Retro Radio Podcast

Fibber is told that he has been selected as a potential man of the year, much to Molly's surprise. Frank nelson is Mr Grift, the man who wants to sell Fibber the luxuriously bound book of the finalists for the covented prize. As Mr Grift leaves with check in hand, Doc Gamble gets an earful of Fibbers pride over his award. Although everybody else sees the swindle for what it is, Fibber doesn't. Billy Mills plays, the Johnson Rag. Molly tries her best to convince Fibber, but he won't be swayed from his imagined success. Mayor Latriva visits, but Fibbers claim to fame doesn't phase the mayor. It doesn't take long to get both Fibber and Molly mixed up on his figure of speech about being a big toad in a little pond. The Kingsmen sing, the Old Master Painter. To prove the point of Fibbers fame, or not, he and Molly take the street car down town to the police station. Along the way they run into the Old Timer and his girlfriend Bessie. They tell about an adventure with popcorn. Old Timer is skeptical, but what will the police say about Fibber's new found fame? At the end, and with egos and heads shrunk to normal size, Fibber and Molly put in a word for Christmas Seals.

Everybody likes bloopers, but first, Graham MacNamee is connected to a live connection to London. Learn a little bit about wartime censorship, and what it's like to be a reporter in an air raid. Oddities in Radio. Showing that the best announcers in radio make fluffs. Various slips of the tongue during news and weather reports are presented. Even Graham tells on himself with one of his fluffs. A real live sponsor for Eddie Cantor and Mr District Attourney, Lee Bristol, tells how sponsors buy a program to sell their product. Programs are screened, the time slot is considered, as is the target audience. Trends and popularity with what the audience likes to tune into is also a consideration. The Palmolive program is recreated, as the listener is taken back to a few moments in 1930. Palm Oliver plays while Olive Palmer sings opera. Catchy name huh? Olive is just a stage name for Virginia Raye Remember that radio announcer audition from last week? Bill Huck is back to follow up. Did he get that job? Sometimes a voice actor has to bow out at the last moment, and a replacement brought in. To demonstrate the professionalism of voice actors, 3 actors are given parts on the spot, and must read the script cold in a drama that is presented. All they have to go on is a brief description of their character, and away they go.

Jack and Don joke around about writing to Santa Claus, and acting like kids again. Jack gives Don a novelty Christmas gift, but Jack is offended at not getting anything in return. Even Phil gets a gift from Jack, and again with nothing in return. Mary shows off her special charm bracelet, but can you tell there's a trend developing? Phil plays, She Saw She Came She's Terrific. Jack and mary both offer gifts to the members of the band. Kenny continues the trend of gift giving when Jack gives one, but doesn't receive one. A delivery comes and he is surprised to learn the cast hasn't forgotten him afterall. Kenny sings, Once in a While. The cast do a play just for the kiddies, Little Red Riding hood. Jack assigns the parts to the cast. As the elderly Mr and Mrs Hood decorate their Christmas tree, the bickering couple are visited by their son Kenny and daughter Little Red. Since Andy Devine gets to play grandma, Red is on the way with some soup and cigars. Though Red is saved from the wolf by the Jello commercial, grandma isn't so lucky. Will woodchopper Phil be able to rescue Little Red in time? You know he will.

Peter VanSeetin plays and the Merrymacks sing, Good Morning. Fred Allen briefly chats with Harry Vonzel about the Christmas season. Peter VanSeetin joins the joking around. Ipana News Reels present the World in review. Topic revolves around the latest hit film, Gone with the Wind. Fred interviews the man on the street, the critic at the theater, and the almost picked actress for the lead part. All is not rosey with the film release, as a screen writer, complains to Fred. The audio has a rough transition and much of the middle part of the show is missing. With Freds typical format, it would include a couple of songs, his round table discussion with audience panelists, and a possible interview with a prominent figure of some sort. The audio kicks back in at the end segment where we catch up with the Mighty Allen Art Players with the title sketch in progress. In Dr Allen's clinic. He treats various psychological conditions, and cures a man who thinks he's a chicken. With a doctor like Fred, there won't be any relapses will there?

Grandpap enters the store to learn the latest about Lum’s search at the counthy seat to hire a teacher. Cedric also enters to hear about grandpap’s friend, Orlo Wormly. The confusing story is anything but a way to simplify Abner’s life. Cedric announces his plan to start school again. Last time Cedric made the attempt at school, his own poppa was in charge of the school board. Maybe this will be his shot at being a college student. He presents his school book so grandpapp and Abner can help him with a math problem. Grandpap reads the problem of men who dig a ditch, but Abner is confused at how a ccrew of men can dig the same xditch, once it’s been dug. Cedric has an answer, but somehow, “nine apples” doesn’t seem to fit. Abner tries his hand at dividing it out, but how can you end up with two and a half men?

