All Posts - Blog - Times Past

Sort by

WALLY'S WORLD

Posted by Wally's world on March 5, 2008 at 4:30pm

Thanks to a good friend that has helped me learn about OTR, I am going to enjoy this site!

Podcast 13

Posted by Estleman on November 10, 2008 at 3:27am

It's the second (and only other) episode of the unaired Conan radio series, taken from our Sci-Fi and Fantasy Group.The podcast can be found here: http://otrtimespast.blip.tv/file/1450992/

KABL RADIO (old time radio music)

Posted by Robert on February 14, 2009 at 7:17am

"It was the month of May 1959 when the soothing sounds of KABL Music first echoed throughout the Bay Area. KABL, named for San Francisco's cable cars, was a bold departure from other radio stations of that era. KABL serenaded San Francisco with lush, beautiful music, very few commercials, and rich-voiced announcers who wooed the Bay Area with poetic paeans. This gentle KABL sound soon swept the area. Listeners responded to its elegant charm and sophisticated whimsy. In fact, the impact was so great that KABL became a hallmark of Bay Area radio. You can read more about the origins of this beloved station in Don Keyes' wonderful memoir, "The Miracle By the Bay...KABL" Now, through the magic of modern technology, we are bringing back fifty years of KABL Music — from 101 Strings to Sinatra, from Montovani to Dean Martin, from the best of the big bands to Tony Bennett, it's America's Best Music!" (from KABL Web Site) You can tune-in to the station from the Nostalgia Radio widget on the main page of TimesPast. If in the mood for some old time radio music, give KABL a listen.

34th Annual Friends of Old Time Radio Convention

Posted by Robert on June 28, 2009 at 8:18pm

The 34th Annual Friends of Old Time Radio Convention (www.fotr.net) will take place October 22-25 2009 at the Holiday Inn North in Newark, NJ. the four day event features live recreations of classic old time radio programs with all-star casts as well as memorabilia, music, panel discussions, autographs and historical presentations. The convention is a great way to meet and show appreciation for the veterans who made old time radio great as well as get to know some of the younger actors who are working to keep the tradition alive.

The invited guest list looks great so far. I know everyone will enjoy seeing the great Simon Jones ("Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy") again. He will be fresh off a Broadway production of "Blithe Spirit" with Angela Lansbury. U.S. OTR veteran Herb Ellis rejoins us for the first time since 1992! Herb was a major presence on Dragnet as well as countless other great West Coast OTR shows. Shirley Mitchell (Lelia Ransom on Gildersleeve), Rosemary Rice (Betty on "Archie"), comedian and New York area television host Chuck McCann, WXYZ veteran Elaine Hyman ("The Lone Ranger"), Laugh-in announcer Bill Owen and Glorida McMillan (Harriet Conklin on Our Miss Brooks) are also back for more. Another great returning guest is Richard Herd of Theater Five and who gained fame later with numerous television roles such as Admiral Paris on Star Trek, and Willhelm on Seinfeld. When he was last at FOTR in 1999, he not only acted and spoke on panels, he also volunteered on sound effects. The guest list changes frequently, so keep checking the website for updates.

Thursday - Sunday programs include an afternoon program that consists of a recreation, panel discussions and delaer rooms. The evening program features a buffet dinner in which there is at least one special guest at each table and all-star recreations. It's a great way to socialize with the stars as well as see them perform. On Sunday, there is a buffet breakfast and panel with remaining guests.

Shows scheduled for recreation this year include The Life of Riley, The Great Gildersleeve, The Saint, It Pays to be Ignorant, Easy Aces and Quiet Please.

Full information on the convention including room rates (historically low right now at $65/AAA) and the cost of the convention itself will publish on www.fotr.net shortly.

Please contact Sean Dougherty, publicity coordinator, at 201-739-2541 or SeanDD@optonline.net or @doughertysean on Twitter for more information.

favorite shows

Posted by rinso kid on August 31, 2008 at 9:41pm

i really enjoy The Green Hornet,Lone Ranger,Dragnet,and most OTR comedy shows...i also enjoy old sporting events from the days of radio,baseball and football games especially!

New Group Westerns

Posted by Robert on January 19, 2008 at 10:35pm

I would like to invite all the members who might be interested in Westerns to join the new group. I am sure their is some great content and links to be shared.

