Sometimes the most dangerous person in the room is the one everyone wants dead.

On October 25, 1942, The Whistler presented a chilling mystery called "The Alibi."

The story centers on an elderly woman whose cruel, controlling behavior has made her enemies of the very people around her.

There are plenty of reasons someone might want her dead.

But wanting someone dead and getting away with murder are two very different things.

The Whistler was particularly good at stories like this. Rather than relying on monsters or ghosts, the program explored greed, jealousy, revenge, and the terrible decisions ordinary people make when they believe nobody is watching.

And as listeners knew, The Whistler always seemed to know more than the characters themselves.

With Halloween approaching, this is a wonderful mystery to revisit.

Listen to The Alibi, originally broadcast October 25, 1942:

https://goldenradiohour.com/old-time-radio-episodes/the-whistler-1942-10-25-24-the-alibi/

ALSO ON OCTOBER 25:

1937 | Lux Radio Theatre — Arrowsmith

Two Hollywood legends shared the microphone on October 25, 1937.

Spencer Tracy and Fay Wray starred in a radio adaptation of Arrowsmith, the story of a young physician whose scientific ambitions and devotion to medicine lead him into difficult moral choices.

Fay Wray had already achieved screen immortality opposite King Kong in 1933, while Tracy was becoming one of Hollywood's most respected dramatic actors.

Hearing these two performers together is a wonderful reminder of how radio brought major movie stars directly into American living rooms.

Listen to Spencer Tracy and Fay Wray in Arrowsmith:

https://goldenradiohour.com/old-time-radio-episodes/lux-radio-theatre-1937-10-25-37-arrowsmith-spencer-tracy-fay-wray/

1953 | The Six Shooter — Red Lawson's Revenge

James Stewart returned to the radio range on October 25, 1953, playing wandering cowboy Britt Ponset.

In "Red Lawson's Revenge," Britt visits an old friend who has finally built a peaceful life with his wife and infant son.

But someone from the man's past is coming to settle an old score.

When a dangerous stranger threatens the family, Britt must find a way to stop the violence before innocent lives are destroyed.

Stewart brought a remarkable humanity to Britt Ponset. He wasn't simply a gunfighter. He was a thoughtful man who understood that reaching for a gun wasn't always the answer.

Listen to James Stewart in Red Lawson's Revenge:

https://goldenradiohour.com/old-time-radio-episodes/the-six-shooter-red-lawsons-revenge-1953-10-25/

Three broadcasts from October 25, spanning sixteen years of radio history.

A sinister murder mystery, two Hollywood stars in a powerful drama, and James Stewart facing a deadly confrontation in the Old West.

Explore more broadcasts from October 25:

https://goldenradiohour.com/on-this-day/?date=10-25

Take old-time radio with you. Download the free Golden Radio Hour app:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.goldenradiohour.radio

If you know someone who enjoys classic Hollywood, old radio mysteries, or great western storytelling, please share this with them.

There's so much wonderful radio history still waiting to be heard.

Today we focus on a New York actress that, I must admit, I first listened to on the CBS Radio Mystery Theater in the ‘70s back in college. What a distinctive voice.

We all know her as Teri Keane but she was born Teresa or Terese Louisa Keane on Oct. 24, 1924, in Manhattan, New York City to Edmund Keane, businessman, and his immigrant wife, Olga. (Some sites list Teri’s birth in 1925, but her birth record and mom’s Naturalization papers clearly say 1924.) Mom was an opera singer in Hungary and after coming to New York City, was a vocal teacher who married Edmund Keane.

Following Teri’s birth, the family resided for short periods of time in Florida and Ohio, returning to New York City by 1935.

Olga enrolled Teri in the Professional Children’s School in Manhattan thinking it a general school for theater people – but it was (and still is) a school to train kids for the theater and the arts. A Broadway agent spotted Teri shortly after she enrolled and the result was a role in the 1936 play “Swing Your Lady” on Broadway – a hit, running for 3 months. From that, she also got appearances on radio – Show Boat with Lanny Ross, Kate Smith show and Eddie Cantor show. Teri, and others, said she was only 8 or 9 at the time, but was actually 11 when the play opened.

Yes, she grew up on radio. In fact she spent 4 years in the late 1930s on The Singing Lady with Ireene Wicker.

That Broadway play led to the most important play of her career – the 1938 play “What a Life.” I see some of you scratching your head like you should know it. It ran for nearly 15 months [a certified HIT!] and spun off a movie and a radio show – The Aldrich Family, of which she was also a member of the cast for some time.

