When Radio Ruled

By Mike Gillett - the BeforeTV Project

A look at Old Time Radio and the world around it. A chronological look at the original mass media.... more

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FAQs about When Radio Ruled:

How many episodes does When Radio Ruled have?

The podcast currently has 151 episodes available.

When Radio Ruled episodes:

January 22, 2025 When Radio Ruled #111 – Connee Boswell Sings 1939
Connee Boswell was one of the first white artists to integrate the jazz and swing experimentations of black New Orleans musicians into popular music.
The tempo, rhythm and pitch changes she and her sisters introduced to close harmony arrangements fused together Classical, Jazz, Swing, and Blues as never before.
The work she did on the radio and on the screen as well as behind the scenes as writer and arranger changed the sound of popular music and influenced directly or indirectly every vocalist since.
SONG LIST:
Jumpin’ Jive
Scatterbrain
Any Umbrellas?
Shuffle Off to Buffalo (with the Boswell Sisters)
Tumbling Tumbleweeds
Stop, it’s Wonderful
I Can’t Give You Anything But Love
Don’t Worry About Me
Begin the Beguinne
Oh, Johnny!
Ain’t Ya Comin’ Out?
Rancho Grande
I Didn’t Know What Time It Was
Heaven Can Wait
My Little Skipper
My Last Good-Bye
Goody Good-Bye
Click Here to Listen to Connee Boswell 1939
...more
56min
January 15, 2025 When Radio Ruled #110 – SoundScape 1939 part 1
For the Previous 2 episodes, The Year 1939 – Politics and the year 1939 – Culture and Technology, I listened to almost 1000 hours of OTR in chronological order. I got to hear 1939 unfold through broadcasts from the day and learn what the podcasts should be about.
As I go, I create a best of collection of clips I might possibly use in the podcast that isn’t written yet.
This results in a rather large number of clips, 36 hours for the year 1939, history from those living it.
1939 was the year the country woke up to the horrific scale of the war we all saw coming.
The Soundscapes for 1939 series will tell the story of optimism to pessimism, of hope to resignation, compromise to confrontation through a tapestry of OTR clips.
Here is part 1, Curated clips broadcast chronologically January 1 to January 12, 1939. The early, hopeful days in 1939.
Highlights include
Goodbye 1938 hello 1939
How to have happiness in marriage?
A Great Playlet “Rose by Any Other Name” starring Melvyn Douglas
Other Feature Performers include:
Don Wilson
Mary Livingston
Jack Benny
The Phil Harris Orchestra
Andy Devine
Cecil B DeMille
Errol Flynn
Joan Blondell
Mae Robeson
Robert Young
Meredith Wilson
Orson Welles
Kenny Baker
Henry Morgan
Fanny Brice
And more!
Click Here to Listen to SoundScape 1939 part 1
...more
1h 7min
December 16, 2024 When Radio Ruled #109 – 1939 part 2 Culture, Technology, and Arts
There was no happy ending for 1939. The whole decade was spent clawing our way out of financial disaster, now we got a humanitarian disaster beyond imagining as slaughter continues world wide.
But Life doesn’t hold still! This episode features the cultural, technological, and social changes that occurred over the noise of the war in 1939!
FEATURING
Dick Powell
The Teddy Powell Orchestra
Orson Welles
Fibber McGee and Molly
Cecil B. DeMille
Mrs. Sara Roosevelt
Jack Benny
Eddie “Rochester” Anderson
Charlie McCarthy
Edgar Bergen
Tony Galento
Mary Livingston
Lou Gehrig
Fred Allen
Harry Von Zell
Don Ameche
Connee Boswell
Bert Lahr
Judy Garland
Fran Morgan
Dorothy Lamour
Dinah Shore
Bing Crosby
Jane Withers
The Yacht Club Boys
And More!!
Click Here to Listen to 1939 part 2!!
