Old Radio

On this day in 1943, the detective program  The Aventures of the Falcon made its radio debut starring Les Damon .  The one and only Michael Waring was "always ready with a hand for oppressed men, and an eye for repressed women."

Today in 1950 , NBC began airing the science fiction series Dimension X . It flew by the seat of its pants as an non-sponsored, sustaining program, but did just fine for itself. It enjoyed immense success and popularity, and would eventually evolve into another chestnut, X Minus One . Staff writer Ernest Kinoy adapted top-notch sci-fi works by the likes of Robert Heinlein, Isaac Asimov , and Kurt Vonnegut; acting talent included Joseph Cotten , Leslie Wood, and John McGovern. The inaugural episode was "Outer Limit," adapted from a Graham Doar story about aliens carrying a warning to mankind. It had graced the pages of The Saturday Evening Post just months earlier (Dec. 24, 1949). As always, Norman Rose hosted, with Bob Warren announcing.

  April 6, 1945: " This is Your FBI " made it's first public appearance on ABC . J. Edgar Hoover referred to it as one of the finest radio programs on the airwaves.  In 8 years, the show ran 409 episodes, with Stacy Harris playing the lead role.

  April 3, 1949: Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis appeared for the first time on NBC radio . The comedy team of Martin and Lewis was widely known throughout the country. Martin was the “straight man,” aka the serious type singer, and Lewis was the comedic foil. Before the two became a team, Martin worked as a nightclub singer and Lewis performed a lip-synced comedy act. The duo's career started in nightclubs before moving to radio broadcasts . Eventually the team jumped to television, and finally they began to make appearances on the big screen. Their 1949 Martin & Lewis radio series came to an end in 1953.

April 1: Happy Birthday, Maurice Tarpin On this day in 1911, Maurice Tarplin was born. He was best known, perhaps, as the voice of The Mysterious Traveler .

  March 30, 1945: "The Dreft Star Playhouse" was heard for the final time. The show had been paying up to $3,000 per week (the equivalent of $35,382 in 2009) to attract big-name talent. The production was formerly known as " Hollywood Theater of Air ." Later, it was renamed after its sponsor, Dreft. The show ran for 15 minutes four times a week for 2 years.

March 28, 1944: The New York Times newspaper owned WQXR radio station prohibited the broadcast of singing advertisements. This ban of non-classical music was understandable due to the station’s favor for the traditional music of Manhattan. WQXR explained the ban by asserting that the radio station was a classical one, and there were no commercials  featuring classical music at the time.

If he were alive today, actor Richard Denning would be a 101! He was born on this day in 1914. In that year, the first airline flight cruised from St. Petersburg to Tampa; Ford Motor Co. began paying $5 for a 9-hour day; Charlie Chaplin played The Little Tramp, and George Washington Carver began experimenting with peanuts. Radio was a technology rather than a broadcast medium, and silent films were sweeping the nation. After he'd toiled for years in many small film roles, Denning became a movie star and then dived headlong into the shimmering pool of radio. He starred alongside Lucille Ball in My Favorite Husband from 1948-1951. This program allowed Denning to work with, in addition to Ball, character actors such as Hans Conried and Gale Gordon . After that, he got "married" to Barbara Britton , starring as a husband in a much different spouse program, Mr. and Mrs. North . He became the third Jerry North on the long-running series, stepping into the lineag

Mercedes McCambridge was born on this day in 1916.  McCambridge   had a successful career in radio, film and television in a supporting roles. She appeared in such old time radio classic  series as Abie's Irish Rose , Studio One I Love a Mystery , Lights Out , Inner Sanctum , Everything For The Boys , The Great Gildersleeve , and Defense Attorney . Let's celebrate by enjoying an episode of   Defense Attorney   compliments of Old Time Radio .

March 4, 1930: Red Barber who was known as 'The Redhead' for the first time broadcast form WRUF at the University of Florida in Gainsville. In the future he becomes one of the best radio sport announcer in America. Barber had got a nicknamed "The Ol' Redhead", when he hosted radio broadcasts of Major League Baseball. Like his senior Mel Allen, Barber was also hired for various sport events such as college and professional football in his primary market of New York City. Barber was born 1908 in Columbus, Mississippi. He was a hard worker and his resume included every kind of job including part-time janitor at the University Club during his early years. In January 1930, Barber got his start in broadcasting on WURF. His first broadcast was accidental circumstance when he substituted the Agriculture Professor that was absent at the last minute before the show, to read a scholarly paper over the air. After those few minutes in front of a microphone, Barber

March 2, 1945: Radio adventure  fans remember this as the day Superman encountered Batman and Robin on the radio for the first time. Fans gathered around the radio to listen to the Mutual Broadcasting System. The famous words: "Up in the sky! Look!  It's a bird!  It's a plane!  It's Superman!" ... were coined on radio from the adaptation of the comic hero,  Superman .

March 1, 1941: " Duffy Tavern ", a popular American radio situation comedy , debuted on CBS and ran for decades on several networks. " Duffy Tavern " was an old time radio comedy program which featured guest stars acting as individuals who are routinely put into unfortunate situations. "Hello, Duffy's Tavern, where the elites meet to eat. Archie the manager speakin" -- was the famous opening line of the main character of the show. The actor for the main character also happened to be the owner and its co-creator: Ed Gardiner. In honor of the popular program, some restaurants have dubbed themselves  Duffy Tavern  other names known through the show.

February 28: Happy Birthday to the lovely Louise Erickson was born on this day in 1928. Ms Erickson appeared in the radio comedy,  The Great Gildersleeve, as niece Marjorie Forrester .  Enjoy a free streaming episode of the series from Old Time Radio's extensive Great Gildersleeve Collection .