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When Radio Ruled

Mike Gillett - the BeforeTV Project

A look at Old Time Radio and the world around it. A chronological look at the original mass media.

tv & film performing arts

All Episodes

When Radio Ruled #151 – A 1930s Christmas

When Radio Ruled ·

2025/12/17

Holiday Spirit from 1937, 1938, and 1939as served up by Old Time Radio! Christmas Time is here again. A time when us older folks reconnect with the child we once were. Moments from past Christmases relived, smiles and tears remembered. Longing and gratitude and the laughter of those we’ve lost. At least that’s what happens … Continue reading When Radio Ruled #151 – A 1930s Christmas

When Radio Ruled #150 – SoundScape 1939 part 22

When Radio Ruled ·

2025/12/07

Curated clips of live broadcasts from popular radio shows of the day. October 23 – October 29, 1939 A tapestry of History through the eyes of people as they lived it, reported by radio. In today’s SoundScape: Gildersleeve throws a Halloween Party! The Question of the Week! The Great Frederick Knocks Off Important Dough! Carol … Continue reading When Radio Ruled #150 – SoundScape 1939 part 22

When Radio Ruled #149 – SoundScape 1939 part 21...

When Radio Ruled ·

2025/11/30

Curated clips of live broadcasts from popular radio shows of the day. Radio highlights originally broadcast live October 15 through October 22, 1939. A tapestry of History through the eyes of people as they lived it, reported by radio. In today’s SoundScape: Fibber McGee and Giidersleeve Argue! Henry Aldritch combs his hair! Arthur Miller’s first … Continue reading When Radio Ruled #149 – SoundScape 1939 part 21 October 15-22, 1939

When Radio Ruled #148 – OTR Thanksgiving 2025

When Radio Ruled ·

2025/11/19

Happy Thanksgiving!! The concept of Thanksgiving is as ancient as ancient can be. Harvest festivals dedicated to the god or gods currently in fashion as thanks for abundance and the survival it would provide. But like so many things, Americans have made thanksgiving their very own with traditions and customs created and nurtured here in … Continue reading When Radio Ruled #148 – OTR Thanksgiving 2025

When Radio Ruled #147 – SoundScape 1939 part 20

When Radio Ruled ·

2025/11/11

Curated clips of live broadcasts from popular radio shows of the day. Radio highlights originally broadcast live October 8 through October 15, 1939. A tapestry of History through the eyes of people as they lived it, reported by radio. In today’s SoundScape: What the Jack Benny cast did on Summer Vacation! Dennis Day Joins the … Continue reading When Radio Ruled #147 – SoundScape 1939 part 20

When Radio Ruled #146 – SoundScape 1939 part 19

When Radio Ruled ·

2025/11/04

Old Time Radio highlights originally broadcast live October 1 through October 8, 1939. Curated clips of live broadcasts from popular radio shows of the day. A tapestry of History through the eyes of people as they lived it, reported by radio. In today’s SoundScape: Charlie McCarthy’s in Need of Cash! Mozart has been dead for … Continue reading When Radio Ruled #146 – SoundScape 1939 part 19

When Radio Ruled #145 – Halloween 2025

When Radio Ruled ·

2025/10/23

At Halloween the thin boundary between living and dead dissolves so that ghosts, goblins, and the sins we thought long buried come back to feast on our fright filled souls. Day of the dead, all souls day, two thousand years ago the Pagen Celts called it Samhin, we call it Halloween. The time when ghosts, … Continue reading When Radio Ruled #145 – Halloween 2025

When Radio Ruled #144 – SoundScape 1939 part 18...

When Radio Ruled ·

2025/10/02

Curated clips of live broadcasts from popular radio shows of the day. September 21 –September 28, 1939 History through the eyes of people as they lived it, reported by radio. In today’s SoundScape: Tap Dancing on the Radio! Charlie McCarthy back to School! Funny stories from David Niven Women can be Boss and make the … Continue reading When Radio Ruled #144 – SoundScape 1939 part 18 September 21-28 1939

When Radio Ruled 143 – Birth of the SitCom

When Radio Ruled ·

2025/09/22

Early American entertainment included the circus, the minstrel show, vaudeville, broadway revues, all popular forms of the variety show. And it was talent from those stage shows that created radio. But radio wasn’t the same as the stage. Radio was different manifesting new possibilities for entertainment. An opportunity to entertain with new formats. The situation … Continue reading When Radio Ruled 143 – Birth of the SitCom

When Radio Ruled 142-SoundScape 1939 part 17

When Radio Ruled ·

2025/09/09

Curated clips of live broadcasts from popular radio shows of the day. September 10 – September 21, 1939 History through the eyes of people as they lived it, reported by radio. In today’s SoundScape: Fibber and Molly Celebrate their Anniversary! George G. Nathan Talks Eugene O’Neil! Smoking Hot Swing Tunes! And More!! Featuring: Orson Welles … Continue reading When Radio Ruled 142-SoundScape 1939 part 17

When Radio Ruled #141 – 3 Best Variety Shows of the...