...more
0min
December 06, 2024 When Radio Ruled Episode #108 1939 part 1 – The War Begins
Germany invades Poland! The Chaos Begins!
1939 as told through the Radio Broadcasts of the day!!
The dreaded war finally begins with the German invasion of Poland. Neville Chamberlain is forced to grow a spine. Winston Churchill returns to Government. Franklin Roosevelt Hates War. And some Really Hot Swing Licks by Artie Shaw.
FEATURING
Mary Livingston
Jack Benny
Fibber McGee and Molly
Orson Welles
Pearl Buck
Anna Mae Wong
Franklin Roosevelt
Daddy and Snooks
Cecil B Demille
H.V. Kalternberg
Winston Churchill
Nelson Eddy
The Artie Shaw Orchestra
And More!!
Click Here to Hear with Your Ears When Radio Ruled 1939 part 1
...more
0min
April 01, 2024 When Radio Ruled #107 SoundScape 1938 part 33
We’ve got both reassuring fantasy and unsettling reality in this episode. On one hand we’ll hear old friends Donald Duck and the Seven Dwarfs in a fairy tale setting, and we’ll hear our soon to be enemy, Nazi Germany take over the real world Austria.
Starring:
Orson Welles
Don Wilson
Jack Benny
Mary Livingstone
Phil Harris
Kenny Baker
Eddie “Rochester” Anderson
Mickey Mouse
Minnie Mouse
Goofy
Walt Disney
Snow White
The Wicked Queen
Donald Duck
The Seven Dwarfs
In this episode:
Orson Welles is Ebenezer Scrooge!
Jack Benny, Movie Star!
Jack is Building a new Beverly Hills Home!
God Bless You Mr. Chamberlain!
Donald Duck is Making Trouble!
Don’t Buy an Apple from the Wicked Queen!
The Disney Gang meets the Seven Dwarfs!
CBS News Reports on the European Crisis!
Why Doesn’t Britain do Something?!
And More!!
Click Here to Listen to SoundScape 1938 part 33
...more
1h 2min
March 23, 2024 When Radio Ruled #106 – SoundScape 1938 part 32
This Episode consists of a curated collection of Old Time Radio Clips originally broadcast live December 25 through December 29, 1938.
Starring:
Don Wilson
Mary Livingstone
Jack Benny
Eddie “Rochester” Anderson
Kenny Baker
Andy Devine
Phil Harris
Joan Bennett
Cecil B. DeMille
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Walt Disney
Robert Young
Bill Stern
Frank Morgan
Featured Songs Include:
Whistle While You Work –Snow White
The Digging Song – The Seven Dwarfs
In this episode:
Jack Benny throws a Christmas Party!
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs!
Walt Disney talks with Cecil B. DeMille!
Bill Stern talks about announcing Football Games!
And More!!
Click Here to Give episode #106 a Listen!
...more
1h 1min
March 12, 2024 When Radio Ruled #105 – SoundScape 1938 part 31
This Episode consists of a curated collection of Old Time Radio Clips originally broadcast live December 11 through December 22, 1938.
Starring:
The Cast of Family Doctor
Fred Allen
Santa Claus
Robert Young
Lionel Barrymore
Reginald Owen
Jack Benny
Eddie “Rochester” Anderson
Don Wilson
Mary Livingstone
Phil Harris
Kenny Baker
Andy Devine
Hanley Stafford
Fanny Brice
In this episode:
Fred Allen interviews Santa Claus!
Lionel Barrymore Narrates “A Christmas Carol”!
Jack and the Gang take the Train Cross Country!
Baby Snooks goes to the department store!
It’s Christmas in 1938!
And More!!
Please come with me on the time machine to the year 1938 and be entertained by these giants of show biz from long ago, alive again through the magic of the theater of the mind.
Soundscape 1938, part 31, from When Radio Ruled, offered without further commentary for your entertainment and education. But mostly for your entertainment.
Click here to give Episode 105 a Listen!
...more
1h 8min
March 05, 2024 When Radio Ruled #104 – SoundScape 1938 part 30
