This is probably the last episode of Radio’s Best Years, at least for a while. This is also the last show sponsored by the OTRR. Enjoy. Thanks to Larry Gassman for his work on this and getting it into good, listenable condition. It’s also the last episode of Western Roundup, done by Jim Beshires. The future of the podcast is unknown, but it will probably come back under a new name and a different format. Stay tuned! Thank you all very much for listening since March. I’m still always interested in any comments and feedback about the shows.

Hi again y’all! It’s time for another episode of fine western music and drama, courtesy of our friend, Jim Beshires, founder of the Old Time Radio Researchers. We apologize for the delay in getting this episode posted. The show had sound problems and we would like to thank Max Schmid. You can listen to his radio show every week on WBAI in New York, NY, US or you can stream his show online anywhere in the world. WBAI also has some other good shows. Well, it seems that Jim’s notes for the show got lost somewhere, so we’ll just have to make them up. First, we have an episode of Zorro, followed by a music show or two. After that, we have a special Lone Ranger episode. It’s the 15th anniversary show from June 30, 1948. It is not the evening show giving the origin of the Lone Ranger. Rather, it’s a special day time show celebrating Lone Ranger Day. You’ll have to listen to hear more details. It’s a KECA aircheck, so we also get to hear the local commercials. They just don’t have special events like that anymore nowadays. After that, we have some more music, followed by a visit to hear some more Hollywood gossip courtesy of Jimmy Fidler. That’s about all for this episode. We’re sorry it runs a little short. As always, we hope you enjoy the show. Feel free to drop by the Old Time Radio Researchers for logs, magazines, scripts and lots of other material. Thanks for listening.

Welcome to the first special episode of Radio’s Best Years. Special episodes will not be produced on a regular basis and will not have the usual length and format of regular episodes. Rather, they’ll relate to a specific aspect of classic radio, a certain show, or a particular date. They will often go over the usual two hour length. On this first special episode, we take a look at what was arguably one of the most influential shows on radio. In October, 1934, a new show came to New York. It was a dramatic show, mostly adapting Broadway plays and some novels. While they primarily used New York stars, they might use a Hollywood star who happened to be passing through New York. Other shows, like the Cavalcade of America did the same thing, but eventually moved to Hollywood to get more star talent. That was the case with this show as well, but with a difference. While most shows which moved to Hollywood changed very little and often kept almost the same cast such as Fibber McGee and Molly and This is Your FBI, this show completely changed. It got a new announcer, a new host, a new musical director and a new format. It was probably one of the most listened to shows on radio and the most expensive to produce. It had a weekly budget of $100,000. Instead of having one New York star, it had two, three and sometimes even four Hollywood movie stars on each episode. It required a week of rehearsal because the stars weren’t used to doing radio work. During its long Hollywood run, (1936-1955) it had, at least once, almost every major movie star of the era and even many minor ones. Of course the show was Lux Radio Theater. On June 1, 1936, it moved to Hollywood where it remained until 1955, a very long run indeed. June 1st, 2011 is the 75th anniversary of the first Hollywood show. There were many programs over the years which copied the same format, some better than others, but there was only one Lux Radio Theater. Therefore, to celebrate the 75th anniversary, we will first be hearing the June 1, 1936 show, episode #83 of the series. In the second hour, we’ll be hearing another special program. This program was made possible thanks to Jerry Haendiges. I literally couldn’t have produced this podcast without his help. Please visit his web site and consider buying from him. Also check out his weekly shows at the Vintage Radio Place. Also browse Jerry’s main site. He was a good friend to me over the years, even when I wasn’t a friend to him. The second special program is the 10th anniversary episode. Both the rehearsal and complete broadcast exist and I have both. We will hear the rehearsal due to the better sound quality. Jerry Haendiges sent me both. Note that the circulating broadcast runs 47:55 and is _NOT_ complete. The complete broadcast runs 59:53 and seems to be hard to find. The rehearsal seems to not be in circulation at all. Please don’t copy, trade, or pirate the rehearsal. Please support Jerry and buy it from him instead. It is episode #454, as originally broadcast on 10-16-44, but we’ll be hearing the 10-15-44 rehearsal. The show is Seventh Heaven which was the first show they did in 1934. I hope you enjoy the first of what will hopefully be two special episodes looking at Lux Radio Theater. If all goes well, we’ll have two more shows next week, one from 1942 and one from 1946, also a rehearsal. We’ll see what happens. Your comments and feedback are always appreciated.

