Randy Riddle posted an article on rand’s esoteric otr - Nov 26, 2009, 5:59 am
Well, since Thanksgiving is behind us, I think I can safely start a bit of Christmas programming.  You’re in for a treat over the next few weeks as I post some Christmas shows you’ve prob...
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Randy Riddle posted an article on rand’s esoteric otr - Nov 26, 2009, 5:57 am
Now for a bit of music and comedy with “Music Hall” aka the “Kraft Music Hall”. In this post, program number 92 as broadcast on the Armed Forces Radio Service, originally hear...
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Randy Riddle posted an article on rand’s esoteric otr - Nov 26, 2009, 5:55 am
Since Christmas is on the way, it’s a good time to revisit the ABC series “The Greatest Story Ever Told”, a program based on the book of the same title, that dramatizes stories and p...
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Randy Riddle posted an article on rand’s esoteric otr - Nov 26, 2009, 5:53 am
Now back to “Your Home Front Reporter”, a mix of War news and music sponsored by the Owens Illinois Glass Company.  This week we hear program 107 in the series originally broadcast on CBS...
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Randy Riddle posted an article on rand’s esoteric otr - Nov 26, 2009, 5:48 am
Once again we drop in on the “American Family Robinson”, a continuing drama about a small town newspaper editor, his wacky relatives, and the evils of FDR’s New Deal and socialism. ...
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Randy Riddle posted an article on rand’s esoteric otr - Nov 26, 2009, 5:46 am
Sportscaster Jimmy Powers returns to narrate the mid-50s syndicated sports show, “The Grantland Rice Story”. Program GRS-8 in the series is titled “Golf and Its Champions”, wi...
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Randy Riddle posted an article on rand’s esoteric otr - Nov 22, 2009, 8:11 am
Recently, the OTR Digest mailing list has been buzzing with a discussion about what, on the surface, sounds like an alternate performance of “The War of the Worlds” that has been unearthed...
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Randy Riddle posted an article on rand’s esoteric otr - Nov 18, 2009, 6:40 pm
This month I’m on something of a World War II kick - in this post, we’re revisiting a series I started running last year and I’ll be running the last four episodes in my collection o...
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Randy Riddle posted an article on rand’s esoteric otr - Nov 18, 2009, 6:36 pm
I’m pleased to offer another previously “lost” show, saved for us by an unknown local station doing some time shifting of their network programming. “Blue Ribbon Music Time...
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Randy Riddle posted an article on rand’s esoteric otr - Nov 18, 2009, 6:35 pm
We come to the end of a series of excerpts from the CBS series “Pick and Pat”, featuring Blackface comedians Pick Padgett and Pat Malone.  The shows were recorded for the producer of the ...
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Randy Riddle posted an article on rand’s esoteric otr - Nov 18, 2009, 6:33 pm
In this post, a bit of a mystery - an unnumbered and undated episode of the Armed Forces Radio series “Mail Call”. The host of the program is Jane Nye.  The King Sisters kick off the sho...
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Randy Riddle posted an article on rand’s esoteric otr - Nov 18, 2009, 6:31 pm
Jimmy Powers picks up “The Grantland Rice Story” again this week in this Thesaurus syndicated series from circa 1956. Program 7 in the series, “The Story of Big Bill Tilden” f...
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Randy Riddle posted an article on rand’s esoteric otr - Nov 18, 2009, 6:29 pm
And now, this week’s installment of “American Family Robinson”, a syndicated 1930s serial sponsored by the National Association of Manufacturers to influence public opinion on Roosev...
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Randy Riddle posted an article on rand’s esoteric otr - Nov 18, 2009, 6:28 pm
Well, I’m back and ready to roll with some new shows.  Thanks for your kind words during the break…
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Randy Riddle posted an article on rand’s esoteric otr - Nov 15, 2009, 5:50 pm
It’s been a busy couple of weeks for me with some unexpected dental surgery and work with my “day job”. The blog returns later this week when things start getting back to normal (wh...
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Randy Riddle posted an article on rand’s esoteric otr - Nov 15, 2009, 5:40 pm
It’s been a busy couple of weeks for me with some unexpected dental surgery and work with my “day job”. The blog returns later this week when things start getting back to normal (wh...
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Randy Riddle posted an article on rand’s esoteric otr - Oct 29, 2009, 1:36 pm
Well, here’s something to keep the kiddies scared on Halloween. “The Sealed Book” was a horror program from the 1940s that was a bit of a mish-mash.  It was hosted by a “keep...
