"The Big Broadcast" Live Sunday 12/12 7-11pm est

WAMU ^ | 12/12/10 | Ed Walker

[Vision]

Friends, it's Sunday night again. Warm up the tubes for another 4 hours of classic radio programs.

Listen Live

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[Vision]

"The Big Broadcast is a Sunday night tradition for families throughout the WAMU listening area. Each week, Big Broadcast host Ed Walker offers listeners priceless recordings of popular radio programs from the '30s, '40s and '50s. Priceless, especially, for a man whose first sentence as a child was, 'Turn the radio on.' "

[Vision]

Happy Sunday Night...Classic Radio Time...

[Vision]

• 07:00 p.m. Johnny Dollar
  12/24/49 Department Store Swindle (CBS)(Sus.)(29:48)
• 07:30 p.m. Dragnet
  12/22/49 #030 .22 Rifle for Christmas (NBC)(Sus.)(27:04)
• 08:00 p.m. Gunsmoke
  06/04/61 #478 Cows and Cribs (CBS)(20:04)
• 08:30 p.m. Fibber McGee & Molly
  12/21/48 #566 Christmas Card from Elizabeth (Johnson's Wax)(NBC)(29:20)
• 09:00 p.m. Red Skelton
  12/24/50 Junior's Christmas Party (Tide)(CBS)(29:28)
• 09:30 p.m. Tales of the Texas Rangers
  12/24/50 #24 Christmas Present (Sus.)(NBC)(29:46)
• 10:00 p.m. Lux Radio Theater 03/10/47 It's a Wonderful Life w/Jimmy Stewart & Donna Reed (Lux)(CBS)(59:35)

[Vision]

10:00 p.m. Lux Radio Theater 03/10/47 It's a Wonderful Life w/Jimmy Stewart & Donna Reed (Lux)(CBS)(59:35)

What a treat! Such a special program.

[Huskrrrr]

I listen every week now. Thanks!!

[Vision]

Fantastic. Has anything been your favorite?

Would you like on the ping list?

[Huskrrrr]

Johnny Dollar and Jack Benny are my favorites. Yes, ping please.

[WXRGina]

We’re here early! We’re warming up the tubes with Saints radio football!

Who Dat?!!

[Vision]

Hello Gina. How did your article go?

The Jimmy Stewart program is as good as it gets.

[Raven6]

Vision, please ad me to the ping list...

I love these old radio shows... I have digital copies of every "Shadow", and just about every broadcast of "The Campbell's Soup Theatre" and "The Mercury Theatre." I also have many of the old "Amos and Andy" shows... I intend to broadcast them nightly (in order) from my low power (1 milliwatt, part 15) AM transmitter - it is under construction. When completed, everyone within about a mile will be able to pick up my broadcast. Run through my computer, the broadcast will consist of big band music from the 30's through about 1945, along with period radio ads (like Bromo-Seltzer, etc.) during the day. At night, the system will select the different radio dramas. Why go to all this trouble? First, it's quality entertainment. Second, anything else coming out of my 1938 Zenith Console or my 1941 Zenith table model is just pure anachronism that I cannot stand. Those old radios are just meant for the "good stuff", not the garbage played on so many stations today.

Regards,
Raven6

[steelyourfaith]

Thanx again, Vision !

December 12, 2010 (WARNING: Contains Spoilers)

• 7:00 p.m. Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar
  12/24/49 "Department Store Swindle" (CBS)(Sus.)(29:48) Program #31 Charles Russell , Jay Novello, Georgia Ellis, Marlene Ames (or Adams), Parley Baer, Paul Dubov, Connie Crowder ; Producer/Director - Gordon T. Hughes ; Writers- Paul Dudley & Gil Doud ; Music - Leith Stevens ; Announcer - Bob Stevenson ; Sound Effects - Billy Gould, Berne Surrey ; Expense Account Total - $ 511.50 ; “It was the week before Christmas and all through the house, a creature was stirring — and boy, what a rat!” [Music] “This is another in the adventures of America’s fabulous freelance insurance investigator, Johnny Dollar, starring Charles Russell. At insurance investigation, Johnny Dollar is only an expert — at making out his expense account, he’s an absolute genius!” [Music] “Expense Account: Submitted by Special Investigator Johnny Dollar. To: Home Office, Industrial Insurers Incorporated, Hartford, Connecticut. Attention: Mr. Even Steven, General Manager. The following is an accounting of my expenditures during investigation of small time swindles of big time department stores, or — how I played Santa Claus and almost got left holding the sack, or — going for a sleigh ride without benefit of snow can be tough sledding.” What do you do when the bad guy is really Santa Claus? Ho, ho! Johnny is sent to Manhattan to investigate a peculiar robber who has been hitting many department stores. His modus operandi is to act like a salesman, take people's money, and then scram. In Miller's Store a little girl has taken his picture, and the when the crook tried to take the camera the little girl bit his hand. In his efforts to evade capture we find out that the crook has managed to masquerade as Santa Claus. Finally, he stows himself away in an 8' by 3' packing case - but unfortunately for him the destination of the case was the state prison in Ossining.

