Classic Radio Theater

The Life of Riley with William Bendix- “Thanksgiving with the Gillises,” aired on November 29, 1947.
The Life of Riley was a radio sitcom that aired from 1944 to 1951. It was later developed into a movie and a TV series.

Gunsmoke, “The Liar From Blackhawk,” aired on May 21, 1955.

Gunsmoke, “Robber Bridegroom,” aired on May 14, 1955.

Gunsmoke, “Potato Road,” aired on May 7, 1955.
The story of the violence that moved west with young America, and the story of a man that moved with it, U.S. Marshall Matt Dillon, played by William Conrad.

It’s time for our annual rebroadcast of Orson Welles’s “The War of the Worlds,” which aired on October 30, 1938. This legendary broadcast is one you don't want to miss! (Spoiler: It did not create the mass panic of legendary tales. Orson said it was fiction in the broadcast, and they even took commercial breaks.)

“House in Cypress Canyon,” starring Robert Taylor, from the radio series SUSPENSE. This episode is widely considered one of the most terrifying shows broadcast during the Golden Age of Radio. A couple moves into a new rental house, and finds blood running from beneath a closet door… This episode aired on December 5, 1946.

Lights Out was one of the earliest radio programs focusing on horror and the supernatural. It ran on several networks from 1934 to 1947 before making the transition to television. This episode, “Rocket From Manhattan,” was broadcast on September 20, 1945, and is set in the distant future year of… 2000!

Lights Out was one of the earliest radio programs focusing on horror and the supernatural. It ran on several networks from 1934 to 1947 before making the transition to television. This episode, “Oxychloride X,” was broadcast on January 26, 1938.

Amos ’N Andy

Part 1: Kingfish tricks his uncle into sending money for medical school. Then the uncle comes to check on his new practice. Aired on June 16, 1952. 

Part 2: Kingfish buys Sapphire a gold bracelet on credit. Then it gets repossessed and sold to another friend. Aired on June 23, 1952.

Amos ’N Andy

Part 1: Kingfish acts as a marriage broker, but his plans go down the drain. Aired on October 10, 1948.

Part 2: Kingfish spends the budget for the yearly Lodge Outing. When the other members find out, he is forced to repay the money.

Amos ’N Andy

Part 1: Andy writes a column in the local newspaper and gets sued for giving bad advice. Aired on January 26, 1945.

Part 2: Kingfish sells Andy his mountain cabin. When Andy finds out there are taxes due on the cabin, he tricks Kingfish into returning the money.

Amos ’N Andy was a radio sitcom that aired from 1928 to 1960. The titled characters were Black, but were played by the two white show creators Freeman Gosden (Amos) and Charles Correll (Andy). The show had a brief stint on television from 1951 to 1953 where the title characters were played by Black actors.

Part 1: Andy and Kingfish enter a sales contest sponsored by a fountain pen company. Aired on December 1, 1944.

Part 2: Andy works as Santa Claus in a department store to buy Amos’s daughter a Christmas gift. Aired on December 12, 1944.

Everything You Always Wanted To Know About The Godfather (But Don’t Ask)
By The Crazy Gang.
This performance was recorded with a live audience on May 11, 1972.

Dragnet, “Big Cup,” aired on March 9, 1954.

Dragnet, “Big Pipe,” aired on February 23, 1954.

Dragnet, “Big Sucker,” aired on February 16, 1954. That’s just a fact, ma’am.

Gunsmoke, “Reward For Matt,” aired on April 30, 1955.

Dragnet, “Skid Row,” aired on April 9, 1955.

Gunsmoke, “Bloody Hands,” aired on April 2, 1955. The story of the violence that moved west with young America, and the story of a man that moved with it, U.S. Marshall Matt Dillon, played by William Conrad.

Bud Abbott and Lou Costello were the most popular comedy team of the 1940s and 1950s. This is their radio broadcast from December 12, 1946.

