RUSC MAILING

Written by Ned Norris

Candid Microphone was radio’s quiet revolution: a hidden recorder, a gentle premise, and the hunch that ordinary talk could be extraordinary if you listened close. This week I’ve added the last two surviving shows to the archive, which completes the set for members—ten extant episodes, together at last.

First up, 1950.07.18, with a velvet-voiced guest you’ll know: Bela Lugosi. It’s a spry collage—calm locksmith in a chilly pinch, a candid grappler talking shop, and a candy-counter experiment on how folks pick “the right” chocolate. Ken Roberts keeps it smooth, Don Hollenbeck guides the action, Bernard Green’s music gives it lift—and Funt’s easy timing lets everyone share the laugh.

Its companion reaches back to the beginning: Collecting for the OFCFFNE Fund For Needy Eskimos (1947.08.10). Sidewalks, lunch counters, and a barbershop become little theaters: a soft-spoken “fundraiser” with sly twists, a found wallet that turns into a pocket-size ethics seminar, a street-corner math lesson, a diner order negotiated with grace, and a barber explaining the fine points of a good shave. A quick note: the fundraising premise uses period language that’s dated today—an artifact of its moment. What endures is the show’s curiosity and generosity.

Heard together, these two shine a light on what radio does best. You can’t see a double-take, but you can hear it—the pause, the smile in a voice, the split-second recalibration. Funt’s team invites rather than provokes, sets up small social puzzles, then steps back. The reveal is there, but the pleasure is the conversation itself.

If you’re a member, you can now hear the full surviving run—ten in all— on RUSC.com.

I hope you’ll settle in and enjoy. The moments are small, the insights generous, and the smile arrives right on cue—just like a good stinger on the old Philco.

Warmly,

RUSC Old Time Radio
www.rusc.com

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