Holiday Spirit from 1937, 1938, and 1939 as served up by Old Time Radio!
Christmas Time is here again. A time when us older folks reconnect with the child we once were. Moments from past Christmases relived, smiles and tears remembered. Longing and gratitude and the laughter of those we’ve lost.
At least that’s what happens to me. Every Christmas that passes magnifies the memories of Christmases from a lifetime ago.
Old Time Radio like this helps me through the bittersweet nostalgia for days that no longer exist.
Early American entertainment included the circus, the minstrel show, vaudeville, broadway revues, all popular forms of the variety show.
And it was talent from those stage shows that created radio.
But radio wasn’t the same as the stage.
Radio was different manifesting new possibilities for entertainment.
An opportunity to entertain with new formats.
The situation comedy was one such format, brand new, a child of radio, never before seen in the history of man.
Although the situation comedy format is only a hundred or so years old, there is still a mystery surrounding who was the first and when.
My research indicates three radio shows have claim to be the first situation comedy. But the early recordings that exist casts some doubt on each claim.
That is, according to my definition of Situation Comedy.
If you know others who might be the first, or have recordings I have failed to discover, or want to argue a different definition of SitCom, please let me know in a comment on BeforeTvBlog.com.
In public, Eddie Cantor was known as a charming clown with a side of song.
In private, Eddie Cantor was a concerned citizen who dedicated much of his personal time and wealth to Jewish charities and causes. The more he saw the rising hatred directed at the Jewish people, the more he felt the need to ease their burden.
Radio Priest Father Charles Coughlin preached we should give the Germans benefit of the doubt. Communism was just as bad. And did you notice all those Commies are Jews?
Not subtle, but effective and a message that would meet with brave resistance from Eddie Cantor.
A real life Radio Feud with national political implications.
1939 SoundScape part 10, Radio highlights originally broadcast live May 22 through June 4, 1939 Curated clips of live broadcasts from popular radio shows of the day.History through the eyes of people as they lived it, reported by radio.
Radio highlights originally broadcast live March 22 through April 5, 1939
Curated clips of live broadcasts from popular radio shows of the day.
History through the eyes of people as they lived it, reported by radio.
In today’s soundscape:
Nothing about the war in this one, things were quiet there and we were more than happy to pretend the bombs and blood wasn’t real. We will soon find out different.
The violent wedding of Andy Brown!
Georgie Jessell kills it with the comedy on the Fed Allen show!
History through the eyes of people as they live it, reported by radio.
Voices from the past alive again because you’re listening now.
In today’s soundscape, you can hear the dark cloud of war gather.
Earlier in the year, as evidenced by When Radio Ruled Soundscapes 1939 parts 1, 2, and 3, Old Time Radio was trying to ignore the European turmoil. In this episode they’ve stopped trying.
The Columbia Workshop in particular forshadows the horrors to come. You’ll see.
Thank God for Jack Benny. This episode has its dark moments. They make a good laugh more important than ever.
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:
1939 was the year the country woke up to the horrific scale of the death to come on land, sea, and in the Air
Seems obvious now, but at the time lots of people thought the first great war had been so terrible it could never happen again. I wish they had been right.
The Soundscapes for 1939 series is the story of optimism to pessimism, of hope to resignation, compromise to confrontation through a tapestry of OTR clips.
Here is part 2, Curated clips broadcast chronologically January 12 to January 23, 1939. The early, hopeful days in 1939.
Highlights include
Do we have a free press or don’t we?
Better food with less kitchen time!
Mutiny on the Bounty descendants on Pitcairn island.
For the Previous 2 episodes, The Year 1939 – Politics and the year 1939 – Culture and Technology, I listened to almost 1000 hours of OTR in chronological order. I got to hear 1939 unfold through broadcasts from the day and learn what the podcasts should be about.
As I go, I create a best of collection of clips I might possibly use in the podcast that isn’t written yet.
This results in a rather large number of clips, 36 hours for the year 1939, history from those living it.
1939 was the year the country woke up to the horrific scale of the war we all saw coming.
The Soundscapes for 1939 series will tell the story of optimism to pessimism, of hope to resignation, compromise to confrontation through a tapestry of OTR clips.
Here is part 1, Curated clips broadcast chronologically January 1 to January 12, 1939. The early, hopeful days in 1939.
Highlights include
Goodbye 1938 hello 1939
How to have happiness in marriage?
A Great Playlet “Rose by Any Other Name” starring Melvyn Douglas
There was no happy ending for 1939. The whole decade was spent clawing our way out of financial disaster, now we got a humanitarian disaster beyond imagining as slaughter continues world wide.
