[go: up one dir, main page]
 Guest  |  Login  |  Register  |  Sitemap  |  Privacy  |  About  |  Contact  |  Help
in house dollar bill thumbnail
Comic Book Plus In-House Image
Home > Old Time Radio
 Total: 49,698 books
 New: 138 books



Thumbnail for Old Time RadioCongratulations! You are just about to tune into the swellest station on the comic book airwaves.

Do you realize that not only can you read the best books on the newsstand, but now you can also listen to your favorite characters ALL FOR FREE!!. Just imagine it: after school, before school and even when you are on a break! One word of warning, if you are one of our older members be careful in case your boss catches you listening. But if he does, we are sure that after he hears one of our show he'll understand!

We have thousands of good wholesome shows, just waiting to refresh your ears. The strangest facts, so unbelievable that sometimes even we find them difficult to believe. The trickiest of crimes that you'll be scratching your head trying to solve. Talking of heads, we have so many laughs that you might worry that yours will fall off. We also have adventure on land sea and air, Cowboys and Indians, music and MUCH MUCH MORE!!

Before we sign off, remember to let all your friends know about us. It is also a good idea to explain to your mom that you need to listen to CB+ radio EVERY day, as you learn so much and it is FREE. When she hears that, we know she'll approve!!!
You are WELCOME to enjoy our site & read ALL our books online. But to download & join our forum please create a FREE account or login

Old Time Radio

Adventure - Old Time Radio Shows

Thumbnail for Adventure - Old Time Radio Shows
Section Name:Adventure - Old Time Radio Shows
Episodes Available:Titles: 14 | Books: 788
Latest Episode:I Love Adventure 10 - The Kwan Moon Dagger | Uploaded: Jan 18, 2023
Shows:Adventures by Morse (52) | The Adventures of Frank Race (43) | The Adventures of Horatio Hornblower (52) | Adventures of the Sea Hound (11) | Bold Venture (57) | Cloak and Dagger (22) | The Cruise of the Poll Parrot (39) | Dick Cole (17) | Frank Merriwell (39) | I Love Adventure (13) | Jack Armstrong, the All-American Boy (130) | Rocky Jordan (91) | The Saint (57) | Terry and the Pirates (165)
Before television, radio drama offered home audiences a daily dose of action and escapism. The adventure genre was particularly popular, transporting listeners to international locations, high-seas voyages and undercover espionage operations using just script, sound, and music.

This section brings together a collection of those vintage radio broadcasts from the 1930s through the 1950s. The line-up includes a mix of formats, from daily 15-minute youth serials to weekly half-hour adult dramas. Many of these programs features direct crossovers with popular culture of the era, bringing famous comic strip heroes, literary figures, and Hollywood stars straight to the microphone.

Whether you are looking for classic cliffhangers, international intrigue, or maritime exploits, you'll find them here!

Crime And Detective - Old Time Radio Shows

Thumbnail for Crime And Detective - Old Time Radio Shows
Section Name:Crime And Detective - Old Time Radio Shows
Episodes Available:Titles: 56 | Books: 5048
Latest Episode:The Whisperer 6 - The Fight Game | Uploaded: Jun 2, 2026
Shows:21st Precinct (107) | A Case for Dr Morelle (13) | The Adventures of Leonidas Witherall (7) | The Adventures of Philip Marlowe (103) | The Adventures of Sam Spade (67) | The Adventures of the Falcon (88) | Barrie Craig, Confidential Investigator (59) | The Big Story (38) | The Black Museum (51) | Blackstone, The Magic Detective (55) | Boston Blackie (198) | Box 13 (52) | Broadway Is My Beat (184) | Candy Matson (14) | Case Dismissed (12) | The Casebook Of Gregory Hood (16) | Casey, Crime Photographer (50) | Charlie Chan (51) | Crime and Peter Chambers (21) | Crime Classics (51) | Crime Does Not Pay (58) | Dan Dunn (2) | Danger, Dr. Danfield (26) | Dick Tracy (74) | Dragnet (373) | Ellery Queen (17) | Ellery Queen Minute Mysteries (79) | The FBI in Peace and War (86) | Five Minute Mysteries (82) | Fu Manchu (84) | Gang Busters (87) | I Love a Mystery (94) | Inspector Thorne (11) | Jeff Regan, Investigator (53) | Let George Do It (200) | The Lineup (79) | Matthew Slade, Private Investigator (10) | Michael Shayne (65) | Mr Keen Tracer of Lost Persons (60) | Mr. Moto (14) | The New Adventures of Nero Wolfe (25) | Nick Carter, Master Detective (126) | Night Beat (72) | Pat Novak, for Hire (24) | Perry Mason (255) | Philo Vance (92) | Police Reporter (26) | Richard Diamond, Private Detective (102) | Rocky Fortune (25) | Rogues Gallery (23) | Tales of the Texas Rangers (93) | This Is Your FBI (382) | Walk Softly, Peter Troy (48) | The Whisperer (13) | Whitehall 1212 (44) | Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar (721)
This section covers the shift in mid-century crime broadcasting away from sensationalized pulp thrillers toward realistic law enforcement procedures and historical accuracy.

The transition is best seen in Jack Webb’s Dragnet (1949–1957). By using authentic LAPD case files, real police jargon, and mundane daily routines, the show completely altered how detective work was portrayed on the air. Other police dramas followed this realist style, including The Lineup and 21st Precinct (1953–1956). 21st Precinct took the realism a step further by focusing on the desk management of a fictional New York station, filmed in direct cooperation with the city's Patrolmen's Benevolent Association.

The collection also tracks how radio pulled from other media during the 1930s and 50s. Dan Dunn (1937) brought early newspaper comic strip detective stories to life during the height of the urban crime wave era. Decades later, Crime and Peter Chambers (1954) adapted Henry Kane’s hardboiled novels for the microphone, casting Dane Clark as the private investigator.

Finally, for true crime history, Elliott Lewis’s Crime Classics (1953–1954) used a documentary format to recreate famous murders from public records. Rather than inventing drama, the scripts stuck strictly to historical facts, covering cases ranging from ancient Greece to 19th-century America.

