Old Time Radio Show of the Week

This week we get a visit from "The Mysterious Traveler".

This anthology radio program was on the Mutual Broadcasting System from 1943 to 1952.

Episodes ranged from suspense, science fiction, fantasy and sometimes straight crime drama.

Today an example of the science fiction

THE BIG BRAIN

aired March 14th 1950

1986 Nascar Firecracker 400

The 1986 Firecracker 400 (now the Coke Zero 400) was run on Friday July 4th and was won by the very popular and controversial Tim Richmond.  Richmond had won the 1980 Rookie of the Year at the Indianapolis 500 and then moved to Nascar later in 1980. 
The 1986 stock car season was Tim's best year in NASCAR as he finished 3rd in points and had 7 wins, the most for any driver in 1986.

Top Ten "Star Trek" Films

Top Ten "STAR TREK" Films

NY Times Bestseller List (Fiction) 05/25/2014

New York Times Bestseller List

Hardback Fiction

Week Ending May 25th 2014

10 - All The Light We Cannot See - Anthony Doerr
(Debut)
The lives of a blind French girl and a gadget obsessed German boy before and during World War II, when their paths eventually cross.

9  -  The Invention of Wings - Sue Monk Kidd
(18 weeks on list)

8  -  Chestnut Street - Maeve Binchy
(3 weeks on list)

7  - The Collector - Nora Roberts
(4 weeks on list)

6  -  Natchez Burning - Greg Iles
(2 weeks on list)

5  -  The Goldfinch - Donna Tartt
(29  weeks on list)

4  -  The Target - David Baldacci
(3 weeks on list)

3  -  Walking On Water - Richard Paul Evans
(Debut)
In the fifth and final book of the "Walk" series, Alan reaches Key West.

2  -  Field of Prey - John Sanford
(Debut)
Lucas Davenport investigates when multiple bodies are found in the middle of the Minnesota cornfields.

1  -  Unlucky 13 - James Patterson and Maxine Paetro
(DEBUT)
With the return of a killer who was presumed dead, the San Francisco detective Lindsay Boxer and the Women's Murder Club take action.

NY Times Bestseller List (05/25/2014)

New York Times Bestseller List

Hardback Non Fiction

Week Ending May 25th 2014

10 - Let's Just Say It Wasn't Pretty - Diane Keaton
(2 weeks on list)
The actor discusses aging, beauty and her personal story.

9  -  James Madison - Lynne Cheney
(Debut)
A biography of the fourth President and advocate for the Constitution.

8  -  Thrive - Arianna Huffington
(7 weeks on list)

7  -  Flash Boys - Michael Lewis
(6 weeks on list)

6  -  Good Call - Jase Robertson with Mark Schlabach
(Debut)
The second oldest son of the Robertson family from the A&E show "Duck Dynasty" shares anecdotes and reflections on his faith.

5  -  A Fighting Chance - Elizabeth Warren
(3 weeks on list)

4  -  Everybody's Got Something - Robin Roberts and Veronica Chambers
(3 weeks on list)

3  -  The Closer - Mariano Rivera with Wayne Coffey
(Debut)
A memoir by the great Yankees pitcher.

2  -  Finding Me - Michelle Knight with Michelle Burford
(Debut)
The story of a woman kidnapped in Cleveland in 2002, then tortured, who escaped in 2013.

1  -  Capital In The Twenty-First Century - Thomas Piketty
(2nd week on list) (2nd week at #1)
A French economist's analysis of centuries of economic history predicts worsening inequality and proposes solutions.

THE TRIPLE CROWN - Documentary

1966 World Series

The 1966 World Series was a matchup between American champion Baltimore Orioles and National League champion Los Angeles Dodgers.
On paper the Orioles pitching was not as deep or commanding as the Dodgers twosome of Don Drysdale and Sandy Koufax.  Koufax was the 1966 Cy Young Award Winner as baseball's best pitcher and Drysdale had won the Cy Young Award in 1962.
The Orioles however had one of the greatest hitters in major league history in Frank Robinson, whom they obtained in a trade from the Cincinnati Reds before the season started.
Robinson had won the National League MVP in 1961 with the Reds and then became the first player to win the award in both leagues when he won the American League MVP in 1966.  This was a "triple crown" year for Frank Robinson as he led the AL in batting average (.316), runs batted in (122) and home runs (49) and powered the Orioles to their first league championship since moving to Baltimore.

The Series was a four game sweep by the Orioles that no one expected as the Orioles pitchers limited the Dodgers to 2 runs in the 4 games.  The Dodgers bats went silent after game 1 and they were shut out in the last 3 games (6-0,1-0 and 1-0) facing Jim Palmer, Wally Bunker and Dave McNally.   Frank Robinson, fittingly, won the World Series MVP.

The Orioles became the first non-Yankees american league team to win the World Series since the 1948 Cleveland Indians.

Bonanza Season 6

The 6th season of Bonanza was the show's first season of 3 consecutive as the #1 show on prime time network television.  Airing on Sunday nights at 9pm on NBC this show featured Lorne Greene as Ben Cartwright the patriarch/widower of the Ponderosa in Virginia City, Nevada in the 1870s.  He ran the giant ranch with the help of his 3 grown sons, Adam, Hoss(Eric) and Little Joe.

Flannel Mouth Gun

Season 6 Episode 19

aired January 31st 1965

NBC

Classic Movie Post of the Day

Original release date - May 25th 1977

Billboard Japan Hot 100 (05/19/2014)

Billboard Japan Hot 100

Top 20 Songs

Week of May 19th 2014

Old Time Radio Show of the Week

Today our blast from the past is "Dragnet" starring Jack Webb as his famous "Joe Friday" character that he developed/created on radio and moved to television.

