New Time Radio
I'm sure everyone has heard of Old Time Radio: Jack Benny, Fred Allen, The Shadow, The Lone Ranger, The Green Hornet. The internet now provides almost unlimited access to all radio shows from the "golden age" of radio, more than I'd ever have time to listen to. They can be found on Archive.org, Youtube and dozens of other sites. My favorite OTR show is called: Vic and Sade:
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| Rush (Bill Idelson), Sade (Bernardine Flynn), Vic (Art Van Harvey) |
https://archive.org/search.php?query=vic+and+sade&and[]=mediatype%3A%22audio%22
Vic and Sade was a 15 minute show on various radio networks during the 1930s/40s. It was the story of the Gook family in small town Illinois, father Vic, mother Sade and adopted son Rush. Written by Paul Rhymer and produced in Chicago, Vic and Sade was sponsored for much of its run by Proctor and Gamble (Crisco was sold for roughly 4 minutes out of the 15). So Vic and Sade was technically a "soap opera" - a continuing story, broadcast during the day intended for housewives. But its reach and quality were much broader than most daytime shows.
Why do I like Vic and Sade ? Even though the characters were over the top wacky they faced real world problems like: money, raising the child, family problems (those wacky relatives) and jealousy. And those problems were faced with wit and humor, occasional shouting and rudeness but for the most part with affection.
BTW, the expression: "stuff happens" appears to have originated on the October 14, 1941 broadcast of Vic and Sade, at about 13:50 into this recording:
https://ia600303.us.archive.org/10/items/VicandSade1941/Vic_And_Sade_411014_VIC_DECLINES_CORONET.mp3
The expression got coarsened through the years, I blame those GIs ;)
But what about New Time Radio ? As a ham radio operator I spend a lot of time listening and sometimes a net will generate a level of interest that extends beyond the normal exchange of rig and weather data, so I'll listen on a continuing basis. Guys will talk about their work lives, their personal interests and their family and of course, their state of health ! Now unlike most soap operas there's no sex or violence and just an occasional death. along with the continuing effects of entropy. I used to listen to one net where one fellow had a tale of woe each week about one of his possessions going bad on him. He had two residences and when he was at the winter abode the summer place had an extended water leak that trashed many of his possessions. The recovery from that water leak was hashed over for many weeks, a real life soap opera dealing with insurance and the contractors. When he was at the summer place the winter house basement got flooded. It never seemed to end.
But that's real life for most people - no violence, intrigue or uncontrolled passion, just the relentless ticking clock taking care of business. Eventually the story did end. The net evaporated as one by one the members started to pass away.
One thing with Old Time Radio is that the listening experience can get distorted if the shows are listened to one after another (listening marathon). Remember that they originally were heard at least a day apart, more likely a week apart. So I try to pace myself while listening.
I remember watching some of the serial cliff hanger movies on Youtube like Tom Mix or the Green Hornet. When watched all at once the cliffhangers just aren't as fun because you see how the hero escapes each week. Also you begin to notice things like the skid marks on the road where the Green Hornet's car, the Black Beauty, had been doing the hard cornering. I think that even Mike Axford could have followed those tire tracks back to the secret hideout :)
BTW, Proctor and Gamble will forever earn my enmity because they threw out the transcription discs for Vic and Sade. Another company, specifically Johnson's Wax with Fibber McGee and Molly, went out of their way to present the sponsor recordings to Old Time Radio collectors. Trashing those Vic and Sade recordings was probably a good business decision for P&G but bad for society as a whole.
Best Regards,
Chuck, WB9KZY
http://wb9kzy.com/ham.htm