Horror, Suspense and Mystery - Old Time Radio Shows

Thumbnail for Horror, Suspense and Mystery - Old Time Radio Shows
Section Name:Horror, Suspense and Mystery - Old Time Radio Shows
Episodes Available:Titles: 13 | Books: 1968
Latest Episode:The Hermit's Cave 19 - Hanson's Ghost | Uploaded: May 31, 2026
Shows:The Hall of Fantasy (40) | The Hermit's Cave (21) | Inner Sanctum Mystery (142) | Lights Out (91) | Murder at Midnight (32) | The Mysterious Traveler (67) | The Sealed Book (26) | Sleep No More (20) | The Strange Dr Weird (29) | Suspense (904) | The Unexpected (32) | Weird Circle (78) | The Whistler (486)
Long before movies could rely on CGI and gore, radio creators realized that nothing is scarier than what a person imagines in the dark. Late-night horror broadcasts became a massive draw during the 1930s and 1940s because they forced the audience to fill in the visual blanks. A creaking door, the slow crunch of footsteps, or a sudden organ chord was all it took to make millions of listeners leave their lights on.

This section gathers the vintage anthologies and thrillers that defined early audio terror. Unlike traditional action or adventure serials, these programs usually skipped recurring heroes. Instead, they focused on standalone weekly stories, often introduced by sinister hosts who set a macabre tone before the plot even started.

The collection covers everything from quiet psychological suspense designed for adult audiences to theatrical, effects-heavy tales about ghosts and monsters.

Humor - Old Time Radio Shows

Thumbnail for Humor - Old Time Radio Shows
Section Name:Humor - Old Time Radio Shows
Episodes Available:Titles: 23 | Books: 3830
Latest Episode:Fred Allen Show 613 - Final Show | Uploaded: Jun 2, 2026
Shows:The Abbott and Costello Show (145) | Abbott and Costello's Children's Show (4) | The Aldrich Family (97) | Archie Andrews (49) | Blondie (41) | Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy (206) | Fibber McGee and Molly (1215) | The Fred Allen Show (276) | Gasoline Alley (20) | The Great Gildersleeve (497) | Hancock's Half Hour (78) | The Harold Peary Show (38) | The Jack Benny Program (683) | Jackie Gleason (3) | Judy Canova (78) | The Life of Riley (131) | Meet Corliss Archer (10) | Moon Mullins (2) | My Friend Irma (50) | My Little Margie (21) | Our Miss Brooks (179) | Popeye, the Sailor Man (4) | The Sad Sack (3)
When vaudeville comedians first appeared on radio in the 1930s, they had to adjust to having no physical gags. Without funny faces, goofy costumes, or visual slapstick, they had to rely entirely on scripts, and comedic timing.

Writers were the central figures behind these shows, inventing jokes forcing the listener's imagination to do the work. A single repeated sound effect, like a sputtering car engine or a cascade of junk falling out of a notoriously messy closet, could become a running gag that kept audiences laughing for a decade.

The genre eventually split into two main formats. There were variety hours hosted by famous stand-up comedians, and situation comedies that focusing on the daily lives of regular families and coworkers. These radio sitcoms actually created the storytelling templates that television networks still use today. Regardless of the format, comedy shows almost always performed in front of a live studio audience. The actors needed real-time laughter to time their punchlines correctly, and the unedited energy of the studio crowd helped make the people listening at home feel like they were part of the experience.

Even the advertising was handled differently in comedy programs. Instead of cutting away to a dry commercial break, the hosts and cast members would usually work the sponsor's product directly into the sketches and storylines. Comedians would regularly poke fun at their own sponsors, turning the sales pitches into part of the entertainment.

This section contains surviving broadcasts from the major comedy, sitcom, and variety shows of the era.

Non-Fiction - Old Time Radio Shows

Thumbnail for Non-Fiction - Old Time Radio Shows
Section Name:Non-Fiction - Old Time Radio Shows
Episodes Available:Titles: 5 | Books: 562
Latest Episode:Ripley's Believe It or Not 1 Minute 109 - Baby Commander | Uploaded: Oct 24, 2025
Shows:Mark Trail (38) | Ripley's Believe It or Not (32) | Ripley's Believe It or Not (One Minute) (415) | Smokey the Bear (16) | Strange as It Seems (61)

Science Fiction - Old Time Radio Shows

Thumbnail for Science Fiction - Old Time Radio Shows
Section Name:Science Fiction - Old Time Radio Shows
Episodes Available:Titles: 12 | Books: 756
Latest Episode:Theater Five 127 - Mr Horn's Holiday | Uploaded: May 31, 2026
Shows:2000 Plus (15) | Buck Rogers (25) | Captain Starr of Space (4) | Dimension X (50) | Exploring Tomorrow (27) | Flash Gordon (32) | Journey into Space (53) | Planet Man (76) | Space Patrol (46) | Theater Five (261) | Tom Corbett, Space Cadet (46) | X Minus One (121)
Radio sound engineers basically had to build a new acoustic vocabulary from scratch to represent things like rocket engines or alien environments inside a tiny studio. The recordings here trace how the genre moved away from 1930s kids' adventure serials toward adult psychological fiction during the post-war era.

You can hear the early era in daily cliffhanger broadcasts like Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers in the 25th Century. Both of these mid-1930s shows jumped straight from the newspaper comic pages to the microphone, depending entirely on fast pacing to capture younger audiences after school.

The post-war years changed the direction of the genre completely. Shows like Dimension X dropped the simplistic space opera tropes to focus heavily on atomic-age anxieties and hard technology. The section also includes major independent and network attempts to expand speculative fiction, such as Mutual’s 2000 Plus, CBS's short-lived Beyond Tomorrow, and Exploring Tomorrow, which featured established science fiction authors introducing the stories. You'll also find Destination Freedom, which used a biographical drama format to focus on civil rights and historical achievements.

