Showing results by narrator "Old Time Radio" in All Categories

Bright Star chronicles the happenings at the offices of The Hillsdale Morning Star, a small town newspaper owned and edited by Susan Armstrong. Played by Irene Dunne as a no-nonsense professional, Susan nevertheless has a sweet spot for her star reporter. George Harvey, played by Fred MacMurray as an energetic and competitive journalist, challenges, bothers and bewilders his boss at every turn.

Step into radio’s legendary house of horrors. The only program on the air to combine pitch-dark horror with sardonic humor, sending forth its undead monstrosities with rotting tongue pressed firmly into cheek. The razor-voiced Raymond Edward Johnson handles his hosting duties like an oily insurance salesman with a sideline in ax murder, while playful Paul McGrath brings forth an effortlessly exaggerated sense of black comedy. Come in! You’ll never know what’s going on behind the rust-metal shriek of the infamous Creaking Door until you open it.

The impeccably dressed Charlie McCarthy was as sarcastic as he was stylish. His country cousin Mortimer Snerd was buck-toothed, bucolic...and just as fondly remembered. But it was the egalitarian and exquisitely entertaining Edgar Bergen who brought them to life. Enjoy this Peabody Award winning team in 16 digitally restored and remastered episodes - many of which have not been available since their original broadcast in 1942! Hear performances by Rita Hayworth, W. C. Fields, Harold Peary, Hedy Lamarr, Don Ameche, Dale Evans, and more....

Hit the road, Jack! Take a train, a plane, or even a ship! Wherever he goes, and however he gets there, Jack Benny is always good for a laugh. Mary Livingstone, Phil Harris, Eddie “Rochester” Anderson, Dennis Day, and Don Wilson come along for the ride in 16 travel themed adventures in this collection. Climb aboard for coast to coast clowning, with special appearances by the infamous racetrack “tout” (Sheldon Leonard) and the reliable railway announcer (Mel Blanc). “Train leaving on track five for Anaheim, Azusa, and Cuc-amonga!”

Wherever there’s trouble - there’s Paladin. He is called on to find missing people, to find a way to protect those who have been targeted by the unscrupulous, to find criminals, and to find a resolution. John Dehner stars as the peripatetic champion of justice in twenty taut, thrilling tales of Western adventure from 1959. Ben Wright co-stars as Hey Boy, with Virginia Gregg as Miss Wong, in this series produced and directed by Norman Macdonnell.

A favorite recurring feature of the Burns and Allen radio program involved George's fruitless efforts to defend himself against the schemes of the Beverly Hills Uplift Society, "an organization of women…for women…by women. This gathering of gossipy females embark on ill-advised escapades - from matchmaking to hijacking the show - all to George's dismay. The society sweethearts are played by Bea Benaderet and Elvia Allman, with jocular gentlemen Mel Blanc, Hans Conried, Elliott Lewis and Gale Gordon as part of an ensemble that set a benchmark for character acting in radio comedy.

Jack Benny's supporting cast - his "gang" - was the heart, soul, and success of his radio program. Mary Livingstone, Don Wilson, Phil Harris, Eddie "Rochester" Anderson, Dennis Day, Frank Nelson, Mel Blanc, Artie Auerbach, and Ronald and Benita Colman delivered many of the best jokes - and earned biggest laughs - on the show. Many members of this talented ensemble went on to star in programs of their own - always with Jack's support. This collection includes some of the gang's best work - both on and off of Benny's program.

Kick back and listen as Jean Shepherd discusses the vast minutiae of life. From (talking) machines to driving a Hudson Terraplane...from the end of the world to the strange (and rarely discussed) appetites of man...and much more, you will hear Shep's customary and matchless combination of wit, wisdom, and humor!

With a quick mind and a quicker tongue (occasionally planted firmly in cheek), Dashiell Hammett's daring detective takes the case, takes a few punches, takes the dough (when there is any), and takes advantage of Effie's...good nature, in eight digitally restored and remastered capers.

Excitable and loose-lipped Fibber means well enough, but it's not always easy for even-tempered Molly to keep him in check and out of trouble. Of course, the long suffering Mrs. McGee's penchant for patience makes it all the funnier when she's finally pushed to the point of exasperation. But, both McGee's are fabulously friendly, opening their door at 79 Wistful Vista to welcome the likes of Mayor LaTrivia (Gale Gordon), Doc Gamble (Arthur Q. Bryan), and neighborly nemesis Throckmorton P. Gildersleeve (Hal Peary).

