Retro Radio Podcast

Audio is OK, but a little muffled. Featuring: Ken Carpenter, John Scot Trotter, Skitch Henderson, Lena Romei, The and the Charioteers Playlist * Give Me 5 Minutes More (Bing). * Another chapter in the trials and tribulations of Sketch Henderson is introduced by Bing. * A Rumba Medly (Skitch John, Trotter, and the orchestra). * Bing welcomes folk singer, Berl ives. * Blue Tail Fly (Berl Ives). * That Little Dream Went Nowhere (Bing). * A Brother to a Mule (Lena Romei). * Oodles (Charioteers). * Careless Love (Bing and Berl Ives). * Going Down the Road Feeling Bad (Bing and Berl Ives). * Things We Did Last Summer (Bing).

Abner wonders at the long line over at Dick Huddleston’s store. If there’s a sale on, why don’t the people just go in and buy it. Cedric enters, and the gents think he may know the answer. Tom Foster has been pranking Cedric for years, and now its going to be pay back time on old Tom. Is the April fool joke too much? Abner thinks Cedric ought to go out there to break it up, and clear the air. Lum figures if folks are that idiotic, it serves them right to join the prank, and be made a fool. The phone rings, and even Lizabeth has fallen prey to the prank, and wants Abner to get in on the fake deal. The phone keeps ringing with more inquiries, while Cedric and Abner settle in for a checker game. Well I’ll be a polka dotted ‘possum! Where’s Lum? With the busy checker game going on, nobody noticed Lum leave the store to stand in line over at Dick’s. Abner figures there must be something to this, so he and Cedric take their place in line too.

Mechanical things hold a certain fascination for the male species. Not so much for the female, especially when the parts are sprawled over the kitchen table. Jim tries to fix the clock, amid the distractions of the family. Betty barges in, with clock springs flying, to tell how she met a top rated crooner. Ronnie Kelso has a voice that just sends the teenage set, excep[t for Bud, who compare3s the velvet voice to a St Bernard. Betty burns up the phone lines to share the news with her friends, and get a special outfit ready. What does young Cathy and her friends think of the teenage heartthrob? Time passes, Jim makes headway with the clock, and Betty returns home starry eyed. After meeting the crooner, she wants to change her name to Beth. Feeling more mature than her years, she breaks off a date with her latest boyfriend, Ralph. How are Bud and Cathy handling the news about Betty’s strange behavior? She looks like a dying cat. Will Cathy act like that in a few years? Has Jim actually fixed that clock? Thanks to some snooping by Cathy, the family eavesdrop on a phone call. Is Betty planning a secret meeting with her crooner? By now Jim has had about all he can stand with this teeny bopper Romeo, and plans on giving him a piece of his mind. Before he gets too far, Betty has returned to her normal self, and with a few untold secrets about her singer. Like that he is much older than his publicity lets on, and he’s married, and has a daughter who is Betty’s age.

The gents were unnerved when they learned from grandpap that Lum’s diamond had a curse on it. For now, Lum has Abner walking around in his new pair of shoes so they’ll be broke in, and ready for dancing at the next big party. Lum isn’t as worried over the diamonds curse as Abner is. The bank phones with word on that royalty check. Has the curse done its work to keep the check from clearing? Lum looks forward to his debutante coming out party, and wants to spare no expense. When Squire enters, Lum tries to hit him up for more ready cash. Since the store is now mortgaged, what can Lum offer for collateral? It could mean signing on a high rate loan, and to expedite the arrangement Lum signs blank loan papers.

A newsreel man tells about a Hungarian city where the men are mysteriously dying off at the hands of a she devil. Disguised as a peasant woman from a near by village, the newsreel man gets to the bottom of the mystery.

Rolling the clock back to 1646, in the early colonial days of America, we learn the circumstances of the first patent issued in America. An ironworker had already been inventing a few household items. An iron kettle, farm implements, and others. His wife, Martha, encouraged him to protect his inventions with a patent, but Joseph only wants to help his fellow man. Even his neighbors are impressed by his work, and marvel at Joseph’s lack of concern that people might steal his ideas. Joseph claims to have a bigger project, and his inventions thus far are negligible. What is it? What is the big invention that will deliver his claim to fame? Joseph shares his plans, and even a small, working model to show that it really works. The first water powered saw. All he needs to do now is file his patent.

