The Good Old Days of Radio Show

A listener sent us some rare, uncirculated discs of The Bob Hope Show. This is one originally broadcast on December 17, 1946. It’s a Christmas-season broadcast packed with music and comedy, featuring singer Jane Harvey, bandleader Desi Arnaz, and special guest Gene Kelly. Bob and the cast joke about Hollywood life, Christmas shopping, and the usual headaches of getting through the holidays, including a department-store sketch so familiar to American life in the mid to late ‘40s.

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Our theme music is "Why Am I So Romantic?" from Animal Crackers: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KHJKAKS/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_MK8MVCY4DVBAM8ZK39WD

We’re back to Wyllis Cooper today and his dark fantasy series Quiet Please. This time we meet Walter McCoy, a mechanic who has spent four years secretly building a working time machine at a remote farmhouse. When Walter travels fifty years into the past, he finds himself in 1897, where a run-in with the local sheriff leads to an unexpected romance with a young woman. But when Walter is forced to make a hasty return to his own time, he leaves Carrie behind with a promise to come back. John also discusses the history of Quiet Please and the poor condition of the surviving transcription discs, making this another rare piece of vintage radio preserved by the seat of its pants.

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Our theme music is "Why Am I So Romantic?" from Animal Crackers: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KHJKAKS/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_MK8MVCY4DVBAM8ZK39WD

It’s the first Tuesday of the month, and in keeping with our goal to bring you a long “lost” radio show, we have another Adventures of Sam Spade, starring Howard Duff as the hard-boiled San Francisco private detective. The episode is “The Firebug Caper” from February 6, 1949 and finds Spade investigating a series of suspicious building fires that point to a large insurance fraud scheme. The theme gives the writers plenty of fuel for over-the-top incendiary puns. 

Visit our website: https://goodolddaysofradio.com/

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Our theme music is "Why Am I So Romantic?" from Animal Crackers: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KHJKAKS/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_MK8MVCY4DVBAM8ZK39WD

It’s October again, and John is back, bringing us an imaginative and tongue-in-cheek early episode of the classic supernatural radio series Quiet Please: “Bring Me to Life,” originally broadcast in 1947. It’s about a struggling writer who discovers that his typewriter can bring his characters to life. With this fun premise, and Cooper’s knack for quirky and realistic dialogue, “Bring Me to Life” is a perfect example of the fantastic, pre-Twilight Zone fare the series would become known for.

Visit our website: https://goodolddaysofradio.com/

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Our theme music is "Why Am I So Romantic?" from Animal Crackers: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KHJKAKS/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_MK8MVCY4DVBAM8ZK39WD

Well, this week John is hurrying back from the East Coast through massive storms, and was not able to be here in time to record a podcast. But stepping up to the plate, and for the very first time on the podcast I might add, we are welcoming Zach Eastman, Vice President of SPERDVAC, who has very kindly agreed to pinch hit today as our emergency fill-in host. Zach brings us a rare 1945 episode of Inner Sanctum Mystery, “Portrait of Death,” about a mysterious painting that seems to bring death to everyone who owns it. Zach talks about SPERDVAC’s preservation of these classic radio recordings, and gives us a stunning sneak peak at the amazing restoration work being done right now to provide the clearest sound possible for modern listeners.

DISCLAIMER: We don't think any actual harm came to Zach during the making of this episode. That's about as thorough as this investigation is going to get.

SPERDVAC (The Society for the Preservation & Encouragement of Radio Drama, Variety, & Comedy ) has been celebrating Classic Radio, preserving its history, & encouraging new audio art since 1974z Interested in learning more?  Visit sperdvac.com to learn how you can become a member & support their preservation efforts!

Be sure to follow SPERDVAC on Social Media-

Want to have some SPERDVAC fun in person? Then be sure to attend SPERDVAC LIVE! in 2027. visit https://sperdvac.com/live/ for more details! 

And check out  Behind The Dial - A SPERDVAC Podcast • A podcast on Spotify for Creators or wherever else you get your podcasts

You can follow Zach Eastman on his show YESTERYEAR BALLYHOO REVUE at ballyhoorevuepodcast.com  or on your favorite podcast apps

and you can follow him on social media 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ballyhoorevuepod?stkn=MXFhbDhveTZ3bHI5Yg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

Threads: https://www.threads.com/@ballyhoorevuepod?igshid=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==

Visit our website: https://goodolddaysofradio.com/

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Our theme music is "Why Am I So Romantic?" from Animal Crackers: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KHJKAKS/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_MK8MVCY4DVBAM8ZK39WD

This is the final episode in a mini-tribute to writer Robert Bloch. John Tefteller and historian Karl Schadow continue our look at the rare and largely forgotten radio horror series, Stay Tuned for Terror. The series produced 39 episodes, but only four recordings are known to have survived. In this episode, we hear the final two. The first follows a scientist who attempts to resurrect Adolf Hitler. The second takes us into werewolf territory, as a mysterious writer may not be quite what he seems. John and Karl also dig into the history of the series, including its connection to the classic Universal horror films, the performers and production team behind it, and the financial problems that ultimately brought the show to an end.

