Classic Radio Spotlights

William Conrad was a big part of the golden age of radio. Not only did he star as US Marshal Matt Dillon on Gunsmoke (five episodes in this collection), but he appeared on hundreds of radio shows during the 1940s and 50s. Here's sixteen radio broadcasts that either star William Conrad or have him in the supporting cast. You won't have any problem identifying his deep baritone voice! • Strange Wills, 12/7/46-"Portsmith Square" • Favorite Story, 7/17/48-"The Strange Mr. Bartleby" • Rocky Jordan, 5/22/49-"Desert Betrayal" • Box, 13 6/12/49-"The Dead Man Walks" • Screen Director's Playhouse, 7/8/49-"The Big Clock" • Richard Diamond, Private Detective, 11/12/49-"$50,000 Heist" • The Halls of Ivy, 1/20/50-"Gangster Money" • The Story of Dr. Kildare, 2/15/50-"Colonel Beauregard, Paralysis" • Night Beat, 2/20/50-"A World All His Own" • The Line-Up, 7/27/50-"The Paradise Murder Case" • Escape, 7/11/51-"The Island" • Gunsmoke, 8/9/52-"The Kentucky Tolmans" • Gunsmoke, 8/23/52-"Shakespeare" • Gunsmoke, 11/21/52-"Fingered" • Gunsmoke, 12/13/52-"Post Martin" • Gunsmoke, 12/20/52 Christmas Story

Let's all visit 79 Wistful Vista, the home of Fibber McGee and Molly, who each week invited millions of listeners to tune in to their comedic, family-friendly radio adventures. Few radio programs were more beloved than Fibber McGee and Molly, and even fewer play as well over a half century later. Fibber McGee and Molly had a long and successful run on radio (1935—1959). The program showcased terrific comic and musical talent, headlined by its creators and stars, married couple Jim and Marian Jordan. Living in the fictional Midwestern town of Wistful Vista, Fibber was an American teller of tall tales and a braggart, usually to the exasperation of his long-suffering wife, Molly. Fibber's weekly schemes would be interrupted, inspired by, and often played upon the people of Wistful Vista, a set of regular players and characters including Mayor LaTrivia, Doc Gamble, Mrs. Uppington, Wallace Wimple, Alice Darling, Beulah, Myrt, the Old Timer, and Fibber's next-door neighbor, Throckmorton P. Gildersleeve. The show began as a comic reflection of Depression-era America, but as time went on and the shadows of war came over the nation, the show again caught the mood of the country. WWII was fought on the home front at Wistful Vista as surely as anywhere else in America, but here they had the benefit of Fibber's somewhat addled perspective. Now, enjoy sixteen of their funniest radio broadcasts. 2/4/41 - "Fibber Buys a New Suit and Steals a Hat"2/11/41 - "Fibber the Watch Salesman"2/18/41 - "Early to Bed"2/25/41 - "Bottle Collector"3/11/41 - "Quarantined with Measles"3/25/41 - "Fibber Changes His Name to Ronald"4/1/41 - "Molly Loses Left-Rear Fender"11/4/41 - "New Furniture"3/3/42 - "Boomer's Suitcase"3/24/42 - "Fibber Writes a Song"4/14/42 - "Spring Festival"4/28/42 - "Fibber's Old Straw Hat"5/12/42 - "Spy"6/9/42 - "Pot Roast for Dinner"12/1/42 - "Mileage Rationing"12/8/42 - "The Vacuum Cleaner"

Before Agnes Moorehead portrayed "Endora" on the Bewitched TV series, she was a big part of the golden age of radio. She starred in many of the biggest radio shows of all time, alongside Orson Welles, James Stewart, Humphrey Bogart, Vincent Price, Bette Davis, Joan Crawford, Jack Benny, and many more. Moorehead starred opposite Orson Welles on The Mercury Theater On the Air and The Shadow. She was dubbed "the first lady of Suspense" for having starred in more Suspense radio episodes than any other actor or actress (in this collection, you'll hear her in eight Suspense episodes, including the most famous episode in the series, "Sorry, Wrong Number"). Here are sixteen radio broadcasts that either star Agnes Moorehead or have her in the supporting cast. Enjoy! The Cavalcade of America, 11/6/40-"Wild Bill Hickok: The Last of Two Gun Justice" The Cavalcade of America, 6/16/41-"Annie Oakley" The Columbia Workshop, 7/13/41-"Ann Was an Ordinary Girl" Mayor of the Town, 9/13/42 Holly-"Has a Crush on John Andrews" Suspense, 4/27/43-"The Diary of Sophronia Winters" Suspense, 5/25/43-"Sorry, Wrong Number" Radio Almanac, 2/23/44 w/ guest Hedda Hopper This Is My Best, 4/10/45-"The Master of Ballantrae" The Screen Guild Players, 4/1/46-"On Borrowed Time" Suspense, 4/4/46-"Post Mortem" Mayor of the Town, 4/15/46-"All on an April Evening" Suspense, 2/13/47-"The Thirteenth Sound" Mystery in the Air, 8/14/47-"The Lodger" Suspense, 7/29/48-"The Yellow Wallpaper" Suspense, 2/15/51-"The Death Parade" Suspense, 5/24/54-"Weekend Special, Death"

