Retro Radio Podcast

After arguing over going to school, and doing homework, Gildy in Leroy aren’t talking much. Marjorie may not enjoy returning to school, but at least her attitude is more mature to Gildersleeve’s liking. Birdy thinks the family gets crazier with each day, especially when we hear how much Leroy dislikes his teacher, Miss McCann. Leroy’s day turns all the more dark, when he is informed that he has to walk Craig bullard to school for his first day of kindergarten. Later after school, Leroy recites his first essay of the year. Amazingly Gildy is very pleased with miss McCann. Even Marjorie takes note of Leroy’s enthusiasm, when he also prepares a science assignment. The affect his new school teacher has on him, has LeRoy even acting nice to Craig. With the war recently over,, the family enjoy surpluses of food with a meal of shortcakes. Gildy thinks Leroy has been showing promise, and plans on sending him to college. Visiting Peavy, Gildy tells about his investment in an encyclopedia, and his plan to visit the school principal, miss Goodwin. Eve Goodwin is pleased to hear how well Leroy is doing in his new class with his new teacher, Miss Wynn. Will learning about Gilby’s enthusiasm over his new encyclopedia, also be a turn on for her? When the set of books arrives, and is uncrated, will Leroy share the excitement of the rest of the family? Changes at school suddenly have Leroy’s attitude back where it was before, and even suspended for a week. What could possibly have come over him?

As Cisco and Pancho ride the trail, they comment on the red appearance of the sun, and what causes it. Locusts are out in number, and Cisco wants to spend the night in a hotel, instead of camping in the open. The locusts are also a danger for the homesteaders, one in particular seems to have snapped. The crazed homesteader thinks he can fend the locusts off with his shotgun, and is upset that his sister Madge has come around with a friend, a man named Doctor Anderson. The doc points Cisco and Pancho to Madge for a place to take shelter from the coming swarm of locusts. The mind of her brother is so demented that he may have murderous intent if somebody can’t stop him. Cisco does his best, but the unending flood of locusts is enough to drive anybody mad. Listen and see if either Cisco or Doc Anderson can help. Learn for yourself to see if the horde of hungry locusts can be stopped. An amazing miracle takes place that just might help.

Henry wants to give his girlfriend Kathleen something special for her birthday, but his mother thinks the expensive jewelry he has in mind will carry a message. While she is convincing him to buy Kathleen something of lesser value, Homer is talking with Henry’s girlfriend and letting the cat out of the bag. Even Kathleens mother is opposed to the expensive gift when she learns about it. However, Henry’s father, as well as the other men in the neighborhood don’t understand why it’s a problem. Its Henry’s own money. Shouldn’t he be allowed to buy the gift he likes? Should Henry just take the bracelet back, and get his money back? The jeweler has a nice percolator on a shelf for only three dollars more. Somehow, I don’t think that would send the same kind of message. Henry tries his best to obey his parents wishes, but he’s having a hard time returning that bracelet. Will he end up losing money on the deal? Will Kathleen be out of her birthday present? Will the gossip mill work to change the minds of Henry’s parents?

Featuring: Graham Macknamee, Gilbert Martin. Al Simons helps to bring a few amusing stories behind the scenes in radio. A frustrated telephone operator and a question about the time, sound affects and ad libs, time over runs to make awkward sponsor messages, and finally, nervous speakers on the air. Sound affect of the week features: The sound of walking up and down stairs, baby cries, and the sound of a guillotine. Human interest story. How a small radio helped keep a boy out of trouble. Oddities in radio. Fluffs are presented. Time, weather, song announcements, and government dignitaries are all featured. Radio tradition features a singer from the past. Letters from listeners. get the answers regarding: Female radio directors, Comedy gags that die on air, fan mail to radio personalities, radio composers, and more. Daytime serials. A glimpse behind the scene of a story conference including. Sponsors, writers, story consultants, the director and more. The team argue out how a story goes wrong, and how to fix it.

Eva Lester proves that old quotation that the female of the species is more dangerous than the male. A smartly dressed woman takes her story to a swanky law firm. As Eva tells her tale, we go into a flashback to about a year ago. A busy beauty salon owner, Eva deals with squeezing her appointments in, and manages to meet the husband of one of her clients. Fred Maxwell and Eva fall for each other, and soon plan to get married. Can he get a divorce? Is his wife as tired of him as he is of her? Does she suspect that her trusted salon lady is the other woman? Helen refuses the divorce, and it takes Eva to nudge the marriage into a more permanent termination. What can a beauty parlor technician do to commit murder, and make it appear like an accident? The trusting, and desperate Hellen is ready to do anything Eva suggests to enhance her beauty. Will the slow acting chemicals that are added to Hellen’s treatments workto do their deadly task? Does Fred know what’s going on with Hellen? How will he react when his wife collapses with a stroke? The medical crisis makes Fred realize that he still loves his wife, more than any beauty treatments that she could have ever heaped upon herself. The twist in the plan infuriates the jilted Eva. Her mean spirited visit to Helen serves only one purpose, to heap on the straws, until they break the camel’s back. Back in the lawyer’s office, Eva asks about loop holes that might clear her of Hellen’s death. Will she and Fred finally be together forever?

