The Good Old Days of Radio Show

Today we're following up on our commitment to finish the 15-episode run of The Stan Freberg Show. This episode is basically roasting its own cancellation. In the process, Freberg gives an early demonstration of what a brilliant mind he had for creative advertising with wonderfully ridiculous fake ads for “Instant Freberg.” They also do a hardboiled detective spoof called “Sam Spelade.” John wraps things up with a quick look at the bigger picture: the slow fade of network radio, and why Stan Freberg still matters as a legendary writer, performer, and comedy trailblazer. Visit our website: https://goodolddaysofradio.com/ Subscribe to our Facebook Group for news, discussions, and the latest podcast: https://www.facebook.com/groups/881779245938297 Our theme music is "Why Am I So Romantic?" from Animal Crackers: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KHJKAKS/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_MK8MVCY4DVBAM8ZK39WD

On this episode of The Good Old Days of Radio Show, we plunge deeper into The Cobra King Strikes Back as our jungle adventure continues. After being ambushed at the ruins of Angkor Thom, the ancient walled city in Cambodia that once served as the heart of the Khmer Empire, the team finds itself swept away by a massive caravan into the remote wilderness. Held in stone chambers deep in the jungle, the group must battle fear, fatigue (even elephant-induced seasickness), and the unsettling sound of a spectral voice that seems to warn of imminent death. Visit our website: https://goodolddaysofradio.com/ Subscribe to our Facebook Group for news, discussions, and the latest podcast: https://www.facebook.com/groups/881779245938297 Our theme music is "Why Am I So Romantic?" from Animal Crackers: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KHJKAKS/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_MK8MVCY4DVBAM8ZK39WD

We’re back with part two of John Tefteller’s conversation with Bob Lynes and Barbara Sunday, the dynamic duo behind the long-running Los Angeles radio show Don’t Touch That Dial. This time, they touch on the golden age of radio’s big revival during the ’70s through ’90s. Bobb and Barbara share stories from those early preservation days, the tricky business of royalties and archives, and what it was like to meet the original writers and performers from the 1930s to the 1950s. You’ll also hear a full episode from Richard Diamond, Private Detective and some great behind-the-scenes memories about legends like Bob Hope and Jack Benny’s writing team. It’s a fascinating, funny, and heartfelt tribute to the people who kept classic radio alive long after the microphones went cold. Visit our website: https://goodolddaysofradio.com/ Subscribe to our Facebook Group for news, discussions, and the latest podcast: https://www.facebook.com/groups/881779245938297 Our theme music is "Why Am I So Romantic?" from Animal Crackers: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KHJKAKS/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_MK8MVCY4DVBAM8ZK39WD

It's part 3 of our 10-part adventure expedition today. Last time, the jungle made it clear that nowhere was safe, not even a locked hotel room. A deadly warning sends the group deeper into French Indochina, toward the towering ruins of Angkor Wat. An archaeologist vanishes, strange allies appear, and rumors of an emerald idol hint at forces powerful enough to ignite a rebellion. Visit our website: https://goodolddaysofradio.com/ Subscribe to our Facebook Group for news, discussions, and the latest podcast: https://www.facebook.com/groups/881779245938297 Our theme music is "Why Am I So Romantic?" from Animal Crackers: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KHJKAKS/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_MK8MVCY4DVBAM8ZK39WD

Today John Tefteller sits down with Bobb Lynes and Barbara Sunday, the hosts of the classic Los Angeles radio show Don’t Touch That Dial. They share stories from their decades in broadcasting and their work with SPERDVAC. Bob talks about growing up glued to the radio and how that passion led him to collect and share vintage programs, while Barbara recalls how she went from listener to co-host. You’ll also hear a clip from one of their original broadcasts and a full Tom Mix episode from VE Day, one of Bob’s all-time favorites. Visit our website: https://goodolddaysofradio.com/ Subscribe to our Facebook Group for news, discussions, and the latest podcast: https://www.facebook.com/groups/881779245938297 Our theme music is "Why Am I So Romantic?" from Animal Crackers: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KHJKAKS/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_MK8MVCY4DVBAM8ZK39WD

Our 10-part Carlton E. Morse adventure radio serial continues. Last time, we left our heroes with an escaped prisoner, a vanished girl, and a death chant echoing through the ship. This week, The Cobra King Strikes Back dives even deeper into danger as Dr. Howard Carter and Captain Friday push into the jungles of Cambodia in search of a lost city. Hang on, these radio serials are a bit like salty potato chips: once you start, it's hard to stop. Visit our website: https://goodolddaysofradio.com/ Subscribe to our Facebook Group for news, discussions, and the latest podcast: https://www.facebook.com/groups/881779245938297

