Once upon a time there was
old-time-radio ...
... Now, THAT was entertainment!
Back when gasoline was just a dime a gallon, when fresh milk was still delivered to people's doorsteps in glass bottles, when America had just discovered sliced bread and automatic pop-up toasters...back when times were simple...
...there was old-time-radio.
Of course, we call it "old-time-radio" today but back in the 1930s, 40s and 50s, radio was the newest, most popular and powerful medium around. In many ways, it was bigger than anything we have today.
It was Called the Golden Age of Radio
The years between 1959 and 1962 are often referred to as the Golden Age of Radio -- and radio programs that were broadcast during that period had significantly more variety than radio programming today. [Click here to view a Partial List of the tremendous variety of shows in 10 categories.]
The shows captured the hearts and imaginations of Americans from coast to coast. It was a time when families would gather 'round the radio in the living room -- that "magic box" that had the mysterious power to snatch laughter, tears, drama, thrills and adventure out of the air and bring it into our homes.
The Golden Age of Radio started in 1929 -- with the debut of radio shows like
The Goldbergs, True Detective Mysteries, National Farm and
Home Hour, and the Rudy Vallee Show
...and continued through the 1930s -- when shows like Fibber McGee and
Molly, Lux Radio Theater, The Aldrich Family, Bob Hope,
Chandu the Magician, and the Al Jolson Show came into being
...the 1940s -- when shows like Abbott and Costello, This is
Your FBI, the Judy Canova Show, You Bet Your Life, and
The Adventures of Phillip Marlow dominated the airwaves
...the 1950s -- when shows like Gusnmoke, Dimension X,
Tales of the Texas Rangers, Dr. Kildare and The Sixty-Four
Dollar Question were introduced
...all the way to September 30, 1962 when the last episodes of Suspense
and Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar were broadcast.
What happened to all those old radio shows
-- and why would anyone want to listen to them today?
It's been over 70 years since Amos n' Andy hit the airwaves...
... nearly 50 years since Fibber McGee's junk-filled closet
crashed down on anyone that happened to open the door,
... and 40 years since Johnny Dollar filed his final expenses claim.
Why would anyone want to listen to decades-old radio shows when we have literally hundreds of TV and cable channels to choose from, an endless selection of movies on the big screen -- not to mention online entertainment with all its interactive bells and whistles?
There are dozens of reasons, not the least of which are:
Nostalgia for the "Good Old Days" -- Old-time-radio shows enable listeners to take a pleasant stroll down memory lane to when times were simple.
An Amazing Variety of Shows -- There are thousands of old-time-radio programs to suit every taste, mood and age bracket
Wholesome Entertainment -- Old-time-radio shows offer a refreshing respite from the vulgarities, profanities, sex and violence that punctuate modern-day TV, movies and other forms of entertainment.
"Movies Without Pictures" -- The shows allow listeners to visualize the characters, the scenery and the action with their own imagination -- and the result is often far better than any movies Hollywood could ever produce!
Not Just for the "Young-Once" but Also for the "Young Ones" -- Whether you're 9 or 90 years of age, male or female, American or from elsewhere in the world, there are old-time-radio shows available to enjoy a second time around or discover anew.
"They don't make them like they used to!" -- Many old-time-radio buffs insist that the radio shows of yesterday had more appeal than the shows of today -- they had well thought-out plots, concise 30-minute storylines, andengaging characters.
The Best Bargain in Entertainment -- Considering the variety of old-time-radio shows available, and how inexpensive it is (even free, in the case of RUSC) to listen to the shows themselves, it delivers the most bang for anyone's entertainment dollar.
Fortunately, over the years many people have collected and restored these old shows so that they can be enjoyed again as much by older listeners as a new generation coming to them for the first time.
Whether you fall into the former or latter group or somewhere in between does not matter - these fabulous shows are, and always have been, something that people of all ages can enjoy.
Re-live the Golden Age of Radio
Now, you can "bring back the good old days" for yourself -- and travel back in time to a wonderful land where classic old-time-radio shows live on to be enjoyed once more.
When you become a member of RU Sitting Comfortably (RUSC), you can enjoy an amazing variety of old-time-radio shows 24 hours a day, 7 days a week --for FREE.
The RUSC library has over 25,000 of the best old-time-radio shows that I've hand-picked for your enjoyment. That's well over 10,000 hours of listening! We continue to add more shows every single day of the year (including weekends and holidays) -- except Wednesdays when my wife, Joy, and I take a break.
The shows are divided into ten categories (e.g. comedy, detective, drama, variety) so you can easily find the kind of shows you will enjoy. Click here to see a partial list of the many different series available on RUSC .
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Health Warning!
Old-time radio shows are an irresistible form of entertainment, but be warned -- they are highly addictive. It can take just one listen to have you hooked for a lifetime -- and there is no rehab clinic you can attend to recover from the addiction. That being said, wouldn't the world be a far happier place if there were a lot more old-time-radio show junkies around? |
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All the old-time-radio shows are made available free of charge to you when you become a member of RUSC -- and membership costs less than the price of a pack of gum a day!
As a member, you will also learn how to how to easily download the old-time-radio shows and stream them to your computer, transfer them onto CDs or cassettes, and listen to them while you're relaxing, working, driving, commuting, or even while lying on the beach ... wherever you go.
If you've never heard an old-time-radio show -- or it's been a long time since you've had the pleasure -- click here to enjoy a very small selection of the many thousands of shows available from RUSC.
If you would like to know more about the wonderful world of old-time-radio, I've put together "The RUSC Guide to Old-Time-Radio" Digital Web Book that you can download for FREE. It's 88 pages long and includes sections on the history of radio, how to download old radio shows and play them on your own computer, lists of my favorite series and lots more information. Click here to download your copy.