Retro Radio Podcast

A review of the life of David Rittenhouse is featured. An early astronomer in American history. The Cavalcade orchestra presents the Cole Porter tune, Night and Day. Born in 1732 to Dutch parents. At age 14, David is out in the woods, disappointing his father’s wishes to earn a good living. His skill in math, and making models makes no sense to a hardworking farmer. After college, a 31 year old David works in his shop, ironing out details in adding the phases of the moon into a clock. His knowledge of astronomy makes it easier for him to be a surveyed. After being married, and living on the family farm, his observation of the stars never stopped. Building models of the solar system financed a move to the city, but his farm became the planetarium. Ben Franklin consulted him in matters of astrology. Rittenhouse also distinguished himself in physics, inventing a metallic thermometer. Now with a worldwide reputation, he received grants, political positions, and served under George Washington to develop the national mint. Dupont makes synthetic sponges that can be washed, sterilized, and hold up under a variety of household uses.

Jack tells Don how tired he is over the work he has been doing on his latest movie. He also complains about Fred macMurray. Why would he do that for? Don’t they have the same make up man in Hollywood? When Mary arrives she gives Jack a hard time about his leading ladies. Phil enters and gets teased from jack about stealing his girlfriend from his private rehearsal on last week’s show, and Kenny gets teased about how dumb he is. Kenny and Mary have a battle of wits with Jack over dating. Kenny sings, There’s Someone for Everyone. Jack announces the night’s play, a spoof on the hit film, the Hurricane. Why do the cast members dislike their assigned parts so much? Andy Devine phones in to give the latest scoop on his family. Phil plays, Snake Charmer. In the South Pacific island, the natives are happy, but governed by the nasty tempered Jack Benny. He tosses people in jail. He shows no mercy. Why? It’s the law. He gets no respect from his wife, played by Mary. Who else? Soon the natives become restless, but how long can Jack control them? Will a hurricaine unite, or divide the islanders? Signs begin to indicate that a hurricaine is coming, but is Jack concerned? The natives may flee, but Jack is unconcerned. Will he heed a warning from Schlepperman, chief of the natives? How will this intense drama of man versus nature end? At least Jack has his Jello, and another of Don’s yummie recipes. In closing, Mary reads some awards the show just recieved, and several cast members are honored.

Abner reviews the story thus far with grandpap, about the construction project that Lum has arranged. He had picked rivals who had once been trying to date the widow. A situation that had broken down with all three parties not speaking to each other. Lum managed to make a special deal with each of the individuals to get his house built, and it would work, if he can keep them from knowing about the others involvement. Later, Abner visits the construction site, and finds Lum sprawled on the ground. Has he been hurt? Has the expected fight between the contractors, and the widow blown up? Lum explains that for now the widow hasn’t made her visit, and his secret is safe. He was just doing some inspecting of the building. Squire Skimp enters the picture, trying to appeal to Lum for making a donation to the USO and Community Chest. Cedric enters with a secret about why the widow couldn’t make her visit today.

Jack and Don talk about their recent Christmas holiday, and the gal that Jack went out with on New Years Eve. It seems that Phil set him up with a gal named Delores DelSchmutz. Apparently Mary’s date wasn’t much better. When Phil gets in, Jack confronts him about the date that he got stuck with. Phil plays a peppy tune. Kenny arrives to stir up trouble with Jack. He then tells how he dodged a blind date that Phil wanted to set him up with, a gal named Delores. He tells about the date he did have. Andy Devine arrives and tells about his ma and missing pa, and his family adventures over New Years Eve. Kenny sings, Rolling Plains. Jack has a big surprise, he announces the next week’s show will be broadcast from San Fransisco. Rochester phones in to get the low down on the travel plans. After getting a little back talk from the hired help, Phil returns to play, The Lady is a Tramp. Jack finally begins to announce the guest stars. The lead role for the film Gone With the Wind is still not cast, so Jack brings out an actress for an interview for it. It’s really Mary doing a lady with an odd accent. Jack keeps being interrupted, first it’s Andy who is still worried about his missing pa. Then one of Jack’s writers, followed by Don interupt. Jack does an interview with a long time Jello eater, a 50 year old man, actually Walter Tetley. Clearly in his usual voice, and far from the reported age. Jack announces a guest star, but they aren’t able to make it. The substitute act gets hurried off stage before their singing is done. One last guest arrives. Hey, It’s Andy’s long lost pa. And so ends the show.