• 7:30 p.m. Dragnet
  12/22/49 ".22 Rifle for Christmas" (NBC)(Sus.) (27:04) Program #30 Jack Webb (Joe Friday), Barton Yarborough (Ben Romero) ; Writers - James E. "Jim" Moser & Jack Webb ; Technical Advice - William H. Parker, L.A. Police Chief ; Chief of detectives Thad Brown is in charge of the investigation of missing nine year old Stanley Johnstone. There are bloodstains, and an empty .22 bullet cartridge, in the area where the boy was last seen. Friday and Romero talk to his mother, Ruth. The father is a fireman named George. They discover that the .22 rifle that had been bought as a Christmas present for Stanley was missing. Lieutenant Lee Jones from the police lab reports that the blood was human, type O, which is the same as Stanley's. Officer Levinson finds the gun behind the Johnstone house, and reports that another 8 year old boy, Steven Moreheim, is now missing, too. Mrs. John (Edith) Moreheim is interviewed by Friday and Romero. She says her son's blood type is O. Stanley Johnstone has come home, acting strangely according to his mother. Friday and Romero talk to Stanley, who says he killed Steve by accident, and then he carried him to a cave where he hid him, and prayed to God that Steve come back to life. The body is recovered. The police are convinced that it was an accident. John Moreheim is devastated. He wants to see Stanley. Forgivingly, he wants to give Stanley the Christmas presents that were to be Steven's.

• 8:00 p.m. Gunsmoke
  6/4/61 "Cows and Cribs" (CBS)(20:04) Program #478 William Conrad (Matt Dillon), Parley Baer (Chester Proudfoot), Howard McNear (Doc Adams), Georgia Ellis (Kitty Russell), Vic Perrin, John Dehner, Virginia Christine, Frank Cady, Jeannette Nolan ; Director - Norman Macdonnell ; Writer - John Meston ; Music Composer/Conductor - Rex Koury ; Announcer - George Walsh ; Aired on television December 7, 1957. ; Joe Nadler is a homesteader who neglects his farm and his wife. The two are starving and have no more credit in town with which to buy seed. Mat finds Joe slaughtering one of Emmet Bowers' calves but Bowers refuses to press charges against a starving man. Nadler crosses the line, however, when he continues to rustle Emmet's beef and starts to sell the meat in Dodge. In another part of town, Ed Thorpe and his wife have succumbed to "spotted fever" leaving their infant to be tended to by Ma Smalley. When Nadler is killed the fates of his widowed wife and of the orphaned infant converge.

• 8:30 p.m. Fibber McGee & Molly
  12/21/48 "Christmas Card from Elizabeth" Program #566 (29:20) Jim Jordan (Fibber McGee), Marian Jordan (Molly McGee), Bill Thompson, Arthur Q. Bryan, Gale Gordon, Jack Kirkwood ; The King's Men, Billy Mills Orchestra ; Writers - Don Quinn, Phil Leslie ; Sponsor - Johnson's Wax ; Pitchman - Harlow Wilcox ; NBC ; Fibber's gotten a Christmas card signed, "With love, Elizabeth." Who's Elizabeth?

• 9:00 p.m. Red Skelton
  12/24/50 "Junior's Christmas Party" (Tide)(CBS)(29:28) Red Skelton ; Music - David Rose and His Orchestra ; Sponsor - Tide ; Commercial spokesman - John Holbrook ;

• 9:30 p.m. Tales of the Texas Rangers
  12/24/50 #24 "Christmas Present" (Sus.)(NBC)(29:46) Joel McCrea (Ranger Jace Pearson), Tony Barrett, Shepherd Menken, Jim Nusser, Virginia Gregg, Victor Rodman, Byron Kane ; Producer/ Director - Stacey Keach, Sr.;  Transcriber/Adaptor - Joel Murcott ;   Announcer - Hal Gibney ; In 1931, Mr. Peabody's Panhandle Equity Bank is robbed by two guys dressed as Santa Claus.  Miss Keene was slugged in the process, and bank guard Lovett was knocked out.  Ranger Jace Pearson and his boss Captain Stinson investigate.  The getaway vehicle is located and Jace figures the driver was about 6'3", or  1-1.5 inches taller than him, based on the position of the car seat and the rear view mirror.  A red Santa Claus suit button was also found.  The Rangers check out the home of Anthony Ross with a search warrant.  He has boxes with Santa Claus suits, one with a button missing.  He says that a woman rented them and had him pick the suits up for a little monry.  He doesn't know her name.  They take Ross in, but have to deposit his two young kids in a home.  When the real crooks are found, the Rangers provide a Christmas present for the Ross kids.  

