When Radio Ruled

Curated clips of live broadcasts from popular radio shows of the day. December 3 – December 10, 1939 A tapestry of History through the eyes of people as they lived it, reported by radio. In today’s SoundScape: Smoking is good for the Nerves! It is so near Christmas!! Robert Armbruster plays a good milking tempo!!! … Continue reading When Radio Ruled #160 – SoundScape 1939 part 30 December 10-21, 1939.

Curated clips of live broadcasts from popular radio shows of the day. December 3 – December 10, 1939 A tapestry of History through the eyes of people as they lived it, reported by radio. In today’s SoundScape: Murder on the Gridiron! Buttering Jack up for Christmas Presents!! Broadcast from Bergen’s Hospital Bedside!!! And More!! Featuring: … Continue reading When Radio Ruled #159 – SoundScape 1939 part 29, December 3-10, 1939

Curated clips of live broadcasts from popular radio shows of the day. November 26 – December 3, 1939 A tapestry of History through the eyes of people as they lived it, reported by radio. In today’s SoundScape: Thanksgiving is more than Just Turkeys! Someday We’ll Be Very Proud of Our Son! McCarthy and Doogan Christmas … Continue reading When Radio Ruled #158 – SoundScape 1939 part 28

Curated clips of live broadcasts from popular radio shows of the day. November 19 – November 26, 1939 A tapestry of History through the eyes of people as they lived it, reported by radio In today’s SoundScape: Mary’s Thanksgiving Poem Jack’s Turkey is an Ostrich! The Deacon chisels for a living!! Remember Abe Lincoln this … Continue reading When Radio Ruled #157 – SoundScape 1939 part 27 November 19-26, 1939

Curated clips of live broadcasts from popular radio shows of the day. November 12 – November 19, 1939 A tapestry of History through the eyes of people as they lived it, reported by radio. In today’s SoundScape: Churchill Summarizes the First Ten Weeks of War. Mexican Jumping Beans from Your Skelly Man! Falling in Love … Continue reading When Radio Ruled #156 – SoundScape 1939 part 26

Curated clips of live broadcasts from popular radio shows of the day!! November 9 – November 12, 1939 A tapestry of History through the eyes of people as they lived it, reported by radio. In today’s SoundScape: Duffy Knows all the Angles! Jack Benny sees the Dentist!! Jean Arthur meets Mortimer Snerd!!! And More!! Featuring: … Continue reading When Radio Ruled #155 – SoundScape 1939 part 25, November 9-12 1939

Curated clips of live broadcasts from popular radio shows of the day. November 5 – November 8, 1939 A tapestry of History through the eyes of people as they lived it, reported by radio. In today’s SoundScape: Jack and Phil are incompatible! Casting the Boys as The Women! Three Banana Splits and Now I’m a … Continue reading When Radio Ruled #154 – SoundScape 1939 part 24 November 5-8 1939

Curated clips of live broadcasts from popular radio shows of the day. October 29 – November 5, 1939 Curated clips of live broadcasts from popular radio shows of the day. A tapestry of History through the eyes of people as they lived it, reported by radio. In today’s SoundScape: Jack Benny’s Costume Party! Fibber and … Continue reading When Radio Ruled #153 – SoundScape 1939 part 23: October 29 – November 5, 1939

Happy New Year from Old Time Radio of the 1930s! Featuring: The History of New Year’s Day Jack Benny Mary Livingston Don Wilson Georgie Jessel Norma Talmadge Edward Arnold Dennis Day Phil Harris Eddie “Rochester” Anderson Click Here For Old Time Radio New Year Eve!!

Holiday Spirit from 1937, 1938, and 1939as served up by Old Time Radio! Christmas Time is here again. A time when us older folks reconnect with the child we once were. Moments from past Christmases relived, smiles and tears remembered. Longing and gratitude and the laughter of those we’ve lost. At least that’s what happens … Continue reading When Radio Ruled #151 – A 1930s Christmas

Curated clips of live broadcasts from popular radio shows of the day. October 23 – October 29, 1939 A tapestry of History through the eyes of people as they lived it, reported by radio. In today’s SoundScape: Gildersleeve throws a Halloween Party! The Question of the Week! The Great Frederick Knocks Off Important Dough! Carol … Continue reading When Radio Ruled #150 – SoundScape 1939 part 22

Curated clips of live broadcasts from popular radio shows of the day. Radio highlights originally broadcast live October 15 through October 22, 1939. A tapestry of History through the eyes of people as they lived it, reported by radio. In today’s SoundScape: Fibber McGee and Giidersleeve Argue! Henry Aldritch combs his hair! Arthur Miller’s first … Continue reading When Radio Ruled #149 – SoundScape 1939 part 21 October 15-22, 1939

