I So Romantic?" from Animal Crackers: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KHJKAKS/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_MK8MVCY4DVBAM8ZK39WD
Tuesday Jan 13, 2026
Tuesday Jan 13, 2026
Today John Tefteller sits down with Bobb Lynes and Barbara Sunday, the hosts of the classic Los Angeles radio show Don’t Touch That Dial. They share stories from their decades in broadcasting and their work with SPERDVAC. Bob talks about growing up glued to the radio and how that passion led him to collect and share vintage programs, while Barbara recalls how she went from listener to co-host. You’ll also hear a clip from one of their original broadcasts and a full Tom Mix episode from VE Day, one of Bob’s all-time favorites.
Visit our website: https://goodolddaysofradio.com/
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Our theme music is "Why Am I So Romantic?" from Animal Crackers: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KHJKAKS/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_MK8MVCY4DVBAM8ZK39WD
Thursday Jan 08, 2026
Thursday Jan 08, 2026
Our 10-part Carlton E. Morse adventure radio serial continues. Last time, we left our heroes with an escaped prisoner, a vanished girl, and a death chant echoing through the ship. This week, The Cobra King Strikes Back dives even deeper into danger as Dr. Howard Carter and Captain Friday push into the jungles of Cambodia in search of a lost city. Hang on, these radio serials are a bit like salty potato chips: once you start, it's hard to stop.
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Tuesday Jan 06, 2026
Tuesday Jan 06, 2026
Today’s episode digs into one of the most exciting parts of vintage radio: finding lost recordings. Host John Tefteller is joined by Dr. Joe Webb to talk about how shockingly few recordings from radio’s golden age still exist. But every once in a while, a rare survivor turns up, like today’s episode of The Adventures of Sam Spade from 1947, “The Yule Log Caper,” found on an Armed Forces Radio Service transcription disc. They talk about why AFRS versions were so important in preserving history, share a few fun behind-the-scenes stories, and highlight standout moments like Hans Conried’s scene-stealing performance.
SHOW NOTES
The Adventures of Sam Spade
1947-05-11 The Yule Log Caper
The lead actors: Howard Duff as Spade, Lurene Tuttle as Effie
Howard Duff had a long and successful, and sometimes rocky, radio, film, and television career. He was not an expected candidate to become Sam Spade. The then-wife of producer William Spier, Kay Thompson, suggested that he be given better consideration. Thompson was a musical coach at MGM and was an important behind-the-scenes influencer in encouraging stars to appear on Suspense. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_Duff
Lurene Tuttle was one of the top radio actors of her time. She might be best known for playing Spade’s dizzy secretary, Effie, but she appeared in hundreds, if over a thousand, radio roles, often uncredited, in soaps, dramas, westerns, comedies, and other programs. Tuttle had a successful television career, often playing the busybody next-door neighbor, as well as many film roles.
The supporting cast:
Hans Conried (Tauchnetz) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_Conried
Conried was one of radio’s finest, most versatile, and most reliable actors. Baby boomers may remember him best as “Uncle Tonouse” from television’s Danny Thomas Show / Make Room for Daddy. An example of Conried’s skill can be understood when there was a sound effects problem in a Suspense production. It was in the middle of his lines when a prop gun
did not fire and he had to buy time for the sound effects artist to retrieve and fire the backup gun. Details are at https://archive.org/details/TSP470227
John McIntire (Carmichael)
Jack Moyles (Clausen)
Lurene Tuttle (Old lady)
Hugh Thomas? (Merwyn Trelease)
Charlotte Lawrence (Mrs. Clausen)
Classic radio researcher Karl Schadow notes that the character named “Al McAvity” is an inside joke about Tom McAvity. He was broadcasting executive who was with both NBC and CBS and various ad agencies.
(Karl Schadow was profiled by the Library of Congress blog in 2018
https://blogs.loc.gov/loc/2018/05/inquiring-minds-bringing-radios-golden-age-back-to-life/ )
Sam Spade profile and history at Thrilling Detective
https://thrillingdetective.com/2018/11/18/sam-spade/
Visit our website: https://goodolddaysofradio.com/
Subscribe to our Facebook Group for news, discussions, and the latest podcast: https://www.facebook.com/groups/881779245938297
Our theme music is "Why Am I So Romantic?" from Animal Crackers: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KHJKAKS/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_MK8MVCY4DVBAM8ZK39WD
Thursday Jan 01, 2026
Thursday Jan 01, 2026
Happy 2026 from The Good Old Days of Radio Show! Today we are launching a 10-week 1944 pure pulp adventure serial The Cobra King Strikes Back, created by master of the cliffhanger, Carlton E. Morse. Set against the exotic backdrop of a voyage to Cambodia, the story brings together two very different missions aboard the same steamship. An archaeological expedition led by Dr. Carter is hunting for a legendary lost city, while Captain Friday and Skip Turner are escorting a chained and extremely dangerous prisoner, international mastermind Fen Lo. Things unravel fast when Fen Lo somehow slips his shackles without a sound. Almost at the same moment, Celia Carter, the archaeologist’s daughter, vanishes into the shadows of the ship. Suspicion, fear, and rising panic spread through the passengers as it becomes clear that something far more sinister is at work.