Superhero - Old Time Radio Shows

Thumbnail for Superhero - Old Time Radio Shows
Section Name:Superhero - Old Time Radio Shows
Episodes Available:Titles: 9 | Books: 2017
Latest Episode:The Shadow 227 - Dragon's Tongue Murders | Uploaded: Nov 12, 2023
Shows:The Adventures of Superman (1164) | The Avenger (26) | Blue Beetle (24) | Captain Midnight (80) | Chandu the Magician (309) | The Green Hornet (141) | The Green Lama (5) | Mandrake the Magician (29) | The Shadow (239)
Bringing comic book characters to radio in the 1940s meant replacing artwork with sound. Producers couldn't show a colorful costumes or fistfights, so instead they used fast narration, loud sound effects, and repetitive catchphrases to recreate the scene. The whistle of a hero flying or the sharp smack of a punch had be a substitute for the visual work for the listener.

These shows usually ran on weekday afternoons as 15-minute chapters aimed at kids after school. Because they aired daily, writers used abrupt cliffhangers to make sure listeners tuned in again the next afternoon. This format also created the perfect setup for radio premiums. Sponsors routinely asked kids to mail in cereal box tops to trade for physical toys like secret decoder rings, patches, or glowing badges.

This section contains the surviving audio from those early action serials. You will find big-name comic book crossovers alongside original radio heroes who used advanced gadgets and secret identities to fight crime.

Tarzan - Old Time Radio Shows

Thumbnail for Tarzan - Old Time Radio Shows
Section Name:Tarzan - Old Time Radio Shows
Episodes Available:Titles: 4 | Books: 211
Latest Episode:Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle 68 - Evidence Destroyed | Uploaded: Nov 18, 2014
Shows:Tarzan - Lord of the Jungle (74) | Tarzan - Tarzan of the Apes (59) | Tarzan - The Diamond of Asher (39) | Tarzan - The Fires of Tohr (39)
Bringing Edgar Rice Burroughs' jungle hero to the microphone in the early 1930s required a massive amount of audio experimentation. Producers couldn't visually show a sprawling jungle or wild animals, so sound engineers had to invent those environments out of thin air. They simulated lion roars, apes and thick undergrowth with specialized studio props. Creating a background that allowed listeners to visualize the African jungle themselves.

The early Tarzan programs were innovators in how radio content was distributed. Instead of broadcasting live over a single national network, the original 1932 series was one of the first big-budget shows to rely on electrical transcription. Episodes were pre-recorded onto massive, heavy discs and physically mailed out to individual radio stations across the country. This commercial innovation allowed local stations to air the 15-minute daily cliffhangers at whatever time slot best suited their regional audiences.

In the early 1950s, the Tarzan was revived for a completely fresh, weekly half-hour show. This later version shifted away from the simpler style of the early children's serials, opting instead for a more mature action-adventure format. These mid-century broadcasts featured higher production values, sophisticated scripting, and a far more cinematic approach to audio drama.

This section collects the surviving recordings from the different eras of the classic jungle hero.

Theater - Old Time Radio Shows

Thumbnail for Theater - Old Time Radio Shows
Section Name:Theater - Old Time Radio Shows
Episodes Available:Titles: 9 | Books: 1437
Latest Episode:Mercury Theatre 7 - The Affairs of Anatol | Uploaded: May 19, 2026
Shows:Damon Runyon Theater (52) | Encore Theater (13) | Escape (219) | Lux Radio Theater (693) | The Mercury Theatre on the Air (18) | Old Gold Comedy Theater (30) | Redbook Dramas (19) | Screen Guild Theater (348) | Theatre Royal (45)
Back in the 1930s and 40s, traveling to a Broadway play or a Hollywood film premiere wasn't an option for most people. Radio theater filled that gap by bringing full-length scripts and major celebrity casts directly into the household living room.

These weren't short daily serials with cliffhangers. They were prestige, hour-long productions backed by big advertising budgets, live studio audiences, and full orchestras. Instead of following the same character every week, these programs were anthologies. One week might feature a Shakespeare play, while the next adapted a current box-office movie hit.

To mimic a real night out, the broadcasts kept theater traditions alive on the air. They used opening and closing curtains, intermissions, and final curtain calls where the Hollywood stars stepped out of character to speak to the audience.

This section collects surviving recordings from the major dramatic anthologies of the era.

Western - Old Time Radio Shows

Thumbnail for Western - Old Time Radio Shows
Section Name:Western - Old Time Radio Shows
Episodes Available:Titles: 22 | Books: 3920
Latest Episode:Frontier Gentleman 37 - The Preacher | Uploaded: Jan 16, 2023
Shows:Adventures of Champion (3) | All Star Western Theatre (93) | Bobby Benson (19) | Buck Jones (3) | Challenge of the Yukon (364) | The Cisco Kid (358) | Fort Laramie (41) | Frontier Gentleman (42) | Frontier Town (47) | Gene Autry's Melody Ranch (72) | Gunsmoke (473) | Have Gun - Will Travel (105) | Hopalong Cassidy (102) | Lightning Jim (41) | The Lone Ranger (1660) | Luke Slaughter of Tombstone (16) | Red Ryder (56) | The Roy Rogers Show (92) | The Six Shooter (40) | Straight Arrow (5) | Tom Mix (27) | Wild Bill Hickok (261)
The radio western began as fast-paced afternoon programming for younger listeners before expanding into adult dramas that looked at the social landscape of the 19th-century frontier. For sound engineers, the genre required specific acoustic techniques to simulate outdoor environments, wind, and movement entirely within a studio.

The collection covers several production approaches:

Adult frontier dramas: Gunsmoke (1952–1961) changed the genre by focusing on the mundane and often violent realities of Dodge City. Similarly, Frontier Gentleman (1958) used an unusual perspective, following a British journalist reporting on the territories for the London Times.

Media crossovers: While most shows went from radio to television, Have Gun – Will Travel (1958–1960) did the opposite, adapting the television property into a standalone radio run starring John Dehner. The section also includes Hopalong Cassidy and The Cisco Kid, which drew from established pulp fiction and B-movies.