This collection showcases Lucille Ball's amazing spectrum of radio work, from comedy to mystery and everything in between. As Lucy Ricardo, Lucille Ball brought a tomboy's enthusiasm and a scatterbrained quality to the long-running television program I Love Lucy. She was the wacky wife making life difficult for her loving but exasperated husband Ricky Ricardo, played by Ball's real-life husband Desi Arnaz. Long before I Love Lucy, Ball worked her way up Hollywood's ladder, appearing in films and many radio shows, including dramatic roles in which she could show her acting chops.In the summer of 1948, she accepted the role of Liz Cooper, a zany housewife who found herself facing comical situations, in the radio comedy My Favorite Husband. In the series, Liz Cooper's husband George Cooper was played by veteran actor Richard Denning. But Lucille Ball also acted in episodes of the radio mystery Suspense and in Lux Radio Theatre's adaptation of Broadway plays. This collection of eleven episodes that aired from 1945 to 1951 includes:From My Favorite Husband: "George's Mother Visits"From Suspense: "A Shroud for Sarah"From Lux Radio Theatre: "The Dark Corners" with Lucille Ball and Mark StevensFrom "Bill Stern Sports Newsreel" with Lucille Ball as guestFrom Suspense: "A Little Piece of Rope"From The Screen Guild Players: "Too Many Husbands" with Bob Hope, Frank Sinatra, and Lucille BallFrom The Screen Director's Playhouse: "Bachelor Mother" with Lucille Ball and Robert CummingsFrom Suspense: "The Red-Headed Woman" with Lucille Ball and Desi ArnazFrom The Screen Director's Playhouse: "Her Husband's Affairs"From The Kraft Music Hall with Al Jolson and Lucille BallFrom The Screen Director's Playhouse: "Miss Grant Takes Richmond"

Jack Webb (1920–1982) was a popular American actor, television producer, director, and screenwriter. He started out in the entertainment industry in comedy but achieved his first success playing the title character in the radio show Pat Novak, for Hire. His greater success came from his role as Los Angeles Police Department sergeant Joe Friday in the show Dragnet, which he created based on actual LAPD criminal case files and which ran for many years on both radio and television.This classic radio collection spotlights Jack Webb in episodes from a variety of series from the golden age of radio. The Jack Webb Show: "Slim Slade, Western Bandleader" (17 Apr 46)Suspense: "Murder by an Expert" (24 Jul 47)Escape: "Ring of Thoth" (11 Aug 47)The Whistler: "Meeting on Tenth Street" ( 25 Feb 48)Jeff Regan, Investigator: "The Guy from Gower Gulch" (13 Nov 48)Pat Novak, for Hire: "Watch Wendy Morris" (8 May 49)The Whistler: "The Eager Pigeon" (28 Aug 49)Escape: "Border Town" (13 Dec 49)Escape: "Poison" (28 Jul 50)Pete Kelly's Blues: "Shy Woman" (29 Aug 51)Dragnet: "Big Jolt" (5 Oct 52)Dragnet: "Big Pill" (19 Oct 52)

Enjoy sixteen classic radio episodes starring the incomparable Lucille Ball, including several episodes from her regular radio series My Favorite Husband. As Lucy Ricardo, Lucille Ball brought a tomboy's enthusiasm and a scatterbrained quality to the long-running I Love Lucy (1951—61) television program. She was the wacky wife making life difficult for her loving but perpetually irritated husband, Ricky Ricardo (played by Ball's real-life husband, Desi Arnaz). Long before I Love Lucy, Ball worked her way up Hollywood's ladder with appearances in films and in many radio shows, including dramatic roles where she could really show her acting chops. In the summer of 1948, Ball accepted the role of Liz Cooper, a zany housewife who found herself facing comical situations, in the radio comedy My Favorite Husband. In the radio series, Lucille Ball's husband, George Cooper, was played by veteran actor Richard Denning. This collection showcases Ball's amazing spectrum of radio work, from comedy to drama and everything in between.

Here are twelve radio episodes featuring Jack Benny in different series from the golden age of radio. This collection includes episodes from The Jack Benny Program, Suspense, The Burns & Allen Show, The Bing Crosby Show, The Ford Theatre, and many more.