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Randy Riddle posted an article on rand’s esoteric otr - Oct 29, 2009, 1:33 pm
Here’s a rare treat with a Halloween theme - some music composed especially for the spooky season. It’s a concert from the “Hollywood Bowl”, distributed as Program 78 in the s...
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Randy Riddle posted an article on rand’s esoteric otr - Oct 28, 2009, 9:06 pm
A few months back, we heard the first show in the series “Mercer Mcleod, The Man with the Story”, syndicated by NBC in the 1940s.  In the show, talented actor Mercer Mcleod plays all the ...
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Randy Riddle posted an article on rand’s esoteric otr - Oct 28, 2009, 8:58 pm
Here’s another lost/uncirculated episode in the Ziv syndicated drama series, “Your Movietown Radio Theatre”, dated by Goldin to circa 1947-48. Program 19 is something of a mystery p...
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Randy Riddle posted an article on rand’s esoteric otr - Oct 28, 2009, 5:43 pm
It’s back to Centerville now and the adventures of the “American Family Robinson”, a syndicated mid 1930s serial paid for by the National Industrial Council (the National Association...
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Randy Riddle posted an article on rand’s esoteric otr - Oct 28, 2009, 4:00 pm
Jimmy Powers continues narrating the life story of sports writer Grantland Rice this week.  Episode GRS-6 is titled “Great Athletes - Past and Present” and we hear thoughts from Grantland...
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Randy Riddle posted an article on rand’s esoteric otr - Oct 23, 2009, 7:49 pm
The “Historical Dictionary of Amercian radio soap operas” by Jim Cox notes that “Five Star Matinee” was broadcast from December 31, 1956 through December 1958 and was placed on...
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Randy Riddle posted an article on rand’s esoteric otr - Oct 23, 2009, 7:47 pm
Hildegarde returns to the blog this week with another previously lost episode of her series “The Raleigh Room” originally broadcast on NBC. In this post, we hear the episode of September ...
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Randy Riddle posted an article on rand’s esoteric otr - Oct 23, 2009, 7:45 pm
Note:  This program contains racial stereotyping themes that may be offensive to some listeners. Here’s the next to last excerpt of the CBS series “Pick and Pat” in my collection, ...
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Randy Riddle posted an article on rand’s esoteric otr - Oct 23, 2009, 7:44 pm
Now we return to Centerville for “American Family Robinson”, a serial drama on the life of a small town newspaper editor and his wacky family, sponsored by the National Industrial Council ...
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Randy Riddle posted an article on rand’s esoteric otr - Oct 23, 2009, 7:43 pm
Jimmy Powers returns narrating “The Grantland Rice Story” in this program syndicated by RCA Thesaurus in the mid 1950s. Program GRS-5 is titled “The Dempsey-Tunny Fights” and ...
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Randy Riddle posted an article on rand’s esoteric otr - Oct 15, 2009, 9:16 pm
Do you have a problem with your temper? Perhaps you can pick up a few tips from Fibber McGee in program 85 of the “Fibber McGee and Molly” series from the Armed Forces Radio Service, orig...
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Randy Riddle posted an article on rand’s esoteric otr - Oct 15, 2009, 9:15 pm
Now let’s take another look at “Lest We Forget”, a series syndicated by the Institute for Democratic Education in the late 1940s and early 50s to combat prejudice.  Although they mi...
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Randy Riddle posted an article on rand’s esoteric otr - Oct 15, 2009, 9:13 pm
Now for a bit of music and chat with “The Magic of Music”, a show transcribed in Hollywood for the Marine Corps Reserve and Recruiting and originally broadcast on Mutual. Program 42 of th...
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Randy Riddle posted an article on rand’s esoteric otr - Oct 15, 2009, 9:10 pm
Well, last week, we heard a kind of instant romance develop between “Gus the Gorilla”, Windy Bill’s bodyguard, and Luke Robinson’s secretary on the National Industrial Council ...
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Randy Riddle posted an article on rand’s esoteric otr - Oct 15, 2009, 9:08 pm
This week’s installment of the “Grantland Rice Story” has host Jimmy Powers relating Rice’s stories about boxing in program GRS-4 in the series, “Jack Dempsey, the Man fr...
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Randy Riddle posted an article on rand’s esoteric otr - Oct 15, 2009, 9:06 pm
Note:  This program contains racial stereotyping themes that may be offensive to some listeners. Here’s another excerpt from “Pick and Pat”, a program featuring blackface performer...
