The Good Old Days of Radio Show

This week, we step into the foggy streets of Victorian London with Crime Classics, and possibly the most intriguing real-life unsolved mysteries of all time, “Good Evening, My Name Is Jack the Ripper.” John Tefteller, along with researcher Karl Schadow and Bernard Herrmann biographer Steven C. Smith, takes a closer look at the Whitechapel murders, focusing not just on the crimes, but on the lives of the victims and the fear that gripped the city. Along the way, the discussion highlights the often-overlooked people behind the scenes: sound effects artists, assistant directors, and others who helped create that immersive atmosphere. Visit our website: https://goodolddaysofradio.com/ Subscribe to our Facebook Group for news, discussions, and the latest podcast: https://www.facebook.com/groups/881779245938297 Our theme music is "Why Am I So Romantic?" from Animal Crackers: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KHJKAKS/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_MK8MVCY4DVBAM8ZK39WD

Today, we conclude our Lincoln-themed series through the lens of time travel, from The Mysterious Traveler, with a story about a physicist and a historian attempting to project a modern mind into the past, hoping to prevent Lincoln’s assassination. The plan is to influence events from the inside… but things don’t go as expected. In true radio fashion, the story takes a sharp turn that flips the entire mission on its head. Visit our website: https://goodolddaysofradio.com/ Subscribe to our Facebook Group for news, discussions, and the latest podcast: https://www.facebook.com/groups/881779245938297 Our theme music is "Why Am I So Romantic?" from Animal Crackers: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KHJKAKS/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_MK8MVCY4DVBAM8ZK39WD

Today we’ve got a mystery for you, and we’re asking help from all amateur and professional researchers in our audience: help us figure out this episode of Lights Out! We know it’s an early one, and that’s about it. It comes with no confirmed title or air date. Instead of the usual supernatural chills, this one leans hard into gritty crime drama. It follows a gang of bank robbers whose plan unravels into a chain of double-crosses, jealousy, and murder, as each one tries to come out on top. As you’d expect from Lights Out, it all builds to a dark ending, with the final moments centered on a condemned man facing his fate. Visit our website: https://goodolddaysofradio.com/ Subscribe to our Facebook Group for news, discussions, and the latest podcast: https://www.facebook.com/groups/881779245938297 Our theme music is "Why Am I So Romantic?" from Animal Crackers: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KHJKAKS/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_MK8MVCY4DVBAM8ZK39WD

This week, we take a more serious turn with Crime Classics and its 1953 episode that zooms in on a crime that had a tremendous impact on the nation, the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Host John Tefteller, along with researcher Karl Schadow and Bernard Herrmann expert Steven C. Smith, explores how this installment breaks from the series’ usual dark humor and leans into a somber retelling of one of America’s most tragic moments. The discussion digs into the historical details, including the often-overlooked role of Lincoln’s bodyguard, John Parker. We again look at Bernard Herrmann’s striking score, and touch on a bit of behind-the-scenes controversy at CBS over the timing of the broadcast. Visit our website: https://goodolddaysofradio.com/ Subscribe to our Facebook Group for news, discussions, and the latest podcast: https://www.facebook.com/groups/881779245938297 Our theme music is "Why Am I So Romantic?" from Animal Crackers: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KHJKAKS/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_MK8MVCY4DVBAM8ZK39WD

This week, we kick off a three-part series on Abraham Lincoln, to compliment our Crime Classics episode on Thursday. We're starting out with a 1938 broadcast from The Mercury Theatre on the Air, starring Orson Welles; a dramatic, personal look at Lincoln’s life during the Civil War, built from a mix of theatrical storytelling and his own words, pulled from letters and speeches. You’ll hear the weight of the presidency, from cabinet conflicts to the enormous burden of holding the Union together and pushing toward the end of slavery. Welles captures both Lincoln’s strength and his humanity, while Bernard Herrmann’s score adds just the right emotional depth. Visit our website: https://goodolddaysofradio.com/ Subscribe to our Facebook Group for news, discussions, and the latest podcast: https://www.facebook.com/groups/881779245938297 Our theme music is "Why Am I So Romantic?" from Animal Crackers: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KHJKAKS/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_MK8MVCY4DVBAM8ZK39WD

This week, we are serving up another dainty confection from Crime Classics. John Tefteller, along with researcher Karl Schadow and Bernard Herrmann expert Steven C. Smith, takes a closer look at this 1953 episode, based on the real-life case of a Frenchwoman accused of poisoning her husband with arsenic… hidden in a homemade cake. Like all Crime Classics episodes, it’s told with rye dialogue and narration, and Herrmann’s subtle musical score. Visit our website: https://goodolddaysofradio.com/ Subscribe to our Facebook Group for news, discussions, and the latest podcast: https://www.facebook.com/groups/881779245938297 Our theme music is "Why Am I So Romantic?" from Animal Crackers: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KHJKAKS/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_MK8MVCY4DVBAM8ZK39WD

