Retro Radio Podcast

Candy gets a phone call from an old pal who is a soldier. He asks her to attend a military party. Sounds innocent enough, but a mystery lurks beneath the surface. She goes to talk to her old friend Rembrandt Watson to extend the invitation to him for the military ball. What’s a girl to do? Shopping for the perfect ball gown works, not to mention stopping off to talk to her sometimes boyfriend, Police detective Ray Mallard. He just might be a little jealous, but lets Candy know it in a special way. Candy learns that she has been set up to be the star attraction in a fund raiser. Though she is less than thrilled over it, the situation is about to get worse. As she goes to meet Rembrandt, she discovers a body, sprawled over the railroad track, and with a train speeding down on him. Not that it would matter much since the man turns out to be a dead body. True to her word, and to support the troops, Candy still heads out to the party, but only after reporting the dead man to the local cops. She dances the night away, and takes a break with one of the soldiers in attendance. He shows his true colors when he roughs her up, and knows an awful lot about her incident with finding the body earlier. She recovers by taking a midnight stroll with a Military Policeman, and just her luck, she finds yet another body on the beach. It’s the guy who smacked her around at the party. What’s going on with this mystery? As she returns inside after all her ordeal, a shadowy figure emerges from the corner of the room that Candy is in. Who is this psychotic guy? Will Candy manage to escape his clutches? And what has been his purpose for his killing spree? Don’t worry, all the dots will be connected to explain all the questions and secrets behind the killer leaving his special calling cards. PS: See what you get when you’re elected as Queen of the Ball? Note to self, no more acceptance of offers to be Queen.

A Bee keeper, and a wedding arranger team up. Groucho learns about the unmarried wedding arranger, and how many bees are in a colony. Modes of Transportation is chosen as the topic to build their money. A housewife and a Nurseryman pair up. He tells about raising plants , and meeting his wife during the war. Mrs Duffy tells how she met her husband while the rancher was swapping out cows. Their topic is, Wives of Nobility. A Jr High school boy is teamed with a member of the PTA. Since the boy isn’t married, Groucho learns how the wife met her husband in the post office. Groucho grills the teenager on romance and love. What else is there to lern about the PTA? They choose the topic, Nicknames of Famous People, to build their money. Will anybody say the secret word? Who gets the chance for the grand prize?

Bob’s topic of jokes is football. He is joined by Jerry Kolonna. Francis Langford sings, Night and Day. Betty and Bob talk about jitterbugs, and jive slang lingo. Plus dating, and night clubs, and her Broadway shows. Betty sings, Boogley Woogley Piggie. Bob and Skinny Ennis are bumpkins who get ready for a date. Blind date jokes, car mishaps, and more. At the Paladium, Bob and Skinny date Betty and Francis. Kolonna is the waiter. Double Dating, and dancing.

Weather related cliches are batted around as Connie and Mrs Davis enjoy breakfast. On the soggy ride to school, Miss Brooks learns about Walter’s science project, a home made radio receiver. Picking up Harriet Conklin, we find her dad staying home to await a delivery of bamboo furniture. The romance of the rainy day is lost on the scientifically minded, bashful biology teacher, Mr Boynton. Finding herself as acting principal in the absence of Mr Conklin, and informed of a weather report of an approaching hurricane, Connie Brooks has to make a decision. Mistaking the report over Walter’s radio for a local one, and not from Bombay, Connie takes drastic measures. School is closed. Students sent home. Connie is determined to go down with the ship… make that the school. Shouldn’t she report to Mr Conklin? What comic misadventure will the new bamboo furniture play in the hilarity? Imagine the uh-oh moment when they realize the real source of the long range broadcast. Note: Though this episode has been broadcast before, this re-used script and performance is topped only by the nice quality of the audio.

Rochester drives Jack to pick up the cast members. Mary scoffs at the 1929 Maxwell, joking the horse may be making a comeback. Phil is teased about his spontaneous sounding band. Spontaneous being a French word for lousy, or so Jack claims. Though the cast wave at Kenny Baker, his appearances as a regular on the show are over. In the studio, Don gets the show under way. Who is the emcee for this inaugural episode? For heavens sake! It’s Jack Benny! Don tells about the yacht he bought. Vacations are recapped, and a knock at the door asks where the summer replacement, the Aldrich Family, went to. Mary tells about the heat wave, and the cute lifeguard who saved her 4 times. Phil enters to his theme song, Rose Room. To save money on a new tenor, Mary claims Jack wanted to hire his canary. The build up to introduce the new singer begins. A phone call from Dennis Day’s mom reports that he’s on the way. Phil plays, Go Fly a Kite. The cast is on their best behavior as Mrs Day brings out her little boy. Jack reviews the broadcast schedule, but what about the pay schedule? Mrs Day does most of the talking, claiming Dennis was born in Cairo, Illinois. Dennis Day sings, Good Night My Wonderful. Note: Dennis Day was actually born in Boston as Eugene McNulty. Though he is said to be 19, he is actually 22, and recently graduated from college. Verna Felton is Dennis Day’s mom, and would return at various times through the years to reprise her role.