But Life doesn’t hold still! This episode features the cultural, technological, and social changes that occurred over the noise of the war in 1939!
1939 as told through the Radio Broadcasts of the day!!
The dreaded war finally begins with the German invasion of Poland. Neville Chamberlain is forced to grow a spine. Winston Churchill returns to Government. Franklin Roosevelt Hates War. And some Really Hot Swing Licks by Artie Shaw.
We’ve got both reassuring fantasy and unsettling reality in this episode. On one hand we’ll hear old friends Donald Duck and the Seven Dwarfs in a fairy tale setting, and we’ll hear our soon to be enemy, Nazi Germany take over the real world Austria.
This Episode consists of a curated collection of Old Time Radio Clips originally broadcast live December 11 through December 22, 1938.
Starring:
The Cast of Family Doctor
Fred Allen
Santa Claus
Robert Young
Lionel Barrymore
Reginald Owen
Jack Benny
Eddie “Rochester” Anderson
Don Wilson
Mary Livingstone
Phil Harris
Kenny Baker
Andy Devine
Hanley Stafford
Fanny Brice
In this episode:
Fred Allen interviews Santa Claus!
Lionel Barrymore Narrates “A Christmas Carol”!
Jack and the Gang take the Train Cross Country!
Baby Snooks goes to the department store!
It’s Christmas in 1938!
And More!!
Please come with me on the time machine to the year 1938 and be entertained by these giants of show biz from long ago, alive again through the magic of the theater of the mind.
Soundscape 1938, part 31, from When Radio Ruled, offered without further commentary for your entertainment and education. But mostly for your entertainment.
My personal OTR collection contains thousands of hours of old time radio I use in order to create the year by year historical When Radio Ruled documentaries, and as I listen to each episode I extract the most interesting and entertaining bits to create a best of reel as a reference for when writing the scripts. And that’s what you are about to hear, part of that best of reel, a one hour chunk of really great audio artifacts from 1938.
The Episode consists of a curated collection of Old Time Radio Clips originally broadcast live November 25 through December 11, 1938.
Starring:
Orson Welles
Agnes Moorehead
Don Wilson
Jack Benny
Phil Harris
Kenny Baker
Mary Livingstone
Eddie “Rochester” Anderson
Cast of Family Doctor
Featured Songs Include
They Say – Helen Forrest with the Artie Shaw Orchestra
My Reverie – Helen Forrest with the Artie Shaw Orchestra
Who Blew Out The Flame – Helen Forrest with the Artie Shaw Orchestra
Pocketful of Dreams – Phil Harris and His Orchestra
My personal OTR collection contains thousands of hours of old time radio I use in order to create the year by year historical When Radio Ruled documentaries, and as I listen to each episode I extract the most interesting and entertaining bits to create a best of reel as a reference for when writing the scripts. And that’s what you are about to hear, part of that best of reel, a one hour chunk of really great audio artifacts from 1938.
The Episode consists of a curated collection of Old Time Radio Clips originally broadcast live November 17 through November 24, 1938.
Starring:
Louis B. Mayer
Father Flanagan
Don Wilson
Mary Livingstone
Phil Harris
Jack Benny
Kenny Baker
Cast of The Family Doctor
Robert Young
Fanny Brice
Hanley Stafford
Mickey Rooney
Louis Stone
Faye Holden
Cecelia Parker
Ann Rutherford
In this episode:
Louis B Mayer talks about the Movie BoysTown!
Kenny Baker Plays a Cannibal!
Baby Snooks Gets a New Car and Daddy gets a ticket!
The Hardy family show us the true meaning of Thanksgiving!
My personal OTR collection contains thousands of hours of old time radio I use in order to create the year by year historical When Radio Ruled documentaries, and as I listen to each episode I extract the most interesting and entertaining bits to create a best of reel as a reference for when writing the scripts. And that’s what you are about to hear, part of that best of reel, a one hour chunk of really great audio artifacts from 1938.
The Episode consists of a curated collection of Old Time Radio Clips originally broadcast live November 10 through November 17, 1938.
The Episode consists of a curated collection of Old Time Radio Clips originally broadcast live November 2 through November 6, 1938.
Starring:
Fred Allen
Harry Von Zell
Portland Hoffa
Orson Welles
Don Wilson
Jack Benny
Phil Harris
Mary Livingstone
Kenny Baker
Bill Goodwin
Charlie McCarthy
Edgar Bergen
Ray Noble
Jean Arthur
And
The Merry Macs
In this episode:
Fred Allen’s Tribute to November!
