The Good Old Days of Radio Show

This week we bring in the New Year, and appropriate with the theme we have a New Year's fantasy from The Columbia Workshop originally broadcast back in 1941. A group of unborn children peer down at the world through a hole in the sky and decide they want no part of it. War, injustice, and cruelty have convinced them to go on strike, refusing to be born at all. Their solution: one baby, Johnny, enters the world with the ability to negotiate. It’s a blend of whimsy and social commentary from the snapshot of America on the brink of another world war, with many themes that eerily resonate with modern times.

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Merry Christmas Day, everyone! Today we're presenting one of the most unusual Christmas broadcasts ever aired: Norman Corwin’s 1942 CBS play, The Plot to Overthrow Christmas. Told as a darkly comic rhyming fantasy, the story opens in Hades, where history’s greatest villains plot to wipe out Christmas once and for all. Their scheme sends Nero himself to the North Pole with orders to eliminate Santa Claus, but what follows is an unexpected and surprisingly moving turn toward redemption, sparked by the spirit of the season and the gift of a Stradivarius violin. Equal parts fantasy, poetry, and wartime artifact, this broadcast is a rare Christmas story that balances wit, wonder, and the enduring belief that even the darkest hearts can be changed.

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1949 Christmas Cheers everyone! No, this is not the same Jack Benny Show we brought you a couple of weeks ago. It's still 1949, though, and Jack Benny did a second Christmas show that year that doesn't take place at the department store! Celebration is in the air (and so are sparks) when Jack Benny and the gang attempt to decorate the Christmas tree, triggering a series of electrical mishaps. It’s a perfect snapshot of Golden Age radio at Christmastime; funny, sentimental, and filled with the pop culture touchstones that made The Jack Benny Program a holiday tradition for millions of listeners.

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Christmas is still coming, and this episode brings us a 1948 episode from Duffy’s Tavern. Anyone familiar with this series will know its sharp wit, wordplay, and often world-weary cynical dialogue. But this show is a surprising change from its usual format. Archie is in peak “bah, humbug” mode when a soft-spoken stranger walks into the tavern claiming he’s come all the way from Bethlehem. What follows is a surprising, almost magical tour through the city, where Archie witnesses a series of quiet miracles. A charming blend of humor, heart, and holiday mystery, perfect for a classic Christmas listen.

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In this episode, we’re heading back to 1944 for a frantic, festive, and very Abbott-and-Costello-style take on Christmas shopping. Sponsored at the time by Camel Cigarettes, this broadcast is packed with the duo’s trademark rapid-fire banter and wild misunderstandings. Between the slapstick wordplay, the show offers a fascinating snapshot of the era: wartime cigarette ads. A lively mix of comedy, history, and holiday chaos.

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Today we're bringing you the first in a series of interviews John did with personalities who were instrumental in the great old time radio revival of the 1970s and beyond. John sat down with Harvey Tow (better known to L.A. radio fans as Cousin Zeno) for a look back at his decades in vintage radio. Harvey talks about getting his start as a collector in the mid-’60s, hosting on stations like KCSN Northridge through the ’70s and ’80s, and how he managed to rescue a set of Lux Radio Theatre rehearsal discs straight from a former engineer. One of those recordings, The Pied Piper starring Frank Morgan, is featured in this episode. Along the way, Harvey shares memories of meeting legends like Bill Conrad and Roddy McDowall.

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In today’s episode, we’re unwrapping a classic from Fibber McGee and Molly, originally aired December 21st, 1948. The fun kicks off when Fibber finds a mysterious card signed “Love, Elizabeth,” and immediately jumps to all the wrong conclusions. The truth, of course, is far more innocent. It’s a charming slice of holiday mischief, complete with those wonderfully earnest Johnson’s Glo-Coat ads. We also talk about how this script later inspired a similar episode featuring Molly.

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Today’s show takes us to Christmas 1947 for a warm-hearted episode of Family Theater called “Substitute Santa.” We’re back to packed department stores, a frazzled manager scrambling to find someone — anyone — to fill in as Santa, and an owner who’s way more worried about a $4,000 mink coat giveaway than spreading holiday cheer. The star is character actor Frank McHugh, and the show is hosted by Ray Milland. And because this is family theater, woven through the story are reminders about prayer, the Nativity, and what the season is really supposed to be about.

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On today’s episode, we’re rolling back to December 18, 1949, for the traditional The Jack Benny Christmas Show. It’s Christmas week on CBS, the stores are packed, and Jack and Mary are just trying to finish their shopping without losing their minds. Naturally, that means running into every character in Benny’s universe; Rochester, Phil Harris, Dennis Day, and a few crazy store clerks. The whole thing is sprinkled with Lucky Strike jingles, plus a running gag about the hit song “Mule Train,” which was absolutely everywhere that year. After the show, John digs into some fun history, including a surprisingly early use of the word “smog” to describe L.A.’s air.

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Today we’re celebrating Thanksgiving with something special, particularly if you're any kind of a "Disney-phile." It's a rare 1938 NBC radio broadcast marking the 10th anniversary of Mickey Mouse! You’ll hear Felix Mills and his orchestra, visits from Donald Duck and Clara Cluck, and even a personal appearance by Walt Disney himself. The show takes us from Steamboat Willie all the way through the triumph of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. A perfect slice of radio and Disney history to enjoy with your Thanksgiving leftovers.

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