Old Time Fun

Okay, so Sunny suggested that I write a blog about Old Time Radio. So I am. Here goes. When I was about 10, my Dad introduced me to the wonderful world of old radio programs. Comedies, mysteries, and adventure stories all produced in the 30's, 40's, and 50's. The very first one I listened to was a Jack Benny episode where he cut holes in his toupee so he could go to a Halloween party as the wolf-man. It's funnier than it sounds.

It was then I began my infatuation with the art of Radio Theatre. This stuff is amazing folks. The stories that are told, the techniques they use, the acting, sounds, and production quality is astounding. I have never been so terrified as I was listening to "On a Country Road" starring Cary Grant. I have never laughed so hard as I did whenever Throckmorton P. Gildersleeve would get frustrated with his nephew Leroy. These stories are magic. I want to name a few of my favorites, and maybe give a background on them. One of my favorite programs is called "Suspense". It was produced by CBS Radio, and aired every week for about 20 years. That's a hell of a run. The stories were usually original mysteries, dealing with murder, intrigue, and occasionally the supernatural. "On a Country Road" was a Suspense episode, and it was so popular it was aired about 4-5 times throughout Suspense's run, each time with different actors. I'm partial to the Grant version myself.

Sunny and I have listened to a couple dozen of Suspense episodes, and she digs folks. It's hard not to. One is transported to another world, and another time really. We always discuss the episodes the next day, as we usually listen right before bed time. The fact that she is into them as much as she is really means a lot to me, as these old radio programs are a significant part of my life.

One of our favorites is a Morse Adventure serial called "The City of the Dead". This 10 part series takes place in a graveyard over the course of about 3-4 days. Murder, bodies, graves, ghouls, and treasure all await the listener. To this day, being 31, I STILL get terrified at the sound of the ghoulish antagonist Clawfoot's wailing moan. I remember being about 13 when Dad brought this particular program home, and we laid on his bed listening to the first 2 episodes. He fell asleep. I was enthralled. I took the rest of the tapes downstairs, and listened to the whole series with my sister Candice. It was epic. Truly, one of my favorites of all time, in any media format.

Lastly, a nod to "The Great Gildersleeve". This program is a comedy about a man who takes in his nephew and niece when their mother dies. Think the Bernie Mac show. Gildersleeve was played to perfection by Harold Parry until 1950, when Willard Waterman took over. This show is probably my family's favorite. We have all listened to more Gildersleeves then you've had hot dinners. Really good quality comedy in these shows. They're a bit dated for today's audiences, but honestly, if you suspend your too-cool-for-school attitude, you will get a good belly laugh out of almost every episode. So those are a few of my favorites.

If you want to check any of these out, go to http://www.archive.org/ and search for OTR. You'll find lots to listen to. These programs are dear to my heart, and listening to them in my adulthood, they haven't lost any of their appeal. In fact, with the crap that's on TV today, it's actually more appealing to listen to GOOD, SCRIPTED entertainment, instead of watching a fatty try to be less fatty than the fattest fatty. That is all. End transmission.

Harold Parry as the Great Gildersleeve