Random Rarities 1

Rare Drama, Music, Western, Suspense, Mystery, Detective, Crime, Adventure, recipes, and fun (1930s-1950s)

This collection is jammed full of everything you could ever hope for – drama, intrigue, music, western stories, mystery and crime, and even the occasional recipe. All shows in this collection are rare; some have only one or two shows in known existence.

1001 Wives, 1939, possibly an audition program starring Mercedes McCambridge. An "Album Program" celebrating marriage and the special magic a wife brings to the relationship. For listeners who are still single, the album will act as a guide to what a guy should look for in a bride.

Aunt Jenny's Real Life Stories, CBS, May 6, 1946. Soap Opera originating from Chicago, featuring Aunt Jenny's recipe for Spry Oatmeal Muffins.

Cavalcade of Hits, NBC, April 19, 1947. A celebration of Hits from 1935 airing before the return of Your Hit Parade.

Cloud Nine, 1950, WBBM Chicago. A man is waiting at a counter for someone who will guide him to "Cloud Nine", a place where all your dreams come to life. Just step into the elevator, and in this episode, you will end up in Paris with "just the right girl".

Hashknife Hartley and Sleepy Stevens, about 1950, Mutual/Don Lee Network. A pair of working cowpokes who come off the dusty trail and get roped into some detective work.

Glamour Girl, Commodore Syndication, August 1946, Audition. Host Larry Keating selects an "average woman" from the studio audience who will be turned into a Glamour Girl on stage with the help of makeup, hair, and fashion experts from a film studio.

Half Hour to Kill, Audition Program, 1946. A study in suspense, tension, amnesia, and murder, if you have… a Half Hour to Kill.

H.V. Kaltenborn, CBS, NBC News Commentator, 1928-1953. Kaltenborn told America what to think about the news from before the Great Depression until well into the Cold War.

Textron Theatre with Miss Helen Hayes, CBS, December 1945. Tonight, the presentation is "Angel Street", Cedric Hardwick and Boris Karloff join Helen Hayes.

Hello Sucker, WMAQ Chicago, January 1952. A public service drama, warning consumers about scams and cons they might run across in the market. This episode is about unscrupulous furriers who offer a deal too good to be true.

Henry Busse and His Montmartre Orchestra, 1935, Syndicated. One of the world's greatest trumpeters playing at the Freeman-Lang Studios.

Hollywood Fights Back, Oct 26 and Nov 2, 1947, ABC, sponsored by The First Amendment Committee. Hollywood celebrities fight against the House Un-American Activities Committee during the McCarthyist Red Scare.

Hollywood Hotel, 1936-1937, CBS. Old time variety program with the greatest Hollywood talent and a showcase for Louella Parsons, the notorious gossip columnist.

Hollywood Mystery Time, CBS, ABC, 1944-45, sponsored by Woodbury Beauty Cream. More reports from Louella Parsons share the episodes with a thrilling mystery play.

The Hunters, CBS, November 1948, Audition program. Suspenseful stories of hunting the most dangerous prey, desperate men.

I Cover the Waterfront, CBS, August 1955, Audition. Tales from the files of an experienced reporter who sees everything happening on the San Diego waterfront, and the characters he encounters.

I Deal In Crime, ABC, 1946, sustained. Plenty of plot twists in this detective story starring William Gargan as gumshoe Ross Dolan.

I Devise and Bequeath, 1947, Teleways Syndication. "The Story of Strange Wills written by Strange People".

I Fly Anything, ABC, 1951. Cargo pilot Dockery Crane, played by Dick Haymes, will deliver anything, anywhere, that you can stuff into his plane.

I Want a Divorce, Mutual Network, 1941. Cautionary tales of how love can go wrong, starring Miss Joan Blondell.

I Want to Come Back, CBS, 1941, Audition programs. Supposedly produced within the walls of California's San Quentin Prison, the program profiles inmates who are up for parole but will not be released unless someone on "the outside" is willing to trust them with a job. Because of high production costs, if a TV pilot gets a "green light", the producers only get one try to get it right, but here we have several different radio auditions for the same concept.

I Was a Convict, Mutual Network, 1946. "The Society For The Prevention of Crime" presents a study in the difference between crime enforcement and crime prevention. "Mr. R" is interviewed so that we can learn why he committed the crimes he has been convicted of and how society can keep it from happening again.

