Retro Radio Podcast

As lum contemplates the hotel business, Abner barges in on him, and gets confused about what he means by being in conference. They discuss the troubles of having the workers in the hotel take rooms as part of their salary. Even Lum and Abner plan on taking a room. Lum tells his plan to advertise to outsiders that the hotel is now open for business. Also about his plans for other attractions like a golf course, tennis courts, and more. Abner has some difficulty in Lum’s explanations of the things society folks expect. Looking in a hotel magazine, Abner has more trouble understanding things like horse mounts, riding stables, riding habis, and women who don’t ride side saddle. Cedric enters with a telegram from their first customer. With employees occupying all the rooms, there’s no room at the inn for a paying customer.

A teletype warns of a couple hold up men heading to the city, it’s up to Joe Friday to catch them. Working the Robbery detail with partner Frank Smith, Joe Friday gets the word on the Martin brothers. It doesn’t take long for robberies to pop up with the methods that point to the Martin brothers. Witnesses and informants give information. The trail leads from one shady character to another. Through the typical plodding police routine as the cops deal with the underside of society, the vicious crooks are rounded up and taken to justice.

Joan of Arc has been held, and chained in a dungeon as the CBS reporters catch up with her. Is she a saint, or a witch? Based on real historical documents, and with CBS, you are there. May 30, 1431. Orleans France. Born 19 years ago to a simple farmer, she is said to have heard voices from saints and angels. In a remarkable series of adventures, she has risen to hold a position as commander of the French armies. Captured by her foes, the English, she resists questioning, and is on trial for being a witch. Of course the English want her dead, she has been their enemy, but where is the French? If it were up to the English, she certainly would be dead and disposed of. It’s the French who are holding her to put her on trial as a heretic. Joan has been famous for wearing men’s clothes, of course the proper attire for doing battle. Now she has appeared in womens clothes. Is this a sign that she will recant, and be subject to the charges brought against her? It’s looking like the answer is, “No.” Follow the drama, the tragedy, the agony, right up to the bitter end. PS: originally posted on Aug 29, 2010. Keep enjoying these classic radio dramas as we continue our march of time from ancient days, through the middle ages, and beyond.

Don and Jack talk about his restful vacation at Palm Springs. Mary confirms at least some of what Jack said. Phil contributes by joking about Jacks car. When Kenny’s line doesn’t get a big laugh, Jack adlibs for a bigger one. Mary reads a letter from her mom. Kenny sings, Roses in December. Before Jack can introduce the play, he gets a visit from Eddie Anderson who has a joke about his car. Mary tells secrets on Jack, and travel adventures with his car.Phil plays, Old King Cole. After a year has gone by, and Cactus Face hasn’t been caught yet, the continuing drama of Buck Benny continues. It’s time for the sheriff elections, and Buck has to overcome the lies that his opponent is telling about him. Let the election, and campaign jokes flow. At the debate, Buck faces off against Deadeye Cassidy, better known as Schlepperman. The heated campaign comes to blows, but it looks like we’ll need to tune in next week to learn the outcome of the election. You’ll know the show is done when Don tells you the next yummie Jello recipe.

In his letter home to his mama, Luigi tells how his business is going. He is also having trouble paying Pasquali his overdue rent. Later in Luigi’s English class, the adult immigrants drive their teacher nuts as they act like unruly kids. The topic of the day is the pioneers of the 1800’s as they went West to seek their fortunes. Before Luigi leaves all behind to go West, he tries one more time to work things out with Pasquali. I’ll bet Luigi’s debt will be forgiven, if he will just marry Pasquali’s fat daughter Rosa. Seeing the plan didn’t work, Pasquali tries to discourage Luigi by talking about the hardships he will face in crossing the plains, mountains, and in facing wild indians. Luigi takes time to write and update his mama on his ideas and stereotypes about the West. Besides Pasquali, even Luigi’s friends from school try to talk him out of leaving for the West, and miss him once he leaves to say his goodbyes to Chicago. . Will his friends be able to stop Luigi, and make him want to stay? Will all their differences be forgiven? I think you know the answer to that, and to close the show Luigi writes once again to tell mama what lessons he has learned through his ordeal.

