Retro Radio Podcast

Get ready for some cowboy fun with Bill “Hop Along Cassidy” Boyd as today’s guest. Dean opens with a song, Five Foot Two Eyes of Blue. Dean and Jerry argue over vacation plans, and places to travel. Maybe Florence can offer some ideas? Sophie Leonard just happens in to offer his own advice, and sells the guys on a camping trip. With Sophie handling the money, and in charge of getting the supplies, they all head out to the great outdoors. I think I know some city boys who could use a lesson or three on woodcraft skills. Good thing Hop Along Cassidy happens along. The trouble is that he thinks the guys are cattle rustlers. How, oh how can they prove who they are? Jerry tells jokes, and Dean sings, Never Again. Well? Did it work? Does it matter? The guys all turn in, and Jerry has a crazy cowboy dream about life in the old West, packing in as many cowboy cliches as possible.

The big hat show is on when a supply of hat models has been found. Grandpap enters to talk with Abner in the aftermath of the style show. Listen and learn as Abner relates how it all went. The women seemed in good spirits, but when the models ran out from embarrassment, leaving Lum in the lurch, the show didn’t last long. Now it’s up to grandpap and Abner to cheer Lum up. Just don’t call him Bon Mott, or point out how idiotic his idea was. When grandpap points out a magazine contest for funniest hats out in Hollywood, Lum thinks he has a shot at the $1000 prize. Can Lum and Abner make it out to Hollywood before the deadline of the contest? The gents are already gone by the time grandpap and Cedric notice the magazine is an old one.

The show opens with the usual commercial, and another yummie Jell-o recipe by Don. Rochester helps Jack get the party preparations finished up, with plenty of stingy jokes. Mary reports pesky neighborhood kids doing some friendly Halloween pranks on Jack. Rochester has help from his brother, September. The whole time, Jack’s miserly nature comes out in full force. Kenny talks about his crazy Halloween pranks. Kenny sings, The Night is Filled with Music. Phil arrives with a girlfriend. Once Don arrives, and plugs Jello, the party can begin in earnest. Gotta love those party snacks. As Jack still tries to figure out where he saw Phil’s date before, Andy Divine pops in. After some mishaps with the festivities, Phil sings a few lines of, What Have You Got That Gets Me. The rest of the cast take a turn at singing goofy lyrics to the tune, and the show wraps up. PS: I’m not sure where the title of the show comes from. The theme of it doesn’t have much to do at all with Andy Divine. A more accurate title might simply be, ‘Halloween Party.”

When Miss Dimple takes a phone call, we are introduced to the story for the night. Flywheel and Revelli are on the way to Chicago to take over running a newspaper. For starters, we find our heros on the train, giving the conductor a hard time. With the jokes about train travel done, Flywheel and Revelli take a cab ride through Chicago. They arrive to the hustle and bustle of the newsroom. Filled with the roar of a single typewriter, apparently using the hunt and peck method, with more hunting than pecking going on. There’s a clear need for a staff meeting and Flywheel gives the best pep talk he can. As the reporters hit the street, Revelli sings, My Brother is So Clever. Flywheel is determined to put an end to the gang wars, and robberies. On top of his mission to stop crime, he has to deal with a news war from the rival newspaper in town. Through some coincidence and sheer dumb luck, flywheel gets his big break for a story. It’s all just a little late though, when his staff abandon him.

A plan for living, for which the architect was death. A mild mannered bank teller goes to the big city to talk to some gangsters. He is fed up with his employer, and presents his plan to rob the bank. The wary mobsters are curious enough to come around and case the joint. They see the merits of the plan and agree to do the job. Later, the teller’s slightly overbearing wife finds clues and turns her hubby over to the cops. On the run, Andy the bank teller seeks refuge with the mobsters. The cute little hatcheck girl swipes his cash. When the mild mannered man becomes too much of a burden, the mobsters get rid of him along with other evidence. Will the mobsters get away with it? A message that crime does not pay comes In epilog, when we learn that the rest of the crooks were also caught. PS: I particularly like Andy, and can get behind his cause for wanting to get the money, and break free from his oppressive wife, but as was the custom of yor, the big message to learn is to not turn to crime to achieve those goals. Andy learns the hard way not to play with fire. I also like the thugs. Sort of good natured in their ruthlessness. A creepy ending to Andy and at least our mobsters get what’s coming to them, even if we only learn of it in the brief epilog.

