Although sometimes maligned for its pulp-magazine origins, Hard Boiled Detective fiction has become a fixture in romantic literature. The genre delights in emphasizing emotions of apprehension, terror, awe, and even horror while filtering the emotions through the cynicism of the protagonist. The cynicism results as a reaction to the violence that the protagonist faces. The… Continue reading Mystery Writers in Old Time Radio
Author: oldradioshows
Happy Birthday, Carol Channing! Enjoy her Old Time Radio Broadcast from 1955
Today we celebrate the 97th birthday of the actress, Carol Channing.  Dubbed “First Lady of Musical Comedy”, Carol Channing was primarily a comic stage actor. Born on January 31, 1921, she debuted on stage in “No for an Answer” (1941), She made her Broadway debut in “Proof Through the Night” (1942) and appeared on the silver… Continue reading Happy Birthday, Carol Channing! Enjoy her Old Time Radio Broadcast from 1955
Country Music Parleyed Strong … Just Ask Johnny
Old Time radio never would have had the following it enjoyed if not for the music venues that were offered from coast to coast. Americans loved to tune-in and catch the hits and wonders of the day in various musical genre. One of the more prolific and popular trends was that of country music. Country… Continue reading Country Music Parleyed Strong … Just Ask Johnny
Old Time Radio Christmas
The shopping and preparation for Christmas is when the retail industry makes their biggest haul of the year. It just wouldn’t seem right if Santa didn’t start showing up in the stores before the Halloween candy was put away. In the last few weeks before the Big Day, many of us are sticking the buds… Continue reading Old Time Radio Christmas
Christmas Episodes: Bergen & McCarthy and Great Gildersleeve
Christmas is too special of a holiday to be restricted to just one or two days. Yes, the Big Guy in Red coming down the Chimney and filling the stockings, followed by the kids ripping into all those beautifully wrapped boxes, is the high point of the season, but the anticipation of Christmas really is… Continue reading Christmas Episodes: Bergen & McCarthy and Great Gildersleeve
Recommended Series For First Time OTR Listeners
There are so many facets to the world of Old Time Radio, it is hard to know where to start enjoying it. The truth is there is so much to enjoy in OTR, it is easy to imagine that almost anything you pick out will delight you. But that still leaves you with the difficult… Continue reading Recommended Series For First Time OTR Listeners
Singin Sam “Barbasol Man”
When we study the personalities of Old Time Radio, every once in a while we encounter the story of what appears to be a very happy man. One such person was Harry Frankel, better known as Singin’ Sam. Harry was born in Ohio in 1888 to a men’s clothing merchant who soon took the family… Continue reading Singin Sam “Barbasol Man”
Old Time Radio Crime Shows
Die hard fans of Old Time Radio would have us believe that there is something in the OTR world for everyone, and to a great extent they are correct. Many of us find that we have favorites in every OTR genre. However, there are three types of show which Old Time Radio does exceptionally… Continue reading Old Time Radio Crime Shows
Let Yours Truly, Bob Bailey, Do It!
Bob Bailey was “born in a theater trunk” in Toledo, Ohio, to traveling-performer parents. Bob first hit the stage at the age of six. As a young man he began performing on the radio in Chicago, which was a hub of network production during the pre-War years. Bailey appeared in a number of anthology productions… Continue reading Let Yours Truly, Bob Bailey, Do It!
Top Secret: “Unknown Mission”
Assassination for political or military reasons, unpleasant though it may be to think about, is a tool of statecraft and strategic practice. Nonetheless, assassination is murder, and it exacts a moral toll on those who practice it. State sanctioned assassination of course occurs in real life, but certainly not with the frequency we see in… Continue reading Top Secret: “Unknown Mission”