Show Notes

The light hearted seasonal selections continue this week on Radio Vault...
On this weeks show, Jack Benny still can't get historical details right related to Thanksgiving and where the pilgrims landed.
On George Burns & Gracie Allen, Gracie decides to become a babysitter to earn extra Christmas cash. George is not happy!
On Duffy's Tavern (where the elite meet to eat) Archie and Finegan contemplate Santa Claus.
Finally, a double-dose of William Bendix on the Life of Riley. including a turkey hunt.

We present a special Radio Vault program celebrating radio past and present. We'll listen to The Big Show, another example of NBC's effort to bolster its radio ratings in the 1950s, with television its biggest competitor. Tallulah Bankhead was the host. The show wasn't quite big enough to put television in its place, though. After two seasons NBC cancelled the show with a reported loss of $1 million, despite major sponsorships. The Big Show isn't big enough for us at WHFR's Radio Vault either.

If you missed us last week, sorry about that, but the Keeper of the Archives is back!
Two episodes of Fibber McGee and Molly from 1946 kick off todays show, along with the Lux Radio Theater presentation of ***Vacation from Marriage*** a comedy drama from the movie of the same name... that and and much more. See you on the radio or the stream 10AM - 1PM ET whfr.fm or 89.3.

We have so many this year, we're giving you a whole month of vintage radio comedies and mysteries throughout December.
This is on both Radio Vault and Sunday Night Mysteries.

SEPTEMEBER 5'TH: In addition to our usual radio comedy, variety and adventure, we'll catch up with an old friend of WHFR: Dearborn's collectables expert Tom Eurich. As if that wasn't enough, we also bring syndicated "Trash or Treasure" host Tony Hyman to the WHFR air, live from Pismo Beach, California. We'll chat about his favorite radio programs, how he got started collecting cigar boxes, tuning trash into treasure and bringing his passions to the radio himself.

Two of the most esteemed OTR (old-time radio) people will be on WHFR's "RadioVault Special Edition" live segment at 11AM on Tuesday, December 6th... Ted Davenport and Terry Salomonson, hosted by yours truly The Keeper of the Archives.
Terry and I met more than 40 years ago when we discovered his family lived in the same town in Michigan as mine. Terry had a slideshow of one of the earliest Friends of OTR conventions in Bridgeport, CT. Joe Webb, Bob Burchett and I would meet for the first time at that convention in 1980.

Radio Vault continues its comedy with another in the life of OUR MISS BROOKS from 1948.

Is it too early to think about Thanksgiving? The GREAT GILDERSLEEVE thinks not in the annual Thanksgiving show from 1942 starring the Faygo guy, Harold Peary.

In 1945, a little known radio show, SEEMS RADIO IS HERE TO STAY was heard over the CBS Network. This was on the 25th anniversary of the medium 77 years ago. The script (one of his earliest) is by the legendary writer Norman Corwin. You'll hear this show in its entirety on the upcoming RADIO VAULT SPECIAL EDITION.

In 1945, a little known radio show, SEEMS RADIO IS HERE TO STAY was heard over the CBS Network. This was on the 25th anniversary of the medium 77 years ago. The script (one of his earliest) is by the legendary writer Norman Corwin. You'll hear this show in its entirety on the upcoming RADIO VAULT SPECIAL EDITION.

We continue with another from the Great Gildersleeve series. We'll be hearing one of the earliest episodes from 1941 where Gildy is just leaving Wistful Vista. Gildersleeve had been a character on Fibber McGee & Molly and takes a new job as water commissioner of Summerfield. Harold Peary is in his original role. Peary is best known perhaps on the singing Faygo TV commercials in Detroit area and also featured in some of the films.

RADIO VAULT SPECIAL EDITION FOR May 3rd 2022,,,
In our never ending quest for stuff that is unusual, interesting and entertaining (pick one!), this weeks show is no exception.
We kick it off with the only ventriloquist act that was actually successful on radio. We speak of Edgar Bergen and his very wacky dummies, Charlie McCarthy and Mortimer Snerd in a show from 1945.
Singer Rosemary Clooney then joins Dennis Day in the first episode of his comedy variety show from 1954. Dennis was also a cast member on Jack Benny's show on both radio & TV.

