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The 50 Greatest Old Time Radio Shows | Old Time Radio: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Old Time Retro Radio
The 50 Greatest Old Time Radio Shows | Old Time Radio brings together legendary comedy, mystery, crime, suspense, science fiction, Westerns, horror, adventure, and drama from the golden age of broadcasting. Discover iconic programs, unforgettable characters, celebrated performers, and timeless stories from radio’s greatest era. Each episode is an Old Time Retro Radio production, presenting the original broadcast with gently cleaned and mastered audio, a newly produced introduction and closing, and custom episode artwork. From famous favorites to essential classics, The 50 Greatest Old Time Radio Shows is a curated showcase of the programs that helped define vintage radio entertainment. Rediscover the best in old time radio shows, classic radio, golden age radio, mystery, comedy, crime, suspense, Westerns, sci-fi, horror, and drama.
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- Today30 min
The Whistler - "Stranger in the House" (Old Time Radio, 1948)
The Whistler presents “Stranger in the House,” originally broadcast on CBS on June 2, 1948. This is episode 314 of the suspense anthology series, sponsored by Signal Oil Company, and features Virginia Gregg and Gerald Mohr, with Marvin Miller as announcer.Helen Van Norton has waited nearly seven years for news of her foster brother Ted, missing since a prewar government mission to the Far East. When a cablegram announces his arrival in Seattle, Helen goes to meet him—but the man stepping off the ship raises unsettling questions about identity, family, and a valuable estate.The 50 Greatest Old Time Radio Shows presents the original broadcast with a newly produced contextual introduction, a short closing announcement, and gently cleaned/mastered audio for a more consistent listening experience.Chapters:00:00 Victor Sterling Introduction00:40 Original Broadcast30:11 ClosingBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-50-greatest-old-time-radio-shows-old-time-radio--7218119/support.Support Old Time Retro Radio at https://www.patreon.com/oldtimeretroradio
- Yesterday29 min
Escape - "A Matter of Conscience - 1" (Old Time Radio, 1953)
Escape presents “A Matter of Conscience - 1,” originally broadcast on CBS on January 18, 1953. Episode 166 is an Antony Ellis drama directed by Norman Macdonnell, with Parley Baer, Ben Wright, John Dehner, and others.In colonial-era Bali, a Dutch resident and Captain Logan face a fast-growing crisis after three English visitors offend a sacred temple. As anger spreads, cultural misunderstanding and personal responsibility threaten to turn a diplomatic incident into violence.The 50 Greatest Old Time Radio Shows presents the original broadcast with a newly produced contextual introduction, a short closing announcement, and gently cleaned/mastered audio for a more consistent listening experience.Chapters:00:00 Victor Sterling Introduction00:51 Original Broadcast29:21 ClosingBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-50-greatest-old-time-radio-shows-old-time-radio--7218119/support.Support Old Time Retro Radio at https://www.patreon.com/oldtimeretroradio
- 2 days ago22 min
Inner Sanctum Mysteries - "Birdsong for a Murderer" (Old Time Radio, 1952)
Inner Sanctum Mysteries presents “Birdsong for a Murderer,” originally broadcast on June 22, 1952. Episode 512 of the CBS series stars Boris Karloff and features a story by Louis Vittes.Carl Warner finds comfort in a room filled with singing canaries—until a stormy-night visitor from Crag Mount asylum brings troubling knowledge and a demand for money. As suspicion grows, Lieutenant Greg follows a disturbing clue involving a canary and its cage in this compact mystery of blackmail, secrets, and unease.The 50 Greatest Old Time Radio Shows presents the original broadcast with a newly produced contextual introduction, a short closing announcement, and gently cleaned/mastered audio for a more consistent listening experience.Chapters:00:00 Victor Sterling Introduction00:49 Original Broadcast22:30 ClosingBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-50-greatest-old-time-radio-shows-old-time-radio--7218119/support.Support Old Time Retro Radio at https://www.patreon.com/oldtimeretroradio
- 3 days ago25 min
Gunsmoke - "Legal Revenge" (Old Time Radio, 1956)
Gunsmoke, “Legal Revenge” (episode 200), originally broadcast on CBS on February 5, 1956. William Conrad stars as Marshal Matt Dillon, with Parley Baer as Chester and Howard McNear as Doc Adams. The episode was written by John Meston and produced by Norman Macdonnell.When Doc Adams reports a troubling situation at an isolated homestead outside Dodge City, Matt and Chester investigate under the guise of prospective settlers. A wounded man, a guarded woman, and a ready six-gun turn a medical concern into a tense question of danger, identity, and frontier justice.The 50 Greatest Old Time Radio Shows presents the original broadcast with a newly produced contextual introduction, a short closing announcement, and gently cleaned/mastered audio for a more consistent listening experience.Chapters:00:00 Victor Sterling Introduction00:49 Original Broadcast25:40 ClosingBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-50-greatest-old-time-radio-shows-old-time-radio--7218119/support.Support Old Time Retro Radio at https://www.patreon.com/oldtimeretroradio