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Randy Riddle posted an article on rand’s esoteric otr - Oct 8, 2009, 8:56 pm
Now let’s turn back the clock to World War II with another entry in the Armed Forces Radio Network variety series, “Mail Call”, that brought the top stars from movies and radio to pe...
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Randy Riddle posted an article on rand’s esoteric otr - Oct 8, 2009, 8:47 pm
Broadcast from 1942 to 1951 on Mutual, then CBS, and finally, NBC, “It Pays to Be Ignorant” was a parody of quiz shows that featured panelists of experts - it’s a natural followup to...
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Randy Riddle posted an article on rand’s esoteric otr - Oct 8, 2009, 8:43 pm
I’ve posted a number of drama anthologies to the blog in recent weeks.  This type of show seemed to be ubiquitous in 1940s radio and this one isn’t as well known as some of the others.  ...
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Randy Riddle posted an article on rand’s esoteric otr - Oct 8, 2009, 8:40 pm
We continue our look at “American Family Robinson”, a syndicated serial from the mid-1930s sponsored by the National Industrial Council (the National Association of Manufacturers) to promo...
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Randy Riddle posted an article on rand’s esoteric otr - Oct 8, 2009, 8:38 pm
This week’s episode of “The Grantland Rice Story”, a Thesaurus syndicated series from the mid-1950s, pays a visit to the race track.  It’s an interesting show - horse racing s...
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Randy Riddle posted an article on rand’s esoteric otr - Oct 2, 2009, 8:27 pm
A listener wrote to me last week and mentioned that her husband came into the room as she was listening to last week’s episode of “American Family Robinson”. “When did Ayn Ran...
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Randy Riddle posted an article on rand’s esoteric otr - Oct 2, 2009, 8:24 pm
When radio came along, studio publicity departments came up with the neat idea of bring the stars to your local station.  Of course, they couldn’t afford all those airplane and railroad tickets...
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Randy Riddle posted an article on rand’s esoteric otr - Oct 2, 2009, 8:22 pm
“Casey, Crime Photographer” was a radio series that ran throughout the forties and into the early 1950s on CBS with a variety of titles and sponsors.  Based on a character appearing in &#...
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Randy Riddle posted an article on rand’s esoteric otr - Oct 2, 2009, 8:20 pm
Let’s drop in again on “Favorite Story”, an anthology of dramas hosted by Ronald Coleman and syndicated by Ziv in the late 1940s and early 50s.  This time we hear something a little...
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Randy Riddle posted an article on rand’s esoteric otr - Oct 2, 2009, 8:18 pm
Jimmy Powers continues narrating the Thesaurus syndicated series, “The Grantland Rice Story”, based on the memoirs of the famous sportswriter and syndicated in the mid-1950s.  In program ...
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Randy Riddle posted an article on rand’s esoteric otr - Oct 2, 2009, 8:15 pm
Note:  This program contains racial stereotyping themes that may be offensive to some listeners. In this excerpt from the program of May 23, 1938, Pick and Pat present a routine about golfing and we...
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Randy Riddle posted an article on rand’s esoteric otr - Oct 2, 2009, 8:12 pm
I’d like to give a big shout out to Frank, right here in my home state of North Carolina, for his generous donation to the blog this week.  Hope you continue enjoying the shows! Also, a little...
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Randy Riddle posted an article on rand’s esoteric otr - Sep 25, 2009, 8:33 am
... , but one meant to simulate one. It’s the “Victor Radio-Tone Demonstration”, a 78 prepared by Victor ... disc features Milton Cross and his round tones extolling the virtues ...
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Randy Riddle posted an article on rand’s esoteric otr - Sep 25, 2009, 8:27 am
Now we bring you a disc that isn’t a radio broadcast, but is a bit of obscure radio-related memorabilia. “Forbidden Broadcast” is a comedy record made by nightclub performer Ray Bou...
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Randy Riddle posted an article on rand’s esoteric otr - Sep 25, 2009, 8:24 am
Here’s the last episode in my collection of the popular panel quiz program, “Twenty Questions”. Program 51 in the series, as broadcast on the Armed Forces Radio Service, appears to ...
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Randy Riddle posted an article on rand’s esoteric otr - Sep 25, 2009, 8:15 am
Since it looks like “Grantland Rice Story” and “American Family Robinson” were fairly close in the poll, I’ll be running episodes of both series each week in the blog. I...
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Randy Riddle posted an article on rand’s esoteric otr - Sep 25, 2009, 8:11 am
Since the “Grantland Rice Story” and “American Family Robinson” were the two most popular series in the poll, I’ll be running all the episodes I have of each series in bl...
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