Posts
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Link Fixed
The link for the show of December 27th (O&H and Suspense) should work now. I'd like to blame technical difficulties, but more likely than not user-error.
Monday, December 28, 2009
New Show - Ozzie and Harriet & Suspense
I hope Christmas was all you hoped it to be. Here at the Old Time Radio Express, we had a nice Christmas, and avoided getting caught by too much weather.
Radio Brownsburg gave us 90 minutes on Sunday night, so we made the most of it with a look back at The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, and then a gripping Suspense story entitled "Too Little To Live On" starring the two stars of the first program, Ozzie Nelson and Harriet Hilliard (aka Harriet Nelson).
Click on the title of this blog episode to listen to or download this week's episode.
The range of these performers who are typecast as saccharine Americana is amazing to see. Enjoy - we'll talk to you in 2010!
Radio Brownsburg gave us 90 minutes on Sunday night, so we made the most of it with a look back at The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, and then a gripping Suspense story entitled "Too Little To Live On" starring the two stars of the first program, Ozzie Nelson and Harriet Hilliard (aka Harriet Nelson). Click on the title of this blog episode to listen to or download this week's episode.
The range of these performers who are typecast as saccharine Americana is amazing to see. Enjoy - we'll talk to you in 2010!
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Cbristmas Bonus Episode!
What better way to share the Christmas spirit than to give you a little something extra this Sunday before Christmas.
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Enjoy now a few extra tidbits about Lionel Barrymore and "A Christmas Carol" from the Campbell Playhouse that didn't make the cut on our December 20th Old Time Radio Express show. I've also got for you a unique 30 minutes called "The Plot to Overthrow Christmas" on This is My Best - a Christmas tale told in verse and starring Ray Collins and Orson Welles, true radio heavyweights, literally and figuratively. (Though to be fair, in 1944, Welles was not a literal heavyweight. See the photo right of Welles in that same year in the movie, Jane Eyre. Compare that with the below left photo of Welles from Touch of Evil in 1958).
_NRFPT_01.jpg)
Enjoy now a few extra tidbits about Lionel Barrymore and "A Christmas Carol" from the Campbell Playhouse that didn't make the cut on our December 20th Old Time Radio Express show. I've also got for you a unique 30 minutes called "The Plot to Overthrow Christmas" on This is My Best - a Christmas tale told in verse and starring Ray Collins and Orson Welles, true radio heavyweights, literally and figuratively. (Though to be fair, in 1944, Welles was not a literal heavyweight. See the photo right of Welles in that same year in the movie, Jane Eyre. Compare that with the below left photo of Welles from Touch of Evil in 1958).
Show #6 of the Old Time Radio Express - A Christmas Carol
This week on the Old Time Radio Express, you get very little of me and a very much of Lionel Barrymore, Orson Welles and great old time radio, in "A Christmas Carol" on The Campbell Playhouse.
I know you listen for various reasons - some love the radio and want less chatter from the host, and some are hearing OTR for the first time and like the tidbits. This week, I'm giving you the best of both worlds - this episode is 60 solid minutes of some of the best OTR has to offer. As a supplement, for those who want it, I'm posting an internet-only mini-OTR Express show with my thoughts on this program. I'll also be sharing a much lesser known Christmas tale that I think you'll like. I didn't plan it this way, but Orson Welles figures prominently in both programs.
I know you listen for various reasons - some love the radio and want less chatter from the host, and some are hearing OTR for the first time and like the tidbits. This week, I'm giving you the best of both worlds - this episode is 60 solid minutes of some of the best OTR has to offer. As a supplement, for those who want it, I'm posting an internet-only mini-OTR Express show with my thoughts on this program. I'll also be sharing a much lesser known Christmas tale that I think you'll like. I didn't plan it this way, but Orson Welles figures prominently in both programs.Link: Show #6 - A Christmas Carol (Having a little difficulty with the typical podcast source, so bear with me!)
Enjoy!
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Why "Christmas"?
Not to get into a philosophical discussion, but you may have noticed that I refer to Christmas on the OTRExpress, rather than 'the holidays' or Hanukkah. The reason for this is simply that the programs from the golden age of radio, for better or for worse, all center around Christmas this time of year. There is simply no mention - that I am aware of - of the Jewish holiday.