George Burns and Gracie Allen were a married couple who had successful comedy career spanning over 40 years. Their radio show was slow to take off, but ultimately became a hit and ran from 1934 to 1950.

“The Post Office,” aired on December 16, 1941.

George Burns and Gracie Allen were a married couple who had successful comedy career spanning over 40 years. Their radio show was slow to take off, but ultimately became a hit and ran from 1934 to 1950.

“The Insurance Exam,” aired on October 21, 1941.

The Hermits Cave radio show was a syndicated horror series that ran from 1937 to 1944. Scripts were sent to local radio stations so they could produce the show with their own local cast. It is believed that over 800 episodes were produced, but fewer than 40 recordings are known to still exist.

We believe this episode, “Hanson’s Ghost,” was broadcast on October 29, 1944, but we do not know where it was produced.

Inner Sanctum, also known as Inner Sanctum Mystery, was a popular radio program that aired from 1941 to 1952. The stories had a good mix of horror and good humor. This is the show that established the creaking door as a scary sound effect. There were over 500 episodes broadcast, but only around 200 are known to still exist.

“The Vengeful Corpse,” aired on September 12, 1949.

Part 1: Kingfish thinks Sapphire is trying to kill him. Aired on May 11, 1945.

Part 2: Any receives a case of German bullion from his nephew. Aired on May 18, 1945.

Part 1: Sapphire kicks Kingfish out of the house. Aired on April 27, 1945.

Part 2: Andy and Kingfish enter a picture in a baby contest. Aired on May 4, 1945.

Part 1: Andy moves in with Kingfish after he’s evicted from his room. Aired on April 6, 1945.

Part 2: Andy and Kingfish buy a car and find a body in the trunk. Aired on April 20, 1945.

Gunsmoke, “Horse Deal,” aired on March 26, 1955.
The story of the violence that moved west with young America, and the story of a man that moved with it, U.S. Marshall Matt Dillon, played by William Conrad.

Gunsmoke, “The Mistake,” aired on March 19, 1955.
The story of the violence that moved west with young America, and the story of a man that moved with it, U.S. Marshall Matt Dillon, played by William Conrad.

Gunsmoke, “The Trial,” aired on March 12, 1955.
The story of the violence that moved west with young America, and the story of a man that moved with it, U.S. Marshall Matt Dillon, played by William Conrad.

Part 1: Andy is hired to represent a famous clothing company. Aired on March 23, 1945.

Part 2: Kingfish and Andy design an Easter hat. Aired on March 30, 1945.

Part 1: Andy decides to run away from his income tax problems. Aired on March 9, 1945.

Part 2: Andy, the lecturer. Aired on March 16, 1945.

Amos ’N Andy was a radio sitcom that aired from 1928 to 1960. The titled characters were Black, but were played by the two white show creators Freeman Gosden (Amos) and Charles Correll (Andy). The show had a brief stint on television from 1951 to 1953 where the title characters were played by Black actors.

Part 1: Kingfish is jealous of Sapphire’s old boyfriend. Aired on February 23, 1945.

Part 2: Andy files an inflated tax return to impress a girl. Aired on March 2, 1945.

In celebration of April fools Day, we again proudly and noisily present “The Great Crepitation Contest of 1946,” the championship farting contest between Lord Windesmear and Paul Boomer.

Although nobody is certain, this recording was most likely done in 1940 by Canadian Broadcasting Corporation sports announcer Sidney S. Brown and CBC producer Jules Lipton as an in-house joke. Someone at Columbia records pressed the recording onto a set of two 78 rpm records, including album art. The official release was nixed by CBS brass, but a few premium copies made it out to the public. Enjoy!

Dragnet, “Big Broad,” aired on February 9, 2024. The names have been autocorrected to protect the innocent.

Dragnet, “Big Filth,” aired on February 2, 1954. So sayeth the Sergeant.

Dragnet, “Big Bid,” aired on January 26, 1954. That’s the fact, Jack. Sorry… Joe.

