The Oscars - Best Original Song Winners (1934 - 2017)

Old Time Radio Show of the Week

The Lux Radio Theatre. 

December 10th 1951

 "The Lemon Drop Kid" 

The story of Damon Runyon's race track tout, spiced with Bob's ad libs. Bob tries to crack up John Milton Kennedy during a commercial but Kennedy muscles through, despite the audience giggles. After the story, Marilyn Maxwell misreads a line. Bob ad libs and cracks up the audience. William Keighly ad libs right back, but doesn't get a laugh

Old Time Radio Show of the Week

The Pepsodent Show starring Bob Hope

October 29th 1946

Originating from Boston, MA

guest Fred Allen and Allen's Alley

The gang does their version of Paul Revere's midnight ride.

Your Old Time Radio Show of the Week

The New Swan Show starring Bob Hope

December 21st 1948

guest Gregory Peck

The Jack Benny Hour 1965

Aired November 3rd 1965 on NBC

with guest Bob Hope, Elke Sommer, The Beach Boys 

Golden Age of Radio - Christmas

Here are some selected Christmas episodes from the great radio classics, The Great Gildersleeve, Fibber McGee and Molly, Jack Benny, Duffy's Tavern, Red Skelton, Bing Crosby, Dragnet, Martin and Lewis, Bob Hope and we finish it off with a version of "A Christmas Carol" from CBS Radio Mystery Theater.

Enjoy the fun and please visit my friend Buck Benny at his OTR podcast 

The Academy Awards for 1945 (original radio broadcast)

The 18th annual Academy Awards was held March 7th 1946 and was hosted by the legendary Bob Hope.

Click here for a complete rundown of the nominees and winners

Thanks to my friend Buck Benny he has posted the ABC radio broadcast of the first post war Oscars and it is great to hear all the legends receive their awards and to hear Bob Hope do what he did best, host the show and make the world laugh at itself.
The big winner of the night was the classic "Lost Weekend" which won Best Picture, Best Director for Billy Wilder and Best Actor for Ray Milland

I have also include a clip from the newsreel coverage of the event.

The Jack Benny Show 1952-53 Season

For the 1952-53 season The Jack Benny Show was the #2 rated radio program in the USA.   The show that followed Jack on Sunday nights that season was Amos N' Andy, which was the #1 show of the season, talk about taking advantage of your lead in show!

Thanks to Buck Benny and his wonderful podcast that brings us the 1952-53 season of The Lucky Strike Program starring Jack Benny.


01/11/1953
The Road to Bali with special guest Bob Hope
(always a laugh riot with Bob Hope as he uses the script as a guide to his ad libbing the funniest parts of the show)

The Golden Age of Radio - 1942-43 Season

As you know my favorite OTR podcaster Buck Benny has started his new season of shows and among the seasons he is spotlighting is the 1942-43 season.   That season in during the Golden Age of Radio holds a special place in the annals of old time radio.

1942-43 was the highest rated season of the 1940s and being in the heart of the war years, radio provided not only top notch entertainment but up to the minute news of the war raging now raging on two fronts.

This season Buck is highlighting these wonderful shows, The Grape Nuts Flakes Program starring Jack Benny, Raleigh Cigarette Program starring Red Skelton, Fibber McGee and Molly and Texaco Star Theater starring Fred Allen.  All of these programs rated in the Top 15 of the show airing that season, and 3 of these were in the Top 5 (Jack, Fibber and Red).

NBC ruled the airwaves in the 40s with all these programs. They would have 15 of the top 20 programs for 1942-43 and Tuesday night was the night of, (to borrow a television theme) Must Hear Radio:

9-930pm -  Burns and Allen
930-10pm  - Fibber McGee and Molly
10-1030pm - The Pepsodent Show with Bob Hope
1030-11pm -  Raleigh Cigarette Program withe Red Skelton

Here are the top 5 final season ratings for 1942-43:

1 - The Pepsodent Show starring Bob Hope  (40.9 rating)
sadly there are not many surviving episodes of this wonderful from 1942-43

2 - Raleigh Cigarette Program starring Red Skelton  (40.7)


3 - The Johnson Wax Program starring Fibber McGee and Molly  (37.7)



4 - Chase and Sanborn Program with Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy  (34.8)
again we are missing several season of the Edgar and Charlie, but here is one from the 1937 season.


5 - Grape Nuts and Grape Nuts Program starring Jack Benny   (33.9)


coming in at #15 with his new 30 minute version of Texaco Star Theater, Fred Allen  (21.6)...Fred would eventually find his way to #1 in the 1947-48 season.

Jack Benny's 20th TV Anniversary

A classic in every sense of the word was Jack Benny and in 1970 he celebrated his 20th anniversary in television with lots of friends.  Here we get to see Mary Livingstone, Don Wilson, Dennis Day, Mel Blanc, Rochester, Frank Nelson, Bob Hope, Dinah Shore, Frank Sinatra,Red Skelton,Dean Martin and others.

A pure slice or radio and television history.

 Many Thanks to my friend and Jack Benny expert Buck Benny and his podcast.

The Jack Benny Show (radio)

From 1955 here is a rare rehearsal tape of the Lucky Strike Program starring Jack Benny.   This episode has guest Bob Hope.

The Jack Benny Program

From Jack's wonderful televison show and his guest the just as legendary Bob Hope from February 24 1957