Audio is excellent. After losing their sponsor, and signing Alice to be the main attraction in a burlesque house, Willie is distraught. Phil assures Alice he won’t let her be a bubble dancer, but it’s time for a band rehearsal. The guys give her a hard time, and play her song with a little bump to it. Is there other mutinies to worry about? Alice sings, I Don’t Care if the Sun Don’t Shine. Discussing the approaching reality of doing a burlesque show, Alice asks what they even do there. Playing dumb, Phil and Frankie only hint at the kind of act that Alice might do. Can they get out of the contract with Milligan? Will Mr Philips take them back? Heading to Mr Philips office, Phil, Frankie, Alice, and Julius try to set things right. First, Phil sings, Possibilities. With Julius locked in a trunk, the guys run into Grogan on the way to get Mr Philips. How’s Grogan’s money making business going? The contract with Mr Philips seems to be a done deal again, but instead of Philips, Mr Scot is back. He signs them, but he can’t get them out of Milligan’s contract. Plus, Scot begs Phil not to mention the sponsor on the show.

Birdie sings as she gets breakfast ready. She tells about the movie she saw that featured Bing Crosby. In dealing with troubles from Marjorie and Leroy, Gildy discovers a not from Miss Goodwin about some behavior problems. Maybe something disciplined, like a choir would snap the boy into shape? The boys don’t think it’s as fun as playing football though, and ignore the great man. In Peavey’s drugstore, Leroy and his friends argue which comic book is the best. Chasing the kids away, Peavey listens to the proposal Gildy and judge Hooker set forth. A new club is forming, and will meet later in the room above Floyd’s barber shop. Still, no boys are interested, despite refreshments, board games, and music. Nobody is interested in all the dandy fun, except for the grownups. What’s the matter with boys these days? A makeshift barbershop group is formed, and the adults comandiere the club for themselves. The Jolly Boys Social Club is born. Just for men. No boys or women, or they’ll get kicked out.

Audio is good. Though he is known as a trendsetter, Amos is feeling empty, despite successes, and feasting. At this feast, Amos is making his son Jonathan a partner in the family business, but Jonathan shares a family secret that causes an awkward situation. As if to offset the perceived ingratitude, Amos meets a young bigger who cares for an older bigger as though they were related. Amos is compelled to learn more. Why is there such a level of devotion? Why is the Master so important in the dedication to each of the lowly men? Will Amos and his son join with a journey to see the famed teacher? Amos expects something more than the humble appearance of the Master, and his teachings. Will the puzzling messages mean anything to Amos? Lessons in pride and humility are soon made known, and the wealthy Amos learns how much he has taken for granted. When the most lowly of all society, a leper, needs healing, Amos travels with him to see if the Master will heal him. Helping others, who can’t return the favor is a reward beyond any Amos has experienced.

Politically Incorrect today, but in the 1950's and 1960's they were hugely popular these are songs that for various reasons are not acceptable in our present climate.

By the days the first world war broke out, the careers of Holmes and Watson were about over. However, they came out of retirement to take on this case at the battle front. Holmes doesn’t rely on powers of deduction to explain to Watson, their driver is an actor, and friend of Mycroft. In the command post, greetings are had all around as papers are verified. The general looks forward to the entertainment troupe, and the performance. So, why is Holmes present so close to the front lines? A mysterious message has drawn the star away from the show, but Holmes steps up to fill in. The show must go on! On stage, Holmes delivers the Shakespearean lines to applause inside, and distant gun fire outside. An attempted murder has been committed with a German pistol. A plot of espionage is revealed. How much military information has been leaked? One good betrayal deserves another, and Holmes reveals how he turned matters around for the general, the surprise attack, and the fate of a spy.

