RadioClassics

The Family Theater radio series, which featured hundreds of famous actors, was broadcast on the Mutual Broadcasting System from 1947 to 1969, making it one of the longest running weekly dramatic radio programs in history.

Vic and Sade aired from June 29, 1932 through December 7, 1945 and was briefly revived in a half-hour sitcom format in 1946. "Radio’s home folks" were featured in slice-of-life situations that painted a rich portrait of small-town life. Starring Art Van Harvey and Bernardine Flynn.

The Phil Harris & Alice Faye Show grew out of the popular Fitch Bandwagon series. Phil Harris played himself, continuing the egotistical, smart-alec characterization he had perfected during his years as Jack Bennys' bandleader. Alice Faye, Phil's movie star wife, recreated her real-life role as a film star turn devoted housewife.

Let George Do It, stars Bob Bailey, who plays George Valentine who was a detective whose cases came from the newspaper.

Gangbusters first came to radio under the title G-Men beginning July 20, 1935. The long-running series was created by Philip H. Lord and produced "in cooperation with police and federal law enforcement departments throughout the U.S. Gangbusters was one of radio's longest-running dramatic series, running from January 15, 1936 through November 27, 1957, and its classic opening gave rise to the expression "coming on like gangbusters."

Radio Spirits' nationally syndicated radio program hosted by old-time radio expert Greg Bell

X-Minus One premiered on April 24, 195 and was a revival of Dimension X, NBC's earlier science fiction anthology series. X-Minus One ran until January 9, 1958 and was rerun during the 1970s as part of NBC's Omnibus series.

Inner Sanctum's sinister host welcomed listeners "through the squeaking door to another night of horror." The show’s "squeaking door" was one of radio’s most-remembered openings and was inspired by the creaking hinges on a sound effects door at the radio studio.

Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar told the story of the freelance insurance investigator with the "action-packed expense account." Radio’s last great detective series, Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar ended its run September 30, 1962 during the final week of network radio drama.

Leslie Charteris' famous character first came to radio on January 6, 1945 with Edgar Barrier heard as the debonair Simon Templar. The "Robin Hood of modern crime" returned to the airwaves on July 9, 1947 with Vincent Price in the title role in a short-lived CBS summer series. Price returned to the role in 1949 over Mutual and became radio's most remembered Simon Templar.

Bud Abbott and Lou Costello made their radio debut on CBS’ The Kate Smith Show as replacements for Hollywood-bound Henny Youngman. The former burlesque comics reintroduced and preserved the classic comedy sketches of vaudeville in their films and radio and television series. The Abbott and Costello Show debuted as a 1940 summer replacement for Fred Allen and later aired from October 8, 1942 through June 29, 1949.

Ladies and gentlemen, the story you are about to hear is true. Only the names have been changed to protect the innocent... One of the most popular police dramas in the history of broadcasting, Dragnet aired on NBC Radio from June 10, 1949 through February 7, 1957 and on television from 1952-59 and 1967-72. Dragnet introduced a new era of documentary-style realism.

Radio's greatest series of high adventure debuted over the CBS network on July 7,1947. Escape's protagonists faced life-and-death situations each week, as the show careened from classic adventure to Western drama to science fiction. The program was broadcast as a sustainer (unsponsored) series during most of its seven-year run.

Have Gun, Will Travel debuted on television on September 14, 1957 and moved to radio November 23, 1958. The program was an oddity, a western that began on television and moved to radio, featuring an ethical anti-hero whose mysterious origins were left untold until the fifth and final TV season.

Radio’s greatest adult western told the story of Matt Dillon, U.S. Marshal, "the first man they look for and the last they want to meet." Gunsmoke grew out of a request from CBS founder William Paley for a "Philip Marlowe in the Old West," and featured grimly realistic stories set in the vicinity of Dodge City, the "Gommorrah of the West," with William Conrad as Dillon.

The Whistler whistled its way onto the airwaves beginning May 16, 1942 and its eerie 13-note theme set the tone for West Coast radio mystery for the next decade. "I am the Whistler and I know many things, for I walk by night. I know many strange tales hidden in the hearts of men and women who have stepped into the shadows. Yes, I know the nameless terrors of which they dare not speak."