Gunsmoke, “Jesse,” aired on August 29, 1953.
The story of the violence that moved west with young America, and the story of a man that moved with it, U.S. Marshall Matt Dillon, played by William Conrad.

Gunsmoke, “Gone Straight,” aired on August 22, 1953.
The story of the violence that moved west with young America, and the story of a man that moved with it, U.S. Marshall Matt Dillon, played by William Conrad.

Gunsmoke, “Boy,” aired on August 1, 1953.
The story of the violence that moved west with young America, and the story of a man that moved with it, U.S. Marshall Matt Dillon, played by William Conrad.

This adaptation of the wildly successful musical was released in 1956. Oklahoma! was the first musical written by Rodgers and Hammerstein and was based on a 1931 play titled, “Green Grow The Lilacs.” It is set in farm country in the Oklahoma Indian Territory in 1906. The original Broadway production opened in 1943 and has been revived numerous times. A film version was released in 1955.

This adaptation of the musical stars Rex Harrison and Julie Andrews was released in 1956. The Broadway musical won six Tony Awards. The story follows Eliza Doolittle who takes elocution lessons from Professor Henry Higgins in the hopes of losing her “vulgar” cockney accent. The plot of My Fair Lady was based on George Bernard Shaw’s 1913 play Pygmalion, which many of us were forced to read in high school.

Comedian and musician Vaughn Meader made a name for himself in the 1960s imitating President John F. Kennedy. His success came to an abrupt end with the assassination of President Kennedy in 1963, and his career never rebounded. He spent his later years performing country and blue grass music in his native Maine. Meader passed away in 2004 at age 68.

Dragnet, “Big Bill,” aired on January 19, 1954. You can ask Sgt. Friday yourself!

Dragnet, “Big Switch,” aired on January 12, 1954. That’s a fact.

Dragnet was an American radio series, dramatizing the cases of a dedicated Los Angeles police detective, Sergeant Joe Friday, and his partners. It ran from 1949 to 1957. Dragnet, “Big Listen,” aired on January 5, 1954.

Toby lives the dream of running away to join the circus. We suggest you not follow in his footsteps.

Orson Welles’s “A Christmas Carol,” which was broadcast on the Campbell Playhouse radio show on December 23, 1938.

A 1972 version of an age-old story, Hans must decide whether to win a race or help someone in peril.

This collection includes legendary skits. Does the humor hold up today? Discuss.
“2000 Year Old Man" by Carl Reiner and Mel Brooks
“John and Marsha” by Stan Freberg
“The Sweepstakes Winner” by Frank Fontaine as John L.C. Savony
“What It Was, Was Football” by Andy Griffith
“St. George and the Dragonet” by Stan Freberg
“It’s In The Book” by Johnny Standley
“The Bees and The Birds” by Yogi Yorgesson

This version of Alice In Wonderland was released by Disney in 1969.

Gunsmoke, “Hickock,” aired on July 25, 2023.

Gunsmoke, “Wild West,” aired on July 18, 1953.

In honor of Veteran’s Day, we are proud to present The Longest Day. This recording is a condensed version of the 1962 film about the D-Day landings at Normandy on June 6, 1944. The film was based on the non-fiction book by Cornelius Ryan which was published in 1959. The cast of The Longest Day includes some of the biggest stars in movie history such as John Wayne, Sean Connery, Henry Fonda, Paul Anka, Robert Mitchum, and more.

Gunsmoke, “Grass,” aired on July 11, 1953.

Orson Welles- “The War of the Worlds,” which aired on October 30, 1938.

It’s time for our annual rebroadcast of Orson Welles’ “The War of the Worlds,” which aired on October 30, 1938. This legendary broadcast is one you don't want to miss! (Spoiler: It did not create the mass panic of legendary tales. Orson said it was fiction in the broadcast, and they even took commercial breaks.)

Bunky the Monkey wants to see the world! That silly monkey. This was released on Robin Hood Records, which was founded in 1956 and sold to another company in the 1960s.