Early syndication: The listings feature early transcribed serials like Buck Jones in Hoofbeats (1936) alongside post-war independent productions like Frontier Town and Lightning Jim.
Comic Book Plus In-House Image

Aladdin Lamp Man

Thumbnail for Aladdin Lamp Man
Show Name:Aladdin Lamp Man
Episodes Available:36
Latest Episode:Aladdin Lamp Man 22 - First Tune: Ain't She Sweet | Uploaded: Jun 4, 2016
Categories:Humor | Mixed Bag
What little is known about this series is gleaned from the pages of 'Aladdin Electric Lamps' and is used by express permission of the Aladdin Lamp Company.

In the early 1930s Smilin' Ed McConnell promoted Aladdin Kerosene Lamps with remarkable success over WLW in Cincinnati, Ohio. He became a well known radio personality as 'The Aladdin Lamp Man' who sang songs, told stories and sold Aladdin lamps over the air.

By 1948, 145 ABC stations were subscribing to his 15 minute programs. Smilin' Ed's humor, songs, and music were condensed into a five-minute program especially for electric lamp dealers. So it is very likely that this series originated after 1948.

Through his personable style, Smilin' Ed touched the lives of millions of housewives. He said in one program, 'Honey, a house without an Aladdin kerosene or electric lamp is like a house without a door -- incomplete!' (Source: Old Time Radio Researchers Group)

Babe Ruth

Thumbnail for Babe Ruth
Show Name:Babe Ruth
Episodes Available:21
Latest Episode:Babe Ruth 1946-03-22 - Guest Babe Ruth | Uploaded: Jul 16, 2014
Categories:Adventure | Sports
George Herman Ruth, Jr. (February 6, 1895 - August 16, 1948), best known as "Babe" Ruth and nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Sultan of Swat", was an American baseball player who spent 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) playing for three teams
(1914-1935). Known for his hitting brilliance, Ruth set many career records.

Ruth originally entered the major leagues with the Boston Red Sox as a starting pitcher, but after he was sold to the New York Yankees in 1919, he converted to a full-time right fielder. He subsequently became one of the league's most prolific hitters and with his home run hitting prowess, he helped the Yankees win seven pennants and four World Series titles. Ruth retired in 1935 after a short stint with the Boston Braves, and the following year, he became one of the first five players to be elected into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Ruth made many forays into various popular media. He was heard often on radio in the 1930s and 1940s, both as a guest and on his own programs with various titles: The Adventures of Babe Ruth was a 15-minute Blue Network show heard three times a week from April 16 to July 13, 1934. Three years later, he was on CBS twice a week in Here's Babe Ruth which was broadcast from April 14 to July 9, 1937. That same year he portrayed himself in "Alibi Ike" on Lux Radio Theater. His Baseball Quiz was first heard Saturdays on NBC June 5 to July 10, 1943 and then later that year from August 28 to November 20 on NBC, followed by another NBC run from July 8 to October 21, 1944. (Source: wikipedia.org)

Big Jon and Sparkie

Thumbnail for Big Jon and Sparkie
Show Name:Big Jon and Sparkie
Episodes Available:100
Latest Episode: Big Jon and Sparkie 71 - Almost Captured | Uploaded: Jul 12, 2014
Categories:Fantasy/Whimsey | Humor
Big Jon Arthur (real name Jon Arthur Goerss) was the host of the Saturday morning children's radio series Big Jon and Sparkie. Sparkie, "the little elf from the land of make-believe, who wants more than anything else in the world to be a real boy," was actually the recorded voice of Jon Arthur played at a fast speed.

At WSAI in Cincinnati, Arthur began the Big Jon and Sparkie show, carried daily on 181 ABC stations beginning in 1950. ABC also aired his two-hour Saturday show, No School Today, heard weekly by 12 million listeners on 275 stations. The show's theme song was "Teddy Bears' Picnic" as sung by Ann Stephens. Cincinnati's Don Kortekamp, who was an editor at WSAI, teamed up with Arthur to become the scriptwriter of Big Jon and Sparkie. Arthur voiced all of the various characters while Kortekamp provided the scripts for their adventures.

The Saturday morning No School Today usually featured Sparkie's recounting of the last serial episode of Captain Jupiter, which he and his friend Rabbit Ears McKester saw at the movies.

The radio program was adapted into the comic book, Big Jon and Sparkie, published by Alden Getz for Ziff-Davis. Getz also published The Daily Weekly, a promotional newspaper giveaway based on the No School Today radio program. The comic book ran for four issues. Arthur died in California in 1982. (Source: wikipedia.org)

Bulldog Drummond

Thumbnail for Bulldog Drummond
Show Name:Bulldog Drummond
Episodes Available:34
Latest Episode:Bulldog Drummond 194 - Ride In Moonlight | Uploaded: Dec 26, 2021
Categories:Crime | Detective
Airing History: Dates: -
Hugh "Bulldog" Drummond is a fictional character, created by H. C. McNeile and published under his pen name "Sapper". Following McNeile's death in 1937, the novels were continued by Gerard Fairlie. Drummond is a First World War veteran who, fed up with his sedate lifestyle, advertises looking for excitement, and becomes a gentleman adventurer. The character has appeared in novels, short stories, on the stage, in films, on radio and television, and in graphic novels.

Bulldog Drummond was broadcast on Mutual April 13, 1941 - March 28, 1954. Garyn G. Roberts wrote in his book, Dick Tracy and American Culture: Morality and Mythology, Text and Context, "With its trademark foghorn, Bulldog Drummond was one of the premiere mystery programs of its time."

Drummond and Denny were the series' only regular characters. Over the years, Drummond was played by George Coulouris, Santos Ortega, Ned Wever, and Cedric Hardwicke. Actors portraying Denny were Everett Sloane, Luis van Rooten, and Rod Hendrickson. Others appearing frequently on the program were Agnes Moorehead, Paul Stewart, Ray Collins, and Mercedes McCambridge.

