Old Time Radio

Academy Award was a CBS radio anthology series which presented 30-minute adaptations of plays, novels or films.

Rather than adaptations of Oscar-winning films, as the title implied, the series offered "Hollywood's finest, the great picture plays, the great actors and actresses, techniques and skills, chosen from the honor roll of those who have won or been nominated for the famous golden Oscar of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences."

With that as a guideline, any drama could be presented as long as the cast included at least one Oscar-nominated performer. For example, Robert Nathan's 1940 novel Portrait of Jennie was not released as a film until 1949. David O. Selznick, having acquired the rights to Nathan's novel in 1944, was spending much time and money in his efforts to bring it to the screen. Thus, Academy Award's December 4, 1946 adaptation of Portrait of Jennie, with John Lund and Oscar-winner Joan Fontaine, had a promotional aspect, concluding with host/announcer Hugh Brundage revealing, "Portrait of Jennie is soon to be a Selznick International picture starring Jennifer Jones and Joseph Cotten."

The program initially aired on Saturdays at 7pm(et) through June, then moved to Wednesdays at 10pm(et). Frank Wilson scripted the 30-minute adaptations for producer-director Dee Englebach, and Leith Stevens provided the music. The sound effects crew included Gene Twombly, Jay Roth, Clark Casey and Berne Surrey.

The series began March 30, 1946, with Bette Davis, Anne Revere and Fay Bainter in Jezebel. On that first show, Jean Hersholt spoke as president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, welcoming the E.R. Squibb & Sons pharmaceutical company {"The House Of Squibb"} as the program's sponsor. It was an expensive show to produce since the stars cost $4000 a week, and another $1600 went each week to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for the use of their name in the show's title. This eventually became a factor in Squibb's decision to cancel the series after only 39 weeks.

Dramas in which actors recreated their original film roles included Henry Fonda in Young Mr. Lincoln, Humphrey Bogart in The Maltese Falcon, Cary Grant in Suspicion, Gregory Peck in The Keys of the Kingdom and Ronald Colman in Lost Horizon. However, of the 39 episodes, only six actors recreated their own Oscar-winning roles: Fay Bainter, Bette Davis, Paul Lukas, Victor McLaglen, Paul Muni and Ginger Rogers.

The series ended December 18, 1946, with Margaret O'Brien and one of the series' frequent supporting players, Jeff Chandler (appearing under his real name, Ira Grossel) in Lost Angel.


Jezebel
Kitty Foyle
Story of Louis Pasteur
Great McGinty
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Stagecoach
If I Were King
My Sister Eileen
Informer
Arise, My Love
Ruggles of Red Cap
Pride of the Marines
Front Page
Star Is Born
Maltese Falcon
Young Mr. Lincoln
Prisoner of Zenda
Foreign Correspondent
Hold Back the Dawn
Watch on the Rhine
Vivacious Lady
Keys of the Kingdom
One Sunday Afternoon
Pinocchio
Shadow of a Doubt
White Cliffs of Dover
Guest in the House
My Man Godfrey
It Happened Tomorrow
Blood on the Sun
Devil and Miss Jones
Suspicion
Cheers for Miss Bishop
Night Train
Brief Encounter
Lost Horizon
Portrait of Jenny
Enchanted Cottage
Lost Angel

Listen to Academy Award Online

William (Bud) Abbott and Lou Costello (born Louis Francis Cristillo) performed together as Abbott and Costello, an American comedy duo whose work on stage, radio, film and television  made them the most popular comedy team during the 1940s, as well as a top ten box office draw for a full decade (1942—1952). Their iconic and influential patter routine "Who's on First?"—with its rapid-fire word play and comprehension confusion—set the framework for many of their best-known comedy bits. As a result of its enduring popularity, a video loop of the team performing "Who's on First?" is on permanent exhibit in the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York.

After working as Allen's summer replacement, Abbott and Costello joined Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy on The Chase and Sanborn Hour in 1941, while two of their films (Buck Privates and Hold That Ghost) were adapted for Lux Radio Theater. They launched their own weekly show October 8, 1942, sponsored by Camel cigarettes.