I Was There, CBS, 1940-41. Historic events are dramatized and described by people who were actually there when they happened.

In Your Own Words, NBC, 1955. The new technology of magnetic tape recording allows host Martin Weldon to hear the tragic stories of real people in their native environment.

Inaugural Review, CBS, January 20, 1949. A profile of President Harry Truman on the occasion of his inauguration.

Indiana School of the Sky, 1948, Department of Radio, University of Indiana. A series presenting scientific pioneers and their concepts broadcast for home and classroom listening.

Indictment, CBS, 1957-58. An indictment is a formal written accusation of a crime which leads to a trial. This is the story of the investigations which lead to trial and conviction of felons.

Louisiana Hayride, 1944-48(?), KWKH Shreveport. An important country music program at the level of The Grand Ol' Opry, however, Hayride was known for giving new acts exposure. Years after this recording, this included a former truck driver from Tennessee named Elvis Presley in his first radio appearance. This collection includes a selection from The Jordanaires, Elvis's background singers, years before they met Elvis.

The Lifebuoy Show, NBC, May 25, 1944. Variety program starring Bob Burns with Spike Jones and his City Slickers and guest star Frank Sinatra at the height of his bobby-socks popularity.

Light Up Time, NBC, May 25, 1950. Singer Dorothy Kirsten and Jeff Clark along with Skitch Henderson and his Orchestra and announcer Don Winslow bring us songs and laughs to smoke our Lucky Strikes too.

The Lilly Brothers and Don Stover, WCOP Boston, 1953(?). Bean-town Blue Grass Music.

Lincoln Highway, Red Network, 1941-42, sponsored by Shinola Shoe Polish. A series of dramas which take place in communities along Route 66, the Mother Road.

Lionel Barrymore Hosts Concert Hall, AFRS, 1940's. Lionel Barrymore introduces enjoyable opera performances.

The Lion's Eye, CBS, 1948. Jack Webb plays Jeff Regan, Investigator who works for the Lion Investigative Agency, which makes him "The Lion's Eye".

Listen to Grandma, Audition program. Listeners were to write in their questions for the panel of "real grandmothers". The Grandmas on the panel indicate they have an answer by tapping a spoon on their teacups. Cliff Arquette hosts.

The Little Man Inside, Blue Network. We get to hear John Nelson's inner voice as he goes through everyday situations like asking his boss for a raise.

Little Old Hollywood, NBC, 1940. A variety program celebrating the heritage and traditions of Hollywood, hosted by Ben Alexander "Hollywood's oldest young actor".

Living 1949, NBC, January 30, 1949. Fred Allen takes a look at the "State of American Humor".

Lone Journey, NBC, 1946(?). A "radio novel", a.k.a. soap opera set on Wolf Bennett's ranch in Montana. A product of "The Hummert Radio Factory".

The Lone Wolf, 1949, Mutual Network. Michael Lanyard is a fictional jewel thief turned private detective, created by Louis Joseph Vance in the early 20th century. The character was adapted to a series of movies and for the radio in 1948, played by Gerald Mohr.

Look What We Found, Transcription, 194?. Weekly educational and discovery program for young people which will expose them to things they had never thought about before. In this episode, we meet the keeper of Lake Superior's Split Rock Light, the highest lighthouse in the United States.

Lora Lawton, NBC, 1948. Bab-O Cleaning Powder brings us soapy wonder, "The story of what it means to be the wife of one of the richest, most attractive men in all America." Over the years, the sponsors ran several premiums, the giveaways were a way to track the popularity of the show.

Love Thy Neighbor, Paramount Syndication, 1940. Although the "feud" which inspired it was over, Paramount still used the relationship between Jack Benny and Fred Allen as the basis for a comedy film, Love Thy Neighbor. Naturally, they took to the airwaves to promote the film, and this episode is coverage of the gala premiere at Grauman's Chinese Theater, hosted by comedian Henny Youngman.

The Luck of the Irish, February 1946, Audition program. Businessman "Honest" O'Day will do just about anything for a buck but hasn't had the chance to do it for a while. Chester Morris and Bea Benaderet star in this sitcom.

And that's not all. So whether you enjoy tear jerkers, fun fluff, serious commentary, celebrations, murder, the western front, or all of the above, then you are sure to enjoy this set of fine and random rarities.