Among other guests are Burns and Allen, Milton Berle, and featuring Paul Whiteman. Paul Whiteman and vocalists open with an arrangement of, Valencea. Willie Howard does a comedy act as a world travelling professor. Talking in a French dialect, he gets laughs as he butchers the English language while making small talk. It’s amazing how a person can say so much about so little, and still be funny doing it. After the mid show commercial, Georgia Gibbs sings her original song, Shoo shoo Baby. Although I don’t think the record skips in there lend anything to the entertainment, she definitely does a great job at the song. Raymond Graham Swing delivers a few words of prose to motivate in the current time of the war that was going on. He talks about the book burning in Berlin, and political refugees, hinting at oppression and torture going on in Europe. After a station break, Paul Whiteman kicks off the second half of the show. He performs a new arrangement of the classic tune, In the Hall of the Mountain King. A very young sounding Milton Berle hits the stage with his wisecracking style of humor. He jokes about the New Year, feasting at the party, and his early years. He reads a letter from a cousin who is away in the Army. After another commercial, Georgia Gibbs is back to sing, Stormy Weather. Next up, George Burns and Gracie Allen are given a intro that shines a little historic light on their past. The do a little drama where George is waiting, bare chested, for his laundry to come back. Gracie is flattering, yet somehow not so flattering to George. She talks about his physique, and their early years of dating and getting married. Gracie shares a few candid moments from their honeymoon. They even get a visit from their radio announcer, and cast member, Bill Goodwin. Bill drops off a letter from Gracie’s brother Willie. Gracie tells how she is supporting the troops and the war effort. Eventually, she gets around to reading Willie’s letter, almost. Paul Whiteman and his vocalists sing the title track to the hit Broadway musical play, Oklahoma. To close, the announcer gives the lineup for next week’s show.

A desparate fight broke out after an ambush on the houseboat. The distraction gave Deerslayer the chance to escape from his captors, but it was short lived. Heddy has a knack of sneaking past the watchful Indian guards, and updates Deerslayer on plans to bring in the soldiers. Will it stop him from being tortured? Deerslayer faces tomahawks, rifles, and all the warriors can throw at him. Judith enters the camp to save Deerslayer, but what can onewoman do against the Indian torturers? The distraction pays off. The squad of soldiers raid with musketw blazing to send the Irriquois running. Though this may be the end of the skirmish, Deerslayer knows the conflict with the natives is only bginning.

Most likely the wrong date, probably from 1949 instead. Lamonte Cranston and Margot Lane are on a scavenger hunt on a foggy, creepy night. A scream from a warehouse has them on the scene of a murder. A huge cat flees the scene, and after the police arrive Lamonte learns that this is the third murder at the warehouse this month. Is the warehouse haunted? Despite being guarded, no one knows how the murders have taken place. Lamonte plans on playing security guard, but doesn’t want Margot to join him. Will they be in danger when the cat comes back? Later, the Shadow claims to know how it was done, and implies he has a personal stake in the matter. Hang on for spooky events to unfold as the Shadow springs into action to rescue Margot, and trap the killer who is behind the crimes.

Lum has the blueprints of the new house he plans to build for a family in need. He has some trouble telling Abner about them, and how the blueprints are used in construction. He’s not entirely pleased with the floorplan, and draws in his own adjustments. Soon the small adjustment leads to adding a room, and discovering that part of the house will then be in the street. Will the additions run into more lumber than Lum counted on? His plans to get a deal on his carpenters and lumber depend on the widow who owns the land not getting along, and not talking to each other. Wanting to know more details about the house to be built on her property, the widow Cobb phones Lum to get technical details from him. Can the expert builder give her adequate answers? Will she show up on the construction site to discover first hand about the details?? Will her discovery of the contracter, and the rift between them cause Lum a set back?

It’s an all female cast of stars that present tonights drama. The Nash Institution is a finishing school where the rumor mill has it that a young lady has killed herself. Life among the teachers and students settles into a cheery routine. Or is it that the teacher is just oblivious to the dramatic undercurrents that run among the students. Are the students playing on the trust of their teacher? Is there a power struggle as the faculty butt heads? It all adds layers to the drama of life in the charm school. The gals decide to hold a seance where more secrets are revealed. Has the added suspense caused one of the students to have a heart attack? The weight of tragedy on the teacher’s soul becomes even greater when she learns the student with the weak heart has died. Did someone poison the girl? The drama gets so deep you’ll need hip boots to wade through it all. Oh the drama, Oh the pathos, Oh the tragedy. There’s a mystery afoot. Just what is the evidence and motive? What proof is there? There’s ominous word from the supernatural to indicate the tragedy isn’t over yet. A shot rings out, the cops are called, the real killer has killed herself.

Chingacook warns it won’t be safe to return to their houseboat. Shouldn’t they be concerned at the sight of a mocassin floating near a log in the lake? Harry declares the houseboat safe and sound. Then the battle breaks out as Tom and Harry fight for their lives, so Judith and Heddy can escape. Can the ladies turn around and rescue their men? Will they all get away without losing a scalp?