• 10:00 p.m. Lux Radio Theater
  3/10/47 "It's a Wonderful Life" (59:35) Jimmy Stewart (George Bailey), Donna Reed (Mary Hatch), Victor Moore (Clarence), Edwin Maxwell (Mr. Potter), Janet Scott (Mother), Noreen Gammill, Cliff Clark, Norma Jean Nilsson, Leo Cleary (Uncle Billy), Edward Marr, William Johnstone (Mr. Bailey), John McIntire (Joseph), Norman Field, Franklyn Parker, Ann Carter, Charles Seel ; Intermission Guest - Susan Blanchard ; Host - William Keighley, Announcer - John Milton Kennedy ; Radio Adaptation - Sanford Barnett ; Screenwriter - George Seaton ; Director - Fred MacKaye ; Sound Effects - Charlie Forsyth ; Commercial Spokeswoman "Libby Collins" - Doris Singleton : Author - Philip Van Doren ; Screenwriters - Frank Capra, Frances Goodrich, Albert Hackett & Jo Swerling ; Radio Adaptation - Sanford Barnett ; Director - Fred MacKaye ; Musical Director - Louis Silvers ; Sponsor - Lux Soap, Spry ; CBS ; Tired of his life on Earth, a man finds out what it's like never to have been born. The angel Clarence saves George Bailey from committing suicide by jumping off the Bedford Falls bridge into the river.  They review George's life including his marriage to Mary Chase, and the fact that his employer, Mr. Potter, is swearing out a warrant for his arrest for the missing $8000.  Clarence shows George what would have happened if George hadn't been born.  George wants to live again.

[WXRGina]

Yes, that will be swell for the last hour!

Both articles for this week got me attacked and supported, as usual. Tuesday’s piece about the man trying to break into the LPGA brought the screeching pro-homosexuals out of the woodwork, and the comments below the article are indicative of how those people react to any criticism of their lifestyle: (blog pimp alert!) http://www.dakotavoice.com/2010/12/lpga-in-lockstep-caves-to-radical-homosexual-agenda/

On Thursday’s column, I went after Al Sharpton for lying about Rush Limbaugh, so I received more flak and more support, yet again: http://www.dakotavoice.com/2010/12/al-sharpton-to-fcc-take-%e2%80%98racist%e2%80%99-rush-limbaugh-off-the-air/

It was another usual week at the keyboard! Thank you for asking, Vision!

[Vision]

I love these old radio shows... I have digital copies of every "Shadow", and just about every broadcast of "The Campbell's Soup Theatre" and "The Mercury Theatre." I also have many of the old "Amos and Andy" shows... I intend to broadcast them nightly (in order) from my low power (1 milliwatt, part 15) AM transmitter - it is under construction. When completed, everyone within about a mile will be able to pick up my broadcast. Run through my computer, the broadcast will consist of big band music from the 30's through about 1945, along with period radio ads (like Bromo-Seltzer, etc.) during the day. At night, the system will select the different radio dramas. Why go to all this trouble?

Because you have taste and are a rock star. I'd be your number 1 listener.

[Vision]

Hello. Just got back from a week of business in Phoenix and am on a bourbon drip.

[steelyourfaith]

LOL. Cheers !

[Vision]

It's amazing people are attacking you for those articles. I love the comment “attacking the transgendered is not acceptable Gina.” Where do you even begin with a loser like this? You don't, you defeat them as Rush says.

[Vision]

Have you heard the It's a Wonderful Life program before?

If I remember correctly, they had been doing it many times on stage or for the radio before the movie. And Stewart (a personal hero) talks about how tough the schedule of promoting the movie is. Pure priceless Americana.

[WXRGina]

That’s right! We must never back down and never give in.

[steelyourfaith]

Yes, I heard the Lux version a few years back. Also the Screen Director's Playhouse version from 5/8/49 also with Jimmy Stewart. Stewart is from Indiana .... Indiana, Pennsylvania, where there is a college that at one time was known as "Indiana State Teacher's College (of Pennsylvania)". Another in the state teacher's college system was located in California, Pennsylvania ... "California State Teacher's College (of Pennsylvania)".

[WXRGina]

That’s great, Raven! Wish we lived close to you! :-)

My husband collects antique radios, and our favorite one is a beautiful 1936 Atwater Kent, model 725, and it works! The sound is so warm and rich. Here is a link to a picture of it: http://atwaterkentradio.com/ak725.htm