Old Time Radio Show of the Week

Celebrating St. Patrick's Day!

The Lux Radio Theatre.

March 17th 1952

"Top Of The Morning"

A St. Patrick's Day program. 
Dennis solves the theft of the Blarney Stone 

starring Dennis Day, Ann Blyth, Barry Fitzgerald and Dan O'Herlihy,

Old Time Radio Show of the Week

The Phil Harris/Alice Faye Show

May 18th 1952 

"Julius is Missing" 

Old Time Radio Show of the Week

Tales of the Texas Rangers

"Prelude To Felony"

March 16th 1952

A young girl steals her own father's cattle and frames a neighboring rancher for the crime.

Old Time Radio Show of the Week

Dragnet

"The Big Jolt"

October 5th 1952

starring Jack Webb as Joe Friday

Old Time Radio Show of the Week

This week our show is "The Mysterious Traveler" which had 370 episodes from 1943-1952 and become known for the lonesome locomotive whistle to heralded the arrival of the Narrator (portrayed by Maurice Tarplin).   Featuring suspense, crime dramas, science fiction, fantasy and mystery.
This weeks show features science fiction.

The Mysterious Traveler

"Strange New World"

Feb 19th 1952

Gunsmoke on Radio - The Debut

April 26th 1952 CBS radio debuted a new "adult western" for its radio audiences.  Starring radio veteran William Conrad as Marshall Matt Dillon, this Norm MacDonnell and John Meston creation was aimed at a more adult audience instead of a fast action shoot'em up like Gene Autry, The Lone Ranger or Cisco Kid.   This was an almost true to life depiction of the old west with all its grit,grime and death.  Known for not usually a happy ending that had kids cheering, the end was one could have expected to have actually happened in the life of Marshall Dillon in a wild town of Dodge City, Kansas.

The last great drama in the golden age of radio, Gunsmoke would be on the air until 1960, but by then radio was an antiquated form of entertainment and television and Gunsmoke's own version on television had become a huge success.  Still consider by many old time radio enthusiast and experts as the best drama radio produced it to this day remains a popular choice on social media sites old time radio.

 April 26th 1952

Billy the Kid

Season 1 Episode 1

guest star Dick Beals as Billy

The Golden Age of Radio Christmas - Gunsmoke

From the first season of Gunsmoke 

thanks to Bob Camardella and his Boxcars 711 OTR Podcast

A Christmas Story

Season 1 episode 34

originally aired 12/20/1952

The Jack Benny Show 1952-53 Season

Its Christmas 1952 and time for the Lucky Strike Program starring Jack Benny and here is a classic episode that had aired with subtle changes in previous years.

Thanks to Buck Benny for his Jack Benny OTR podcast!  Please follow him for some great shows.


12/21/1952
Setting Up the Christmas Tree

Gunsmoke - On the Radio (A Christmas Story)

From the Golden Age of Radio, Gunsmoke's first season Christmas episode.

This episode started out by showing that Gunsmoke was not the feel good radio kiddie western.

Thanks to Buck Benny and his OTR podcast for this episode.  Follow his podcast for more great shows.

Xmas Story
Originally aired 12-20-1952
starring William Conrad as Marshall Matt Dillon

The Jack Benny Show 1952-53 Season

Here are 2 more episodes from the 1952-53 radio season of The Jack Benny Show.

Once again these shows come through the courtesy of The Jack Benny OTR Podcast produced by Buck Benny.  He does such an incredible job bringing us the highest quality OTR programs.

Jack's show finished #2 for this season behind Amos N' Andy that aired right after The Lucky Strike Program on Sunday nights at 730pm.    CBS radio owned the airwaves in 1952-53 with 9 of the top 10 shows on radio.

11/23/1952
USC vs UCLA Game


11/30/1952
Thanksgiving Pilgrims

The Jack Benny Show 1952-53 Season

Our continuing journey through the 1952-53 season of The Jack Benny Show, the season it finished as the #2 show on radio

Thanks to Buck Benny and his tremendous work on his OTR podcast

11/16/1952
The Purple Pirate
(Jack and the gang take to the high seas)

The Jack Benny Show 1952-53 Season

Our continuing look at the 1952-53 season for The Jack Benny Show, it was the #2 show of the season behind the surprise #1, Amos N' Andy.

Here are 2 more episodes

Thanks to Buck Benny and his Jack Benny Podcast, the best in Old Time Radio.

10/19/1952 - Jack Buys 20th Century Fox


10/26/1952 - Gossip Article on Jack

The Jack Benny Show 1952-53 Season

Here is the next installment for the Jack Benny Show in the 1952-53 season.  This is the season that Jack's show went to #2 in the overall season ratings behind Amos N' Andy.

From my friend Buck Benny and his tremendous OTR podcast which features, Phil Harris and Alice Faye Show, Gunsmoke, Red Skelton, Fred Allen, Great Gildersleeve, Suspense, Escape, Bing Crosby and Jimmy Durante.

