Old Radio

  December 25, 1934: For the first time, CBS broadcast the reading of the classic tale from Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol . Lionel Barrymore read the tale on The Campbell Playhouse . Since then, the reading of the tale became an annual radio annual event for years. Charles John Huffam Dickens was an English writer and one of the greatest novelists in history. His works continue to exist until today. Lionel Herbert Blythe was known as  Lionel Barrymore   the great-uncle of Drew Barrymore. He starred in many movies, such as The Mysterious Island (1929), Grand Hotel (1932, with John Barrymore), Captains Courageous (1937), You Cannot Take It with You (1938), Duel in the Sun (1946), and Key Largo (1948). He was featured on the AFRS Concert Hall  Radio Show , circa 1947 Lionel Barrymore  had broken his hip in an accident, hence why he played Gillespie in a wheelchair; later, his worsening arthritis kept him in the chair.The injury also precluded his playing Ebenezer S

On this day in 1902, House Jameson was born.

On this day in 1910, Van Heflin was born.

December 12, 1937: The Federal Communication Commission (FCC) scolded NBC because of  Mae West ' s inappropriate joke during a satirical routine, a performance based on the biblical tale of Adam and Eve. NBC was so angry with Miss West that they proceeded to fire her. They did not have any communication with her for the next 15 years. At that point, Mae West 's career was starting to fade. She went on the show to promote her latest film, entitled Every Day's a Holiday . The infamous sketch, written by  Arch Oboler , starred  Mae West  (alongside Don Ameche as Adam) in the Garden of Eden. West's line that got NBC lambasted by Women's clubs and Catholic groups was, "get me a big one… I feel like doin' a big apple!", which was deemed to be obscene and immoral. That incident was one of the first instances where a radio show was deemed indecent by the FCC.   Mae West  was blamed by NBC, and they banned her from their stations. Even a mere mentioni

On this day in 1903, Bernard Lenrow was born.