These brief synopses are used with permission from the RadioGOLDINdex © 2015 J. David Goldin.
7:00 PM Eastern War Time Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar. December 23, 1955. Program #5. CBS net. "The Nick Shurn Matter". Sustaining. Conclusion of the story. The showdown...victory and then disaster. A visitor turns out to be be death! Bob Bailey, Roy Rowan (announcer), Les Crutchfield (writer), Jack Johnstone (producer, director), Virginia Gregg, Jack Kruschen, Ken Christy, Amerigo Moreno (musical supervisor), Sam Edwards, Peggy Webber, Don Diamond, Ben Wright, Barney Phillips. 15:13. Audio condition: Excellent. Complete.
7:15 The Couple Next Door. 12/23/58 Picking Out a Christmas Tree (Sus.) (CBS). Synopsis is missing from the Index.
7:30 Dragnet. July 28, 1949. Program #8. NBC net origination, AFRS rebroadcast. Juanita Laskey has been reported missing by her mother. The story takes place at Christmas, despite the July broadcast date (which is subject to correction). Jack Webb, Barton Yarborough, Raymond Burr. 30:37. Audio condition: Very good. Complete.
8:00 Gunsmoke. December 20, 1959. CBS net origination, AFRTS Christmas Show Library. "Beeker's Barn". A young couple take shelter in her estranged father's barn, just before she has a baby! A rebroadcast of the script first used on the program of December 23, 1956 (see cat. #54844). William Conrad, Parley Baer, Georgia Ellis, Howard McNear, Ralph Moody, Vic Perrin, Virginia Gregg, Les Crutchfield (writer), George Walsh (announcer). 24:56. Audio condition: Excellent. Complete.
8:30 The Six-Shooter. December 20, 1953. NBC net. Sustaining. The story of "A Christmas Carol" is retold with a western motif. Jimmy Stewart, Basil Adlam (music), Frank Burt (creator, writer), Hal Gibney (announcer), Jack Johnstone (producer, director), Dick Beals, Howard McNear, Will Wright, Eleanor Audley, Tyler McVey. 29:28. Audio condition: Excellent. Complete.
9:00 Father Knows Best. December 24, 1953. NBC net. Sponsored by: Post 40% Bran Flakes, Sanka, Post Wheat Meal. It's Christmas eve and the family has unique ideas to celebrate it. Ted Donaldson, Jean Vander Pyl, Helen Strohm, Jeanette Nolan, Herb Butterfield, Ed James (creator), Paul West (writer), Robert Young, Rhoda Williams, Roz Rogers (writer), Bill Forman (announcer). 29:33. Audio condition: Very good. Complete.
9:30 The Red Skelton Show. 12/24/50 Junior's Christmas Party (Tide) (CBS). Synopsis is missing from the Index.
10:00 The Great Gildersleeve. December 24, 1944. NBC net. Sponsored by: Kraft Parkay. An old-fashioned Christmas at the water commissioner's. Harold Peary gets caught with the mike open just before the chimes. Arthur Q. Bryan, Bea Benaderet, Claude Sweeten (music), Earle Ross, Harold Peary, John Whedon (writer), Ken Carpenter (announcer), Ken Christy, Lillian Randolph, Louise Erickson, Richard LeGrand, Sam Moore (writer), Shirley Mitchell (?), Walter Tetley. 29:22. Audio condition: Excellent. Complete.
10:30 Suspense. December 21, 1953. CBS net. "'Twas The Night Before Christmas". Sponsored by: Auto-Lite. The parents of a little girl aren't coming back for Christmas. They were on a plane reported missing over the Atlantic. A well-written story, good radio. The story was previously produced on "Suspense" on "December 24, 1951. Greer Garson, Harry Bartell, Herb Butterfield, Charles Calvert, John Ramsay Hill, Joseph Kearns, Mary Lansing, Howard McNear, Sidney Miller, Irene Tedrow, Anne Whitfield, Larry Thor (announcer), Morton Fine (writer), David Friedkin (writer), Elliott Lewis (producer, director), Harlow Wilcox (commercial spokesman), Lud Gluskin (conductor(, Lucien Moraweck (composer), Roger Wagner (choral director), John McGovern. 29:45. Audio condition: Very good to excellent. Complete.
I’m amazed of how poorly some JD shows can end. 5 episodes to have it all end in 30 seconds, anti climatic and hollow. Meh.