Classic Radio Theater

The legendary W.C. Fields was born William Claude Dukenfield in Pennsylvania in 1880. He started his career as a juggler on the vaudeville circuit, then moved into comedy and acting. He is know for his distinctive speech patterns and for his character’s love of alcohol.Part 1: The Temperance LecturePart 2: The Day I Drank A Glass of WaterDoes his act still hold up?

Flip Wilson (1933-1998) was the first Black comedian to host a successful TV variety show, The Flip Wilson Show, which aired from 1970 to 1974. Flip was well known for playing the character of Geraldine in his act as well ask for numerous TV appearances from he 1960s through the 1980s. He continued to perform into the 1990s until he passed away from cancer in 1998.

Orson Welles’s “A Christmas Carol”Enjoy Orson Welles’s production of the beloved “A Christmas Carol,” which aired on Christmas Eve in 1939.

An Evening With Groucho Marx (Part 2 of 2)

An Evening With Groucho Marx (Part 1 of 2)Released in 1972, An Evening With Groucho Marx was recorded live at three venues, Carnegie Hall in New York City, C.Y. Stephens Auditorium at Iowa State University, and Masonic Auditorium in San Fransisco. Groucho is introduced by Dick Cavett and is accompanied on piano by Marvin Hamlisch.

The Life of Riley with William Bendix- “Thanksgiving with the Gillises,” aired on November 29, 1947.The Life of Riley was a radio sitcom that aired from 1944 to 1951. It was later developed into a movie and a TV series.

Gunsmoke, “The Liar From Blackhawk,” aired on May 21, 1955.

Gunsmoke, “Robber Bridegroom,” aired on May 14, 1955.

Gunsmoke, “Potato Road,” aired on May 7, 1955.The story of the violence that moved west with young America, and the story of a man that moved with it, U.S. Marshall Matt Dillon, played by William Conrad.

It’s time for our annual rebroadcast of Orson Welles’s “The War of the Worlds,” which aired on October 30, 1938. This legendary broadcast is one you don't want to miss! (Spoiler: It did not create the mass panic of legendary tales. Orson said it was fiction in the broadcast, and they even took commercial breaks.)

“House in Cypress Canyon,” starring Robert Taylor, from the radio series SUSPENSE. This episode is widely considered one of the most terrifying shows broadcast during the Golden Age of Radio. A couple moves into a new rental house, and finds blood running from beneath a closet door… This episode aired on December 5, 1946.

Lights Out was one of the earliest radio programs focusing on horror and the supernatural. It ran on several networks from 1934 to 1947 before making the transition to television. This episode, “Rocket From Manhattan,” was broadcast on September 20, 1945, and is set in the distant future year of… 2000!

Lights Out was one of the earliest radio programs focusing on horror and the supernatural. It ran on several networks from 1934 to 1947 before making the transition to television. This episode, “Oxychloride X,” was broadcast on January 26, 1938.

Amos ’N AndyPart 1: Kingfish tricks his uncle into sending money for medical school. Then the uncle comes to check on his new practice. Aired on June 16, 1952. Part 2: Kingfish buys Sapphire a gold bracelet on credit. Then it gets repossessed and sold to another friend. Aired on June 23, 1952.

Amos ’N AndyPart 1: Kingfish acts as a marriage broker, but his plans go down the drain. Aired on October 10, 1948.Part 2: Kingfish spends the budget for the yearly Lodge Outing. When the other members find out, he is forced to repay the money.

Amos ’N AndyPart 1: Andy writes a column in the local newspaper and gets sued for giving bad advice. Aired on January 26, 1945.Part 2: Kingfish sells Andy his mountain cabin. When Andy finds out there are taxes due on the cabin, he tricks Kingfish into returning the money.

Amos ’N Andy was a radio sitcom that aired from 1928 to 1960. The titled characters were Black, but were played by the two white show creators Freeman Gosden (Amos) and Charles Correll (Andy). The show had a brief stint on television from 1951 to 1953 where the title characters were played by Black actors.Part 1: Andy and Kingfish enter a sales contest sponsored by a fountain pen company. Aired on December 1, 1944.Part 2: Andy works as Santa Claus in a department store to buy Amos’s daughter a Christmas gift. Aired on December 12, 1944.

Everything You Always Wanted To Know About The Godfather (But Don’t Ask)By The Crazy Gang.This performance was recorded with a live audience on May 11, 1972.

Dragnet, “Big Cup,” aired on March 9, 1954.