If you like your comedy quiet and odd, we’re lining up two back-to-back broadcasts of the offbeat 1944 sitcom Vic and Sade, a show famous for its understated, throwaway humor. The first episode centers on Vic trying (and not exactly succeeding) to collect a $2 debt from a local merchant. In the second, the family is getting ready for an evening out, all heading in different directions, with the usual small talk turning strangely funny. Visit our website: https://goodolddaysofradio.com/ Subscribe to our Facebook Group for news, discussions, and the latest podcast: https://www.facebook.com/groups/881779245938297 Our theme music is "Why Am I So Romantic?" from Animal Crackers: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KHJKAKS/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_MK8MVCY4DVBAM8ZK39WD

This week, we’re back with another dark story from Crime Classics. We are once again joined by researcher Karl Schadow and Bernard Herrmann biographer Steven C Smith, to take us into one of the most chilling true crime stories the series tackled; the infamous tale of Burke and Hare, two men who turned murder into a business, supplying bodies to medical schools in 19th-century Scotland. Along the way, we discuss the cast, the production, and the eerie, minimalist score by Bernard Herrmann, which does a lot with very little to create a sense of unease. Visit our website: https://goodolddaysofradio.com/ Subscribe to our Facebook Group for news, discussions, and the latest podcast: https://www.facebook.com/groups/881779245938297 Our theme music is "Why Am I So Romantic?" from Animal Crackers: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KHJKAKS/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_MK8MVCY4DVBAM8ZK39WD

It's the first Tuesday of the month, and that means host John Tefteller and radio historian Dr. Joe Webb dig into another rediscovered show from the golden age of crime drama: a 1945 episode of Mr. District Attorney. Originally aired on August 29, 1945, this wartime mystery centers on a black-market racket dealing in stolen red ration points. John and Dr. Webb set the stage with background on wartime rationing, railroad travel limits, and how shows like Mr. District Attorney captured the patriotic mood of the times. They also chat about the episode’s cast, its classic sponsors (Vitalis and Ipana), and share a few great collector stories about how these long-lost programs survived decades of neglect. Jay Jostyn and the Golden Age "Mr. District Attorney" Series Need to be "Re-discovered" https://suspensearchive.wixsite.com/drjoesworkshop/post/jay-jostyn-and-the-golden-age-mr-district-attorney-series-need-to-be-re-discovered The Blockbuster Series Mr. DA Did Not Start That Way https://suspensearchive.wixsite.com/drjoesworkshop/post/the-blockbuster-series-mr-da-did-not-start-that-way Ipana toothpaste https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ipana Ipana print ad https://archive.org/details/1948-advertisement-for-ipana-toothpaste_20201109 Minit-Rub print ad https://archive.org/details/MinitRub1947A Chuck Schaden interview of Jay Jostyn https://speakingofradio.com/interviews/jostyn-jay/ Classic radio collector Chris Lembesis calls into a 1968 talk show where Jostyn was guest for a nice 4 minute conversation https://archive.org/download/httpsarchive.orgdetailshttpsarchive.orgdetailsmrdajostyninterviews/Mr%20DA%201968-08-27%20Chris%20Lembesis%20calls%20into%20talk%20show%20to%20chat%20with%20Jay%20Jostyn.mp3 1973 Same Time Same Station retrospective of Jay Jostyn's career with interview and excerpts; in two hour-long broadcasts https://archive.org/details/httpsarchive.orgdetailshttpsarchive.orgdetailsmrdajostynstss1973 Eleven years of Mr. District Attorney comics for reading online. The comics followed the radio series format, published by DC Comics beginning in 1948. https://readallcomics.com/mr-district-attorney-01/ Visit our website: https://goodolddaysofradio.com/ Subscribe to our Facebook Group for news, discussions, and the latest podcast: https://www.facebook.com/groups/881779245938297 Our theme music is "Why Am I So Romantic?" from Animal Crackers: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KHJKAKS/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_MK8MVCY4DVBAM8ZK39WD

This week, we’re back with another fascinating entry from Crime Classics. Host John Tefteller is joined by Karl Schadow and Steven C. Smith to take a closer look at the dry narration of Lou Merrill as Thomas Hyland, one of radio’s most unique storytellers. The featured story dives into a real case from 1778, the shocking murder of Joshua Spooner, planned by his wife, Bathsheba Spooner, who would go down in history as the first woman executed for murder in the United States. It’s a dark tale, but like all Crime Classics episodes, it’s told with a surprising mix of sharp humor and historical detail. Visit our website: https://goodolddaysofradio.com/ Subscribe to our Facebook Group for news, discussions, and the latest podcast: https://www.facebook.com/groups/881779245938297 Our theme music is "Why Am I So Romantic?" from Animal Crackers: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KHJKAKS/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_MK8MVCY4DVBAM8ZK39WD

