The Good Old Days of Radio Show

Jim and Marian Jordan, better known as "Fibber McGee and Molly," are our featured comedy duo this week on the podcast. On Thursday they will appear in an episode from the thriller series, “Suspense.” Today, however, we’re going back a couple of days before that broadcast to hear them on their popular radio series. This episode is centered around Fibber McGee's excessive talking and habit of interrupting others. The program includes comedic interactions between the characters, such as McGee's misunderstanding of the term "aqueduct" and a bet made regarding his ability to remain silent.

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Today we present Lucille Ball as you may have never heard her before. Lucille Ball had quite a career play various femme fatales in the movies before becoming the legendary star of the television show “I Love Lucy.” However, here she plays a dark role as a con artist who targets men, and learns that one of her victims may have been a notorious serial killer, setting off a deadly game of cat and mouse. We’re welcoming back "Suspense" expert, Dr. Joe Webb, who provides historical context about the episode's production and the writer, Virginia Cross.

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Today we are bringing you Lucille Ball in the pilot series, if you will, to one of TV history’s most blockbuster series, I Love Lucy. My Favorite Husband starred Lucille Ball and her husband who was then played by actor Richard Denning. Denning was slated to make the transition to the I Love Lucy TV series, but Lucille pushed for her real-life husband Desi Arnaz to assume the role. The episode centers on Lucy’s frantic attempts to cash a $500 check she won on a radio game show called "Everybody Wins" within a tight 25-minute window. This comedy episode will lead into Lucille Ball’s appearance on “Suspense,” with our special guest Dr. Joe Webb, on Thursday.

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We continue our series listening to comedians in serious roles. Specifically, this episode focuses on the obscure comedian Henry Morgan and his appearance in a 1947 "Suspense" radio drama called "Dream Song." Guest Dr. Joe Webb again joins us as we discuss Morgan's comedic background, his reputation as a subversive radio personality, and today’s story about a writer seemingly haunted by a neighbor. The conversation also touches upon the writers of the "Suspense" episode, and the recognition the show and Morgan received.

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This week we are going to be featuring the obscure radio comedians Henry Morgan in an episode of “Suspense” on Thursday. Today we have another episode of "The Henry Morgan Show" from June 11th, 1947, a comedy program showcasing Henry Morgan's satirical humor, sponsored by Eversharp razors. The episode includes Morgan's observations on New Yorkers' accents, moviegoing experiences, and absurd used car dealerships, alongside a parody of a quiz show sponsored by an acidic fruit company.

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Today John Tefteller and our guest, Researcher Dr. Joe Webb, listen to a 1947 episode of Suspense featuring the comedian Eddie Bracken. Suspense often purposely put actors in roles that were in direct contrast with their type. This is a dramatic departure from Bracken’s comedic role that we presented on Tuesday. In this story he portrays Elwood, a serial killer, seemingly driven by a distorted perception of love and represented by the objects he steals from his victims.

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This week we’re paring two shows that feature the largely forgotten comedian Eddie Bracken. We’re starting here with the extremely obscure The Eddie Bracken Show. Bracken was much more successful as a support comedian, on shows like the Sealtest Variety Theater. This is a sitcom that is reminiscent of The Mel Blanc Show, centering on Eddie Bracken's character attempting to assist Connie to enter her picture in a beauty contest and helping her father's company against a lawsuit involving a claim of illness from contaminated candy. The show also starred the movie character actor William Demarest.

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This week John Tefteller and guest Dr. Joe Webb discuss a 1947 episode of the radio show Suspense titled "Three Faces at Midnight," which starred William Bendix. The plot involves blackmail, politics, and gangsters, a territory familiar to Bendix who began as a thuggish character actor in the movies before The Life of Riley eclipsed his film career. They talk about the versatility of comedic actors in dramatic roles and an on-air sound effect mishap in the East Coast broadcast featuring actor Hans Conried.

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This week, as part of our epic 10-week quest that seeks to visit many comedians who appeared on the radio thriller series “Suspense,” and pare them with their radio programs, we’re stopping off at the popular sitcom, The Life of Riley, starring William Bendix as the well-meaning but often misguided Chester A. Riley. This is a Mother’s Day episode, and revolves around Riley's anxieties about his son Junior forgetting Mother's Day, leading to the show’s usual encounters with characters like Riley's friend Gillis (played by John Brown) and the undertaker Digger O’Dell (also played by John Brown!).

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Today we welcome back to the show Suspense expert Dr. Joe Webb discussing an episode of the radio program Suspense titled "The Palmer Method." The episode stars Ed Gardner, primarily known for his comedic role in Duffy's Tavern, in a more dramatic part. Dr. Joe discusses background information on Suspense, noting this episode's unique characteristic of having significant variations between its East and West Coast broadcasts due to Gardner's improvisational style. They also explore Gardner's personality and the connection between his Duffy's Tavern character, Archie, and Archie Bunker from All in the Family.

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