Today’s episode digs into one of the most exciting parts of vintage radio: finding lost recordings. Host John Tefteller is joined by Dr. Joe Webb to talk about how shockingly few recordings from radio’s golden age still exist. But every once in a while, a rare survivor turns up, like today’s episode of The Adventures of Sam Spade from 1947, “The Yule Log Caper,” found on an Armed Forces Radio Service transcription disc. They talk about why AFRS versions were so important in preserving history, share a few fun behind-the-scenes stories, and highlight standout moments like Hans Conried’s scene-stealing performance. SHOW NOTES The Adventures of Sam Spade 1947-05-11 The Yule Log Caper The lead actors: Howard Duff as Spade, Lurene Tuttle as Effie Howard Duff had a long and successful, and sometimes rocky, radio, film, and television career. He was not an expected candidate to become Sam Spade. The then-wife of producer William Spier, Kay Thompson, suggested that he be given better consideration. Thompson was a musical coach at MGM and was an important behind-the-scenes influencer in encouraging stars to appear on Suspense. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_Duff  Lurene Tuttle was one of the top radio actors of her time. She might be best known for playing Spade’s dizzy secretary, Effie, but she appeared in hundreds, if over a thousand, radio roles, often uncredited, in soaps, dramas, westerns, comedies, and other programs. Tuttle had a successful television career, often playing the busybody next-door neighbor, as well as many film roles. The supporting cast: Hans Conried (Tauchnetz) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_Conried  Conried was one of radio’s finest, most versatile, and most reliable actors. Baby boomers may remember him best as “Uncle Tonouse” from television’s Danny Thomas Show / Make Room for Daddy. An example of Conried’s skill can be understood when there was a sound effects problem in a Suspense production. It was in the middle of his lines when a prop gun did not fire and he had to buy time for the sound effects artist to retrieve and fire the backup gun. Details are at https://archive.org/details/TSP470227  John McIntire (Carmichael) Jack Moyles (Clausen) Lurene Tuttle (Old lady) Hugh Thomas? (Merwyn Trelease) Charlotte Lawrence (Mrs. Clausen) Classic radio researcher Karl Schadow notes that the character named “Al McAvity” is an inside joke about Tom McAvity. He was broadcasting executive who was with both NBC and CBS and various ad agencies. (Karl Schadow was profiled by the Library of Congress blog in 2018 https://blogs.loc.gov/loc/2018/05/inquiring-minds-bringing-radios-golden-age-back-to-life/ ) Sam Spade profile and history at Thrilling Detective https://thrillingdetective.com/2018/11/18/sam-spade/  Visit our website: https://goodolddaysofradio.com/ Subscribe to our Facebook Group for news, discussions, and the latest podcast: https://www.facebook.com/groups/881779245938297 Our theme music is "Why Am I So Romantic?" from Animal Crackers: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KHJKAKS/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_MK8MVCY4DVBAM8ZK39WD

Happy 2026 from The Good Old Days of Radio Show! Today we are launching a 10-week 1944 pure pulp adventure serial The Cobra King Strikes Back, created by master of the cliffhanger, Carlton E. Morse. Set against the exotic backdrop of a voyage to Cambodia, the story brings together two very different missions aboard the same steamship. An archaeological expedition led by Dr. Carter is hunting for a legendary lost city, while Captain Friday and Skip Turner are escorting a chained and extremely dangerous prisoner, international mastermind Fen Lo. Things unravel fast when Fen Lo somehow slips his shackles without a sound. Almost at the same moment, Celia Carter, the archaeologist’s daughter, vanishes into the shadows of the ship. Suspicion, fear, and rising panic spread through the passengers as it becomes clear that something far more sinister is at work. Visit our website: https://goodolddaysofradio.com/ Subscribe to our Facebook Group for news, discussions, and the latest podcast: https://www.facebook.com/groups/881779245938297 Our theme music is "Why Am I So Romantic?" from Animal Crackers: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KHJKAKS/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_MK8MVCY4DVBAM8ZK39WD

This week we bring in the New Year, and appropriate with the theme we have a New Year's fantasy from The Columbia Workshop originally broadcast back in 1941. A group of unborn children peer down at the world through a hole in the sky and decide they want no part of it. War, injustice, and cruelty have convinced them to go on strike, refusing to be born at all. Their solution: one baby, Johnny, enters the world with the ability to negotiate. It’s a blend of whimsy and social commentary from the snapshot of America on the brink of another world war, with many themes that eerily resonate with modern times. Visit our website: https://goodolddaysofradio.com/ Subscribe to our Facebook Group for news, discussions, and the latest podcast: https://www.facebook.com/groups/881779245938297 Our theme music is "Why Am I So Romantic?" from Animal Crackers: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KHJKAKS/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_MK8MVCY4DVBAM8ZK39WD

