Retro Radio Podcast

The first verse and chorus of this hymn.

Last week, Gildy and Adeline got engaged. Flash back to the day after. He did it for the sake of the baby, and so the baby girl could be adopted. In a case of cold feet, he decides to keep it a secret engagement, just in case the baby’s parents should come to take her a way, he might have an escape hatch. What a coward, come on Gildy! Bite the bullet and just do it! Can he convince Adeline to go along with the secret? Especially being a secret, that nobody is to talk about, the word spreads like a wild fire with fuel poured over it. As Gildersleeve tries to come to grips with his fate, he pines a little over Leila. When he stops in to chat with Peavey, it doesn’t help. Gildersleeve visits Floyd the barber, played by Arthur Q Brian, but his emotions are still shaky. The big moment comes, and it’s time for the engagement party. The Jolly Boys sing, Wedding Bells Are Breaking Up that Old Gang Of Mine. Just at the moment of announcing their intentions, Gildy gets a big surprise. Note: Today, Mendelson’s Wedding March has been the default wedding song at ceremonies. It’s hard to know what people used before he wrote it. The song that Adeline, Peavey, and others keep singing through the show is probably the most well known, and used song that folks used in the first half of the 20th century, and earlier. PS: Hey, how about those prizes the sponsor is giving away? I wish I could give something like that away too.

Still on a musical theme, Abner compares notes with Lum on the differences of tuning a mandolin to that of tuning a piano. Howdoes a person know how to tune a mandolin? By comparing its notes to a piano of course. Will it work if you tune the piano to a mandolin? How about using a simple pitch pipe? How does a person get all 88 keys tuned from only the 3 or 4 tones on the pipe? Abner gets himself sidetracked on the topic of mowing lawns. His temper flares after an imagined infraction from a fellow citizen of Pine Ridge. Lum figures a new piano ought to be in tune, and wonders what it costs to buy one. If his idea works, he thinks he can roll it around town to compare it’s notes to the one he wants to tune. Will he find a good deal on a piano? Will Abner get over his rant on his imaginary troubles?

Announcer: Harry Vonzel. Playlistt * I’ll Be Home For Christmas (Dinah Shore) * When Monty Wooly ccan’t make it, so Harry tries to pass off Phil Silvers as a freshly shaved Monty. The ruse doesn’t last long and Phil invites Dinah and the cast to visit him in the movie studio. He tries to show off how well he knows the stars. * Harry shares a dream he had last night, where he and Phil are in oblivion. Turns out to be a * The Nearness of You (Dinah) * Blue Skies (Dinah) * Will and Mary are the resident young married couple who share their latest drama. * On a New York train, they make small talk about soldiers, blow fish, and napping through notable scenery. * Pistol Packing Mama (Dinah and Phil)

The Anderson’s may represent the ideal home, but strange things are known to happen. As mother vacuums, she is interrupted by the kids. What teenage drama will come her way at the handd of Betty and Bud? The plot, and suspicions deepen when Cathy enters the picture. Though none of Jim’s pipes are missing, he hand mother find some old ones? Is Bud sneaking a quick smoke behind his parents back? Betty finds out that Cathy gave them out when a cat had kittens. She couldn’t find cigars to pass out. Sneaking out on doing the dishes, Betty slips out to the pool hall, and Cathy gets a phone call that informs her to return the missing pipes. There’s just one pproblem, her parents have already found them, and have Bud in their sights. Will the mess be set sstraighht before the magazine interview about having the ideal home? Jim calls Bud on the carpet, but is the teen talking straight? Misunderstandings lead to Bud learning to smoke a pipe. How will Mrs. Laslowe take it when Cathy claims the pipe is hers, or that Betty is late to mmeet friends at the pool hall? Mother is losing the impresion of haing the ideal home. How much worse can her day get? Has all hope been lost for a glowing article to be written up?