Hosting is passed around, but is mostly handled by Bing Crosby. Judy Garland leads off with a medley including, Embraceable You, and The Man I Love. She reds from the mail bag, and gives a radio kiss to troops around the world. Kay Kaiser and Bing Crosby trade jokes before Kay brings a sound from home. His singers sing, Ma He’s Making Eyes At Me. Bing reads greetings from the mailbag then sings, Sunday Monday or Always. Bing introduces Jimmy Durante who interupts his song to joke with Bing about the military in this war and the past one. Jimmy gets in a mixture of jokes with a few of his classic tunes. Bing and Judy do a mixed bag of songs to tell a love story in medley. Trivia Alert: At this time in her life, Judy is 19 and making a career change to break away from her teeny bopper roles, and shift to more grown up roles.

Lum has invested in the hotel, and made arrangements to manage it. Grandpap is to take over duties in running the Jot ‘Em Down store, but Lum may have made a deal that might be unreasonable for himself to keep. Problems arise as Lum hires help for the hotel, promising room and board for his prospects. Meanwhile, Cedric has been painting in the store, and painted himself into a corner. How will Abner figure to get him out? Ideas are tossed around, and attempted, but Cedric seems doomed to stand in the corner for a while. Will Lum still have trouble hiring more workers for his hotel? Lum cautions Cedric to look before he leaps, but Abner is doubtful about his decisions in the hotel. Not to mention his idea to cover Cedrics tracks after walking from his corner.

Audio is good, although it goes from a bit staticky at the beginning, to fading to worse by the end. Responding to inspector Lastraud, Sherlock Holmes and Watson are on the case. His powers of deduction round out details as he speaks with the lady of the house. A card board box holds the things of the dead master of the house. A piece of string, brown paper, and even the box itself holds some interest to Holmes. Earrings indicate an important clue about who sent the package. From the items with the box, Holmes is confident he knows the name of who sent it. Now in Liverpool, our sleuths seek more information. Where’s Mr Browner? What happened on Tuesday? The maid reports on the whereabouts and happenings in the house. Something bad happened. You can tell because of the ominous and dark transition musical transition. OK, the clues help too. Watson wants to chase after the dangerous criminal. We can’t have him out and about. Holmes on the other hand, has other ideas, and a better solution. Stay tuned as Watson fills us all in during the epilog.

Stories based on fact, only the names, dates and places have been changed. On the range, a rancher and his son find signs that rustlers could be at work. How old fashioned. They don’t do that any more… do they? A confrontation. Gunshots. and the rancher falls dead. The sheriff immediately calls on the skills of the Texas Rangers. Clues are found at the crime scene. Though unregistered, the alert goes out to watch for the Butler brand. The search takes a few days, and suspicious cow hands are spotted. What will questioning them find? A paper trail where a check was written for the stolen cattle, but it leads to a forger. Evidence is thin, and circumstantial, but Jase goes out on that thin ice. Rival rancher, Vic Mauran is the target of the rangers, based on a left handed clue. The hunch pays off, and the clues snowball. Taking to horseback, and doing some old fashioned tracking, the rangers close in. It turns into a car chase on the road, complete with the blast of machine gun fire.

Announcer, Ken Carpenter introduces Francis Langford, who then sings, More Than You Know. The show is for the benefit of convelescing troops, and those in training to go overseas to release prisoners of war, and bring them home. Ken, Francis, and Spike talk about the new miracle technologies, especially television. A technology that has taken the past 20 years to perfect. Spike Jones and the City Sllickers perform, No No Nora. After Ken Carpenter delivers the commercial for the sponsor, Chase and Sandbourne, the show continues. Tony Romano along with Francis and Spike sing a medley of Frank Newman tunes including: Happy When I’m With You, Great Day, and . Time on My Hands. NBC News breaks in with news from Japan, a report made by Guthrie Jensen, and broadcast from a bomber after completing it’s mission. We then return to a radio play, already in progress where Ken, Francis, and Spike are doing a Hillbilly act. Spike Jones, with vocalist Carl Grayson perform, Laura. Ken and Francis tease Spike about his style of music before Ken has another commercial ready. Francis dedicates this to the soldiers who will be soon returning home, and as a farewell of her leaving the show at the end of the Summer season. She sings, I’ll Be Seeing You. .

