WBAI-FM Program Highlight
Golden Age of Radio

SIMON WOULD LIKE THIS SHOW!

Sunday, November 29, 2015   7:00 PM - 9:00 PM

I'm still devastated by the death of my dear pal and colleague Simon Loekle, but as we know in show business, the show must go on. With all his high-brow literary pursuits, Simon had a great love for a character of American legend - SUPERMAN! We will also remember another radio performer, Al Markim, Astro on SPACE PATROL, and a birthday salute to Harry Bartell. All that and more on tonight's GOLDEN AGE OF RADO from 7 to 9 pm on Nov 29 over WBAI-NY 99.5 FM, or streaming live over the internet at wbai.org.

THE ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN ran for about nine years as a daily 15 minute serial, but the show ended as a half-hour series twice a week, with a new actor in the role at the end. Micheal Fitzmaurice replaced Bud Collyer for the last run, and this is the only existing episode in which he can be heard. Jimmy Olsen falls for a Polish immigrant of a different religion(!), causing tension with his mother. Superman tells her the story of “Marina Baum” and how she came to be in this country. It's the Thanksgiving show from Nov 23, 1950.

Another star of old-time radio has left us – Al Markim, who played Astro on the radio and TV series TOM CORBETT, SPACE CADET. “The Riddle of Astro” finds him playing two roles, himself and his evil cousin who wants to take his place to infiltrate Space Academy! From ABC April 22, 1950. This is where Kellogg's Pep went after leaving SUPERMAN!

In our second hour, a birthday salute to great radio announcer and actor Harry Bartell, who we enjoyed at several Friends of Old Time Radio Convention appearances. As the announcer on THE NEW ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES, Harry regularly conversed with Nigel Bruce as Doctor Watson, selling those Petrie Wines. Basil Rathbone stayed out of these little chats, but is on hand as Holmes to solve a case on Guy Fawkes Day on Nov 5, 1945 "The Fifth Of November". Look out, this may become a regular feature of the show for a few weeks (or more). I chose this one because Loekle was a bomb throwing anarchist who regularly commemorated Guy Fawkes Day!

We'll hear Bartell the actor as “The Second Class Passenger”, a wild tale of a traveler's adventures in Mozambique as he races to recover a lost statue for a fellow passenger and return to the ship before it sails in an hour. From ESCAPE on CBS #22 (East Coast version) January 07, 1948. With Jeanette Nolan as the mystery woman, Cathy Lewis, Elliott Lewis, Bill Conrad, and William N. Robson (adapter, producer, director).

I wish we had time for another of Simon's favorites from Old Time Radio – VIC AND SADE. There was a period when it was run daily on WBAI as THE MORNING SERIAL to mixed reviews, and he deemed it an intelligence test! Maybe next week.

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Remember... the 5th of November!

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