Before the days of TV, what was your favourite radio program, and why?
Before the days of TV, what was your favourite radio program, and why?
TV was spreading though America before it became an item in Canada. In fact, where I lived, with a tall antenna on the house we could get WBEN-TV (Buffalo) in the very late 1940s and early 1950s, before Toronto and Montreal had TV stations. However, before TV, while I was still a young kid (I was born in 1937) we listened to radio.
Although I remember many radio programs, such as the Jack Benny Show, Fibber McGee and Molly, Bob Hope show, The Shadow, etc. and of course what Canadian didn't listen to Foster Hewitt calling the plays on Saturday night's Hockey Night in Canada? Later on there were Twilight Zone programs, and who will ever forget Orson Welles' War of the Worlds, although I believe that was before my time. However, the one that remains in my mind is one that I believe was broadcast by the Canadian Broadcasting Company, most likely only in Canada, during WWII, called "L for Lanky". "Lanky" was the Lancaster bomber, hundreds of which were built in the A.V.Roe manufacturing plant just west of Toronto.
The program was about the flight of the bombers over Europe, broadcast I believe on Sunday nights while my brother and I were in bed - he and I shared a bedroom with a bunk bed. He was below and me on top. , and with lights out we listened to the crew speaking to one another as the plane battled fighters and dropped its bombs over German targets. For a kid my age, it was very exciting. My brother would act out being the pilot, and because of where I was, I was the top gunner. There is so little history of this program, but I did find this:
"Here's one for all the old timers who remember WWII Bomber Command over Europe. I listened to this radio show when the war was raging in Europe, and the Allies were bombing Hitler's "Fortress Europe" into oblivion. "Lanky" aircraft were better known as Lancs; Lancaster bombers that could carry a 22 ton "Big Boy" bomb to be used on strategic targets such as submarine pens in France, Pointe du Hoc gun emplacements before D-Day. They were used extensively over Berlin, the Ruhr Valley and any other target that needed blowing up ie: Peenumunde rocket sites.
This radio show gave us the hope that we would succeed and go on to victory, which we did, with a lot of help from brave men and the great Lancaster Bomber."
(Ron Lehman 2011)
Because my brother and I were actually acting out the roles, which added to the excitement, so I think it was at least back then, my favourite radio program.
Being an octogenarian, and not yet saddled with dementia, I can remember back to those days. Are there any members here who can do the same? If so, let's hear about it.
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I even wrote an article on the radio programs that my brothers and I listened to while almost burning down the house.
Sargent Preston of the Yukon and his dog King, Inter Sanctum, and The Shadow, were some of my favorites. Of course Inter Sanctum scared the crap out of my little brother Dolt.
''What evil lurks in the heart of men, the Shadow knows''....buhbuhbuh...I'll never forget that line.
We boys often wondered why our new used radio was my dad's pride and joy. We thought that we should be his pride and joy. Dad answered the question with this....I can turn the radio off, you boys I can't shut up.
Dad was a peach.
Oh, I almost forgot. My cousin Luther Walks the Horse got a job at the local radio station, IMRED as the news announcer. We had to listen to him to show support. Wednesday night was always the big night around the house.
Dear Friend Kavika: On King.
On you Huskies.
Enoch, Munching a Boiled Canadian Mounted Banana.
Dear Friend Buzz: Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men?
The weed of crime bears bitter fruit.
Crime does not pay.
The Shadow knows.
Enoch (Disguised as Lamont Cranston, Well Known Man About Town).
Crime does not pay.
Was that Dragnet?
The Shadow, it was the closing line after the credits ran....
Dragnet's famous line is "Just the facts, ma'am."
Dragnet's famous line is "Just the facts, ma'am."
I do remember that!
I listened to Dragnet (was that on radio before TV-- I don't remember), The Shadow, the Lone Ranger, and a few more, don't remember them all,
Yup, it is indeed fun...to return with us now to those thrilling days of yesteryear!
Kavika's comment reminded me Inner Sanctum & Saergeant Preston. (Inner Sanctum-- I still get chiils thinking about it).