The irony is that many of the best comedians of the era were Jewish. Jack Benny (born Benny Kubelsky), Eddie Cantor, George Burns, the Marx Brothers, Milton Berle are among those that come to mind. So why not Hanukkah?
It's hard to say. I don't know whether men like Jack Benny struggled with his heritage as he wrote and performed his annual Christmas shows. My sense is that men like Benny were first and foremost entertainers - that if Christmas was more relevant to his audience and could draw bigger laughs, then Christmas it would be. But I don't know... what do you think?
The irony is that many of the best comedians of the era were Jewish. Jack Benny (born Benny Kubelsky), Eddie Cantor, George Burns, the Marx Brothers, Milton Berle are among those that come to mind. So why not Hanukkah?
It's hard to say. I don't know whether men like Jack Benny struggled with his heritage as he wrote and performed his annual Christmas shows. My sense is that men like Benny were first and foremost entertainers - that if Christmas was more relevant to his audience and could draw bigger laughs, then Christmas it would be. But I don't know... what do you think?
Show #5 of the Old Time Radio Express - Let's Begin Celebrating Christmas!
Sorry for the delay in posting this, the December 13th podcast of the Old Time Radio Express. Been a busy week here in Brownsburg!
I've packed a lot of good old time radio nuggets into this hour, and of course I hope you'll like all of it. But if you don't, it won't be a few minutes before something you do like pops up.
We've got some well-known performers, like Jack Benny and Bing Crosby, and then some of lesser renown, like Dick "Two Ton" Baker, the Music Maker. When you hear Two Ton Baker, you realize that while the national networks certainly captured the top talent, there was a slew of fantastic performers in all of the local markets. It's a blessing that Two Ton's recordings were pressed onto transcription discs and sent out nationally for syndication, or his talents would have been lost to the airwaves. Unfortunately, we're not as lucky with many similar performers.
Radio was indeed very regional. Before coast-to-coast programming, local stations needed to produce their own entertainment, and a lot of them were very good. One only has to look at WXYZ in Detroit, which locally produced The Lone Ranger, The Green Hornet and The Challenge of the Yukon - all later became OTR classics, but started locally in Detroit of all places. Talent and imagination knows no geography.
Well, with all that said, click on the the blog posting title & enjoy this week's show...
I've packed a lot of good old time radio nuggets into this hour, and of course I hope you'll like all of it. But if you don't, it won't be a few minutes before something you do like pops up.
We've got some well-known performers, like Jack Benny and Bing Crosby, and then some of lesser renown, like Dick "Two Ton" Baker, the Music Maker. When you hear Two Ton Baker, you realize that while the national networks certainly captured the top talent, there was a slew of fantastic performers in all of the local markets. It's a blessing that Two Ton's recordings were pressed onto transcription discs and sent out nationally for syndication, or his talents would have been lost to the airwaves. Unfortunately, we're not as lucky with many similar performers.
Radio was indeed very regional. Before coast-to-coast programming, local stations needed to produce their own entertainment, and a lot of them were very good. One only has to look at WXYZ in Detroit, which locally produced The Lone Ranger, The Green Hornet and The Challenge of the Yukon - all later became OTR classics, but started locally in Detroit of all places. Talent and imagination knows no geography.
Well, with all that said, click on the the blog posting title & enjoy this week's show...
Friday, December 11, 2009
Changing the Schedule
This Sunday, instead of featuring "A Christmas Carol" and "This is My Best" on the Old Time Radio Express, we'll do something a little different and have our Christmas surprise program. With all of the great Christmas performances during the Golden Age of Radio, narrowing the choices down was hard....I had to remind myself that there's always next Christmas!
New Blog Features - Instant React & Poll Question
As part of the ongoing effort to make the OTR Express more reader-friendly, we've added a couple of new features, including a poll question on the left frame and a chance to log your reaction instantly right below the blog posts.
Who knows... maybe eventually we'll even get some pictures...
Who knows... maybe eventually we'll even get some pictures...