When Radio Ruled ·

2025/09/01

The first generation of radio talent, performers, directors, and writers came from the worlds of vaudeville, minstrel shows and Broadway revues. All forms of variety theater, so it isn’t any wonder that the variety show quickly emerged as a common Radio format. Here are the three Old Time Radio shows from the 1930’s I feel … Continue reading When Radio Ruled #141 – 3 Best Variety Shows of the 1930s

When Radio Ruled #140 – SoundScape 1939 part 16

When Radio Ruled ·

2025/08/17

Curated clips of live broadcasts from popular radio shows of the day. August 27 – September 5, 1939 History through the eyes of people as they lived it, reported by radio. In today’s SoundScape: Picking up Girls with Alan Mowbray! The Most Fateful Broadcast in History! On the Boat with Edgar and Charlie! Nutrition with … Continue reading When Radio Ruled #140 – SoundScape 1939 part 16

When Radio Ruled #139 – Vera Vague 1939

When Radio Ruled ·

2025/08/10

Sometimes an actor playing a character becomes so popular with their audience that it becomes more than a character, it becomes a persona that the actor inhabits. Such was the case with Vera Vague, a creation of actor/writer Babara Jo Allen. Vera Vague was a constant presence on Old Time Radio, man-hungry, misinformed, and most … Continue reading When Radio Ruled #139 – Vera Vague 1939

When Radio Ruled #138 – SoundScape 1939 part 15 July...

When Radio Ruled ·

2025/08/03

Curated clips of live broadcasts from popular radio shows of the day. History through the eyes of people as they lived it, reported by radio. In today’s SoundScape: Donald Dixon Tries to Tell a Joke! Charlie McCarthy Interior Decorator! Charlie McCarthy Astronomer! Charlie McCarthy Coin Collector! Charlie McCarthy Boy Scout! Charlie McCarthy Talent Agent! And … Continue reading When Radio Ruled #138 – SoundScape 1939 part 15 July 30-August 13, 1939

When Radio Ruled #137 – Fred Allen’s People You...

When Radio Ruled ·

2025/07/26

Fred Allen and the people you didn’t expect to meet 1939. Fred Allen was famously a control freak on his radio shows. Although he used a staff of writers, it was just to generate ideas and jokes that would be incorporated into the final script that Fred always wrote personally. Each minute of those shows … Continue reading When Radio Ruled #137 – Fred Allen’s People You Didn’t Expect to Meet 1939

When Radio Ruled #136-SoundScape 1939 part 14

When Radio Ruled ·

2025/07/19

Curated clips of live broadcasts from popular radio shows of the day. History through the eyes of people as they lived it, reported by radio. In today’s SoundScape: Meet a Real English Butler! Edgar Bergen Gets Airsick! The Pie Eyed Piper of Hamlin! And More!! Featuring: Cecil B Demille Charlie McCarthy Dorothy Lamour Don Ameche … Continue reading When Radio Ruled #136-SoundScape 1939 part 14

When Radio Ruled #135 – Origins of the Mutual Network...

When Radio Ruled ·

2025/07/11

Old Time Radio was dog eat dog, CBS and NBC scooped up the all the best stations and biggest talent, leaving all the little local stations in the dust. Not all the independent stations wanted to let NBC and CBS run away with their audiences In 1934 WGN and 3 other independents, WOR in New … Continue reading When Radio Ruled #135 – Origins of the Mutual Network 1934-39

When Radio Ruled #134-SoundScape 1939 part 13

When Radio Ruled ·

2025/07/05

Old Time Radio highlights originally broadcast live June 29 to July 9, 1939. Chronologically curated clips of live broadcasts from popular shows of the day. History told by the people living it, as reported by radio. In Today’s SoundScape: The Making of Wizard of Oz Meadow Mouse Grabs 40 Winks! Charlie and Edgar visit the … Continue reading When Radio Ruled #134-SoundScape 1939 part 13

When Radio Ruled #133 -Orson Welles and Guests 1939

When Radio Ruled ·

2025/06/27

Voices from 1939 talking with one of the Greatest Voices on Old Time Radio In 1939 Orson Welles was only 24 years old but a veteran of Radio. He’d been a regular on The March of Time and was enjoying a very successful run playing the Shadow. These excerpts are from the Campbell Playhouse in … Continue reading When Radio Ruled #133 -Orson Welles and Guests 1939

When Radio Ruled #132 – SoundScape 1939 part 12

When Radio Ruled ·

2025/06/20

Curated clips of live broadcasts from popular radio shows of the day. History through the eyes of people as they lived it, reported by radio. In today’s SoundScape: The Town Hall News! A Newsreel Camera Man! Fred Allen Bad Mouths Jack Benny! Life Begins at 40! And More Featuring: Cecil B DeMille Dr. Ronald W. … Continue reading When Radio Ruled #132 – SoundScape 1939 part 12

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When Radio Ruled

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