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

Fred Allen specialized in literate wordplay, lacerating satire, and a squinty-eyed critique of the passing scene. His style was entirely his own: the slate-pencil whine of his voice, the ludicrously-named supporting characters, and the small-town-cum-big-city rattle of his dialogue. Join him in a promenade through parody, along with co-stars Portland Hoffa, Alan Reed, Kenny Delmar, Minerva Pious, John Brown, Charlie Cantor, and Parker Fennelly. Even Fred’s guest stars jump into the jest!

Wherever there's someone in need of help, you'll find the man in black they call Paladin. The character first appeared on television, but later made his way to radio in one of the medium's last great adult Westerns. The hero's travels from his home base in San Francisco to serve clients throughout the West ensured a wide range of new characters for listeners. John Dehner rides as the enigmatic gunslinger in 20 unforgettable radio adventures, with Ben Wright as Hey Boy and Virginia Gregg as Miss Wong.

In the wildness of the territories, greed lurks behind the grin of a gambler, vulnerable families meet their fates, and range wars are brewing. Outsiders come to town to start over, to start some trouble, or to die. The creak of leather, the rattle of spurs, the dry wind whistling along the dusty streets of Dodge City - that’s the world of Marshal Matt Dillon (played by William Conrad). Join him for twenty journeys into the West, with Parley Baer as Chester, Howard MacNear as Doc, and Georgia Ellis as Kitty.

Based on the famous detective created by Rex Stout, The New Adventures of Nero Wolfe stars Sydney Greenstreet as “the balkiest, bulkiest, smartest, and most unpredictable detective in the world...that brilliant eccentric private detective, orchid fancier and gargantuan gourmet.” Nero Wolfe, armchair detective in the classic tradition, and Archie Goodwin, wisecracking hard-boiled investigator, shine in eight radio tales from this classic detective series first broadcast in 1950-1951.

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.

An unprepossessing little man in a sweatshirt and sneakers set the world of radio ablaze in the late 1930s with a startling new vision of what radio drama could be. Eight decades later, his work is still fresh, powerful, and brilliantly original.

Explore 16 classic adventures of Rocky Jordan, hard-boiled proprietor of the Café Tambourine, as he solves crimes and mysteries in Cairo “where modern adventure and intrigue unfold against the backdrop of antiquity.” This fascinating series of foreign follies makes full use of its exotic locale and music score to deliver a memorable listening experience. If you liked movies like Casablanca, you’re sure to enjoy this series. Starring Jack Moyles as Rocky Jordan and Jay Novello as Captain Sam Sabaaya. Digitally remastered and restored for your listening enjoyment.

The late 1950s were the golden age of the radio western, and Gunsmoke stood at the top of the mesa, proudly overlooking the terrain! These searing dramas of frontier life - told with honesty, sensitivity, and nail-biting tension - feature William Conrad as Marshal Matt Dillon. Here are 24 unforgettable adventures of the Old West, originally broadcast between 1956 and 1958. Parley Baer co-stars as Chester, with Howard McNear as Doc, and Georgia Ellis as Kitty.

So Frankie Remley asked Phil Harrisand they'd soon find out, kicking off a memorable run of The Phil Harris-Alice Faye Show. The Rexall years marked the peak of the program's popularity, and the laughs come thick and fast! Join Phil, Alice, Elliott Lewis, Walter Tetley, Robert North, and the whole gang for the first 20 surviving episodes of the 1948-49 season.

Journey back to a time when turning on your cathedral radio transported you to a fog-swirled 221-B Baker Street...and you spent a most enjoyable half-hour as "the world's greatest detective" matched wits with the most challenging criminal elements in all of London. The brilliant Sherlock Holmes is more than equal to the baffling clues and confounding mysteries that he faces. John Stanley stars as the clever Consulting Detective, with Alfred Shirley as his loyal assistant Dr. Watson. The game's well and truly afoot in 16 exciting tales from 1947-48!

From fishing in the lake for Old Muley to fishing in the closet for just about everything else, wartime America’s favorite couple keeps the fun coming. Head on down to Wistful Vista and hear it for yourself in this collection of comedy classics from 1944 and 1945! Jim and Marian Jordan star as Fibber McGee and Molly - with Arthur Q. Bryan as Doc Gamble, Shirley Mitchell as Alice Darling, Bea Benaderet as Mrs. Carstairs, Marlin Hurt as the unforgettable Beulah, and Harlow Wilcox selling the Glo-Coat!