The Abbott and Costello Show mixed comedy with musical interludes (by vocalists such as Connie Haines, Ashley Eustis, the Delta Rhythm Boys, Skinnay Ennis, and the Les Baxter Singers). Regulars and semi-regulars on the show included Artie Auerbach ("Mr. Kitzel"), Elvia Allman, Iris Adrian, Mel Blanc, Wally Brown, Sharon Douglas, Verna Felton, Sidney Fields, Frank Nelson, Martha Wentworth, and Benay Venuta. Ken Niles was the show's longtime announcer, doubling as an exasperated foil to Abbott and Costello's mishaps (and often fuming in character as Costello routinely insulted his on-air wife). Niles was succeeded by Michael Roy, with announcing chores also handled over the years by Frank Bingman and Jim Doyle. The show went through several orchestras during its radio life, including those of Ennis, Charles Hoff, Matty Matlock, Matty Malneck, Jack Meakin, Will Osborne, Fred Rich, Leith Stevens, and Peter van Steeden. The show's writers included Howard Harris, Hal Fimberg, Parke Levy, Don Prindle, Eddie Cherkose (later known as Eddie Maxwell), Leonard B. Stern, Martin Ragaway, Paul Conlan, and Eddie Forman, as well as producer Martin Gosch. Sound effects were handled primarily by Floyd Caton.

In 1947 Abbott and Costello moved the show to ABC (the former NBC Blue Network). During their time on ABC, the duo also hosted a 30-minute children's radio program (The Abbott and Costello Children's Show), which aired Saturday mornings, featuring child vocalist Anna Mae Slaughter and child announcer Johnny McGovern.

Abbott and Costello 400320 Who's On First & Lion Hunting
Abbott and Costello 421015 Marlene Dietrich Bank Robbery
Abbott and Costello 4210xx Cousin Yugo Gets Married
Abbott and Costello 421119 Kinghts In Shinning Armor
Abbott and Costello 430114 Hunting Guide w Claire Trevor
Abbott and Costello 431118 Guests Bugs Bunny & Lucille Ball
Abbott and Costello 431125 Thanksgiving Dinner
Abbott and Costello 431202 Trip To Palm Springs w Veronica Lake
Abbott and Costello 431209 English Butler w Arthur Treacher
Abbott and Costello 431216 Wild West w Lynn Bari
Abbott and Costello 431230 The Lawyer w Bert Gordon
Abbott and Costello 440106 Lou's Engaged to Judy Canova
Abbott and Costello 440113a longer Sanatarium , Cold w Peter Lorre
Abbott and Costello 440113b better Sanatarium, Cold w Peter Lorre
Abbott and Costello 440120 Football Game w Harold Peary
Abbott and Costello 440210 Robinson Caruso w Charles Laughton
Abbott and Costello 440217 Making a Movie w Dorothy Lamour
Abbott and Costello 440224 w Blondie & Dagwood
Abbott and Costello 440302 Running A Newspaper w Hedda Hopper
Abbott and Costello 440309 Missing Snow White Script w Blondie & Dagwood
Abbott and Costello 440316 At the Circus w Alan Hale
Abbott and Costello 440618 Costello Buys Gifts For Cast
Abbott and Costello 440911 At The Races
Abbott and Costello 441026 Matrimonial Agency
Abbott and Costello 441102 Lou's Dog Hector
Abbott and Costello 441116 Grade School
Abbott and Costello 441207 Visit to Tin Pan Alley
Abbott and Costello 441214 Christmas Shopping
Abbott and Costello 441221 CHRISTMAS SHOW ST
Abbott and Costello 450111 Lou Buys A Ranch
Abbott and Costello 450118 Impressing A Girlfriend
Abbott and Costello 450125 Merchant Marines
Abbott and Costello 450201 Stolen Oranges, Lou Shoots Orange Picker
Abbott and Costello 450215 Rudy Vallee
Abbott and Costello 450301 w Frank Sinatra
Abbott and Costello 450308 New Press Agent
Abbott and Costello 450322 Costello the Cowboy
Abbott and Costello 450405 Hiring Andrew Sisters
Abbott and Costello 450419 Charm School
Abbott and Costello 450426 w Andrews Sisters
Abbott and Costello 450503 Spanish Acting School
Abbott and Costello 450607 Costello gets a tatoo
Abbott and Costello 450614 Father's day
Abbott and Costello 450628 Return to Patterson
Abbott and Costello 451004 Job for Girlfriend
Abbott and Costello 451115 Lou Hides From His Girl friend
Abbott and Costello 451129 Opening A Gas Station
Abbott and Costello 451206 Lou the Fireman
Abbott and Costello 451213 Salesman
Abbott and Costello 451220 Christmas Show
Abbott and Costello 451227 Costello's Beauty Shop
Abbott and Costello 460207 Lou Needs An Apartment
Abbott and Costello 460214 Working At The Apartment Hotel
Abbott and Costello 460307 The Boys Run A Drug Store
Abbott and Costello 460314 Income Tax
Abbott and Costello 460418 Pet Shop
Abbott and Costello 460425 The Sheriff of North Hollywood
Abbott and Costello 460502 Napolean & Josephine
Abbott and Costello 460509 Job In The Circus
Abbott and Costello 460516 Costello Runs for Mayor
Abbott and Costello 460530 late For The Show w Elsa Maxwell
Abbott and Costello 460626 Abbott's Big Date
Abbott and Costello 461003 Incorrigible
Abbott and Costello 461010 Big Game Hunting
Abbott and Costello 470213 Costello Buys a Boat
Abbott and Costello 470227 Driving Lessons
Abbott and Costello 470313 Lou Goes To Track To Lose Money
Abbott and Costello 470327 Stock Market
Abbott and Costello 470410 Nuts & Bolts Lou Sells Spot Remover
Abbott and Costello 470417 Lou Subs For Dimaggio
Abbott and Costello 470424 Lou Builds a House
Abbott and Costello 470618 Who's On First Original Live Show
Abbott and Costello 470619 Lou Joins The New York Yankees
Abbott and Costello 471210 Lou Visits Psychiatrist w Linda Darnell
Abbott and Costello 471225 Christmas Program
Abbott and Costello 480303 Going To Alaska
Abbott and Costello 480310 Costello Pays Income Tax
Abbott and Costello 480421 Marriage Bureau
Abbott and Costello 480428 Babysitting Job
Abbott and Costello 480505 w Bella Lugosi
Abbott and Costello 480811 Lou Is a Delegate To the UN
Abbott and Costello 481028 Sam Shovel Private Detective
Abbott and Costello 481118 Sam Shovel Russian Diplomat
Abbott and Costello 481202 Sam Shovel Curbstone Murder
Abbott and Costello 481209 Sam Shovel Two Gun Gertie
Abbott and Costello 490127 A Spy Tries To Kill Sam Shovel
Abbott and Costello 490303 Sam Shovel Meets The Moonshine
Abbott and Costello 490428 Private Detective
Abbott and Costello 490518 Lou Invents Cellophane Mattress
Abbott and Costello 490519 Sam Shovel Private Detective
Abbott and Costello xxxxxx Kids Program w Red Ryder

