Times Past Old Time Radio : June 2010

Saturday, June 26, 2010

Mystery Theater (CBC)

The Mystery Theater was a radio series that was written, adapted, produced and broadcast by the CBC from 1966 to 1968. Chills, thrills, mystery and adventure make up the stories from this classic series from the CBC.

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

White Coolies (AU)

Story of Australian Army Nursing Sisters who were in Malaya with the 8th Division A.I.F in 1941-1942. It is a true story taken from the diaries kept by Sister Agnes Betty Jeffrey, (14 May 1908 – 13 September 2000), who was taken captive by the Japanese Imperial Army and interned during her 31/2 years as prisoner of war. The first episode of this radio series aired on August 10, 1955.

This is a radio series that will leave an impression on you. You may cry, you may laugh, but being from a true story it is remarkable.

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Science Magazine Of The Air

A show most likely from the 1940's for our serviceman during wartime. The series featured dramatic stories of science and industry exploring the unknown. What will the future hold for tomorrow? The stories range from Atomic Energy to Crime Detection to Leonardo Da Vinci. Very entertaining stories from a time period over 60 years ago.

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Grand Central Station

Grand Central Station was an American anthology radio series which had a long run on the major networks from 1937 to 1954. Produced by Himan Brown (July 21, 1910 – June 4, 2010), Martin Horrell and others, the story content ranged from romantic comedies to lightweight dramas.

Each program opened with an announcer intoning that Grand Central was "the crossroads of a million private lives, a gigantic stage on which are played a thousand dramas daily."

Actors included Jim Ameche and Hume Cronyn. The announcers were George Baxter, Ken Roberts and Tom Shirley. The programs were narrated by Jack Arthur, Stuart Metz and Alexander Scourby. Ken Roberts died at 99 on June 19, 2009.

One sound effect frequently used in the program was a chugging steam train engine. Some listeners noted that steam engines no longer frequented the terminal, prompting Himan Brown to respond "You have your own Grand Central Station."

Sunday, June 13, 2010

Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (AUS)

Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde was a 15 minute radio serial that ran for 52 episodes from September 9, 1943 to February 16, 1944 starring George Edwards.

George Edwards (born as Harold Parks, 11 March 1886 in Kent Town, South Australia – 1953) was an Australian actor and producer. Edwards was a pioneer of the radio serial in Australia. Prior to that he was a comedian, vaudeville artist, acrobatic dancer and stage performer. It is claimed that he changed his name from Harold Parks to George Edwards at the behest of Edward Branscombe, who was putting together an up-market act and did not want anyone associated with low-brow music hall, and that he took the name from English theatrical impressario George Edwards.

Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde is the original title of a novella written by the Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson and first published in 1886. The work is commonly known today as The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde or Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. It is about a London lawyer named Gabriel John Utterson who investigates strange occurrences between his old friend, Dr. Henry Jekyll, and the misanthropic Mr. Edward Hyde.

The work is known for its vivid portrayal of a split personality, split in the sense that within the same person there is both an apparently good and an evil personality each being quite distinct from the other. The novella's impact is such that it has become a part of the language, with the phrase "Jekyll and Hyde" coming to mean a person who is vastly different in moral character from one situation to the next.

Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde was an immediate success and is one of Stevenson's best-selling works. Stage adaptations began in Boston and London within a year of its publication and it has gone on to inspire scores of major film and stage performances.

