Retro Radio Podcast

Playing with matches, Fibber takes on a singed appearance. Mayor Latrivia pops in to ask Fibber to temporarily fill in as Fire Commissioner. Nick Depoppolus enters to talk about a fire hazard down at his restaurant, and how it affected his steaks. As Fibber plans to keep the city safe, the Kingsmen sing, Tapeoka. As Fibber gets a speech ready for the chamber of commerce, he chats with Mirt the phone operator. Harlowe Wilcox enters, and manages to give it the old college try to twist the fire theme into a commercial. Teeny enters to ask for a story. Fibber gets a little confused over Indians, Chinese, and beans. What does that have to do with mountain lions? Martha Tilton sings, Easy Street. Downtown, Fibber wraps up his speech, and fields catcalls from his listeners. To test the responsiveness of the fire department, and under Fibbers instructions, Molly phones in a false alarm. What will Abigail Uppington have to say on the matter? Wallace Wimple reads a poem while the crowd waits. What has Sweetie Face done to help with the skills of the brave firemen of Wistful Vista. Sirens blare outside, but is there something wrong?

Don tries to butter Jack up with a glowing introduction, but Jack is too critical. Is he being a big baby? Mary, Phil, and Dennis think so, especially when the normally jovial announcer storms out. Jack tries to make himself sound like a muscular, tough guy, but becomes the target of Jokes from Mary. Don tries to return, but Jack is still upset over the incident of catching cold at Don’s house. After an interruption, Phil Harris plays, The Bad Humor Man. Jack breaks the news that the show is to go to New York in the next few weeks. Can Phil take time away from his new night school education? Don is back for more bickering. Though Jack threatens to get the studio exec,. Mr Sparrow, in on it, Don beats Jack to the punch for an apology. Dennis sings, I’d Know You Anywhere. Jokes turn to the fashions that Jack plans on wearing in the wintery east coast weather. He also gets in a few jabs at rival, Fred Allen. Frank Nelson returns as Jack’s inept doctor. Will Don make amends before the cast have to make their trip? Rochester points out some packing problems, and other frustrations.

As the title indicates, Stan is sponsoring his own show. What kind of commercials will he do on the show? The fanfare begins as the Rhythmaires sing a jingle made jjust for Stan. June Forray reprises her role as Miss Jupiter. Is she still upset over the ordeal with the Miss Universe Contest? She and Stan talk about figures of speech, and proverbs from Jupiter. Peggy Taylor sings, Love is Mine. Stan is off to World Advertising to see if they have any other commercials for him. Has the agency ever handled a product like a human before? What kind of sales hype will pour forth? Stan’s image gets a face lift to improve his human touch, as the jingles and sales pitches roll in. In voiceover, in the manner of a hardboiled detective, Stan lets the metaphores fly, along with some of his running gags. Where is it all leading? Will Stan ever discover the perfect commercial to promote himself?

The sponsor holds a stock holder meeting, and it’s decided to give Phil a stake in the company. Not a lot. Just one share. When Phil gets notified,, it interrupts the typical breakfast chatter with the girls, Alice, and Willie. The letter doesn’t specify how much ownership he will be wielding. Naturally, with his celebrity status, he figures it will be substantial, and he can prove Willie wrong about his business skills. Phil sings, Smoke Smoke Smoke that Cigarette. . Glad to be a big business mongrel, Phil tells Frankie about the good news. Frankie is less than impressed with the financial wizard. He agrees to take down a letter, telling Jack Benny off, and saying Phil is quitting the show. Is Phil jumping the gun? A love struck Julius pours out his emotions to Alice, then agrees to deliver the letter to Jack. Alice sings, Stanley Steamer. Day dreaming about his inflated finances, Phil plans on showering Alice with a new house, and all manner of luxuries. While Phil is at band rehearsal, Alice gets word from the sponsor that Phil’s stock will be frozen for a little while. Dealing with his unruly band, Phil realizes he has to wait to be rich, but what about that letter of resignation with Jack? Can he intercept it? A phone call saves the day for Phil when Jack claims he can’t read Frankie’s bad typing.

Excellent audio quality. A jungle safari goes wrong when a lost altar to cannibal ants is found. Actually, the ants are not cannibals. They’re flesh eaters., and our explorers face death unless they can fend off both the natives and swarm of approaching ants. Has the right decisions been made in the unforgiving law of the jungle?

