Retro Radio Podcast

Still convince the baby in their care is heir to royalty, the gents try to figure out which country he is from. Today Lum and Abner review the letter, and the insignia on it. What is the mysterious coat of arms. They anticipate a phone call from the anonymous stranger. Should they suspect a trap, or a hostile overthrow of the kingdom?

Lum wants to go out of the way to avoid answering the call. Just ignore the problem, and it’ll go away… right? He makes a pretense of having important meetings to go to, speeches to give. Abner’s curiosity is up, and is dieing to talk to the stranger.

The phone call is to come tomorrow, so its OK to answer the call today. What does the school teacher, Miss Fredericks, have to say? Has she found some information on the baby’s coat of arms? Conclusion jumping continues as Lum speculates on the baby’s mother who left him in their care. Will there be high honors waiting for them for their excellent care of the baby? Maybe the stranger who wrote the letter is really a woman… the queen… is Lum correct in raising new suspicions?

Jack and Rochester pack for his trip to Texas. Mary, and Dennis visits to see Jack on his way. Dennis plugs his upcoming appearances then sings, An Irishman.

Jack has to phone the studio because he forgot his briefcase. Instead, the operators get the chance to gossip. Mr. Kitzel visits to say his ‘Goodbyes’ to Jack. Finally it’s off to the airport where Mel Blanc announces flights. Bob Crosby sees the cast, and tells about his vacation plans. Frank Nelson is the helpdesk clerk.

From an anonymous letter, the gents have concluded their baby is the rightful heir to a throne. In the store today, Abner explains how little Pearl is trying to learn the baby some words. Will they do well to prepare the little majesty to handle his future kingdom? Will they be able to protect the baby from people who are trying to take his kingdom away from him?

Lum has been rearranging boxes in the store to make a makeshift throne. He has to practice, and teach the baby how to sit on one… right? How else will the boy learn?

Lum has volunteered himself to be assistant king, and run the kingdom until Charlie Abner… er Duke Peabody is old enough to run it himself.

Little Pearl phones in with an update on the baby, as the gents gloat about how much they love the little king. They’ll be heres. Then Abner worries that those folks in foreign countries with kings all speak different languages. How will they be able to understand the baby once he starts to talk? Should Pearl give up on trying to learn the baby to speak English?

The next step in the observation in the democracy of 1831 is in the humble conditions of its leaders, living in a lack of pomp.

Praise for one another seems to be the norm. With such aristocratic visitors as these French travelers, D’Toukfel and Beaumont, everyone of importance wants to go out of their way to accept them with flattery. In meeting the governor of New York, the French travelers feel their way through the ceremony and protocols… or lack of them.

One thing that impresses the Frenchmen is the lack of children and soldiers on the streets. They learn how the public school system keeps kids off the streets, and that every man is a soldier in a way, a citizen militia to support the army as demand calls for it.

Is there anything bad about democracy? A judge tells about a case of burglary he tried, and that even in the darker side of humanity, he has seen democracy at work. The governor explains his take on what makes American democracy work: Enlightened self interest, every man the equal of the next, commercial and political freedom. With every man shouldering responsibility in his self interest, there isn’t such a need for having so many soldiers on the streets.

Honorable trade makes a free and happy nation. The concept is underscored as the Frenchmen take to the streets full of vendors and merchants from everything from cat tails to lamp oil, even city dog killers who keep the animal population under control. The noisy streets burst forth in a parade for no other purpose than to honor the marketplace merchants.

Hosted by Betty Hutton. After a dip into the mail bag, she introduces Woody Herman. The band plays, Four or Five Times.

In answer to the mail bag, sounds that haven’t been heard for a while are played, to include: a bottle of beer being opened and poured, a baby cooing, and a couple of arguing cabbies. Jose Iterbi, famous concert pianist plays, Tennessee Impromptu. (or something that sounds like that.)

Amos and Andy talk about their own piano playing talent, and plan to open a music school. It’s actually a scene or two from an episode of one of their shows that aired around this time. After more response to the mail bag, Betty sings, I Got Bluebirds in My Belfry.