Please go to his podcast and follow him and listen to the greatest Old Time Radio shows.

Tell'em Jim sent ya!




here are episode 4 and 5 from the 1952-53 Season.
As usual 2 great shows and this is a year I would introduce anyone to the Jack Benny Show if they have never heard it.

The Jack Benny Show 1952-53 Season

The Jack Benny Show in the last years of the Golden Age of Radio managed to climb higher in the ratings each season and would culminate in being the #1 show for the 1954-55 season.
We are going to look at the 1952-53 season as The Lucky Strike Program with Jack Benny would be the #2 show of the radio season behind the resurgent Amos N' Andy Show that somehow saw its ratings jump to #1.



In my own opinion this is a really good season even without bandleader Phil Harris, who left the show after the 1951-52 season.  He was ably replaced by Bob Crosby, brother of legendary crooner Bing Crosby.
The sound quality of these shows is remarkable and gives the show a more "modern" feel and they are really in stride this season with Rochester, Dennis, Mary and Don.   I think Mel Blanc was really on top of his game during the 1950s and this season is one of his best.


This week the first 3 episodes of the 1952-53 season.

You get the added bonus of a great introduction by my friend Buck Benny who happily allowed me to post these shows from his Buck Benny Podcast.  Please go listen and follow him for great Old Time Radio from the 30s, 40s and 50s.

Gunsmoke on the Radio, Thanks Buck Benny

Here is another great episode from the  Golden Age of Radio's great western Gunsmoke.

This is provided to us by the Jack Benny Podcast of Buck Benny, a great podcaster and OTR master.

Many thanks to Buck for the promo and mention of this blog and myself, I can't tell you how thrilled I am to hear Buck talk about this blog and how good he thinks it is.   I hope all who find this blog will enjoy all the things I have to share and will visit Buck's podcast via the link I will post below.  Go follow him and tell him "Jim" sent ya!


Jack Benny Pocast by Buck Benny  OTR at its best. 

Also enjoy Buck's post of, The Great Gildersleeve, Suspense, Fred Allen, Dennis Day, Fibber McGee and Molly, Red Skelton, Phil Harris and Alice Faye and of course his wonderful podcast for The Jack Benny Show.



Gunsmoke 
"Brothers"
aired September 6th 1952 
CBS radio

Gunsmoke on the Radio

Season 1,

July 5th 1952 and the episode is "Never Pester Chester".

When I first heard this episode a few years ago it really set up the friendship between Marshall Matt Dillon and Chester Proudfoot...this was a serious show but this type of friendship was revisited on television in the Andy Griffith Show.  The friendship of Andy and Barney is done in  comedic style but this episode of Gunsmoke from the radio version really shows us how deep the feeling run for Marshall Dillon towards Chester and Andy feels just the same about his deputy.

A special bonus to this weeks podcast is the mention of this little ol blog.  I can't tell you how thrilled I am to hear about something I put together just for me and my friends and has become such a popular place for the OTR fans and fans of Buck Benny.  I can't thank Buck enough for his emails and his patience to answer my questions  about OTR and Jack Benny especially.  Buck is a great guy and friend and I love to email with him and talk about Jack Benny, Gunsmoke, Phil Harris, Suspense, X Minus One, Great Gildersleeve, etc.,  He puts it all out there in a chronological order (which for me is the only way to listen!) so you have and idea of how these shows all sounded in context with each other and the year of broadcast.

The Story of Gunsmoke

Thanks to Buck Benny and in celebration of its 60th anniversary, here in 6 parts is a retrospective of Gunsmoke the radio version. This was done in the early 70s and contains interviews with William Conrad (Matt Dillon), Parley Baer (Chester), John Meston and Norman McDonnell (the creators,writers and producers) and Georgia Ellis (Miss Kitty).

This is a great show with a lot of behind the scenes stories and even discusses the beginning of the television version.

Gunsmoke on Radio - Doc Holliday

The first season of the radio version of Gunsmoke.

"Doc Holliday" Season 1 episode 13

CBS Radio 

Originally aired July 19th 1952

The Trailer Park

Welcome back to the Trailer Park.  Its been sometime since we last visited and enjoyed the trailer to one of our favorite movies.

Tonight we see the trailer for the 1952 comedy "The Stooge" starring Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis.  It was released on New Year's Eve 1952 and is one of my favorite Martin and Lewis features.

Gunsmoke On Radio and Television - Never Pester Chester

aired on CBS TV

November 16 1957

Season 3 episode 10

Stobo as played by Jacob "Buddy" Baer who was the brother of heavyweight boxing champion Max Baer and uncle to Max Baer Jr, better known as "Jethro Bodine" on the Beverly Hillbillies.

Originally aired 

July 5th 1952

CBS radio 

Season 1 episode 11