Merry Christmas Day, everyone! Today we're presenting one of the most unusual Christmas broadcasts ever aired: Norman Corwin’s 1942 CBS play, The Plot to Overthrow Christmas. Told as a darkly comic rhyming fantasy, the story opens in Hades, where history’s greatest villains plot to wipe out Christmas once and for all. Their scheme sends Nero himself to the North Pole with orders to eliminate Santa Claus, but what follows is an unexpected and surprisingly moving turn toward redemption, sparked by the spirit of the season and the gift of a Stradivarius violin. Equal parts fantasy, poetry, and wartime artifact, this broadcast is a rare Christmas story that balances wit, wonder, and the enduring belief that even the darkest hearts can be changed. Visit our website: https://goodolddaysofradio.com/ Subscribe to our Facebook Group for news, discussions, and the latest podcast: https://www.facebook.com/groups/881779245938297 Our theme music is "Why Am I So Romantic?" from Animal Crackers: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KHJKAKS/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_MK8MVCY4DVBAM8ZK39WD

1949 Christmas Cheers everyone! No, this is not the same Jack Benny Show we brought you a couple of weeks ago. It's still 1949, though, and Jack Benny did a second Christmas show that year that doesn't take place at the department store! Celebration is in the air (and so are sparks) when Jack Benny and the gang attempt to decorate the Christmas tree, triggering a series of electrical mishaps. It’s a perfect snapshot of Golden Age radio at Christmastime; funny, sentimental, and filled with the pop culture touchstones that made The Jack Benny Program a holiday tradition for millions of listeners. Visit our website: https://goodolddaysofradio.com/ Subscribe to our Facebook Group for news, discussions, and the latest podcast: https://www.facebook.com/groups/881779245938297 Our theme music is "Why Am I So Romantic?" from Animal Crackers: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KHJKAKS/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_MK8MVCY4DVBAM8ZK39WD

Christmas is still coming, and this episode brings us a 1948 episode from Duffy’s Tavern. Anyone familiar with this series will know its sharp wit, wordplay, and often world-weary cynical dialogue. But this show is a surprising change from its usual format. Archie is in peak “bah, humbug” mode when a soft-spoken stranger walks into the tavern claiming he’s come all the way from Bethlehem. What follows is a surprising, almost magical tour through the city, where Archie witnesses a series of quiet miracles. A charming blend of humor, heart, and holiday mystery, perfect for a classic Christmas listen. Visit our website: https://goodolddaysofradio.com/ Subscribe to our Facebook Group for news, discussions, and the latest podcast: https://www.facebook.com/groups/881779245938297 Our theme music is "Why Am I So Romantic?" from Animal Crackers: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KHJKAKS/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_MK8MVCY4DVBAM8ZK39WD

In this episode, we’re heading back to 1944 for a frantic, festive, and very Abbott-and-Costello-style take on Christmas shopping. Sponsored at the time by Camel Cigarettes, this broadcast is packed with the duo’s trademark rapid-fire banter and wild misunderstandings. Between the slapstick wordplay, the show offers a fascinating snapshot of the era: wartime cigarette ads. A lively mix of comedy, history, and holiday chaos. Visit our website: https://goodolddaysofradio.com/ Subscribe to our Facebook Group for news, discussions, and the latest podcast: https://www.facebook.com/groups/881779245938297 Our theme music is "Why Am I So Romantic?" from Animal Crackers: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KHJKAKS/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_MK8MVCY4DVBAM8ZK39WD

Today we're bringing you the first in a series of interviews John did with personalities who were instrumental in the great old time radio revival of the 1970s and beyond. John sat down with Harvey Tow (better known to L.A. radio fans as Cousin Zeno) for a look back at his decades in vintage radio. Harvey talks about getting his start as a collector in the mid-’60s, hosting on stations like KCSN Northridge through the ’70s and ’80s, and how he managed to rescue a set of Lux Radio Theatre rehearsal discs straight from a former engineer. One of those recordings, The Pied Piper starring Frank Morgan, is featured in this episode. Along the way, Harvey shares memories of meeting legends like Bill Conrad and Roddy McDowall. Visit our website: https://goodolddaysofradio.com/ Subscribe to our Facebook Group for news, discussions, and the latest podcast: https://www.facebook.com/groups/881779245938297