Announcers for Bulldog Drummond were Ted Brown, Henry Morgan, and Robert Shepard. The show's writers were Allan E. Sloane, Leonard Leslie, Edward J. Adamson, and Jay Bennett. (source: wikipedia)

The Buster Brown Gang

Thumbnail for The Buster Brown Gang
Show Name:The Buster Brown Gang
Episodes Available:21
Latest Episode:Buster Brown Gang 1952-09-06 - Melon Patch Murder | Uploaded: Jul 20, 2014
Categories:Mixed Bag | Children/Teenagers | Spinoff
Smilin' Ed McConnell (1882 - July 23, 1954) was the host of the children's radio and television series, Smilin' Ed's Gang, closely identified with its sponsor, Buster Brown shoes and also known as The Buster Brown Program. For his work in radio, McConnell was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

For the Buster Brown Show, Ed had support from producer Frank Ferrin, writer Hobart Donavan (who also wrote the Buster Brown comic book giveaways) and director Arthur Jacobson. Buster Brown and Smilin' Ed were joined together in 1944, with "Smilin' Ed's Buster Brown Gang" taking to the airwaves on September 2. The show continued on NBC radio every Saturday morning at 11:30 through April 11, 1953. There was an adventure story to open the show, plugs for Buster Brown shoes, and Froggy the Gremlin might sing a song or annoy a guest, such as Shortfellow the Poet or Alkali Pete the Cowboy. The character Midnight the Cat actually spoke a few lines on the show and Smilin' Ed was always prone to sing a novelty song or two by plunking his magic twanger.

The full cast of the radio show had included June Foray, Wendall Noble, Conrad Binyon, John Dehner and Jimmy Ogg. All of them took part in the adventure stories. Foray was called upon to voice Midnight and Old Grandie the Piano, and Bud Tollefson, the sound effects engineer, growled the voice of Tige the Dog.

Smilin' Ed would tell the young audiences that they could go to their local store and get a comic book without having to make a purchase. The books had many premiums to offer, including a Buster Brown Gang neckerchief, various games, music records and trinkets. (Source: wikipedia.org)

Comic Weekly Man

Thumbnail for Comic Weekly Man
Show Name:Comic Weekly Man
Episodes Available:112
Latest Episode:Comic Weekly Man 341 - Halloween, First Comic - Beetle Bailey | Uploaded: Jan 9, 2015
Categories:Mixed Bag
Comic Weekly Man aired on the Mutual Broadcasting Network 1947 to 1954 and was a show where the Comic Weekly Man would read the Sunday comics in a dramatic fashion, complete with music and sound effects as well.

Adults and children of all ages would tune in to hear the show and to enjoy the antics of the Comic Weekly Man. He read from such strips as Blondie, Beetle Bailey, Hi and Lois, and many, many others. These were taken from the Hearst newspaper's Sunday funnies "Puck: The Comic Weekly" section of the paper. They show's theme song starts with:

"I am the Comic Weekly Man, the jolly Comic Weekly Man and I'm here to read the funnies to you happy boys and honeys."

Comic Weekly Man was never credited on the programme, but he was the very talented Lon Clark (1912-1998). He is best known for playing the lead in the "Nick Carter, Master Detective" radio show, but he also appeared in a great many other programs. Lon Clark voiced all the male parts and Little Miss Honey, a female assistant, most of the female ones.

Although hardly known nowadays, this has great reviews by those who stumble across it!

Doctor Tim, Detective

Thumbnail for Doctor Tim, Detective
Show Name:Doctor Tim, Detective
Episodes Available:7
Latest Episode:Doctor Tim, Detective 9 - The Mystery of the Chest of Dynamite | Uploaded: Nov 22, 2016
Categories:Crime | Detective
Airing History:Episodes: 13 |  Dates: -
"Dr. Tim, Detective," a radio series to present health education by means of mystery-dramas to interest Rockford's school age boys and girls, will be presented weekly on Mondays at 6:15 p.m. over radio station WROK beginning Labor day.

Dr. R.J. Mroz, president of the Winnebago County Medical society, announced the 13-week dramatized series, especially produced for young listeners, is being presented through the public relations committee of the medical society. It is offered through the co-operation of the Rockford radio council, sponsored by the Central Illinois Electric and Gas company and station WROK.

Each episode will be a mystery-drama dealing with a disease or health subject. It will be presented through the scientific detection of "Doctor Tim, Detective" and his young friends, "Sandy" and "Jill."

Some of the subjects to be included are safe water supply, rabies, blood fractions, rheumatic fever, the home medicine chest and contaminated foods. (Source: From the Rockford Morning Star (September 3rd, 1950) / Digital Deli)

Don Winslow of the Navy

Thumbnail for Don Winslow of the Navy
Show Name:Don Winslow of the Navy
Episodes Available:2
Latest Episode:Don Winslow s3 ep1 - Two-man Submarines | Uploaded: Jul 10, 2014
Categories:War/Armed Forces | Water/Boats
The idea for Don Winslow was conceived by Lieutenant Commander Frank V. Martinek USNR, himself a storied veteran of World War I Naval intelligence, after Admiral Wat T. Cluverius complained to him about the difficulties of recruiting in the Midwest. Ruminating on the challenge, Martinek decided that a comic strip that focused on Naval tradition and courage would educate and fascinate America's youth. He had previously used the character Don Winslow in some novels he wrote, so he had the main concept readymade. Colonel Frank Knox, later Secretary of the Navy helped sell the idea to the Bell Syndicate.

The strip debuted on March 5, 1934 and a Sunday page was added in 1935. It would run until 1955. The title character was a spychasing Lieutenant Commander in Naval intelligence. The comic strip led to a radio adventure serial that began in 1937, as well as a film serial that began in 1942. Original comics stories also appeared in Fawcett comic books starting in 1943.

Although created primarily as a Navy recruitment and propaganda tool, the strip received high marks from Coulton Waugh for "excellent suspense, and ingenious, spine-joggling situations." Ron Goulart credits Don Winslow with "intrigue, spychasing, beautiful women, and villains with names like Dr. Centaur, the Dwarf, and the Scorpion." Like all good propaganda, the strip first sought to grab the reader's attention. (Source: wikipedia.org)

Dr. Kildare

Thumbnail for Dr. Kildare
Show Name:Dr. Kildare
Episodes Available:60
Latest Episode:Dr Kildare 21 - Glaucoma | Uploaded: Jul 14, 2014
Categories:Romance | Medical Romance | Mixed Bag
Dr. James Kildare is a fictional character in a series of films in the late 1930s and early 1940s, an early 1950s radio series, a 1960s television series of the same name and a comic book based on the TV show, and a short-lived second 1970s television series. The character was created by the author Frederick Schiller Faust, under the pen name Max Brand.