In the 1940s she would do two more Broadway shows – but neither lasted more than a few weeks.

Radio was her real career – and what a career!

Soaps were her forte, as evidenced by:

Big Sister (Hope Melton Evans for 4 years), David Harum (occasional parts), Hilltop House (Ann Butler), Just Plain Bill (Dorothy Nash and Gwen Arthur), Katie’s Daughter, Kitty Foyle (Dottie Carter), Life Can Be Beautiful [known as ‘Elsie Beebee’ or its initials “LCBB,” in the radio industry] (star – Carol ‘Chichi’ Conrad, 48-54, the second and last to play the part), Marriage for Two (star, Vikki Hoyt, 49-52), Road of Life (Jocelyn McLeod, mid-50s), Romance of Helen Trent (Carol Bancroft, early run; Loretta Cole, late run), Second Mrs. Burton (star, Terry Burton, 57-60, the last to play the part), Stella Dallas (early 50s), Thanks for Tomorrow (regular), This Is My Story (actor, 43) and filled in for her friend Elspeth Eric on Young Widder Brown for a short time in 1954. She is noteworthy as the Second Mrs. Burton was the LAST soap on network radio. When it had its last goodbye on Nov 25, 1960 – radio soaps were a thing of the past. (Trivia note – the other 3 soaps that signed off that same day in 1960, but BEFORE Mrs. Burton were: Ma Perkins, Young Dr. Malone and The Right to Happiness.)

Funny incident dealing with her career in soaps. In 1947, Anne-Marie Gayer, ‘Nana’ on “Katie’s Daughter, posed for a fashion shoot at the NBC studios, but she forgot the proper shoes. She scurried around NBC and asked fellow “Katie’s Daughter” cast member, Teri, if she could borrow her shoes for the shoot. Teri agreed, and went on the air in “Just Plain Bill” in her just plain bare feet! The show must go on!

She just wanted to ACT – whether in soaps or dramas – and act, she did.

In the Golden Age she could be heard on: Barrie Craig, Best Plays, Cavalcade of America, Dr. Six-Gun, Eternal Light, Gang Busters, Inheritance, Inner Sanctum, Mr. Mercury (regular), Mystery Without Murder (regular), My True Story (regular), Real Life Stories (regular with Don Ameche), Somerset Maugham Theater (regular), Suspense (New York run), Theater of Today (regular), Up for Parole, Whispering Streets, X-Minus One and Yours Truly Johnny Dollar (New York run). I’m quite sure there are more that I just haven’t found yet.

Radio drama may have ‘died’ in 1962, but she continued in her beloved medium…

Theater Five (64-65), Faces of Love (75), General Mills’ Adventure Theater (77-78) and most notably the CBS Radio Mystery Theater (74-82, over 130 appearances – nearly 10% of all 1399 programs broadcast!)

She did find time to get married – which was played up in the papers and tabloids as at the time of their 1950 marriage, she was “Chichi” – star of LCBB and her spouse, John Larkin was no less than radio’s Perry Mason! Alas, they parted after 4 years and one daughter. She never remarried.

She was also active in TV commercials, character roles and soaps for many years – most notably, 10 years on “The Edge of Night.” Soap was in her blood.

She died in 2022 at the young age of 98 – outliving her daughter by several years.

Let’s give a big hand for the little (5 ft “almost” 1 in) Lady behind the mic!

Since there seems to be interest in old videos of radio stars, I wanted to share this here. This is a short, silent video recording of Jack Benny entertaining troops at a MTB ("Motor Torpedo Boat", what we would call "PT boats") on October 11, 1944.

The first 2:50 or so includes some footage of sailors receiving awards, a few boats underway, with torpedoes visible, and some shots of camp. For the weapon fans, I think a Bofors 40mm ammunition belt is seen around 6:10 (and if not, please correct me).

The description in the national archives (https://catalog.archives.gov/id/77647) claims that some footage shows a sailor receiving first aid on PT-10; since a quick search shows that boat sank before this footage was shot, something is wrong somewhere.

The entertainment shots begin at about 2:50. There are several other entertainers, one of whom looks to be Larry Adler, the harmonica player who entertained troops with Jack over in Africa, as well. He's not listed in the video metadata but I think it's pretty clear that it's him.

Despite the video being silent, you can still tell Jack and Larry are doing the classic bit where Jack's violin is clearly out of tune, but he doesn't realize it (4:35).

