But the key players were in charge of sound effects like footsteps, squeaky doors opening and closing, gun shots, train whistles ... etc. While the radio provided the sounds, our imaginations filled in the rest.
Radios gave us comedies, mysteries, soap operas and chilling tales of suspense. Many of these radio programs are preserved on http://www.youtube.com/. Go there and search for radio dramas.
Fibber McGee and Molly Radio: Light comedy about a married couple in a small town in New England and their friends. The show was used as propaganda to sell war bonds during WWII.
The Life of Riley: William Bendix played a humble and not-too-bright family man just trying to get ahead in the world.
The Jack Benny Radio Show: A cast of likable entertainers poke fun at life in show business.
The Bob and Ray Radio Show: A couple of comedians play off each other in multiple jokes, stories and sketches.
The News from Lake Wobegon: America's favorite story teller, Garrison Keillor, spins clever yarns about life in a small town in Minnesota.
X minus 1: This was a science fiction show full of mystery. They imagined that such things as space and time travel would be normal, yet they never imagined anything as crazy as the internet or cell phones.
The Weird Circle: These were strangle tales with a twist at the end.
The Shadow: These were tales of suspense. The voice of the shadow always came out of darkness to terrify the guilty.
Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar was a radio drama about a "fabulous" freelance insurance investigator "with the action-packed expense account."
Flash Gordon Radio: This swashbuckling adventurer travelled to distant worlds in a space ship, then battled aliens with swords as he fought the evil emperor, Ming the Merciless.
Once you have listened to your selection, come back and tell us
- what you listened to
- what the story was about
- what you could see in your mind's eye while you were listening
I definetly love Jack Benny, he's a spectacular comedian! I think that his radio program could actually be transmitted today and enjoy a lot of success. I laughed about 40 times in just 5 minutes, and it was just a short dialogue between him and 2 or 3 actors!
ReplyDeleteThe dialogue is between Jack and Rochester who travel by bicycle all along the highway. But Jack's girl wants to take a bus instead of riding the bike. The bike is the main topic, all actors have arguments against it. Then finally Rochester comes and with his funny voice (like Luis Armstrong) tells Jack he has lost the bike and he doesn't know how to get it back! The show closes with Mary who reads a short poem (but not less funny) in rhymes.
I couldn't see in my mind's eye because I could't stop laughing! Really, really, really amazing.. Guys, you've got to hear him!!!!!!
I listened to the "Great Gildersleeve" radio program.
ReplyDeleteThe episode I chose is named "Gildy's dancing lesson".
Gildy's nephew doesn't want to go to a class-mate's birthday because he can't dance.
For this reason Gildy decides to look for a dance teacher to make his nephew a good dancer. They find one so they go together to the dance hall to meet the new teacher. When Gildy sees what a beautiful woman she is, he suddenly wants to improve his dancing and decides to go to lessons with his nephew.
After some weeks the teacher calls Gildy to tell him that they need no more dance lessons because they are good enough now. But obviously Gildy doesn't want to give up, so he says to the woman that he wants to become a professional dencer so that's why he needs many more lessons. Unfortunately when he's signing the contract he finds out that his teacher won't be that beautiful woman but an ugly one.
It seems to me it's so difficult to see in the mind the characters because I've never seen or heard this radio program. I don't know the protagonistes and I don't know what they do or what they look like.
I prefer watching a comedy on tv or better reading a good book instead of listening to a radio novel.
I listened to an episode of Fibber McGee and Molly. The episode is about Christmas and the night before Christmas. In this story there are a lot of songs and a few dialogues.
ReplyDeleteWhile I was listening, I imagined in my mind a livimg room of a typical american house, decorated with Christmas stuff and a big Christmas tree, a window where you can see the snow outside and the coloured christmas ligts.
I imagined a little baby who was asking about the Christmas night.
I think that the intention of the spot is to give an image of tenderness, happiness and Christmas feelings.
The spot ends with a wish for a merry Christmas for everybody.
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ReplyDeleteI listened to Bob and Ray Public Radio Show. The name of the episode was "Speaking Out".
ReplyDeleteThe episode was about a live radio show where people could call and say their opinions about issues. The first caller was a man from Michigan. He talked about a presidential election and why he moved from Calfornia to Michigan. The next caller was a woman from Indiana. She wanted the money from the health insurance of her husband, because her husband ran off with another woman. She said that she wants to kill her husband. The final caller was a man who talked about a basball game and homeruns ( I didn't get the real reason why he called.)
This radio show is really funny. The announcer made jokes about the callers and they didn't get the jokes. You knew when somebody made a joke or said something funny because in the background were people laughing and clapping.
I couldn't see anything because I had to concentrate to understand what they said.
And they didn't say anything were they were.
I listened to "the Jack Benny radio show" : there are several comedians, about five in this story. The main character is Jack Benny. He talks about a bicycle. For him, it's the best way to move on the highway because it's really cheap. But all the other comedians are against him and they prefer the bus. In fact, each comedian finds disadvantages to the bicycle and laughs at Jack. It's an exchange of jokes between the different comedians.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was listenning, it was difficult for me to see anything in my mind's eye, because, at first, I had to be really concentrated to understand. Secondly, I watched a staged reading and in which I could see the actors.
But when I finished, I could imagine Jack is riding the bike alone on the highway with the wind in his face, and the others comedians in the bus who defy him.
I litened to Fibber McGee and Molly Radio. The episode of Christmas. During the listening, I imagined 50s-60s American family anticipating Christmas. It's like husband wear very neat clothes and prefer to be gentlemen all the time. And wife has curly blond hair, white skin and color of lipstick is always vivid.
ReplyDeleteI've never heard an episode of the news from Lake Wobegon before, but I have to say that, although I have more than something of a problem of understanding, it's impossible not to laugh! For instance, you can see a snowboard flying on the buildings and neither the omnipotence of God can change its trajectory, so somebody is hit in the right shoulder and the perpetrator of the damage gets away with a "Sorry...sorry...didn't see you there!"
ReplyDelete