Want to hear what 1950 thought “the future” would sound like? We have an unusual program for you today, an NBC pilot from 1950 called Report from the Future, dramatized news broadcasts delivered as if they’re being reported from years yet to come. It’s part radio drama and part faux newscast. The program jumps through imagined headlines: a manned rocket launching into space, the (fictional) discovery of Cleopatra’s tomb, and a baseball slugger breaking Babe Ruth’s home run record. To make it all seem more believable, the show even folds in “expert” interviews from the era, including a rocket engineer and Major League star Ralph Kiner. More than anything, it plays like a time capsule of mid-century optimism, capturing what Americans in 1950 expected science, exploration, and pop culture to achieve in the decades ahead. Visit our website: https://goodolddaysofradio.com/ Subscribe to our Facebook Group for news, discussions, and the latest podcast: https://www.facebook.com/groups/881779245938297 Our theme music is "Why Am I So Romantic?" from Animal Crackers: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KHJKAKS/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_MK8MVCY4DVBAM8ZK39WD

This week, we’re back in the world of Crime Classics with another offbeat entry, “The Triangle on the Round Table.” Host John Tefteller is joined by Karl Schadow and Steven C. Smith to dig into this 1953 episode, which takes the familiar legend of King Arthur and turns it on its head. Forget shining armor and noble quests, this version leans into dark humor and sharp writing, with knights who feel a lot more like modern, flawed humans than storybook heroes. William Conrad stars as a weary, battle-worn King Arthur, caught in a story full of tension, betrayal, and cynicism. Visit our website: https://goodolddaysofradio.com/ Subscribe to our Facebook Group for news, discussions, and the latest podcast: https://www.facebook.com/groups/881779245938297 Our theme music is "Why Am I So Romantic?" from Animal Crackers: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KHJKAKS/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_MK8MVCY4DVBAM8ZK39WD

Today, John Tefteller sits down with Jerry Haendiges, one of the true pioneers of vintage radio collecting and preservation. Jerry takes you back to the very beginning, when he was literally rescuing transcription discs from radio stations in 1965, back when a lot of places were just tossing them out. He talks about the formation of SPERDVAC (one of the major groups dedicated to saving radio drama), and why digitizing rare recordings matters, especially if we want younger listeners to ever discover this stuff. Jerry also breaks down how he went from collector to key player in syndicating classic radio to stations all over the U.S. We also play full broadcasts of The Shadow and Blondie, two of Jerry’s favorite shows. Visit our website: https://goodolddaysofradio.com/ Subscribe to our Facebook Group for news, discussions, and the latest podcast: https://www.facebook.com/groups/881779245938297 Our theme music is "Why Am I So Romantic?" from Animal Crackers: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KHJKAKS/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_MK8MVCY4DVBAM8ZK39WD

This week, we continue our look at the brilliant and often overlooked series Crime Classics. Host John Tefteller is joined again by experts Karl Schadow and Steven C. Smith to spotlight the August 1953 episode "Your Loving Son, Nero." They dig into the “quadruple threat” talent of Elliott Lewis and the unforgettable music of Bernard Herrmann, who made a small ensemble sound like a full orchestra. Then we hear the episode itself, a darkly fascinating (and sometimes surprisingly funny) take on Emperor Nero and his relentless attempts to get rid of his mother, Agrippina. Visit our website: https://goodolddaysofradio.com/ Subscribe to our Facebook Group for news, discussions, and the latest podcast: https://www.facebook.com/groups/881779245938297 Our theme music is "Why Am I So Romantic?" from Animal Crackers: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KHJKAKS/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_MK8MVCY4DVBAM8ZK39WD

Ready for a little St. Patrick’s Day time travel? Today we are bringing you a 1949 broadcast made for St. Patrick’s Day, hosted by Ray Milland and starring Edmund Gwenn as the storyteller. The story is a whimsical fable called “The Leprechaun Who Didn’t Listen,” and it follows Johnny, a young leprechaun (played by Alan Young) who just will not take advice from his elders or teachers… and keeps paying the price for it. Visit our website: https://goodolddaysofradio.com/ Subscribe to our Facebook Group for news, discussions, and the latest podcast: https://www.facebook.com/groups/881779245938297 Our theme music is "Why Am I So Romantic?" from Animal Crackers: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KHJKAKS/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_MK8MVCY4DVBAM8ZK39WD