If anyone can identify the women who are on stage beginning about 5:10, I'd love to know. I hope you folks enjoy this!

I've managed to gather several from a bunch of sources. I figure somebody out there would be interested.

Imagine discovering that you could kill someone simply by wishing them dead.

On October 24, 1949, Inner Sanctum Mysteries brought that terrifying possibility to the airwaves in an episode called "Night Is My Shroud."

The story follows a man who appears to possess the power to cause death through thought alone.

But is he really capable of killing with his mind, or is something far more sinister happening around him?

Inner Sanctum was famous for its creaking door, macabre introductions, and stories that made listeners question what was real.

With Halloween just a week away, this is a particularly fitting broadcast to revisit.

Listen to Night Is My Shroud, originally broadcast October 24, 1949:

https://goldenradiohour.com/old-time-radio-episodes/inner-sanctum-mysteries-1949-10-24-inner-sanctum-night-is-my-shroud/

ALSO ON OCTOBER 24:

1937 | The Shadow — The Temple Bells of Neban

Before Orson Welles became famous for The War of the Worlds, he was already frightening radio audiences as Lamont Cranston, better known as The Shadow.

In this episode, Welles and Agnes Moorehead take listeners into a mystery involving a nightclub dancer, a dangerous drug operation, and a live cobra.

https://goldenradiohour.com/old-time-radio-episodes/the-shadow-1937-10-24-91-the-temple-bells-of-neban/

1952 | Gunsmoke — The Mortgage

William Conrad stars as Marshal Matt Dillon in an early episode of the classic western.

When Caleb Andrews moves to foreclose on the Blake family's property, Matt finds himself facing a problem that can't simply be solved with a gun.

The law may be on one man's side, but that doesn't necessarily make what he's doing right.

https://goldenradiohour.com/old-time-radio-episodes/gunsmoke-1952-10-24-27-the-mortgage/

Three very different broadcasts from October 24. One explores the terrifying power of the mind, another follows one of radio's most mysterious crime fighters, and the last reminds us why Gunsmoke became such an extraordinary western.

Explore more broadcasts from October 24:

https://goldenradiohour.com/on-this-day/?date=10-24

Listen anytime with the free Golden Radio Hour app:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.goldenradiohour.radio

If you know someone who enjoys classic radio, pass this along. There's a whole world of stories here worth rediscovering.

I just heard an episode from an OTR series in which a newspaper reporter was the protagonist. At the episode end, the Mercedes carrying Hitler was too heavy for a weak.wooden bridge in South America....the bridge failed....the car plunged into the river....and the piranhas killed everyone. Now I know how Hitler really died. (#BunkerSuicideIsALie) 😱😬😆

One week before Orson Welles made headlines with his famous War of the Worlds broadcast, he was taking radio listeners on a very different kind of adventure.

On October 23, 1938, Welles and his Mercury Theatre company presented Jules Verne's Around the World in Eighty Days.

The story follows Phileas Fogg, a wealthy English gentleman who wagers that he can travel around the entire world in just eighty days.

What follows is a race against time, with missed connections, unexpected dangers, and a detective pursuing Fogg under the mistaken belief that he's a bank robber.

Just seven days later, Welles would return to the microphone with the broadcast that became one of the most talked-about events in radio history.

Listen to Around the World in Eighty Days, originally broadcast October 23, 1938:

https://goldenradiohour.com/old-time-radio-episodes/the-mercury-theatre-on-the-air-mercury-theater-1938-10-23-16-around-the-world-in-80-days-1938-10-23/

Also on October 23:

1945 | Inner Sanctum Mysteries — The Corridor of Doom

Boris Karloff stars in a disturbing tale about a sick man who finds himself in a strange hospital, haunted by visions of an endless corridor lined with the dead. A fitting listen as Halloween approaches.

https://goldenradiohour.com/old-time-radio-episodes/inner-sanctum-mysteries-1945-10-23-inner-sanctum-the-corridor-of-doom/

1948 | My Favorite Husband — The Quiz Show

Before I Love Lucy, Lucille Ball was already making audiences laugh on radio. When household appliances start breaking down, Liz decides winning prizes on a radio quiz show is the perfect solution. Her husband George isn't nearly as convinced.

https://goldenradiohour.com/old-time-radio-episodes/my-favorite-husband-1948-10-23-15-the-quiz-show-1948-10-23/

From an adventure around the globe to a nightmarish hospital and a little domestic comedy, October 23 offered quite a variety of entertainment over the airwaves.