Sound Poems from Columbia Workshop!
Jean Arthur Tells Charlie McCarthy about Goldilocks
And More!!
Please come with me on the time machine to the year 1938 and be entertained by these giants of show biz from long ago, alive again through the magic of the theater of the mind.
The Episode consists of a curated collection of Old Time Radio Clips originally broadcast live October 23 through October 31, 1938.
Starring:
Orson Welles
Lionel Barrymore
Clark Gable
Robert Young
Frank Morgan
Don Ameche
Judy Canova
Charlie McCarthy
Edgar Bergen
Dorothy Lamour
Madeleine Carroll
Don Wilson
Eddie “Rochester” Anderson
Jack Benny
Mary Livingstone
Kenny Baker
Phil Harris
Andy Devine
and
Seabiscuit
FEATURED SONGS INCLUDE
Two Sleepy People – Dorothy Lamour
Hounds on My Tracks – Judy, Annie, and Zeke
What Have You Got That Gets Me? – Phil Harris and the Jello Gang
In this episode:
The Martians Invade America!
Edgar Bergen tries to Tell a Ghost Story!
Jack Benny throws a Halloween Party!
Seabiscuit races War Admiral!
And More!!
Please come with me on the time machine to the year 1938 and be entertained by these giants of show biz from long ago, alive again through the magic of the theater of the mind.
Soundscape 1938, part 26, from When Radio Ruled, offered without further commentary for your entertainment and education. But mostly for your entertainment.
My personal OTR collection contains thousands of hours of old time radio I use to create the year by year historical When Radio Ruled documentaries, and as I listen to each episode I extract the most interesting and entertaining bits and create a best of reel as a reference for when writing the script. And that’s what you are about to hear, part of that best of reel, a one hour chunk of really great audio artifacts from 1938.
This episode consists of a curated collection of Old Time Radio Clips originally broadcast live June 22 through July 3, 1938.
Starring:
Joe Lewis
Max Schmeling
Fred Allen
Art Moger
Portland Hoffa
Harry Von Zell
Orson Welles
Jack Benny
Don Wilson
Phil Harris
Mary Livingstone
Andy Devine
The Cast of the Lone Ranger
L.A. “Speed” Riggs
Georgie Jessel
Norma Talmadge
The Cast and Musicians of The RCA Victor Campus Club
Featured Songs include:
Honey on the Moon – Town Hall Quartet
You Couldn’t be Sweeter – Phil Harris
That Was Love Sez My Heart – Mary Livingstone
Rings on her Fingers – The Merry Macs
In this episode:
Joe Lewis versus Max Schmeling!
Speed Riggs reveals Tobacco Auctioneer Secrets!
Mary Livingstone Sings!
Hot Swing from The Campus Club!
And More!!
Please come with me on the time machine to the year 1938 and be entertained by these giants of entertainment from long ago, alive again through the magic of the theater of the mind.
This episode consists of a curated collection of Old Time Radio Clips originally broadcast live June 4 through June 19, 1938.
Starring:
The Cast of Colombia Workshop
Fred Allen
Ray Smith
Portland Hoffa
Harry Von Zell
Peter Van Steeden
Don Wilson
Jack Benny
Eddie “Rochester” Anderson
Phil Harris
Don Wilson
Kenny Baker
Mary Livingston
Joan Bennett
Featured Songs include:
Cry Baby Cry – Town Hall Quartet
Serenade in the Night – Connie Boswell
Don’t Be That Way – Meredith Wilson Orchestra
Second Hand Rose – Fanny Brice
In this episode:
Jack Benny and Joan Bennett Shoot their Movie!
What’s a Mikado? Kenny Baker wants to Know!
Fanny Brice sings one of her greatest hits!
And More!!
Please come with me on the time machine to the year 1938 and be entertained by these giants of entertainment from long ago, alive again through the magic of the theater of the mind.
Soundscape 1938, part 19, from When Radio Ruled, offered without further commentary for your entertainment and education. But mostly for your entertainment.
This episode consists of a curated collection of Old Time Radio Clips originally broadcast live May 26 through June 1 1938.
Starring:
Robert Young
Fanny Brice
Hanley Stafford
The Cast of Columbia Workshop
Georgie Jessel
Mary Livingston
Don Wilson
Kenny Baker
Phil Harris
Eddie “Rochester” Anderson
Jack Benny
Andy Devine
Agnes Moorehead
Orson Welles
Fred Allen
The Mighty Allen Art Players
Featured Songs include:
I was a Flora Dora Baby – Fanny Brice
Love Please Don’t Tell on Me medley – The Merry Macs
In this episode:
Rochester plays Leading Lady as Jack Benny rehearses for his new film!
