H & H Old Time Radio™ Podcast

The H & H Radio Podcast Episode 13

© 2014 Bucketstomp Productions All Rights Reserved

Today’s podcast features an episode of The Burns and Allen Show from June 18, 1945 – just after Father’s Day 69 years ago. What was the world like then? Crazy. Everyone was just coming home from WWII. George Burns and Gracie Allen were their regular, brilliantly funny selves.

The H & H Radio Podcast Episode 12

© 2013 Bucketstomp Productions All Rights Reserved

Baseball season being at a close reminded me of (the comedy of) Our National Pastime – Baseball. The wonderful glory days of baseball brought out with emphasis during the beginning portion of Game One of The 1937 World Series between the New York Yankees and The New York Giants. Lots of great history here. We’ll get back to awesome OTR comedy shows next time (unless I hear a consensus on putting up the rest of Game One!).

The H & H Radio Podcast Episode 11

© 2013 Bucketstomp Productions All Rights Reserved

This weeks’ feature comes from 75 years ago, when Bob Hope was considered one of the funniest men in America. The Pepsodent Show starring Bob Hope from October 4, 1938 with special guest Olivia DeHavilland. Wonderful history and wonderful comedy.

The H & H Radio Podcast Episode 10

© 2013 Bucketstomp Productions All Rights Reserved

Another thrilling episode featuring the hilarious comedic radio programming of yesteryear, before television was even something people really believed was going to happen for real. This time, I featured a brilliant but under-rated comedian named Eddie Cantor in what was episode 20 of “It’s Time To Smile” sponsored by Ipana Toothpaste. This episode originally aired on February 12, 1941. Eddie’s guest star was Joe DiMaggio.

The H & H Radio Podcast Episode 9

© 2013 Bucketstomp Productions All Rights Reserved

This time, our feature presentation is another one of my favorite Old Time Radio shows called The Burns and Allen Show. The show had many different sponsors over it’s many years on the air. This particular program was sponsered by Swan Soap, made by Lever Bros. and was broadcast via NBC on Tuesday, October 27, 1942. It’s entitled “The 99 Year Lease” and it’s awesome. This show really stands the test of time in many ways, even if archaic in some social protrayals. Personally, I think there’s a lot to be learned through these shows – expressed attitudes of the period, the nature and brilliance of the writing, the wonderful music, and of course the hilarious comedy from one of the best-loved comedy teams of the 20th century – and beyond, of course.

The H & H Radio Podcast Episode 8

© 2013 Bucketstomp Productions All Rights Reserved

Intro music was “Doin’ The Uptown Lowdown” by Joe Venuti’s Blue Six, in the background, which was from 1933 – a veritable oldies tune by the time our feature was first aired. It was September 14, 1941 that Kraft presented “The Great Gildersleeve”, episode 3, broadcast on NBC. Funny stuff!

The H & H Radio Podcast Episode 7

© 2013 Bucketstomp Productions All Rights Reserved

This week, I introduced the episode with a song timely to the main feature and to the era titled, “Praise The Lord, And Pass The Ammunition” by one of my favorite groups of the time, The Merry Macs. The feature presentation is a classic episode of The Johnson’s Wax Program with Fibber McGee and Molly, first broadcast on NBC on February 23, 1943.

The H & H Radio Podcast Episode 6

© 2013 Bucketstomp Productions All Rights Reserved

On a sad note, Patty Andrews, the lead singer of the super-famous Andrews Sisters, passed away at her home in L.A. the day before yesterday at the age of 94. She, with her sisters, aired several live broadcast shows from ABC and CBS between 1944-1951. The show I am featuring on this episode was originally broadcast on Wednesday, November 28, 1945, sponsored by Nash-Kelvinator. This show epitomizes a few iconic performances of the 20th century – notably, The Andrews Sisters perform their most famous WWII-era hit, “The Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy”. Their guests on this week’s broadcast? A comedy duo by the name of Abbott and Costello – and, yes (!), they do their most famous hit too, “Who’s On First”. Aspects of this episode made me fall in love with the era all over again, those from what has been called The Greatest Generation.