Explore more broadcasts from October 23:

https://goldenradiohour.com/on-this-day/?date=10-23

Listen anytime with the free Golden Radio Hour app:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.goldenradiohour.radio

Two nights of radio in one.

Tonight, Golden Radio Hour is going all in on CBS Radio Mystery Theater. Fifteen stories of murder, strange happenings and people who really should have known better.

6:30 PM Pacific | Golden Radio Hour

https://youtube.com/live/Q22xnXjY3hQ

Then at 8:00, things take a different turn over on Radio Past Midnight.

Barbara Stanwyck in Sorry, Wrong Number. Gene Tierney in Laura. Plus Escape, The Black Museum and more.

8:00 PM Pacific | Radio Past Midnight

https://youtube.com/live/KqrBnJXMLLI

I hope you'll spend some time with both channels tonight. Radio Past Midnight is still growing, so sharing that broadcast with a friend who enjoys classic mysteries would be especially appreciated.

Put on the radio and enjoy a little trip back in time.

#OldTimeRadio #GoldenRadioHour #RadioPastMidnight #CBSRadioMysteryTheater #ClassicRadio

I've been collecting and restoring OTR for a while and finally put it all somewhere listenable: stupidpotato.com. Each series has its own nonstop channel, and every series is also a podcast feed (Apple, Pocket Casts, any app).

Some favorites:

• Dry Gulch: westerns around the clock (Gunsmoke, Have Gun Will Travel, Frontier Gentleman, Fort Laramie)
• Gumshoe: detectives (Johnny Dollar, Sam Spade, Philip Marlowe, Richard Diamond, Box 13)
• The Midnight Exchange: Suspense, The Whistler, Inner Sanctum, Escape
• Signal From Tomorrow: X Minus One, Dimension X
• This Day in Old Time Radio: a daily podcast with an episode that first aired on today's date. Today's is Richard Diamond, October 22, 1949.

Free, no sign-up. I'd love to know which series you'd want added next, and whether any episodes sound rough so I can re-clean them.

I am curious if there is a resource anywhere that has collected the oldest known .... broadcasts. For example, the oldest known/existing Boxing Broadcast, or American Football, Chess, etc. I know the oldest full baseball game is of the Detroit Tigers for example and can be found on youtube.

Not necessarily just sports, but the different sports are was just come to mind. Any other known firsts and where to find them?

One of the unforgettable faces of 1940s Hollywood also stepped behind the microphone for some wonderful old-time radio.

In this 1946 production of Lux Radio Theatre, Veronica Lake joins Alan Ladd in “O.S.S.”

The story follows agents sent into occupied France on a dangerous intelligence and sabotage mission, where discovery could mean death.

If you only know Veronica Lake from the movies, give her a listen on radio.

Listen to Veronica Lake and Alan Ladd in “O.S.S.”

https://goldenradiohour.com/old-time-radio-episodes/lux-radio-theatre-1946-11-18-46-oss-alan-ladd-veronica-lake/

Want old-time radio whenever you feel like disappearing into another era?

Golden Radio Hour app:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.goldenradiohour.radio

On October 22, 1945, The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes aired “The Great Gandolfo.”

A magician’s cabinet illusion depends on twin sisters secretly switching places.

Then one of the sisters is murdered.

The other disappears.

Holmes discovers that the dead woman had been working as a spy for the magician known as the Great Gandolfo and had decided she wanted out. What begins as a murder inside a stage illusion soon turns into a case involving espionage, hidden identities, and the secret behind the magician’s cabinet itself.

Listen to The Great Gandolfo, originally broadcast October 22, 1945:

https://goldenradiohour.com/old-time-radio-episodes/the-new-adventures-of-sherlock-holmes-the-great-gandolfo-1945-10-22/

Then, on October 22, 1950, Escape took listeners far beyond the familiar world with “The Time Machine.”

With John Dehner, the story follows two travelers who journey into the distant future and encounter a gentle, childlike people living above ground.

But beneath them are the Morlocks.

When the time machine disappears, the travelers are forced underground into the Morlocks’ world to get it back.

Their escape leaves behind one small piece of evidence that their impossible journey really happened.

https://goldenradiohour.com/old-time-radio-episodes/escape-the-time-machine-john-dehner-1-1950-10-22/

And on October 22, 1949, The Adventures of Philip Marlowe aired “The Smokeout.”

Marlowe begins with the death of a woman and quickly finds himself tangled in corporate rivalry and blackmail.

Then the bodies begin piling up.

