The first book on a classic radio show, including: * A history of this fascinating musical program, revealing why the show was referred to as "Hour" when the series was broadcast on a 30-minute time slot, why the series never features operas, and much more! * A complete episode guide listing in extreme detail, all 299 episodes with titles of all songs, who sung them, the order in which they were sung, the origina of all musicals, plots, cast lists (who played who) and much more! * Trivia listed under various episode entries. * The Railroad Hour commercials. * Biography and partnership of Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee. * Broadcast times schedule. * Complete list of ABC Networks that carried the program. * Complete list of the NBC Networks also. * Complete list of Railroad sponsors for the program. * Awards and Honors. * Fully indexed. * Plus much, much more!

Stop crying! We've got more impossible kid humor for you! MORE Baby Snooks Scripts from the fertile mind of radio writer, Philip Rapp! Original radio scripts from Maxwell House, Good News, and a rarity - an undated script from Rapp written with Alfred Hitchcock in the unlikely role of Snooks!

Twenty Questions was one of the first weekly panel quiz shows on the radio. It was a "panel of experts" show, based on the old animal, vegetable, mineral parlor game. Listeners sent in subjects - famous things and people - for the panel to identify. Churchill's cigar, Huck Finn, and the Empire State Building are examples of easier subjects. The panel would narrow down the possibilities by asking the emcee yes or no questions, no more than twenty of them. "Is it east of the Mississippi?" "Was he a fictional character?" The panel consisted of a guest celebrity, three willing adults, and a juvenile who was sometimes willing and sometimes maybe not. This book was written from the viewpoint of Bobby McGuire, the original juvenile panel member of the Twenty Questions program. The problem was that he was an adolescent and much of the time didn't know what he wanted. What's extraordinary about the book is the intermix of show business euphoria and high school angst that the teenager must face. The young man wants to "come of age" in the world of high school, but the world of show business doesn't want him to. This conflict, along with his version of the usual problems teenagers face, results in several hilarious and sometimes wrenching adventures "in both worlds" many of which are themselves extraordinary. And they all really happened.

Lovers of old-time radio hold a special place in their heart for Agnes Moorehead. She was one of the busiest and most definitive actresses of that medium. The bottom line is that Agnes Moorehead is one of the few actresses who succeeded in every realm of show business: stage, radio, film, and television. The respect of her peers can be summed up in these statistics: four Academy Award nominations, seven Emmy nominations - with one win - two Golden Globe nominations - with two wins - and the Best Actress award from the New York Film Critics. This impressive, 400+ page biography, complete with filmography and radiography, proves to readers and scholars alike that she was much more than the witch of Endor! *This is the 2nd edition of the bestselling book, with new material and cover!*

The ultimate book on Jack Benny's varied career. Includes these chapters: I Remember Jack by Frank Bresee The Sweetest Music This Side of Waukegan by Clair Schulz In the Movies with Jack Benny by Kay Linaker with Janine Marr Finding Himself in the Footlights: Jack Benny in Vaudeville by Pam Munter The Women in Benny's Life: An Examination of Jack's Luck With the Fairer Sex in Radio, TV, and the Movies by Mark Higgins Benny's War by B. J. Borsody Cheapskate Benny or Generous Jack? by Charles A. Beckett Balzer on Benny by Jordan R. Young To Be or Not to Be: Jack Benny in Hollywood 1940-1945 by Philip G. Harwood Jack Benny and Fred Allen: The Fierce Fighting of Good Friends by Noell Wolfgram Evans My Adventures in Hollywood by Jack Benny Benny's Floopers and Blubs (Uh, Bloopers and Flubs) by Michael Leannah Better Play, Don by Jack Benny Jack and Johnny: To Each a Fan, To Each a Friend by Steve Newvine From the Cradle to the Grave: The Births and Deaths of the Principal Characters of "The Jack Benny Program" by Ron Sayles and Michael Leannah What're You Laughing At, Mary? The Comic Voice of Mary Livingstone by Kathryn Fuller-Seeley Mel Blanc: Man of a Thousand Voices by Marc Reed Jack Benny: Cartoon Star by Derek Tague and Michael J. Hayde Jack Benny: Guardian Angel by Steve Thompson Timing Is Everything by Jordan R. Young Finding Jack Benny in Today's Waukegan by Michael Mildredson