Johnny submits his expense report while investigating the carnival show accidents. All he gets is resistance from the operators of the carnival rides and attractions. Nobody wants to talk about the string of accidents that have plagued the show, and caused the insurance claims that have Johnny on the job. Who could be out to ruin the show? The carnival company is rapidly getting a bad reputation. The owners claim to have loyal, and trustworthy employees, but there is at least one person who might want to cause trouble. The trouble is, he has a good alibi, since he’s locked up in jail. Johnny manages to find a man who threatens that more people will be hurt in an upcoming accident, but there’s nothing solid that Johnny can pin on him. How are the carnival folks taking it? The show must go on, and Johnny is sticking close to do what he can to prevent danger, but a body is still found. There’s still two potential victims, but one of them is in on helping the sabateur, and killer. Johnny tracks down the clues at hand, but it just leads to yet another body. Finally, Johnny finds the vital clues he needs, and gets to the real motive for the killings. The bad guys are confronted as Johnny lays out his findings to them. It’s not quite over yet when revenge drives a meeting full of gun play, and Johnny driving away as fast as he can in a crazy scene with the suspects shooting it out in the trailer as Johnny drives as fast as he can for the authorities. Will there be any survivors to emerge from the back of that trailer? Still have doubts as to the mystery? Johnny shares all as he turns in his final expense report.

On his own half of the store, Lum speaks freely on the telephone, since Abner isn’t around. He tries to learn more about the strange box left in his care. When Abner arrives, he has to get off the phone, since the receiver is on Abner’s half. Reduced to not talking to each other, the gents discuss the notes they wrote to each other to consider making up. The obligations of taking care of the mystery box may be what it takes to return to a friendship. Lum’s figure of speech about curiosity killing the cat confuses Abner. Is Geraldine, the’ cat, going to be in trouble? Curiosity begins to get to Abner. He doubts that the stranger really was a doctor. Is the contents of the box dangerous? Could it be a player piano? Word comes that the stranger has been killed.

Still at the beginning of their radio season, George and Gracie begin working in the first season as a married couple. Rather than the swinging singles they had been on stage, and in previous seasons. The two get dressed and ready for going to the studio. One problem they’re faced with is finding a singer for the show. After George has some trouble with their maid’s boyfriend, gracie manages a wacky, three way phone call to mix the sponsor message with word from bandleader, Paul Whiteman. Paul Whiteman plays Three Blind Mice. George gets increasingly frustrated over Gracie finding their new vocalist in a grocery store. While we wait for Jimmy Cash to appear, Gracie sings, The Light Went Out When You Came In. Senor Lee makes a return appearance after leaving the show at the end of the last season. The much anticipated Jimmy Cash arrives to meet and greet the cast. It takes just the right motivation from Gracie to overcome his stage fright, but Jimmy sings, You and I Know the Reason Why.

Bud is on the street, looking for Costello’s house. Lou is worried he may be going crazy. Jokes about mental health, and health in general are the theme. Also a horn that sounds when Lou tells a fib. Bud suggests it could be wise to make a will. Jokes shift gears a little and head into the realm of lawyers. Skinny Ennis offers a word of advice before he sings, but if he does it gets snipped. As Lou relaxes, his lawyer visits and he talks about his girlfriend, debts, and his pets. Marilyn Maxwell pops in to comfort the ailing Lou. Marilyn sings, It’s a Pity to Say Goodnight. Lou goes to the psychiatrist which is just the set up for crazy jokes about horses, relationships, and family matters.

Robbery detail. After a jewelry store is robbed, all the evidence needed is there. All Joe Friday has to do is bring him in. Joe joins partner, Ed Jacobs as they interview a known thief. Will he come clean about his part in the robbery? The Cops know all the details, and confront George with them. Will the man maintain his cool facade when Joe presents recorded phone transcriptions of conversations from George’s office phone? The transcripts that give background into the case don’t phase the man. Will his excuses still hold water when conversations to his friend Tom start to show up? George accuses the cops of illegally tapping his phone, but they claim their technique is legal. Have the cops done creative audio editing to make the tapes say what they want? Cracks in Georges story give the cops the chance they need too turn up the heat. The voices of folks who George claims not to know keep coming, but his denials in robbing the jewelry store remain. A financial file on his business income, compared with his spending habits are out of balance. George wants to phone his wife, and the cracks keep showing as the cops put on pressure. His threats to sue the police department are a thin defense mechanism. Why doesn’t his wife answer his phone? When will the grilling end? The breaking point is reached, and George tells all. Starting with the stress of his family life. For him, jail just might be a relief.

