When Radio Ruled #117 – Cecil B. DeMille interviews 1939 part 1 – the Common Man

These Interviews were a regular feature of The Lux Radio Theater, a show that presented radio versions of current Hollywood films.

At act break host Cecil B. Demille and an expert guest would comment on the radio play so far.

Sometimes the guest would be from the rich, famous and powerful classes, we’ll hear those in part 2.

 This episode presents the common working men who did the jobs that week’s story was about. Some of these jobs no longer exist, but they were important in their time.

FEATURING, ALL THE WAY FROM 1939:

The Oldest Man in Hollywood

A Cross Country Bus Driver

An Associate Professor of Psychology

A Theatrical Stage Doorman

A Youth Crime Expert

A Doctor Detective

A Los Angeles County Sheriff

The Commissioner of the U.S. Patent Office

The Author of “Life Begins at 40”

A Genuine English Butler

Listen to Cecil B DeMille and his Informative Friends

When Radio Ruled #115 – Dorothy Lamour Sings 1939 part 1 Smokey and Sultry

I had thought Dorothy Lamour to be just another pretty face who had a technically good voice but was somewhat interchangeable with the other bright, young, pretty songstresses of old time variety radio in that Dorothy’s songs were good enough but stylistically the same you heard on other popular shows.

Then I discovered this musical treasure trove and was forced to completely re-think my opinion. There are things Dorothy does with these classic songs that make them personal and unique.

Songs:

Ain’t Misbehaving

It Had To Be You

Comes Love Nothing Can Be Done

If I Didn’t Care

I Got a Right To Sing the Blues

Somewhere Over The Rainbow

Melancholy Moon

Day In, Day Out

Melancholy Lullabye

Many Dreams Ago

Give a Listen to Dorothy at Her Best

When Radio Ruled #114 – SoundScape 1939 part 3 (January 24 – March 2, 1939)

1939 was a year where everything changed. An uneasy peace became all out war.  Society and culture and government were questioned as never before. The evil inside the human race made itself known that year, as ferocious as in the past but applied with an improved efficiency.

Radio was there to witness it.

And I got to Live 1939 second hand through these radio voices from the past.

In my OTR collection I have hundreds of hours of 1939 broadcasts. I listened to them in Chronological order to research the documentaries, the year 1939 as seen through comedy, drama, music, and of course news broadcast at the moments the history happened.

Here are curated highlghts of that journey for you to experience. This Soundscape delivers January 24 – March 2 1939 as seen by Old Time Radio, presented by the following voices from the grave, alive again because you’re listening:

Fibber McGee

Harlow Wilcox

Orson Welles

George Kaufmann

Jack Benny

Don Wilson

Mary Livingston

The Phil Harris Orchestra

Andy Devine

Eddie “Rochester” Anderson

Nelson Eddy

Charlie McCarthy

Edgar Bergen

Don Ameche

Dorothy Lamour

Maureen O’Sullivan

The Family Doctor

The Billy Mills Orchestra

Helen Hayes

And more!

Give a Listen to SoundScape 1939 part 3!