Not wanting to see his life partner lacking on her birthday, Fibber takes cook book in hand, and insists Molly relax. Given his interpretation of cooking instructions,. Be worried Molly, be very worried. Eggs, milk, butter, horseradish… that ought to do it. Hey, you cook your way, and let Fibber do it his way. The festivities are interrupted by the Old Timer, and a quest for postage stamps. Fibber claims to be a whiz at doing marvels with old wrinkled beets. Dead Beat McGee they used to call him, and he has a short aliteration to prove it before Billy Mills plays a swinging dance tune. The adventure in the kitchen continues as Fibber looks for tin snips, to cut down a teaspoon. Abigail Uppington visits for her weekly dose of insults. She may not have cooking tips, but she and Molly discuss Abigails wedding, years ago. Wallace Wimple pops in, and needs to take shelter from his big old wife, Sweetie Face. Did he actually give her a black eye? Harlowe Wilcox pops into cook up a sponsor message. In need of a cup of sugar, Fibber runs over to borrow a cup from Teeny. When he claims to need it for a cake, the tiny tot doesn’t believe him. The Kingsmen sing, Three Blind Mice. The masterpiece is set to be revealed. Gildersleeve arrives to learn about the cake. Will Fibber mind if his old pal has the first slice? Will an ambulance be needed? The attention Fibber gives to Gildersleeve isn’t so much out of health concern, but a surprise he baked into the cake for Molly.

Unknown to Lum, grandpap had a mysterious visitor who warned of a curse on a diamond. Today, Lum is still bent on spending their money on new clothes for his upcoming wedding. Abner is against the frivolous spending. But will he change his mind when Lum wants to buy a suit for the both of them? Lum doesn’t have a tape measure, so he uses what’s at hand. The boards on the wall in the store will do the trick, but how do they compare to suit sizes, and inseam measurements? When grandpap is seen approaching, Lum wants to surprise him about the diamond. The gents get caught up on store business, and sales. The topic of that peculiar out of town visitor comes up. Will the curse mean anything to Lum, or cause him to worry?

Visiting an Army fort, Bill and Jingles meet a little girl who claims to be teaching a young Indian [princess. Trouble looms when Bill learns about an Indian uprising. How will he get out of his jam, when warriors surround the fort? Who knows! But I think its time to take a break, and enjoy a taste of that sugary treat the sponsor is trying to pitch! There’s only one thing to do when surrounded by a thousand red skins, ride out to talk with the chief. Will Bill and Jingles be smoking the peace pipe any time soon? Jingles heads back to the fort to offer assurance that the pow wow will go well. It should, as long as no trigger happy soldier fires any shots. Look! A messenger is coming, but oopsie… some trigger happy soldier just shot him down. How will Bill be able to get a doctor to tend to the princes, and cure her of the dreaded white man’s disease? It’s a long shot, but while Jingles stays behind at the fort to protect little Betty Lou, Bill rides hard to find the doctor. Obstacles pop up to make Bill’s job more difficult, so why not pull some more of that sugary treat right out of the box, and pop it into your mouth as you run about? Tension runs high back at the fort but look! Bill’s coming back! The big question now is whether the war drums will be called off, or if the doctor has arrived in time to administer a cure for the princess.

Stan is bothered by a network censor while trying to sing Old Man River. The censor keeps interupting to correct his grammar. After a brief historical sketch. Peggy Tailor sings, Rock a Bye My Baby Melody. A panel of oddball experts meet. They don’t discuss many questions because they break out in argument among each other. Stan tries to sing a spoof version of the Rock Island Line, but the censor is back.