Volume 7 of this 7 volume set from historian Roger C. Paulson promises to be the most complete old-time radio encyclopedia ever written. This massive tome has been 20 years in the making and is a MUST for any fan of radio history. With biographies of its (even obscure) series and stars, it is the most comprehensive set ever attempted! Everything from "T-Man" to "Bill Zuckert" is covered here in an overwhelming amalgamation of biographical material that is sure to please the casual observer as well as the steadfast researcher of radio and early recorded sound. Birthdates, deathdates, credit lists, cross-referenced with alternate show names, Archives of the Airwaves far surpasses any book on radio history ever before published.

This 10 volume set from historian Roger C. Paulson promises to be the Most Complete OTR encyclopedia ever written. At least seven times the size of John Dunning's On the Air, this massive tome has been 20 years in the making and is a MUST for any fan of radio. Biographies of its (even obscure) series and stars, it is the most comprehensive set ever attempted! Everything from A&P Bandwagon to Ivan Cury is covered in Volume 1 in an overwhelming amalgamation of biographical material that is sure to please the casual observer as well as the steadfast researcher of radio and early recorded sound. Birthdates, deathdates, credit lists, cross-referenced with alternate show names, Archives of the Airwaves far surpasses any book on radio history ever before published. Volume 2 contains everything from Dad and Junior to Bob Hope! ROGER C. PAULSON began his passion for radio during the 1940's with his juvenile ear glued to the loudspeaker. In 1946, while on a trip to New York City with his parents, he became very excited to actually see live broadcasts of shows he had often heard over the air. All of this eventually led to his forty year career in broadcasting. During the 1970's he began collecting tapes and books on old-time radio. After listening to the tapes and reading the books he decided to author a complete, accurate and readable encyclopedia on OTR he titled Archives of the Airwaves. Some twenty years later, upon completing the time-consuming research and writing, you are now reading the result.

In 1929, ""The Goldbergs"" debuted on the air, introducing Gertrude Berg - and her radio alter ego, Bronx housewife Molly Goldberg - to the nation. The show would become one of the most beloved and enduring programs of Golden Age radio and of early TV. At the helm was Berg who, as creator, star, writer, and producer, became a force to be reckoned with. This multifaceted biography provides a penetrating look at how Gertrude Berg carved a special place for herself in the annals of broadcast history. Decades before Lucille Ball, Berg triumphed as a woman of commercial and creative consequence in what was essentially a male-dominated arena. For over three decades, Berg's ""Molly"" fluttered about and hung out her kitchen window dispensing motherly advice laced with engaging malapropisms, insights, and lots of ""schmaltz."" The show offered a warmly comedic look at the lives and dreams of working-class American Jews and subtle insights into the nature of assimilation. While Molly, husband Jake, and Uncle David represent Old World Jewish stereotypes, children Rosalie and Sammy are as American as apple pie. A sentimental portrait of the immigrant experience, ""The Goldbergs"" offered a mythic ideal of the American dream. Drawing on Gertrude Berg's papers at Syracuse University's Bird Library and rare interviews with her family and colleagues, the author reveals her as shrewd, creative, and forthright. Unlike ""Molly,"" Berg was a cultivated woman and a Columbia graduate. A pioneer in the concept of product tie-in, she parlayed the show's popularity into a movie, short stories, and even a cookbook. In 1951, she stood up to the blacklist by refusing to fire longtime co-star Philip Loeb who was under investigation by the House Un-American Activities Committee. The book also chronicles Berg's accomplishments in theater, film, and literature.