Also The Twilight Zone-- but I think that started on TV-- was never on radio?
Its amazing how the medium of radio held us spellbound! (Perhaps more so than TV? Or maybe my memories of radio are more vivid because I was a kid, and it might have effected me more and seemed more dramatic back then?)
My Grandparents had "The Capehardt", which was a liquid sound I've never heard since. I have their Capehardt, and all it's works, but it doesn't play any more... We would put their Frank Sinatra and favorite songs on from the 20s and 30s and have a music party! What fun we had! Yeah, it was mono, but so gorgeous... You could almost drown in the sound of it...
Hi Dowser.
The Capehardt
That sounded vaquely familiar so I googled it. Fascinating!
Take a look at this page I found -- really good resource. i think you'll like it.
Lots of pictures there too-- also links.
Here's one type they show-- was this like yours?
(Apparently some models could flip records over?)
Very clever technology for its time. We couldn't afford anything like that.
Ours couldn't flip over records and looked more like this:
What made it so special is the wood resonated with the music, and it had a great bass. Ours was mahogany, the record player was on the left in the upper corner and the radio and speaker were on the right. Underneath the record player was a nice storage area for your 78s.
Somehow, and don't ask me how, ours played LP records, too-- 33.33 rpm. I don't know if it came that way, or if Grandpa tinkered with it! We spent many a happy hour, listening to it!
For a long time, the radio played, even if you had to use rubber handled pliers to turn the dials, that had fallen off. But then, one day, it just quit. It probably needs a bunch or tubes and new wiring, at the least.
Thanks for the link!
Dragnet was on radio before TV. It premiered in June of 1949 and ran for seven seasons. I was mistaken about Twilght Zone, it was TV. I was thinking back to a scary story I heard on radio and have now found out that it was broadcast in 1951 on NBC's Short Story series. It was called "Mr. Arcularis" and it was about a man who was paralyzed and presumed dead but was still alive. The program broadcast his thoughts as he lay on the morgue table, about to be prepared for his funeral (or else prepared for an autopsy). It was absolutely thrilling and scary.
In my opinion, radio was so much more useful for mental development than television, except perhaps for news and documentaries. It forced people to use and develop their imaginations to picture what was happening, whereas with TV it was all put in front of you and you needed not imagine anything.
In my opinion, radio was so much more useful for mental development than television, except perhaps for news and documentaries. It forced people to use and develop their imaginations to picture what was happening, whereas with TV it was all put in front of you and you needed not imagine anything.
I've thought the same thing.
And also, BTW, comparing the same novel seen on TV vs reading it in a book. Reading a book forces you to develop your imagination-- what things look like, feel like, etc.
It's interesting to compare reading a novel first then watching the movie, or vice versa. I think I once did an article about that. I think my conclusion was "Different strokes for different folks."
In this case, I saw the movie first, then ran into the copy of the Novelette. I know that I found the book more disturbing. I think, on some blog here, I copied it out for everyone... The novel was set in Cornwall, England, with a WWI vet and his family. Basically, all of Europe was affected by the birds turning crazy. And it really had no end. The book just stopped, as the man was doing his best to figure out how how he and his family could survive a few more days. Then, you get to thinking... The beautiful cardinals in our yard, and how they could dive bomb us. The thousands of sparrows and small birds that banded together to peck humans to death... It was intense!
Even since I watched Hitchcock's "The Birds" I have never been comfortable when birds get too close to me.
It was an eye-opener of a movie, wasn't it?
Yup. Scared the shit out of me. LOL
"Let's Pretend" on Saturday mornings. We helped Mother clean the house while listening to this. Cream of Wheat was the sponsor. I even remember their jingle. "Cream of Wheat is so good to eat and we have it everday.........it's good for growing children and grownups too to eat.......etc etc."
I remember at Grandmother's house she would listen to Old Ma Perkins, Our Gal Sunday and I think it was The Romance of Helen Trent.
We were the first family in our neighborhood to get a TV. My parents got one 'cause I had a regular spot on TV once a week. WDSU-TV, N.O., La.