Listen to Abbott and Costello Online

There are many old time radio shows that are fun to listen to, but nothing beats a good mystery with the ever impressive Sherlock Holmes and his faithful side kick Dr. Watson.

Two of the most popular actors to ever play these roles were Sir  Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes and Nigel Bruce as Dr. Watson. They played these characters in 14 Hollywood films before they took up the roles on radio.

"The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" radio show started in 1939 and Rathbone continued in the part until 1946. There were a total of 219 episodes with Rathbone playing the part of Holmes. In 1946 Tom Conway took over the role.

Nigel Bruce played the Dr. Watson role as a somewhat foolish, or bumbling sort of character. This helps to give the partnership somewhat of a balance with Holmes being the genius and mystery solver. But clever as he was, Holmes needed the ever faithful Watson to help him out of more than one troubling situation.

Some of the most popular episodes of the Holmes radio series were:

"Sweeny Todd, Demon Barber"
"The Notorious Canary Strangler"
"Murder at the Opera"
"The Limping Ghost"
"April Fool's Adventure"
"Murder Under the Big Top"
"The Hound of the Baskervilles"

These tales were loosely based on the original Sir Arthur Conan Doyle stories.

Though there have been many actors to portray the Holmes and Watson duo, none have been more popular than the pairing of Rathbone and Bruce.

For years it was nearly impossible to track down episodes of these beloved radio shows. But thanks to the power of the internet, and a few dedicated websites, you can now listen to a wide variety of old time radio shows.

When you've had a long day of staring at the computer screen it's nice to have another option besides going home and staring at the television screen. You can lean back in your recliner, shut your eyes, relax, and listen to the adventures of Sherlock Holmes. See if you can figure out "whodunit" before he does.