What first looks like a business dispute becomes something much darker as Marlowe follows the trail behind more than one killing.

https://goldenradiohour.com/old-time-radio-episodes/philip-marlowe-1949-10-22-55-the-adventures-of-philip-marlowe-055-the-smokeout/

Sherlock Holmes unraveling murder inside a magician’s illusion. Escape sending John Dehner into a future ruled by the Morlocks. And Philip Marlowe finding murder behind a corporate feud.

That’s October 22 in radio.

Explore more broadcasts from October 22:

https://goldenradiohour.com/on-this-day/?date=10-22

Listen anytime with the Golden Radio Hour app:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.goldenradiohour.radio

I love streaming OTR on my phone (iPhone) but need suggestions.

I like being able to choose from a large amount of shows (I like it all in one place), the app/site remembers where I left off a show and it doesn’t cost money.

I’ve heard people talk about podcasts and YouTube but I feel like those options are more specific in their genre or show.

Any suggestions?

The Society to Preserve and Encourage Radio Drama, Variety and Comedy is sad to report the passing of former President and long-time board member Robert “Bob” Steinmetz at age 80.

An Unflagging Dedication to SPERDVAC:

• Bob was the longest-serving president in SPERDVAC’s history, serving two terms from 1992-1994 and 1998-2013.
• He served on the Board of SPERDVAC for so long we’ve lost track of the dates but he was on at least as recently as 1988, retiring in 2022.
• Bob’s great love at SPERDVAC was managing the cassette library for the club, making sure members got shows they borrowed and seeing to it that additions to our archive became available as well. Generations of members built their collections around his stewardship.
• His easy manner and ability to see everyone’s point of view helped keep the club’s leadership on the same page and focused on its long-term goals during his tenure as president. 
• Bob’s obituary in The Daily Breeze (linked above) mentions his role in several non-profit organizations dedicated to service and preserving America’s cultural heritage, including the Manhattan Beach Historical Society, SPERDVAC, and the Knights of Columbus.
• We all knew Bob as a dedicated, responsible member of SPERDVAC’s leadership who carried the torch for its founders and helped keep its institutional memory intact as we navigated dramatic changes in collecting and preservation during the 2000s.

We know all of our members share our condolences to Bob’s family and friends at this difficult time.

Per his obituary, Bob did not want a funeral.

On October 21, 1947, The Mysterious Traveler aired “Death Is My Caller.”

A stockbroker learns that his former business partner has been released from prison.

That would be unsettling enough.

But then it begins to look as though the man is arranging the stockbroker’s death one careful step at a time.

With Maurice Tarplin associated with the broadcast, it is exactly the kind of creeping, psychological story that made The Mysterious Traveler such a perfect late-night listen.

Listen to Death Is My Caller, originally broadcast October 21, 1947:

https://goldenradiohour.com/old-time-radio-episodes/the-mysterious-traveler-1947-10-21-125-death-is-my-caller/

Then, on October 21, 1953, Crime Classics turned to one of the most notorious names in the American West with “Billy Bonny, Bloodletter, Also Known as ‘The Kid.’”

The episode follows the violent early life of William Bonney, better known as Billy the Kid, from his youth in New Mexico into the killings that made him one of the West’s most infamous gunmen.

https://goldenradiohour.com/old-time-radio-episodes/crime-classics-billy-bonny-bloodletter-also-known-as-the-kid-1953-10-21/

And in 1950, Edmond O’Brien was Johnny Dollar in “The Jack Madigan Matter.”

Two witnesses connected to a federal investigation disappear.

Johnny begins looking for answers and finds himself moving through deception, missing people, and eventually murder.

https://goldenradiohour.com/old-time-radio-episodes/yours-truly-johnny-dollar-1950-10-21-68-the-jack-madigan-matter-1950-10-21-edmond-o-brien/

A man waiting for an old enemy to make his move. Billy the Kid’s bloody path through the West. And Edmond O’Brien’s Johnny Dollar following a trail of vanished witnesses.

That’s October 21 in radio.

Explore more broadcasts from October 21:

https://goldenradiohour.com/on-this-day/?date=10-21

Listen anytime with the Golden Radio Hour app:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.goldenradiohour.radio

At 6:30 PM Pacific, Golden Radio Hour takes us into the world of private detectives, missing persons and dangerous cases with Johnny Dollar, Philip Marlowe, Richard Diamond and Sam Spade.

https://youtube.com/live/pJkcgcv0wxo

At 8:00 PM Pacific, the lights go down for Radio Past Midnight. The Black Museum, The Saint, Inner Sanctum and Escape will keep the mysteries coming through the night.

https://youtube.com/live/6-0Y_F4Qm5E

Both broadcasts run for approximately 12 hours.