The Shadow Confronts The Creeper!
A Vox Pop parody from Fred Allen!
And More!!
Please come with me on the time machine to the year 1938 and be entertained by these giants of entertainment from long ago, alive again through the magic of the theater of the mind.
This episode consists of a curated collection of Old Time Radio Clips originally broadcast live April 20through May 4 1938.
Featuring:
The Cast of the Lone Ranger
The Cast of Blair of the Mounties
Fred Allen
Harry Von Zell
Charles Atlas
Winston Churchill
The Cast of Columbia Workshop
Jack Benny
Phil Harris
Mary Livingston
Georgie Jessel
Norma Talmadge
Portland Hoffa
Featured Songs Include:
Stop and Reconsider – the Town Hall Quartet
Crazy People – The Merry Macs
In a Little Red Barn – The Merry Macs
The Jonah Song – Town Hall Quartet
You Couldn’t Be Cuter – Town Hall Quartet
Good Night Ladies – The Merry Macs
DixieLand Band – Town Hall Quartet
Shade of the New Apple Tree – The Merry Macs
In this episode:
Lots of Musical Numbers!
Fred Allen tears a phone book in half!
The Unique Musical Stylings of the Merry Macs!
Winston Churchill speaks about Art and Politics!
And More!!
Please come with me on the time machine to the year 1938 and be entertained by these giants of entertainment from long ago, alive again through the magic of the theater of the mind.
The Soundscape series is a happy side effect of the research phase for the When Radio Ruled Historical Documentary Podcasts.
I listen to hundreds of hours of old time radio shows in order to create the year by year historical When Radio Ruled documentaries, and as I listen I extract the most interesting and entertaining bits and create a best of reel as a reference for writing the script. And that’s what you are about to hear, a one hour chunk of really great audio artifacts from 1938.
This episode consists of a curated collection of Old Time Radio Clips originally broadcast live February 20 through February 27, 1938.
Featuring:
Don Ameche
Charlie McCarthy
Edgar Bergen
Gladys Swarthout
The Cast of Dick Tracy
Eddie Cantor
Norma Talmadge
Josephine Starr
Georgie Jessel
Smith and Dale
The Cast of The Shadow
Don Wilson
Jack Benny
Mary Livingston
Eddie “Rochester” Anderson
and
Andy Devine
Featured Songs Include:
I see Your Face Before Me – Dorothy Lamour
Dipsy Doodle – Charlie McCarthy and Gladys Swarthout
and
Thanks For The Memories – Kenny Baker
In this episode:
Georgie Jessel explains how Vaudeville shows worked and stars in some fine examples of Vaudeville Comedy.
Charlie McCarthy Sings!
The Jack Benny gang presents the conclusion of Submarine D1!
And More!!
So please come with me on the time machine to the year 1938 and be entertained by these giants of entertainment from long ago, alive again through the magic of the theater of the mind.
Edgar Bergen redecorates Charlie’s bedroom behind his back!
And More!!
So please come with me on the time machine to the year 1938 and be entertained by these giants of entertainment from long ago, alive again through the magic of the theater of the mind.
The Soundscape series is a happy side effect of the research phase for the When Radio Ruled Historical Documentary Podcasts.
I listen to hundreds of hours of radio shows in order to create the year by year historical When Radio Ruled documentaries, and as I listen I extract the most interesting and entertaining bits and create a best of reel as a reference for writing the script. And that’s what you are about to hear, a one hour chunk of really great audio artifacts from 1938.
This episode consists of a curated collection of Old Time Radio Clips originally broadcast February 13 through February 17, 1938.
Featuring:
Georgie Jessel
Buster Crabbe
Norma Talmadge
Don Ameche
Charlie McCarthy
Edgar Bergen
Barbara Stanwyck
The Cast of Dick Tracy
Cecil B DeMille
Jimmy Starr
Eddie Cantor
Jimmy Wallington
Freddie Bartholomew
Deanna Durbin
Robert Taylor
and
Jack Benny
Featured Songs Include:
Secret of Love – Buster Crabbe
Lovelight in the Starlight – Dorothy Lamour
Thanks for the Memories – Charlie McCarthy, Barbara Stanwyck, Don Ameche and Dorothy Lamour
and
What are you doing the Rest of Your Life? – Eddie Cantor
In this episode:
Olympic Swimmer and movie Tarzan Buster Crabbe sings!
Charlie McCarthy needs an increase in his allowance! Who can date starlets on fifty cents a week? It requires at least a dollar!