Back when animal abuse was entertainment and outdated terms for little people were the norm. You know, the good old days! It’s so bad, you won’t be able to stop listening. This was released on Robin Hood Records, which was founded in 1956 and sold to another company in the 1960s.

Black Beauty, from the Golden Records Great Literature Series, Classic Story Teller, 1966.
Based on the classic 1877 novel, Black Beauty, by Anna Sewell.

Dragnet- Big Steal
Aired on December 29, 1953. Before color was invented.

Dragnet- Big Brink
Aired on December 15, 1953. Please don’t smoke Chesterfields, even if Sergeant Friday tells you to.

Dragnet- Big Pick Starring Jack Webb as Sergeant Joe Friday.
Aired on December 8, 1953. That’s just a fact, Jack.

The Voice of Will Rogers, Part 2
1- Government Spending, April 7, 1935
2- Pilgrims and Pioneers, April 14, 1935
3- Inheritance Taxes, April 28, 1935
4- Mother’s Day, May 12, 1935
5- Congressional Record, May 12, 1935
6- Supreme Court, June 2, 1935
7- Last Broadcast, June 9, 1935
On August 15, 1935, Rogers and his pilot, Wiley Post, were killed in a plane crash in Alaska.

August 6, 2023 The Voice of Will Rogers, Part 1
Will Rogers (1897 - 1935) was an Oklahoma ranch boy whose ambition was to be the world’s greatest performer with a lariat. He went on to become a best selling author, a popular movie star, and the most widely read newspaper columnist at the time. He’s best known for the quote, “I never met a man I didn’t like.”
1- Timely Topics, a recreation of a Zigfield Follies monologue, without an audience present
2- Address to Traffic Chiefs, 1922
3- Unemployment Speech, October 18, 1931
4- Democratic Convention, 1932
5- President’s Day, April 30, 1933. FDR had been in office for seven weeks.
6- Badwill Tour, July 8, 1934
7- Treaties, March 31, 1935

Skits from the legendary W.C. Fields, recorded for a radio series sponsored by Lucky Strike in the early 1940s.
1- Promotions Unlimited
2- The Swim to Catalina Island
3- The Pharmacist

Skits from the legendary comedian W.C. Fields featuring Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy, the puppet. Yes, puppet. On the radio. These originally aired in the early 1940s, and many early shows were lost to history.
1- The Skunk Trap
2- Children
3- Old Friends and Old Wine
4- Feathered Friends
5- Moths
6- The Snake Story
7- The Temperance Lecture (specially recorded for the Armed Forces)

Lore of the West with Roy Rogers, George “Gabby” Hayes, and Trigger.

Released in 1949, these songs and stories taught kids how to break broncos, rope cattle, and lots of other things a cowboy should know. You know, basic life skills. Roy Rogers, born Leonard Franklin Slye, was a famous Western singer and actor, known as the “King of the Cowboys.”

The Jazz Singer starring Al Jolson

This is a radio adaptation of the 1927 film, The Jazz Singer, which was broadcast on The Lux Radio Theatre on June 2, 1947. The film and this radio show both starred Al Jolson, one of the most famous and highest paid stars of the 1920s. The Jazz Singer signified the end of silent movies as it was the first feature length film to use synchronized recorded sound.

The story follows Jackie Rabinowitz, a Jewish boy who runs away from his strict religious father to become a performer. Jackie changes his name to Jack Robin and performs jazz numbers in blackface.

Aired March 5, 1955, back when tobacco companies could sponsor programs for kids.

Aired February 26, 1955, back when tobacco companies could sponsor programs for kids.

Aired December 25, 1954, back when tobacco companies could sponsor programs for kids.

Fred Allen was a radio humorist on air from 1942 to 1949. These are two selections from his show.
1- “Living 1949. The State of American Humor.” With Fred Allen and Ben Grauer, broadcast on January 30, 1949.
2- “Fred Allen salutes Jack Benny.” Recorded at a Friar’s Club Roast and broadcast on November 9, 1951.