Hello again and welcome to our tenth episode! There have been some bumps in the road in getting here, but at least we made it! This is being released during the annual Cincinnati old time radio convention. I hope you were able to attend. This is the third in our special series of shows produced and hosted by Jim Beshires. As usual, there are more western shows with lots of music for your listening pleasure. As always, it’s brought to you by the Old Time Radio Researchers. Here’s what Jim tells us about the podcast: Here we are again, buckaroos, with ‘Westward Ho’ on Radio’s Best Years, the program that brings you the best in obscure western themes from the dusty vaults of the Old Time Radio Researchers. Programs that only a handful or in many cases, only one episode survives. We have some really rare ones for today and one that is just a better sounding encode. The OTRR is dedicated to preserving these episodes for tomorrows listeners and making them available for free for all to enjoy. On today’s program we’ll find such goodies as ‘Asher And Little Jimmy’. Doesn’t that just tug at your heartstrings? Well, wait till you hear the episode – Little Jimmy closes with his bedtime prayer. Only a handful of these exist and we have them for you. This is episode #9 and they start with that old favorite – ‘The Quilting Party’. Next we move down Texas way to hear Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys. According to Hickerson, only 15 of these episodes are in existence, but OTRR has about 20 or so. The episode kicks off with ‘Fool, Fool, Fool’. Now here’s that better sounding encode – the Jan 10, 1952 program of Sgt Preston of the Yukon, entitled ‘White Doctor’. Now any episode of Sgt Preston is just downright good, and this one is no exception. The Old Corral is next on the agenda, with Merle Travis leading off with ‘I Can Tell Just As Plain’. The western story is not bad either. To close – the only episode of Cecil Brower and his Kilocycle Cowboys from Odessa Texas, perhaps the best western swing of the bunch. Enjoy now, and don’t forget to e-mail with your requests, suggestions, or complaints! [email protected] As a final note, for the observant among you, you’ll notice that episode #9 is missing. What happened to it? Did it get lost somewhere? Are we cheating by skipping a show? No, it’s none of the above. It had some sound problems, so it’ll be released at a later date, hopefully next week.

Welcome to another week of western programming. This is the second week of special programming by Jim Beshires, founder of the Old Time Radio Researchers. Here is what he’s playing this time around: ‘Howdy all you cowpokes. Are you tired from a hard day’s rasslin’ with them dogies? If you are, it’s time to gather round the campfire while cookie rustles up some grub and listen to some great tales and music of the west. Today’s Western Round-up features some mighty fine singing and tale telling, starting off with a story from our neighbor to the North, Canada, with Sgt. Preston of the Yukon from 1952. He’ll be bringing along Zorro from 1957, and for some good pickin’ and singing’ – BobWills and His Texas Playboys. Then our old friend, The Lone Ranger makes an appearance. The Old Corral bunch will close out the program. Sit back, and let’s enjoy this broadcast of ‘Western Round-up’.

Howdy y’all, it’s time for another Western Roundup episode with Jim Beshires, the founder of the Old Time Researchers Group as your host. He’s mostly playing music, but there’s a little drama as well. First, we start off with a Xiv syndicated series called The Old Corral. It was broadcast in the 1941-42 era, but we don’t have an exact date. Later, we hear a dramatic offering with the Cisco Kid from 1953. It is an AFRS rebroadcast. Jim mentions that he isn’t sure when the Armed Forces Radio and Television Service quit broadcasting classic radio programs. I don’t have the exact answer, but I know they were until at least 1994. If anyone can fill in more information, that would be appreciated. Finally, we conclude with more music, including apparently a local or regional program called Riverside Ranch and a 1950 episode of Chuckwagon Jamboree. It isn’t the syndicated 1940’s series, but rather another local program from 1950. There are some other musical programs also played which you can discover for yourself by listening. I would like to close with a special announcement. This will be the first of a series of special programs, all hosted by Jim. All the episodes you’ll be hearing in the month of May will be hosted by him. There are a lot of fine westerns coming up, as well as a few other surprises, so stay tuned!

Hello again and welcome to another week of Radio’s Best Years, this time with one of the great voices of the Old Time Radio Researchers, Colin Campbell. As you’ll hear, not only does he have a great voice, but he does an excellent job at mixing and production. This time, he’s looking at some of the great announcers. We start with the show that got him interested in radio drama, The Hitchhiker from the Orson Welles Mercury Summer Theatre. We then move on to The Six Shooter. In the second hour, he reads a brief magazine article about Fred Allen, plays an excerpt of Arthur Godfrey from the WJSV Complete Broadcast Day and finally closes with Abbot and Costello. As he plays the shows, he talks about the announcers and what he thinks made them great. If I may insert an unsolicited plug here, if you have any audio work you want done, give him a try. I’ve heard some of his demo commercials and they’re great. He is very good at the craft of radio announcing, voiceover work and production. This is just my opinion and I wasn’t asked to say that. I wish to apologize for no episode last week. My dad was suddenly taken ill and was in the hospital for several days. He was released last Thursday and is doing better, but not fully recovered. Apparently he got a blood infection and has been on a lot of antibiotics. Thank you for your patience and sorry for not posting anything sooner. Thanks also for your prayers and thoughts, they are very much appreciated. As always, our new closing music is performed and copyright MMX by Derek R. Audette.

