Retro Radio Podcast

Henry Vanporter and Andy are to be judges of a beauty contest, and go over their rules for judging the photos and the prizes for the winner. Bribes soon enter the picture, and the honest contest that Andy and Henry plan will be corrupted if Kingfish has his way. With all the bribes and expectations flying around, someone still has to come out a winner, and someone will get their pockebooks emptied. How will this deadlock turn out? Amos proposes a disinterested third judge to sep in. Cecil Ber DeMill is contacted to fill the bill.

Features Charles Laughton. A mild-mannered man and the initials ABC are the center of an organized set of murders. A story by Agatha Christie. A traveling salesman who has had a few too many failed sales deals. He begins to become forgetful, and suffers from headaches. Victims die in alphabetical order. Is it all just part a big medical disorder? Or has it all been planned? Scotland Yard manages to track down the fingerprints, and the typewriter used, and connect it all to stop the killer. It looks like the end for our forgetful salesman… or is it?

Fibber is worried, and frantic as he explains to Molly how he stole a car. He has to do the right thing, and phone Mrs Uppington to tell her about it. A polite police woman knocks at the door, and in giving Fibber the benefit of the doubt, it only serves to drive his paranoid juices to a boil. Teeny pops inane it’s plain to her that he has a problem that’s eating away at him. Will he pour out his heart to a woman? Billy Mills plays a jumping tune. At his lawyer’s office, Fibber and Molly can’t make sense of what he’s talking about. On the street they meet the Old Timer, who thinks that Johnny and daughter are on the way to the courthouse to get hitched. Will the old gent be a character witness for Fibber? As Harlowe Wilcox makes his appearance for the usual sponsor message, Fibber still frets over who might be a witness for him. Getting desperate for a good witness, Fibber pops into Doc Gamble’s office. Good thing Molly has the bill paid up, but there’s no chance of being a character witness when Doc is busy and has to run out to a house call. The Kingsmen sing, Coming In On A Wing and A Prayer. Finally at the police station, Fibber braces himself to face up to his misdeeds. Will he get his story straight? Will Molly do better in sweet talking the cops? When Uppington shows up, the truth behind the trouble comes out.

Features Joan Crawford. Mary, Queen of Scotland is to take charge of the throne. Determined to do well, she has to deal with opposition from John Knox, and other political factions. Plans are made to try to turn the people against her. They try to banish her from the kingdom. Does it work? The history books tell the outcome, but the great acting in this production brings the drama to life.

In their latest quest for a business venture, a treasure map is discovered. We join Lum and Abner in a field, with Abner getting fed up with the lack of results. Lum renews his efforts at reading the map, but both Cedric and Abner are too worn out to dig any more. The disalusioned Abner pokes fun as Lum gets busy with the business end of a shovel. Cedric gets confused as he patiently listens to Abner tell a story about a former resident of Pine Ridge. Suddenly, Lum reports hitting a box. Is it the gold and jewels they expect? Can they break open the rusty lock? Will they become wealthy from the discovered treasures?

It’s the moment that the Barons, and their forces have been waiting for. Even today, there are some who think that King John won’t sign off on all the articles. Freemen of all walks of life eagerly await and watch as events unfold. CBS reporters take you there as they interview the people, and report on the atmosphere, and events. Despite the political importance of the Magna Carta, the common people only care that peace will reign in the land. Anticipation reaches a high point when King John arrives. The significance of the Magna Carta is that it empowers the Barons to govern at will, and independant of the King. Political posturing is kept up until the very end. PS: originally posted on, May 16, 2010. Keep listening in as we continue our march through time from ancient times, through the middle ages, and beyond.

Don, Phil and Jack talk about vacation plans. Kenny sings, One Alone. Don flubs the comercial. Jack announces the featured play. Ah Wilderness. The recording skips a little. Phil plays, The Love Bug Will Bite You If You Don’t Watch Out. In the featured play, Jack and Mary play the worried parents of their son, Kenny. It’s time they teach him the facts of life before he learns them all on his own. Andy Divine helps out with the play.