An adventure in the Caribbean, and of merchandise, and of boats. Escape on this tour of the islands in this tropical paradise. Opportunities for welth and treasure are abundant for those who are willing to go after them. In the beauty of the islands also holds murder and horror. Things grow more wearisome when gun runners, revolutionaries, voodoo, and more is tossed into the mix.

Bon Mott, hat designer extraordinaire of Pine Ridge, is making hats for the big fashion show. Abner and Lum make preparations for chairs, music, and even young models to wear the hats. Everything seems all set, but where will Lum… er I mean, Bon Mott, get his models? Even with his beret, and waxed up moustache,, will the ladies believe his persona as a high fashion designer from France? Cedric enters with news that he can’t get any models for the show. Why is Bon Mott eyeballing Abner that way? Cedric is at least wise enough to make a hasty retreat to keep from being roped into the job of hat model. How far will Abner go to help out a friend? He has to wear the hat, learn to strut down the catwalk, but at the last moment he gets a reprieve.

There’s just one way to handle the spoilers and the killers. That’s with a US Marshall, and the smell of gunsmoke. Matt takes a rest from the hot sun by stopping in at the Long Branch to get the latest news from Kitty. An old gent named Nip Colors tells his colorful life story. He has come to Dodge City to look for a wife. Though the salloon girls all make fun of the old guy, Kitty gets fighting mad over the mistreatment. Her bravery seems to have endeared old Nip to her, and he claims that he’ll make her his wife. Can he do that? Later at the office, Matt checks in with Chester to see what the latest news is on the crime scene. A nervous Kitty enters, and shares her latest concern about her elderly suitor. how can she get out of the wedding plans? What can Matt do to help her out of her jam? Nip Colors mistakes Kitty’s protests as her way of playing hard to get. Even her threats to ward him off with a shotgun won’t detour the intentions of good old Nip. She won’t really kill him, will she? Will Matt’s warning Nip to leave town put an end to the trouble? On night patrol, Chester has the urgent news that Nip has been shot, and with a shotgun. It’s not looking good for Kitty. All the evidence points to her. Ready for some plot twists? There’s a mysterious older lady seen slinking through the streets, and heading for Doc’s office. What does all this mean? What about that rival salloon girl that has a beef with Kitty? Does she have anything to do with this? Will justice be done? Will the lovelorne old Nip find his true love to marry? Listen in and enjoy this cute story.

At the end of the Civil War, Homestead laws found a swarm of pioneers heading west. A situation that required bringing justice to the wild plains. The Lone Ranger and Tonto sit on top of a bluff, lazily watching a wagon train as it slowly snakes across the prairie. They continue to wwatch as a camp is set up, and the evening routine of starting the cooking fires begins. Suddenly a thunderous sound builds. A buffalo herd is stampeding straight for the wagon train. The Lone Ranger springs into action. Although there isn’t anything he can do to stop the herd, he offers encouragement to go on when many of the pioneers want to turn back. Is the opportunity the Western life offers worth the sacrifice? Threats persist, and dangers have the menfolk unsettled. The women prove to be courageous enough, but the men who will have to do the fighting have doubts. Will it take more than just the Lone Ranger to pull things together? An indian band is discovered. Are they hostile? What does the future hold for this wagon train?

Performing at Santa Monica Naval Hospital. Playlist: 1. Francis, Sunnyside of the Street. 2. Francis talks about the sailors, and their social activities off base with Ken Carpenter. 3. Spike plays the World War 1 hit, Toot Toot Tootsie. 4. Francis sings the South American tune, Baihia. 5. Francis introduces a short drama. Ken Carpenter and other voice actor do a tribute to the recently fallen popular newsman, Ernie Pyle. Though the war in Europe was over at this time, The fighting in the Pacific theater was raging at a high pitch. Ernie Pyle was killed during fighting for the island of Okinawa. 6. Francis and the gang joke around about military surplus items, and how they might impact our daily household appliances, anbnd lifestyles in a year from now. 7. After a commercial A medley of George Gershwin tunes presented by Tony Romano, Francis, and Spike.