In today’s episode, we’re unwrapping a classic from Fibber McGee and Molly, originally aired December 21st, 1948. The fun kicks off when Fibber finds a mysterious card signed “Love, Elizabeth,” and immediately jumps to all the wrong conclusions. The truth, of course, is far more innocent. It’s a charming slice of holiday mischief, complete with those wonderfully earnest Johnson’s Glo-Coat ads. We also talk about how this script later inspired a similar episode featuring Molly. Visit our website: https://goodolddaysofradio.com/ Subscribe to our Facebook Group for news, discussions, and the latest podcast: https://www.facebook.com/groups/881779245938297 Our theme music is "Why Am I So Romantic?" from Animal Crackers: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KHJKAKS/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_MK8MVCY4DVBAM8ZK39WD

Today’s show takes us to Christmas 1947 for a warm-hearted episode of Family Theater called “Substitute Santa.” We’re back to packed department stores, a frazzled manager scrambling to find someone — anyone — to fill in as Santa, and an owner who’s way more worried about a $4,000 mink coat giveaway than spreading holiday cheer. The star is character actor Frank McHugh, and the show is hosted by Ray Milland. And because this is family theater, woven through the story are reminders about prayer, the Nativity, and what the season is really supposed to be about. Visit our website: https://goodolddaysofradio.com/ Subscribe to our Facebook Group for news, discussions, and the latest podcast: https://www.facebook.com/groups/881779245938297 Our theme music is "Why Am I So Romantic?" from Animal Crackers: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KHJKAKS/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_MK8MVCY4DVBAM8ZK39WD

On today’s episode, we’re rolling back to December 18, 1949, for the traditional The Jack Benny Christmas Show. It’s Christmas week on CBS, the stores are packed, and Jack and Mary are just trying to finish their shopping without losing their minds. Naturally, that means running into every character in Benny’s universe; Rochester, Phil Harris, Dennis Day, and a few crazy store clerks. The whole thing is sprinkled with Lucky Strike jingles, plus a running gag about the hit song “Mule Train,” which was absolutely everywhere that year. After the show, John digs into some fun history, including a surprisingly early use of the word “smog” to describe L.A.’s air. Visit our website: https://goodolddaysofradio.com/ Subscribe to our Facebook Group for news, discussions, and the latest podcast: https://www.facebook.com/groups/881779245938297 Our theme music is "Why Am I So Romantic?" from Animal Crackers: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KHJKAKS/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_MK8MVCY4DVBAM8ZK39WD

Today we’re celebrating Thanksgiving with something special, particularly if you're any kind of a "Disney-phile." It's a rare 1938 NBC radio broadcast marking the 10th anniversary of Mickey Mouse! You’ll hear Felix Mills and his orchestra, visits from Donald Duck and Clara Cluck, and even a personal appearance by Walt Disney himself. The show takes us from Steamboat Willie all the way through the triumph of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. A perfect slice of radio and Disney history to enjoy with your Thanksgiving leftovers. Visit our website: https://goodolddaysofradio.com/ Subscribe to our Facebook Group for news, discussions, and the latest podcast: https://www.facebook.com/groups/881779245938297

Today as we're nearing Thanksgiving, we’re taking a trip into radio fantasy, a 1945 broadcast of Walt Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. We've presented several versions of this, The Lux Radio Theatre being closest to the original animated film. This one’s got an interesting backstory: it was mislabeled as a 1943 Mercury Theatre production, but it’s actually from This Is My Best, a CBS series hosted by Orson Welles. The episode stars Jane Powell as Snow White, with Welles doing the narration. Visit our website: https://goodolddaysofradio.com/ Subscribe to our Facebook Group for news, discussions, and the latest podcast: https://www.facebook.com/groups/881779245938297 Our theme music is "Why Am I So Romantic?" from Animal Crackers: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KHJKAKS/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_MK8MVCY4DVBAM8ZK39WD

Today we have another tale from The Whistler. A woman named Helen waiting for her missing brother to be declared dead… when suddenly, a man shows up claiming to be him. From there, it’s a tense psychological battle full of suspicion and hidden motives. A great listen for anyone who loves the shadowy, double-crossing world of vintage radio crime. Visit our website: https://goodolddaysofradio.com/ Subscribe to our Facebook Group for news, discussions, and the latest podcast: https://www.facebook.com/groups/881779245938297 Our theme music is "Why Am I So Romantic?" from Animal Crackers: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KHJKAKS/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_MK8MVCY4DVBAM8ZK39WD