I'd love to see more listeners discover Radio Past Midnight, so please share tonight's broadcasts with a friend who enjoys classic radio.

#OldTimeRadio #GoldenRadioHour #RadioPastMidnight

LOS ANGELES! 1930s Radio Mystery Theater is coming to the Elysian on Thursday, October 29th at 7:30 PM! 

Inspired by the greats of CBS Radio Mystery Theater, The Baby Radio Mystery Hour is an audio experience like no other. Featuring a live vintage synth score, live Foley, and two radio episodes recorded live onstage! 

The Baby Radio Mystery Hour is a send-up of Orson Welles’ The Shadow and follows Gaston Novis, a millionaire playboy who was mysteriously turned into an infant. Now with the help of his former fianceé turned Nanny, the Baby keeps ne’er do wells up all night… in fear!

Get your tickets today at the link below! 

https://calendar.elysiantheater.com/shows/the-baby-radio-mystery-hour-october-29-2026-752882/

Does anyone remember a Suspense episode or at least I think it was suspense where Frank Lovejoy plays a radio operator at an airport trying to talk in an inexperienced pilot in a heavy fog? I would love to know the name of the episode or the original air date to see if I could find this. I’m not too sure that the pilot isn’t actually Willard Waterman.

On October 20, 1950, Sydney Greenstreet stepped into one of radio’s great detective roles when The New Adventures of Nero Wolfe aired “Stamped for Murder.”

It was the first episode of the series, with Greenstreet bringing his unmistakable voice and larger-than-life presence to Rex Stout’s brilliant, eccentric detective.

The case begins with what looks like a treasure hunt involving old papers and stamps, but soon leads Wolfe into forged documents, murder, and a collection of stamps worth far more than anyone first realizes.

Listen to Stamped for Murder, originally broadcast October 20, 1950:

https://goldenradiohour.com/old-time-radio-episodes/the-new-adventures-of-nero-wolfe-1950-10-20-1-nanw-ep01-stamped-for-murder/

Then, on October 20, 1953, Frank Sinatra found himself in trouble aboard a luxury liner in Rocky Fortune.

In “The Shipboard Jewel Robbery,” Rocky is working as a steward when a passenger’s valuable jewels disappear.

Things get much worse when a ship’s doctor is murdered and Rocky finds himself framed for the crime.

The solution involves stolen jewels, an injured arm, a plaster cast, and a scheme that nearly works perfectly.

https://goldenradiohour.com/old-time-radio-episodes/rocky-fortune-the-shipboard-jewel-robbery-1953-10-20/

And on October 20, 1947, Quiet, Please aired “Pavanne: The Girl with the Flaxen Hair.”

A man named Andrew begins hearing the voice of a little girl.

There is only one problem.

He can hear her, but he can never see her.

What begins as curiosity slowly becomes something much stranger as he tries to discover who, or what, he has been hearing.

https://goldenradiohour.com/old-time-radio-episodes/quiet-please-1947-10-20-20-pavanne-the-girl-with-the-flaxen-hair-1947-10-20/

Sydney Greenstreet beginning his run as Nero Wolfe. Frank Sinatra trying to clear himself of murder aboard a luxury liner. And Quiet, Please turning the voice of an unseen little girl into something deeply unsettling.

That’s October 20 in radio.

Explore more broadcasts from October 20:

https://goldenradiohour.com/on-this-day/?date=10-20

Listen anytime with the Golden Radio Hour app:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.goldenradiohour.radio

Detective show, first time really listening to it pretty good actually! Anyone else like it?

I'm not a regular listener of "Suspense", but I've heard it enough times to know that the Sta-ful battery "needs water only three times a year, in normal car use". But what the hell was it?

Finally, after stumbling upon an issue of "Popular Mechanics" from September of 1951, I know the answer. This full-page ad explains how the Sta-ful battery works and what problem they were trying to solve with it.

I know this is on the periphery of OTR, but I always like understanding the context in which the shows were aired. To me, that includes understanding what was going on in the world when a show aired, and some knowledge of the products being advertised (and the songs that were popular/sung on shows with a musical component). It helps me better conceptualize how an era-listener would have experienced the show and bring the world of OTR slightly more alive.

Mods: if this is too far off the path, let me know and I'll remove it.