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Show #4 of the Old Time Radio Express - This Date in History (Shows from December 6th)
I've had a couple of positive reactions to this past Sunday's Old Time Radio Express program, which is nice to hear. It was a difficult program to put together, as newspaper articles from that far back aren't that easily accessible. And some of the work was for naught, as we ran out of time for our December 6, 1937 show...
But we do have are a couple of gems, in their own ways. Enjoy the Whistler and the World Today...
But we do have are a couple of gems, in their own ways. Enjoy the Whistler and the World Today...
Fun new changes....
You'll see that we've added a poll question to the left column of the blog. I'll try to get a fresh one out every week. Our first one deals with one of the most venerable shows from the Golden Age - "Suspense". A lot of big names turned out in front of the Suspense mics, and you've got a healthy choice of four of them in this week's poll question.
Vote early and often!
And if you don't like the choices - write-in votes for your favorite stars are accepted!
Vote early and often!
And if you don't like the choices - write-in votes for your favorite stars are accepted!
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Show #3 - These Are a Few of My Favorite Things
Last Sunday, we took a listen to a couple of my favorite radio programs on the Old Time Radio Express. I think you'll really enjoy "Out of the Past", from The Mysterious Traveler, followed by a couple of great comedy sketches - the Bickersons, and Abbott & Costello.
Someone who listened to the program on Sunday told me that she thought she remembered the Bickersons routine that we played. That could be - but it could also be that if you've heard one Bickersons routine, you've likely heard jokes that recur in just about every Bickersons routine - John's "insomnia", Blanche spending their last dime, John's love of bourbon, Blanche's insistence that John has a thing for Gloria Gooseby. All very funny, but also probably very familiar after a few listens.
I'm looking forward to next Sunday, where we'll do a "This Date in History" show, with a few programs from December 6th's during the Golden Age of Radio. It should be a lot of fun.... until then, thanks for listening (and reading) the Old Time Radio Express!
Someone who listened to the program on Sunday told me that she thought she remembered the Bickersons routine that we played. That could be - but it could also be that if you've heard one Bickersons routine, you've likely heard jokes that recur in just about every Bickersons routine - John's "insomnia", Blanche spending their last dime, John's love of bourbon, Blanche's insistence that John has a thing for Gloria Gooseby. All very funny, but also probably very familiar after a few listens.
I'm looking forward to next Sunday, where we'll do a "This Date in History" show, with a few programs from December 6th's during the Golden Age of Radio. It should be a lot of fun.... until then, thanks for listening (and reading) the Old Time Radio Express!
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Show #2 - Thanksgiving Related
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, and this past Sunday on the show, we had 4 Thanksgiving-related programs.
If you click the show title above, you'll be linked out to a podcast of the show.
On tap, we had Stan Freberg's skits "Take an Indian to Lunch" and the "First Thanksgiving". Both are funny, though it's hard to say whether Freberg would have gotten away with the first one nowadays, in the age of increased political correctness. He's still around, and for a few years hosted a program called "When Radio Was", which similar to the Old Time Radio Express, played old radio shows. The forum didn't give Freberg any chance to roam off-script, so hard to say what he thought.... I'd guess he's still not one to go with the flow.
Bob Hope followed with a monologue on Thanksgiving. You hear in Hope a little bit of a pre-cursor to the opening monologues of the late night TV talk show hosts. That rat-a-tat-tat joke telling, hitting on all the topics of the day. You know, it's not a stretch to think he would have filled such a role quite well. The only problem he might have had was getting out of the way of his guests.
Then we took a 30 minute trip with the Life of Riley. Riley is a good, B+ of a program. It's not going to be many people's favorite program, but it's good for a solid laugh. Like a lot of the sitcoms from the Golden Age of Radio, a little bit of the sheen has been lost. Moreso than mysteries and dramas, it seems that you feel the age of comedies more. An obvious reason to that is that to be great, comedy has to speak to a particular audience at a particular moment in time. Mysteries touch on themes like jealousy, anger, love - things that stir the same feelings that they likely did 70 years ago. A joke about J. Edgar Hoover, though, is going to be lost on a modern audience for the most part.