Lionel Barrymore and Lew Ayres performed a scene from their soon-to-be-released film, Young Dr. Kildare, on MGM's "Good News of 1939" program, October 13, 1938.

In the summer of 1949, MGM reunited Lew Ayres and Lionel Barrymore to record the radio series, The Story of Dr. Kildare, scripted by Les Crutchfield, Jean Holloway and others. After broadcasts on WMGM New York from February 1, 1950 to August 3, 1951, the series was syndicated to other stations during the 1950s. The supporting cast included Ted Osborne as hospital administrator Dr. Carew, Jane Webb as nurse Mary Lamont and Virginia Gregg as Nurse Parker, labeled "Nosy Parker" by Gillespie, with appearances by William Conrad, Stacy Harris, Jay Novello, Isabel Jewell and Jack Webb. (Source: wikipedia.org)

Hop Harrigan

Thumbnail for Hop Harrigan
Show Name:Hop Harrigan
Episodes Available:193
Latest Episode:Hop Harrigan 1947-12-17 1358) - Mystery Of The Wailing Witches 24 | Uploaded: Nov 27, 2014
Categories:Aviation
Hop Harrigan (also known as The Guardian Angel and Black Lamp) first appeared in All American Comics #1 created by Jon Blummer (Fighting Yank, Little Boy Blue) as one of the first successful aviation heroes in comic history (Hop appeared after Tailspin Tommy, Barney Baxter, Connie Kurridge and others). Hop Harrigan was technically not a true superhero (as he had no costume or special powers) though he did meet the Justice Society of America in All American Comics #8, and he did eventually become a superhero from All American Comics #25 (April 1941) to #28 (July) as the costumed Guardian Angel.

On radio, Hop Harrigan aired from August 31, 1942 to February 6, 1948. The series began on the ABC Blue network and moved October 2, 1946, to the Mutual Broadcasting System. Charles Stratton appeared in the title role with Ken Lynch as Tank. Lynch was later replaced by Jackson Beck, voice actor for Bluto (Popeye), King Leonardo and Perry White (Superman). Mitzi Gould played Hop's girlfriend, Gail Nolan. One of the writers for this series was noir novelist David Goodis.

Hop Harrigan as well as other comic series from All-American Comics were purchased by DC Comics, a publisher that had close relations to All-American Publications ever since it debuted. DC Comics continued to publish the Hop comics in All-American Comics until the 99th issue in July 1948, when the aviation adventure genre was abandoned in favor of a Western theme and Harrigan was replaced with Johnny Thunder. In the end, Hop Harrigan became mostly forgotten by the majority of comic book fans, though other All-American characters including The Flash, Green Lantern and Wonder Woman would remain popular for years to come. The opening to the radio serial was as follows:

"CX4 to Control.....CX4 to Control......This is Hop Harrigan....coming in" to the roar of a prop fighter plane. From the control tower: "Control Tower to CX4: Wind southeast. Ceiling 1200. All clear." (Source: wikipedia.org)
Comic Book Plus In-House Image

Joe Palooka

Thumbnail for Joe Palooka
Show Name:Joe Palooka
Episodes Available:22
Latest Episode:Joe Palooka 39 - My Dear Old Mother | Uploaded: Jul 13, 2014
Categories:Adventure | Sports
Joe Palooka was an American comic strip about a heavyweight boxing champion, created by cartoonist Ham Fisher in 1921. The strip debuted in 1930 and was carried at its peak by 900 newspapers.

On radio Joe Palooka was broadcast on CBS from April 12 to August 18, 1932. With Teddy Bergman in the title role, the 15-minute series was heard on Tuesdays and Thursdays, sponsored by Heinz Rice Flakes. Elmira Roessler, Elsie Hitz and Mary Jane Higby played Ann Howe. Knobby Walsh was portrayed by Frank Readick and Hal Lansing. Others in the cast: Karl Swenson and Norman Gottschalk. The announcer was Harry von Zell.

The strip also spawned 12 feature-length films (chiefly from Monogram Pictures), nine Vitaphone film shorts, a 1954 syndicated television series (The Joe Palooka Story), comic books and merchandise, including a 1940s board game, a 1947 New Haven Clock & Watch Company wristwatch, a 1948 metal lunchbox featuring depictions of Joe, Humphrey and Little Max, and a 1946 Wheaties cereal box cut-out mask. In 1980, a mountain in Pennsylvania was named for the character. (Source: wikipedia.org)

Jungle Jim

Thumbnail for Jungle Jim
Show Name:Jungle Jim
Episodes Available:84
Latest Episode:Jungle Jim 35 - In the Enemy Camp of Derek Bluger | Uploaded: Jul 14, 2014
Categories:Jungle | Adventure
Jungle Jim first saw the light of day in 1934 as an American newspaper comic strip chronicling the adventures of Asia-based hunter Jim Bradley, who was nicknamed Jungle Jim. The character also trekked through radio, film, comic book and television adaptations. Notable was a series of films and television episodes in which Johnny Weismuller portrayed the safari-suit wearing character, after hanging up his Tarzan loincloth

Syndicated by Hearst and sponsored by the Comic Weekly, The Adventures of Jungle Jim radio series premiered November 2, 1935. Matt Crowley had the title role for three years, until Gerald Mohr stepped in as Jungle Jim beginning April 24, 1938. Vicki Vola and Franc Hale portrayed Shanghai Lil, and Juano Hernandez was the Hindu servant Kolu. Each episode ran 15 minutes. Several episodes were based directly on the comic strip, such as The Ghost of the Java Sea. Gene Stafford scripted for producer Jay Clark. Glenn Riggs was the announcer, among others. In the opening episode, "The Bat Woman," Jungle Jim meets Miss Chalmers, and Jacques LaBarr gets into a barroom fight with Jim. (Source: wikipedia.org)

