Retro Radio Podcast

On a train platform, Clay brings the report that Peter has succumbed to jungle fever, leaving him paralyzed. Marie goes with him to the dark and spooky manor on this rainy night. Peter is jovial enough, but there’s something not right that Marie can’t quite put her finger on with her uncle’s butler and secretary. Peter shows off his trophy room, full of artifacts from his years in the jungle.

The morning finds dismal weather, but Marie doesn’t want her uncle to know about the nightmare she had the night before, with the shrunken head. Weeks pass, and Marie settles into her new home. Her work with manuscripts, and professors at the university lead to disappointments for her. Her nightmares continue, and soon she has to tell her uncle about it.

After checking the artifacts, the shrunken head is found missing. The nightmares keep getting worse, and soon uncle Peter starts thinking his niece may be losing her mind. Is Marie in some real danger? Who would want her out of the way? Secrets are revealed, but the Whistler has the last one.

Note: Written by Joseph Kearn. Uncredited, but sounds like Lurene Tuttle as Marie, and Frank Nelson as Clay.

Note: The date for this seems wrong, but it may have been another of those recurring themes from year to year that some shows did.

The Happy Postman drops off the mail, and discusses Halloween costumes with Gracie. What are the odds that George will replace Clark Gable as the better actor? Sugarthroat Burns is showered with compliments from Gracie, as he enjoys breakfast. Will radio’s glamour boy at least consider taking Gable’s place in Hollywood’s latest production on radio, the Huxter?

Heading down to the cigar shop, George unloads his troubles. The strokes keep coming to George’s ego. But you know there’s a misunderstanding happening between George, and , Jack Carson.

At home, Gracie gets a visit from Jack Carson, but gets confused over who his Clark Gable impersonation is actually impersonating. An acting contest is to solve the matter of who is the better actor between George and Jack. Gracie knows how to press the reluctant Georges buttons, and the contest is on, . Meredith Willson plays, What More Can I Ask For.

First a little warm up by showing emotional range. Bill Goodwin arrives to hear about the contest, and add his own confusion to the event. And of course slips into plugging the sponsor. Returning with the scripts, written by herself, Gracie is also the judge of the contest. With such a biased judge, I think we all know who wins, but the comedy is in the journey as the overacting unfolds.

The thrill of the hunt has the brave warrior Fibber sounding off. Bang bang bang! Will Molly keep her promise to go with him on his duck hunt? Thoughts of freezing in Fibber’s secret, ideal, spot don’t appeal to her. The 3 o’clock departure hour,. Not having a shot gun, or even knowing how to shoot one aren’t good excuses to Fibber. Alice Darling pops in to see what’s new with pops McGee. She tells how she’s hanging out with the military men on her off time from the defense plant. Billy Mills plays, How Many Hearts Have You Broken.

Fibber goes over his gear, and checklist of things to remember. Beulah reports on the bird bait that she has been whipping up for Fibber. All this Daniel Boone stuff isn’t for her. Time to get tucked in early, so they can get that early start. At the sound of the alarm clock, Molly is more alert than Fibber, but a phone call at 3AM is from Harlowe Wilcox to pitch the sponsor product.

The doorbell finds Doc Gamble all ready for the hunt. He gets Fibber’s blood pressure up with a few well placed insults. The hunting party races through the morning that’s as dark as the inside of a horse. Doc and Molly are clueless as to where they are. Does Fibber know how to find his favorite hunting spot in the dark?

Outdoorsman Fibber lectures on being prepared, while Molly presents him with all the things he forgot. Sloshing through the swamp as quietly as he can, and barely keeping his shotgun safe, Fibber leads the way. With sunrise on the way, ducks are sure to be on the wing soon. As the two hunters get ready, Molly’s preparedness knows no bounds. With 10k ducks, and only 2 hunters, the bounty should be great… right?

A special guest helps to introduce today’s feature. Kev in Zerbe from Zerbinator.wordpress.com shares his knowledge of the Whistler. The Retrobots help move the discussion along, do their part to keep things interesting, and even get to pick the feature.

As we discuss the influences of the Whistler, it’s sponsor, the voices of the Whistler, and more, the Retrobots find some extra clips to show that the Whistler even had a sense of humor.

Today’s feature: Lucky Night.

A miserly couple who run a boarding house, today we might call them slumlords, pinch pennies at the sacrifice of keeping the rooms in decent repair. When they witness a tenant get run over in a hit and run accident, they rush to his Side to find his body, and a jacket filled with bundles of cash.

What do they do? Leave the body, take the cash, and return to their apartment, hoping nobody saw them. Someone does indeed see them. At least he sees them return to the boarding house. The tenant is suspicious, but can’t quite put his finger on why his miserly landlords are so paranoid.

Where did the cash come from? A bank robbery? Is there danger in keeping the bills, or should the landlords return it to the authorities? Well, the Whistler knows the answer to those questions, and especially in the twist of poetic justice that our heartless misers are destined to receive.

Note: In today’s feature, Joseph Kearns is the miser who gets his just deserts, but he was known to fill in from time to time as the voice of the Whistler.

The recent partnership split finds Lum in full ownership of the theater, and Abner in full ownership of the store. Grandpap is ready for a game of checkers, and gossiping about town folks, so he isn’t paying attention to Abner’s news.

Word of military operations, and keeping details discrete get Abner’s attention, and a flubbed line leads to a short ad lib.

The phone rings to get back to the story, and grandpap finally realizes Abner needs to hire someone to help in the store. Will grandpap be up to the job? He’s already committed to playing the piano every night.

Grandpap won’t do it. He claims Lum will be back in a week to beg for his job. Lum arrives to speak with grandpap in privae. Sure enough, he had come back to make amends, but in the brief interchange in the store, he feels like Abner is cold, and rejecting him.

A health food store worker, and a mountain climber team up. Groucho learns about what exactly health food is from Martha. Why should Groucho bother to eat vitamin rich food? What makes the lady mountain climber climb mountains? What kind of training goes into the sport? The ladies choose, Historical American Sites, As their topic to raise their money as high as they can.

A house renovator and a housewife team up. The Irish bride gives Groucho back a littler sassiness. How did she meet her husband, and how did she come to leave Ireland? Mr Wood, the London renovator tells about how he cleans up homes to resell. Male of the Species, is their topic they chose to build their money higher than the rest.

A married couple are next. Mr and Mrs Cross are deep sea divers. How did they meet? How many dives have they been on? What’s their deepest dive? Learn the answers to these, and more as Groucho grills the diving team. Mrs Cross holds the world record for deepest dive for women at the time. The topic they chose is, Islands of the World, to build their $20 higher than the competition.

Who will say the secret word? Who will make it to the final round, and the shot at the grand prize?

 

Podcasting to share family friendly entertainment through old time radio, and more.

Podcasting to share family friendly entertainment through old time radio, and more.

Podcasting to share family friendly entertainment through old time radio, and more.

Podcasting to share family friendly entertainment through old time radio, and more.