It’s Friday night in the Andrews home when mom is harshly awakened by a sound in the night. Upon investigation she finds Archie sound asleep, except for a sudden outburst as he snores contently. Now that Archie is awake, he tells her all about his action adventure dream he had fighting with cowboys and indians. All the story telling has dad awakened, and Archie picks up telling his dream again. Back in bed, mom and dad have their sleep disturbed when Archie now has a bad case of hiccups. Mom tries having Archie hold his breath as she counts. Dad argues that his method is right, drinking a glass of water. Nothing seems to be working, should dad call the doctor? The doc advises some medicine that the Andrews don’t have in the house. Mom phones Betty, and she rushes right over with the bicarbonate. As Archie’s hiccups persist, the show announcer rings the doorbell and delivers a commercial for the sponsor. Once Betty arrives with the medicine Archie has stopped his hiccups by himself. The family all turn back into their beds. As silence settles in, Fred is now awakened by a dripping kitchen faucet. Fred makes the trip without the benefit of lights, trips over a vacuum cleaner, and the whole family converge on him. Mom recommends he soak his sore toe in ice water. The lights have been switched on, luring callers from the neighborhood. This time Jughead visits after his late movie was let out. The family argue with him that they aren’t arguing. Eventually Jughead leaves and the treck to bed is once again begun. The doorbell rings, and Veronica tickles Archie’s eardrums, but Betty is back to interupt and get her medicine back for her restless dad. Jughead is back after being locked out of his house. Chaos reigns, and dad has to shout the mob into submission. Suddenly, The scene seems to have done a flip flop. Beforehand, everyone was peacefully sleeping while Archie was up. Now it’s Archie who is sound asleep as the rest of the mob pick up their noise making again.

Hosted by Joan Blondell. Virginia O’Brian reads greetings from the mail bag before singing, Did I Get Stinking at the Club Savoy. Rochester talks to Joan about Jack Benny then sings, My My. Martha Tilton sings, Taking a Chance on Love. Judy Canova talks about her folks back home, and her recent tour of military bases. With the Sportsmen Judy sings, Idaho. After a quick dip in the mail bag Joan introduces her husband Dick Powell. They talk about domestic life. Dick Powell sings a medley that includes Mister Bluebird, You’ll Never Know and Wing and a Prayer.

Looking forward to enjoy a plate of chicken catchatori, Philip Marlowe is sidetracked by a phone call from a friend. Randal has a problem with a gambling debt, a dame, and blackmail. Has the dame paid the gambler, or will she take the matter to Randal’s stockholders in his business? Tess is found dead, and yet another dame enters Philip’s life followed closely by a thug of a jealous boyfriend. Will any new clues pop up when the gambler, Nayler, is visited? In keeping Randal’s reputation safe, the gambler also benefits from Philip being successful. What? No thumps on the head? Philip seems to be having all the luck today. How long will that hold out? A virtual prisoner by racketeers, Philip will be in physical harm, but with some help by Maxine, the lights go out, and its the break Marlowe needs. A last moment clue saves the day, and the race is on to rescue his client, kick the lid off the mystery, and turn a killer over to the authorities. But wait, will there be one more surprise waiting for Marlowe at the end of his day?

Audio is jumpy. Following the aftermath of the pest controller, and his destruction of the Jot ‘Em Down store, Lum and Abner try to figure how to raise money to fix the place back up. Grandpap introduces the idea of repairing antique furniture to turn junk items into dollars. Where will the guys find a source of junk furniture? Will this be a good business venture? With Lum’s mind for business, and his determination to make it happen, it’s sure to kick off a stretch of fun. The prospect of hidden treasure sends Lum and Abner down a different track, and any idea of refurbishing furniture is tossed aside. At least for now.

