When Radio Ruled

Sometimes an actor playing a character becomes so popular with their audience that it becomes more than a character, it becomes a persona that the actor inhabits.

Such was the case with Vera Vague, a creation of actor/writer Babara Jo Allen.

Vera Vague was a constant presence on Old Time Radio, man-hungry, misinformed, and most amusing.

Guest Starring:

Edgar Bergen

Charlie McCarthy

Don Ameche

And

Rudy Vallee

Click Here to Hear Vera Vague 1939!!

Curated clips of live broadcasts from popular radio shows of the day.

History through the eyes of people as they lived it, reported by radio.

In today’s SoundScape:

Donald Dixon Tries to Tell a Joke!

Charlie McCarthy Interior Decorator!

Charlie McCarthy Astronomer!

Charlie McCarthy Coin Collector!

Charlie McCarthy Boy Scout!

Charlie McCarthy Talent Agent!

And More!!

Featuring:

Don Ameche

Dorothy Lamour

Charlie McCarthy

Edgar Bergen

Donald Dixon

Kay Frances

Josephine Hutchinson

Mischa Auer

Beatrice Kay

Nelson Eddy

Vera Vague

Joan Blondell

And More!

Click Here to Hear this Here SoundScape!

Fred Allen and the people you didn’t expect to meet 1939.

Fred Allen was famously a control freak on his radio shows. Although he used a staff of writers, it was just to generate ideas and jokes that would be incorporated into the final script that Fred always wrote personally.

Each minute of those shows were a reflection of Fred, including his frequent on air conversations from many folks from many walks of life.

I, personally, am grateful to Fred for helping me to appreciate the lives lived by folks in that past by allowing those folks to tell their own stories.

I think you will also enjoy those  real life stories.

Give Old Fred’s 1939 Conversations a Listen!

Curated clips of live broadcasts from popular radio shows of the day.

History through the eyes of people as they lived it, reported by radio.

In today’s SoundScape:

Meet a Real English Butler!

Edgar Bergen Gets Airsick!

The Pie Eyed Piper of Hamlin!

And More!!

Featuring:

Cecil B Demille

Charlie McCarthy

Dorothy Lamour

Don Ameche

Edgar Bergen

Andrea Leeds

Donald Dixon

Vera Vague

Ida Lupino

And More!

Click Here for a Nice Hot Earful of 1939!!

Old Time Radio was dog eat dog, CBS and NBC scooped up the all the best stations and biggest talent, leaving all the little local stations in the dust.

Not all the independent stations wanted to let NBC and CBS run away with their audiences

In 1934 WGN and 3 other independents, WOR in New York, WLW in Cincinnati, and WXYZ in Detroit entered into a program sharing agreement. They called themselves the Mutual Network but they were more Mutual than Network. There was a coordination committee, but the real power was with the individual stations who maintained their autonomy as equals.

It was a bottom-up business model. Socialized Radio that shared shows for a several hours a week, but also did their own local thing with the lion’s share of their airtime.

From these humble beginnings, Mutual would grow to cover the entire country and compete head to head with NBC and CBS.

Click Here for the Origins of Mutual

Old Time Radio highlights originally broadcast live June 29 to July 9, 1939.

Chronologically curated clips of live broadcasts from popular shows of the day.

History told by the people living it, as reported by radio.

In Today’s SoundScape:

The Making of Wizard of Oz

Meadow Mouse Grabs 40 Winks!

Charlie and Edgar visit the Grand Canyon!

Featuring:

Judy Garland

Harold Arlen

Robert Young

Bert Lahr

Ray Bolger

Frank Morgan

Don Ameche

Charlie McCarthy

Edgar Bergen

Donald Dixon

Dorothy Lamour

Jackie Cooper

Alan Mowbray

Cecil B DeMiille

H.V. Kaltenborn

The Green Hornet

Tony Galento

1939 for Your Ears is Just a Click Away!

Voices from 1939 talking with one of the Greatest Voices on Old Time Radio

In 1939 Orson Welles was only 24 years old but a veteran of Radio. He’d been a regular on The March of Time and was enjoying a very successful run playing the Shadow.

These excerpts are from the Campbell Playhouse in 1939, previously named Mercury Theater of the Air.

These interviews were a regular feature of the Campbell Playhouse. And were meant to deepen the audience understanding of that week’s Radio Play.

FEATURING:

Orson Welles

Dorothy Hall

The Warden of Sing-Sing Prison

Laurence Olivier

Noah Beery

Jane Allen

Pearl Buck

Anna Mae Wong

John P. Maquand

George Jean Nathan

Gertrude Lawrence

Mary Astor

Paulette Goddard

Edna Furber

And More!!

Orson Welles Awaits! Click Here to Hear!!

Curated clips of live broadcasts from popular radio shows of the day.

History through the eyes of people as they lived it, reported by radio.

In today’s SoundScape:

The Town Hall News!

A Newsreel Camera Man!

Fred Allen Bad Mouths Jack Benny!

Life Begins at 40!

And More

Featuring:

Cecil B DeMille

Dr. Ronald W. McCorkle

Fibber McGee and Molly

Harry Van Steeden

Fred Allen

Portland Hoffa

The Merry Macs

Jack Benny

Don Wilson

Phil Harris

Mary Livingstone

Andy Devine

Eddie “Rochester” Anderson

Edgar Bergen

Charlie McCarthy

Don Ameche

Ginger Rogers

And More!

Click Here To Take a Trip to 1939!

In public, Eddie Cantor was known as a charming clown with a side of song.

In private, Eddie Cantor was a concerned citizen who dedicated much of his personal time and wealth to Jewish charities and causes. The more he saw the rising hatred directed at the Jewish people, the more he felt the need to ease their burden.

Radio Priest Father Charles Coughlin preached we should give the Germans benefit of the doubt. Communism was just as bad. And did you notice all those Commies are Jews?

Not subtle, but effective and a message that would meet with brave resistance from Eddie Cantor.

 A real life Radio Feud with national political implications.

Also appearing:

The Mad Russian

Baby Snooks

Don Wilson

Jack Benny

Click Here to Listen to Eddie Cantor vs Father Coughlin

Curated clips of live broadcasts from popular radio shows of the day.

History through the eyes of people as they lived it, reported by radio.

In today’s SoundScape:

Royalty are just regular folks!

Jack Benny with the Hollywood Gossip!

The Patent Office is Your Friend!

Frank Morgan talks Wizard of Oz and World Fairs!

A Big Dose of Great Swing Music!

And More

Featuring:

Cecil B Demille

Fibber McGee and Molly

Jack Benny

Mary Livingstone

Don Wilson

Kenny Baker

Orson Welles

Zasu Pitts

The Green Hornet

Barney Rapp and His New Englanders featuring Ruby Wright

Baby Snooks and Daddy

Frank Morgan

Connie Boswell

Doris Day

Phil Harris

Eddie “Rochester” Anderson

Andy Devine

And More!

Click Here for a Radio Journey Down Memory Lane!