Books About the Golden Age of Radio

Posted by Robert on November 6, 2008 at 6:22am

1. Sound and Fury By Francis Chase Jr. Harper, 1942 Francis Chase Jr. wrote his "informal history of broadcasting" at a time when broadcasting meant one thing: radio. With our lives now bombarded by television, satellite radio, the Internet and cellphones, it is difficult to imagine the technological breakthrough that radio represented and how it transfixed listeners. "Sound and Fury" beautifully captures the significance of radio's arrival and conveys a deep appreciation for the creative geniuses -- Fred Allen, Jack Benny and countless others -- whose radio shows were a watershed of American entertainment. Chase is astute in his appraisals of the earliest radio pioneers, and he wisely perceives that President Roosevelt's "fireside chats" in the 1930s heralded a serious new role for a medium that had once been thought strictly meant for diversion. The people Chase writes about, many of whom have been forgotten, and the conversational narrative style of the book, almost make it seem that you are listening to a great radio show. 2. A Tower in Babel By Erik Barnouw Oxford, 1966 The first of the three volumes in Erik Barnouw's towering "A History of Broadcasting in the United States" takes the reader back to the late-19th century, when scientists experimented with technology that would allow them to send sound electrically through the air. His descriptions of the earliest efforts of Guglielmo Marconi, Reginald Fessenden and other inventors bring those brilliant men to life and clearly explain the complex science involved. Though it has been used as a textbook, "A Tower in Babel" is also a model of historical storytelling and provides a fine underpinning of modern broadcasting. 3. Raised on Radio By Gerald Nachman Pantheon, 1998 Gerald Nachman was hooked on radio from an early age, and his love of the medium comes through on every page of "Raised on Radio." He describes the book as "a kind of memoir in that many of the shows within these pages were more real to me than my own life." Each chapter is devoted to a particular type of show -- the chapter called "Saddle Sore" discusses western dramas like "The Lone Ranger," while "Nesting Instincts" deals with domestic comedies. "Fibber McGee and Molly," he tells us, "seamlessly blended vaudeville high jinks with radio's cozier atmospherics." In addition to conjuring what it was like to sit at home and feel riveted by the stories emanating from the big box that dominated the living room, Nachman interviews many of the old radio writers and performers, who only enhance the sense that there was a certain magic in that vanished time. 4. Crosley By Rusty McClure Clerisy, 2006 Crosley is a highly recognized name in Cincinnati, not just because the Reds baseball team used to play at Crosley Field but also because two brothers, Powel and Lewis Crosley, built a radio business that helped spawn an entire national industry. Powel was the inventor, Lewis the businessman; together they made fortunes early in the 20th century selling auto parts and manufacturing radios. In the 1920s, the Crosleys started a small radio station, WLW, in Cincinnati -- and that's when the story turns fascinating. The book relates how a single company, and a city not located on either coast, could play a central role in radio's development. In 1934, calculating that if stations had stronger signals, then the Crosleys could build radios that were less expensive but still received broadcasts, the brothers were temporarily given permission to turn WLW into a 500,000-watt powerhouse. Author Rusty McClure, writing with David Stern and Michael A. Banks, excels in placing the brothers' pioneering accomplishments within the context of U.S. society in the 1920s and '30s, and the book sheds welcome light on the lives of two important but underappreciated figures of American business. 5. On the Air By John Dunning Oxford, 1998 John Dunning's "encyclopedia of old-time radio" is an invaluable resource about the performers, shows, sponsors, history and influence of the medium. We start alphabetically with "The A&P Gypsies" ("exotic music with a nomadic motif; one of radio's earliest, most distinctive programs") and end in "Zorro" country, finding along the way engagingly written entries that reflect a savviness about the shows themselves and their significance to audiences at the time. And Dunning is thorough: The entries include vital information about when and where shows were broadcast, who starred in them, who led the orchestra and other details that any radio fanatic will relish. Essays spread throughout this dense volume provide a commanding overview of the complexities of an entire industry at the height of its influence. From Wall Street Journal

Second Challenger Podcast

Posted by Estleman on February 12, 2009 at 5:32am

Part 2 of The Lost World is now up at: http://blip.tv/file/1765636

Meet Me In St. Louis - The Suffragettes (women's right to vote)

Posted by Robert on August 31, 2008 at 9:30am

I ran across an old show "Meet Me In St. Louis" episode The Suffragettes. Added it to the Calfkiller OTR Podcast. This particular episode is about women's right to vote. This being an election year, thought it was quite interesting. You can get the episode on the Calfkiller OTR Podcast site or from my page here at TimesPast in the podcast box.