You've heard their voices, thrilled to their radio shows, but did you ever wonder about the personalities lurking behind your Philco? Boston radio personality, author, trivia expert and humorist Mel Simons has combed through reams of personal interviews with some of the biggest stars of old-time radio and presents them in his latest book, Old-Time Radio Memories. Included in this book are interviews with many of your favorite old-time radio stars, including Edgar Bergen, Henry Aldrich, The Great Gildersleeve, Fibber McGee, and cast members of The Jack Benny Show and the Fred Allen Show. The interviews offer rare insight into these performers' lives as well as provide the reader with never before published memorable anecdotes. Mel Simons, besides amassing one of the world's largest old-time radio and TV show collections, is the author of the acclaimed The Old-Time Radio Trivia Book and The Old-Time Television Trivia Book, and is also a sought after lecturer. Mel lives in Boston and is heard on WBZ radio.

This is a practical, how-to guide to producing and presenting radio to a professional standard. Packed with day-to-day advice that captures the essence and buzz of live broadcasting; from preparing your show before it goes out, last minute changes to running orders, deciding what to drop in over a track, how to sell a feature or promote a programme, setting up competitions, thinking fast in a phone in- this book will help you do all that and more. It covers network and commercial, music and talk radio skills. It will particularly suit the independent local or community radio sector, where people often start out. It features advice from industry professionals, covers industry-wide best practice with enough 'need-to-know' technical information to get you up and running, and distills tried and tested practical tips from a specialist BBC radio trainer, and award-winning radio broadcaster with over 15 years of experience. A handbook you wouldn't want to be without before you go on air.

Long-time writer and researcher William Harper shares his wealth of articles, comics, complete radio log and much more in this definitive work on the great Western radio show, Straight Arrow! Table of Contents Acknowledgements Foreward Introduction Overview Straight Arrow Radio Sheldon Stark Howard Culver Fred Howard (Wright) Gwen Delano Frank Bingman Milton Charles Ted Robertson Ray Kemper Straight Arrow Radio Log Getting It Right Straight Arrow in Person Premiums and Merchandise and Others Premiums Merchandise John C. Walworth Novel Novelties Straight Arrow Board Game Others Print Media Injun-Uity Straight Arrow Comics Vincent Sullivan Gardner Fox Fred L. Meagher Straight Arrow In the Comics Daily Strip John Belfi Joe Certa Miscellaneous Sources Addendum A word about the author

Radio City claimed Kathy Barham early. In the 1970s it provided the soundtrack to her adolescence, inspiring a devotion to music, disc jockeys and request writing. It took a shock telephone call in 2002 to send Kathy back to those days. 194 Radio City - The Heart of Liverpool is the story of her journey to understand how those lost times, voices and songs influenced and shaped not only her life, but the lives of many. Amusing, insightful and full of fresh stories from the people who made Radio City great, this book will strike a chord in anyone who cares about the magic of radio. If you listened to Radio City in the early years, or are simply nostalgic for the 1970s, 1980s and the music of that time, this is the book for you.

This is the second collection of scripts of the hugely popular Bickersons, a radio/TV series starring Don Ameche and Frances Langford. Includes never-before-published versions of their classic routines, plus original radio commercials, both radio pilots, Christmas episode for the unaired animation show, and more!

Changes in society, the pluralistic nature of the citizens and the geographic breadth of America preclude a common definition of what is indecent, profane, or obscene. What may appear to be 'dirty discourse' to some may be considered to be laudable satire to others. In this fascinating book, renowned media scholars and authors, Robert Hilliard and Michael Keith, examine the history and nature of indecent program content in American radio.
Examines the blue side of the airways with a first-ever analysis of the history and nature of off-color program content.
Explores the treatment of once-forbidden topics in the electronic media, investigating the beliefs, attitudes and actions of those who present such material, those who condemn it, and those who defend it.
Written from a social and cultural perspective, concentrates on the means of greatest distribution - radio, with its phenomenal growth of "shock jocks" and rap music lyrics.
Provides coverage of television and the Internet, showing how and why broadcasting has evolved from the ribald antics of the Roaring 20's to today's streaming cybersex, contrasting the standards and actions of the FCC v. the First Amendment amidst the over-the-air and in-the-court battles of over-the-top radio.
Illustrates political pressures and legal considerations, including Supreme Court decisions, and efforts to protect children from media smut.

Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone!

Archives of the Airwaves, Vol. 2 Roger C. Volume 1 of this 10 volume set from historian Roger C. Paulson promises to be the most complete old-time radio encyclopedia ever written. At least seven times the size of John Dunning's On the Air, this massive tome has been 20 years in the making and is a MUST for any fan of radio history. With biographies of its (even obscure) series and stars, it is the most comprehensive set ever attempted! Everything from Dad and Junior to Bob Hope is covered here in an overwhelming amalgamation of biographical material that is sure to please the casual observer as well as the steadfast researcher of radio and early recorded sound. Birthdates, deathdates, credit lists, cross-referenced with alternate show names, Archives of the Airwaves far surpasses any book on radio history ever before published.

Here it is! The "meets" volume! Ever wondered what might happen if The Whistler meets Mysterious Traveler Sherlock Holmes meets Raffles Johnny Dollar goes into Duffy's Tavern Jack Benny meets Richard Diamond Captain Midnight meets Sky King Gunsmoke meets Have Gun Will Travel The Bickersons meet Fibber McGee & Molly Mary Noble meets Lum & Abner Just Plain Bill visits the Halls of Ivy The Great Gildersleeve meets Honest Harold Vic & Sade meet Aunt Fanny from Breakfast Club The Sea Hound meets Scarlet Queen ? Discover the answers to these and more in the third volume of the popular series of NEW adventures of old-time radio fiction. Praise for Volume 1: A terrific bunch of writers, all with the ability to make these shows sound as fresh as they were in their heyday. Laura Wagner, Classic Images The enthusiasm of the writers and their respect for the period is infectious. Jon L. Breen, Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine

1937. The intimate story of radio's most beloved character who has dedicated his life to the spreading of a spirit of cheer, hope and kindliness. With inspiring human stories from the homes of his radio audience of shut-ins.

Volume 4 of this 10 set from historian Roger C. Paulson promises to be the most complete old-time radio encyclopedia ever written. At least seven times the size of John Dunning's On the Air, this massive tome has been 20 years in the making and is a MUST for any fan of radio history. With biographies of its (even obscure) series and stars, it is the most comprehensive set ever attempted! Everything from "Ma and Pa" to "My-T-Fine Circus" is covered here in an overwhelming amalgamation of biographical material that is sure to please the casual observer as well as the steadfast researcher of radio and early recorded sound. Birthdates, deathdates, credit lists, cross-referenced with alternate show names, Archives of the Airwaves far surpasses any book on radio history ever before published. Author, Roger C. Paulson

"We'll Have More Music, Right After The News " is a lighthearted look at the first thirty years of All News Radio in Los Angeles. Though not a scholarly volume on the philosophy and mechanics of covering news in a major American City, it is a close-up and personal look at how my colleagues and I coped with never ending deadlines, the pressures that come with getting and confirming facts and getting them on the air professionally accurately and as quickly as was possible. The book looks at the humor of a radio newsroom. Not situation comedy humor as in the TV series "NewsRadio" but the real thing, unexpected and unrehearsed. It becomes the fly on the wall in a room filled with highly educated and highly motivated journalists as they write and report on critical news of the day while maintaining their emotional balance through laughter. You will read of the way tensions in and out of the newsroom were dealt with and you will experience the silliness of a never-ending supply of bloopers. Most of all, you will meet a marvelous group of people who evolved from a staff of talented strangers into a smoothly operating close-knit family.

From Archie Andrews to Tom Mix, all radio characters and programs that ever stemmed from a comic book or comic strip in radio's golden age are collected here, for the first time, in an easy-to-read, A through Z book!

"The best book about radio that I've read since Mary Jane Higby's "Tune in Tomorrow." You have made the whole golden age of radio come alive."--Ron Lackmann, "Same Time, Same Station."