Old Radio

  May 30, 1935: NBC aired " America's Town Meeting " for the first time on this day. Changing its name to " America's Town Meeting of the Air ," it acted as a discussion forum for public affairs. NBC never imagined that the program would be such a success and originally only eighteen of Nbc's affiliates carried the premiere show broadcasting from New York City's Town Hall.  As one of radio's earliest talk shows, America Town Meeting began as a six-week experiment but continued to broadcast for 21 years.  America’s Town Meeting of the Air broadcast on the NBC Blue Network and continued on ABC Radio.

Today, dear fans of classic radio, we blow out the candles and celebrate the birthday of author Dashiell Hammett , born this day in 1894. The debonair writer gave us The Thin Man , The Maltese Falcon , and Red Harvest. These works were, yes, adapted into fine radio broadcasts. You may know that Hammett learned about the life of a gum-shoe detective by being one himself. He was employed by the Pinkerton agency from 1915-21, an experience that caused him great moral dilemmas and had a profound effect on him. It also had an effect on American letters, giving us the immortal character Sam Spade . You may recall the great radio series based on the Maltese Falcon protagonist, The Adventures of Sam Spade . Produced by William Spier and starring, first, Howard Duffe, and later, Steve Dunne, the great radio program ran from 1946-1951. Without the mind who birthed the words on the page, we wouldn't have these wonderful programs, so we salute Dashiell Hammett !