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 Radio Season (Last show of the Season)

We wrap up the 1952-53 season for The Lucky Strike Program starring Jack Benny.

thank you again to my friend Buck Benny and his tremendous Jack Benny podcast.  Please follow him to hear these great Jack Benny shows and other greats from the golden age of radio.

click here to visit his page

The Lucky Strike Program Starring Jack Benny

"Gondola in Venice"

06/07/1953

The Jack Benny Show 1952-53 Radio Season

This episode of The Lucky Strike Program starring Jack Benny ends with Jack trying to tune in the radio broadcast of the 1953 Indianapolis 500.

The 1953 Indy 500 was called "The Hottest 500" due to the track temperature exceeding 130 degrees.  This led to many drivers needing relief drivers but the winner, Bill Vukovich, did not.
 Bill Vuckovich had led 150 laps of the 200 in the 1952 Indy 500 but in 1953 he proved even more dominant.   He led 195 of the 200 and was the winner going away from the field.
This was the first of 2 consecutive wins for Vukovich and he was leading the 1955 race (which would have been his 3rd straight win), but was involved in a horrific accident that led to his car tumbling over the backstretch wall and landing upside down and killing him instantly.

Thanks to Buck Benny and his wonderful OTR podcast that features Jack and the Gang.

The Lucky Strike Program starring Jack Benny

"Jack Listens to the Indy 500"

05/31/1953

Great color newsreel about the month of May in Indianapolis 1953.  

This covers time trials and race day.  Great film footage.

The Jack Benny Show 1952-53 Radio Season

From May 24th 1953, The Lucky Strike Program starring Jack Benny.  This season Jack would be the #2 show behind a resurgent Amon N' Andy who followed Jack on Sunday nights at 730pm.

thanks tremedously to Buck Benny and his wonderful podcast for allowing me to post this season of shows.
Please follow Buck for all the great OTR all summer long.

The Lucky Strike Program starring Jack Benny

May 24th 1953

Insurance Medical Exam

The Jack Benny Show 1952-53 Radio Season

This week Jack tries his hand at science fiction.

Thanks to Buck Benny and his podcast.  Please follow him and donate to help keep this podcast up and running with all the great OTR shows we love.

The Lucky Strike Program starring Jack Benny

I Flew To Mars

05/17/1953

The Jack Benny Show 1952-53 Radio Season

This week as part of Buck Benny's podcast he talks about the survey done by Those Were The Days, asking for listeners favorite Radio Show.   He includes results from 1986, 1999 and 2012.

This week Jack is still in San Diego and welcomes then California Lt Gov Goodwin Knight.  Mr. Knight would then become Governor later in the year when Earl Warren resigns as Governor to become Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court.

The Lucky Strike Program starring Jack Benny

From San Francisco

Air date - 05/10/1953

The Jack Benny Show 1952-53 Radio Season

Tonight is the first appearance of  Jack Benny favorite/regular on the tv show, Gisele Mackenzie

The Lucky Strike Program starring Jack Benny

Live from San Francisco  with guest Gisele Mackenzie

aired 05/03/1953

(thanks again to Buck Benny and his Podcast)

The Jack Benny Show 1952-53 Radio Season

Here is another great episode from the Lucky Strike Program starring Jack Benny from the 1952-53 radio season.
This is a bittersweet episode in that we get to here Fred Allen with Jack once again but sadly this would be the last time the two would be together on radio.
Attached to this is also the first time Jack and Fred appeared together on radio on the Fred Allen Show in 1936.

Thanks to Buck Benny and his great podcast for old time radio, please check out his show by clicking this link.

Here is the link to this episode to see Jack and Fred together on Jack's television show.

The Lucky Strike Program starring Jack Benny

From San Francisco

04/26/1953

The Jack Benny Show 1952-53 Radio Season

The Lucky Strike Program for the 1952-53 radio season was the #2 show of the season.

thanks to Buck Benny for these episodes and his stellar podcast that also includes, Suspense, Bing Crosby, Fred Allen, Escape and Gunsmoke.  Please click this link and check him out and enjoy the great old time radio from the golden age.

The Lucky Strike Program starring Jack Benny

04/19/1953

Bob Crosby Borrows $500 from Jack

The Golden Age of Radio - Gunsmoke

Gunsmoke was one of the best, if not the best, drama ever on radio.  Its life on radio from 1952-1961 was during the last days of great radio dramas as television finally supplanted radio as the medium of choice for entertainment in US homes.

Thanks to Buck Benny and his wonderful podcast I bring you this episode from the first radio season of Gunsmoke.

A special treat for fans as it also has radio legend Paul Frees as a soldier headed for Fort Dodge.   This was a reunion of sorts due to Frees and William Conrad being together in this episode, they were mainstays of the classic radio program Escape (1947-1954).

Gunsmoke
The Soldier
originally aired April 25th 1953
CBS Radio

The Jack Benny Show 1952-53 Season

Thanks to Buck Benny and his stellar Jack Benny podcast for these great episodes.  This podcast also has some great information regarding upcoming shows with Rose Marie and the soon to be released "Lost Episodes" of The Jack Benny Show tv program from The Shout! Factory.


The Lucky Strike Program starring Jack Benny
04/12/1953
"Missing Heir"
CBS Radio

The Jack Benny Show 1952-53 Radio Season

The Easter episode from Jack and the gang for the 1952-53 season.

(thanks to Buck Benny and his podcast for all of these great episodes)

The Lucky Strike Program Starring Jack Benny
Easter Parade
Aired 04/05/1953
CBS Radio