Retro Radio Podcast

It’s late in the evening as Rush sits at the library table, and Vic takes time from the news paper to notice the industriousness that Rush pours forth. Nope, not doing his Algebra homework, instead Rush has taken it upon himself to make a list of all the friends and passsing acquaintences he has. Sade enters and mistakes his work for his never ending algebra homework. She is ready to talk about the latest gossip from Ruthie Stembottom, and some mutual acquaintences. Sade is pleasantly surprised to learn that she knows somebody that Ruthie doesn’t. Rush is double fascinated that her topic fits in with what he has been writing down, and is surprised to realize the number of people his meager life touches. I’ll bet any multi level marketer, or Internet Marketer could have told him that. In their own ways, Vic and Sade marvel at the intricacies of how their relations to friends are illogically intertwined, as Rush keeps adding to his roll call of names.

Episode 095. The story of the Dodgers baseball team and their Martian player hired by the new owner.

Chester and Doc talk about Matt going on the trail of a band of notorious killers. Just as they’re worrying, Matt rides in on a wagon full of bodies in the back, and one survivor. Brand complains at Matt’s merciless killing of his partners in crime. Doc is thrilled with Matt’s accomplishment, but the weight of the killing has Matt feeling low. Matt tries to get some rest, but nightmares of gunfights invade his sleep. Since he can’t sleep, and after hearing news from Chester about a friend of the gang who could be starting trouble, Matt takes precautions to keep his prisoner secure from jailbreaks. On the early morning streets of Dodge City, Matt has a confrontation with Stanger, but will he be lured into a gunfight? Is Stanger right? Is matt going soft? Matt goes as far as to submit his resignation. Is the pressure off for Matt? Now that he isn’t a US Marshall anymore, he spends time relaxing with Kitty and catching fish. The two talk about the kind of business Matt migt go into, but Chester rides up with news. Stanger is terrorizing Dodge City. Will Matt be able to just sit by and do nothing? Duty calls, and Matt resumes his chancey job. He’s back to being a litle bit watchful, and a little bit lonely.

It’s that time of year to play friendly pranks on each other. Mell is in the fix it shop, making prank phone calls, when he tells Betty about the fun he’s having. Later he phones Mr Colby to prank him about a fake inheritance. By the time Mr Potchnik the piano teacher pops in, Mel has forgotten he didn’t warn off the joke by including the comment, April Fools! Will Colby understand it was all just a joke? The Sportsmen, accompanied by the Victor Miller Orchestra sing, You Can’t See the Sun When You’re Crying. Big, adorable Hartley Benson enters to brag on himself, but it doesn’t help Mel much with his trouble with mr Colby. Mr Cushing, the lodge Mighty Potentate has his own troubles with his wife. Can he take time from his thoughts of his whale like wife to lend some advice to Mel? Colby has been giving away his grocery store at the news of thinking he’s a millionaire. Mel plans to disguise himself as a lawyer, and try to explain the misunderstanding. Zookie stammers his way through telling Colby of the visiting English lawyer. Mel tries his best to let Colby down easy. How will the blustery Colby take the news? Will Mel have every bone in his body broken? I have a feeling that all the day’s pranks haven’t quite all unfolded.

Andy tells Kingfish about a woman who mistook him for another man named Harold. Elsewhere, we eavesdrop on a woman who tells about her long lost husband Harold. A man who has had amnesia for the past six years. Mrs Scot is sure that Andy is her husband, and takes the doctor’s advice to help get Andy’s memory back. Will her attempts to jumpstart his memory convince Andy that he’s actually Harold? Back in the lodge hall, Kingfish cooks up a new business plan with his friends. Mrs Scot comes around, proposing to invite Andy to her house. Maybe the familiar surroundings will cure Harold… er, I mean Andy? I think the two kids might send Andy into shock instead of drawing him closer to her. Maybe a thump on the head will work wonders? Frank and Jimmy are certainly up whacking their new pop on the head, if it means a cure. There’s a catch that just might make Andy want to get with Mrs Scot. She is burdened with a lot of money. Amos tries to get Andy to do the right thing, but Kingfish is seeing dollar signs. Will Mrs Scot fall prey to a scheme to part her with her money, or will she get wise to the scam that is waiting for her? There’s room for imposters to be exposed and a happy ending for Mrs Scot.

After an insurance pay out to a New York company, the robber has been caught, but with no sign of the loot. Johnny Dollar hits the scene to see if he can recover the cash for his client. What did Lester James do with it? Squander it, gamble it away, play the market, or might it still be recovered? Lester isn’t saying, or admitting to anything. Johnny investigates to learn more about the character of Lester. He is said to be a quiet, and likeable man, but does he have a record of stealing? When Johnny learns that Lester has made bail, he tails his man. Its a good thing, since Johnny was on hand to prevent a suicide. As Lester’s life hangs in the balance, Johnny returns to the streets to learn what he can about this curious man. The slim trail leads to a dame, and expensive gifts. Only a fraction of the stolen money can be accounted for, so Johnny still has work ahead of him. Can this caper be as simple as the matter of a lonely, lovesick man? If love got him into this mess, can love bail Lester out of it?