Michael Waring is the freelance investigator, troubleshooter, and adventurer known to one and all as The Falcon. One part The Saint, one part Boston Blackie, and one part Philip Marlowe - Waring can be suave and charming, especially when a lady is involved. But, there's never any doubt about his nail-spitting toughness, nor of his impatience with the plodding methods of the police - most often expressed in an endless stream of clenched-teeth wisecracks.

Radio Spirits is pleased to present 20 classic tales from one of radio's greatest action and adventure series. This collection will bring you tales of black pearls, headhunters, volcanoes, Nazi convoys and cargos of gold in exotic settings and locales - from South of the Border to Dutch East India, Paris, North Africa, and points unknown! These tightly scripted and directed episodes feature many of radio's finest voices, including William Conrad, Paul Frees, Georgia Ellis, Harry Bartell, Raymond Burr, Joseph Kearns, Parley Baer, Jeanette Nolan, John Dehner, Virginia Greg and many more.

Doctors and nurses exchanging tense, meaningful dialogue! A gurney rumbles down a corridor, surgical instruments clatter, and a rubber glove snaps at the end of a life-saving operation! Here is medical drama at its best - tense, taut, and intensely human! Lew Ayres stars as Dr. James Kildare, an intern at the start of his medical career, who takes on the hectic routine of a major metropolitan hospital. Lionel Barrymore co-stars as his gruff-but-kindly mentor Dr. Leonard Gillespie.

In one corner...we have John Bickerson (played by Don Ameche and Lew Parker), the undisputed snoring champion of the world! In the other corner...we have Blanche Bickerson (played by Frances Langford and Marsha Hunt), radio's most relentless battle ax! Love conquers all? Well, we'll see about that. Listen in as radio's most contentious couple goes to the mat. The sleep-deprived are about to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous matrimony in this cutting comedy.

Wherever there's a scheme afoot, radio's fabulous freelance insurance investigator is on the job to stop it! Bob Bailey stars as Johnny Dollar, picking up the ringing telephone to take on cases of double indemnity and double cross, foul weather and foul play. Bailey is the definitive Dollar - the character's wry sense of humor fits the actor like a tailor-made suit. He's a man of keen analytical skills and good nature, a man who can use his fists in a tight spot without being an obnoxious "tough guy".

Welcome to The Lineup, "where under the cold, glaring lights pass the innocent, the vagrant, the thief, and the murderer". This tightly scripted radio series traced the activities Lieutenant Ben Guthrie (Bill Johnstone) and his Sergeants Matt Greb (Wally Maher) and Peter Carger (Jack Moyles). Ride along with the squad and follow the parade of arrests they make, through witness identifications, subsequent investigations, and the apprehension of additional criminals - all eventually culminating in the cracking (and closing) of the day's case.

Radio’s dark alleys and rain-swept side streets were prowled by plenty of detectives - but, only one of them sat down each week at the piano, after the felons were safely jugged, and crooned to his girlfriend. Dick Powell, the tenacious man with the sweet tenor voice, stars as Richard Diamond, Private Detective! Diamond is a delightfully unpredictable detective - as much inclined to shoot off his mouth in a tight spot as he is to shoot off his gun - who can take more than his share of punishment from goons and gunsels without having his sense of humor take a beating.

Hilarious Hollywood spoofs were a beloved feature on many classic Jack Benny radio shows. Regular cast members and guest stars alike were recruited to send up cinema classics like Casablanca, High Noon, and Sunset Boulevard. Celebrities could count on large laughs - and, looking good next to Jack’s lovably vainglorious and miserly self - while poking fun at their most famous films. A treasure trove for both Benny-philes and film fans, this set includes 12 digitally restored and remastered episodes, performances by the likes of Bob Hope and Edward G. Robinson.

Here comes the cowboy hero who took 1950 by storm - thundering across the West of your own wild imagination! Dressed in his famous black suit and riding his trusty horse Topper, it’s Hopalong Cassidy in 16 original radio adventures! William Boyd stars as Hoppy, with Joseph Duval as California Carlson. Though most of their adventures are in the general vicinity of the Bar 20 ranch, our heroes do venture out on occasion for exploits in the wider world. Listen in as they encounter scoundrels and schemes from the frontier to the formidable streets of New York!

On a cold, rainy night in the darkest shadows of your imagination, fate is waiting for you...in the form of The Whistler! Join him for 20 excursions into the realm of those nameless terrors of which we dare not speak! Bill Forman plays the role of the omniscient storyteller, offering terrible tales from the perspective of the very culprits themselves. Yet somehow, even though you know who’s guilty, there is always a shocking twist at the end!