Old Time Radio Classic Article

Escape:

an Old Time Radio Classic

Author: Ned Norris

In the 1930s to the 1950s, the golden age of old time radio, most popular radio shows had a set broadcast time each week. On the odd occasion, there might be a change in the schedule, but the general rule of thumb was that a consistent time-slot helped build a larger audience and so was something the big networks desired.


One exception to this rule was the dramatic adventure anthology series called Escape, whose time-slot shifted an incredible eighteen times in its seven-year run from 1947 through to 1954. To make matters even worse it had a habit of coming and going and sometimes disappearing off the schedules altogether at short notice for weeks on end only to resurface weeks later in a completely different timeslot.


The fragrant disregard CBS paid to building a regular timeslot and audience for Escape could make you think that it was a mediocre show that was only good as a lightweight filler for when the regular show was off-the-air, such as during the quiet summer months. In my opinion, and that of many old radio aficionados, this couldn't be further from the truth. Escape is probably the best adventure anthology ever broadcast.


In my opinion, Escape brings together everything that was good about old-time radio drama rolled into one. The title itself almost sums up the very essence of what radio drama is all about. Each and every episode was a micro drama carefully planned to capture the listeners attention for thirty minutes. There were over two-hundred episodes made and almost every one is as good today as it was half a century ago.


For the first few years the series was on air the announcement at the start of the show varied almost every week, but by the 1950s it had settled down to be the now famous:


Tired of the everyday grind? Ever dream of a life of romantic adventure? Want to get away from it all? We offer you ... ESCAPE!


This may give the wrong impression as Escape was far more than a swashbuckling adventure yarn. It was a brilliantly scripted and superbly produced series that brought to listeners adaptations of classic works by famous writers as well as brand new work by unknown talent. Many of the stories were later reused by more high profile shows such as Suspense, but on the whole the Escape versions were of equal quality and sometimes more dramatically focused and atmospheric.


When Radio Life wrote "These stories all possess many times the reality that most radio writing conveys" it hit the nail on the head. This is a quality show in every way.


If you've never given this tremendous series a chance it's well worth tracking down. Whether you listen in the car on your daily commute, whilst doing the housework, relaxing in your favorite easy-chair, or snuggled up in bed - you really will be thrilled!

About the Author:

Ned Norris is the webmaster of

RUSC Old Time Radio (rusc.com) one of the most popular old-time radio sites on the Internet. It's a place where you can journey back in time to the golden days of old-time radio whenever the fancy takes you,. You can download or listen online to thousands of classic shows, and read editorial features on the stars of time time.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Escape: an Old Time Radio Classic

Old Time Radio New Fans Article

Old Time Radio Finds New Fans 50 Years on

Author: Ned Norris

Turn back the clock a few decades to a time when fresh milk was still delivered to the doorstep's of the nation in glass bottles, when sliced bread was a recent innovation and when pop-up toasters were the height of sophistication ... back to when times were simple ...





...there was old-time-radio.





Of course, we call it "old-time-radio" today but back in the 1930s, 40s and 50s, radio was the newest, most popular and powerful medium around. Radio was to the 1930s what the Internet was to the 1990s.





The years between 1959 and 1962 are often referred to as the Golden Age of Radio -- and radio programs that were broadcast during that period had significantly more variety than radio programming today.





The shows captured the hearts and imaginations of Americans from coast to coast. It was a time when families would gather 'round the radio in the living room -- that "magic box" that had the mysterious power to snatch laughter, tears, drama, thrills and adventure out of the air and bring it into our homes.





The Golden Age of Radio started in 1929 with the debut of radio shows like The Goldbergs, True Detective Mysteries, National Farm and Home Hour, and the Rudy Vallee Show. It continued through into the 1930s when shows like Fibber McGee and Molly, Lux Radio Theater, The Aldrich Family, Bob Hope, and the Al Jolson Show hit the airwaves.





By the 1940s radio broadcasting was in full flow. Shows like Abbott and Costello, Escape, Suspense, This is Your FBI, the Judy Canova Show, You Bet Your Life, and The Adventures of Phillip Marlow dominated the airwaves





By the time the 1950s came around radio had a serious competitor in the form of television, but many high quality shows could be heard every night of the week. Gusnmoke, Dimension X, Tales of the Texas Rangers, Dr. Kildare and The Sixty-Four Dollar Question were heard by countless millions.





As the 1950s came to a close the glory years of radio were coming to an end. In September 1962 the last episodes of Suspense and Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar were broadcast. It was the end of a glorious era. An era that exploded into the public consciousness in the 1920s, but had finally been cast aside in favor of the new visual medium of television.





What happened to all of those wonderful old time radio shows and why would anyone want to listen to these shows today?





It's been over 70 years since Amos n' Andy hit the airwaves, nearly 50 years since Fibber McGee's junk-filled closet crashed down on anyone that happened to open the door, and over 40 years since Johnny Dollar filed his final expenses claim, so why would anyone want to listen to decades-old radio shows when we have literally hundreds of TV and cable channels to choose from, and an endless selection of movies on the big screen, not to mention online entertainment with all its interactive bells and whistles?





One of the primary reasons is nostalgia for the "Good Old Days". Old-time-radio shows enable listeners to take a pleasant stroll down memory lane to when times were simple. For the older generations it brings back memories of when they were younger, and for todays youngsters it provides a wonderful insight into just how much lives have changed over the years.





Another reason why the old time radio shows are seeing a renaissance is the amazing variety of shows that were recorded during radio's golden period. There are thousands of old time-radio programs to appeal to every taste, mood and age group, covering everything from surreal comedy through to spine tingling thrillers.





Finally, there an ever increasing desire for wholesome entertainment. Old-time-radio shows offer a refreshing respite from the vulgarities, profanities, sex and violence that punctuate modern-day TV, movies and other forms of entertainment.





Fortunately, over the years many people have collected and restored these old shows so that they can be enjoyed again as much by older listeners as a new generation coming to them for the first time. Ironically, it was the growth in popularity of a brand new technological medium, the Internet, that really helped to make these classic radio shows available to a wider audience.





So, whether it is for nostalgia reasons, for wholesomeness, or just for plain entertainment value, old-time radio shows are becoming an increasingly popular alternative to today's mainstream media and one that is well worth checking out whether you're 9 or 90.

About the Author:

Ned Norris is the webmaster of www.rusc.com, one of the oldest and most highly regarded old time radio web sites on the Internet. It's a place where you can relive the golden days of radio at your leisure, download or listen online to 1000s of classic shows, and enjoy regularly updated editorial and reviews on old time radio and related topics.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Old Time Radio Finds New Fans 50 Years on