The CBS Radio Workshop aired from January 27, 1956 through September 22, 1957 and was a revival of the prestigious Columbia Workshop from the 1930s and 1940s. The CBS Workshop regularly featured the works of the world’s greatest writers. including Ray Bradbury, Archibald MacLeish, William Saroyan, Lord Dunsany and Ambrose Bierce.

Suspense debuted on June 17, 1942 as a sustaining summer replacement, returned that fall and continued in the CBS lineup September 30, 1962. "Radio's outstanding theatre of thrills" is recognized as one of the finest dramatic series in the history of broadcasting.

For more than 20 years, Jack Benny reigned as the king of radio comedy. His show ran on nearly every network from 1932 to the mid 1950s. How he turned a miserable, self-absorbed cheapskate into a beloved icon ranks among the great achievements in entertainment history. Benny revolutionized the way humor was played on radio by introducing the situation comedy and by giving most of the best lines to his supporting cast.

John Steinbeck recognized Fred Allen as "unquestionably the best humorist of our time, a brilliant critic of manners and morals." Following in the footsteps of Will Rogers, Fred reintroduced topical political humor to radio. Fred introduced his classic "Allen’s Alley" segment December 13, 1942.

George and Gracie first performed on air over the BBC while touring England after an NBC executive rejected their act insisting that "Gracie’s voice is unfit for radio." Burns and Allen won a regular spot on The Robert Burns Panatella Program February 22, 1932 and moved into the top spot when Guy Lombardo left the series. The Burns and Allen Show aired through May 17, 1950 on radio and for another decade on television. Jack Benny and George Burns were best friends in real life and often were guests on each other’s programs.

From the heart of the jungle comes a savage cry of victory. This is Tarzan, Lord of the jungle! From Africa... land of enchantment, mystery and violence comes one of the most colorful figures of all time. Transcribed from the immortal pen of Edgar Rice Burroughs and starring Lamont Johnson as "the son of the jungle".

Crime Classics featured "true crime stories from the records and newspapers of every land from every time" culled from director Elliott Lewis' voluminous personal library of true crime cases. The CBS series ran from June 15, 1953 through June 30, 1954.

Inheritance

The Great Gildersleeve featured one of radio’s greatest casts of comedic players. The Great Gildersleeve aired until March 21, 1957, with Willard Waterman taking over the title role for the final seven radio season and three television seasons.

Carson, who began his career as a vaudeville actor, got his break in radio with a 1938 performance on The Kraft Music Hall with Bing Crosby. After a few standout bit roles in movies, Carson landed his own radio show on CBS, which debuted on June 2, 1943. The show centered around the host's hectic Hollywood life, famous friends and strange relatives - Carson's old vaudeville partner Dave Willock even played the part of his nephew Tugwell.

Richard Diamond, Private Detective premiered over the NBC network on April 24, 1949 and ran through 1952 starring Dick Powell as "radio's singing detective." Powell had first achieved movie stardom as a baby-faced crooner, and later matured to hardboiled roles, including Raymond Chandler's Philip Marlowe in the 1944 film Murder My Sweet.

This CBS cop procedural pulls back the curtain on crime fighting in San Francisco. The Shadow's Bill Johnstone starred as cool-mannered Lt. Ben Guthrie, foil to hot-tempered Sgt. Matt Grebb. Director Elliot Lewis was one of the busiest men in radio, having a hand in the Phil Harris & Alice Faye Show, Suspense, Broadway Is My Beat, and many more.

Candy Matson was a hard-as-nails private eye who also happended to be beautiful. The show, set in San Francisco, was on the air from 1941 to 1942. Starring Natalie Masters.

This magical mystery show aired from 1948-1949 on the Mutual Broadcasting System. Ed Jerome starred as Harry Blackstone, a skilled magician who told his tales of adventure and escape in flashbacks. At the end of each episode, Blackstone would perform and describe a new magic trick for his kid listeners to practice at home. Ted Osborne and Fran Carlon also starred as Blackstone's friends John and Rhonda.

The Mysterious Traveler was one of radio's greatest omniscient storytellers, introducing tales of mystery, science fiction and horror from the typewriters of writers/producers Robert A. Arthur and David Kogan. The Mysterious Traveler rode the Mutual rails from December 5, 1943 through September 23, 1952.