Cybernetics, the study of robots and artificial intelligence, someday something like this may happen. A professor and his female assistant are visited by a rude man from her past. He has come back for Junior, a robot that the professor has invented. Though the robot is a full sized machine, his mind is still learning. At the moment Juior has the mentality of a three year old. Duke is on the run from the law, and while he’s hiding out he teaches Junior some of his bad habits The professor has done a great job of building a machine with a blank slate for a mind, but Duke has done just as well of a job in polluting that blank slate with evil thoughts. Introduced to a life of crime, Junior has become a monster, but is he one that Duke can continue to control? Will Junior settle for taking the blame for Duke and his gang? What can overcome the influence of evil that was taught to Junior? Has Junior developed a conscience, or just a will to survive? Can Junior ever be human, or even almost human? PS: This was a popular episode of the day, and made appearances on other science fiction programs as well. An interesting concept, and a morality play. If such things as artificial intelligence develops to this stage, it asks the question of who will be responsible for the programming and teaching to smart robots. It’s almost like a modern Frankenstein story. Note: Also check out X Minus One – Almost Human. ep13, 550811. amzn_assoc_placement = "adunit0"; amzn_assoc_search_bar = "true"; amzn_assoc_tracking_id = "retrootr-20"; amzn_assoc_ad_mode = "manual"; amzn_assoc_ad_type = "smart"; amzn_assoc_marketplace = "amazon"; amzn_assoc_region = "US"; amzn_assoc_title = "Science Fiction on Amazon"; amzn_assoc_asins = "B0001HAGU6,B004ZJ9VXY,B001A7GOCA,B002945DU2"; amzn_assoc_linkid = "148193c96d41d0e8dd6bbc23c85ca24d";

The school meeting is to be tonight, but the only ones to attend are Eve Goodwin, Gildersleeve, and Judge Hooker. The two gents are to compete to be the resident expert on child psychology for the school board. As the big man goes home, he discovers another of the Bullard family. Craig Bullard is a little kid, who Leroy is only lured into playing with when he has a patsy to try out his magic tricks, and do some creative trading of toys. Gildersleeve tries to finish his speech and presentation on the more passive approach to child care, but between distractions with arguing kids, Birdie leaving for the day, and being roped into babysitting Craig, he has his hands full. Showing off his parenting skills, Gildy takes Craig to Peavey’s for lunch. The unflappable Peavey just may habve been flapped today. Gildy gets his patience and parenting pushed a little closer to his limits once Marjorie comes home with Marshall Bullard. How will the big debate go? Might he and the judge find a different way to resolve their matter, and differing stances on child rearing?

Audio is a bit jumpy. Has Doctor Roller the pest controller given up on catching Clyde. Grandpap enters to hear Abner’s plan to make the exterminator think he has finally caught the mouse. Will Abner’s staged mouse catching fool the exterminator? Doctor Roller is ecstatic to find that his traps finally wowrked, and Abner plays it up to the point of milking it for a day off from the store. Cedric enters with a secret that turns Abners fake grief into a real one.

Amos, Andy, and Kingfish talk about their costumes for the masqerade party later tonight. Not able to come up with anything, Andy asks Kingfish to help rent something for him. The rental shop is out of costumes, so Kingfish turns up a policeman’s uniform for free, but still charges Andy for it. Join the whole gang as they compare costumes, and discover that Kingfish couldn’t pass up that sweet deal and kept that sharp looking cop uniform for himself. Things begin to fall apart when the cop, played by Ernie Whitman, comes looking for the uniform that he left in the care of Lightning. There’s bound to be trouble at the ball, and having a nose for such things, Kingfish manages to swap costumes back with Andy. The plot gets interesting when robbers break in and steal money from the lodge hall. Costume swaps keep on going, and soon the cops are looking for their uniform theif, Kingfish is looking for some real thieves, and the thieves figure they can lure Andy to taking the blame for their crimes as well. The swapping and chasing can’t last forever, but who will catch who?