Two shows from the early days of Old Time Rock n Roll. Many have never been on Talkshoe before.

Betty and Bud try to organize a surprise party for their parents. Should they let Kathy in on the secret? Everybody has secrets except poor little Kathy. Jim lets Kathy in on his secret. He's planning a surprise for his wife, Margret. Margret is suspicious that something is going on. With dinner on the table, Margret has her own secret surprise she wants to spring. Problems come in threes when the big day arrives. With self Imposed guilt, Kathy lets it leak about her secret to Margret, sort of. Suddenly she's privy to all the secrets, but secrets have made her unhappy. Its going to be up to her to get everybody out of the house... if she can... so the others can spring their surprises.. is Kathy the only one in the house who is making sense... for a change? The moment arrives, and the party guests have their cue to rush over to hide. Conversation is guarded, but there won't be any missed connections for the perfect party when the signal comes for the guests to surprise everyone... right?

Applications for school teachers have finally begun to arrive, and we find Lum and Abner looking over qualifications. Lum is against a stout woman, but Abner claims her years of experience fills the bill. He’s a little fuzzy about what her degree is in. Is Phys Ed the name of her son? What about the other applicants? The letter from the placement bureau gets Abner off with a side track on how he approaches writing letters. Due to war time travel restrictions, Lum is being asked to meet the applicants in the county seat for interviews, instead of sending the teachers out to Pine Ridge. Lum figures he can save even more time by just looking through the letters and make his decision. When a photo falls out of one of the envelops, the cute, young face looking up at Lum makes up his mind. But wait, how will he decide when there’s more than one cute face to choose from?

Flashback to Dennis asking Jack for a raise, and the jokes from the previous show are revisited. Dennis lets it out that Fred Allen will be returning to the air next week. Mel Blanc has some fun pretending to be the sound man. The fun moves into the studio as Phil plays, Shoo Shoo Baby. Jack departs from the issue of the raise, and teases Phil about his band. Mary is still off the show due to laryngitis. Jack phones her, but talks to the new maid, Butterfly McQueen. She puts her uncle Rochester on the phone, who tries to hide the fact that he has been shooting craps with Mary's doctor. Rochester passes the word that Jack needs to renew his drivers license. Word of Jacks new car is mentioned. He donated the Maxwell to the war effort the previous year. He is now driving a yellow cab, which he is known to pick up the occasional fare, and pick up a few bucks on the side. Dennis sings, I'll Be Home for Christmas. Rochester and Jack arrive at the drivers license office. Forms need to be filled out, eye charts read, and driving tests to be done. Fred Allens's voice tallent, John Brown and Minirva Pious help out in the Drivers license office. Even with the commercial. Jack is nervous as Frank Nelson administers the driving part of the test. After the jokes about driving, near misses, and some that aren't so near, i think the nervousness might have transfered over to the driving instructor.

Robbery Detail. Thieves break in, and threaten an elderly couple as they ransack their home. Arriving in the office of the Robbery detail, Joe Friday gets the gruesome details from partner Ben Romero on how the elderly couple were tortured and beaten during the robbery of their jewelry. Joe offers voiceover to transition the scene to the home, where the couple are doing their best to recuperate. Mrs McClune relives the details of the hold up, and though neighbors knew of the jewelry, nobody can imagine who would stoop to such barbaric methods to steal it. Young Billy had been delivering magazines on his regular sales route. He tells the cops about an unusual sedan, and two men. Joe tells in voiceover how the mundane police work proceeded from there. More witnesses are foumnd who remember the sedan, and the men. A break comes when the crime lab gets a match on fingerprints. Known felons are turned up, and Joe goes to learn what he can from relatives. Are the cops unjustly persecuting Ernest? Why can't they leave him alone, and give him the chance to do good? Time in the interrogation room prove that Ernest indeed was one of the men in the sedan, but will he come clean on his partner in crime? Criminals aren't known for being overly smart, and before long, Mosse makes a mistake. The obliging captured crook is more than willing to help, and not only is all the recovered goods accounted for, but his confession helps fill in other details.