The same can be said of the Good News of 1940, our last show of the day. As I mentioned on the Old Time Radio Express show, it's by no means great radio. That brings up a good question - should I only play "great" radio? Who decides what is great and what is not? Certainly, in my collection, there are some programs that I don't like. I'm not so wrapped up in the Golden Age of Radio that I love everything equally. But, as a philosophical matter, is my obligation as a host to expose you to a variety of OTR shows or to pick out only the best? It's not worth getting into a long narrative about, but I don't think it's the latter. I'd like to think I'm giving you a representative sample of what Old Radio had to offer, warts and all.
Well, with that said, take care, have a great Thanksgiving, and we'll talk again on Sunday!
If you click the show title above, you'll be linked out to a podcast of the show.
On tap, we had Stan Freberg's skits "Take an Indian to Lunch" and the "First Thanksgiving". Both are funny, though it's hard to say whether Freberg would have gotten away with the first one nowadays, in the age of increased political correctness. He's still around, and for a few years hosted a program called "When Radio Was", which similar to the Old Time Radio Express, played old radio shows. The forum didn't give Freberg any chance to roam off-script, so hard to say what he thought.... I'd guess he's still not one to go with the flow.
Bob Hope followed with a monologue on Thanksgiving. You hear in Hope a little bit of a pre-cursor to the opening monologues of the late night TV talk show hosts. That rat-a-tat-tat joke telling, hitting on all the topics of the day. You know, it's not a stretch to think he would have filled such a role quite well. The only problem he might have had was getting out of the way of his guests.
Then we took a 30 minute trip with the Life of Riley. Riley is a good, B+ of a program. It's not going to be many people's favorite program, but it's good for a solid laugh. Like a lot of the sitcoms from the Golden Age of Radio, a little bit of the sheen has been lost. Moreso than mysteries and dramas, it seems that you feel the age of comedies more. An obvious reason to that is that to be great, comedy has to speak to a particular audience at a particular moment in time. Mysteries touch on themes like jealousy, anger, love - things that stir the same feelings that they likely did 70 years ago. A joke about J. Edgar Hoover, though, is going to be lost on a modern audience for the most part.
The same can be said of the Good News of 1940, our last show of the day. As I mentioned on the Old Time Radio Express show, it's by no means great radio. That brings up a good question - should I only play "great" radio? Who decides what is great and what is not? Certainly, in my collection, there are some programs that I don't like. I'm not so wrapped up in the Golden Age of Radio that I love everything equally. But, as a philosophical matter, is my obligation as a host to expose you to a variety of OTR shows or to pick out only the best? It's not worth getting into a long narrative about, but I don't think it's the latter. I'd like to think I'm giving you a representative sample of what Old Radio had to offer, warts and all.
Well, with that said, take care, have a great Thanksgiving, and we'll talk again on Sunday!
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Looking forward to our Thanksgiving show...
I did some work on this week's Thanksgiving show last night, and I think you'll find it fun and informative. The thing I find I'm enjoying most about this grand radio experiment is having the chance to listen to shows in my collection that I have not heard in awhile, often years. It's just as much a treat for me as I hope it is for you, hearing them for the first time.
Like any good Thanksgiving offering, our plate will be full on Sunday, so I hope we'll have time to squeeze in our last planned offering, "Good News of 1940", a program aptly broadcast in November of 1939. We may have to loosen our belt buckles a bit, but we'll try to get it done...
Until Sunday....
Like any good Thanksgiving offering, our plate will be full on Sunday, so I hope we'll have time to squeeze in our last planned offering, "Good News of 1940", a program aptly broadcast in November of 1939. We may have to loosen our belt buckles a bit, but we'll try to get it done...
Until Sunday....
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
November 15th Show - Jack Benny & Challenge of the Yukon
I have been bad about updating this blog, but for those who don't know, I now have a weekly show on XRB 1610 AM Radio Brownsburg and streaming online at radiobrownsburg.com, Sunday nights at 7pm EST.
I got the show on the strength of the demo program I did with the Shadow & Lum and Abner. (Strength may not be the right word). I don't plan on airing the demo episode on XRB, but you can always download it on this blog. Maybe when they release the collector's edition box set of "The Old Time Radio Express" the demo episode will be thrown in.