Lum has made his debut at the charity bazaar, and has not been seen since. Today, Abner and Grandpap wonder where he could be. Why would Lum be on his way to Hollywood? The gents admit that Lum was not the best of singers. Squire Skimp is seen approaching the store, and the gents all give Lum the highest of praise. But it’s just too bad that he don’t sound better. His is the kind of style that takes a good amount of study to be appreciated. Grandpap is willing to give up that kind of study, and just listen to bad music. As the gents discuss the acquired taste that some art forms may need, they hear a noise from the feed room. Is it Geraldine, the cat? No, it’s just Lum. He can’t believe that is friends love his music so much, when it sounded so bad.

You are stalking into a fortress that you know may be a trap. Escape to an earlier day in the Sahara of Africa. A small band of Legionaires, adventurers are in search of valuable sapphires. They try to keep their treasure hidden as the soft, green gents deal with life in the Foreign Legion. Tougher men than them die. The men are soon battle toughened, and dangers are a constant companion. After years of struggle, priorities take on new meanings. Things like gems are not so important. The ending is tragic, but good if you consider the lesson learned for the survivors.

As Richard Rogue takes care of mundane office chores, the change of pace in his world takes an up turn when a sultry woman walks through his door. Pat tells a story of murder by poisoning. Does she need protecting, as she claims? It doesn’t take much arm twisting to lure Rogue to the 18 room cabin in the woods. Richard meets the pleasant family, and the pastoral setting is peaceful to the point of bordering on being dull. The soft breeze, the warm Summer night with its full moon, not the setting that breeds a murder. Then suspicion sets in when Rogue begins to notice lies and character flaws creeping into the scene. Pat and her husband John share bitter words as they’re spied on by Rogue. As he collapses into bed Rogue finds him talking not only to his inner voice Eugor, but his little annoying girlfriend as well. What? No thump on the head? In the morning the breakfast table conversation reveals that everybody has been drugged the night before, and Pat’s sister Diane is found dead. Is it a case of mistaken identity? Diane had been wearing Pat’s clothes the evening before. John thinks Pat did it out of jealousy. Finger pointing explodes, and nobody is free from being a suspect. Rogue calls the cops, and an investigation ensues. Listen in for all the facts, clues, and details. The action comes to a boil in classic murder mystery fashion. The family of suspects are gathered, and each story is picked apart before the dramatic revelation of the killer by Rogue.

A challenge arrives in box 13 that has Dan asking questions in a dangerous part of town. Dan asks about a character named Johnny Tigh, but the name manages to only stir up the fears of the shady types he runs into. A story of revenge, and paranoia begins to emerge. Dan manages to get a list of names that Johnny is gunning for. What kind of story would it be if one of the people being targeted wasn’t a sultry woman? Dan tracks down his people, and the story is filled in. Johnny is a ruthless convict who is bacck on the streets and out to get those who did him wrong. When Dan has a run in with Johnny, he tries to talk sense to him. Is killing the answer? Is there another solution that will work better? Maybe Johnny is in just as much danger as Dan, and being played for another set up. After a thump on the head, and waking up to a murder, Dan vows to his policeman friend to solve the mystery and hand it to the cops by morning. Dan keeps plowing his way through the parade of shady characters, and digging for the clues he needs to lay blame. Was it Janice, or Fatty? Johnny is missing again, but when Fatty is shot down before Dan’s eye’s the list of suspects shrinks. Dan seems to be a step behind the killer, and he’ll need to act fast to get the jump ahead he needs. If anybody can figure out the mess, Dan can. Listen in and see if you have the facts, and the answers before he does. Don’t miss the big ending when the cops close in on their man Johnny, and the real killer is exposed by Dan.

The big solo for Lum is fast approaching, and Abner talks too him about rehearsing with Miss Platt. Abner expresses the pride of the whole town in praising Lum on winning the singing contest. Squire Skimp arrives inn his capacity of town news reporter, all set to print up a big story. Lum balks at offering details. Hasn’t it dawned on anybody in town that his modesty and humility is out of character for him? Excuses continue on why Lum can’t go on and perform. This time he needs a new blue suit, but to help the war effort, he can’t just go out and buy one. He wants to save his money, by not making unnecessary purchases, and investing in war bonds. Will Abner or Squire believe him? Will they settle for yet another excuse? Why does Lum want to keep from having his story and photo ran in the paper? Abner figures it’s just Lum’s way of using reverse psychology to get what he really wants. His name in the paper

The theme of the story today is about trust. A widow has her life savings to invest, so she goes to the imposing banker with the name to match. Is he as trustworthy as his name, and physical appearance imply? Though she thinks her savings might be beneath the amount the important banker will take to invest for her, he does, and seems to go the extra mile to handle her account with utmost confidence. The business lunch takes a personal note when the two share secrets, and even intimate nick names, Willy and Dilly. There’s just one big secret, there’s a con game going on here. The widow isn’t what she appears. The old, stodgy banker feels as though he’s 25 again, as he has fallen in love with his phoney widow. Her accomplice is out to prove old Dilly is a crook, and shares a little of his plan to expose the old banker in a set up designed to catch him with his hand in the cookie jar. Will he fall for the proposition that will urge him to steal from his own firm? Is the banker as good of a judge of character as he thinks? The accomplice makes his move. Though Dilly has tossed the con man out, will it be a matter of time before he melts and falls for the trap? Get ready for a good twist to the end, as one con deserves another.

