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
Category: Old Time Radio
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
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
Good Night Debbie Reynolds
For all the glitz and glamour of Golden Age Hollywood, there is a definite sadness as the players from that time are leaving us. The sadness is compounded when we realize that even after a full life many of these celebrities will not be allowed to rest in peace because of the interest their lives… Continue reading Good Night Debbie Reynolds
AFRTS: Armed Forces Network Radio
The Armed Forces Radio and Television Service (AFRTS, also going by the brand AFN, Armed Forces Network) operate one of the largest Satellite Television and Radio systems in the world. The service was and is considered vital to the morale of American Service Men and Women serving overseas, but is little known beyond those it… Continue reading AFRTS: Armed Forces Network Radio
Arch Oboler’s Sounds
It we consider radio drama as an art form, three great names stand out as masters; Orson Welles, Norman Corwin, and Arch Oboler. Of the three, Arch Oboler could almost be counted as a forgotten or over-looked genius. Oboler was the child of impoverished Latvian Jews in Chicago; his childhood was poor but highly cultured,… Continue reading Arch Oboler’s Sounds
Halloween the Whole Year ‘Round: Himan Brown and the Horror Host
Himan Brown was one of radios foremost pioneers and an advocate for the medium long after the commercial sponsors had given up on radio drama. His name is attached to an impressive number of OTR programs in all genres, but he is best remembered for giving us the Horror classic, Inner Sanctum Mysteries. Notable for… Continue reading Halloween the Whole Year ‘Round: Himan Brown and the Horror Host