The Singles and Doubles Collection: Single Episodes A-C
Old Time Radio Researchers Group
SINGLES AND DOUBLES COLLECTION: A - C
This is a work in progress. This OTRR Collection is a Non-Certified one, containing series in which currently only one or two episodes are known to exist -- hence the name: "Singles and Doubles Collection". Almost every type genre is included. Radio -- called by some The Theater of the Mind -- has been with us since 1920 when stations WWJ of Detroit and KDKA of Pittsburg made the first regular commercial broadcasts. The first program aimed at entertaining the unseen audience followed close behind. Over the years since then, literally thousands of series have been broadcast nationally and thousands more in regional or local markets. Some endured for a few years, others for 20 or 30, and some unfortunately only had one episode broadcast. Of those thousands, some series saw some of their episodes saved for the future, some saw nearly all and others only one or two episodes. While the goal of the Old Time Radio Researchers Group is to preserve radios past by collecting, and archiving as many different series as possible and making them available to the community, we do not want to let the series that only had a minimum number of episodes to survive go unpreserved for future generations. To that end we have put together this unique collection of series. Most of the programs you will find here will be totally unfamilar to you, but they are informative and entertaining none the less. This is the second version of this collection that we have released. Since the first collection new broadcasts have surfaced, and others will undoubtely be found in the future. When and if that occurs, we will release a version three. From comedy to drama to cooking shows to music, you'll hear it all here, and every episode will be unique and different. They run the gamut, from the middle 20s to the early 70s, all showing us a glimpse of the past, when things were slower and families gathered round the radio each evening. Times when each person was hearing the same thing, but created a different picture in their minds of what the characters looked like, the scenery, location, and most important the sounds. Sounds that each found a different meaning in, but one that entertained, educated, and made the world a smaller place, where you could hear those stories that in the past were told to just a few, gathered round the dinner table, at a campfire, or in small audiences, but now the whole world could hear and enjoy. Some of these episodes may be misnamed or misdated. If you find such, please let us know. Additionally there may be some dead air space at the beginning or ending of some episodes. This is not one of our certified sets, it is being provided as a way to obtain those series in which only one or two shows have survived. This page contains Series beginning with the letters A through C. A text file containing a list of the MP3 files found on this page appears near the bottom of the page. From the Old Time Radio Researcher's Group. See "Note" Section below for more information on the OTRR.
This recording is part of the Old Time Radio collection.
Chapters
Reviews
Quite Uplifting
KK's Bear
Thank you with great appreciation for everyone's hard work. It means a lot to be able to tune into the past like this. Not just the wonderful music and programs, but the underlying social flavors of: beliefs, standards, mores, speech syntax, , etc. I LOVE listening and "staging it all in my mind". I am not old enough to have lived through the times covered, but I am 67 yrs old now, and was raised by my grandmother, who was raised by HER grandmother. This skipping-time-spans (if you'll forgive me) of more 'normal' aged parent influence, brought a broader history span to my upbringing, from those who experienced the times first-hand, thereby making the history come alive with their personal knowledge. That complimented with these wonderful radio programs make this experience PRICELESS to me. I cannot express my heartfelt gratitude accurately.
When things were slower and families gathered round the radio each evening...
ClassicTVofUSA
In your description, when I read the following: **'when things were slower and families gathered round the radio each evening. Times when each person was hearing the same thing, but created a different picture in their minds of what the characters looked like, the scenery, location, and most important the sounds..'** It blew my mind! ...Seriously! ! ! I don't need fast-moving tech or video games or social media, all I need is to feel the way you described so succinctly with those words put simply yet beautifully as you did, allowing my mind to conjure up imagery of minds conjuring up imagery hehe. I am but 46 and was not around back in those days of family radio evenings, oh how I would have loved to share such a thing with my family. This is not a review. I wanted only to say THANK YOU to the people responsible for sharing such a special thing with the world as these shows and best of all your memories of those days that sound so wonderful. I know. I must be romanticizing a time that I will never quite see or experience the hardships of. Yes, that will be true to a point but isn't it also true that we can romanticize the good parts whilst acknowledging the existence of the hardships too. I think so. I know one thing! I would give all my technology away today and trade in my uper-powered beast of a PC, my Samsung tablet and phone and take, in its place, a couple or 3 valve radios. One for the living room, kitchen and bedroom! Then I'd make new house rules. Certain nights would be radio night. But I would play old time shows on those nights because the cr4p they put out today wouldn't be worthy of sharing with the family. Autotuned lean-sipping morons, no thanks. The Shadow? YeeeessssSS! PS. Some of these unknown shows are wondrous! It is great to hear 'new' old time radio!
