Tune In The Past

 INTRODUCTION:

If you were born prior to 1950, then you probably remember the golden age of radio.  When there were no television, CD players, VCR recorders or Personal Computers.  Families gathered around the radio receivers and fixed their attention on what they heard.  They imagined, in their mind's eye, what they were listening to. Radio certainly was not like it is today.  The programs consisted mainly of comedy, mystery, science-fiction, westerns, soap operas, theater drama, childrens programs, and news thrown in for good measure.  It was an exciting time, yet peaceful in many ways.  Few stations, if any, played all music or had extensive talk shows.  People enjoyed radio entertainment of the day.  The radio era lasted about 4 decades, from the early 20's to the early 60's with television taking hold in the late 40's and early 50's.  Radio personalities, determined not to be left by the wayside, began quickly to migrate to television leaving major holes in radio broadcasting for the disk jockeys to fill with music, news, sports and weather.  As radio personalities moved to television, a good many programs migrated with them, never again to appear on radio.  By the early 60's, there were a few radio programs still left but they too soon left the airways.  A revival of sorts came about in later years only to run out of gas in a few short years.  Thanks to the Armed Forces Radio that created the many copies of radio programs for our service personnel or we wouldn't have as many archived as we do now.  The majority of programs have been lost to the ages never to be heard again.  In a few short decades, there will no longer be anyone alive who will remember live radio broadcasts of that Golden Era.  It will be a time long forgotten, a time - gone with the wind.

         LISTEN TO THE FOLLOWING:

           Abbott and Costello's Who's On First Routine.

                           Click on the play button below:

********************************************************* 

 RECENT OBITUARIES

                                         Kevin McCarthy
                                          1914 ---- 2010
McCarthy, 96, died of pneumonia at Cape Cod Hospital, Hyannis, Massachusetts.  He probably was best known for his role as Dr. Miles Bennell in the movie version of  "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" made in 1956.   Although he appeared in over 200 TV and movie roles throughout his career, he did play the title role in a radio drama called "Richard Lawless" , an adventurer in 17th Century England.

                                           Tom Bosley
                                         1927  --  2010

Tom Bosley, better known as Howard Cunningham, father to Richie Cunningham (played by Ron Howard) in the TV series "Happy Days", died in a Palm Springs hospital on 10/19/10.  Bosley was the host of Adventure Theater during a brief revival of old radio in the late 70's.  He died of heart failure after an illness with lung cancer.

                                                Fred   Foy
                                           1921   ---    2010

Fred Foy, announcer for old radio's The Lone Ranger, died in his home in Woburn, Mass on December 22, 2010.  His opening for the Lone Ranger was:  "A fiery horse with the speed of light, a cloud of dust and a hearty 'Hi-yo, Silver -- The Lone Ranger" was well known among radio fans of the era.  Foy was 89.

                             David   Nelson
                           1936   ---   2011
   David Nelson, oldest son of Ozzie and Harriet Nelson, passed away Tuesday, January 11, 2011 at his home in Los Angeles.  His death was attributed to colon cancer complications.  David appeared with his brother Ricky and parents Ozzie and Harriet on the radio show  "Here Come the Nelsons" in the early 50's and later on TV in "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet".   David, dead at 74, was the last living member of the Nelson family. 

                Margaret Whiting
                   1924 - 2011

On 01/17/2011 Ms. Whiting died at the Lillian Booth Actors' Home
in Englewood, N.J.  She was 86.  She was born in Detroit, MI on 07/22/1924.  She was known for singing such hit songs as:

Moonlight in Vermont
It Might As Well Be Spring

                               Jane   Russell
                               1921 --  2011
Ms. Russell died of respiratory failure Monday, Feb 28, 2011 at her home in Santa Maria, CA.  She was 89.  Her most notable films were "The Outlaw", "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes", and "Paleface" with Bob Hope.  Russell appeared as a panelist celebrity on the radio program "The Adventures of Ellery Queen" .  Panelist would attempt to guess the culprit near the end of the program. 

                                       Elizabeth  Taylor                         
                                         1932 ---- 2011

Ms Taylor was born in London, England on Feb 27, 1932.  She became well known for her part in "National Velvet", a family children's classic.  She won Best Actress Oscars for  her work in "Butterfield 8" and "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf".  On Feb. 3rd, 1947 she starred with Mickey Rooney on The Lux Radio Theater's  classic "National Velvet" and on Mar. 12, 1950, she starred with Walter Huston in radio's Theater Guild On The Air production of "Our Town".  She died of congestive heart failure at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles where she had been a patient for several weeks.  She was 79.