LOG

HENRY'S CHILDHOOD	1	21/09/1943
MARKHAM'S STORY	2	24/09/1943
FINISHED WITH COLLEGE	3	28/09/1943
JUMP INTO WATER	4	1/10/1943
IN A HUT	5	4/10/1943
HENRY RESCUES HATTI	6	8/10/1943
CURIOUS FRIENDS	7	11/10/1943
DEADLY EXPERIMENT	8	15/10/1943
PALM READING	9	18/10/1943
AT THE DANCE	10	22/10/1943
MARGARET'S FATHER SAYS NO	11	25/10/1943
HENRY'S SEIZURE	12	29/10/1943
HENRY'S MOTHER DIES	13	1/11/1943
HETTIE RESCUED AGAIN	14	4/11/1943
SHELTERED IN THE LAB	15	8/11/1943
HETTIE MEETS HYDE	16	11/11/1943
GROANS FROM THE LAB	17	15/11/1943
HYDE STRIKES A CHILD	18	18/11/1943
HENRY MAKES A WILL	19	22/11/1943
IN CORAVINA, AUSTRIA	20	25/11/1943
GRETAL IS FRIGHTENED	21	29/11/1943
HENRY'S FATHER DIES	22	2/12/1943
LOST IN MOUNTAINS	23	6/12/1943
A MEETING IN PARIS	24	9/12/1943
JOHN WANTS MARRIAGE	25	13/12/1943
HYDE INTERUPTS	26	16/12/1943
HYDE KILLS MARGARET'S FATHER	27	20/12/1943
HETTIE COMMITS SUICIDE	28	23/12/1943
HENRY CANNOT MARRY MARGARET	29	27/12/1943
DOCTOR'S CONSULTATION	30	30/12/1943
VOW TO CURE TESS	31	2/01/1944
HUGH WANTS TO HELP	32	6/01/1944
HENRY BREAKS THE NEWS	33	9/01/1944
VISIT TO THE TRELOR FAMILY	34	13/01/1944
OLD STORY RE-TOLD	35	16/01/1944
MORE TROUBLE	36	20/01/1944
SAM GOES TO AFRICA	37	23/01/1944
HEZRA IS A CRIPPLE	38	27/01/1944
SAM & HEZRA REUNITED	39	30/01/1944
MARRIAGE PROPOSAL	40	3/02/1944
NEWSPAPER HEADLINE	41	6/02/1944
POLICE QUESTIONING	42	10/02/1944
THE POLICE TRAIL HYDE	43	13/02/1944
HELEN REMEMBERS	44	17/02/1944
HELEN'S MOTHER VISITS	45	20/02/1944
ONLY 3 MORE DOSES	46	24/02/1944
HYDE IN LABORATORY	47	27/02/1944
DOING AWAY WITH HYDE	48	2/02/1944
TERRIBLE TORTURE	49	5/02/1944
HUGH THREATENS	50	9/02/1944
JEKYLL & HYDE - THE SAME PERSON	51	12/02/1944
SUICIDE"	52	16/02/1944

Cast

Barry Warren	Actor	Hugh Hanyon
Beeby Bruce	Actor	John Farley
Berrell Lloyd	Actor	Mr Jekyll
Dunrich Brenda	Actor	Thirza Cox
Edwards George	Actor	Hyde, Jekyll, Poole, Franz
Hollander Hazel	Actor	Margaret Utterson
Parry Richard	Actor	Mr Trelawny
Scott Bebe	Actor	Sam
Sterling Nell	Actor	Hetty Wilson, Nurse Poole
Vernon Lou	Actor	Mr Litterton

Saturday, June 12, 2010

Stars Over Hollywood

Stars Over Hollywood aired on Saturday mornings 9:30am California time. The program was sponsored by Dari-Rich, Carnation Milk and Armour. Big name stars such as Alan Ladd, Joan Crawford, Mary Astor, Phil Harris, Vincent Price and Basil Rathbone starred in the shows, and broke one of radio's strongest prejudices that Saturday daytime was the worst time slot. Later it was solidly established as a hit and became the pioneer of Saturday daytime drama. It ran for 13 years in the same time slot.

The stories were generally light comedies and fluffy romances. Sometimes a suspense play was used, but there was almost no heavy drama.

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Gasoline Alley

Gasoline Alley is a long-running comic strip created by Frank King and first published on November 24, 1918. Widely recognized as an innovative pioneering strip, Gasoline Alley was the first to depict its characters aging through generations as the decades progressed.

There were several radio adaptations. Gasoline Alley during the 1930s starred Bill Idelson as Skeezix with Jean Gillespie as Nina Clock. Jimmy McCallion was Skeezix in the series that ran on NBC from February 17 to April 11, 1941, continuing on the Blue Network from April 28 to May 9 of that same year. The 15-minute series aired weekdays at 5:30pm. Along with Nina (Janice Gilbert), the characters included Skeezix's boss Wumple (Cliff Soubier) and Ling Wee (Junius Matthews), a waiter in a Chinese restaurant. Charles Schenck directed the scripts by Kane Campbell.

The syndicated series of 1948-49 featured a cast of Bill Lipton, Mason Adams and Robert Dryden. Sponsored by Autolite, the program used opening theme music by the Polka Dots, a harmonica group. The 15-minute episodes focused on Skeezix running a gas station and garage, the Wallet and Bobble Garage, with his partner, Wilmer Bobble. In New York, this series aired on WOR from July 16, 1948 to January 7.

Saturday, June 5, 2010

Famous Escapes (AUS)

Here is an interesting series from Australia around 1945 called Famous Escapes. The episodes deal with some of the most daring escapes in history by some of the most remarkable characters.

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