It’s a new Wednesday and that means it’s time for another episode of Radio’s Best Years. I apologize in advance that the quality isn’t up to our usual standards, but I hope it isn’t too bad. I’ll try to do better next week. There have been family issues which have limited my podcast production time. This time, we’ll be hearing a pair of hour long shows courtesy of RLG Productions of Oregon City, Oregon. I would like to thank RLG for making many hours of content available specifically for the podcast. While this material was previously broadcast on a streaming station, this is the first time that it’s been offered for download. The first hour is the first episode of Bygone Days Radio Theater as originally broadcast on Friday, September 27, 2002. We’ll first hear an episode of Boston Blackie. Boston Blackie – episode #90, originally heard on December 31, 1946 and titled Death By Natural Causes. Next, due to sound problems in the original, we hear an episode of The Bickersons from the OTRR Library. This would seem to be the first program in which the Bickersons were heard for a full half hour on their own show and not part of another comedy series. Previously, they were heard as a skit on other shows like Dreme Time. The Bickersons – episode #11 as originally heard on December 3, 1947 and called The Pink Slip In the second hour, we hear the first episode of another RLG series, The Cop Shop, specializing in police dramas. This was originally broadcast on Friday, December 16, 2005 at 10:00 PM Pacific. First, we hear Dragnet. He started with the first existing episode and continued to play all the episodes in chronological order. Dragnet – Nickel Plated Gun, originally from 06-10-49 For the final show, we hear Twenty-first Precinct, the CBS attempt to copy the popularity of Dragnet. See if you think it was a worthy competitor. This one has a collector title of “Abandoned Baby” and has no date or episode number, but dates from the 1950s. That’s it for another week. I hope to see you back here next week for more. Again, I apologize for the podcast not having the usual polish. The closing music is performed and copyright MMX by Derek R. Audette.

Bloopers, Goofs, Kicked Lines… all necessary evils of working in early radio. Stuff happens, so don’t touch that dial as it hits the fan on this edition of Radio’s Best Years. In our 40 years in the hobby the topic that gets the most attention are stories about funny things that happened while at the studio. We will explore several in this podcast. First we visit Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy. Have you ever wondered if Edgar ever spoke Charlie’s lines in his own voice? Well, wonder no more. judge for yourself as we listen to “The Charlie McCarthy show from 03/03/46 with guest Walter Slezak. Edgar Bergen makes a mistake at the beginning of the show. He speaks in his own voice while reading Charlie’s line. One of the most remembered shows on radio was Sorry, Wrong Number starring Agnes Morehead. She would play this role 8 times over the years on Suspense. The first time she did so, a huge mistake was made at the end of the program. Suspense from 05/25/43 Episode 043 Sorry, Wrong Number We’ll hear an explanation by the program announcer on the next week’s program as he tries to explain to the audience what happened at the end of last week’s show. Next we listen in on a broadcast that was doomed before it ever began. It took place at the grand opening of the Shamrock Hotel in Houston Texas. The sealtest Variety Theater was asked to do the broadcast from there. Sealtest Variety Theater from 03/17/49 Episode (26) Live From The Shamrock Hotel in Houston Texas. It starred Dorothy LaMour with Van Heflin and Ed (Archie) Gardner. And we will hear “the Jack Benny Program”. Don Wilson makes a mistake at the beginning of the show. We’ll hear the program and then go behind the scenes to hear how the mistake evolved. Jack Benny Program 01/08/50 DREAR POOSON fluff from Don. guests are Rosalind Russell, Frank Sinatra, Gene Kelly, and Michael Romanoff.

Howdy, partners! It’s time for this here podcast to saddle up for a trip to the old west. This time, it’s OTRR’s very own Jim Beshires doing the ridin’ and hostin’ duties for y’all. I don’t know just what all he’s playin’, but I know there is some mighty fine music with Melody Roundup from the Armed Forces Radio Service, an audition show called Adventure Trails and an episode of the Cisco Kid. I think there’s somethin’ else in them thar hills besides gold, but I’m not sure what, so you’ll just have to set a spell and listen. If cowboys are your thing, enjoy two hours of some great classic western radio drama! To download, right-click on the Download link and select “save link/target” as. Until next time, happy listening.