Playing on radio starting in 1949 lasting until 1957 before being solely on television.  "Dragnet" started on television in 1952 and was a staple until 1959.  Jack Webb revived he tv series in 1967 and ran until 1970 and all 3 versions were carried by NBC.

Dragnet

"The Big Gap"

Feb 8th 1955

1968 Prime Time Emmy Awards

Winner of the 1968 Emmy Awards for:

Outstanding Performance in a Supporting Role by an Actor in a Drama -

 Milburn Stone (Gunsmoke "Baker's Dozen") CBS

Outstanding Performance in a Supporting Role by an Actress in a Drama - 

Barbara Anderson (Ironside)  NBC

Man O'War

The winner of the 1920 Preakness and Belmont Stakes was the great Man O'War.
Considered by many racing experts and horse experts, the greatest thoroughbred of all time and he would have won the 1920 Triple Crown had he entered the Kentucky Derby.  His owner, Samuel Riddle, did not like racing in Kentucky and thought it was too early in the year for young horses to run a mile and a 16th.

Man O'War won the Preakness easily and had the track record but was eased up near the finish, however there was no easing in the Belmont as the won by 20 lengths and set the record for a mile and one eighth at 2 minutes and 14 seconds.  He beat the previous mark set by Sir Barton, the 1919 winner and first Triple Crown winner, by 3 seconds.

1987 NBA Champions

The 1987 NBA Finals was won by the Los Angeles Lakers.  They defeated the Boston Celtics 4 games 2 and this was the first NBA Finals contested entirely in June.

Classic Movie Poster of the Day

Released December 1973

The 12th highest grossing movie of 1974

Al Pacino won his first Golden Globe for his portrayal of Frank Serpico

Classic Gunsmoke on TV Guide

May 11th 1957

December 10th 1966

NY Times Bestseller List (Fiction) 05/11/2014

New York Times Bestseller List

Hardback Fiction

Week Ending May 11th 2014

10 - Missing You - Harlan Coben
(6 weeks on list)

9  -  NYPD Red 2 - James Patterson
(5 weeks on list)

8  -  The Invention of Wings - Sue Monk Kidd
(16 weeks on list)

7  -  I've Got You Under My Skin - Mary Higgins Clark
(4 weeks on list)

6  -  Otherwise Engaged - Amanda Quick
(Debut)
Amity Doncaster joins forces with Benedict Stanbridge, a spy for the Crown, to defeat a serial killer known as the Bridegroom.

5  -  The Serpent of Venice - Christopher Moore
(Debut)
A farcical mash-up of "Merchant of Venice", "Othello" and "The Cask of Amontillado"

4  -  The Collector - Nora Roberts
(2 weeks on list)

3  -  Chestnut Street - Maeve Binchy
(Debut)

2  -  The Goldfinch - Donna Tartt
(27 weeks on list)

1  -  The Target - David Baldacci
(DEBUT)
As the government hit man Will Robie and his partner, Jessica Reel, prepare for a mission, they face a new adversary.

1985 Kentucky Derby

The 1985 Kentucky Derby was won by surprise horse
 Spend A Buck, who ran,at the time, the 3rd fastest derby race in history (2 mins 1/5 sec).  
Spend A Buck would go wire to wire to clinch the 1985 derby, however his owner decided not to run the Preakness and Belmont Stakes.  This ruled out any Triple Crown winner for 1985 and thus all Triple Crown races added a bonus' to owners to enter their horse.

1985 Winner - Spend A Buck

2nd - Stephan's Odyssey

3rd - Chief's Crown (race favorite)

Friday Old Time Radio (Our Miss Brooks)

Enjoy the pick for the first Old Time Radio Friday

Our Miss Brooks

March 13th 1949

"The Madison High Cafeteria Boycott"

It even has its own introduction by Brent Abramhamson

1977 Kentucky Derby

Seattle Slew with jockey Jean Cruguet wins the 1977 Kentucky Derby and goes on to win the Preakness and Belmont Stakes to become the 10th winner of the US Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Horse Racing.

Classic Movie Poster of the Day

Doctor Zhivago

1965

When adjusted for inflation in 2014 this was the #8 highest grossing movie of all time.

The 20th Annual Emmy Awards (May 1968)

The 20th Annual Prime Time Emmy Awards

May 19th 1968

Don Adams, Lucille Ball and Bill Cosby celebrate their Emmy wins for the 1967-68 television season

Don Adams - Best Actor in a Leading role in a comedy series 

(Get Smart) NBC

Lucille Ball - Best Actress in a Leading role in a comedy series (The Lucy Show) CBS

Bill Cosby - Best Actor in a Leading role in a dramatic series 

 (I Spy) NBC

Billboard Japan - Top 20 (05/05/2014)

Billboard Japan Hot 100

Top 20 Songs

Week Ending May 5th 2014

2014 Kentucky Derby - California Chrome

Winner of the 2014 Kentucky Derby

California Chrome

Gunsmoke on TV (Season 3)

The 3rd season of Gunsmoke on television 1957-58 was the first of 4 consecutive seasons that Gunsmoke was the #1 show on prime time television.  This was a record number of seasons and it stood as the record until "All In The Family" broke the record with 5 straight seasons as the #1 show in prime time.

Twelfth Night

Episode 16 of Season 3

originally aired December 28th 1957

(guest star Rose Marie)

1941 Kentucky Derby

Whirlaway

Winner of the 1941 Kentucky Derby.  

Jockey Eddie Arcaro and Whrilaway would go on to win the Preakness and Belmont Stakes to become the 5th horse to win the Triple Crown of US horse racing.