The Jack Benny draft is written and sent off, but the legacy of all that Old Time Radio Broadcast learning has left its mark. I have found a long-lasting love of old radio comedies, and even westerns. (That last one surprised me more than you can guess… but I can never resist Jimmy Stewart, whose stutter is even cuter over radio waves, if you can believe it.)
My Saturday and Sunday nights this weekend were spent in utter radio-fan bliss. I was nestled down with my cat, under a breezy open window, tied to a pair of radio headphones. Now, I don’t appreciate much about Hamilton, and I am not normally a fan of that city’s talk radio station, CHML – at least in terms of its reactionary daytime programming. However, over night, when they play old radio shows from the 40s and 50s, I am one of their biggest fans.
Abbott and Costello, Jack Benny, Nero Wolfe (starring the awesome Sydney Greenstreet), Dragnet, The Cisco Kid, Life of Riley, The Six Shooter (which I could listen to for days and days), The Lone Ranger, Fred Allen (and his Alley), The Aldrich Family, numerous playhouse radio dramas and farces (“Arsenic & Old Lace” and “Calling Northside 777” radio-adaptations, “The Girl in the Galaxy” featuring Buddy Rogers, et cetera), Fibber McGee & Molly, Andy Hardy, Gun Smoke… All these and more came to me over my little radio in the low lamp light. I was one with all those kids when these shows were first run, who sat in front of the family radio and held their breath until Cisco and Pancho saved the day, and Friday solved the crime.
I was not one of them, however, by my indecision and discomfort when the station played an episode of Amos and Andy, though, so I guess times have changed, even for old throwbacks like me.
But, by far, the greatest triumph of the weekend was my new obsession, Our Miss Brooks, which was a radio show from 1948 to 1952, when it transferred to TV for another four years. Miss Connie Brooks was a smart and snappy high school English teacher and unwilling spinster, and the show revolved around her dealings with her students, her co-workers, her landlady Mrs. Davis, and, especially, the object of her unrequited affection, Mr. Boynton, the school biology teacher, who is sadly much more interested in his frogs and mice than in the birds and the bees.
Surprisingly, this show never falls into misogynistic stereotypes of female marriage designs. It is true that Miss Brooks wants a loving husband, specifically Mr. Boynton, but the audience never really faults her for this. (Her goals are no more contemptible than all those lonely guys in 80s movies who seek true love and acceptance.) Connie Brooks, as played by the sharp, intense and talented actress Eve Arden, is strong, funny, quick, loveable, and, in short, really quite wonderful.
My only problem these days is the question as to where to find enough of this program, as it is not as available for free downloads as is the Jack Benny Show.
Oh, and my other problem was curiosity. When we are in the middle of a first-run show we are left to wonder if Mulder and Scully ever get around to consummating. But when the show ended fifty years ago, I have been uncomfortably aware of the fact that the answer to “will they, won’t they?” for Mr. Boynton and Connie is only a few small mouse clicks away. I won’t tell you how it ends up, but I got to admit that the age of the show has in no way reduced my anticipation of the next episode I can get my mitts on, and I am currently saving my pennies for the 5 CD set for sale on OTRCAT standing between me and complete Miss. Brooks satisfaction.
Anyway, I was able to find you a little something to whet your appetite. Enjoy!
(Be warned that this contains no ads, but does have the re-run station promos and an introduction attached. It has two episodes of Our Miss Brooks, and runs 59 minutes.)
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