Retro Radio Podcast

A man is set up for a murder that he hasn't committed. Word of the case reaches Doc Danfield, and after he goes to hear the details from the accused man in his prison cell, Dan believes the story, and the man's innocence. It takes more than believing a story though, and Dan sets out to gather more hard evidence. He has to race the clock before the time of the execution rolls around, and as he does, gangsters who would prefer to keep their sucker in the hot seat are ready to do anything it takes to keep him there. The danger grows as Dan gets closer to the truth, but has he made any progress? Is his man still going to take the heat for the killing? Dan knows what to do, and puts his powers of being a high class crime psychologist to work. He lays out his own trap for the bad guys. In the end he spills the beans and shares the clues that tipped him off in proving his case.

Graham MacNamee is back. Behind the scenes at Behind the Mike shares an odd moment with one of their comedy writers, and an interviewew with Harry Morgan. The busy restaurant didn't turn out to be so ideal for the interview. alt="Please pass the biscuits Paaahppee! Pat O'Daniel and his Hillbilly boys old time radio shows at OTRCAT.com " Learn the importance of the radio engineer in the control room. Microphone placement with the orchestra is demonstrated. Also the importance of balancing several mikes where voice and music is involved. Oddities in Radio relates to a previous broadcast of Behind the Mike, and the talking dog segment. Salute to a show from the past is the Tune Detective. The show examined the composition of patterns in tunes. Listen to note patterns, and how they appear in well known songs and hymns. Who knew there were so many songs built from the same 23 or 4 note pattern? Letters from Listeners. Sid White of Radio Daily magazine answers the questions: How do imitators do such a good job? How is the affect of the talk back mike done? How do ratings agencies know how many radios are tuned in? A dramatization of an emergency at sea is interupted by a real emergency. The real emergency had mistook the dramatization for the real thing, but wait... the snafu allowed a real emergency to be detected. Sometimes shows run long and cut off abruptly with a quick apology from the star, but today the show seems to have run short. Filler music is added to pad the time out.

An 80 year old grandmother goes on trial as a witch, and CBS reporters await the verdict. alt="Thousands of old time radio shows in reach -- click here for today's broadcasts! " Might this all be a plot to over throw the government? Is the sanctity of religion in danger? Are these women a real nuisance to society? CBS reporters interview key players in the situation to find out these answers, and raise more questions about the trial. Crazy reports of flying women, and giving the evil eye are mentioned. Testimony resumes, and girls claim that they have been harmed by the old woman. Dramatic outbursts punctuate the proceedings. One witness after another brings slanderous testimony that paint a bleak picture for the defendant. Is there substance to the charges, or just a bunch of catty women trying to get back at each other? Despite how this court chooses for this case, there are about 150 more women yet to go before the judge. Before the verdict is arrived at, reporters make a visit to the jail where others are held. We learn how some of these charges came about, and what it was like in a jail at the time. The jury returns, and the verdict given, but not everybody agrees with the findings.

After being dropped off at the Johnson place by the mail hack driver, Abner and Lizabeth are stranded. A measles outbreak have them quarantined, so to keep busy, Abner makes phone calls to pretend that he actually made it to Texas. Grandpap enters the Jot Em Down store, a little mystified to hear from Abner in Texas, while his relative has told grandpap that Abner hasn't arrived yet. Lum sets him straight, and hhow Abner is supposed to know how to play the trombone. The gents get amused over the idea of Abner practicing a slide trombone in the house full of quarantined patients. Even Phinus comes in to marvel that his son, Abner, has phoned him from Texas. What kind of made up news is he spreading around now? What kind of parade is Abner getting himself into? Just more troubles at the Johnson farm?

Gracie Is proud of the way George has been keeping his New Year's resolution. Nothing seems to upset him, although Gracie has put him to the test. Will he hold up under the news that her mother is to come for an extended visit? George would rather fix up a spare room for a recently discharged veteran. Meredeth Willson pops in to finish telling a joke he started at George's party the other day. If only he can keep from interruptions. As George and Gracie start their remodeling, Gracie gets confused over what a veteran will be looking for once he returns, and some of the military jargon of those overseas troops. Bill Goodwin pops in to learn about the Dreaded Meredeth, and his untold jokes. What makes California such a popular place e for returning veterans to stay? What are some of the hardships vets are facing in locating a place? If Gracie's jokes are anywhere close to reality, the homeless situation is pretty dire. The Happy Postman delivers the mail, and jokes about his wife. How is he doing his part to lend a hand to homeless vets? The remodeling continues, and Gracie reads want ads to try and select a vet. She tells George about the potential schedule to share the bathroom and kitchen. Meredeth is back, but has his joke telling improved? Is there any danger of bringing Vaudeville back? Bill Goodwin returns, but his pitches for the sponsor ruin Meredeth's fun. Gracie has a few last moment jokes before she reveals who the new live in vet will be.