These are also great to listen to on your commute home from work. If you're tired of listening to more bad news on the radio, or trying to skim through multiple Hip Hop stations to find some real music, maybe a radio show mystery is just what you need for a pleasant change of pace.

There's nothing more effective at making the troubles of the day fade away than stepping back in time and listening to an old time radio show.
 

To hear Sherlock Holmes and more, visit our old time radio site today.

Long before Father knew best on television, the "Father Knows Best" old time radio show was airing across the country. The show was created by writer, Ed James. On August 25, 1949, NBC aired the first episode. The show was about an average middle class family in the Midwest. It aired on Thursday evenings and was sponsored by General Foods.


Robert Young played the father, Jim Anderson, an insurance salesman. He's portrayed as a wise man that his wife and children turn to for advice.
 
Margaret, his wife, was played by June Whitely and then Jean Vander Pyl. She was the voice of patience and common-sense within the family.


The Andersons had three children. Betty was played by Rhoda Williams, Bud by Ted Donaldson, and Kathy by Norma Jean Nillson.
 
Betty, the oldest daughter, was a bit of a drama queen in the show. She often declared minor events as, "the worst thing that could ever happen!" Her interest was mostly in teenage boys.


Bud is depicted as the all-American boy. Though he gets $1.25 a week allowance he often felt he needed a little more.


Kathy, the precocious baby of the family, often complained and whined. She felt her status in the family was not considered as important because she was the youngest. Her brother and sister often seek her help when they need extra money.
 
Some favorite episodes include, "Enterprising Kids", "Jim Inherits a Ranch in Arizona", and "The Phantom Prowler". Approximately 200 episode were made.


As it's title implies, the show portrayed a paternalistic view of life in the 1950s. Father was in charge and he always knew what was best for his wife and children. But occasionally, his wife and kids got the best of him. When the show was originally created the title had a question mark at the end - "Father Knows Best?" The question mark was eventually dropped from the title.


Moral lessons were often an important part of the plot of each show.


The final radio episode was aired on November 19, 1953. It went on to become a popular television series. Robert Young was the only cast member to continue his radio show role on the CBS television series.


Thanks to the internet, episodes of "Father Knows Best" can be heard once more. Step back in time and enjoy the antics of the Anderson family. This and many other old time radio shows are available for download at various sites.


Listen to and download over two thousand shows totally free at our classic radio shows website. We offer a  friendly OTR discussion forum too.

One of the most beloved characters of old time radio was the Chinese-American, Charlie Chan. Chan was a detective on the Honolulu police force though his adventures often took him around the world.


The character of Charlie Chan was created in 1923 by Earl Derr Biggers. As well as a detective, Chan was an avid stamp collector. He was also a devoted family man with fourteen children. His Number One Son often assisted him in capturing evil criminals. Number Two Son and Number One Daughter also helped their father in various story adaptations.


The Charlie Chan radio shows started on December 2, 1932 as part of Esso’s Five Star Theater. Walter Connolly played the part of Chan.


During 1944 - 1945 Ed Begley, Sr. continued the role in the NBC produced version called, “The Adventures of Charlie Chan”. In 1947 - 48 the role was played by Santos Ortega. Number One Son was played by Leon Janney and Rodney Jacobs.


Some of the most popular episodes of the radio shows were: “The Escaped Musician”, “The Curious Ride of the Sea Witch”, “Fiery Santa Claus”, and “Charlie Chan’s Daughter is Kidnapped.”  In the latter, Chan’s number one daughter, Rose is kidnapped by bank robbers. But thanks to her cleverness in leaving clues behind (beads from her necklace) Chan was able to track her down. They then used Number One Son’s firecrackers to fool the criminals into thinking they had guns. Number One Daughter returns home safely.


Critics have debated the character of Charlie Chan for years. Originally the character was developed to provide an alternative to the negative Chinese portrayals such as Fu Manchu. Others felt Chan was too stereotypical  and subservient. But despite what critics think, the public loved Charlie Chan.


His oft quoted sayings are often called Chanisms. The Confucius like sayings are what set Chan apart from other American detectives in the mystery genre. These include: “Suspicion often father of truth”, and “One grain of luck sometimes worth more than whole rice field of wisdom”.


Charlie Chan was so popular he was portrayed in approximately fifty movies, numerous books, comic books, a television series, as well as two board games. Several movies were made in Spanish and Chinese versions as well as English. In the Chinese versions, Chan was assisted by his daughter, Manna, instead of a son like the American versions.