We’re kicking off a brand-new ten-week series, this time diving into the 1953 program Crime Classics. Host John Tefteller is joined by two guests, researcher Karl Schadow and biographer Steven C. Smith, to explore how producer Elliott Lewis created one of radio's most unique historical crime dramas, and how composer Bernard Herrmann managed to make it sound epic using only a handful of musicians. This week’s featured episode takes us back to Ancient Rome, 44 B.C., for a stylized retelling of the assassination of Julius Caesar. The story blends real history with just a hint of satire. Visit our website: https://goodolddaysofradio.com/ Subscribe to our Facebook Group for news, discussions, and the latest podcast: https://www.facebook.com/groups/881779245938297 Our theme music is "Why Am I So Romantic?" from Animal Crackers: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KHJKAKS/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_MK8MVCY4DVBAM8ZK39WD

It’s time for some classic deadpan radio comedy served extra dry. Today we're bringing you two original Bob and Ray Show recordings from August 1951, played straight off vintage AFRS transcription discs. And if you’ve never heard Bob Elliott and Ray Goulding in their early days, this is the perfect intro. You’ll hear sketches like an “ad” for a dual-purpose swimming pool table, plus a fake Adult School of the Air lesson that explores what happens when you’re just… brutally honest all the time. Familiar characters like Mary McGoon and Tex show up too, getting into surreal conversations, including one about a completely nonsensical plan for a musical swim across New York Harbor. It’s sharp, weird, and quietly hilarious. Visit our website: https://goodolddaysofradio.com/ Subscribe to our Facebook Group for news, discussions, and the latest podcast: https://www.facebook.com/groups/881779245938297 Our theme music is "Why Am I So Romantic?" from Animal Crackers: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KHJKAKS/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_MK8MVCY4DVBAM8ZK39WD

This is the final episode of Carlton E. Morse's Adventures By Morse syndicated radio serial, The Cobra King Strikes Back. And after 10 weeks of scary adventures in the Cambodia jungles, ancient temples, and gorillas and werewolves, it feels like a hard-earned rescue… but in this type of pulse-pounding, high-octane story, the relief never lasts long. Visit our website: https://goodolddaysofradio.com/ Subscribe to our Facebook Group for news, discussions, and the latest podcast: https://www.facebook.com/groups/881779245938297 Our theme music is "Why Am I So Romantic?" from Animal Crackers: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KHJKAKS/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_MK8MVCY4DVBAM8ZK39WD

Today, host John Tefteller and radio historian Dr. Joe Webb uncover another rare find; a long-lost episode of the hit 1940s crime drama “Mr. District Attorney.” This one’s been missing for decades until recently discovered in a private collector’s stash. John and Dr. Webb go into the history behind the series and how it became one of the most popular crime shows of its time. They also talk about why so many East Coast programs from that era vanished. Jay Jostyn and the Golden Age "Mr. District Attorney" Series Need to be "Re-discovered" https://suspensearchive.wixsite.com/drjoesworkshop/post/jay-jostyn-and-the-golden-age-mr-district-attorney-series-need-to-be-re-discovered The Blockbuster Series Mr. DA Did Not Start That Way https://suspensearchive.wixsite.com/drjoesworkshop/post/the-blockbuster-series-mr-da-did-not-start-that-way Ipana toothpaste https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ipana Ipana print ad https://archive.org/details/1948-advertisement-for-ipana-toothpaste_20201109 Minit-Rub print ad https://archive.org/details/MinitRub1947A Chuck Schaden interview of Jay Jostyn https://speakingofradio.com/interviews/jostyn-jay/ Visit our website: https://goodolddaysofradio.com/ Subscribe to our Facebook Group for news, discussions, and the latest podcast: https://www.facebook.com/groups/881779245938297 Our theme music is "Why Am I So Romantic?" from Animal Crackers: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KHJKAKS/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_MK8MVCY4DVBAM8ZK39WD

We're nearing the end of our 10-part adventure Carlton E. Morse 1944 serial in the jungles of Cambodia today. In this chapter, Captain Friday and the crew make a desperate break for it, trying to escape an ancient temple that’s been taken over by a twisted priesthood of men who’ve become something far more savage than human. Their guide, Taquan, a man caught between Western learning and his own fading traditions, leads them through a hollow mountain using swaying suspension ladders, with the so-called “human wolves” closing in behind them. Visit our website: https://goodolddaysofradio.com/ Subscribe to our Facebook Group for news, discussions, and the latest podcast: https://www.facebook.com/groups/881779245938297 Our theme music is "Why Am I So Romantic?" from Animal Crackers: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KHJKAKS/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_MK8MVCY4DVBAM8ZK39WD