Retro Radio Podcast

A great look into the 1950's with a group of songs that Lee believes should have been a hit record. Nut for one reason or another never got the chance to be heard. This week, they will.

Two cabbies with too much time on their hands, and a love for mystery novels find themselves in the middle of solving a real one. Julius and Moe imagine themselves as heros in a big crime investigation. They see a suspect from a crime story they just read about in their pulp magazine. A dead body is uncovered. and now its time to dig up clues to hand over to the cops to prove they found the right killer. Will the cops see it their way, or as intruders who have tampered with a crime scene, and could easily be suspects themselves? To clear themselves the cabbies find a dame who is known to be connected to the crime. Things go badly when the pistol packing woman takes them, and their cab hostage as she tries to make a quick get away. Bullets fly with the police in hot pursuit. How will this comic caper end? Join in for the ride as the final scene brings justice and closure.

Featuring Carl Hoff and his Orchestra, with singer Amy Arnelle. A reproduction of a previous show, but with some extras worked in. Lou enters with his new pet dog, and the jokes about dogs, cats, and animals of all varieties begin. The dog, Suzy does a little math, and even tells time. The frustrated Bud has to get back to tending to his pet shop. When Mrs Pike calls in for some service with her pekinese, it's the set up for some word play and confusion for Lou. Carl Hoff plays, Come to Baby. Back in Buds pet shop, Lou inventories the animals. Lou waits on customers including Verna Felton, a tipsy Mel Blanc, and Bessy May Mucho. Scotty Brown, the Scotsman pops in to add to the animal jokes. Mrs Niles has a few dog jokes while she asks for help in training her dog, but Lou flubs his line. Amy Arnelle sings, You Won't Be Satisfied Until You Break My Heart. Lou has trouble in trying to train Mrs Niles dog, then it's off to get the dog a license down at City Hall. Somehow Lou ends up in the marriage license department, which makes for some pretty good misunderstandings. Back in the pet shop Mrs Niles wants her dog back, but something has gone wrong. Now the guys have to hunt for a missing dog, and end up at a haunted house. While there, the secret of why she ran away is revealed. Not to mention, several jokes about ghosts, and monsters. Note: At some time during 1946 Bud and Lou had a personal rift, and a falling out. I don't remember when, but it was over the hiring of a maid that one had fired, and the other hired. Something like that. The tone of the shows seems to have shifted from earlier in the year, and the trend continues. There have been several staff changes, Connie Haines had left, and Amy Arnelle has taken over. The Orchestra has switche from Freddie Rich to Will Osbourne last season, and now Carl Hoff has been playing. More trends to watch for include more singer and band changes, and Lou begins to take on less parts where is a total butt of jokes. Bud begins to be teased more. There'll even be roles where Lou comes out on top, as in a Sam Shovel feature that will be a signature piece of the shows. The team were together for years to come, but for a long time, they broke off the friendship, and only saw each other while in the studio, and as little of that as possible.

To get ready for the holiday, Connie talks about her new Easter dress she bought. Mrs Davis gets her out of bed so she can get an early start. The two gals talk about fashions, and the new dress. To earn some extra bucks, Connie takes on an extra job with the school board over Spring break. It must be a popular thing to do, since it turns out that Walter Denton has also taken on a job for some added spending money for Easter clothes. Together, they go to meet their new boss for the week. As they go, Walter shares some special nicknames with Miss Brooks that he has for their beloved principal. Guess who the boss is? It's the ever eavesdropping Mr Conklin. Hey, even principals need to shell out for some snazzy Easter duds. The temp job gets to be an even bigger reunion when Harriet is the secretary, and Mr Boynton is another worker bee. Just what will the two teachers do in the small, close fitting file room? If the teachers get cozy, we never know since the scene cuts to payday. The paycheck turns out to be a little short of Connie's expectations for getting her dress. Mrs Davis talks to Connie about her dinner plans, and the big Easter egg hunt. When she sees Connie's disappointment over missing out on her new dress, Mrs Davis takes some action of her own to help out. The audio gets skippy through these parts. When Connie's arch rival, Miss Enright, stops in to talk about her expensive fashions. Must be nice to have rich relatives who can help out. Despite being rivals, Miss Enright slips Connie a mysterious envelope with more than enough to get her outfit. Certainly Miss Enright isn't so warm hearted, who is Connie's benefactor? She doesn't question her windfall, but heads out with Walter, who takes her to go shopping. Fast forward to the big Easter party, and the big egg hunt. The rules are explained, and Mrs Davis moderates as the hunt is begun. Walter butters up Connie over her good looks and fashion. Will Mr Boynton feel the same way? Even catty remarks can't stop rivals, Enright and Brooks from admiring fashion and style. Mrs Davis is worried that all the eggs haven't been found, and where is Mr Boynton through all the festivities? It's time to get dinner started. Mrs Davis has news for Connie to meet Mr Boynton in the park at the zoo, but she has ruined her dress, and is hesitant at not looking her best when she goes to meet him. Connie dresses in her plain old black and green dress to go to her meeting in the park. , Dressed in casual clothing, Boynton actually shares some special feelings he has for Connie and makes her day. His secret isn't made plain, but it was him who sacrificed his new suit for the money to get Connie's new dress. After the closing commercial, Connie and Boynton go home and manage to find a few more of those missing eggs.