Charlie McCarthy and Barbara Stanwyck speak southern!
Jack Benny visits the Good News program to fix what’s wrong with the show!
And More!!
So please come with me on the time machine to the year 1938 and be entertained by these giants of entertainment from long ago, alive again through the magic of the theater of the mind.
Soundscape 1938, part 7, from When Radio Ruled, offered without further commentary for your entertainment and education. But mostly for your entertainment.
The Soundscape series is a happy side effect of the research phase for the When Radio Ruled Historical Documentary Podcasts.
I listen to hundreds of hours of radio shows in order to create the year by year historical When Radio Ruled documentaries, and as I listen I extract the most interesting and entertaining bits and create a best of reel as a reference when writing the script. And that’s what you are about to hear, a one hour chunk of really great audio artifacts from 1938.
This episode consists of a curated collection of Old Time Radio Clips originally broadcast February 6 through February 13, 1938.
Featuring:
Georgie Jessel
Norma Talmadge
Josephine Starr
Gus Edwards
Eddie Cantor
The Cast of The March of Time
Frank Morgan
Fanny Brice
Jack Benny
Robert Taylor
Mary Livingston
Featured Songs Include:
Rhythm in your nursery rhyme – Georgie Jessel
School Days – Georgie Jessel
Summertime – Deanna Durbin
In this episode we get to meet the great vaudeville producer Gus Edwards
March of Times dramatizes the Roosevelt Second to None Naval policy, and the purge of German Army by Adolf Hitler.
Jack Benny and Robert Taylor play a Violin and Cello Duet, complete with vaudeville comedy patter.
Frank Morgan and Fanny Brice bring the funny, pint size Josephine Starr brings a voice as big as all outdoors, some incredible 3 part close harmony, and more.
So please come with me on the time machine to the year 1938 and be entertained by these giants of entertainment from long ago, alive again through the magic of the theater of the mind.
I listen to hundreds of hours of radio shows in order to create the year by year historical When Radio Ruled documentaries, and as I listen I extract the most interesting and entertaining bits and create a best of reel as a reference when writing the script. And that’s what you are about to hear, a one hour chunk of really great audio artifacts from 1938.
This episode consists of a curated collection of Old Time Radio Clips originally broadcast January 30 through February 06, 1938.
Featuring:
Josephine Starr
Eddie Cantor
The Cast of The March of Time
Jack Benny
Eddie “Rochester” Anderson
Phil Harris and his Orchestra
Mary Livingston
Don Ameche
Charlie McCarthy
Edgar Bergen
Marlene Dietrich
The Stroud Twins
Featured Songs Include:
What are you doing the rest of your life? – Eddie Cantor
Stormy Weather – Maureen O’Connor
Oil Gusher – Raymond Scott and his Orchestra
Always – Deanna Durbin
Bie Mir Bist Du Schoen – Kenny Baker
Keep Muddling Through – Don Ameche and Dorothy Lamour
My Heart is Taking Lessons – Dorothy Lamour
In this episode, Charlie McCarthy gets a dog. What is life without a dog? We hear some recreated current events of 1938 from March of Time. There’s a great radio play love story featuring Don Ameche and Marlene Dietrich, the same Marlene Dietrich who later flirts with both Charlie McCarthy and Edgar Bergen. This episode is a lot of fun.
The Soundscape series is a happy side effect of the research phase for the When Radio Ruled Historical Documentary Podcasts.
This episode consists of a curated collection of Clips originally broadcast January 16 through January 3, 1938.
Featuring:
Georgie Jessel
Norma Talmadge
Josephine Starr
Eddie Cantor
Pinky Tomlin
Bert Kalmar
Harry Ruby
Lee Wiley
Don Ameche
Charlie McCarthy
Edgar Bergen
Nelson Eddy
Alice Brady
Dorothy Lamour
Featured Songs Include:
Bei Mir Bist Du Shoen – Georgie Jessel
When You Dream About Hawaii – Georgie Jessel
The Doll’s Song – Josephine Starr
Bei Mir Bist Du Shoen – Eddie Cantor
Mama, I wanna make rhythm – The Galley Sisters
Love Walked Right In – Kenny Baker
Broadway’s Gone Hawaii – Dorothy Lamour
So please take the time machine with me to the year 1938 and be entertained by these voices from the past, alive again through the magic of the theater of the mind.
This episode consists of a curated collection of Clips originally broadcast January 5 through January 16, 1938.
And it’s a good one, too! Lots of classic comedy and infectious songs coming your way!