For the premiere broadcast, I went with two standards - Jack Benny and Challenge of the Yukon. Both are standards in their owns right - Jack Benny ruled the comedic airwaves during nearly his entire run on radio, and COTY was one of the better-written, better-produced "kiddie programs". Like the reputation of the Pixar movies today, the COTY shows had a reputation of being both kid and grown-up friendly.
This coming Sunday, we'll celebrate Thanksgiving. Look forward to talking with you then.... be sure to tune in.
I got the show on the strength of the demo program I did with the Shadow & Lum and Abner. (Strength may not be the right word). I don't plan on airing the demo episode on XRB, but you can always download it on this blog. Maybe when they release the collector's edition box set of "The Old Time Radio Express" the demo episode will be thrown in.
For the premiere broadcast, I went with two standards - Jack Benny and Challenge of the Yukon. Both are standards in their owns right - Jack Benny ruled the comedic airwaves during nearly his entire run on radio, and COTY was one of the better-written, better-produced "kiddie programs". Like the reputation of the Pixar movies today, the COTY shows had a reputation of being both kid and grown-up friendly.
This coming Sunday, we'll celebrate Thanksgiving. Look forward to talking with you then.... be sure to tune in.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
The OTR Express Radio Show - November/December Schedule
This will be posted on http://www.radiobrownsburg.com/ as well...
THE OLD TIME RADIO EXPRESS WITH MARK WUELLNER
November-December 2009 Schedule
November 15, 2009: Premiere Episode
The Jack Benny Program (April 14, 1946)
Jack takes violin lessons. Guests: Ronald and Benita Colman. Starring Jack Benny, Mary Livingstone, Don Wilson, Phil Harris, Dennis Day. With Mel Blanc.
The Challenge of the Yukon, “A Swindler Swindled” (July 31, 1943)
Sergeant Preston’s friends may have spent their life savings on a worthless gold mine.
November 22, 2009: Getting Ready for Thanksgiving
The Life of Riley (November 29, 1947)
Riley decides to invite the neighbors over for Thanksgiving, until he thinks he can make inroads with the boss by inviting him. Starring William Bendix, Paula Winslowe and John Brown.
Stan Freberg Presents the United States of America – Pilgrim’s Progress & Thanksgiving Story
Bob Hope – Monologue on Thanksgiving
Good News of 1940 – “Here Comes the Pilgrims” (November 23, 1939)
November 29, 2009: A Break from the Holidays
The Mysterious Traveler – “Out of the Past” (April 19, 1949)
The wife of a famous Broadway star tries to keep her husband from finding out that she is being blackmailed by a mysterious foreigner. Starring Maurice Tarplin, Santos Ortega, Roger De Koven and Ann Shephard.
The Bickersons – “The Honeymoon is Over”
Don Ameche and Frances Langford perform as the famous bickering husband and wife, John and Blanche Bickerson.
December 6, 2009: On This Date
The Whistler – “Generous Host” (December 6, 1953)
A wealthy old man and his niece play host to a young man who may want to get his hands on the money. Starring Bill Forman.
Lum and Abner (December 6, 1944)
Abner’s on a hunger strike, and losing weight! Starring Chester Lauck and Norris Goff.
The World Today (December 6, 1941)
The world news from the day before the attack on Pearl Harbor.
December 13, 2009: The Christmas Classics
The Campbell Playhouse – “A Christmas Carol” (December 24, 1939)
Charles Dickens’ classic tale of redemption on Christmas. Starring Lionel Barrymore.
This is My Best – “The Plot to Overthrow Christmas” (December 19, 1944)
A unique piece of radio with a cast of radio greats portraying an assortment of bad guys in Hell teaming up to try to end Christmas once and for all. Starring Orson Welles, Ray Collins, John Brown, Joseph Kearns and Mercedes McCambridge.
December 20, 2009: Christmas Surprise!
A variety of Christmas-related old time radio – you’ll just have to wait to see what we have in store!