After a quick opening joke or two, Fred and the Texaco News of the week features horse racing. Listen and learn how the gambling benefits everybody, and about the circular flow of cash. weigh in with jockeys and track newspaper reporters for all the details. Kenny Baker sings, My Little Dreamgirl. Al Goodman plays a transitioning tune, and Portland joins Fred. we learn that Jack Benny was the guest star earlier tonight on the Quiz Kids show. Mr Kroner, the man who is Gargantua's keeper in the circus tells all about his unique job. win Murray sings, Quitting Time. Fred is greeted by his cast, who have apparently been in the middle of a cliffhanging radio soap opera. Confused? So is Fred, but Kenny tries to set him straight on the action of his new production. Tune in for an episode of Simply Simple Sammy. Kenny sings, we Don't Talk About That. The Texaco Star Players present a drama titled, Sleep. A saga of the busy times and the things that keep people from a good night's sleep. Food products that aid sleep. Doctors with sleep clinics. Doc Allen takes us on a tour of his clinic, and shows off his various techniques for sleep. Note: Besides Fred, Jack Benny also pokes fun at his guest spot with the Quiz Kids, and even has them on his own show for some added comedy. As a reminder, Gargantua was a famous gorilla, and star attraction in the circus, but listen in for all those details from Fred's guest. Also, the spoof commercial in Kenny's cliffhanger has an interesting slogan.

In a future time a man and wife enjoy breakfast as their robot servant clears the dishes. Aurora can't get the hang of the robot, and though the mechanical man makes mistakes, Harry is a little more ttolerant of the machine. Sort of. Harry is a salesman of the mechanical helpers, but bad news comes his way when he learns of a newer model that causes him to lose sales. Just how life like are the new mechanicals? Why is Harry Underhill being given the grand tour of the rival manufacturing plant? Showing her lack of trust in Harry's business, Mrs Underhill takes in a boarder, Mr Sledge. Tensions at the dinner table reveal the strange reason why Mr Sledge is a refugee. What does that have to do with the new humanoids that now threaten Harry's business? Will the nagging Mrs Underhill be won over by the flawless work of the humanoids, and be a fan of the new technology? Now it's Harry who is resistent to technology, and the changes the humanoids are bringing. Shades of imperfections begin to appear. Will Sledge hold the secret of getting rid of the humanoids? In a world where all work is taken out of the hands of men, and performed by machines, will it assure happiness? With the prime directive to protect human life, why will humans want to destroy that protective safety net? Will machines rise up to rule over humans? PS: When Sledge first hears the humanoids are on earth, Harry wants to call Dr Withers. Hmm.. certainly not Dr Benjamin Franklin Withers of Lum and Abner fame! Sledge claims to have the machine that will wipe out the humanoids, but if they're as prolific as indicated, and they all die at once, won't that cause problems? All their work at service will come to a halt at once, possibly endangering people through the universe. Not saying it ends that way. Maybe it does. Maybe it doesn't. It's just a thought that seems to not be considered. The title, With Folded Hands, can be thought of a figure of speech for a couple things. To fold your hands as you stand idly by, or it could refer to being laid to rest as in a coffin. Which is it? The ending represents an old fear of machines by those in the generation of the early 20th century.

A trio of gangsters get together to discuss a few of their dirty deeds. In particular a matter of bvlackmail. A twist to their scheme is that their target has been paying for incriminating letters that have been burned in a fire, and no longer have a real hold over him. One of the gangsters is a reformed man who is now working as a private detective. To get back at his partner in crime, Miss Sheldon, he runs his own racket with Mr Ralston regarding those embarrassing letters. Will Steve's set up work? Details in his tightly woven plan begin to unravel on him. Has Ralston had enough, and killed Miss Sheldon, and put the blame on Steve? Will Steve be able to use the threat of those letters to win an alibi for himself? Get ready for a twist ending as revelations explode to the surface. Can Steve get past the evidence the cops have against him? His ace in the hole may have fell through for him.