Featuring:
Eddie Cantor
Pinky Tomlin
Don Wilson
Jack Benny
Kenny Baker
Mary Livingston
Phil Harris
Ned Sparks
Charlie McCarthy
Edgar Bergen
The Mad Russian
Featured Songs Include:
Bei Mir Bist du Shoen – Pinky Tomlin & Eddie Cantor
I love the Girls Medley – Eddie Cantor
Bei Mir Bist Du Shoen – Phil Harris and his Orchestra
Rosemarie – Nelson Eddy
Down with Love – Loretta Lee
You Started Something – Don Ameche
Bob White What You Gonna Swing Tonight – Eddie Cantor
Rosalie – Kenny Baker
So please take the time machine with me to the year 1938 and be entertained by these voices from the past, alive again through the magic of the theater of the mind.
The Soundscape series is a happy side effect from the research phase of the When Radio Ruled Historical Documentary Podcasts.
The creation of the historical documentaries begins with research. In my collection of Old Time Radio Shows I have hundreds of hours of recordings from 1938. I arranged all these radio shows by order of date broadcast and then listened to them one by one until I had listened to the entire year January 1 to December 31. As I go through the listening process I take the most interesting, entertaining, or informative clips and assemble them onto a “Best Of” clip reel from which I will select the Old Time Radio excerpts to include in the historical documentaries.
The script isn’t written at this point, so these clip reels contain much more material than can possibly be used in the finished documentary. The 1938 clip reel was almost 36 hours long. I used less than 3 hours in the final documentaries.
But these best of reels are so much fun to listen to! A whole year condensed into a day and a half! It seems a great waste to not share these selected clip with fellow Old Time Radio enthusiasts, thus the Soundscape series of When Radio Ruled was born.
So here is the first hour of the newest clip reel, excerpts from old time radio shows broadcast January 1 to January 5 1938 .
Featuring:
Georgie Jessel
Norma Talmadge
Man Mountain Dean
Josephine Starr
Don Wilson
Jack Benny
Phil Harris and His Orchestra
Kenny Baker
Mary Livingston
Andy Devine
Eddie Rochester Anderson
Don Ameche
Charley McCarthy
Edgar Bergen
Dorothy Lamour
Margot
Eddie Cantor
Deanna Durbin
Selected Songs Include:
Getting Some Fun Out of Life – Cast of the Georgie Jessel Show
I want a gay cabellaro – unidentified female vocalist
In the previous episode, 1938 part 1, we looked at the political situation across the world. The coming confrontation between countries trying to provoke war and countries wishing to avoid it. How Hitler, Mussolini, Tojo, Franco, and Stalin created fear and suffering. How the USA, Britain, France, and the smaller democracies tried to keep free and out of war through appeasement and diplomacy while building up their defenses just in case.
To tell the truth, last episode was dark. Not a lot happened to be optimistic or hopeful about. Kind of a Bummer.
Invasions and threats of war are the dark cloud over the whole year. This episode is about some of the distractions used to forget about the scary stuff going on in Europe and Asia. What a relief it must have been to forget the Hitlers of the world and talk about the Joe Louis fight or the Seabiscuit race. The first full length animated movie! Is baseball still baseball if it’s played at night under artificial light? Can a car really go that fast? Did you hear about the latest thing those scientist invented? What will those eggheads think of next?
The Jack Benny show made Phil a huge star. Even though Phil would go on to do more films and have his own radio shows, and tour the country with his band, and appear on television and build a real estate empire he would always be known first and foremost for his Jack Benny years.
What you are about to hear are a series of musical selections Phil and his orchestra played live on Jack Benny’s Jello program in 1938.
Some are instrumentals and some feature Phil’s distinctive vocals, but all of them bring a joy and a bounce that will carry you through your day. So much fun to listen to. Enjoy Phil Harris and his orchestra playing live from 1938.
Old Time Radio’s Jack Benny show was a sitcom disguised as a variety show.
The cast used their real names, or rather their real stage names, but they all played characters unlike themselves. Characters of diverse comic points of view, each character contrasted with the others. Each funny in their own way and all together a delightful mix of contrasting attitudes and motivations.
rJack Benny was the center of this comic universe. He portrayed a cheapskate, self centered scardy cat who imagined himself a rugged ladies man.
Jack’s real life wife, Mary Livingston, played Jack’s sassy gal pal, boy crazy but not easily impressed by the rich and famous.
Band leader Phil Harris was cast as a drunken, womanizing, musical man about town. More talent than brains and care free.
Tenor vocalist Dennis Day presented as a simple minded momma’s boy. Innocent and child like.
