frank morgan

My personal OTR collection contains thousands of hours of old time radio I use  in order to create the year by year historical When Radio Ruled documentaries, and as I listen to each episode I extract the most interesting and entertaining bits to create a best of reel as a reference for when writing the scripts. And that’s what you are about to hear, part of that best of reel, a one hour chunk of really great audio artifacts from 1938.

The Episode consists of a curated collection of Old Time Radio Clips originally broadcast live October 23  through October 31, 1938.

Starring:

Orson Welles

Lionel Barrymore

Clark Gable

Robert Young

Frank Morgan

Don Ameche

Judy Canova

Charlie McCarthy

Edgar Bergen

Dorothy Lamour

Madeleine Carroll

Don Wilson

Eddie “Rochester” Anderson

Jack Benny

Mary Livingstone

Kenny Baker

Phil Harris

Andy Devine

and

Seabiscuit

FEATURED SONGS INCLUDE

Two Sleepy People – Dorothy Lamour

Hounds on My Tracks – Judy, Annie, and Zeke

and

What Have You Got That Gets Me? – Phil Harris and the Jello Gang

In this episode:

The Martians Invade America!

Edgar Bergen tries to Tell a Ghost Story!

Jack Benny throws a Halloween Party!

Seabiscuit races War Admiral!

And More!!

 Please come with me on the time machine to the year 1938 and be entertained by these giants of show biz from long ago, alive again through the magic of the theater of the mind.

 Soundscape 1938, part 26, from When Radio Ruled, offered without further commentary for your entertainment and education. But mostly for your entertainment.

The Episode consists of a curated collection of Old Time Radio Clips originally broadcast live September 15 through October 10, 1938.

Starring:

Cast of Blair of the Mounties

Cast of Columbia Workshop

Slapsy Maxie Rosenbloom

Frank Morgan

Fanny Brice

Cast of Family Doctor

Cecil B. DeMille

Ephraim Zimbalist

Neville Chamberlain

Phil Harris

Kenny Baker

Mary Livingstone

Don Wilson

Eddie “Rochester” Anderson

Jack Benny

Eleanor Powell

In this episode:

Jack Benny’s back on the Radio and Nazi Mind Games!

Neville Chamberlain says everything’s going to be alright!

Fanny Bruce and Slapsy Maxie Rosenbloom make with the funny!

And More!!

The Episode consists of a curated collection of Old Time Radio Clips originally broadcast live August 28 through September 13, 1938.

Starring:

Edward Arnold

Charlie McCarthy

Edgar Bergen

Robert Young

Meredith Wilson

Fanny Brice

Hanley Stafford

Alice Faye

Frank Morgan

Father Flanagan

Cast of Family Doctor

Orson Welles

Judy Garland

Cast of Family Doctor

Cast of Blair of the Mounties

Featured Songs Include

There’s Honey on the Moon Tonight – Dorothy Lamour

Alexander’s Ragtime Band – Alice Faye

In this episode:

Frank Morgan tells Stories of his great Military Glory!

Hitler is being a Big Jerk again!

Czechoslovakia prepares to defend against the German Army!

The Reviews are in! The Mercury Theater is a Great Success!

Orson Welles yells at his Crew to shut up!

And More!!

This turkey filled audio feast is made up of two broadcasts from the World War two years, the first from 1942 the second from 1944.

During the big war, Thanksgiving had an extra emotional impact. So many families had empty chairs where sons and daughters used to sit but now were stationed all over the globe doing their duty to protect those who sat around the thanksgiving table.

Some of those chairs would be occupied by strangers, locally deployed servicemen who couldn’t get home to their families.

The prayers were extra solemn, and the thanks were sincerely given.

Turkeys weren’t rationed, but they were scarce and expensive. The military was determined that servicemen abroad should have a traditional thanksgiving, and so many turkeys were sent to the troops abroad that the birds were scarce and expensive back home.

Our first Thanksgiving episode plays on the turkey price increase, as our favorite housewife, Gracie Allen buys a live turkey planning to fatten it up for the big day’s dinner.

From November 17, 1942 The Burns and Allen show presents “Gracie Buys a Live Turkey”

Then we move onto a more serious look at wartime thanksgiving with the Command Performance thanksgiving special from 1944.

Command Performance was broadcast domestically but was aimed at the soldiers overseas. The show took requests from servicemen for guests and songs and did their level best to deliver.

Performers were honored to be requested by the servicemen and volunteered their time to appear on the show and do their part for Armed Service morale.

Lionel Barrymore hosts, and Dinah Shore the southern songstress who was America’s Sweetheart in 1944.

Patriotism and entertainment, brought to you by grateful American radio stars.

This episode consists of a curated collection of Old Time Radio Clips originally broadcast live May 18 through May 25 1938.

Featuring:

The Cast of Cavalcade of America

Robert Young

Joan Crawford

Frank Morgan

The Cast Of The Columbia Workshop

Georgie Jessel

Mayor Jimmie Walker

Josephine Starr

Ned Wayburn

Norma Talmadge

Don Wilson

Jack Benny

Mary Livingston

Phil Harris

Kenny Baker

The Cast of Blair of the Mounties

The Cast of the Green Hornet

In this episode:

A Chemistry Lesson From Dupont!

Joan Crawford in a Radio Play by Arch Obler! Bring your hankies, it’s a tear jerker!

Jack Benny is on a Diet!

Teddy Roosevelt tells us how to Raise Our Chldren!

The Germans want to Invade Czechoslovakia!

And More!!

"A-Gust" continues with our epic coverage of the 1939 MGM classic "The Wizard of Oz."