Two thugs plan on stealing a set of famous pearls. They must be some popular gems, because elsewhere, other gangsters make similar plans. When safe crackers attack, the worried butler reports the theft to his boss, who seems to either be unconcerned, or at least something of an eccentric. The thieves begin doing their best to fence the goods. The trouble is that the fence claims the gems are phoney, after he runs a fake test, and the con works. He ends up with the pearls. Are they really fake ones? The disgruntled thugs have a fight, and there’s a bout of gunplay. Meanwhile, Blackie and Mary relax after talking about how they proved to the owner how easy it was to steal the pearls. Then Blackie realizes the pearls he has are also fakes. Meanwhile, the owner talks to Blackie, who had also been fooled by the plan to keep the pearls safe, and reveals a secret passage in the safe, and the fact that he kept three sets of fakes there, while the real ones were kept separately. His entire elaborate plan is shared. Just when he is showing off, guess what turns up missing? The once calm, cool, and collected owner starts to panic, especially when the real pearls have turned up in the hand of a dead man. Or have they? It’s up to Blackie to untangle the mess, and figure out what happened to the real pearls, and who took them. With the word out about fake pearls, and real pearls, the various gangster factions who had a hand in stealing the gems now scramble to make sure theirs isn’t the real set. Bodies pile up. Blackie gets blamed. Farraday shares a bit of info that gives Blackie the clue he needs, and now it’s a matter of springing the trap on the real killer. After an altercation with the bad guys, Blackie reveals what tipped him off, and the details of the mystery are told.

The restaurant crowd clamours for a Lumburger, but after Lum fainted and hit his head on the stove, he can’t remember the ingredients. Maybe recreating the scene in the kitchen will spark a memory for Lum? The mental block is just too great. Abner makes suggestions, a banana, a pork chop, what else was on hand at the time? If the secret ingredients can’t be remembered, will Lum need to look for a different job? To change the topic, Abner reads career opportunities from the newspaper. Does Lum qualify to be a student nurse? The Army needs nurses, but Lum is still trying to remember that secret ingredient. Will a second thump on the head on the stove bring the answer?

Fibber has received a letter from a London law firm, informing him of an inheritance from a rich uncle. He is to receive 1000 pounds Sterling. In 1949 dollars that apparently equates to about $4000. Somehow, I’ll bet there’s more to the inheritance than that. Will Fibber also inherit the title of his deceased relative? The door bell rings, and Ole visits as Fibber tries on his best snooty accent. Ole claims to have lived in England, working on the docks. Next, Wallace Wimple tells about an odd bird he saw. Wimple tells about an uncle of his that died. Fibber pokes fun at English pronunciations of city names. Billy Mills plays, Rosewood Spinnet. Fibber goes on fantasizing about English titles, and being a part of Brittish nobility. Mayor Latrivia visits and talks about his relatives back in England. He then talks about his lady interest, FeeFee Tremain. Molly talks about popular fashions, then Harlow visits as Fibber keeps up his snooty accent. The England discussion evolves into the commercial. What else? Fibber talks about other English relatives who were inventors. Molly goes upstairs for a chore, when the doorbell rings. It’s Teenny, who tells about her dad’s military service in England. Then about his helping at the Boys Club of America. Fibber talks about the benefits of being a Knight, and nobility. Teeny tells about American royalty. The Kingsmen sing, I Wake Up Every Morning. Doc Gamble stops in and scoffs at McGee, and comments on Fibber’s discovery at his blueblood. Fibber keeps anticipating inheriting his $4000, then the doorbell rings. It’s his delivery of 1000 pounds of Sterling brand oatmeal. As Fibber puts it, “A grueling experience.” PS: in modern dollars, if Fibber were really to have inherited the silver he expected, the price could be as much as $288,000 to $480,000. Based on silver prices from May thru December 2010. No wonder he was so excited.

Dick Powell as Richard Diamond. A cold, icy day finds Richard indoors, enjoying a nap in his cozy office, until it’s interrupted by Abel Gunther. The old man can’t pay the standard rates, but his story is compelling enough to lure the hard boiled detective into the complications at his farm. Illness and hardship has struck him, and other farmers, just before offers for their land is made. Is there sabotage involved? Voodoo It’s more than a joke when Gunther dies in the office. The cops hold the bag on the homicide, and Diamond takes a flight to Haiti. Little Sheeva is a 300 pound hulking native, and the rash of death is far from over. Sheeva seems to be on the side of the Gunthers, and points Diamond to the authorities, and more voodoo related deaths. Where will the voodoo jungle drums lead? It’s time to regroup, and see what the cops have uncovered in their investigation. A cause of deth for the Gunthers is identified. How will it help Dick, down in Haiti? A plan is developed to turn the heat up, and expose a killer. How can Dick fight the supernatural forces of voodoo? Or the kind of natural forces to take on Little Sheeva and beat him to death? Is Dick too shaken by the voodoo ceremony he witnessed to take on the cqase? Voodoo secrets fall away, and rival farmer, Cuthwald, relies on good old fire power to convince Diamond. Voodoo gets revenge in an unexpected way for Richard Diamond’s typical flavor of hardboiled qjustice of Richqard Diamond.