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Our theme music is "Why Am I So Romantic?" from Animal Crackers: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KHJKAKS/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_MK8MVCY4DVBAM8ZK39WD

We're continuing where we left off, exploring the radio work of Robert Bloch. This time John Tefteller and researcher Karl Schadow dig into a nearly forgotten piece of radio history: Stay Tuned for Terror. Originally broadcast in 1945, this unusual horror series adapted Bloch's own pulp stories into fast-moving fifteen-minute stories of the supernatural. Only four of these broadcasts are have been found as of the time we're posting this podcast. In this episode, we hear two of them. One draws inspiration from the Lizzie Borden murders and takes a turn into demonic possession, while the other unleashes a malevolent genie from an ancient bottle. John and Karl also explore Bloch's early career, identify some of the performers, and discuss the show's eerie theme music. It's a rare glimpse at Robert Bloch before Psycho made him a household name.

Visit our website: https://goodolddaysofradio.com/

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Our theme music is "Why Am I So Romantic?" from Animal Crackers: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KHJKAKS/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_MK8MVCY4DVBAM8ZK39WD

This week, John Tefteller and radio historian Dr. Joe Webb are wrapping up our epic, 10-week saga into the  The Whistler radio series, landing with one of the very last episodes from 1955. The story follows a husband who believes he has found the perfect way to hide his infidelity, by turning to murder. But as listeners of The Whistler knew, carefully planned crimes never unfolded the way they should, and secrets always had a way of catching up with those who tried to bury them. It’s a tried-and-true formula that listeners came to expect from the series, and we get them all here. John and Joe discuss how Armed Forces Radio Service recordings and home recordings helped save broadcasts that networks once considered disposable.

There is a show notes website! Dr. Joe has created a site dedicated to this series! https://sites.google.com/view/whistlershownotes/home 

Visit our website: https://goodolddaysofradio.com/

Subscribe to our Facebook Group for news, discussions, and the latest podcast: https://www.facebook.com/groups/881779245938297

Our theme music is "Why Am I So Romantic?" from Animal Crackers: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KHJKAKS/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_MK8MVCY4DVBAM8ZK39WD

We’re joined this week by researcher Karl Schadow to take a look at the remarkable career of writer Robert Bloch, best known today as the author of Psycho, but whose work in radio deserves a look. Bloch got his start writing for the pulp magazines, including Weird Tales, where he developed his style of horror influenced by H. P. Lovecraft. In this episode, we hear a radio adaptation of Bloch's "Yours Truly, Jack the Ripper," which brings the legendary murderer into the modern world. We also hear "Almost Human," a story about a robot that appears to possess a mind of its own. Together, these broadcasts show just how versatile Bloch could be, moving between horror, mystery, and science fiction long before artificial intelligence became part of everyday conversation.

Visit our website: https://goodolddaysofradio.com/

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Our theme music is "Why Am I So Romantic?" from Animal Crackers: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KHJKAKS/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_MK8MVCY4DVBAM8ZK39WD

Once again John Tefteller and radio historian Dr. Joe Webb are here to continue our 10-part series featuring the popular radio series, The Whistler. Today we are featuring a story about a man who has built a comfortable life through deception and is now working with a blackmailer to take advantage of his wealthy wife. But when Mr. Penny threatens to reveal secrets from his past, the partnership quickly turns into a dangerous game. John and Joe discuss the talented writers behind the episode and the challenges of identifying many of radio’s uncredited performers.

There is a show notes website! Dr. Joe has created a site dedicated to this series! https://sites.google.com/view/whistlershownotes/home 

Visit our website: https://goodolddaysofradio.com/

Subscribe to our Facebook Group for news, discussions, and the latest podcast: https://www.facebook.com/groups/881779245938297

Our theme music is "Why Am I So Romantic?" from Animal Crackers: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KHJKAKS/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_MK8MVCY4DVBAM8ZK39WD