Chan’s radio programs are very rare. But thanks to the internet, you can now listen to this honorable sage as he not only solves the case, but imparts the wisdom of the ancient ancestors at the same time. Old time radio shows live again.




To listen to and download over 2,400 free old time radio shows in mp3 format Great OTR discussion forum and old time radio blog too.

If you thought old time radio was long gone and dead think again. Older entertainment like old time radio shows are making a huge come back and they’re mainly making their debut online. Read on to learn more.

For anyone who grew up listening to old time radio shows today’s entertainment can seem a world away from the good, clean fun of the radio. The good news is that this variety of entertainment is definitely making a strong comeback, and it’s ironically taking place right online. The information super highway is leading the way for the comeback of an age old entertainment channel—radio.

Listening to the radio in the 40’s and 50’s people had a brand new way to hear news and stories in their home. One of the most popular forms of old time radio were mystery shows that would sometimes be broadcasted over several days in some cases. These mystery shows would involve either a murder or crime taking place and the mystery would be solved by the person narrating the “case.”

These shows were largely popular at the height of old time radio and they are now making a comeback right on the internet where users can stream or download real old time broadcasts of these shows. While there are some variations of these broadcasts on services like iTunes it’s really a better idea to use a site online that is dedicated to old-style radio broadcasts to make sure you get the highest quality audio recordings.

Today’s entertainment in contrast to the old style radio shows is significantly different. Broadcasts used to be clean, universal fun for everyone who listened in and the good news is that you can now bring back that same good quality entertainment for the entire family with nothing more than an internet connection, a home computer and some speakers to play the audio on.

If you’re worried you don’t have the knowledge to make one of these online sites work for you, rest assured it’s quite easy. Most of the online sites that offer downloadable or streaming broadcasts will let you use a media player that is most likely already installed on your computer. If not you can download a free media player like VLC or Winamp to play the audio from the site.

If you’re interested in getting access to entertainment that’s still wholesome without sacrificing entertainment value then checking out some dedicated old-time radio sites is a great way to get started. There is a growing demand for old time radio shows that reflect the values and entertainment of their day and there’s no better way to satisfy this need then by going right online

Do you want to access real old radio shows for free right online? Go to this website right now to get started and gain access to a large variety of shows you can download or stream straight to your home computer.

One of the most often repeated lines didn’t come from a political speech, a movie, or even a rock song, but from an old time radio show.  “Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows!” was from a show that started in the 1930s.
 
The line was originally voiced by the narrator of a radio show called “Detective Story”. But the eerie character became so popular the show was the renamed “The Shadow”.

It was narrated by Frank Readick, Jr., and was accompanied by the  musical theme, Camille Saint-Saëns' Le Rouet d'Omphale ("Omphale's Spinning Wheel", composed in 1872). A sinister laugh was also heard from the ominous voice.

The sinister narrator was created to add interest in The Detective Hour radio show and boost sales of the Detective Story Magazine. However, people found the eerie character so compelling that they started asking for the “The Shadow” magazine, even though it didn’t exist.

The Shadow was a vigilante who fought crime using his psychic powers. On the radio show he had the power to seem invisible by influencing the minds of his enemies. Some his more popular nemeses were Kings of Crime and The Red Menace.

The mysteriously cloaked figure with the sinister voice was always clad in black and worked mostly at night. He had the power to defy gravity, unravel codes, speak any language, and had super-human strength.
 
Some of the most popular of The Shadow radio shows where the ones voiced by Orson Welles.

The character of The Shadow was so well loved that he was eventually featured in motion pictures, comic books, television shows, and even video games. The magician Walter B. Gibson wrote much of the material that turned The Shadow into a pulp icon. He wrote under the pen name Maxwell Grant and other writers eventually wrote the stories under the name, also.

At the end of each show The Shadow reminded listeners, "The weed of crime bears bitter fruit. Crime does not pay.... The Shadow knows!"

Though the lines of The Shadow have remained famous, at one time it was heard to track down episodes of the radio show. But that is no longer true. Thanks to the internet you can now find copies of this and many other radio shows.

The Shadow ran until 1954 and is still a favorite show to many.

Listen to and download over 2,000 totally free old time radio shows, just visit our old time radio show website and our old time radio information blog today.