My personal OTR collection contains thousands of hours of old time radio I use in order to create the year by year historical When Radio Ruled documentaries, and as I listen to each episode I extract the most interesting and entertaining bits to create a best of reel as a reference for when writing the scripts. And that’s what you are about to hear, part of that best of reel, a one hour chunk of really great audio artifacts from 1938.
The Episode consists of a curated collection of Old Time Radio Clips originally broadcast live November 25 through December 11, 1938.
Starring:
Orson Welles
Agnes Moorehead
Don Wilson
Jack Benny
Phil Harris
Kenny Baker
Mary Livingstone
Eddie “Rochester” Anderson
Cast of Family Doctor
Featured Songs Include
They Say – Helen Forrest with the Artie Shaw Orchestra
My Reverie – Helen Forrest with the Artie Shaw Orchestra
Who Blew Out The Flame – Helen Forrest with the Artie Shaw Orchestra
Pocketful of Dreams – Phil Harris and His Orchestra
In this episode:
Some Smoking Jazz From Artie Shaw!
Jack Benny has a bad cold!
Flash Benny Football Hero!
The Benny Gang Visits New York!
Jack’s Annual Christmas Shopping Trip!
And More!!
Click Here to Hear SoundScape 1938 part 30
...more
1h 24min
February 20, 2024 When Radio Ruled #103 – SoundScape 1938 part 29
My personal OTR collection contains thousands of hours of old time radio I use in order to create the year by year historical When Radio Ruled documentaries, and as I listen to each episode I extract the most interesting and entertaining bits to create a best of reel as a reference for when writing the scripts. And that’s what you are about to hear, part of that best of reel, a one hour chunk of really great audio artifacts from 1938.
The Episode consists of a curated collection of Old Time Radio Clips originally broadcast live November 17 through November 24, 1938.
Starring:
Louis B. Mayer
Father Flanagan
Don Wilson
Mary Livingstone
Phil Harris
Jack Benny
Kenny Baker
Cast of The Family Doctor
Robert Young
Fanny Brice
Hanley Stafford
Mickey Rooney
Louis Stone
Faye Holden
Cecelia Parker
Ann Rutherford
In this episode:
Louis B Mayer talks about the Movie BoysTown!
Kenny Baker Plays a Cannibal!
Baby Snooks Gets a New Car and Daddy gets a ticket!
The Hardy family show us the true meaning of Thanksgiving!
And More!!
Click Here to Hear SoundScape 1938 part 29
...more
1h 4min
February 14, 2024 When Radio Ruled #102 – SoundScape 1938 part 28
My personal OTR collection contains thousands of hours of old time radio I use in order to create the year by year historical When Radio Ruled documentaries, and as I listen to each episode I extract the most interesting and entertaining bits to create a best of reel as a reference for when writing the scripts. And that’s what you are about to hear, part of that best of reel, a one hour chunk of really great audio artifacts from 1938.
The Episode consists of a curated collection of Old Time Radio Clips originally broadcast live November 10 through November 17, 1938.
Starring:
Cast of Columbia Workshop
Lionel Barrymore
Don Wilson
Jack Benny
Mary Livingstone
Phil Harris
Kenny Baker
Eddie “Rochester” Anderson
Peter Van Steeden
Fred Allen
Portland Hoffa
Harry Von Zell
Rudy Vallee
Joe DiMaggio
In this episode:
Lionel Barrymore prays for peace!
Jack Benny Steals Phil Harris’ Girlfriend!
Fred Allen talks Taxes on False Teeth!
Song of the Vice Presidents!
Rudy Vallee interviews Joe DiMaggio
And More!!
Click for a Listen to When Radio Ruled #102!
...more
1h 7min

FAQs about When Radio Ruled:

How many episodes does When Radio Ruled have?

The podcast currently has 151 episodes available.