Those were the days, my friend!
"Let's Pretend" on Saturday mornings.
Sometimes I also find it interesting to also watch let's pretend on TV-- I watch Trump's speeches and enjoy it when he explains things and discusses what he's going to achieve-- sometimes a really funny game of "Let's pretend".
(OK, perhaps my comment was inappropraite-- but I found it hard to resist the opening that that gave me
Before the days of TV, what was your favourite radio program, and why?
Well, since I only became self aware in the mid 50's I missed the "radio stories" days that came before TV.
That said, I WAS lucky enough to become a fan of Jean Shepherd's shows, (from his WOR days), which got carried on our local NPR radio station back in the early 70's. Then, of course, there was Garrison Keillor's, Prairie Home Companion, sometime in the late 80's.
Even though those two programs came after the days TV became king can I still count them as two of my favorite radio programs?
Or must I stick with the episodes of Fibber McGee and Molly, Jack Benny, Orson Well's, "War of the World", The Adventures of the Thin Man and many of the other shows from the Golden Age of radio that I've been lucky enough listen to and enjoy through the years?
I too am not old enough to have lived without color television in my life, but I did go through a period in my college days where I listened to Rush L. and Glenn B. fairly regularly. It was an effort to 'know your enemy'. As one would expect, it only lasted so long. Continuing would have been akin to putting out a lit cigar on my forehead every day.
Arthur Godfrey. He came on in the morning, and when I spent the night with Grandma and Grandpa, it was on his old radio in the kitchen while we ate our wonderful breakfast. Mr. Godfrey had a soft, genial voice, and he was funny-- even though, as a little kid, I missed the point of most of his jokes.
The first color TV I saw was in 1961-- at Old Mr. Gipe's house. He was the first of most people to have one in my city. Eventually we all got color TVs, just as we all eventually got air conditioning. Of the two, air conditioning was the best.
Arthur Godfrey was the part owner of the Kenilworth Hotel in Miami Beach. Because of its reputation it was the one depicted (but not named) in the movie Gentleman's Agreement. If you've watched the movie you will recall what happened when Gregory Peck tried to register in that hotel.
“The Kenilworth did not allow Jews to come in to stay there,” said Howard Kleinberg, a Miami Beach historian and former editor of The Miami News. “There were a lot of restrictive hotels in Miami Beach. None would allow blacks.”
Read more here:
Anti-Semitism in a place like Miami-- that does seem a bit strange.
Discrimniation against blacks, unfortunately is probably still pretty common.
But I've heard Miami now has a more Latin flavour-- they're called "The Gateway to Latin Americas" or something similar.
Of course they've had a lot of Cuban refugees-- but I believe they've had a lot of immigration form all over Latin America for many years. Now apparently its one of the big centers of Latino culture in the U>S.-- maybe some major Spanish language recording studios?
I'm speaking of Miami Beach rather than Miami City. I dont think the Latinos are common along the beach strip even now. But I started going to Miami Beach since the mid-1950s. I do remember two particular things that really stood out for me then. Remember that beiing Canadian I really wasn't familiar with the racial discrimination down there. The first incident was in a department store when I saw 2 water fountains and in my mind's eye I can still see the sign above the simple ceramic one that said "Colored Only", while the other one was stainless steel and cooled. The other incident was getting on a bus, and I always loved sitting at the back of a bus so that's where I went. The driver yelled at me to come up to sit at the front. When I hesitated, he yelled that he would not start to drive until I went up to the front.
Pleasant... /s
I remember Arthur Godfrey!
The Irene Dunne and Fred MacMurray hour, (also known as "Bright Star")
The GE theatre,
The Red Foley show And I will never forget the polkas on sunday....
Sky King, Space Command, The Texas Rangers.
The LONE RANGER! Abbot & Costello.
Too many to list.
I don't know most of those...except I do remember Sky King and the Texas Rangers.
I'm too young to have experienced radio when it broadcast programs and series but I do enjoy listening to sports on the radio. The announcer has to be good otherwise it's like listening to two retired jocks that used to play the game but don't know anything about the game.