Narcotics detail. A big time drug dealer has been operating, and the chance to take them down has come. Talking with an informant, Joe Friday gets the details on the pusher, while in the park. Read gets his nickname from the kind of big Cadillacs he drives. Word on the street is that a big deal is to go down. Guns, top notch heroine from Mexico, and lots of nervous pushers. This won't be easy, but Joe plans an under cover set up. He'll need to distance himself from his fellow cops, but keep them close enough to call for back up. What about his mom? If she knew the kind of danger involved, she would be worried to death. Making his move, Joe goes in for his meeting with Red. How about it? Will it get him in to make his big time deal? For now, all that can be done is to sit tight. Phone lines are burned up to stay in touch with the cops, checking on crime lab tests, and touching base with mom. When Joe is beaten, is it a sign the drug dealers are on to him? He thinks otherwise, and makes his own power play to make his point. The meeting is set. Nerves are on edge. The net is cast, but all that comes up in it are small fish.

Victor Gook has just arrived home from the office, and reads through the afternoon mail. Sade is a little perturbed as Vic looks through the latest catalog of goodies from the lodge. Though he's eyeing the latest way to spend money on the lodge goodies, and claims that he isn't, Sade gets her defenses up. Rush enters to do some bragging at his latest adventures and most dramatic moment of his teenage career. It's not enough to detour the talk from the lodge letter though. Sade only sees dollar signs, but Vic tries to explain that it's not the dollar amount, but the value and pleasure of the painted portrait. Sade's not having any of it, and see's the advantage of letting Rush squeeze in his tale of how his friend Smelly Clark tried to impress a girl. Sade is on top of her game in squashing unwanted conversation as she shuts Vic down, even to the point of hurting his feelings. I think Rush may be feeling a little sorry, or esentful at Vic's grudging defeat in verbal combat, and is hesitant about going up against such a foe as the mighty Sade. Though Sade seems less than impressed at Rushes story about Smelly Clark, I think she would rather endure that than renew the battle with poor old Vic. PS: What is it about Vic's lodge that gets under Sade's skin? It's just Vic's way to find a klace to belong, and take some pride in. A private Something that's all his own. Is it really all about spending money? Or something else? Come on arm chair psychologists out there, here's your chance to talk about it. Leave me a comment.

After a mix up over baggage, and bickering, Abner and Lizabeth have been stranded at the Johnson farm. Today we find Cedric talking to Lum over how his school career is going. Is he just too smart to keep on going to classes? Since Cedric is off school early, Lum tries to get him to handle deliveries. A phone call is from Abner. Has he made it to Texas yet? Has he had to play the trombone for aunt Agatha? Though he's awkward with the phone, Cedric wants to talk, and shares with Abner about the picture he drew that got him out of classes. A bunny of a different color. After the phone call, Lum gets a visit from Mr Johnson. Maybe he can set the record straight on how well Abner made his connection. The secret is out, the Peabody's are still stuck on the farm, and driving the Johnson's nuts. An added complication means the Johnsons are stuck with the Peabody's for a while. PS: Guest voice today is Jerry Hausner.

A young couple, Gerstin and Laurie, are happily married. He is an ad executive who doubles as the company's featured male model. Laurie is upbeat as she shares her hot hubby with all the rest of the women in the city as the ladies all gush over his pictures in the ads they see. His signature is his string bowtie, and on the way to a New Year's Eve party, we see Laurie's patience with the adoring public being pushed to a limit. There's someone else who has their patience stretched, a jealous husband with a pistol in his pocket. Being kidnapped from a nightclub may be the least of concerns for Gerstin and laurie. What does this tough guy want? Can the smooth talking ad man talk his way out of this? Can you guess that the disgruntled kidnapper is upset over his gal falling for the male model? To cool down tempers, and get out of this mess alive, Gerstin and Laurie do some romantic rekindling between the gangster and his wife. If they can. Enjoy the situation as it turns from serious, to comic, to tender. Sidney Sheldon is the gangster, Bill Bailey.