This sitcom aired from 1944-1949, first as a summer replacement series for Eddie Cantor's show. Then, after signing on as a regular on the Jimmy Durante show, young scored his own show with Tums as a sponsor. Today he is best known as TV's Wilbur Post, who talked with Mr. Ed the horse.

Eve Arden portrays Miss Connie Brooks, an overworked and underpaid teacher of 10th grade English at Madison High School. Our Miss Brooks called her radio classroom to order beginning July 19, 1948. The final bell rang for Our Miss Brooks on July 7, 1957.

Edward G. Robinson starred as crusading newspaper editor Steve Wilson from October 19, 1937 through July 2, 1942. The Hollywood great was glad to play an idealistic role in contrast to his many film gangster portrayals. Big Town at its peak was radio’s highest-rated drama and was only eclipsed by The Jack Benny Program in ratings. The series was canceled when Edward G. Robinson quit in 1942 but was resurrected the following year with Edward Pawley (and later Walter Greaza) as Wilson and Fran Carlon as Lorelei. The revived Big Town aired from October 5, 1943 through June 25, 1952.

This series revolved around true crime stories reported in newspapers. The stories were dramatized retellings of heroic reporters uncovering big truths in the name of public service. At the end of every episode the show gave a $500 reward to the real reporter on whose stories the episode was based. The Big Story aired from April 2, 1947 through March 23, 1955.

The husband-and-wife vaudeville team of Jim and Marian Jordan began their radio careers in Peoria on a bet from Jim’s brother. The Jordans were heard as The O’Henry Twins and The Air Scouts before Don Quinn created Smackout in 1931. Quinn revamped the show as Fibber McGee and Molly in 1935 when Johnson’s Wax signed on as sponsor.

Science-fiction anthology series on the Mutual Radio Network. It was the first of its kind for adults, predating the landmark NBC series Dimension X.

Broadway Is My Beat debuted over CBS on February 27, 1949 and continued through August 1, 1954. Anthony Ross starred as Clover during the first two seasons, with Thor taking over the role on July 3, 1950. Homicide detective Clover pounded the Broadway beat for five years in one of radio's last great detective series.

This police procedural series was syndicated on NBC stations in 1932. It features quarter-hour stories typically based on true crimes.

This long-running radio anthology comedy-drama series was broadcast from November 27, 1930 to September 27, 1953.

Jim French wrote this modern adaptation of mystery's most famous detective as part of the Imagination Theatre productions. These plays were produced and aired in the '00s. John Patrick Lowrie plays Holmes and Lawrence Albert portrays Watson.

The Green Hornet debuted over the Detroit station on January 31, 1936. The Green Hornet was well-served by his valet Kato and a supercharged roadster, the Black Beauty. Al Hodge portrayed The Green Hornet during the series' first seven seasons, followed by Donovan Faust, Robert Hall and Jack McCarthy. The show ran on radio through December 5, 1952.

Command Performance aired between 1942 and 1949 on the Armed Forces Radio Network, which meant it was transmitted exclusively to American troops overseas. Though produced in California, troops abroad sent requests and ideas for performers, music, and sketches. The show featured some of the biggest stars of the day like Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, Jack Benny, Judy Garland and more. CBS created a spinoff series called Request Performance, which aired from 1945-46.

This intellectual quiz show aired in various forms from 1938 to the late 1940s. Correct answers and facts were only half of the entertainment value; personalities are what made the show unique. A sense of humor and ability to turn a phrase often illuminated stars more than their recollection of facts. The rotating "fourth chair" guest spot would be filled by personalities from theatre, film, music, radio, politics, etc.

Phillips H. Lord, creator of Gang Busters, worked with creator/writer/director Ed Byron to develop this series, which is inspired by the early years of New York Governor Thomas E. Dewey. It aired on NBC and ABC from April 3, 1939 to June 13, 1952. The nameless title role was played by several actors throughout the run: Raymond Edward Johnson, Jay Jostyn, and David Brian. A key figure in the show was the D.A.'s secretary, Edith Miller (played by Vicki Vola).

Mr. Keen was a charming and kindly old tracer of missing persons along with his assistant Mike Clancy.