I got Roku not to long ago, and one of the free channels they have is old radio broadcasts. There is no visual of course, but you can listen to full episodes of many radio shows from the 30's and 40's. I've listened to a few of the variety programs from the WW2 years. Pretty interesting. I think radio really helped unite the country at that time.
Notwithstanding your criticism of my posting this article, so far 10 members have commented on it, including you. LOL
I got Roku not to long ago,
John-- I've been thinking of getting ROKU> I was wondering-- if you have ROKU, are you now able to unsubscribe from regular cable service? Can you now get all the programmes you want on ROKU-- or does that not have some that you want?
Before my time.
It might be interesting to do one about Old Time Radio commercials. Some of them were pretty powerful! Very creative since they could only use sound-- nothing visual.
Or even a quiz.
Just thinking-- I'm gonna post one. Stay tuned!
Anyone familiar with the Firesign Theatre?
They were a fairly modern group-- first heard them on a record I believe in the 70's? They were 4 guys who did what sounded like old time radio shows. The 4 did all kinds fo voices-- men, womens, and children. Some of their stuff was really funny. A lot of their stuff made reference to old movies. (They created a character called "Nick Danger, Thierd EyE"--a a fantastic voice that sounded like Peter Lorre. That character was called "Rocky Rococo). (That skit was a take off on the Maltese Falcon__ but real zany.
How Can You Be in Two Places at Once When You're Not Anywhere at All is the second comedy album recorded by The Firesign Theatre . It was originally released in July 1969 by Columbia Records .
(Read it All)
Their album "TV or not TV" was so far ahead of it's time that it passed a lot of people by. Personally I think it was their best ever. I especially liked "Escaping From The Declining Fall Of The Roaming Umpire" Brilliant! Though it was only Proctor and Bergman and not the whole group.
I'm surprised I never heard of that one.
Thanks for that info-- I will have to listen to it. (Maybe I will buy it), I loved the Firesign Theatre-- spent hours listening to the few records thatI had. Listened to them over and over. (Rumour has it that really even more enjoyable if you listen to them while stoned on Marijuana, but of course I wouldn't know anything about that
I will have to listen to it. (Maybe I will buy it)
Well worth the effort. I actually gave my copy to my little brother (little? Hell he's in his 55) to listen too and never went to get it back. Now I don't even have a turntable any longer anyway. Maybe I'll buy a copy on CD if I can find one.
And yes, it is best enjoyed under the influence of Mother Nature's Own, but my wife has put her foot down on the option years ago. Damn!
I find myself using google more and more-- even when someone mentions something I'm not familiar with in a discussion online. (WhenDowser mentioned The Capehardt I wasn;t sure what it was so I googledit and came instantly come up with a lotmof information plus picture.
I just googled the album you mentioned--I was surprised how easy it was to locate-- it came upright away on Amazon:
TV Or Not TV
Audio CD | Import
In would be cool to have it on vinyl--that's how I originally listed to the group. But I don't care. (Vinyl copies must be rare-- checkout the price):
Oh wait-- just noticed-- that high price for vinyl is only for a new copy. Not surprising then.
(Not surprisingly the reviews are extremely positive)
TV Or Not TV
No. Contrary to some popular misconceptions, that show is not about transvestites!
I'm surprised I never heard of that one.
Thanks for that info-- I will have to listen to it. (Maybe I will buy it), I loved the Firesign Theatre-- spent hours listening to the few records thatI had. Listened to them over and over. (Rumour has it that really even more enjoyable if you listen to them while stoned on Marijuana, but of course I wouldn't know anything about that
I was born in the early 60s so I grew up with TV. There never was a time when I was alive that we didn't have TV. However that being said, radio still filled an important part of our lives growing up. I remember when I was young faithfully listening to "Mystery Theater". Every week for an hour we listened to a new chapter.