After Lum’s shock of serving his world infamous Lumburger to the famous food critic, Duncan Hines, he’s recovering from his swoon today. Despite the shabby treatment by Lum, Abner tells how Duncan Hines thinks the Lumburger is a trademark menu item that will make the restaurant famous. If that don’t beat the bus a fighting. Duncan Hines even wants the recipe. Lum’s ego swings from low to high as he dreams about the world wide fame that’s sure to come his way. After all the great ideas that he has had in his life, has he finally hit on one that’s so simple, and a sure thing to success? Lum reviews other famous inventers, and the things that made them famous. Alexander Graham Bell inventing the graham cracker, Isaac Newton inventing the fig newtons, and others. A phone call from grandpap seems to indicate that Lum’s restaurant is booming with people demanding his Lumburger. There’s just one little problem, what goes into a Lumburger anyway?

A bank has been mysteriously losing money, but nobody knows who the bandit is, or how he has been taking it. Who is that crazy miller next door who claims he’s got a contraption that makes gold? Bill and Jingles arrive in town to find out just that, when suddenly gunshots ring out. Inside the mill, Jingles has a near fatal brush with the machinery. Was he pushed? Bill continues to gather clues in town, but it’s looking like it won’t be an easy case to figure out. Not to mention getting threatening notes tied to rocks that fly through their hotel window. What can Bill and Jingles do? They leave town of course. Don’t worry, it’s just to lure the gold thieves into a false sense of security. Will the ruse pay off? Will Bill be able to get the evidence he needs to put anend to the strange activity? Not without gunplay, and danger as a final confrontation is in store.

Jack Benny – In New York, Fred Allen, Kate Smith. 380327. From New York, Jack is introduced and talks with Harry Vonzell about filling Don’s shoes, Jack’s train ride cross country, and is interupted with aphone call. When Phil Harris can’t make it, Jack has Abe Lyman to joke around with. Bob Ripley, the Believe it or Not man, enters to talk with Jack as one of his curiosities. All Jack’s questions are all false statements except the last one, about Jack being awarded a Best Dressed Man award. Abe has his practical joking interupted with a knock at the door by John Brown, then he plays, Hallelujah. Jack comments on the tough looking orchestra members. Harry pretends to have trouble reading the commercial. Mary isn’t on the show, but Kate Smith stops by to fill in, and she has a letter from Mary. Kate sings, This Time It’s Real. Jack puts in plugs for sponsors of Kate’s show, then talk about fur coats. The phone rings with a call from Kenny to worry about Kate taking his place. Rochester enters to tell about his weekend in Harlem. A knock at the door brings Fred Allen. Fred demands to be paid up front, so Jack turns over his Boy Scout knife. Jack talks about the entertainment that he has taken in while in New York. They talk about Fred’s latest film, followed by Jack’s film. Rochester is back to get in on the insults pouring forth from Fred. Harry comes out to talk with his usual boss, Fred Allen. Fred and Jack continue with a classic stream of insults, ending in a slight ad lib when Fred flubs a line.

Lone Ranger – Gold For Maximillian. 440327. With his faithful indian companion Tonto, the Lone Ranger led the fight to bring justice to the old West. Just after the Civil War, a period of reconstruction was beginning in the South, while Emporer Maximillian was in control of Mexico. He calls a meeting of his advisors in an effort to raise money for backing the guns, and man power he needs for his military might. If he can get it, it could mean another war for the United States, this time with France. Elsewhere, the Lone Ranger and Tonto look into a matter of smuggling contraband across the border. There’s trouble brewing, you can be sure of that. The two heros are on the track of suspicious behavior of known outlaws. There’s a shipment of gold being sent on a wagon train, and what seems to be several bands of outlaws converging on it. Lone Ranger confronts a Mexican kingpin about his dealings with the outlaw gang, and the attempt at the gold. When information isn’t forthcoming, the Lone Ranger is at least able to stir up contention among the outlaws. The outlaws are set on the gold, even at the price of murder. Meanwhile, the president himself, US Grant, sends word for troops to stand by at the border in case Maximillian manages to raise enough money, and a war with France breaks out. There’s still a missing factor, that of the help that the Lone Ranger can bring. Can he intercept that shipment of gold? With all that is on the line, it’s sure to provide an exciting adventure, and challenge to the Lone Ranger’s abilities. In the end, the masked man explains the mystery of the gold as he turns the bad guys over to the sheriff.

Getting ready for a big dinner on the town, Marlowe has his plans put on hold when a business woman phones him. The powerful woman makes it worth Philip’s time, and describes her trouble. He could be playing with dynamite as the twists take him closer to danger. When a body makes the scene, Philip doesn’t believe it was only an accident. Marlowe gets tough and pours on the pressure to uncover lies, and get to the bottom of the mystery. Does Philip ever get his night out on the town, and make his dinner plans? Only after a hard day’s work, but there’s a nice payoff for him at the end.