One of the top entertainers of the twentieth century, Frank Sinatra, stars in fourteen broadcasts from the golden age of radio. Although 'Ol' Blue Eyes' would conquer records, film, and television, it was radio that first made Frank Sinatra a star. Spanning the years 1943 to 1954, this collection showcases Sinatra from such shows as Suspense, The Frank Sinatra Show, The Jack Benny Program, The Burns and Allen Show, and more. Included is the final episode of Sinatra's action/detective series, Rocky Fortune, a low-budget radio series that he decided not to continue after winning his Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in From Here to Eternity. Enjoy these fourteen radio broadcasts from eleven different radio series starring one of the greatest entertainers of all time, Frank Sinatra.

Enjoy eight hours of classic radio episodes starring the incomparable Orson Welles and his friends. Armed with the nickname "The Boy Genius," Orson Welles graduated from the New York stage to expand his creative talents in the radio industry, hoping to use the audio medium to promote his stage ventures. Welles followed the edict that most stage actors applied-he played roles in hundreds of radio dramas produced by advertising agencies and the radio networks. After creating a minor panic in the minds of radio listeners with his 1938 War of the World’s broadcast, Welles attracted the attention of a movie studio that offered the actor the spotlights of tinsel town ... resulting in Citizen Kane. Making the move to California, Welles continued to appear on radio programs, now established as a Hollywood actor, and made numerous guest appearances on variety, comedy, and dramatic programs. In 1941, and again in 1946, Welles starred in a chilling story titled "The Hitch-Hiker," scripted by Lucille Fletcher, which thirteen years later was adapted into a television episode of The Twilight Zone. In the early fifties, when Welles was momentarily "blacklisted," the actor moved to England and narrated the radio program The Black Museum and starred in The Lives of Harry Lime, a sequel to the Carol Reed classic The Third Man, now regarded as one of the one hundred best movies ever made. This collection of Orson Welles radio dramas are among his very best, and we hope you'll enjoy them for years to come!

Enjoy eight hours of classic radio episodes starring the incomparable Jack Benny, including several episodes from his regular radio series The Jack Benny Program. For over half a century, Jack Benny was one of the great comics of stage, screen, radio, and television. On his long-running radio and television programs, Benny was depicted as a miser who hoarded every penny he made. Year after year he denied he was older than thirty-nine while honing his persona of a vain and devious penny-pincher in stark contrast to the warm and generous human being he was in real life. Benny knew he could be funny by following one simple rule: let others deliver the punch lines. He discovered early that it didn't matter who got the laughs on The Jack Benny Program as long as people were talking about how funny it was. A staple on NBC radio for sixteen years, Jack Benny made headlines when he signed an unprecedented contract with rival network CBS. In late 1948, CBS hoped to dominate the broadcasting industry by successfully luring Jack Benny away from his long-term NBC contract. They later convinced him to appear on CBS television and by 1953, The Jack Benny Program was a weekly TV fan-favorite.

This collection spotlights the iconic Orson Welles in nine of his works from the golden age of radio. These radio dramas, airing from 1938 through 1951, are among his very best and can be enjoyed for years to come. Armed with the nickname the "Boy Genius," Orson Welles graduated from the New York stage to expand his creative talents in the radio industry, hoping to use the audio medium to promote his stage ventures. Welles followed the practice followed by most stage actors: he played roles in hundreds of radio dramas produced by advertising agencies and the radio networks. After creating a minor panic among radio listeners with his 1938 War of the Worlds broadcast, Welles attracted the attention of a movie studio that offered the actor the spotlights of tinsel town-resulting in Citizen Kane. Making the move to California, Welles continued to appear on radio programs, became established as a Hollywood actor, and made numerous guest appearances on variety, comedy, and dramatic programs. In 1941 and again in 1946, he starred in a chilling story titled "The Hitch-Hiker," scripted by Lucille Fletcher, which thirteen years later was adapted into a television episode of The Twilight Zone. In the early 1950s, when Welles was temporarily blacklisted, he moved to England and narrated the radio program "The Black Museum" and starred in "The Lives of Harry Lime," a prequel to the classic "The Third Man," now regarded as one of the 100 best movies ever made. In this collection: The Mercury Theatre on the Air: "Three Short Stories" The Campbell Playhouse: "Mutiny on the Bounty" Suspense: "The Marvelous Barastro" The Black Museum: "The Champagne Glass" The Lux Radio Theatre: " The Break of Hearts" This Is My Best: "Diamond as Big as the Ritz" The Mercury Summer Theatre: "The Hitchhiker" The Lives of Harry Lime: "Art Is Long and Lime Is Fleeting" The Lives of Harry Lime: "In Pursuit of a Ghost".