Happy Thanksgiving!! The concept of Thanksgiving is as ancient as ancient can be. Harvest festivals dedicated to the god or gods currently in fashion as thanks for abundance and the survival it would provide. But like so many things, Americans have made thanksgiving their very own with traditions and customs created and nurtured here in … Continue reading When Radio Ruled #148 – OTR Thanksgiving 2025

Curated clips of live broadcasts from popular radio shows of the day. Radio highlights originally broadcast live October 8 through October 15, 1939. A tapestry of History through the eyes of people as they lived it, reported by radio. In today’s SoundScape: What the Jack Benny cast did on Summer Vacation! Dennis Day Joins the … Continue reading When Radio Ruled #147 – SoundScape 1939 part 20

Old Time Radio highlights originally broadcast live October 1 through October 8, 1939. Curated clips of live broadcasts from popular radio shows of the day. A tapestry of History through the eyes of people as they lived it, reported by radio. In today’s SoundScape: Charlie McCarthy’s in Need of Cash! Mozart has been dead for … Continue reading When Radio Ruled #146 – SoundScape 1939 part 19

At Halloween the thin boundary between living and dead dissolves so that ghosts, goblins, and the sins we thought long buried come back to feast on our fright filled souls. Day of the dead, all souls day, two thousand years ago the Pagen Celts called it Samhin, we call it Halloween.  The time when ghosts, … Continue reading When Radio Ruled #145 – Halloween 2025

Curated clips of live broadcasts from popular radio shows of the day. September 21 –September 28, 1939 History through the eyes of people as they lived it, reported by radio. In today’s SoundScape: Tap Dancing on the Radio! Charlie McCarthy back to School! Funny stories from David Niven Women can be Boss and make the … Continue reading When Radio Ruled #144 – SoundScape 1939 part 18 September 21-28 1939

Early American entertainment included the circus, the minstrel show, vaudeville, broadway revues, all popular forms of the variety show. And it was talent from those stage shows that created radio. But radio wasn’t the same as the stage. Radio was different manifesting new possibilities for entertainment. An opportunity to entertain with new formats. The situation … Continue reading When Radio Ruled 143 – Birth of the SitCom

Curated clips of live broadcasts from popular radio shows of the day. September 10 – September 21, 1939 History through the eyes of people as they lived it, reported by radio. In today’s SoundScape: Fibber and Molly Celebrate their Anniversary! George G. Nathan Talks Eugene O’Neil! Smoking Hot Swing Tunes! And More!! Featuring: Orson Welles … Continue reading When Radio Ruled 142-SoundScape 1939 part 17

The first generation of radio talent, performers, directors, and writers came from the worlds of vaudeville, minstrel shows and Broadway revues. All forms of variety theater, so it isn’t any wonder that the variety show quickly emerged as a common Radio format. Here are the three Old Time Radio shows from the 1930’s I feel … Continue reading When Radio Ruled #141 – 3 Best Variety Shows of the 1930s

Curated clips of live broadcasts from popular radio shows of the day. August 27 – September 5, 1939 History through the eyes of people as they lived it, reported by radio. In today’s SoundScape: Picking up Girls with Alan Mowbray! The Most Fateful Broadcast in History! On the Boat with Edgar and Charlie! Nutrition with … Continue reading When Radio Ruled #140 – SoundScape 1939 part 16

Sometimes an actor playing a character becomes so popular with their audience that it becomes more than a character, it becomes a persona that the actor inhabits. Such was the case with Vera Vague, a creation of actor/writer Babara Jo Allen. Vera Vague was a constant presence on Old Time Radio, man-hungry, misinformed, and most … Continue reading When Radio Ruled #139 – Vera Vague 1939

Curated clips of live broadcasts from popular radio shows of the day. History through the eyes of people as they lived it, reported by radio. In today’s SoundScape: Donald Dixon Tries to Tell a Joke! Charlie McCarthy Interior Decorator! Charlie McCarthy Astronomer! Charlie McCarthy Coin Collector! Charlie McCarthy Boy Scout! Charlie McCarthy Talent Agent! And … Continue reading When Radio Ruled #138 – SoundScape 1939 part 15 July 30-August 13, 1939

Fred Allen and the people you didn’t expect to meet 1939. Fred Allen was famously a control freak on his radio shows. Although he used a staff of writers, it was just to generate ideas and jokes that would be incorporated into the final script that Fred always wrote personally. Each minute of those shows … Continue reading When Radio Ruled #137 – Fred Allen’s People You Didn’t Expect to Meet 1939

Curated clips of live broadcasts from popular radio shows of the day. History through the eyes of people as they lived it, reported by radio. In today’s SoundScape: Meet a Real English Butler! Edgar Bergen Gets Airsick! The Pie Eyed Piper of Hamlin! And More!! Featuring: Cecil B Demille Charlie McCarthy Dorothy Lamour Don Ameche … Continue reading When Radio Ruled #136-SoundScape 1939 part 14

