The Chronic Rift Network

"My Man Godfrey" is a classic screwball comedy from 1936. Filmed and set during the Great Depression, it stars William Powell as Godfrey, a "forgotten man": one of the millions of unemployed and down-and-out at the time. Carol Lombard co-stars as the daughter of wealthy family who soon employ Godfrey as their butler. Both Powell and Lombard reprised their roles for this episode of "The Lux Radio Theater."

The Lux Radio Theater May 9, 1938 "My Man Godfrey" 2:48

We begin this evening with "The New Adventures of Nero Wolfe." This is a particularly clever and twisty plot involving a high-stakes card game. Then on "The Jack Benny Program," Jack is a little concerned that his contract for next season hasn't been renewed yet. Is he going to be replaced by his competition?

Episodes

The New Adventures of Nero Wolfe January 12, 1951 "The Killer Cards" 1:38

The Jack Benny Program April 11, 1954 "Jack Hasn't Received His New Contract" 31:36

Tonight, we start off with a couple episodes of "The Goldbergs." Not the TV series set in the 1980s, but the long-running radio series from the 1930s and 40s. The show tells the story of the daily life of the Goldbergs, a Jewish family living in New York and, later, Connecticut. The program was created by and starred Gertrude Berg. When the program moved to television in the 1950s, she was the first recipient of the Emmy Award for "Lead Comedy Actress." "The Goldbergs" was a daily, 15-minute dramedy. The family was explicitly Jewish and explicitly trying to assimilate -- a true media rarity at the time. Like the best of the Golden Age of Radio, the episodes produced during World War II are a real window into home front America. "The Goldbergs" in particular concentrated on themes of everyone working together. How good a writer was Gertrude Berg? Listen to Molly's speech to another mother at the end of the first episode. In 2013, that episode was added to the Library of Congress' National Recording Registry for works that "are culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant, and/or inform or reflect life in the United States." Then on "Information Please," are you up on famous chapter titles, political defeats, and the origins of idiomatic phrases? Get ready to stump the experts.

Episodes

The Goldbergs July 9, 1942 Episode 1297 aka "Sammy Goes Into the Army"

The Goldbergs Circa 1942 Episode 1338 4:26

Information Please June 21, 1943 "Guests: Dr. C. Mildred Thompson and Christopher Morley" 30:58

We start off tonight with everyone's favorite medical drama, "The Story of Dr. Kildare." Here Drs. Kildare and Gillespie help an aging Western movie star with psychological difficulties. Then we drop by 79 Wistful Vista for a visit with "Fibber McGee and Molly." Tonight, Fibber is very busy with big business as he takes huge orders for the mysterious AJB Company.

Episodes

The Story of Dr. Kildare February 23, 1951 "Buck Houston, Cowboy Star" 1:39

Fibber McGee and Molly January 4, 1944 "AJB Company Western Branch Representative" aka "Representative for AJB Company" 29:05

We start off with a tale well-calculated to keep you in … "Suspense." In this twisty episode, tough guy actor Edward G. Robinson stars as both himself and as a humble little nothing of a man who has big ideas. Robinson made his mark playing gangsters in movies like "Little Caesar" and "Key Largo," not to mention the corrupt overseer Dathan in "The Ten Commandments." This episode is so clever and audacious. Until the very end, the listener wonders what they are going to do with this. How are they going to pull it off? It's a classic. Then we return to "The Phil Harris-Alice Faye Show." Usually, it's Phil who gets caught up in the ridiculous shenanigans. This time it's Alice, and she has some fantastic lines. This episode directly follows the previous week's wherein the character of Frankie Remley was forced to change his name to the actor's actual name of Eliot Lewis.

Episodes

Suspense October 17, 1946 "The Man Who Thought He Was Edward G. Robinson" 3:16

The Phil Harris-Alice Faye Show October 12 1952 "The Stolen U.S. Mail" 32:50

The school bell is ringing, so let's check in with a handful of very bright youngsters on "The Quiz Kids." I hope you know your baseball scoring rules, animals associated with each of the 48 (!) states, and that favorite topic of 8th graders everywhere: opera. Then on "The Phil Harris-Alice Faye Show," the couple returns from vacation to find that Phil's pal Frankie Remley has turned the Harris' house into a hotel – and that's not all he's changed.

Episodes

The Quiz Kids August 15 1948 "If Dewey Is Elected, What Will He Wear Into the White House?" 2:06

The Phil Harris-Alice Faye Show October 5, 1952 "Hotel Harris" aka "Remley is Elliot" 33:25

We start off tonight with another "X Minus One" adaptation of a classic science fiction short story. This time it's Tom Godwin's "The Cold Equations," a controversial tale that's still a subject of discussion. Then on "The Great Gildersleeve," Mr. Peavy finally gets a day off while Gildy minds the drug store. What could possibly go wrong?

Episodes

X Minus One

August 25, 1955

"Cold Equations"

2:02

The Great Gildersleeve

February 7, 1951

"Day Off for Peavy – 30th Anniversary"

26:18

We start off tonight with another episode of that wonderful quiz show, "Information Please." This is an Armed Forces recording, which means that the original was recorded and then all the ads were taken out and replaced with short classical music breaks. Are you up on the publication dates of certain famous literary works, the details of perfume production, and the strange behaviors of animals? Then on "The Adventures of Ellery Queen," Ellery finds himself investigating a twisty tale of diamond snuggling and murder.

Episodes

Information Please

October 2, 1944

"Guests: Christopher Morley and Esme Davis"

2:26

The Adventures of Ellery Queen

September 7, 1947

"Number Thirty One"

33:14

"Mr. and Mrs. North" featured a married couple of sleuths. They began their career in short stories written by Richard Lockridge in the 1930s, but soon progressed to novels, a movie, a Broadway play, an Edgar-Award-wining radio show, and eventually television in the 1950s. They have affection for each other, and Mrs. North plays just as much a part in the stories as does her husband. Then, with the success of the "The Jack Benny Program," it was only natural there be spin-offs. Singer Dennis Day got his own show in 1946. "A Day in the Life of Dennis Day" features the Irish tenor not as Benny's employee, but rather a drug store employee in a fictional small town. But he's still rather naïve, and you can bet he still sings.

Episodes

Mr. and Mrs. North

January 4, 1951

"Die Hard"

1:57

A Day in the Life of Dennis Day

December 17, 1947

"Dennis Helps Mrs. Anderson Become President of the Ladies Club"

28:29

I like to start off the new year with these adaptations by "The Lux Radio Theater" of light, amusing tales. "The Canterville Ghost" was a short story written by Oscar Wilde in 1887. Over the years, there have been numerous adaptations. The latest version just aired in the U.K. on the BBC and starred Anthony Head of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" as the title character. I assume this will be coming to American television soon. So, in anticipation, here is the 1945 rendition, which features a lot of World War II-era material.

The Lux Radio Theater

June 18, 1945

"The Canterville Ghost"

2:31