Retro Radio Podcast

Audio warning: Not bad, but the audio speeds up in the middle. Eventually it returns to normal.

A study in American press. Earlier in the series we found how the majority squashed the literature and arts, demanding mediocrity. The editors of the press are the men who show bravery to go against the grain, and thrive on controversy. Abandoning principles, journalists openly lambast public figures, criticizing their every move Reporters thrive on scandal and notoriety.

Far from the tame world of literature our Frenchmen learned about earlier, newspapermen are fearlessly expressing opinion. They may be targets of duals, threats, and are open to printing anything, as long as you pay the price for the advertisement.

With all the varied opinions, there’s plenty of competition. If you don’t agree with an editor, drop $200 on your own press, and start your own paper. Hey, it’s the blogosphere of 200 years ago. Only its cheaper to start blogging than that.

The feeling is that equality weakens and isolates a man, but the press is the way to let others know they aren’t alone as opinions are voiced. How can someone figure out the truth amid all the noise of rumor, escandal, and sometimes outright lies? Is the power of the press so all powerful after all? The evil the press produces, is less than the evil it cures.

After failing to meet the new teacher at the train station, Lum wants to make an impression, especially since he’s head of the school board. Will the young lady fall madly in love with him? The speech he has planned annoys Abner, with his usual remarks about walking through snow, and the like.

Abner tries to help breathe new life into the speech. Lum tells why he thinks the new school teacher is a lovely woman who got off the train. Lum gathers trinkets to present to her, a flower, a special note to declare his feelings, and plans for a candle lit dinner. Forget love at first sight, Lum falls in love at just the idea of a woman,

Will Abner facilitate the meeting of the two love birds? The teacher, Professor Marion Sloane should arrive any moment, but who is that old codger who just left the school house, and is walking this way?

A teacher has been hired, Professor Marion Sloane, but school board president Lum Edwards isn’t thrilled about the board going behind his back to hire the new teacher. To welcome the new teacher, Lum tries to impress the woman. All dressed up, and recruiting Abner and Cedric to be his attendants, Lum dreams about his meeting the lovely lady.

Meanwhile Cedric puts a penny in the weighing machine. He and Abner have their weights printed out, with a fortune on them. Careers as president, in music, and all manner of high society charm is in store for them.

Those machines are full of a lot of prittle prattle… right? Lum gives it a try. What impressive fortunes will the gents get? The train arrives, but the gents are too distracted, and miss out on welcoming professor Sloane. What kind of impression have they made?

Greetings from Hollywood.

Harold Peary, or the GreatGildersleebves, is cast in this hit play from the theater as Aubrey Piper.

Talk, talk, talk. The women folk of the house gossip about the blustery show off who is driving the household crazy. Pop and Joe aren’t thrilled with the nosey mman either, but everybody is too polite to turn Aubrey away. The boisterous big man is a little too familiar as he intrudes on the picturesque snapshot of the small town family life. Aubrey sings a few bars of the old classic, Many Brave Hearts Are Asleep in the Deep. Will he make any progress with young Amy Fisher? Despite the talk, bluster, and showing off, she is a little sweet on the man. We find that Aubrey isn’t as successful on the job as he lets on. Does he make enough money to get married, and set up his prospective household? Amy has burned her bridges, and leaves home to get married.

Time passes, and Amy has learned the true,, lowly state of her man. How will the bills be paid? Will Aubrey’s big investment ideas launch them into success? Will help come from the Fisher family? Mom has had enough of the windbag,, and his fast talk. Will Joe Fisher lend his support to investment ideas? Zipping along in a borrowed car, Aubrey has trouble talking his way out of a traffic ticket with a cop. Maybe it’s time for Amy to take a more humble approach to ask for a loan from the family. Aubrey arrives to tell his version of the truth of his arrest, injuries, and circumstances of his run in with the law. How will the struggling couple manage to pay the bail of $1k? That’s about the cost of a little love nest that they might be wanting to buy for themselves. Despite it all, Aubrey insists that Amy shouldn’t go to work to earn extra cash. A huge sale, with a sweet commission is all it’s going to take to save the day. Simple… right? This could be one of his bad days.

In the courtroom, Aubrey faces his day on trial. Despite the worsrt of it all, and the collapse of his financial status, Amy has no regrets in marrying her man. It will all work out. She has high hopes about the outcome. The aftermath is told in the newspaper court report column as the family reads from it. Though the family is down on him, and troubles abound, Aubrey hasn’t yet had the wind beaten out of him. In fact, some last moment news comes in to save the day in the charmed life of the ever upbeat blow hardEven better, his investment has paid off enough to bail him out of his legal woes, set him up in that new house, and maybe even roll some over into neew investments.