Errors in collection
nightkey5
41-12-08_xxx_Adventure_Story.mp3 was Let's Sing and Swing from 12-12-08 (broadcast on NBC Red at 1330 with news of the declaration of war) 41-12-08_xxxx_Adventure_Story.mp3 is apparently the second half of Let's Sing and Swing) theo has pointed out that American Forum Economic Forecast for 1949 is actually Happy the Humbug (same date) Best Sellers 45-09-20 was John B. Kennedy 48-07-25 Behind The Front Page was Let's Talk Hollywood Bob Smith Show should be dated 47-08-25 47-04-26xxxBreakfastwithDorothyandDick.mp3 s/b dated 47-05-09 Broadway Matinee 44-06-07 was Morning in Manhattan (same date) By The People (12) The Burning of Washington.mp3 is mislabeled. It was By The People (47) Forest Fire.mp3 47-xx-xx007CareerOfAliceBlair2.mp3 and 47-xx-xx008CareerOfAliceBlair2.mp3 - At least 3 episodes of Career of Alice Blair exist in mp3 49-11-29xxxClub930.mp3 There at least 3 episodes of Club 930 available. This file is also misdated and should be 49-11-24. Note the reference to it being Thanksgiving. xx-xx-xx136ColgateCavalcade1_64kb.mp3 was mislabeled. (This is the second file labeled Colgate Cavalcade). It was a closed circuit broadcast that I have seen labeled as Closed Circuit 52-11-26.mp3 Under C's, 49-09-21xxxTremaynesThe.mp3 was The Croupier (same date) Under C's, 49-11-10xxxNBCLittleTheater.mp3 was Comedy Playhouse - School for Scandal (same date)
Americans At Work errors
Razzilla
I found two within them...but I forgot which error later in the set led me to the right one for 390321... Both shows were for that date Singles_and_Doubles_Collection_39-09-21_xxx_Americans_At_Work.mp3 is an episode for Women's Home Companion Singles_and_Doubles_Collection_39-09-21_xxxx_Americans_At_Work.mp3 is an episode of Sundial *** 50-01-09xxxBandDChucklewagon-FirstSong-OhCaterina.mp3 (64Kbps) is from the Dave Garroway Show and I'm still trying to pinpoint a date on this one... I thought that this was a week earlier than posted earlier (when I heard the new show The Halls Of Ivy at the end...since its premiere was the Friday before that) and removed the comment... There was confirmation on this by a Wisconsin newspaper at the time with the Mel Torme appearance...
what a fascinating collection
AncientAxim
something for everyone, something from every thing. We have news, entertainment, music and commentary. I used to fantasize about running my own utopian school, and I imagine for "History" class I would have "my students" listen to some of these broadcasts as an adjunct to the regular studies. I also imagine most people are like myself, that place themselves in another dimension, passing through space-time when hearing these recorded broadcasts, going right back to the 1930s. So glad these are available and so grateful for the uploader.
Clint Noble
Dodsworth the Cat
While the file says this programme is from July 3, 1936 (a Friday), and the broadcast itself indicates it ran from 6:15 to 6:30 EDT, the Associated Press programme listing for that time slot show "M. Contreras Orchestra." Several of the programmes mentioned, namely Ford Bond's sportscast, Billy and Betty, and Tom Howard's Jamboree, ran only on WEAF while the rest of the Red Network broadcast other programming. This aircheck was likely preserved because of the WEAF announcer breaking up after someone whistling in the background.
An interesting grab bag
davidinberkeley
I listened with my OTR group to a file randomly. We got "Crime & Death Take No Holidays - Ralph Gramm Robs Bank" and was it ever a surprise! It was soooo interesting to hear what people put on the air back then. Then, you could get a stinker, too, so it's definitely a grab bag. I'm glad it's all free!
Treasure Trove of Radio Rarities
30smovies
Great collection of rare radio programs, in many cases the only known episode to survive. Includes appearances by Henry Fonda, Bob Hope, Johnny Mercer, Burl Ives, Chill Wills, Gypsy Rose Lee, Hattie McDaniel, Lum n' Abner, Cass Daley.