Don starts out by having us drop in at Jack's house, where Professor LaBlanc gives Jack a violin lesson. With the lesson over, there's only the matter of paying his teacher. Along the way Jack is side tracked when the cast all enter the front door. What's up with Professor LaBlanc's pants? Or maybe down with them would be the better question. The cast all get ready for some fun in the sun, lunch, and lounging beside Jack's pool. Has he forgotten about the longsuffering Professor Lablanc? Dennis sings, Just You Wait and See. The gang all decide to go to the beach, but there's still the matter of paying for those violin lessons. After some foot dragging, and a chat with Rochester about the condition of the kitchen supplies, Jack has once again become distracted. Rochester heads next oor to borrow some butter, and we eavesdrop on Ronald and Bonita Coleman. Ronald gripes at Jack's habit of borrowing odd things from him. As Ronald practices a few dramatic lines, the noise of Jack practicing wafts through the air, causing Ronald to wonder if the cat needs to be let out? Or does it want in? The racket is enough to drive Ronald nuts, but ironically, Jack phones to complain to the Colemans about the noise from their aledged marital problems, disturbing his violin practice. The running gags don't stop as the matter of paying Mel Blanc arises again. The neighbors do a little dirt digging, and hand it over to gossip columnist Louella Parsons. Note: Phil comments that his jokes ought to win him a Summer show. He would do some guest shows for the Fitch Bandwagon over the Summer that would eventually lead to a regular series for him. Rochester teases Mel Blanc about having to wait for being paid since noon. He claims to be waiting since 1937, the year he joined the show.

The circus is coming to Summerfield, and the biggest kid of all, Throckmorton P Gildersleeve, is rushing home with tickets for the family. He got the complimentary tickets after a favor when the female circus owner approached him to arrange cooperation to get enough water for the animals. At home, Gildy passes out the tickets as he tells Birdie and the family about the circus. Leroy is out back, playing stunts to impress his little girlfriend, while Marjorie and Gildy spy on them from the bushes. To impress her, Leroy claims to be planning to run away and join the circus. Later, Judge Hooker stops by to borrow gardening supplies, and is told what Gildersleeve discovered about Leroy's plans. Rather than forbidding Leroy from the circus, the judge advises that Leroy take on a job at the circus and get all the fill he cares to have of the grunt work that goes on behind the scenes. The job is arranged, and Gildy comes down to see how Leroy's first day on the job is going. Little does he know the circus is having a little slump with the sales, and the female owner, who is also the lion tamer, sees the water commissioner as just the hook to spark interest. The circus manager, and lovely lion tamer sweet talk to his ego to become the guest ringmaster. He tries out his new duties with a little practice on the public address system. Meanwhile, Leroy has already had enough of the hard work, and plans on quitting the circus, and rejoining his position in his nice comfy town. Birdie helps with the commercial. Gildy stops in to share his news of being ringmaster with Peavey. Peavey tells how he once had aspirations of joining the circus, and about a friend of his who helps in the circus. At home, Gildy revels in his new position. The family stroke his ego, although Leroy and Marjorie point out that they know he was talked into it by a pretty face. Time for the circus. Gildersleeve is looking forward to traveling with the circus, and the evening gets off to a grand start. The acts are introduced, but when the beautiful lion tamer needs help, she has ringmaster Gildersleeve lend a hand. Though terrified, all his friends congratulate him, then Gildersleeve visits the lion tamer, and circus owner in her trailer for a talk. Whether she's serious or not, she takes the touching moment as a proposal, and wants to get married. If the lions didn't scare Gildy away, the threat of marriage did, and he walks off the circus job to settle back into his usual life.

George and Gracie enjoy a breakfast after being gone all Summer. Gracie watches the new neighbors with binoculars and gives a full report on the new family. Gracie wants to be extra nice to them. Cut to the family next door, watching themselves being watched. They think Gracie is George's daughter. Instead of a dad, mom, and daughter, as is guessed by George, the mom is not here yet, and the woman is a sister in law. Gracie sends George over on a diplomatic mission, and the misunderstandings explode. The family thinking George is a widower, hope to get the aunt married off to him. Could it be? Will George's charm backfire on him. Meanwhile, the daughter, mistaking Gracie for another youngster, tries to talk 1940's slang to her. With Gracie's logic, and misunderstandings turned up into high gear, comedy runs amok. After the commercial, mayhem over the topic of elopement reigns. Gracie is trying to help the daughter elope with her boyfriend. George has inadvertantly proposed an elopement with the aunt. Can the same power of Gracie's logic that created this mess, get every body out of it? The world may never know, but you will when you download, and listen to this episode. Features Gale Gordon, Richard Crenna, Bill Goodwin, Irene Tedroad, and more.