Raymond Chandler introduced readers to Philip Marlowe in his 1939 novel The Big Sleep. Humphrey Bogart, Robert Montgomery and George Montgomery portrayed the hardboiled detective in films before Van Heflin took over as Marlowe in NBC’s 1947 summer series.The Adventures of Philip Marlowe returned September 26, 1948, as a CBS series and starred Gerald Mohr. CBS Chairman William S. Paley was a big fan of The Adventures of Philip Marlowe, and his request for a "Philip Marlowe in the West" led to the development of the legendary western Gunsmoke.

Millions of radio listeners visited Duffy's Tavern each week, but Duffy himself was nowhere to be found. Although he dutifully phoned Archie the manager each week, he never once dropped by. Duffy's Tavern first opened its doors to radio listeners on the CBS audition series Forecast on July 29, 1940, and then opened for regular business on March 1, 1941.

Jack "Flashgun" Casey was first introduced in the March 1934 issue of Black Mask, the classic pulp fiction magazine. Created by pulp wordsmith George Harmon Coxe, Casey appeared in dozens of stories in Black Mask, which were later collected into six books. Flashgun Casey came to radio as a CBS sustaining series on July 7, 1943. The series was renamed Casey, Press Photographer in 1944 and became Casey, Crime Photographer on September 12, 1945.

This horror series consisted mostly of adapted supernatural tales from greats like Edgar Allen Poe and Robert Louis Stevenson. It aired for two seasons from 1943-1945, first on Mutual and then on NBC's Red network.

Film star William Gargan came to the NBC airwaves in 1951 as the star of Barrie Crane, Confidential Investigator, a reworking of his earlier Mutual radio series (and NBC television program) Martin Kane, Private Investigator. When the producers of the earlier program objected to the many similarities between the two series, changes were made in Gargan's new series, which was quickly retitled Barrie Craig, Confidential Investigator. The series aired on NBC from October 3, 1951 through June 30, 1955.

Hopalong Cassidy's millions of fans got a New Year's Day present in 1950 when William Boyd brought the famous Bar-20 Ranch onto the Mutual radio range. In 1950, Clarence Mulford's classic cowboy was heard on 152 radio stations, seen on 63 television outlets and appeared as a comic strip in 155 newspapers.

Rocky Jordan operated a café in exotic Cairo, a city filled with danger and intrigue, and spent much of his time solving crimes. The detective show was based on an earlier program called A Man Named Jordan.

Academy Award Theater was a half-hour dramatic anthology series presenting radio adaptations of movies that had been nominated for or had won Academy Awards. While the show was a success with critics and audiences alike, it went off the air after only nine months and 39 episodes.

Ventriloquist Edgar Bergen developed his Charlie McCarthy character in high school. Bergen performed with the newsboy dummy while attending Northwestern University and eventually left college to tour vaudeville. With the decline of vaudeville during the Great Depression, Bergen moved into night spots like New York’s trendy Rainbow Room but feared his friend wouldn’t be appreciated by high society. So he gave Charlie a monocle and top hat and a "man about town" was born. Following a three-month guest stint on Rudy Vallee’s show, Edgar Bergen was signed as headliner of The Chase and Sanborn Hour. The series premiered May 9, 1937 and ended the next three seasons as radio’s top-rated series.

Inspector Peter Black of Scotland Yard chased bad guys in this CBS detective drama from October of '49-May March '52. Black would be portrayed by Ted de Corsia, John Dehner, and Ben Wright in the show's lifetime.

This CBS series adapted stories penned by Norman Corwin to radio.

This comedy-quiz show, hosted by Groucho Marx, aired on multiple networks between 1947 and 1956.

Dinah Shore Show

Born Owen Patrick Eugene McNulty in an Irish family in the Bronx, Dennis Day first became known for his tenor voice as a replacement singer on Jack Benny's radio show on October 8, 1939. Benny and Day would remain friends and colleagues the rest of their lives. "A Day In The Life Of Dennis Day" aired on NBC from 1946-1951, while Day also regularly appeared on Benny's show singing, telling jokes, and performing impressions.

This anthology series dramatized the stories of fiction author Damon Runyon and aired in various forms from the late 1940s to the mid 1950s. John Brown starred as "Broadway," a fluent "Brooklynese" speaker who spun tales of old Manhattan.