Classic Radio Theater

Fibber McGee & Molly was a very popular radio sitcom on NBC, running from 1935 to 1956. The stars of the show were played by husband and wife team Jim and Marian Jordan, who had started their radio careers in the 1920s. “Goin’ Fishin’” aired on May 11, 1948.

Hansel & Gretel is an old German fairy tale. The Brothers Grimm published a collection of fairy tales in 1812, including Hansel & Gretel, that they compiled from various sources, bringing the story to the masses.Hansel and Gretel are brother and sister who have been abandoned in the woods by their lovely parents. They were taken in by a witch who intended to cook and eat them. So, one could say this is a both a lesson on wandering alone in the woods and also a cooking show. We won’t ruin the twist ending here, even thought it’s over 200 years old.This version was produced by Tale Spinners for Children, who released stories for young audiences on vinyl records in the 1960s.

The popular musical “The Pajama Game” is a staple in school and community theater productions. The plot revolves around romance and labor issues in a pajama factory. The musical premiered in 1954 on Broadway and in 1955 on London’s West End. This version stars the original Broadway cast. John Raitt, father of musician Bonnie Raitt, was known for playing many lead roles on Broadway and in film. He plays the lead character Sid Sorokin. Babe Williams is played by Janis Paige, one of the last stars from The Golden Age of Hollywood. Vernon Hines is played by Eddie Foy, Jr., whose 60 plus year career spanned from vaudeville and theater to film and television.

Aired on May 11, 1954.

Aired on May 4, 1954.

Dragnet was created and produced by Jack Webb, who also starred as Sergeant Joe Friday. His goal was to create a show that was realistic, so he attended police academy classes and did ride-alongs with the Los Angeles Police Department as part of his research. The cases in the shows were based on actual cases handled by the LAPD. Dragnet was broadcast on NBC radio stations from 1949 to 1957. It overlapped with its TV version which ran from 1951 to 1959 in black and white, and was brought back to TV in color from 1967 to 1970.  “Big Lift” aired on April 27, 1954. As always, please don't believe the cigarette ads.

The hit musical South Pacific by Richard Rogers and Oscar Hammerstein II premiered on Broadway in New York City in 1949 and ran for 1,925 shows. It is based on the 1947 book “Tales of the South Pacific,” by James Michener and follows the story of a nurse based in the south Pacific during World War II.

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. Charlie was a puppet, and having puppets on the radio seemed to make sense at the time.

Enjoy Orson Welles’s production of the beloved “A Christmas Carol,” which aired on Christmas Eve in 1939.

The Doctor prescribed Death aired on February 2, 1943. Boris Karloff plays psychiatrist Antonio Bacile, who believes that a suicidal person can, instead, be convinced to murder someone else.

“Johnny Red” aired on August 13, 1955.

"Ben Tolliver’s Stud” aired on July 23, 1955

Gunsmoke, 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. From a time when westerns were popular, and cigarette companies could advertise on children’s shows. "Twenty-Twenty” first aired on July 16, 1955.

Don Adams performed live at the Las Vegas Sands Casino in 1967. Adams is best known for playing Secret Agent Maxwell Smart on the hit TV series “Get Smart,” which ran from 1965 to 1970. He was also the voice of “Inspector Gadget,” in the 1980s.

Peter and the Wolf is a symphonic tale written by Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev in 1936. The story is a Russian folk tale with different animals and characters being represented by different musical instruments. This performance is narrated by Captain Kangaroo, a/k/a Bob Keeshan, who was a beloved children’s TV host from 1955 to 1984.

The musical Wildcat opened on Broadway in New York City in 1960 and starred Lucille Ball in her only starring Broadway role. She was 49 at the time and had wrapped up her hit TV show, I Love Lucy, three years prior.  Lucy plays the lead role of Wildcat Jackson, who comes to Centavo City in search of striking oil and making it rich.

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 took commercial breaks.)

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.

The Doctor prescribed Death aired on February 2, 1943. Boris Karloff plays psychiatrist Antonio Bacile, who believes that a suicidal person can, instead, be convinced to murder someone else.