Category Archives: 1950s

Even 1950s cowboys-for-kids followed newspapers

Wild Bill Hickok, the fictional version, sold plenty of breakfast cereal (“flaked, popped, shredded, ready-sweetened, every one’s a favorite…”) to 1950s kids on television and radio at the same time, with Guy Madison and Andy Devine as Bill and his … Continue reading

Posted in 1950s, editors, historical figures, reporters, television, westerns | Leave a comment

Another John Reed

http://www.archive.org/download/Rogers_Of_The_Gazette/RogersOfTheGazette_530916_011_Illyria_Box_Lunch.mp3 The “Illyria Box Lunch” episode of “Rogers of the Gazette” is quite a package… Small-town journalism, small-town romance, mysterious thefts, a writing lecture, and a pickled peach… and all in a half hour! Newspaper editor Will Rogers Jr has … Continue reading

Posted in 1950s, editors, local news, newspapers | Leave a comment

30 Years of NBC Radio plus Balloo in a Balloon, and me

https://archive.org/download/BiographiesInSound560515RecollectionsAtThirty/Biographies%20in%20Sound%2056-05-15%20Recollections%20at%20Thirty.mp3 In 1956, NBC radio’s “Biographies in Sound” featured veteran radio news commentator H.V. Kaltenborn and radio satirists Bob & Ray in the episode above, paying tribute to the first 30 years of commercial radio — news, music, drama and … Continue reading

Posted in 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, Drama, historical figures, Korea, media history, radio, World War II | Leave a comment

Frontier People in the News

J. B. Kendall, 19th century American wild west correspondent for the London Times, had his fictional career cut short when the CBS Radio series Frontier Gentleman wrapped up at the end of its 1958 season. But star John Dehner’s last … Continue reading

Posted in 1950s, foreign correspondents, reporters, westerns | Leave a comment

Reporting can be dangerous

In this 1953 episode of the popular crime series “Mr. District Attorney,” a Daily Clarion reporter calls with news that he has uncovered a “Mister Big” crime boss. Gunshots heard over the phone and a visit to the newsroom by … Continue reading

Posted in 1950s, crime, editors, newspapers, publishers, reporters | Leave a comment

A final page, but no news

https://archive.org/download/OTRR_New_Adventures_of_Nero_Wolfe_Singles/nanw_51-03-23_ep22_The_Final_Page.mp3 In my search for radio portrayals of journalists, “The Final Page” was the most promising title in a collection of New Adventures of Nero Wolfe episodes. Unfortunately, the page mentioned in the title is from a novel, not a … Continue reading

Posted in 1950s, detectives, Drama, propaganda, public relations, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

College trustee steamed over student press

The witty — if a bit prone to puns and quotations — college president on “Halls of Ivy” had more than one anxious moment over campus news media, but supported the freedom of the press in good spirits, which must … Continue reading

Posted in 1950s, columnists, comics, Drama, newspapers, reporters | Leave a comment

A bit critical

“I can save time if I write my review on the way to the theater.” –Mortimer Brewster http://otrrlibrary.org/OTRRLib/Library%20Files/B%20Series/Best%20Plays/Best%20Plays%2052-07-06%20(05)%20Arsenic%20and%20Old%20Lace.mp3 Arsenic and Old Lace (IMDB), a hit play and Capra film, was done by several radio anthology series. Here it is by … Continue reading

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A case of mistaken identity

https://archive.org/download/OTRR_Philip_Marlowe_Singles/Philip_Marlowe_50-09-29_ep103_The_Big_Book.mp3 In Raymond Chandler’s novels or the 1947-51 radio series they inspired, Philip Marlowe wasn’t the kind of detective who plays for the headlines. “What’s the news in that?” he asks at the end of this 1950 adventure titled “The … Continue reading

Posted in 1940s, 1950s, detectives, reporters | Leave a comment

Before Bond: Moscow correspondent faces Russian with steel teeth

Suspense (1955): https://archive.org/download/OTRR_Suspense_Singles/Suspense_550217_585_The_Man_with_the_Steel_Teeth_-64-44-_11715_24m48s.mp3 This script by John Dehner was timely Cold War radio about an American correspondent attempting to flee his Soviet interrogator, “The Man with Steel Teeth.” It was produced twice, both times by Antony Ellis, for two of … Continue reading

Posted in 1950s, cold war, international, reporters, Russia | Leave a comment