The latest fascination for Fibber is to build his own telescope. What does he need it for? Molly thinks he needs to see an eye doctor, worse than building any telescope. Is his eye strain just due to working hard? Nick Depopolos pops in to try to explain his trouble at the library. Or was int rabbits? Billy Mills plays some swinging traveling music. Abigail Uppington has arrived to hear Fibbers jokes about his telescope. Will she be as intrigued by it as Fibber? To fend off Molly’s insistence on having his eyes checked, Fibber is rescued by a visit from Harlowe Wilcox. Of course, the telescope plays a part in the sponsor message. Teeny visits for a lesson on astronomy. But the heavenly bodies only make her hungry. She manages to give Fibber a lesson on the truth behind the man in the moon. The Kingsmen sing, the Reluctant Dragon. It’s getting late, but Fibber is determined to make a new discovery.. Gildersleeve enters to complain about his peeping Tom of a neighbor. But has a new comet been found? Quick! Call the news papers and radio reporters! Will Gale Gordon confirm or deny the validity of the finding? Note: Frank Nelson appears as the radio news reporter.

As part of the series, Mystery Playhouse Theater, and on the line up from AFRS, comes this episode of Casey, Crime Photographer. The scene opens with a couple of upscale gals making their plans, when a telephone call seems to bring important news. The lady of the house tells her maid of her expected happiness, and trip, but doesn’t say anything about her travel plans or who she will be seeing. Later, Annie Williams, female reporter gets a hot tip that the wealthy socialite is missing. The maid believes the trip was to reunite with her husband. Is the extended time of her missing simply due to having a good time, and not wanting to return? Or might there be an actual concern? The cops decide to move ahead delicately. The husband is a sculptur and Casey goes to interview the man about his wife. The guise is to ask questions for a newspaper story about his artwork. Casey notices a detail or two that tips him off to things that aren’t as they should be. There’s nothing solid to return to the cops with, and they aren’t happy with the results. After laying his cards on the table with the cops, Casey and Annie go to the bar and talk with Ethylbert. They review details of the case with their favorite bartender. In the casual atmosphere, it all comes to Casey in a flash, but how can he prove his theory? What crazy thoughts has Casey come up with? Will the cops go for backing him up? The cops have already followed up with Casey’s earlier suspicions, and came up empty handed, and embarrassed. This time the plan is to play on superstitions of the artist husband, but will the man crack and lead the cops to his wife’s dead body? We can hope.

A bazaar is planned, and grandpap joins Abner to discuss Lum’s part in the big affair. His prize winning baritone voice is all the rage. When Lum arrives, he explains that he’s going to have other plans for that day The whole town is buzzing about Lum’s singing voice, and can hardly wait to hear him show his stuff. There’s more chances for Lum to sing in public. More than he counted on. How long can he keep on dodging the request for public performances? His best reason to keep from performing is that he needs musical accompaniment, and there is a shortage of musicians in town. A a convenient shortage indeed. Until Miss Platt phones in to volunteer that she plays piano.

1Gracie and George talk about their night’s guest, Chester Morris, and for those not already acquainted with the entertainer, we learn that he was known as a popular magician of the day. Gracie wants to learn the secret of Chester’s magic tricks so she can use magic to help her around the house. Visiting him, she tries to pass herself off as a fellow magician, but he wants Gracie to prove it by doing some tricks. Though Gracie tries to avoid doing any tricks, and she has comical answers to his questions, Chester is somehow not convinced. George arrives, Gracie leaves, and the guys conspire to scare Gracie out of telling such crazy lies. Chester is to do an escape trick and make Gracie think he’ll suffocate without her secret ability of Houdini’s great escape trick. In comic, and dramatic fashion the stunt goes down, but the guys underestimate Gracie’s fear factor. The guys have managed to convince Gracie that Chester died in his trunk, so they now want to make her think his ghost has come back to haunt her. Still, the trunk remains locked. By the time Gracie cracks the lock, Chester has long slipped out the trap door, and his pet dog slips in. Not too worried over the change in events, and believing that Chester is now a dog, Gracie tries to break the news of the canine Chester to his wife. When Mrs Morris doesn’t seem to understand, or want her doggie husband, Gracie does the responsible thing and takes the dog home. The real Chester hides out while he and George try to figure how to use the situation to their advantage. Meantime, Bill Goodwin pops in for his commercial, and to take part in the loonie mixups and comedy. There’s still a matter of changing Chester back from being a dog, but don’t worry, he manages it. Gracie does her best to help in the process, and make everybody laugh while doing it.