Announcer Don Wilson was the adult in the room, often the object of fat jokes, but treating all with affection and respect. Almost a big brother figure.
The formula for the show was to move back and fourth between the world of putting on a half hour musical/variety radio show and the interpersonal world between the characters.
As you might expect, these characters endeared themselves to their listeners. It was fun listening to the real Jack Benny playing the radio character Jack Benny who was portraying some character in a radio play. It was fun to hear radio Phil Harris pretend to not know anything about music. It was funny when radio Dennis Day believed everything he was told, or Radio Mary recounted the story of a disastrous date.
These moments were broken up with songs from Phil and Dennis, sometimes Mary, and comical Jello commercials from Don. Sometimes sketches with guest stars who in most cases also played themselves in encounters with radio Jack Benny, like the time Barbara Stanwyck rehearsed a radio play with Jack or the time Orson Welles came by to give Jack acting lessons.
In truth, the characters the cast portrayed became so well known and loved that they could stand alone, outside the variety show world.
In early 1940 Jack and his writers did just that. For an entire month, the Jack Benny radio characters were sent on a fictional ski vacation to Yosemite.
The Jack Benny Radio shows February 4, 11, 18, and 25 1940 presented the trip to and the adventures at Yosemite starring the Jack Benny Gang.
Although presented episodically because of Jack’s half hour time slot, these four shows are a single radio play running approximately 80 minutes. It is a radical break from the Jack Benny formula, and adds layers of nuance to the characters as these actors get to really act in the longer more sustained narrative involving these characters.
And that’s what you are about to hear, the entire radio play cut together with commercials etc. edited out in order to focus on the story and maintain pacing.
Believe me, this is good stuff. Jack Benny and the Gang go to Yosemite parts 1, 2, 3, & 4.
Its time again to celebrate the holiday season and all it stands for with a Christmas stocking full old time radio yuletide magic.
This very special episode stars Phil Harris, Bing Crosby, Alice Faye, Jack Benny, Mary Livingston, Don Wilson, Kenny Baker, Joan Bennett, Eddie “Rochester” Anderson, Rudy Vallee, Andy Devine, and many other makers of Christmas magic
And magic it is. The magic of celebrating Christmas with old friends from 1938. The magic of our imagination. The magic of the golden age of radio. The magic of Santa Claus. The magic of the Jesus story. The magic of the subtle changes within ourselves, all of a sudden thinking and acting more like santa than scrooge. At least for a little while.
Our Old Time Radio Thanksgiving menu is made up of:
A first course of The Good News show from Thanksgiving eve , November 24, 1938.
Featuring:
Robert Young
Fanny Brice as Baby Snooks
And the cast of the very popular Andy Hardy movies, including star Mickey Rooney, in an original radio play.
Followed by an Entre of The Jack Benny Show from just after Thanksgiving 1937, November 28, entitled “Jack Cooked the Turkey” where the gang talks about their thanksgiving day.
Appetizer and desert provided by Fred Allen, courtesy to the cold open you just heard and the cold close to come.
All in all a delicious and satisfying audio thanksgiving experience with zero calories.
Mae West and Charlie McCarthy – Great scandals if 1937
This podcast is a montage of excerpts from old time radio shows performed live and broadcast November 29 to December 12, 1937.
Starring Cecil B Demille, Eddie Cantor, Jimmy Wallington, Rudy Vallee, Tommy Riggs and Betty Lou, Frank Case, Andy Devine, Jack Benny, Mary Livingstone, Kenny Baker, Don Wilson, Fibber McGee, Don Ameche, Charlie McCarthy, Edgar Bergen, Nelson Eddy, Mae West, Pinky Tomlin and more.
This podcast is a montage of excerpts from old time radio shows performed live and broadcast November 8 to November 28, 1938.
Starring Bing Crosby, Jimmy Wallington, Eddie Cantor, Fibber McGee and Molly, Benny Goodman, Colonel Stoopnagle and Budd, Don Wilson, Jack Benny, Phil Harris, Mary Livingstone, Orson Welles, and more.
Featured Songs include Eddie Cantor, “Getting some fun out of Life”, Bing Crosby “I’m Humming”, Some smoking Benny Goodman Swing Instrumentals and the Benny Goodman orchestra featuring vocalist Martha Tilden “Mama that moon is here again”, Pinky Tomlin “The Lady who couldn’t be Kissed” and Phil Harris “You can’t stop me from dreaming”
This podcast is a montage of excerpts from old time radio shows performed live and broadcast October 18 to November 7, 1937.