Here comes “This Week’s Play” with Jack Benny and all the gang! Mary Livingstone, Phil Harris, Eddie “Rochester” Anderson, Dennis Day, and Don Wilson all play their parts in parodies of Hollywood movies, wild Westerns, murder mysteries, and more. Kick back with 16 satirical skits in this collection of classics from the 1940s and 1950s, featuring guest appearances by Barbara Stanwyck, Oscar Levant, Charles Farrell, Sam Goldwyn, Frank Sinatra, and George Jessel!

Box Thirteen is your address for radio mystery at its best! Alan Ladd stars in sixteen intriguing episodes as former newspaper reporter turned freelance fiction writer Dan Holiday. His excursions into mystery and crime for the characters in his books lead him to thrill-packed adventures all his own! At his side is a scatter-brained secretary named Suzy (played by Sylvia Picker), and in his way is the gruff Lieutenant Kling (portrayed by Edmund McDonald) and Inspector Black (Luis van Rooten).

Mystery, adventure, and international intrigue surround Ken Thurston, The Man Called X! Radio's most enduring cloak-and-dagger drama presents suave stage and screen star Herbert Marshall in 16 tales of globetrotting espionage! Announcer John McIntire tells of the man "who crosses the ocean as readily as you or I cross town." Leon Belasco costars as Pegon Zellschmidt, with a supporting cast that includes Ge Ge Pearson, Steven Geray, Ted von Eltz, Frank Graham, Alan Reed, Cathy Lewis, William Conrad, and more.

From Brooklyn to Inglewood, here comes radio's favorite blue-collar family man—leaving a trail of confusion wherever he goes! Chester A. Riley is back, with long-suffering wife Peg, trouble-prone kids Junior and Babs, moochy pal Gillis, and Digger O'Dell, The Friendly Undertaker, in sixteen hilarious half-hour episodes. William Bendix is heard as Riley, along with co-stars Paula Winslowe, John Brown, Tommy Cook, and Barbara Eiler—plus series creator Irving Brecher, and special guest Red Skelton!

It's a new season, a new network, a new bandleader, and a new sponsor - but it's still the same great comedy couple! Radio favorites George Burns and Gracie Allen laugh it up big time in 16 gag-packed broadcasts from 1940-41. The cast will crack you up with silly skits, a bonkers breach of promise suit, and the madness of a mink coat mistake. You'll hear bandleader Artie Shaw, a couple of special guests, and a few rare episodes, as well!

Catch the buzz - before the buzz catches you! Britt Reid, daring young publisher, masks up against organized crime and urban corruption as The Green Hornet! Join our hero and his stalwart valet Kato for another collection of 20 classic adventures from the 1948-49 seasons, including several previously uncirculated episodes not heard since their original broadcast.

Racketeers and swindlers, thieves and killers - they all feel the sting of The Green Hornet! World War II might be over, but there’s more crime than ever in Britt Reid’s corner of the world. That means action for the crusading publisher turned masked avenger - apprehending scheming crooks, corrupt politicians, and Communist spies. Jack McCarthy wields the gas gun as the streamlined Black Beauty prowls the streets in 20 exciting 1948 adventures - many of which have not been available since their original broadcasts!

The voice of Bob Bailey conjured both the weariness of the world and all its kindness. You may know him best as Johnny Dollar or George Valentine, but he was so much more. Sample the breadth of Bob Bailey's talent in this tribute collection. Here are 10 hours of classic radio dramas, comedies, mysteries, and even a science fiction tale…all of which feature the talented thespian. You'll also hear wonderful performances by an array of outstanding co-stars, including Shelley Winters, Raymond Burr, Mercedes McCambridge, Burgess Meredith, John Dehner, and many more.

Widely acclaimed as the greatest writer-director-producer of the Golden Age of Radio, Norman Corwin perfected his own unique recipe for success: Begin with the human mind and knead gently; add a dash of poetry, wit and wonder; add a cup of raw passion and stir vigorously; garnish with sound effects, and marinate in a musical score. Season liberally with intelligence and digest slowly. Corwin’s works - musicals, fantasies, satires, and dramas - were presented on CBS in prestige series under his own direction.