RUSC MAILING

Written by Ned Norris

I’ve still got some more episodes of Mayor of the Town to add to RUSC, and it struck me that this is one of those old time radio series which deserves a little extra attention.

It may not always be the first title people mention when they talk about radio’s golden years, but it has a charm all of its own — helped enormously by Lionel Barrymore in the starring role.

Barrymore played the mayor of a typical American small town: wise, warm-hearted, sometimes a little gruff, but always ready to help sort out the troubles of the people around him. Modern audiences often remember Barrymore best as Mr Potter in It’s a Wonderful Life, but in Mayor of the Town you hear a very different side of him. His voice carries age, authority, kindness, and experience all at once.

The series first came to radio during the wartime years of the 1940s, when listeners were drawn to stories about home, family, neighbors, and community spirit. It wasn’t a war program as such, but it certainly reflected the feeling of the home front — the idea that ordinary people, looking after one another, could still make a great deal of difference.

Each episode usually centers on some human problem: a misunderstanding, a moral dilemma, a family difficulty, or a youngster in need of guidance. The Mayor gets drawn in, and with patience and common sense, helps steer things toward a decent conclusion.

As I add more episodes to RUSC, I hope you’ll take the chance to revisit — or perhaps discover — this gentle and thoughtful series. Mayor of the Town doesn’t shout for attention, but it has a quiet strength, and with Lionel Barrymore at its center, it offers the sort of neighborly storytelling that old time radio did so well.

Happy listening,

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