The documented drama of an actual crime. travel step by step on a case from actual police files. Joe Friday works with partner Ben Romero on the Missing Persons Bureau. Hanah Laski phones long distance to ask Joe Friday to look for her missing daughter, Juanita. With all the particulars and description given Joe gets busy checking out the girl. At the hotel where she lives, Joe seems to have just missed her. The shower is running, and other signs of recently being occupied are in her room, but no Juanita. At her workplace, the cops question the coworkers. Again they seem to have just missed her. Other places of business, habit, and personal relationships are checked out, all with the similar result that Juanita is keeping a step ahead of the cops. It’s all just too wierd, and Joe offers voiceover to recap the case, and other activities that are keeping them busy. An unsettling call comes in from the morgue. Has their gal been found? Christmas is drawing close, and Friday is determined to find Juanita before it gets here. Despite all the evidence and clues, she keeps out of the grasp of the cops. Is something wrong? Why is she being evasive? A new lead comes in and it appears Juanita is working under an alias, but when the cops go to check it out, she mysteriously reappears where the chase began, at her hotel. Joe finally gets to confront her face to face, and learns her strange story. Listen in and you can learn it too.

Lum has taken on a new persona of Bon Mott, famous hat designer. To debut his new lineup of women’s hat creations, he’s planning a big fashion show. Grandpap and Abner talk about Bon Mott, and the airs that are being put on. How will the folks of Pine Ridge take the news of the big sale, and Bon Mott? Abner and grandpap offer the first reactions to the designs of the hat creations by Bon Mott of Pine Ridge. Birds, fur lined floppy brims, even little windows in the hats for stylish affect. Despite what Abner or grandpap might think of the hats, the thing that matters is what women think of them, and the big fashion show is on.

The weather, celebrities on the beach, and the latest in swim wear get the attention of Jack’s monolog. Lifeguard, Gilbert Gurgle is on hand to tell us about water safety, using his watery sounding voice. The Page Cavanaugh Trio sing, I Can’t Give You Anything but Love. Hit music, namely a chart topper called, Bloop Bleep seem to have no reason for being a hit. Jack has a psychiatrist, actually Hans Conried, on hand to try to analyze how such crazy things happen. Spoofing kiddie shows again, Jack pokes fun at cereal companies who typically sponsor those kinds of shows. He has a kiddie member of Uncle Jack’s Clubhouse repeat the club oath. Terrance has a problem he needs to tell Jack about, girls. Should the kid think of other hobbies instead? Trudy Irwin sings, That’s My Desire. The Brittish invasion into pop culture is the motive behind this spoof of what a Western might look like, if it were produced in the UK. Jack is the singing cowboy who returns to his lady love, after riding the range. He is soon faced with the problem of a rival, bad guy, and cattle rustler. With the help of Reginald, the wonder horse, Jack soon makes work of his tennis playing tough guy. PS: Walter Tetley does a great job as Terrance, the kid in the fictional club house. Also, the horse bit is way too close to the bit that Mel Blanc made famous on a Buck Benny sketch. Though some may argue the cowboy sketch here is also close to a Buck Benny installment, and maybe it is. The characters are different, and Jack Paar uses his own style at poking fun. His comments to the other characters dialog is more of an aside to the audience than actual lines in the drama. Jack Benny would also do this at times, but only once in a while. Benny was more likely to stay in character as a participant.

Returning home from a night on the town, a young woman is teary eyed, but her troubles are soon ended when a shadowy figure attacks her from the bushes and kills her. The next day Mike Clancey talks about the case with Mr Keen when a man claiming to be the girls fiancee comes to the office. He isn’t buying the story of a mugging, gone wrong for the reason for her death. Mr Keen takes up the challenge, and starts asking questions. The dead gal was a hopeful actress, and a friend of hers has reason to believe the fiancee isn’t as pure as he let on. She and her husband both offer accusations, as they cooperate in the questioning. Still, Mike thinks the Fosters may be holding out on the information about the murder. The strange characters just keep popping up. Who is Hazel Collins? There is a missing necklace, but does it really play into the murder? Mr Keen has a knack with cutting through the web of lies, and begins to ask the uncomfortable questions that are designed to flush out a killer. A wierd love triangle is exposed. Photographs in an album offer a source for Mr Keen to find an astonishing discovery. Mr Keen calls the suspects together and yanks all the hidden skeletons from their closets. The killer won’t stand a chance.

After his recent purchase of 5 cases of hats, they were delivered, and Lum discovered the hats weren’t for men, but unadorned women’s hats. Not to be outdone, Lum is determined on adding a milanary department to the Jot ‘Em Down store to fix up custom made hats for the women in town. With all the wierd, outlandish, and sometimes terrible and ugly hats that are in fashion these days, Lum figures that he can make them as well as anybody. The gents discuss name brand fashion designers of the day, which gets Abner a little confused. What name brand might Lum come up with to give his hats a dignified, French sounding name? How well will Lum slip into his new hat maker persona?