S.A. Holmes Podcast

Posted by Estleman on June 19, 2009 at 4:43am

The latest podcast is the S.A. version of Conan Doyle's The Three Students (re-titled, for some reason, A Hollow Victory). If you're not a member of our Definitive Sherlock Holmes group, you can hear it at: http://blip.tv/file/2260702

New Podcast

Posted by Estleman on November 4, 2008 at 10:42am

It's been a long time since we've had a Sherlock Holmes show on the podcast, so the Rathbone/Bruce show The Adventure of the Superfluous Pearl from, of course, The Definitive Sherlock Holmes page has been added at:http://otrtimespast.blip.tv/file/1420375/

2008 Friends of Old Time Radio Convention

Posted by Robert on August 28, 2008 at 9:20pm

"2008 Friends of Old Time Radio Convention" is scheduled to be held October 23 - 26 in Newark, New Jersey. The event features live recreations of classic radio plays by all-star casts, memorabilia, music, historical presentations and interviews with stars. The convention is the largest and the the longest running convention of its type. This will be the group's 33rd convention and it annually strives to gather not only fans of Old Time Radio, but original performers from the era and radio personalities. If you are going to be close to the area, or would like to plan to attend, you can find all the details, schedule of events, and Special Convention Guests who have given definite or tentative acceptance to be there at:: http://www.lofcom.com/nostalgia/fotr/update08.php3

Forgotten Movie Downloads (Some Rare)

Posted by Robert on February 9, 2009 at 6:12pm

Here is a link to an interesting web site where you can directly download some interesting movies. Below is a quote from web site and a sample download I found of a great Gary Cooper movie. "A Special collection of films the original studios, for whatever reason haven't released to DVD or in some cases, any video format for that matter. Music royalties, subject matter, eh who knows. Here are some of the good ones with more to be added. Rare TV Movies are now included!!"

http://cultrararevideos.com/forgottenflixa.html

DOWNLOAD NOW!! "BRIGHT LEAF" (1950) 110 minutes Gary Cooper and Patricia Neal INFO: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0042285/

Once, magnate Major Singleton ran the Royles out of the Kingsmont tobacco country for daring to make lowly cigarettes. Now in 1894, Brant Royle, last of his name, is back. Forceful and macho, Brant intends to re-establish his family no matter what it takes. Two lovely women have waited for him: bordello keeper Sonia, with love; Singleton's daughter Margaret, with hatred and desire. As automation rears its head, the struggle attains an epic quality. Will Royle Cigarettes flood the market? Will Brant pick the wrong woman?

Downloading and Uploading and more

Posted by Robert on November 19, 2007 at 8:20pm

Since this all kind of new, to download any song in music player just click on the down arrow by title of song. You will also see arrows in latest activity that is a download button for media files. Seems simple, but might help some as new friends show up.

Also you do not have to upload a story or song from your computer, you can add music from any website by pasting in a link to the MP3. After you click on "Add Music" you will see a box that says "More ways to add music"

When you click on video tab at top can see a list of all videos added by members

From Main Page tab can see the latest activity from all members in one location and if see something of interest just click on their icon to go directly to their page

New Podcast

Posted by Estleman on October 29, 2008 at 8:54am

The latest podcast is the audio version of Planet of the Apes, to be found on our Sci-Fi and Fantasy page:http://otrtimespast.blip.tv/file/1386174/

Hello people. new member from the UK

Posted by DAN SHARPLES on August 28, 2008 at 2:19pm

HiJust a quick intro, I have been interested in OTR programs for quite a while. My collection is not large> I have set myself to a narrow band of interests, namely programs which feature opera stars from the 20's and 30's, there is quite a few survives and i would say there are over 2000 that i have found. I make radio logs for the series that I collect that are available to everyone. LoGs include:- Voice of Firestone-Magic Key of RCATELEPHONE HOURRAILROAD HOURCONCERT HALLTEXACO TOWNTEXACO STAR THEATERELRCTRIC HOURSOTHERS ALSOI LIKE ANYTHING SCI-FIhere goes..

AudioBookRadio.net

Posted by Robert on November 17, 2007 at 11:54pm

Ran across an interesting website called AudioBookRadio, out of the UK. Here is a quote from their web site

"Listen to spoken word Internet radio station broadcasting 24/7. We are a free radio station dedicated to broadcasting stories, drama, poetry and interviews. We broadcast popular audio books by best-selling authors, as well as promoting new and unsigned writers from around the world."

Their audio books are narrated by professional actors and have week's program schedule to see the great variety of choice on offer and times. The total broadcast duration of the different books and stories is 12 Hours 00 Minutes approx. and the broadcast will then be repeated 24 hours a day.The schedule changes every Monday and that gives plenty of time to view all the week's selections.

of 27

Note: this page contains paid content.

Note: this page contains paid content.

Note: this page contains paid content.