Fred Allen was a radio humorist on air from 1942 to 1949. These are four selections from his show, which often featured a question for his fictional guests.
1- “Were you a prodigy and did you display any exceptional talents as a child?” Broadcast on January 28, 1948.
2- “What was the outstanding event of happening in 1947?” Broadcast on December 28, 1947.
3- “How is the housing shortage affecting you?” Broadcast on October 7, 1945.
4- “Was your family income higher in 1944, and if it was, what accounted for the increase?” Broadcast on June 6, 1945.

Dragnet- Big Cab
The names may have been changed, but this episode aired on September 15, 1953. That’s a fact, Jack.

Dragnet- Big Bop
The story you are about to hear aired on September 1, 1953. Those are just the facts.

Dragnet- Big Lift
This episode aired on September 8, 1953

Jack Benny vs Fred Allen- “The Fine Art of Feudsmanship”
Part 12: Biography in Sound from May 1956
Part 13: The Jack Benny Show from March 27, 1938
Part 14: The Fred Allen Show from June 26, 1949, “The Mohawk Loan Company”
Part 15: The Fred Allen Show from May 26, 1946, “King For A Day”

Jack Benny vs Fred Allen- “Jack Allen and Fred Benny?”
Part 8: Jack’s Eulogy for Fred from March 18, 1956, the day after Fred’s death
Part 9: Command Performance from May 9, 1947
Part 10: Camel Comedy Caravan from June 11, 1943
Part 11: The Big Show from November 5, 1950

Jack Benny vs Fred Allen- “Jack & Fred at Xmas”
Part 5: Command Performance from December 25, 1943
Part 6: Command Performance from December 25, 1942
Part 7: Command Performance from December 25, 1944

Jack Benny vs Fred Allen- “The Feud Begins”
Recorded in 1968, Jack Benny looks back on recordings and shows with Fred Allen.
Part 1: How It All Began
Part 2: Town Hall Tonight from March 25, 1938
Part 3: The Jack Benny Show from January 15, 1950
Part 4: The Jack Benny Show from August 3, 1950

Fort Apache starring John Wayne. This radio dramatization of the film aired on August 5, 1949.

Gunsmoke- Monopoly
The story of the violence that moved west with young America, and the story of a man that moved with it, U.S. Marshall Matt Dillon, played by William Conrad.
Aired on May 22, 1954

Gunsmoke- The Indian Horse
The story of the violence that moved west with young America, and the story of a man that moved with it, U.S. Marshall Matt Dillon, played by William Conrad.
Aired on May 15, 1954

Gunsmoke- Gunsmuggler
The story of the violence that moved west with young America, and the story of a man that moved with it, U.S. Marshall Matt Dillon, played by William Conrad.
Aired on January 30, 1954

All we need are the facts.
Dragnet, “Big Ham,” aired on June 28, 1953.

Dragnet, the story of your police force in action.
“Big Revolt,” aired on June 21, 1953.

The story you are about to hear is true.
Dragnet, “Big Lilly,” aired on Jun 19. 1956.

Superman with Batman & Robin - "The Scarlet Widow." Final chapters 10 and 11, which aired September & October 1945.

Superman with Batman & Robin - "The Scarlet Widow." Chapters 07-09 out of 11, which aired September & October 1945.

Superman with Batman & Robin - "The Scarlet Widow." Chapters 04-06 out of 11, which aired September & October 1945.

Superman with Batman & Robin - "The Scarlet Widow." Chapters 01-03 out of 11, which aired September & October 1945.

This episode of The Edgar Bergen Show with Charlie McCarthy aired on November 9, 1952, and features Marilyn Monroe as their special guest. Charlie was a puppet, and having puppets on the radio seemed to make sense at the time.

This episode of The Edgar Bergen Show with Charlie McCarthy features Edward Everett Horton and Abbott & Costello as guests. It aired on May 3, 1942.