Squire has seemed to recover a little bit since his fall in Lum and Abner’s theater. Lum confirms it when he just spoke to Squire on the street. Abner attributes it to the note they sent him to offer their condolences. Is he back to his usual friendly self? The topic turns to the little things people can do to help lift spirits. Like the way Charlie Redfield leaves the house when his woman gets a headache. He just can’t stand to see her suffer so, when she goes about doing her house work. Should the gents give Squire a git, or another pick me up? Abner thinks about a few appropriate gift ideas… a card, a book, a set of new false teeth maybe? How about a muscle building course, or one on tap dancing might do well for Squire. Lum claims a war bond is the best way to go. After the pitch to save money, invest in the war effort, and having a nest egg for the future,. Lum’s mood turns dark, when they get a letter from Squire’s lawyers. He’s suing for damages suffered from his fall in their theater.

A tyrant, and commandant of what amounts to an island prison, enjoys the life of comfort and ease. He talks with Marina about the possibility of being replaced soon, and having to give up his reign over the prisoners who act as his personal servants. Yacov is not looking forward to losing his cushy position to return to the mundane life in the bureaucracy at large. A ship sails his way, but an accident… that happened on purpose… causes it to sink. Lifeboats are manned, but all aboard are said to have gone down with the ship. Is the commandant still safe in his position? Apparently not, when his successor has swam the distance from the open sea, quite well, and invigorated. The subtle power struggle continues as pretenses are made to show the newcomer around. How far will Yacov go to ensure his position is secure? Might his best laid plans back fire on him in this island power struggle?

After hitting his head in a fall in Lum and Abner’s theater, Squire recovers from being knocked out. Today, the gents fret over the accident in the darkened theater. Isn’t there a better way for people to be acclimated to the darkness in theaters? Abner gets confused over Lum’s saying about locking the barn after the horse is stolen. The confusion escalates until Abner thinks Lum is an accomplice to horse theft. Interrogation techniques won’t get a confession out of Lum, no matter how hard he tries. Will Abner let it drop if Lum promises to have the horse returned? A medical report comes in from Doc Miller. As the update on Squire, and x-rays come in, Abner mutters under his breath about horse thieves. Doc recommends that Squire has no visitors, so the gents decide to send their condolences in a letter of apology.

The life of a hard working lumberjack, and his wife depend on whether they get the lumber contract. There’s plenty of competition with the Raleigh company, so it won’t be easy. The question is, will it be fair? Bill and Jingles enjoy the scenery as they ride through the majestic woodlands of Utah. Suddenly their special skills are called on when gunplay shatters the peaceful scene. Ben Potter has been shot, and when Bill rides up, he and his wife are glad to meet the lawmen. A known outlaw, Jaw Miggs, is encountered, but is he behind the shootings? So far, there’s nothing for Bill to do, other than to suspect Miggs is up to no good. If Miggs is legitimate, where is his stand of trees? Using government timber is off limits, and when Bill and Jingles are caught snooping, all pretenses drop at the gun point of Miggs. Competition is dealt with by setting fire to other stands of timber, but with the easy turn around of Migg’s men, Bill puts them to work fighting the fires they’ve set.

Digging into our Retro Radio vault, We wanted to share this episode from the old fashioned Retrobots, to the new Retrobots, to you. That man, who spared no expense in his Thanksgiving dinner, is introduced, but Mary teases Jack over his stingy holiday celebrations. Continued criticizing by Don and Phil darkens Jack’s mood. Despite complaints of the tough bird, reading his review from the social register, Jack declares, “A good time was had by all.” Glimpsing at party details, revelations expose phil’s dancing partner. Carmichael the polar bear Even without his mother, Dennis Day chews on the topic of the tough turkey, then he sings, Faithful Forever. Fed up with abuse from the cast, Jack’s temper flares as he gives orders, though he makes Mary laugh. Phil Harris plays, South of the Border. Jack’s Temper is soothed when the cast admit to teasing, and praise the party instead. How did Jack prepare such delicious turkey? The cast explain they’ve been joking the whole time, which calms Jack’s temper by saying they enjoyed his party. He admits the turkey was really duck. A revealed secret leads to a flashback, and a duck hunting adventure. Jack and Mary team up with Rochester and Andy Divine for early morning showing off. Those poor little blue eyed duckies don’t stand a chance with Jack the mighty hunter… ordo they? Bonus Tracks: * Keith talks briefly about the old contact information that the old Retrobots share. Also a word about Thanksgiving confusion in 1939. * Abbot and Costello. A Short moment as they Gett Ready For Frank Sinatra ()1945). * Artie Shaw 1939 Thanks For Everything – (Helen Forrest, vocal).mp3 Don’t forget. If you like what you hear in the podcast, use the links and buttons to Like, Share, or Comment. It’s free, so click often. You’ll be telling your friends, and telling us what you like.