Starring Fibber McGee and Molly, Edward G. Robinson, Pinky Tomlin, Jimmy Wallington, Eddie Cantor, The Cast of the March of Time, Ben Davis Jr., Jack Benny, Mary Livingstone, Phil Harris, Kenny Baker, Andy Devine, Don Wilson, Cecil B. Demille, John R. Kissinger , and more.
Featured Songs include Pinky Tomlin “Can’t stop me from dreaming”, Eddie Cantor Medley of hits and “Doe to Doe”.
This podcast is a montage of excerpts from old time radio shows performed live and broadcast September 5 to October 10, 1937.
Starring W.C. Fields, Charlie McCarthy, Don Ameche, Edgar Bergen, Fibber McGee and Molly, Al Jolson, George Jessell, Eddie Cantor, Bette Davis, Cecil B. DeMille, John LeRoy Johnston, Rudy Vallee, The Stroud Twins, Orson Welles, Agnes Moorehead, Jack Benny, Mary Livingston, and more.
Featured Songs include Al Jolson “Tootsie”, Eddie Cantor “Now’s the time to fall in love” and “Love is on the Air Tonight”, The Connecticut Yankees with an unidentified female vocalist (possibly Annette Hanshaw) “Basin Street Blues”, Eddie Cantor and Pinky Tomlin “Sweet Varsity Sue”
This podcast is a montage of excerpts from old time radio shows performed live and broadcast June 21 to July 11, 1937.
Starring Cecil B. DeMille, Don Wilson, Phil Harris, Jack Benny, Mary Livingston, Jimmy Wallington, Pinky Tomlin, Don Ameche, Charlie McCarthy, Edgar Bergen, Sonya Hennie, W.C. Fields, Dorothy Lamour, Robert Armbruster, Zasu Pitts, Hoagy Carmichael, and more.
Featured Songs include Mary Livingston with the cast of the Jack Benny Show “The Love Bug”, Pinky Tomlin “As Far As Your Concerned”, The cast of the Charlie McCarthy Show with Hoagy Carmichael, “I love you like my old felt hat”
Mary Livingston (a.k.a. Mrs. Jack Benny) of the Jack Benny Show
This podcast is a montage of excerpts from old time radio shows performed live and broadcast June 13 to June 20, 1937.
Starring Pinky Tomlin, Don Ameche, Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy, Dorothy Lamour, W.C. Fields, Joan Blondell, Rogers & Hart, Jack Benny, Don Wilson, Kenny Baker, Phil Harris, Cecil B. DeMille, Helen Wills Moody, Fibber McGee and Molly, Rudy Vallee, Fanny Brice, Charles Winninger, May Robson, and more.
Featured Songs include Pinky Tomlin “Ragtime Cowboy Joe Medley”, Don Ameche “A little of you on toast:” Rudy Vallee “We danced the night away”
Eddie “Rochester” Anderson from the Jack Benny Show
This podcast is a montage of excerpts from old time radio shows performed live and broadcast May 31 to June 11, 1937.
Starring Fibber McGee and Molly, the Cast of Texaco Town, Pinky Tomlin, Don Wilson, Jack Benny, Rochester, Kenny Baker, Mary Livingston, Phil Harris, Don Ameche, Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy, Dorothy Lamour, W.C. Fields, Constance Bennett, Ray Middleton, Natalie Bucknell, Cecil B. Demille, Errol Flynn, Frances Farmer, Chico Marx, Groucho Marx, and more.
Featured Songs include Pinky Tomlin “Tetched in the Head”, and Dorothy Lamour, Charlie McCarthy and Don Ameche with a Gilbert and Sullivan Medley.
This podcast is a montage of excerpts from old time radio shows performed live and broadcast January 17 to January 31, 1937.
Starring Don Wilson, Jack Benny, Andy Devine, Mary Livinston, Buck Jones, The Cast of The March of Time, Cecile B DeMille, Rudy Vallee, Edgar Bergen, Charlie McCarthy, The Charioteers, Phil Harris, Eddie Cantor, Basil O’Connor, Jimmy Wallington, Charlie Butterfield, Irving Berlin, and more.
It sure has been a strange year – we could all use a dose of Traditional Christmas. And here it is!
Two Great Episodes from 1939!
Jack Benny’s Christmas Open House
A Christmas Carol (starring Lionel Barrymore)
Featuring: Jack Benny, Rochester, Dennis Day, Mary Livingston, Phil Harris and his Orchestra, Orson Welles, Lionel Barrymore, Benny Goodman, Bing Crosby, Roy Rogers, Dale Evans, Pat Brady, and more!
Before TV 