Visit our website: https://goodolddaysofradio.com/
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Our theme music is "Why Am I So Romantic?" from Animal Crackers: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KHJKAKS/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_MK8MVCY4DVBAM8ZK39WD
Tuesday Dec 30, 2025
Tuesday Dec 30, 2025
This week we bring in the New Year, and appropriate with the theme we have a New Year's fantasy from The Columbia Workshop originally broadcast back in 1941. A group of unborn children peer down at the world through a hole in the sky and decide they want no part of it. War, injustice, and cruelty have convinced them to go on strike, refusing to be born at all. Their solution: one baby, Johnny, enters the world with the ability to negotiate. It’s a blend of whimsy and social commentary from the snapshot of America on the brink of another world war, with many themes that eerily resonate with modern times.
Visit our website: https://goodolddaysofradio.com/
Subscribe to our Facebook Group for news, discussions, and the latest podcast: https://www.facebook.com/groups/881779245938297
Our theme music is "Why Am I So Romantic?" from Animal Crackers: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KHJKAKS/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_MK8MVCY4DVBAM8ZK39WD
Thursday Dec 25, 2025
Thursday Dec 25, 2025
Merry Christmas Day, everyone! Today we're presenting one of the most unusual Christmas broadcasts ever aired: Norman Corwin’s 1942 CBS play, The Plot to Overthrow Christmas. Told as a darkly comic rhyming fantasy, the story opens in Hades, where history’s greatest villains plot to wipe out Christmas once and for all. Their scheme sends Nero himself to the North Pole with orders to eliminate Santa Claus, but what follows is an unexpected and surprisingly moving turn toward redemption, sparked by the spirit of the season and the gift of a Stradivarius violin. Equal parts fantasy, poetry, and wartime artifact, this broadcast is a rare Christmas story that balances wit, wonder, and the enduring belief that even the darkest hearts can be changed.
Visit our website: https://goodolddaysofradio.com/
Subscribe to our Facebook Group for news, discussions, and the latest podcast: https://www.facebook.com/groups/881779245938297
Our theme music is "Why Am I So Romantic?" from Animal Crackers: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KHJKAKS/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_MK8MVCY4DVBAM8ZK39WD
Tuesday Dec 23, 2025
Tuesday Dec 23, 2025
1949 Christmas Cheers everyone! No, this is not the same Jack Benny Show we brought you a couple of weeks ago. It's still 1949, though, and Jack Benny did a second Christmas show that year that doesn't take place at the department store! Celebration is in the air (and so are sparks) when Jack Benny and the gang attempt to decorate the Christmas tree, triggering a series of electrical mishaps. It’s a perfect snapshot of Golden Age radio at Christmastime; funny, sentimental, and filled with the pop culture touchstones that made The Jack Benny Program a holiday tradition for millions of listeners.
Visit our website: https://goodolddaysofradio.com/
Subscribe to our Facebook Group for news, discussions, and the latest podcast: https://www.facebook.com/groups/881779245938297
Our theme music is "Why Am I So Romantic?" from Animal Crackers: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KHJKAKS/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_MK8MVCY4DVBAM8ZK39WD
Thursday Dec 18, 2025
Thursday Dec 18, 2025
Christmas is still coming, and this episode brings us a 1948 episode from Duffy’s Tavern. Anyone familiar with this series will know its sharp wit, wordplay, and often world-weary cynical dialogue. But this show is a surprising change from its usual format. Archie is in peak “bah, humbug” mode when a soft-spoken stranger walks into the tavern claiming he’s come all the way from Bethlehem. What follows is a surprising, almost magical tour through the city, where Archie witnesses a series of quiet miracles. A charming blend of humor, heart, and holiday mystery, perfect for a classic Christmas listen.
Visit our website: https://goodolddaysofradio.com/
Subscribe to our Facebook Group for news, discussions, and the latest podcast: https://www.facebook.com/groups/881779245938297
Our theme music is "Why Am I So Romantic?" from Animal Crackers: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KHJKAKS/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_MK8MVCY4DVBAM8ZK39WD
Tuesday Dec 16, 2025
Tuesday Dec 16, 2025
In this episode, we’re heading back to 1944 for a frantic, festive, and very Abbott-and-Costello-style take on Christmas shopping. Sponsored at the time by Camel Cigarettes, this broadcast is packed with the duo’s trademark rapid-fire banter and wild misunderstandings. Between the slapstick wordplay, the show offers a fascinating snapshot of the era: wartime cigarette ads. A lively mix of comedy, history, and holiday chaos.
Visit our website: https://goodolddaysofradio.com/
Subscribe to our Facebook Group for news, discussions, and the latest podcast: https://www.facebook.com/groups/881779245938297
Our theme music is "Why Am I So Romantic?" from Animal Crackers: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KHJKAKS/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_MK8MVCY4DVBAM8ZK39WD