Let's Pretend

Thumbnail for Let's Pretend
Show Name:Let's Pretend
Episodes Available:66
Latest Episode:Let's Pretend 19xx-xx-xx - Melilot | Uploaded: Jul 20, 2014
Categories:Fantasy/Whimsey
Airing History: Dates: -
Let's Pretend was created and directed by Nila Mack (1891-1953). Its origins date back to Aunt Jymmie and Her Tots in Tottyville beginning October 27, 1928, later followed by The Children's Club Hour with Howard Merrill and then The Adventures of Helen and Mary, scripted by Yolanda Langworthy. Between December 1930 and January 1931, the title briefly changed from The Adventures of Helen and Mary to Land O' Make Believe. With Estelle Levy, Patricia Ryan, and Alwyn Cuesta in the title roles, the fairy tale program continued until March 17, 1934.

After 229 broadcasts, Nila Mack took over as director and changed the title to Let's Pretend, "radio's outstanding children's theater." Mack's Peabody Award-winning Let's Pretend began March 24, 1934, running for two decades before the final show on October 23, 1954.

The show always began with a characteristic tune, sometimes with lyrics, from its long-time sponsor Cream of Wheat. George Bryan and Jackson Wheeler were the announcers. Jean Hight became the program's director after Nila Mack's death in 1953.

The series received numerous awards, including two Peabody Awards, a Women's National Radio Committee Award and five Radio Daily Awards. In 1970 Telegeneral adapted these stories on vinyl records.

Little Orphan Annie

Thumbnail for Little Orphan Annie
Show Name:Little Orphan Annie
Episodes Available:36
Latest Episode:Little Orphan Annie 19xx-xx-xx - xxxx) Pearl Diver | Uploaded: Nov 3, 2014
Categories:Children/Teenagers | Leading Ladies
Little Orphan Annie was a daily American comic strip created by Harold Gray and syndicated by Tribune Media Services. It took its name from the 1885 poem "Little Orphant Annie" by James Whitcomb Riley, and debuted on August 5, 1924 in the New York Daily News.

The plot follows the adventures of Annie, her dog Sandy, and her benefactor Oliver "Daddy" Warbucks. Secondary characters include Punjab, the Asp and Mr. Am. The strip attracted adult readers with political commentary targeting (among other things) organized labor, the New Deal and communism.

Little Orphan Annie was adapted to a 15-minute radio show debuting on WGN Chicago in 1930 going national on NBC's Blue Network beginning April 6, 1931. One of the first comic strips adapted to radio, it attracted about 6 million fans leaving the air in 1942.

In 1931 radio had yet to establish coast-to-coast networks so two separate casts performed, one in San Francisco starring Floy Margaret Hughes and the other in Chicago starring Shirley Bell as Annie, Stanley Andrews as "Daddy", and Allan Baruck (and later Mel Tormé) as Joe Corntassel. When coast to coast networking was established in 1933, the Chicago cast became the permanent one. Bobbe Dean briefly played the character in 1934-35 during a contract dispute between the studio and Bell, and Janice Gilbert portrayed Annie from 1940 to 1942. Leonard Salvo was the show's organist.

The show was initially sponsored by Ovaltine, a flavored milk supplement, and its scripts were written by Ovaltine's Chicago ad agency staff. They shunned the overt political themes of Gray's newspaper strips and concentrated instead on pitching Ovaltine, using almost seven minutes of each broadcast to do so. Fans could redeem Ovaltine proofs of purchase for a secret decoder ring or badge that decoded brief messages airing in the last moments of the show. In 1940, Quaker Puffed Wheat Sparkies became the show's sponsor and brought fictional aviator Captain Sparks to the show. Sparks eventually became the star, relegating Annie to secondary player. (Source: wikipedia.org)

The Lives of Harry Lime

Thumbnail for The Lives of Harry Lime
Show Name:The Lives of Harry Lime
Episodes Available:52
Latest Episode:The Lives of Harry Lime 49 - Paris Is Not the Same | Uploaded: Jun 4, 2016
Categories:Crime | Adventure
Airing History:Episodes: 52 |  Dates: -
The Lives of Harry Lime (AKA The Adventures of Harry Lime) is an old-time radio programme produced in the United Kingdom during the 1951 to 1952 season. Orson Welles reprises his role of Harry Lime from the celebrated 1949 film The Third Man. The radio series is a prequel to the film, and depicts the many misadventures of con-artist Lime in a somewhat lighter tone than that of the film.

The Adventures of Harry Lime is one of the most successful series created by prolific British radio producer Harry Alan Towers and his company Towers of London. Towers and Graham Greene, author of The Third Man, had the same literary agent, and Towers learned that Greene had not sold the rights to the character of Harry Lime to Alexander Korda when he sold Korda The Third Man. Towers quickly bought the rights to the character and in 1951 he put a syndicated radio series into production. Orson Welles reprised the role of Harry Lime in a series of adventures that preceded the story told in The Third Man.

Several episodes would begin with "The Third Man Theme" being played, abruptly cut off by an echoing gunshot. Then Welles would speak: "That was the shot that killed Harry Lime. He died in a sewer beneath Vienna, as those of you know who saw the movie The Third Man. Yes, that was the end of Harry Lime ... but it was not the beginning. Harry Lime had many lives ... and I can recount all of them. How do I know? Very simple. Because my name is Harry Lime."

Although often cited as a BBC production, the series was one of a number produced and distributed independently by Towers of London and syndicated internationally. (Source: wikipedia.org)

Sky Blazers

Thumbnail for Sky Blazers
Show Name:Sky Blazers
Episodes Available:4
Latest Episode:Sky Blazers 5 - Bill Brooks' Escapades with the Sioux Indians | Uploaded: Jul 9, 2014
Categories:Adventure | Aviation
Sky Blazers first aired on CBS on December 9, 1939. It was produced by Phillips H. Lord, who also created the more famous series Gangbusters.