On robbery detail, Joe Friday investigates the possibility that a valuable ring that has been taken to a pawn shop is stolen. It certainly seems to be, and the man who took it there is quickly apprehended. His interrogation turns up nothing, and he is let go. When an anonymous note comes in, Joe and partner, Frank Smith follow up to find a box full of jewelry. Comparing it to recent reports of robbery, the owner is quickly matched to it. Friday and Smith go after their man. Though he has moved, with no forwarding address, he still is easy to find. With the right pressure put on, he sends Friday on the trail to the real robber.

Doc Gamble visits to tease and to be teased. He’s a tired, and busy man, who tells about ants in his house. Molly feels they ought to do something for their busy friend. As always, messages abound for the new border,, Alice DarlingTo request a date with her at the dance. Why did she pick Eddie for her date? He didn’t ask. Billy Mills plays some jumping traveling music. At Doc’s house, The McGee’s break in to help with the ant trouble. Fibber manages to break all the china, and pull down the blind, Don’t worry, he uses a silver pitcher to hammer it back up. Harlowe Wilcox checks out the appearance of something blowing up in the kitchen. Not wanting to be part of it, he delivers a hasty sponsor message, and departs. Looking for those ants elsewhere in the house, Fibber snoops through Doc’s personal records. Teeny visits to tell what her daddy thinks of the new border Alice… oh brother. According to her mom, he’s living in a dangerous age. The Kingsmen sing, Riding Herd on a Cloud. The ant hunt moves to the living room, where there’s soon to be a broken piano. Fibber leaves scrambled and moved furniture to let Doc see how much work they’ve done. Uncle Dennis arrives to help. He has already helped back home by borrowing Fibber’s tie, and mistaking Molly’s tulip bulbs for onions, He has them all peeled, and boiled for supper. Some final visitors check out the appalling mess in the house, and the secret of the ants… er… make that aunts… is revealed. Billy Mills has extended music to play the show out, various tunes.

Playlist * Serenade Ala King (Benny Goodman). * Janet Blair is interviewd with a word for the troops overseas. Dating, Christmas gifts, mileage rationing. Jack dances with Janet Blair. * Jack benny and his cast put on a Cinderella skit. Mary Livingstone and Dennis Day help. Schlepperman even contributes. * Why Don’t You Do Right (Benny Goodman, vocals Peggy Lee). * John Dewey of Columbia University has a statement read by Herbert Marshall. New styyle of war, peace, and victory. Buy Bonds!

Lum is eager to take up his new business opportunity at being a piano tuner. He explains to Abner about how wide open the field is in Pine Ridge, and the two discuss some of the possible drawbacks. Is there enough pianos in town for Lum to keep in tune? Will Lum’s calculations for his profits be realistic? Will he ever get a call back from a man who might teach him the ropes of piano tuning? Even if Lum manages to tune up those Pine Ridge pianos, what kind of repeat business can he expect? As the two gents discuss the merits of the new business, Lum waits for that phone call that holds the key to his new career. Frustrations grow as the next ring of the telephone is anticipated.

The gallant men of the Home Guard are always on the look out for ways in outwitting a possible Nazi invasion. Today we find a class in session on the finer points of machine guns, and protecting against heavy weapons. What will the troops do in case of tanks rumbling through the streets? Role playing the noisy tanks, the ominous rumbling sets the drill in motion. As the hours pass, the troops hunger for action. To occupy their time, they ttell stories that feature food. A train ride speeds them along. Approaching the scene of the war games, good map reading skills deliver the crisp troops. The connection is made , but the evening meal has been missed. The rigorous training begins under harsh conditions. Improvosation is the name of the game to survive. Will the soldiers adapt and overcome as they snuggle down for a chilly night? Despite missing breakfast, the mission is to captture the headquarters of their opponent. The live fire exercise pushes the endurance of the Home Guard. Will it also be more than their initiative can muster? As they encounter Captain Rodriguez, the audio gets very pixilated and munched through the end, so I snipped it. The best we can do is imagine how the men of Capt. Manwaring’s command got the best of the defenders.

How’s your complexion, or stomach? The doctor asks the questions, but doesn’t offer any advice or remedy.