The Riders of the Purple sage kick off with a song, Riding Down to Santa Fe. Singer, and Western star, Jimmy Wakely is featured in a drama written just for him, The Rose of San Antone. Jim is a hunted man, but he was framed. In voiceover, Jim recounts his past 10 years running from the law. Especially how he came to be on the run. It all started in San Antonio. When the law is hot on heels, Jim Brennan is forced to move along, and leave his job punching cows. Where will it all end? Will Jimmy ever find a place to just relax and enjoy nature? Will he ever find a true love to accept him for what he is? The story takes time to feature Jimmy Wakely singing a few bars of Rose of San Antone, with a reprisal later. Also a few tunes with the Riders of the Purple Sage, Down on the Texas Plains. Also, When It’s Roundup Time in Texas. As if there hasn’t been enough music, Jimmy and the Riders perform, The Gate of the Old Corral.

Happy is a June bride, and just as nervous, Jack returns to the air. Jack describes that he was more like a bird dog, high strung and not nervous. Mary learns that Jack read reviews by credit. “Puerile” and “banal,” that’s good, right? Each of the Cass chair reviews that they have read over the week, each say the same thing. But each has different jokes about their source, and the meaning of those two words. Jack tries to redeem himself by playing violin in Phil’s band, Get the Moon out of Your Eyes. Well Razzamatazz! Phil tells about a bet he won with Jack, and Jack promises to make good on it. He covers the bet with other winning bets. A few bucks from Don, a few bucks from Dennis, but will Jack have enough? Mary scoffs at his tightwad ways, and reads more critic reviews. Dennis day sings, The Nearness of You. Dennis tries to get out of lawn mowing chores for Jack so he can go and register for the draft. Jack volunteers to drive him, but will he and Phil also need to register? When Rochester shows up to drive Jack to a nightclub, we find out that he is honorary Mayor of Central Avenue. Is it about time Jack upgrades the Maxwell? Mark You know, for something much less “puerile” an “banal.”

Summerfield is all abuzz over the opera that is coming to town. Though Mrs Bullard was instrumental on bringing the New York sophistication to town, we learn that Gildersleeve is taking over as head of the committee. Is it just Judge Hooker’s way of playing to his pal’s ego? gildy goes with Leila Ransom to see her new gown in the Tate’s dress shop. Trouble could be brewing when rival, Eve Goodwin shows up in the shop as well. Add another biddy into the store, Mrs Bullard, and the pecking order goes wild over who is to be fitted next. Several days have passed, and we find the great man at home, dealing with opera committee problems. Can he fit the social referee job in between his Christmas shopping demands? Who will preside the affair? Which opera will be chosen to perform? All tickets have been sold, and favors are asked that conflict with being head matron of the opera. Time for a visit to Peavy’s drugstore. Will the druggist have any advice for handling the women on the committee? Well now, I wouldn’t say that. Back at home, arrangements continue. His snap decisions in appointing head matron to every woman in his life is about to blow up on him.

A radio personality from Africa is on hand, for some behind the scenesaction of radio. A dramatization of how radio impacted African superstition. A nervous singer ran out of the studio, and nearly ruined the broadcast. What was it that calmed him down, and convinced him to perform? Superstition. More behind the scenes is dramatized and how to work with animals on the radio. One interesting NBC employee is singled out. What does the photographer, and photo editor have to bring two an audio format like radio? An innovation with homing pigeons helped him get the news out faster Oddities in radio presents bloopers made by radio announcers. Paul Wing’s spelling bee was a program on the air in the mid 1930s. Today, a reacreation of how that program sounded is presented. Words are randomly presented. With each round the price tag goes up. Letters from listeners ask about favorite radio performers. A Sonabox is demonstrated, a substitute for a human larynx. In early form of a synthesized voice. Can it even be the voice of animals?

Audio is good, a touch mushy though. Featuring: Ken Carpenter, John Scot Trotter, Lena Romei, Charioteers, and Sketch Henderson Playlist * My Heart Goes Crazy (Bump De Bump, Bing) * I Forgave (Bing) * Waltz in Springtime (Piano Instrumental, Sketch Henderson, with John Scot Trotter) * South America Take It Away (Bing and Lena Romei) * An operetic aria (Inzio )Pinza) * Timber (Bing and Inzio Penza) * You Are My Sunshine, with sponsor lyrics (Bing and Inzio Penza) * Little David (Charioteers) * September Song (Bing) * Could I Tell You (Bing)