I remember as a kid with my Transistor radio tucked next to my pillow listening to old Horror, Suspence etc. Radio Programs. I cant remember the AM station or the name of the show, but I do remember getting the Beegees scared out of me. But couldnt wait till the next one. This was mid 60's.
i too grew up with TV, but i had my transistor radio and listened to all the hit songs of the time..
my goodness how technology has advanced..back then we had 2 choices for channels on TV and maybe 5 radio stations..
Life was much simpler, then, wasn't it? We had 3 TV stations, 4 if you counted KET, which was pretty lousy back then. Lately, I've gotten hooked on the History of Kentucky series on KET. Wow! How little I knew! We had about 10 radio stations, at least, and most of them were pretty good.
Did anyone but me listen to WLS, Chicago? We couldn't always get it, but when we could, it was wonderful! I think it required temperature inversions and/or sunspots for us to get it down in little Owensboro, but it was great when we did!
My dad had a shortwave radio and we listened to Cuba a lot. Occasionally, we got to listen to the BBC, and hear Big Ben ring. How fabulous that was! We also listened to Radio Free Europe about once every blue moon. I want to fix that old shortwave, if I find it in my mother's house. Surely, somebody, somewhere, makes tubes...
Mama worked at one of the local radio stations for a while back when I was REALLY little. She ran the WVJS Jutney, which was a sales program. Once she had an ad for "Piano for sale by woman with walnut legs..." I always wanted to meet her and see her piano.
And every birthday, I got a "Good Girl Star" from Joanna, who was the hostess of the local noon children's programming. She sent you a whizzing noise, when you got your star...
I found a similar sound effect, but can't seem to imbed it here... Rats!
WLS
Little Tommy and Animal Stories with Uncle Lar
early 80s
WLS
Little Tommy and Animal Stories with Uncle Lar
early 80s
John Landecker... Wow.
dowser:
i used to get wls in chicago if the weather was right, like you said--we lived about 150 miles north of chitown
we just had regular radio stations no shortwave.
i remember when we got our first COLOR tv back in the 60's--it was kinda a big deal then and we had only a few programs that even broadcast in color....i tell my kids ya i am so old i remember when we actually had to get out of a chair and turn a knob to change the tv channels--no remotes..
i like the tv show called that 70's show, brings back alot of memories too with the decor..
i remember when we got our first COLOR tv back in the 60's--it was kinda a big deal then and we had only a few programs that even broadcast in color....i tell my kids ya i am so old i remember when we actually had to get out of a chair and turn a knob to change the tv channels--no remotes..
All my friends homes got TV (B&W) before my family did. They didn't get one because they were afraid it would be a bad influence on me (Not any stuff about morality or anything like that-- just intellectually-- they prefer I'd read books. Which was actually no problem-- as a kid I loved to read.) I went over to friends' houses and sometimes watched TV but I actually liked my books better! I was somewhat of a nerd as a kid).
But we kids didn't watch TV much anyway-- in those days we prefersred going outside. Running around playing tag or Hide and Go Seek. Riding bikes, And our somewhat modified version of baseball and even football.
We shot hoops at the outdoors in the schoolyard (never actually palyed a real game of basketball IIRC).
The girls played different games-- lots of jump rope like Double-Dutch. (Although sometimes we let them playtag with us -- or join in our races. And we all roller-skated on the concrete in the Schoolyard.
In snowy weather we didn't go inside-- rather we rode our sleds (Anyone here have a Flexible Flyer?).
It WAS a big deal. That first night that Old Mr. Gipe had a party so we could all see his new color TV, we watched Bonanza. There were about 30 people there, all perched in the living room. Wall to wall people... It was a year or two, (I think), before Disney would broadcast in color... There were a bunch of shows that stayed in black and white, at first...
Daddy had a good shortwave, because he was the supply officer for the National Guard station at the time, and found one that was busted, somewhere. He fixed it, and we were fascinated by the languages we could hear... What a great way to learn geography!
