In Breaking Walls episode 114, as America moves to the suburbs in the mid-1950s, we move with them and examine a radio western called Fort Laramie. Although it only aired for ten months, it’s one of the most critically acclaimed western shows the genre ever produced.

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Highlights:

• The Network Radio Landscape in 1956

• Norman MacDonnell loses Gunsmoke’s TV Production

• Who Is William Raymond Stacy Burr and What Has He Really Done?

• Launching Fort Laramie

• Easter Sunday, 1956

• Lost Child

• The Birth of Rock and Roll

• Jeanette Nolan’s Stagecoach Stop

• The New Recruit

• Fort Laramie Dies, Gunsmoke Lives On

• Looking Ahead to the CBS Radio Workshop

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The WallBreakers:

http://thewallbreakers.com

Subscribe to Breaking Walls everywhere you get your podcasts.

To support the show:

http://patreon.com/TheWallBreakers

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The reading material used in today’s episode was:

• On the Air — By John Dunning

• Network Radio Ratings, 1932-53 — By Jim Ramsburg

As well as articles from

• Broadcasting Magazine

• The Los Angeles Times

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On the interview front:

• Eve Arden, Dick Beals, Edgar Bergen and Shirley Mitchell, spoke to Chuck Schaden. Hear their full chats at SpeakingOfRadio.com.

• Harry Bartell, Lilian Buyeff, Lawrence Dobkin, Lou Krugman, Jeanette Nolan, and Vic Perrin were with SPERDVAC. For more information, go to SPERDVAC.com.

• John Dehner, John Dunkel, Norman MacDonnell and John Meston were with John Hickman for his History of Gunsmoke documentary.

• John Dehner and Vic Perrin were with Neill Ross for KMPC.

• Jack Kruschen and Shirley Mitchell were with Jim Bohannon.

• Raymond Burr was with Jack Webster.

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Selected music featured in today’s episode was:

• Don’t Fence Me In — By Bing Crosby and The Andrews Sisters

• February Sea — By George Winston

• Heartbreak Hotel — By Elvis Presley

• Seance on a West Afternoon — By John Barry

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Special thanks to:

The Mysterious Old Radio Listening Society

https://www.ghoulishdelights.com/series/themorls/

The Veiled West from

https://www.shaebwrites.com/the-veiled-monarch

The Fireside Mystery Theatre

https://www.firesidemysterytheatre.com/

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Subscribe to Burning Gotham—the new audio drama set in 1835 New York City. It’s available everywhere you get your podcasts and at BurningGotham.com.

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A special thank you to Ted Davenport and Jerry Haendiges: two radio show collectors who helped supply material for this episode. They’re who the large retailers go to.

Ted’s got a Facebook group - https://www.facebook.com/otrteddavenport/

For Jerry, please visit http://otrsite.com/

The Clip from Camel’s Rock N Roll dance party comes courtesy of Gordon Skene and his extensive sound collection. Please find out more at PastDaily.com.

I’d also like to thank Walden Hughes and John and Larry Gassman of SPERDVAC - http://sperdvac.com/

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Thank you to:

Tony Adams

Steven Allmon

Orson Orsen Chandler

Briana Isaac

Thomas M. Joyce

Ryan Kramer

Gary Mollica

Barry Nadler

Christian Neuhaus

Aimee Pavy

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WallBreakers Links:

Patreon - patreon.com/thewallbreakers

Social Media - @TheWallBreakers