Joe Friday and Ben Romero work the Robbery detail. After checking their stats, the cops hit the street and follow up on clues. But there is another story going on besides the robberies. In voiceover, Joe tells a little background of an Army buddy, then drops in for a friendly visit. Hank wants to join the police force, and his wife just needs a little convincing from Joe. Afterward, Joe and Ben continue tracking down their known suspects. Things seem to have stalled with the investigation, no sign of their man, no word from informants, and no new witnesses to interview. Meanwhile, Joe’s friend graduates from the Police Academy, and a speech is delivered that expresses the tough, dangerous, and thankless job that lays ahead for the rookies. Is this guy trying to encourage them, or make them have second thoughts? It’s the tough jobs that are the most rewarding though. The overly eager cop assists on Joe’s robbery case, and in a dramatic moment with the seemingly harmless and boring case that has taken weeks to develop, the rookie is gunned down. A tribute to the fallen cops, and a depiction of how quickly a routine case can become tragic. And of course, they catch their burglars.

The decision was made to approach the stock holders of the hotel to let Lum manage the place, and reopen it. The hotel promoters were hesitant, based on the losses in the last year it was open during the early years of the war. In the Jot ‘Em Down store Cedric is discovered sleeping on the job, instead of keeping the store. He shares how his sleeping sales technique is good for business. Lum sees potential in Cedric and promises him a job in the hotel. Lum has a new idea after reading an article from a hotel trade magazine, on how to maximize sales. Abner gets confused at Lum’s figure of speech about Mohamed and the mountain. What Lum actually wants to do is invite the United Nations to hold their conference in Pine Ridge. When grandpap enters is asked to help Abner keep the store for the next few months as Lum runs the hotel. Will he work for a salary, or for a percentage of the sales of the store?

Fibber talks politics to Molly. She is under the weather with an aching tooth that she wants to keep a secret as Wallace Wimple visits. Molly refuses to see a dentist. Doc Gamble drops in, and talks about his golf game. Billy Mills plays, Tell Me a Story. The Old Timer visits and tries to take Molly’s mind off her tooth. Fibber tells about when he was in the SeeSaw business. Harlow delivers the commercial, but Molly’s tooth keeps flaring up. It’s after hours, but Fibber is determined to do all he can to get her help. The Kingsmen sing, Rainbow Bill. Fibber makes an emergency run to Craemers Drug store. He may mean well, but the cops don’t see it that way when the burglar alarm goes off.

Last week Flash was given an electric charge from Doc Zarkoff’s invention and is now invisible. Flash went to Queen Azura’s palace and battled with the guards. Today the worried Dale and Zarkoff see the riderless horse approaching their cottage. Is it Flash? Has he been successful? It seems that he is becoming visible again as he recounts his victory, and plans another trip to rescue prisoners. Dale hates the idea, and is jealous of the witch Queen. And with good reason since in previous episodes Queen Azura had made Flash her love slave. Meanwhile in the castle, Kahn has Azura under the affects of the mind control drug and he tries to condition her to acknowledging Flash as king. In a sudden rush, the drug wears off and she demands to know where her prisoner, Flash is. Kahn is in trouble when Azura recognizes him as a prisoner, not a friend. Kahn is brave, but rebellious in the face of his captors. Word reaches Azura about the mysterious Avenging Shadow that had just attacked. With Queen Azura back to full memory, she tries to make defense plans against Flash and the Avenging Shadow. Back with Dale and Zarkoff, they worry over the mission that Flash just set out on. What should they do while they wait? Why, chop firewood of course! What could happen while doing such a common chore? As Doc falls his tree, Dales screams for help are heard. In the palace, the invisible Flash is in Azura’s chambers, but has she caught him? Learn the reasons for the screams, and the outcome that awaits flash in the next exciting installment.

Note: First half only. Lone Ranger and Tonto are off to the range country. A young man rides to town to behave like a curly wolf, and spend the night howling. He has to face up to his woman the next day though. It seems he also has a problem with his brother Gil. With the encouragement he needs from his gal, the curly wolf sets off to confront his disciplinarian brother. The brothers fight, shots are fired, but suddenly, the masked man butts in to break it up. It appears Gil is in trouble, what’s it all about? How can the Lone Ranger help? The brothers are as opposite as they can be, but is their rift too deep to be patched up? Our story is just beginning. There’s still more to come. The ultimate in suspense comes when the audio track stops at the end of the first act. Darn! I guess we’ll never know the answers to our questions .