The hero of Sky Blazers is Col. Roscoe Turner, who used his World War I discharge bonus to buy an airplane. Starting as a barnstormer, he became a pioneering aviator founding Nevada Airlines. He also flew in Howard Hughes' Hell's Angels and was an air racer.

Each episode started with a radio call from Flight Control. After which Roscoe Turner introduced the episode's featured aviation hero. The show was short lived ending August 31, 1940.

Speed Gibson

Thumbnail for Speed Gibson
Show Name:Speed Gibson
Episodes Available:178
Latest Episode:Speed Gibson 125 - A Poison Dart | Uploaded: Oct 25, 2014
Categories:Children/Teenagers | Aviation
Airing History:Episodes: 178 |  Dates: -
Speed Gibson of the International Secret Police was written by Virginia Cooke. It features Speed Gibson, a 15 year-old pilot who, through his uncle Clint Barlow, becomes a member of the International Secret Police.

The show ran weekly from January 2, 1937 to May 25, 1940. 178 Episodes of the show were produced each lasting approximately 15 minutes. All of these have survived intact!

Elliott Lewis may have starred in the title role, but this cannot be confirmed. Some also believe he played Splinters, one of the Octopus' henchmen. Howard McNear played his uncle Clint Barlow and John Gibson sidekick, Barney Dunlap, known for catch phrases such as "Suffering wangdoodles!" Other actors include: Hanley Stafford, Jack Mathers, Victor Rodman and Sam Edwards. The opening theme contains the drone of an airplane and an air traffic controller calling, "Ceiling zero ... ceiling zero ... ceiling zero!"

The series is divided into two stories. The first 100 episodes cover The Menace of the Octopus. The remaining 78 shows are titled Speed Gibson And The Atlantian Syndicate. This series follows Speed as he continues his adventures on the African continent and his quest to defeat the Octopus. (Source: wikipedia.org)

T-Man

Thumbnail for T-Man
Show Name:T-Man
Episodes Available:2
Latest Episode:T-Man 50-04-29 The Case of the Bleeding Gold | Uploaded: Jul 8, 2014
Categories:Crime | Spy/Espionage
T-Man was first published in September 1951, by Quality Comics, the run continued until the company folded in 1956. It has the claim to fame of probably being the only comic book that ever featured a U.S. Treasury agent as its hero. T-Man was also a classic anti-communist title.

In the 1920s and 1930s, FBI agents were colloquially referred to as 'G-Man', being a shortened version of 'Government man'. Soon 'T-Man' became used for a Treasury Department official. The comics book T-Man's name was Pete Trask and he also appeared on the back pages of Police Comics. The T-Man title ran for 38 issues until Quality Comics went out of business. When DC Comics acquired the rights to Quality's characters Pete Trask as T-Man was one of the titles they decided to discontinue.

The T-Man radio program aired in 1950 and 1956. The first season featured Dennis O'Keefe, playing a treasury agent chasing counterfeiters. The 1956 show starred Jack Ketch who was played by Gordon Glenwright.

Tailspin Tommy

Thumbnail for Tailspin Tommy
Show Name:Tailspin Tommy
Episodes Available:4
Latest Episode:Tailspin Tommy 19xx-xx-xx - Carabalanca | Uploaded: Jul 19, 2014
Categories:Adventure | Children/Teenagers | Aviation
Tailspin Tommy an air adventure comic strip was originally illustrated by Hal Forrest and initially distributed by John Wheeler's Bell Syndicate and then by United Feature Syndicate, the strip had a 14-year run from 1928 to 1942.

Living in Littleville, Colorado, young Tommy Tomkins had such an obsession with flying that he was given the nickname Tailspin Tommy before he ever actually went inside a plane. Although Tommy took an aero-engineering correspondence course, his real introduction to aviation happened when mail pilot Milt Howe made an emergency landing in a field near Tommy's neighborhood. Tommy watched the downward spiral of Milt's plane and ran to help. Howe rewarded Tommy with a greasemonkey job in Texas at the Three Point Airlines, where he soon became a pilot along with his girlfriend, Betty Lou Barnes, and his best buddy, Peter "Skeeter" Milligan. The trio eventually became part owners in Three Point and took off for many airborne adventures.

Tailspin Tommy was portrayed by Maurice Murphy in the 12-episode 1934 movie serial Tailspin Tommy. Another 12-chapter serial, Tailspin Tommy in the Great Air Mystery (1935), starred Clark Williams in the title role. John Trent portrayed Tommy in a series of hour-long features, including Mystery Plane, Stunt Pilot, Sky Patrol and Danger Flight. All were released in 1939. However, very little is currently known about the radio series. (Source: wikipedia.org)

Odds and Ends

Thumbnail for Odds and Ends
Show Name:Odds and Ends
Episodes Available:2
Latest Episode:Martin Kane, Private Investigator 1953-10-29 - Unknown | Uploaded: Jul 20, 2014
Categories:Mixed Bag
Here is an Odds & Ends category which we have tagged at the bottom of the Old Time Radio section.

We will use it to house one-off broadcasts and shows with only single remaining episodes.
Comic Book Plus In-House Image
small robot head CB+ Chat AI - At Your Service ▼
CB+ ChatAI is training & may be inaccurate.
In truth, it's a pathological liar. Do not trust it!
Explore the project - Inside our Chat AI
Mission: Our mission is to present free of charge, and to the widest audience, popular cultural works of the past. These are offered as a contribution to education and lifelong learning. They reflect the attitudes, perspectives, and beliefs of different times. We do not endorse these views, which may contain content offensive to modern users.

Disclaimer: We aim to house only Public Domain content. If you suspect that any of our material may be infringing copyright, please use our contact page to let us know. So we can investigate further. Utilizing our downloadable content, is strictly at your own risk. In no event will we be liable for any loss or damage including without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage, or any loss or damage whatsoever arising from loss of data or profits arising out of, or in connection with, the use of this website.
small robot head CB+ Chat AI - At Your Service ▼
CB+ ChatAI is training & may be inaccurate.
In truth, it's a pathological liar. Do not trust it!
Explore the project - Inside our Chat AI

©2026 ComicBookPlus.com