Radio Retropolis

Jack Webb is back for the first of 19 episodes of the most classic era of Pat Novak For Hire. In tonight’s premiere episode Novak goes to the bank to deposit $100, only to find that someone else has deposited $1000 in his account.  Commentary on The brief history with Jack Webb and this series.  Plus the episode's Top 5 Novak Zingers!

A tavern has been robbed and a couple shot. One of the bandits has also been shot and is dying, so Friday and Smith must get to the hospital and question him about the ringleader who put everything in motion. Commentary on Webb pushing the "verisimilitude" a little too far in this episode.

James Stewart and Donna Reed reunite for this radio performance of arguably the most revered Christmas movie of all time despite its dark premise of a man who considers himself a failure and wants to commit suicide on Christmas Eve. Yet, the film’s director Frank Capra managed to give his George Bailey a real empathetic mission and James Stewart’s crushing performance made George a most tortured hero. In order to take advantage of the stars and the film recently being in theatres, they decided to perform this radio adaptation on March 10, 1947.

In 1947, Samuel Goldwyn and RKO pictures brought forth a classic Christmas romance movie based on a 1928 novel written by Robert Nathan about an angel sent to help a young bishop who prayed for guidance but instead fell in love with the Bishop’s wife.  The Bishop’s Wife was released on December 7, 1947 receiving excellent reviews eventually becoming an annual yuletide classic.  Just two months later, the original cast Cary Grant Loretta Young and David Niven reunited for a one time only radio performance. 

In December, 1947, about 6 months after the feature film was released, the entire starring cast from the film reunited one time and one time only for a tremendous radio adaptation.  So for first and last time on radio together, Maureen O’Hara, John Payne, Natalie Wood, and Edmund Gwenn as Kris Kringle starring in the Lux Radio Theatre production about a kindly old man who may be the real Santa Claus. Miracle on 34th Street was broadcast on December 22, 1947.

On Christmas Eve 1939, Lionel Barrymore as Scrooge teamed with Orson Welles and his Mercury Theatre for this Campbell Playhouse production which aired on the CBS Radio Network.This is the classic Christmas Eve story of a rich miser named Scrooge whose soul will be doomed unless three spirits can lead him to redemption.  Commentary on Lionel Barrymore as well as how the production came about.

Liz is so full of old-fashioned Christmas spirit that she borrows an antique sleigh from a local antique store and goes caroling.  Commentary on Christmas in the suburbs in 1949 and the tradition of the true meaning of Christmas.  Plus, guest star Peter Leeds was considered one of the best straight men in the business.  We discuss what it takes to be a great straight man and why only a few are considered great.

A Dragnet classic and a departure from the typical hard line approach as Christmas comes to the L.A. Police Department. A call comes in to the burglary division that a statue of the baby Jesus has been stolen from an historic Spanish church. The priest implores Friday and partner Frank Smith to find the statue before tomorrow morning's Christmas Day mass.  The last five minutes are not to be missed.

In order to avoid jail for life, Matt Riggs decided to kill Perry White, his nephew, and Jimmy with a high-powered rifle at the Unity baseball game.  Commentary on the history and impact of the Ku Klux Klan and why this Superman story was key in the fight against them.

Matt Riggs filled with hate enters his home in order to kill Chuck for betraying him, comes across his sister-in-law who he threaten to kill as well.  Commentary on the broadcast history of the Superman on radio.