Classic Radio Theater

Dragnet, “Big Note,” aired on April 13, 1954.All we need are the facts. But you already knew that.

Dragnet, “Big Saw,” aired on April 6, 1954.Just the facts, Jack.

The legendary comedic duo Fibber McGee & Molly with “I Can Get It For You Wholesale.” This show was broadcast on December 9, 1941, two days after the attack on Pearl Harbor. This show includes news updates on World War II.

Broadcast on March 5, 1940. The giant mess in Fibber's closet led to a short-lived expression of any household mess being called “Fibber McGee's Closet.”

Uncle Oliver aired on July 9, 1955.

General Parcley Smith aired on July 2, 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.The Army Trial first aired on June 25, 1955.

Lily Tomlin is a showbiz legend who started out doing stand-up comedy in the 1960s. She is best known today for costarring in the 1980 movie “9 to 5” with Jane Fonda and Dolly Parton, and more recently in the Netflix sitcom Grace and Frankie, also with Jane Fonda.“This Is A Recording” was released in 1971. It features Lily's character, Ernestine, a telephone operator who treats customers terribly. Ernestine also made a memorable appearance on Saturday Night Live in 1976 on a fake telephone company commercial, stating, "We don't care. We don't have to. We're the phone company.”

The Great Crepitation Contest of 1946For our annual celebration of April fools Day, we present “The Great Crepitation Contest of 1946,” the championship farting contest between Lord Windesmear and Paul Boomer. Although nobody is certain, this recording was most likely done in 1940 by Canadian Broadcasting Corporation sports announcer Sidney S. Brown and CBC producer Jules Lipton as an in-house joke. Someone at Columbia records pressed the recording onto a set of two 78 rpm records, including album art. The official release was nixed by CBS brass, but a few premium copies made it out to the public. Enjoy!

My Darling Clementine starring Peter FondaAnother presentation of The Lux Radio Theater, this adaptation aired on April 28, 1947.

The Treasure of Sierra Madre, starring Humphrey BogartBroadcast on April 18, 1949 by The Lux Radio Theater on the NBC Blue Network. Lux was a brand of soap owned by Unilever.

The Lone Ranger - Eric Hyde Loses Cattle to RustlersThe Lone Ranger radio show began its successful run at WXYZ Radio in Detroit, Michigan, in 1933 and would stay on the air until 1956. Although it was intended for a younger audience, at least half of listeners were adults. The show is well known for its use of The William Tell Overture as its theme.

Dragnet, “Big Confession,” aired on March 30, 1954.

Dragnet, “Big Mustache,” aired on March 23, 1954.

Dragnet, “Big Rod,” aired on March 3, 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 it's TV version which ran from 1951 to 1959 in black and white, and was brought back to TV in color from 1967 to 1970.

Gunsmoke, “The Reed Survives,” aired on June 18, 1955.

Gunsmoke, “Trust,” aired on June 11, 1955.

Gunsmoke, “Cow Doctor,” aired on May 28, 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.

The legendary W.C. Fields was born William Claude Dukenfield in Pennsylvania in 1880. He started his career as a juggler on the vaudeville circuit, then moved into comedy and acting. He is know for his distinctive speech patterns and for his character's love of alcohol.Part 1: The Temperance LecturePart 2: The Day I Drank A Glass of WaterDoes his act still hold up?

Flip Wilson (1933-1998) was the first Black comedian to host a successful TV variety show, The Flip Wilson Show, which aired from 1970 to 1974. Flip was well known for playing the character of Geraldine in his act as well ask for numerous TV appearances from he 1960s through the 1980s. He continued to perform into the 1990s until he passed away from cancer in 1998.

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

An Evening With Groucho Marx (Part 2 of 2)

An Evening With Groucho Marx (Part 1 of 2)Released in 1972, An Evening With Groucho Marx was recorded live at three venues, Carnegie Hall in New York City, C.Y. Stephens Auditorium at Iowa State University, and Masonic Auditorium in San Fransisco. Groucho is introduced by Dick Cavett and is accompanied on piano by Marvin Hamlisch.

The Life of Riley with William Bendix- “Thanksgiving with the Gillises,” aired on November 29, 1947.The Life of Riley was a radio sitcom that aired from 1944 to 1951. It was later developed into a movie and a TV series.

Gunsmoke, “The Liar From Blackhawk,” aired on May 21, 1955.

Gunsmoke, “Robber Bridegroom,” aired on May 14, 1955.

Gunsmoke, “Potato Road,” aired on May 7, 1955.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.

It's time for our annual rebroadcast of Orson Welles's “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 even took commercial breaks.)

“House in Cypress Canyon,” starring Robert Taylor, from the radio series SUSPENSE. This episode is widely considered one of the most terrifying shows broadcast during the Golden Age of Radio. A couple moves into a new rental house, and finds blood running from beneath a closet door… This episode aired on December 5, 1946.

Lights Out was one of the earliest radio programs focusing on horror and the supernatural. It ran on several networks from 1934 to 1947 before making the transition to television. This episode, “Rocket From Manhattan,” was broadcast on September 20, 1945, and is set in the distant future year of… 2000!

Lights Out was one of the earliest radio programs focusing on horror and the supernatural. It ran on several networks from 1934 to 1947 before making the transition to television. This episode, “Oxychloride X,” was broadcast on January 26, 1938.

Amos 'N AndyPart 1: Kingfish tricks his uncle into sending money for medical school. Then the uncle comes to check on his new practice. Aired on June 16, 1952. Part 2: Kingfish buys Sapphire a gold bracelet on credit. Then it gets repossessed and sold to another friend. Aired on June 23, 1952.

Amos 'N AndyPart 1: Kingfish acts as a marriage broker, but his plans go down the drain. Aired on October 10, 1948.Part 2: Kingfish spends the budget for the yearly Lodge Outing. When the other members find out, he is forced to repay the money.

Amos 'N AndyPart 1: Andy writes a column in the local newspaper and gets sued for giving bad advice. Aired on January 26, 1945.Part 2: Kingfish sells Andy his mountain cabin. When Andy finds out there are taxes due on the cabin, he tricks Kingfish into returning the money.

Amos 'N Andy was a radio sitcom that aired from 1928 to 1960. The titled characters were Black, but were played by the two white show creators Freeman Gosden (Amos) and Charles Correll (Andy). The show had a brief stint on television from 1951 to 1953 where the title characters were played by Black actors.Part 1: Andy and Kingfish enter a sales contest sponsored by a fountain pen company. Aired on December 1, 1944.Part 2: Andy works as Santa Claus in a department store to buy Amos's daughter a Christmas gift. Aired on December 12, 1944.

Everything You Always Wanted To Know About The Godfather (But Don't Ask)By The Crazy Gang.This performance was recorded with a live audience on May 11, 1972.

Dragnet, “Big Cup,” aired on March 9, 1954.

Dragnet, “Big Pipe,” aired on February 23, 1954.

Dragnet, “Big Sucker,” aired on February 16, 1954. That's just a fact, ma'am.