Bonus Track:

Connie Haines 431202 My Heart Tells Me.

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The school board is looking to hire Mousey Gray as the new school teacher. Today, Lum tells Abner how the meeting went, and that the board is looking to get rid of him as president. To state his case, Lum dictates a letter to Abner. Before he gets far in the dictation, Cedric arrives.

Cedric is a little disappointed at his chances of getting out of the third grade. Maybe if he goes to college, and comes back, he’ll have learned enough to get out of the third reader.

Lum tells Abner about the sorry state of the Pine Ridge school system. It’s a good thing he wrangled himself back into office. Meanwhile, the board has been at work to find a good teacher to vote on. If Mousey isn’t a candidate, what about Marion Sloane? Who is Marion Sloane anyway?

Since Lum is president of the school board, he volunteers to teach the scholars. At least until a regular teacher can be hired in. He tells Abner all about his plan. Applications for the new opening are already arriving, but Lum had been looking forward to taking charge as president.

Even Mousey has submitted his application, when Cedric delivers it. Abner reads Professor Mousey’s credentials. Maybe there’s hope for Cedric to get out of the third reader. Will Mousey win the recommendations of the rest of the board?

Abner has kept reading Mousey’s qualifications amid the telephone interruptions. Everyone in town seems to be on Mousey’s side for the job, all except Lum. How will Lum get out of hiring Mousey?

Annie and Joe can hardly wait to meet the impressive Mr Amos Strong, the bridge engineer. After a brief encounter with a grumpy foreman, the kids aren’t disappointed by the hero and role model, Mr Strong. He finds second rate lumber, and orders his foreman, Mr Logan, to get rid of it, and use the good stuff.

Mr Strong takes time to tell the kids how the bridge foundations are constructed. The Texan, former cow puncher, and college grad is equally impressed with his new young friends.

As the engineer parts ways to inspect the work, Annie and her friends continue to admire him from afar. Suddenly, something goes all wrong, and logs in the bridge begin to collapse. Is it an accident, or sabotage?

In the Jot Em Down store and library, Grandpap tries to work a crossword puzzle, as Abner helps. Their confusion is interrupted when Lum enters. He passes his latest idea for the school board to his friends.

Does the school need a new teacher, or maybe new books? How well will Abner and grandpap do at learning grammar from the 4th reader?

The confusion on agreement of subject and verbs soon has teacher Lum confused as well. With Lum’s demonstration over, Abner returns to helping out with that troublesome crossword puzzle again. Trying to be helpful, Abner manages to send all the kids in town to get free hair cuts, courtesy of Lum.

Grandpap shares trivia from the almanac with Abner. The Hooker telescope on Mt Wilson, CA has the biggest mirror. Who needs a mirror that big? Abner speculates,

The gents get confused as to who would use it, and for what. Abner turns to complaining about Lum, and saying the same thing in all his speeches.

Lum enters to tell about the school board meeting. Will he have a rival for the school board in Henry Lunceford? Who can Lum count on to vote for him? Ezra Seestrunk seems to be the top choice.

Abner learns from Lum how the whole group had it in ofor him, and voted against him. He just won’t stand for such a crooked deal, and gets on the party line.

Squire enters, but will he have news to prove Lum’s idea on the election?

There are times when life makes no sense at all, and Marlowe is about to find out how true those words are, as he tries to get some well deserved sleep. A knock at his door introduces him to Carolyn Shepherd, a woman who needs help. The high strung woman is on the run from an abusive relationship. Just as quickly as she appears in Philip’s life, she disappears again. On the trail of clues, Marlowe finds only dead ends… until he tries to resume his 40 winks.

As dawn breaks, a grumpy, and sleep deprived Marlowe is frustrated by not only one, but two women. Has there been a murder, along with his missing person case? What can Marlowe learn about his paranoid client, Carolyn? What is she hiding about a man in her life?

Catching up with Carolyn, a web of lies is tossed at Philip. Is the disturbed woman in trouble with a blackmailer? Secrets boil to the surface, along with a killer, and the truth about the man who has been haunting Carolyn.

Bonus Track:

After a brief interruption, we play a tune by Peggy Lee, You’re Driving Me Crazy.