December 27, 2009: Fighting the Post-Christmas Blues/Looking to the New Year
The Abbott and Costello Program (December 27, 1945)
Costello buys a beauty shop.
The Jack Benny Program (December 28, 1947)
The cast puts on the annual New’s Year allegory, “The New Tenant”.
THE OLD TIME RADIO EXPRESS WITH MARK WUELLNER
November-December 2009 Schedule
November 15, 2009: Premiere Episode
The Jack Benny Program (April 14, 1946)
Jack takes violin lessons. Guests: Ronald and Benita Colman. Starring Jack Benny, Mary Livingstone, Don Wilson, Phil Harris, Dennis Day. With Mel Blanc.
The Challenge of the Yukon, “A Swindler Swindled” (July 31, 1943)
Sergeant Preston’s friends may have spent their life savings on a worthless gold mine.
November 22, 2009: Getting Ready for Thanksgiving
The Life of Riley (November 29, 1947)
Riley decides to invite the neighbors over for Thanksgiving, until he thinks he can make inroads with the boss by inviting him. Starring William Bendix, Paula Winslowe and John Brown.
Stan Freberg Presents the United States of America – Pilgrim’s Progress & Thanksgiving Story
Bob Hope – Monologue on Thanksgiving
Good News of 1940 – “Here Comes the Pilgrims” (November 23, 1939)
November 29, 2009: A Break from the Holidays
The Mysterious Traveler – “Out of the Past” (April 19, 1949)
The wife of a famous Broadway star tries to keep her husband from finding out that she is being blackmailed by a mysterious foreigner. Starring Maurice Tarplin, Santos Ortega, Roger De Koven and Ann Shephard.
The Bickersons – “The Honeymoon is Over”
Don Ameche and Frances Langford perform as the famous bickering husband and wife, John and Blanche Bickerson.
December 6, 2009: On This Date
The Whistler – “Generous Host” (December 6, 1953)
A wealthy old man and his niece play host to a young man who may want to get his hands on the money. Starring Bill Forman.
Lum and Abner (December 6, 1944)
Abner’s on a hunger strike, and losing weight! Starring Chester Lauck and Norris Goff.
The World Today (December 6, 1941)
The world news from the day before the attack on Pearl Harbor.
December 13, 2009: The Christmas Classics
The Campbell Playhouse – “A Christmas Carol” (December 24, 1939)
Charles Dickens’ classic tale of redemption on Christmas. Starring Lionel Barrymore.
This is My Best – “The Plot to Overthrow Christmas” (December 19, 1944)
A unique piece of radio with a cast of radio greats portraying an assortment of bad guys in Hell teaming up to try to end Christmas once and for all. Starring Orson Welles, Ray Collins, John Brown, Joseph Kearns and Mercedes McCambridge.
December 20, 2009: Christmas Surprise!
A variety of Christmas-related old time radio – you’ll just have to wait to see what we have in store!
December 27, 2009: Fighting the Post-Christmas Blues/Looking to the New Year
The Abbott and Costello Program (December 27, 1945)
Costello buys a beauty shop.
The Jack Benny Program (December 28, 1947)
The cast puts on the annual New’s Year allegory, “The New Tenant”.
First Show Tonight! 7pm EST
The Old Time Radio Express is taking its first journey back into the Golden Age of Radio tonight on XRB 1610 AM Radio Brownsburg and streaming online at http://www.radiobrownsburg.com/. Be sure to tune in!
Sunday, October 18, 2009
First Podcast - The Shadow and Lum &Abner
What better way to start a podcast of old time radio with a classic like "The Shadow" and an underappreciated gem like "Lum & Abner"? Enjoy!
Thursday, October 15, 2009
All Aboard the OTR Express!
This blog is a modern-day vehicle for my love of old time radio. You're welcome aboard, and to jump on and off at any time. We'll be talking about old time radio, the shows, specific programs, performers known and unknown, and even sometimes (or likely more than sometimes), veer off into the realm of old movies. I hope to make this a truly multimedia journey and post a podcast or two along the way. So, as the Mysterious Traveler says, settle back, get a good grip on your nerves, and be comfortable...if you can....
Yours Truly, Mark W.
Yours Truly, Mark W.
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