Old Time Radio was dog eat dog, CBS and NBC scooped up the all the best stations and biggest talent, leaving all the little local stations in the dust. Not all the independent stations wanted to let NBC and CBS run away with their audiences In 1934 WGN and 3 other independents, WOR in New … Continue reading When Radio Ruled #135 – Origins of the Mutual Network 1934-39

Old Time Radio highlights originally broadcast live June 29 to July 9, 1939. Chronologically curated clips of live broadcasts from popular shows of the day. History told by the people living it, as reported by radio. In Today’s SoundScape: The Making of Wizard of Oz Meadow Mouse Grabs 40 Winks! Charlie and Edgar visit the … Continue reading When Radio Ruled #134-SoundScape 1939 part 13

Voices from 1939 talking with one of the Greatest Voices on Old Time Radio In 1939 Orson Welles was only 24 years old but a veteran of Radio. He’d been a regular on The March of Time and was enjoying a very successful run playing the Shadow. These excerpts are from the Campbell Playhouse in … Continue reading When Radio Ruled #133 -Orson Welles and Guests 1939

Curated clips of live broadcasts from popular radio shows of the day. History through the eyes of people as they lived it, reported by radio. In today’s SoundScape: The Town Hall News! A Newsreel Camera Man! Fred Allen Bad Mouths Jack Benny! Life Begins at 40! And More Featuring: Cecil B DeMille Dr. Ronald W. … Continue reading When Radio Ruled #132 – SoundScape 1939 part 12

In public, Eddie Cantor was known as a charming clown with a side of song. In private, Eddie Cantor was a concerned citizen who dedicated much of his personal time and wealth to Jewish charities and causes. The more he saw the rising hatred directed at the Jewish people, the more he felt the need … Continue reading When Radio Ruled #131 – Eddie Cantor vs Father Coughlin 1939

Curated clips of live broadcasts from popular radio shows of the day. History through the eyes of people as they lived it, reported by radio. In today’s SoundScape: Royalty are just regular folks! Jack Benny with the Hollywood Gossip! The Patent Office is Your Friend! Frank Morgan talks Wizard of Oz and World Fairs! A … Continue reading When Radio Ruled #130-SoundScape 1939 part 11

Edgar Bergen was also Charlie McCarthy but Charlie McCarthy was one of a kind. The cutest little obnoxious guy on the radio.  A big personality in a tiny package. Charlie McCarthy took radio by storm and Edgar Bergen rode his coattails to fame and fortune. Actually Bergen rode his own coat tails, but it was … Continue reading When Radio Ruled #129 – Charlie McCarthy and Guests 1939 part 2

1939 SoundScape part 10, Radio highlights originally broadcast live May 22 through June 4, 1939 Curated clips of live broadcasts from popular radio shows of the day.History through the eyes of people as they lived it, reported by radio. In today’s SoundScape: Youth committing crimes! American Freedom! The Death of John Brown! Jack Benny: Ladies … Continue reading When Radio Ruled #128 – SoundScape 1939 #10

17 year old Wynn Murray already had two Broadway hits on her resume when she joined The Fred Allen show as the resident Female Vocalist in 1939. Fred Allen’s decision to bring a famous female vocalist onto his show in 1939 was a recognition that female singers were now in vogue. Singers like Connie Boswell … Continue reading When Radio Ruled #127 – Wynn Murray Sings 1939

SoundScape part 9, Radio highlights originally broadcast live May 4 through May 21, 1939 Curated clips of live broadcasts from popular radio shows of the day. History through the eyes of people as they lived it, reported by radio. In today’s SoundScape: Mother’s Day 1939 with Jack Benny! Where are the real high class professional … Continue reading When Radio Ruled #126 – SoundScape 1939 part 9, May 4-21 1939

Charlie McCarthy is really Edgar Bergen. Or the other way around. It was a ventriloquist act. On the radio. Go figure. But you can’t argue with success and the Charlie McCarthy show was more than a success, it was a cultural phenomenon. The Kids loved Charlie McCarthy, so did the parents and Grandparents. The biggest … Continue reading When Radio Ruled episode 125 – Charlie McCarthy and Guests 1939 part 1

Radio highlights originally broadcast live April 6 through April 30, 1939 Curated clips of live broadcasts from popular radio shows of the day. History through the eyes of people as they lived it, reported by radio. In today’s soundscape: A Tribute to Man’s Best Friend, my Dog Pearl Buck Talks China with Anna Mae Wong … Continue reading When Radio Ruled #124 – SoundScape 1939 part 8, April 6-30 1939