The boys of the Beaver club compare notes on what they got from trick or treating. As the kids keep comparing notes, they tell secrets about Jack. When the gang arrives at Mary’s house, Jack parts company, and goes in for a visit. Mary and Jack talk about the article that appeared about him in a recent magazine issue. Hooking back up with the Beavers, Jack’s recurring echo makes a comeback. (The echo, which only he can hear, has been plaguing Jack since the beginning of the season.) Jack eavesdrops at Dennis Day’s house to listen to a conversation between him and his mom. Dennis sings, Honey Wait for Me. Jack tries to impress the kids, and scare a pedestrian, who turns out to be Mr Kitzel. He talks to Jack about his wife, going to the movies, and his small apartment. Next stop, Phil Harris, where the Beavers pull a prank on his trash cans. Phil invites them in, and shows off his old photo albums. The Beavers go to Dons for a treat. As the kids wait outside, Jack goes in to hear the Sportsmen sing a scary Halloween tune. Jack parts company at the end of the evening, and the show. Then on the way home, Jack has an idea for one last treat. Hey, it’s worth a shot. Note: Early in the show Jack mentions getting Strongheart for trick or treating. Strongheart was his sponsor for his television show.

It’s fifteen minutes before the show, and the audience is being seated. Jack’s worried because a rep from the sponsor is to attend. The usher who seats the crowd, voice actor John Brown from the Fred Allen show, hams it up. Butterfly McQueen, well known actress and comedienne of the day is Rochester’s niece, and is helping him out in the show to make sure Jack gets laughs. Dennis tries to work out a joke with Jack. Phil drops some musical jargon on Jack to prove he really knows a thing or two about music. Mary complains about a joke that she’s supposed to say, and gets a phone call from her mom. After getting a hard time from the usher, the sponsor goes to the side door, manned by Minirva Pious, also a voice character from Fred Allen, who refuses to let him in. Don finally announces the show, and Jack jokes with Phil about bobbbing for apples. The jokes that Mary and Dennis were supposed to tell bomb, of course. But they manage to recover for a laugh. Jack is interviewed by a reporter about his recent Africa Trip. When reporter, played by Frank Nelson gets to mentioning Brazil, Jack goes into flashback mode. He relates how relaxed, and lazy the lifestyle is there. Dennis sings, Brazil. Inspired, Jack even plays, Brazil, sort of. It turns into a sponsor plug. In Don’s parting words, he plugs saving paper for the war effort. Jack gets in the last word to plug his appearance on the Burns and Allen show. Watch for it this Tuesday. Notes: This show is listed as “untitled” in archive listings, I retitled it, but in keeping with the recent theme of show titles, this one might also be titled, “Brazil. Due to the direction the show takes when Jack is interviewed by the reporter. Listeners may recognize Butterfly McQueen from her frequent appearances in the Jubilee programs. She would come back in later years as Mary’s maid. Butterfly was also one of the actresses appearing in “Gone with the Wind.” As mentioned in other show notes for the Jack Benny program, Fred Allen was temporarily off the air, and Jack was able to put his voice acting staff to good work in his show.

Announcer: Truman Bradley. Playlist * A Merry American Christmas * Somewhere Over the Rainbow. * Blue Skies. * As Long As You’re Not in Love with Someone Else. * When the Lights Go on Again All Over the World. With monolog of well wishes. * O Come All Ye faithful. Joined by the studio audience.

Refusing to leave his house, the doctor can’t help his aging patient, played by Ernest Chapel, the way he would like. The wound received from the old, black powder gun stands to cause infections. Are there really ghosts in the house, or is Erneest just delirious? Noises are described. Beating on doors, hammering, a woman crying, finding a door, where there isn’t any door. Is the door locked? Does someone need help? What would happen if the ghost came out? More ghostly encounters reveal footsteps in the snow outside. then the nearly unintelligible voices become more real. What message do they have for Ernest? Is he just dreaming? The ghost comes every night. With the lure of the ghostly visitor,, can Ernest stay, or should he go? What would that mean for him, no matter how he decides?