Karen Temple, a starlet, and ice skater, fell ill and after a lengthy hospital stay was told she may never be able to stand. She tells Graham Macnamee about her 2 and a half year climb to become a top recording star. Behind the radio show, Double or Nothing, Walter Compton tells about the Seeing Eye Institute, a pioneering agency for providing service dogs for the blind. Lee DeForrest has his story dramatized, and how his work on wireless telegraphy equipment turned into milestone work, to transmit voices over the air. His partner, Frank Butler, kept moving his receivers back from mere feet, to several miles. Despite setbacks, and being cheated out of patents, the two partners never gave up. Frank is in the studio to tell Graham what radio means to him. What startling changes might be in store in the advancements of radio technology in the 21st century? DeForrrest and Butler can only hope they are still around to see the changes from 1906 until then.

The most popular novelty records according to sales and jukebox plays might surprise you, but here they are; some very well known, some more obscure than you might think.

Gracie talks with the Happy Postman about his joy of Western novels. How does it affect the home life of the postman? Even George has been reading cowboy tales and it shows in his manner of speech. Gracie is a little embarrassed at the low brow literature, since she has been trying to get into a high class book club. Has Bill Goodwin even gone wild over books, and given up chasing girls? Meredeth Willson has joined George in the corral of readers of those cowboy love tales. Gracie is disgusted with the literary choices of the menfolk, but she keeps getting her authors confused. Meredeth and the orchestra play, Georgia. Mrs Randolf is to come over to see if Gracie qualifies for her dignified club. George bails out, and goes to the drugstore while Gracie spills out her confused knowledge of books to the high class lady. Though her lack of literary knowledge is about to get her booted from the club, Gracie claims that George is related to the famous author, Robert Burns. Has she made a good impression? How is she going to explain how the Jewish George is related to the Scottish poet? Though Mrs Randal sees through the ruse once George gets home, what will the uppity woman think of the cowboy novels?

For years, the main focus of immigrants to the West was gold. Nobody foresaw the value of the rich soil and farming it, except for the Lone Ranger. He shares his vision with Tonto. Will those gold prospectors see the light as well, and turn to homesteading? Eventually miners do become disgusted with mining and decide to leave. All but one miner and his family. As the Lone Ranger observes the happenings, he learns that things aren't exactly as he foresaw them. He has to step in to settle rumors, and encourage the new homesteaders that they will be able to make a go of it. Will they listen to him? Will there be challengers to the plan? Certain nefarius characters show their colors, and the Lone Ranger feels obligated to take them out of the picture to keep the honest homesteaders working the land, mining for the treasure and security that working the land will bring.

The new neighbor from a few weeks ago, and the mom of Leroy's latest love interest, Brenda, spend an evening dancing with Gildersleeve. Gildy sings a few bars, to the lovely Mrs Knickerbocker. The couple walk home in the evening Spring air, and Gildy drops hints at a goodbye kiss from Ellen. . She's not one to kiss on first dates, and his attempts at stealing one are thwarted. Back home, Marjorie and Leroy try to extract the juicy, romantic details of the previous evening. Marjorie announces that the baby, Romerie will be visiting with her real dad. The baby, of course is the one that was abandoned with Gildersleeve in the first half of the season. She will soon be a year old, and Gildy offers the use of his house to host her party. At Peavey's, Gildy invites him, and learns about a conflict of dates. Peavey's pet parrot is having a birthday as well. Next, the judge is invited, and even Ellen, but both have conflicting dates. In fact, Ellen ends up inviting Gildy to a swanky party that her brother Bullard is putting on. It also happens to be the same time as his party. Now what will he do? Gildersleeve spends a sleepless night agonizing over it. Which party should he go to? The baby's, or Ellens? How can he tell the family about his bailing out on the baby's party? Leroy even turned down a date with Brenda to be at the party. Birdie appeals to him in her unique style to attend. Ellen will understand, won't she? The moment of the parties arrive, and indecision reigns. Who will win out? The cute and cuddly baby, or the equally cute and cuddly Ellen? Here's a hint, it's better to party with the family you have, than the one you don't. Gildy decides to make waves with Ellen, but when he rocks her boat will she be forgiving over his decision, and understand?