In 1946, there was a contest called "I Can't Stand Jack Benny" where listeners could write in describing WHY they couldn't stand Jack Benny. It was a tremendous success. The show gave away prizes amounting to $10,000 in "war bonds" The reality was in the ratings, Benny was always among the top 5 most listened to shows and beloved comedians. We hear that show on todays RADIO VAULT from 01/27/1946, followed by the daytime drama, THE DOCTOR'S WIFE. Our middle hour features a lesser known show YOUR PLAYHOUSE OF FAVORITES.

Long before Bob Barker became a game show host and also hosted Truth or Consequences on TV, the producer of that show Ralph Edwards, hosted THIS IS YOUR LIFE. On this weeks Radio Vault we hear the last show of the 1949 season reviewing all their past shows. On another fun show, we learn why kite flying in October is a bad idea in the 1943 broadcast of THE ALDRICH FAMILY.

At the age of 88, radio-TV actress Gloria McMillian passed away this past week. She is probably best known for her role as Harriet Conklin on the Eve Arden comedy OUR MISS BROOKS. opposite Richard Crenna. "Brooks" was a long running hit on both radio and television and some 150 episodes of the radio show exist. We sample one on Tuesday's RADIO VAULT SPECIAL EDITION, followed by a wartime episode of FIBBER McGEE & MOLLY.

While another station in town produced their own version of A CHRISTMAS CAROL, we found a version hardly anyone knew existed! The actor who played Sherlock Holmes on both radio and film (Basil Rathbone), was featured back in 1935 and we'll have it for you on Tuesday's show of 12/21. That plus popular bandleader FRED WARING who did "The Night Before Christmas" on his show back in 1948.

JUST A HINT OF WHAT'S IN STORE IN THE WEEKS AHEAD...

Don't miss our show on Tuesday 11/30 (10AM-1PM ET)

Those of you listening to our live stream are lucky, indeed!
Did early radio feature music on the air along with comedy and drama?? Yes it did, but it's not the DJ style of shows you're used to.

We present a full hour of wartime programming including a ONE NIGHT STAND episode featuring Duke Ellington. Follow that up with shows featuring The Modernaires (Glenn Miller's vocal group) along with Martha Stuart.

WALL TO WALL JACK BENNY PLUS MORE!

COMING TUESDAY 11/02/2021....The Radio Vault program itself, has a very long history before it arrived at "the station making waves!" On this installment, we'll have the usual festivities including another episode of MOVIETOWN RADIO THEATER as well as another case to be solved by "MR. CHAMELEON" starring Karl Swenson. Joining us on our live studio line, however, is someone who is no stranger to radio. He was actually alive when these shows were being broadcast on network radio, but his biggest contribution was as host of Collector's Corner on another Detroit radio station.

Around this time of year (Halloween), people are recalling (and re-playing) Orson Welles radio drama from more than 80 years ago called The War of the Worlds. This H.G. Wells drama presented on his Mercury Theater series aired on CBS. The series did continue on after that "martian invasion" broadcast, and this weeks Radio Vault Special Edition features the Mercury Theater show from the week AFTER War of the Worlds... Two complete dramas were presented back on 11/6/1938. We'll hear them in their entirety.

A VIRTUAL HORN-O-PLENTY OF CLASSIC SHOWS
When the Detroit area version of Radio Vault started in the late 1980s, probably 75% of the content we bring you today didn't exist!

COMING ON OUR OCTOBER 19 SHOW....
Two stories from classic literature that aired back in 1946 on YOUR PLAYHOUSE OF FAVORITES The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Unhappy Adventure by Charles Dickens...next Jack Benny joins Bing Crosby on Philco Radio Time from 1948.

IS IT TOO EARLY TO THINK ABOUT THANKSGIVING? Join the ALDRRICH FAMILY for this November 1952 turkey broadcast......