Daddy was very innovative. He wrote to what used to be NASA, before they were NASA, and got about 100 little pieces of the film-like substance that they made the early satellite Telstar out of. Truly fascinating. We went outside and scanned the heavens for Sputnik, (our first cat was named Sputnik). Then, when fiber optics were first invented, or came into use in cars, he came home with two long strings of fiber optics from Buick, and we played with them for hours and hours... What fun!
but what about one of these babies--all the cool people had them..
I remember when there were only three TV stations: NBC, ABC, CBC. But even TV was better than. Simple things.Ed Sullivan Show (I remember seeing what I believe was Elvis' first TV appearance there-- it was controversial at the time because of the way he moved his hips, lol!. I watched it with my rather conventional parent, they had mixed feeling about Elvis. Loved Groucho Marx. Of course after radio, seeing actual pictures that moved-- live-- was amazing.
We had a shortwave as well-- listened to a lot fo foreign broadcasts. Very interesting. Way back before Castro Cuba was a corrupt dictatorship-- but they did have a fabulous tourist trade-- luxury hotels, gambling, etc. A major port of call for Cruise ships, My oldest aunt went there-- brought me back some Cuban stamps and coins from the era before Castro-- that quite a while back!
Dowser-- I just checked google for "radio tubes"-- lookslike there are some for sale. (But it may take a while to look through all of the leads there & look for the serial # you need. LINK
Some are still quite reasonably priced, but I hope you don't need an EAT KT88 Diamond Power Vacuum Tube - Matched Quad :
EAT KT88 Diamond Power Vacuum Tube - Matched Quad
Here's something interesting-- probably pays to read through it before deciding whether or not you want to blow the money on one of them EAT K-88 Diamond Power Vacuum Tube - Matched Quad thingamajiggies:
When they say "they dont make em like they used to" you can rest assured EAT does. Built with high-temperature glass, high-performance plates and gold-plated pins, these individually serial numbered, hand-made beauties sound as good or even better than the Genelex KT88 of yesteryear. Yes, I said it - better than NOS.
Price is for a Matched Quad
Thank you! I will bookmark that site so I don't lose it! I need to get my husband to rewire it-- and find some knobs for it, too... I would LOVE to reconstruct that old Capehardt! It was so cool!
I may have to wait until my mother's house sells, so I can afford the tubes... Wow!
Thank you!
You're welcome
I may have to wait until my mother's house sells, so I can afford the tubes... Wow!
The reason I posted the example I did (the tube that sells for almost $1700.00) was merely becasuse I thought is was an interesting example! I peroused that page quickly--I did see some tubes selling for as low as $8.00 each. And there may be somethat are even less expensive, IDK.
While $8 is still a bit expensive (I had though a single radio tube might cost, maybe, on $1.50 or so) I suppose it really isn't bad when you consider that old radio tubes are "obsolete"--probably there's not much of a market for them & they may be hard to find..
I remember "Gunsmoke" on radio.
I was 4 when we went to our nearest neighbor a mile away to "look at television". I couldn't understand how they got those big people in a little box.
When I was a very little girl I remember late Sunday afternoons my parents like to listen to Maverick on the kitchen radio (we did have TV). They liked to listen when they made Sunday dinner ( steak on the grill and veggies from our garden).
There were a lot of mornings Mom would have the radio on and you would hear songs by Rosemary Clooney, George's grandma.
You're close. Rosemary Clooney was George's father's sister.
Oh. Thanks. I always thought she was much older. Nick Clooney was very good looking too. A news caster in Cincinnati.
I think she was older than Nick, but not by much... I think her life was a hard one. Let's see, she was really popular in the 1950s and early 60's! She was often paired with older men, (Like Bing Crosby), in the movies...
Her and Bing were wonderful in White XMas.
according to wiki, Rosemary would be 89 if she were alive today. Nick is 83.
That's about what I was thinking... Nick Clooney was a younger brother, but not too terribly younger-- not like 20 years or anything. I wonder how many brothers and sisters there were in the Clooney family...
I'm just realizing that there are some here older than myself. My earliest memories are of TV on the old Philco.
I recall Sgt Bilko, Car 54, Ed Sullivan, of course, and that character everyone in the old neighborhood wanted to grow up to be - Maverick