Old Time Radio, or OTR as it's known to its listeners, (like myself), refers to “The Golden Age Of Radio”, that time between the 1930's and the end of the 1950's before television, or “The Idiot Box”, came along. When families and friends would gather in the living room of an evening and bask in the warm golden glow of the radio dial and listen to their favourite shows, be they what would become known as “sitcoms”, like “Fibber McGee and Molly”, (a personal favourite), more traditional comedies, like “Abbott and Costello”, mystery/detective shows, like Sherlock Holmes, or The Shadow, (two more favourites), science fiction anthologies, like “X- Minus One”, adventure programs, like “Zorro”, horror programs like “Tales From The Morgue”, Westerns like , “Gunsmoke” or even children's programs like, “Howdy Doody”. There were even Christmas serials like “The Cinnamon Bear”, “Jonathan Thomas's Christmas On The Moon”, and “Jump Jump and The Ice Queen”, which were 15 minute serial episodes which played either in the morning before the kiddies went off to school, or mid evening before going to bed. Even Boris Karloff had his own kids' show, (weird I grant you, but times were different then)!
Most people don't realize that if it weren't for radio, the names "Abbott And Costello" would be wholly unknown to anyone but vaudeville historians today. Back in the 1930's, then New York Mayor Fiorello La Guardia ordered the closing of all burlesque houses and like theatres in New York, putting many performers on the unemployment line. It was at this time that Budd Abbott and Louis Costello made the switch to the burgeoning media of radio, which led to their immense popularity, and eventual breakthrough into movies.
In any case, enjoy this new hide, and entry into my OTR series!