Events at a party seem typical, until a gunshot is heard. The prime suspect is Mrs Davis who claims she had nothing to do with it, and is distraught over the killing. In a unique style for radio dramas, in almost a surreal manner, the interrogation questions are presented. Police review the details of the clues, and Mrs Davis is taken to trial. The case against her is a good one, but how will the jury decide? Listen in to learn, but whether she is found guilty, or innocent, it remains that a little 22 calibre pistol is now held in the Black Museum as the murder weapon.

A desperate widow has an assignment involving a strange man of mysticism. Richard gets to the point and figures there's an inheritance involved, but agrees to spend the night in the haunted house. Before the events of the evening, Richard takes time to visit his policeman pals.

Abner has left for his trip to visit in laws in Texas. When grandpap visits Lum in the Jot Em Down store, they discover that Abner has left his valice behind. Can Lum get it out to the mail hack in time? Burning up the party lines, Lum tries to intercept Abner before he gets too far away from town. Lum laments that he's the only responsible person around. If it wasn't for him, and his fast thinking, nothing would ever get done right. The action of orchestrating phone calls, and sending Cedric to the right place with the valise becomes more intense. Will Cedric need to meet the mail hack at the county seat? Will Abner forget himself and miss his connection at the Johnson farm? In all the commotion, Lum discovers a secret about the forgotten valise.

The contest ended on December 24th, bt it will still take a couple of weeks to sort through the overwhelming results. Join Jack and Mary at home as they review some of the entries. Polly the Parrot and Rochester do their part to read mail, and take part in running gags. Phil arrives and goes over some of the mail. Complaints arise over some of the Christmas gifts from last week. Will Jack ever teach Polly to say Happy New Year? Why is Don singing? Larry Stevens sings a tune. Steve Bradley, Jack's publicity man, arrives to talk about the prizes that will be awarded. Jack has to visit the vault to make a withdrawal. Despite parting with his cash, Jack gets an early visit from the little boy new year with a bright outlook on the optimistic year.

Or... Nick Carter and the Death House Mystery. A last moment request is emblazoned across the radio waves. Is there hope for the condemned man with Nick Carter working his case? Johnny knows there’s no hope for himself. Can Nick at least soften the blow for Johnny’s wife Laura? The story is convincing enough for Nick to take the case of an innocent man. With Nick on the case, talk of a reprieve is already buzzing. Patsy shares all the facts she has gathered in the short time. The clock ticks, but will he learn anything to work with when he talks to Laura? The scent of a cover up is caught, and the chase leads to the young, wealthy, Fielding. Suspicions need more than guesses, and the clock keeps the pressure on. As patsy and Nick get a little too close, gunshots, and danger loom. Still, have they puns the hard evidence to save Johnny from the chair? The race against time increases to become a race to prevent another murder. But wait, the twists aren’t over, and a plot of revenge is exposed.

Audio has some wierd muffled spots that come and go. Ben Brauer continues as host, in the absence of Graham macNamee. Phil Cook, man of a thousand voices on radio, tells a slice of his busy schedule. He also writes a full hour program each day. He demonstrates some of his writing and voices in a short Christmas drama. He is proclaimed The hardest working performer on radio. The sound affect of the week reveals how Donald Duck appeared on radio. A live rehearsal for a radio drama, The Citadel, is shared. The director explains the scene we are about to hear rehearsed. Enjoy both the acting, and stage direction. Oddities in Radio. This week focusing on the resourcefulness of radio announcers. Resurrecting a past program you love, is a salute to Roxies Gang. Several of the original cast reunite to bring this childrens favorite back to the air, playing selections in classical and operetic music. Letters from Listeners. Today questions are answered by magazine editor, Albert Spawn, and include: How can someone become a sound effects man? What advice can be offered to break into radio acting? Mrs Miles, advice columnist to the lovelorn, shares some of her more interesting letters. A dramatizations of the marital disagreement is performed. A situation that leads to a threat of murder if the advice is aired on the radio. Did it come to that?