Close harmony groups were popular in the 1920’s, 30’s,40’s and  50’s. The Merry Macs were among the most successful and were certainly the longest lived of all the Old Time Radio harmony groups. Close Harmony singing evolved from the Barbershop Quartets of the 1880s and 1890s, but with a jazz age sensibility. Closer harmonic chords … Continue reading When Radio Ruled #123 – The Merry Macs Sing 1939

Radio highlights originally broadcast live March 22 through April 5, 1939 Curated clips of live broadcasts from popular radio shows of the day. History through the eyes of people as they lived it, reported by radio. In today’s soundscape: Nothing about the war in this one, things were quiet there and we were more than … Continue reading When Radio Ruled #122 – SoundScape 1939 part 7, March 22 – April 5, 1939

Cecil B. DeMille was a legend, a trailblazer, and a person of ambition and talent. In this episode, DeMille talks with others like him, movers and shakers who have risen to the top of their chosen fields. Greatness, talking with greatness on the Lux Radio Theater. DeMille’s guests include: Father Flanagan H.V. Kaltenborn Grand Duchess … Continue reading When Radio Ruled #121 – Cecil B DeMille Interviews part 2 The Movers and Shakers

History through the eyes of people as they lived it, reported by radio. Curated clips of live broadcasts from popular radio shows of the day. In today’s soundscape: Mary’s Springtime Poem! Ed Sullivan wants to know! Is Jack Benny the real Jack Benny?! And more!!! This episode features: Orson Welles Laurence Olivier Noah Beery Cecil … Continue reading When Radio Ruled #120 – SoundScape 1939 part 6, March 17-26 1939

 In 1939 Dorothy Lamour was the leading lady on a show that was neck and neck with Jack Benny for number 1 in the ratings. Not bad for a lower class girl who dropped out of school at 14 to support her family. Now, at only 25 years old, her ambition and talent had paid … Continue reading When Radio Ruled #119 – Dottie Lamour Girl Next Door 1939

History through the eyes of people as they lived it, reported by radio. In today’s soundscape: Baby Snooks and Daddy visit the 1939 New York’s World Fair! An Irish Ghost Story entitled “Faith is Not always a Lady”!! A Gentle Reminder to Always Remember to Lux your Stockings!! This episode features: The Family Doctor Cecil … Continue reading When Radio Ruled #118 – SoundScape 1939 part 5: February 27 – March 16, 1939

These Interviews were a regular feature of The Lux Radio Theater, a show that presented radio versions of current Hollywood films. At act break host Cecil B. Demille and an expert guest would comment on the radio play so far. Sometimes the guest would be from the rich, famous and powerful classes, we’ll hear those … Continue reading When Radio Ruled #117 – Cecil B. DeMille interviews 1939 part 1 – the Common Man

History through the eyes of people as they live it, reported by radio. Voices from the past alive again because you’re listening now. In today’s soundscape, you can hear the dark cloud of war gather. Earlier in the year, as evidenced by When Radio Ruled Soundscapes 1939 parts 1, 2, and 3, Old Time Radio … Continue reading When Radio Ruled #116-SoundScape 1939 part 4

I had thought Dorothy Lamour to be just another pretty face who had a technically good voice but was somewhat interchangeable with the other bright, young, pretty songstresses of old time variety radio in that Dorothy’s songs were good enough but stylistically the same you heard on other popular shows. Then I discovered this musical … Continue reading When Radio Ruled #115 – Dorothy Lamour Sings 1939 part 1 Smokey and Sultry

1939 was a year where everything changed. An uneasy peace became all out war.  Society and culture and government were questioned as never before. The evil inside the human race made itself known that year, as ferocious as in the past but applied with an improved efficiency. Radio was there to witness it. And I … Continue reading When Radio Ruled #114 – SoundScape 1939 part 3 (January 24 – March 2, 1939)

Charlie McCarthy  was created by Edgar Bergen based on a wise cracking newsboy named Charlie from the neighborhood.  High Schooler Edgar Bergen sketched the design for Charlie. More than a little obsessed,  Bergen decided to bring his Charlie to life. Bergen built Charlie’s movable body but paid woodworker Theodore Mack $35 to carve Charlie’s head. … Continue reading When Radio Ruled #113 – Bergen, McCarthy, and Snerd 1939

1939 was the year the country woke up to the horrific scale of the death to come on land, sea, and in the Air Seems obvious now, but at the time lots of people thought the first great war  had been so terrible it could never happen again. I wish they had been right. The … Continue reading When Radio Ruled #112 – SoundScape 1939 part 2

Connee Boswell was one of the first white artists to integrate the jazz and swing experimentations of black New Orleans musicians into popular music. The tempo, rhythm and pitch changes she and her sisters introduced to close harmony arrangements fused together Classical, Jazz, Swing, and Blues as never before. The work she did on the … Continue reading When Radio Ruled #111 – Connee Boswell Sings 1939