Finally Jack and the crew are all ready to get back to Hollywood and leave the slopes behind. But first he has to deal with his absent-minded doctor and goofy nurse. Also despite a lack of birthday gifts from his faithful cast, he does get a fairly impressive singing telegram. If you remember, this ski trip is supposed to have taken place the week just before February's first show. The first 3 episodes take place in 3 consecutive days. Suddenly Jack is ready to leave on his birthday. His birthday being February 14th. Hey, if he has been in Yosemite all that time, how did he manage to do those first 2 shows from Hollywood? Don't think too hard, it's all just fiction. Just enjoy, it's all good. Bonus Tracks * Keith shares a few remarks on this episode, and background on guest voice, Mary Kelly. * Kaye Kaiser 1940 With the Wind abnd Rain in Your Hair (Ginny Simms). * Phil Harris and Leah Ray 1933 Come on, Get Up.

Gildersleeve is moving kind of slow as he lingers in getting out to work. The family gives him a hard time about not being on the job. Marjorie starts looking at sales for doing Christmas shopping, LeRoy asks for some spending money, but is encouraged to get a job of his own. In trying to help, Gildy tries to put in a good word for LeRoy, and get a job at the telegraph company. It didn't work out, and after several more tries the two job hunters stop in at Peavey's. LeRoy had a job there last year, so Peavey isn't very inclined to offer him another this year. Instead, LeRoy takes over his friend, Piggy's newspaper stand. Suddenly, everybody is against him working, and standing out in the cold. Gildy goes to Floyds Barber shop for some conversation, but even Floyd and the Judge think it's too cold for a kid to be out working. Gildy has defended his decision long enough, but guilt finally sets in and he rushes off to the street corner to rescue LeRoy. He's not there, but after a bout of comic errors, he goes home where LeRoy fills him in on how his day of selling papers went. Afterward, winners for the big prizes in the Name the Baby contest are announced. Others to be notified by mail. Hey, don't hold your breath. The contest has been over for quite a few years by now. If you haven't heard yet, you didn't win. Get over it.

Just returning from the post office, Abner has a pile of mail, but not the items Lum is expecting. With labor shortages, is he being realistic in hoping to get applications from the replacement school teacher? Lum wants to invest in the future of our nation, and pay top wages to the next teacher. Professor Sloane is eager to get to his next position, and the need for his replacement is pressing. Lum needs to find someone by next week. Kids in town can be pretty rowdy, as Abner describes some of their antics. The gents think of good parting gifts to send professor Sloane on his way, and say thanks for his time in Pine Ridge. An old Edwards saying seems to slip right past Abner. Those who have, gets. Some truth behind Lum’s expectation for the next teacher emerges. He claims that lady teachers make better ones than me. Although Abner points out he said the opposite, when Lum decided to hire professor Sloane. Is he picking her out for her brains? As he describes her… lets just say she has some of the prettiest brains Abner ever heard of.

As George tries to get the show started we learn that Gracie is missing. We learn that she's busy at home, trying to take care of sick relatives. The whole cast is on hand to pitch in their words of humor and concern over Gracie. Artie Shaw, Bud Easton, and Senor Lee. The action moves to Gracie's house where medical jokes are the theme. Since it's that time of year in old time radio land, George tries to explain to Gracie about Thanksgiving and how the holiday came to be. The Smoothies sing, Beat Me Daddy Eight to the Bar. The focus switches back to Gracie, and her apartment full of wacky relatives. The Harvard sound man shares some of his woes over the big college football game, and George is teased over his dating choices. Artie Shaw and his orchestra play, Sugar. George tries to leave for his date, but finds the house has been quarantined. Is there anyway for him to get away? Will the jokes about the crazy relatives and medical conditions ever stop? It sure doesn't seem that way.

The meeting of the Jolly Boys club is called to order, and Floyd shares some complaints. He feels the club has been taking advantage of him, and not paying rent for the meeting room. Gildy is upset over not getting his bang for his buck. Should they open the club to new members? This could be the ideal time to invite Mr Bullard into the club, if Gildy can get over his biases. Being shown the high class artifacts in the Bullard trophy rooms, Gildy is bored, until he learns of a billiard table. Common ground is discovered, and each of the gents try to make themselves out to be modest players. Has Bullard just walked into Gildy's trap to join the club so the gents can all use his table? Is the neighbor too much of a snob, or is Gildy? What about the rest of the Jolly Boys? Once again its the night for the Jolly Boys to howl. Instead, we find Gildy calling on the Bullards, and nobody is home except for Craig and his mother. With nothing else to do, Gildy calls on Leila Ransom, but she isn't in the mood for him. With nothing else to do, Gildy heads home, but even the kids have plans to hang out with friends. Poor old, lonely Gildy goes to hang out with Peavey. Is the falling out with the Jolly Boys too big to repair? Awkward moments are ended with apologies, and handshakes all around.