The large and rowdy Childress family has been living with Lum, after he agreed to help them find a place to stay. His house was the only place he could find for them, and now he has regrets over the chaos that has come to his house. Lum is so desperate to get rid of the family that he plans to build them their own house. How can he do that and also pay off his debt on the piano for the church? Lum manages to locate a plot of land to build the house, but he’s still working out the details on the lumber and labor. Abner tries to talk sense to Lum about the plans for the project, but Lum is burning up the phone lines tocall in favors to get the materials and resources he needs. Why is there a pig on the front steps of the store? People enter throughout the show to tell about it as Lum makes his phone calls. Lum’s plans seem to be going his way, but Cedri enters with a slight problem to report about that pesky pig.

It’s the morning before Thanksgiving, and the family gets ready to face the day. The water pressure is low, and the kids and even Birdie register their complaints about it. The already busy Water Commissioner has his work cut out for him. Since school is out for the day, LeRoy asks to tag along with his uncle Mort, and he goes to the office with Gildy. Maybe it’s that darn snifter valve causing trouble again. Bessy is off for the weekend, so LeRoy takes her place, while Gildy talks with the judge. There seems to be some unfavorable articles, and political cartoons about the water situation. When he phones Charlie about the trouble, Gildersleeve gets an earful, but the solution is forthcoming. The mayor suggests that fixing the water isn’t enough. They need to do something dramatic for the newspapers to save face in the press. Hey, I know. Since our show’s title is called, ‘Helicopter Ride,’ what if Gildy rides to the resevoir in one. The press loves stuff like that. Gildersleeve immediately begins trying to back out. LeRoy and Marjorie, and for that matter everybody else thinks it’s great. Gildy stops in to chat with Peavey, and pick up a cigar. Peavey has his way of dcheering up Gildy when he needs it, and he does. Armed with a bright idea of convincing Charlie Anderson to stay earthbound, Gildy makes a last ditch effort. It doesn’t work. What if Adeline tells him to forego the ride. No good. Whill he get out of the flight? What about his duty to providing water to Summerfield?

Worries continue over how Lum can raise money fast. Maybe he can have an accident, and break an arm or leg forr an insurance claim? Lum immediately discounts the idea, but Abner goes on a wild tangent, trying to figure out ways to break Lum’s bones. Lum figures he can look up his family tree in search of a rich relative. Instead, Abner gets confused about money growing on trees. Abner even pulls out one of those old Ed’ards sayings to use on Lum. How’s that for a twist? Back on the topic of family trees, Lum tries to explain how it works to Abner. Is Lum’srich relative up in a tree? Lum reveals he may have a distant cousin near by, but the man is one of the worst kind of characters to put his hopes on.

Wanting to earn some money of her own, Gracie applies for a job. After her confusing application process is done, she goes to the floor to learn the ropes from the seasoned salesgirl. What will George have to say about his wife having a job? In helping customers find unbreakable products, Gracie uses the deduction method, breaking as many as she can to see which ones won’t. To make it right with the department store, George gets stuck with the bill for her unique sales methods. Will he convince Gracie to leave her job behind? As long as George is paying, the store manager seems fine with her accidents. Meredeth Willson pops into the store to buy some perfume from Gracie. He shares a little about his wild, passionate date, but will Gracie’s perfume sales techniques cost George more money? Surely she won’t break anything in the sporting goods department, will she? George just wants her out of the store before it costs him any more money. The Happy Postman pops in to shop for a Christmas gift for his wife, and Gracie brings out the animal in him. Not to mention more dollars from George’s wallet. Will he ever her get Gracie to give up her job?

Cleaning the house, Fibber finds a book on etiquette, and decides to polish his manners. The trouble is that the book was written nearly 70 years ago… but good manners are timeless… right? His first clash in common courtesy comes in talking with the young boarder, Alice Darling. She puts a youthful, jive talking angle on it when she tells how she handles the boys who come calling for her. Billy Mills plays a swinging arrangement of a Russian tune. Molly gets in some punchlines in the arena of etiquette, before a visit from Harlowe Wilcox to deliver the commercial. Will the man with the one track mind get offended at the faux pas in decorum with the McGee’s? Uncle Dennis arrives and gets in his thoughts on manners, and tells about his large family. The Kingsmen sing, the Lullaby of Broadway. A visit from Teeny puts Fibbers new manners to the test. Does she know more about courtesy than the gentlemanly Fibber? Doc Gamble is surprised the usual insults are met with politeness, even if it is an out of date sort of manners. Where will all these out of date manners take Fibber? Will Doc be able to rub Fibber the wrong way?