Woody Herman plays his hit, Woodchoppers Ball. Betty closes with love and kisses.

PS: Here’s show #2 of Command Performance for the day. Enjoy the bonus play of this live, musical program for the military men and women of World War 2.

Frank shows off a slight of hand magic trick as he meets up with some of his college friends. Amid talking about the theater, dating, and other amusements, we learn of an election coming up. Lorraine has high hopes of winning the star role in the theater production, and her getting it plays a large part in her dad deciding to finance the theater company. What does all this have to do with the elections?

The ballots begin coming in, so Frank, Gary, and their friends get ready to do their duty in processing them. The voting is to decide who gets the starring role. Just as congratulations are in order, Frank suddenly suspects the ballots may have been tampered with… but how? What makes him doubt the vote? A thump on the head seems to confirm he’s on the right track. How did a switch with the ballot box go down? Who could have done it, and when? Frank reviews the key clues with his friends.

Remembering his magic trick, Frank thinks he knows the gimmick behind the ballots. Frank knows how it was done, but he still has to prove who was behind the fraud. Will a confrontation of the Shakespearean actors reveal the truth? Will it put an end to the dream of the budding young actors in putting on their show?

Annie anxiously waits for twins Peter and Paul to arrive at the home of Mr and Mrs Flowers. Ma has chores to be done, but allows Annie to go and play.

Pa Flowers isn’t so lucky, but is rescued from Ma’s complaints about chores when Annie’s friend, Joe Corntassle arrives.

The twins are treated to a cookie from Ma’s cookie jar, but are they trying to wrangle an extra cookie for themselves? . Pa Flowers can’t keep the twins straight, as the kids all play together.

What’s the mystery behind the tin box? Are the twins behind a rash of missing items?

Despite his idea to hire a nurse for the baby, Lum decides not to. Nurses are needed too badly to serve in the military. Today we join the baby, along with the gents in Abner’s home. They get a response from someone claiming to be a friend of the baby. The anonymous writer seems fearful, and paranoid. Are there spies involved… dangers… and what does it mean about restoring the baby to his rightful position?

The gents worry the baby won’t be able to fight off any attackers. They begin to think he could be tied to royalty, and maybe even a king. Why else would such dangers be in the baby’s future? How about naming the baby, Duke?

Jumping to all sorts of conclusions, Abner dreams of living in a castle with Lizabeth, far across the ocean. They’ll have a moat, and will have to start calling each by noble titles. A phone call reminds them that they still have a store to run. Who whilst delivereth the noble groceries to Mrs Seastrunk? The honorable duke Lum,esquire?

A young French nobleman, Alexis D’Toukfel, spends a year in America in 1831, and writes his observations. His work would become a literary milestone in what a democracy is all about, and how America has been a success at it when other nations have failed. Viewing America as a foreigner in his day, he takes us from our time today to be foreigners with him in the peculiar habits in American social life.

Business ventures explode, opportunities are to be had by anybody. Equality, boasting, and business seems to be a virtue, and everybody seems to be in a mad rush to get to where they’re going. People always on the move, and fearful to let someone get in front of him on the road.

By and large people are well fed, well dressed, and at ease.

Styles, fashion, social and business viewpoints on owning slaves is portrayed. A tale of working yourself up through the ranks from ragged, poor boy, to wealthy hotel owner is heard, and a common story. Initiative and opportunity. As an opposing concept to aristocracy, those humble beginnings are a badge of honor, not something to hide.

After learning about the tall, thin man in a frayed gray suit who placed an ad with the coat of arms in it, the gents need to decide the right thing to do. Lum would rather study up on adopting the baby for himself, than to turn him over to a stranger at the other end of a post office box in Kansas City.

Cedric enters to tell Abner about his new carrier pigeon business. Abner agrees to be Cedric’s first customer, and dictates a letter. Who should he address his letter to, since the tall skinny man’s name isn’t known yet? How should he go about asking about the insignia? spies involved…

Lum returns to review the meager details they know for sure about the baby. The woman who dropped him off, the strange thin man, and the insignia. What will he think about Abner’s letter by carrier pigeon?