Grandpap enters the store to find it divided. Should he do business with “Honest Abner” or in Lum’s Emporium? The bickering friends tell how the phone is on the dividing line, and the receiver is on Abner’s side, while the transceiver is Lum’s. The phone troubles mean Lum can’t tell who he’s talking with. It also cost him a ;long distant chat with Miss Emiline. The bickering mellows when a box is delivered. Since grandpap is on hand, he is tasked with being the go between to talk to the stranger in the store. The man has an important appointment in Washington, but his package can’t be shipped for several days. What’s in the box? What kind of secret is it? The gents are told nothing, and to hold the box for safekeeping. No peeking.

An American psychologist has traveled too Trinidad, and wakens with a splitting headache. His companion reads the news headlines, to find a murder involving the wedding ceremony they attended the night before. Was it the brides husband who killed her? Beggars who spent the night in the temple tell how they awoke with coins in their pockets. What else will the beggars reveal? The psychologist goes to interview the rich uncle of the groom. Details about the culture of the Hindu population is discovered. The old man is an outcast in his adopted world. And too set in his ways to return to India. Before long the American is accused of the crime. Is someone setting him up? He faces the death 0penalty if the blame should fall on him. Using his time in jail, he thinks the problem through, and finally arrives at the truth. But is it going to be too late? If the police have already caught their killer, why is he still in jail?

Time for another visit to the Retro Vault. First. Consider sponsoring a show. All the details for either a one time donation, or ongoing support is on the Donate page. Here’s My original show notes: Police dramas took a big change in direction when Dragnet hit the airwaves in 1949. In 1950 the Tales of the Texas Rangers came on the scene to take advantage of this new popularity. It also based its stories on real cases, with names changed to protect the innocent. The lead character traveled with a horse trailer, just in case the pursuit of a bad guy took them to places where there were no roads. One thing I appreciate about the gritty, realistic police dramas of the era of old time radio is that it shows that some things haven’t changed much. The so called good old days were still filled with a disreputable criminal element. Murder, drugs, and theft, not the glossed over mastermind criminals of such radio serials as Superman or the Green Hornet. Not long ago I read a newspaper editorial where someone wrote in to complain about the sorry state of crime in the city. To include such things as gangs, drugs, and the poor choices of clothing styles that our young people dress themselves in these days. You know, skimpy and revealing clothes, droopy drawers, under pants exposed, that kind of thing. Well, they may have a point with the clothes, but the crime scene wasn’t really any better back then, as these old police dramas point out. If anything the law was more strict then, people routinely received the death penalty and the delivery of that justice was swift. Enjoy today’s show and our drift from our usual comedy routine, Keith H. Bonus tracks * Keith shares a few bits of trivia about the episode. * Ames Brothers 1950 Daddy’s Little Girl. * Hank Williams. Performed live for our troops in Germany, sometime in 1949. Move it on over little dog, a big dog’s mooven in * SHOUT OUT! to supporter: Bruce.

Before the atomic age, the most powerful compponent known was dynamite,, but eeven it is a fairly new invention. It came about after years of using black powder. Alfred Nobel conducted experiments to improve the efficiency of black powder, while making nitro glycerine more stable and safe to use. Tragedy forces him to relocate his nitro glycerine plant, but his products became widely used in the railroad industry. To make it safe, nitro glycerine is combbined with other chemicals to change it from its liquid state to a safe to handle solid form. Dynamite is created. In his later years Alfred Nobel developed a heart ailment, and discovered his own cure, nitro glyceerine pills. He also developed a proposal for world wide awards for advancements in various areas of science and arts. The prizes were to be awarded without regard to nationality, a prize for peace towards mankind around the world. A roll call of winners of the Nobel Prize for Peace is shared, with a hope that peace will win out over war.

As Fibber takes a shower, Molly is talking with Abigail Uppington. Should she interrupt the shower for Fibber to take a phone call? Molly takes a message, but her shorthand skills leave her without being able to read her own writing. Who is Jim, and what’s the deal with the urgent need to claim $50k? Can Fibber find Molly’s old shorthand book in the… hall closet? Martha Tilton sings, Chin Ling Lo Swings High. The quest for someone to read shorthand leads to a visit from Teeny. What would Teeny do if she were in the same boat? Harlow Wilcox may not know shorthandm, but it makes an opening for a commercial. Billy Mills can’t read shorthand, but tells what he did learn in school as he gets ready to play for the Kingsmen. They sing, Cowboy Serenade. The McGee’s have hit the road, where they run into Wallace Wimple. The mild mannered man had to give up learning shorthand because his big old wife, Sweetie Face made him stop. Who else might they ask about shorthand? A store clerk, a librarian, how about the Old Timer? In the business college, the secret finally comes out.