Oh, I wonder who else spent time laying on the floor in front of the floor model Radio and shared bowls of popcorn with their Dad while listening to wonderful stories of adventure or comedy or music. Do any of the following titles take you to another day and time .
MYSTERY THEATRE
THE SHADOW
THE WHISTLER
JACK BENNY
FRED ALLEN
LUM AND ABNER
BABY SNOOKS
RICHARD DIAMOND ACE OF DETECTIVES
THE GREAT GILDERSLEEVE
THE WHISTLER
JACK BENNY
FRED ALLEN
LUM AND ABNER
BABY SNOOKS
RICHARD DIAMOND ACE OF DETECTIVES
THE GREAT GILDERSLEEVE
DUFFY'S TAVERN
GUNSMOKE
AMOS AND ANDY
BREAKFAST CLUB
OUR MISS BROOKS
BERGAN & McCARTHY
THE CREAKING DOOR
FIBBER McGEE AND MOLLY
INNER SANCTUM
Making that list was so much fun. Actually I could go on for a lot more. This is just a sample. Obviously with all the westerns and mysteries my Dad must have been the official dial tuner.
Mother listened to soap operas and variety or quiz shows during the day, many of the soap operas flowed right on to the television when the time was right. I remember Stella Dallas as one of the stories Mother followed.
The CREAKING DOOR used to nearly scare me to death as the show started and the door which opened the show slow--ly opened and the featured scary storyline was announced.
I loved the variety shows like Fred Allen as he visited characters who lived or showed up on Allen's Alley. One was Senator Cleghorn ? oops I'll have to go look him up and clarify his name.
I was close, the full name was Beauregard Claghorn.
Warner Bros. cartoons used him to create the blustery rooster Foghorn Leghorn.
I think this may be the first of favorite things from my childhood I will blog about. Actually there is probably more to be said about the wonder of radio and the opportunity to use the imagination to build scenes and people. When many of these productions came to TV the scenes were created by theatre folks and the people looked the way the casting director thought they should. I can't remember if that was a disappointment for me as a child, so I guess I was able to to cope with that restriction on my imagination.
I would love to hear from my generation and know what you especially enjoyed listening to on your radio set.
10 comments:
We got our old 1930s radio repaired, so it now receives am stations. Unfortunately, none of those old radio comedies or dramas are available in this day and age. I can only get talk radio and I am not a fan. *Sigh*
I've missed you on Sunday strolls! Are your daffodils up?
I published way before I was ready, so I'm still writing and editing. Daffodils or forming buds but it will be awhile before they open. It has been so cold and rainy I think I have sunk into the mire, if hasn't helped that our DSL has been playing hobb with using the computers here lately.
You might enjoy finding some wonderful old radio shows on the internet, I'm about to go google the Fred Allen Show to comfirm a couple of memories of his feature of Allen's Alley.
Although radio shows are before my time, my grandmother has been quoting one since I was little:
She always says, "Who knows what lurks in the hearts of men...the SHADOW knows."
She especially loved quoting this when the Tiger Woods scandal erupted.
Anastasia,
I'm with your Grandmother, add a nasty laugh at the end of the phrase and as a child I'd get a chill of fear up my back. I was always glad the Shadow was on the side of the good guys. I'm not sure if he had a dark side that adult listeners understood. he sure had an evil laugh.
Yes,
The Shadow - comes to mind.
You bring back memories. Will be so pleased when some warmer weather arrives. So chilly and damp outside. Have a great day.
I loved my Grandmother Lovejoy's big old radio. And yes, I barely remember the shows, but ironically, I remember their theme songs!!
Wonderful radio. I don't know what I would do without it even now. I listen faithfully to NPR and love it so much. We can still make pictures in our minds.
Thank you!
Sharon Lovejoy Writes from Sunflower House and a Little Green Island
Oh so that's where that Shadow saying came from. My mother used to say that too. And I never knew where it came from!
Those radio shows were before my time too. But I do remember listening to some childrens' programmes on the radio before we got t.v.
And our miss brookes rings a bell. I think my older brothers used to listen (watch?) this programme.
Ernestine,
As a child I enjoyed the thrill of being scared. Especially if my Daddy was close by to protect me, so I loved all the dramas and scary stories.
Everyone I know is longing for a glimpse of sunshine. "Maybe the the sun will come out tomorrow", do you think if everyone in Tennessee stepped outside and sang a chorus or two we would get a response.
Sharon,
There is something about theme songs and commercials that capture a child's attention and obviously the child in adults so that we can remember them years later with just the prompting of a few notes or a simple phrase.
If you ever listen to Garrison Keller you are hearing the old time radio format for variey shows. He has really captured the feel and nostalgia for much that was fun back in the day. Pardon me while I wax sentimental for a moment.
Wendy,
Our Miss Brooks was one of those shows that made the leap to TV. I loved it on the radio and TV as well. Eve Arden was a wonderful teacher in both mediums and the shows ran on both at the same time.
I was also keen on character Walter Denton aka Richard Crenna who played a teenage student who could make his voice crack so charmingly that I had a crush and have always enjoyed seeing him in movies and show on TV.
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