- 4 days ago30 min
Suspense - "Nightmare" (Old Time Radio, 1949)
Suspense presents “Nightmare,” episode 348, originally broadcast on CBS on September 1, 1949. Gregory Peck stars in this opening broadcast of the 1949–50 season, with Lurene Tuttle and Alan Reed; the drama was written by Sam Blas and produced by William Spier.During a family fishing trip in the mountains, Ben leaves his stalled car to seek help at a nearby gas station. When he returns, his wife and young son have vanished from the roadside, setting off a harrowing search shadowed by danger, grief, and the possibility of revenge.The 50 Greatest Old Time Radio Shows presents the original broadcast with a newly produced contextual introduction, a short closing announcement, and gently cleaned/mastered audio for a more consistent listening experience.Chapters:00:00 Victor Sterling Introduction00:51 Original Broadcast30:47 ClosingBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-50-greatest-old-time-radio-shows-old-time-radio--7218119/support.Support Old Time Retro Radio at https://www.patreon.com/oldtimeretroradio
- 5 days ago1h 0m
Lux Radio Theatre - "Vivacious Lady" (Old Time Radio, 1941)
Lux Radio Theatre presents “Vivacious Lady,” episode 289, originally broadcast on CBS on January 6, 1941. Sponsored by Lux, this radio adaptation stars Alice Faye and Don Ameche.A reserved college botany professor impulsively marries a lively New York nightclub singer, then faces the challenge of bringing her into his conservative college-town world. Adapted from the 1938 RKO romantic comedy based on I. A. R. Wylie’s story, the comedy plays Manhattan glamour against small-town respectability.The 50 Greatest Old Time Radio Shows presents the original broadcast with a newly produced contextual introduction, a short closing announcement, and gently cleaned/mastered audio for a more consistent listening experience.Chapters:00:00 Victor Sterling Introduction00:46 Original Broadcast01:00:17 ClosingBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-50-greatest-old-time-radio-shows-old-time-radio--7218119/support.Support Old Time Retro Radio at https://www.patreon.com/oldtimeretroradio
- 6 days ago30 min
Dragnet - "The Big Border" (Old Time Radio, 1952)
Dragnet, “The Big Border,” originally broadcast on March 20, 1952, is episode 145 of the NBC police drama. Jack Webb stars as Los Angeles robbery detective Sergeant Joe Friday, with Barney Phillips as Sergeant Ed Jacobs; the episode was written by Jim Moser.Friday and Jacobs are assigned to track two armed convicts who have escaped from San Quentin and may be heading for Los Angeles. Following leads tied to one fugitive’s former fiancée, the detectives coordinate with fellow officers as the search pushes south toward the Mexican border. As was customary for Dragnet, the drama presents itself as drawn from official police files with Los Angeles Police Department technical advice.The 50 Greatest Old Time Radio Shows presents the original broadcast with a newly produced contextual introduction, a short closing announcement, and gently cleaned/mastered audio for a more consistent listening experience.Chapters:00:00 Victor Sterling Introduction00:54 Original Broadcast30:24 ClosingBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-50-greatest-old-time-radio-shows-old-time-radio--7218119/support.Support Old Time Retro Radio at https://www.patreon.com/oldtimeretroradio
- 1 weeks ago30 min
Escape - "Ancient Sorceries - National" (Old Time Radio, 1948)
Escape presents “Ancient Sorceries,” episode 28, originally broadcast nationally on CBS on February 15, 1948. This sustaining production was adapted from Algernon Blackwood’s supernatural short story, written for radio by Les Crutchfield and directed by William N. Robson. The cast includes Paul Frees, William Conrad, Jeff Corey, and Ramsay Hill.A traveler pauses overnight in an isolated Welsh town, only to find that its quiet, watchful residents seem to know him—and that the village exerts an unsettling pull he cannot easily explain. What begins as an ordinary stopover becomes an increasingly eerie encounter with the unknown.The 50 Greatest Old Time Radio Shows presents the original broadcast with a newly produced contextual introduction, a short closing announcement, and gently cleaned/mastered audio for a more consistent listening experience.Chapters:00:00 Victor Sterling Introduction00:57 Original Broadcast30:27 ClosingBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-50-greatest-old-time-radio-shows-old-time-radio--7218119/support.Support Old Time Retro Radio at https://www.patreon.com/oldtimeretroradio
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About The 50 Greatest Old Time Radio Shows | Old Time Radio
The 50 Greatest Old Time Radio Shows | Old Time Radio brings together legendary comedy, mystery, crime, suspense, science fiction, Westerns, horror, adventure, and drama from the golden age of broadcasting. Discover iconic programs, unforgettable characters, celebrated performers, and timeless stories from radio’s greatest era. Each episode is an Old Time Retro Radio production, presenting the original broadcast with gently cleaned and mastered audio, a newly produced introduction and closing, and custom episode artwork. From famous favorites to essential classics, The 50 Greatest Old Time Radio Shows is a curated showcase of the programs that helped define vintage radio entertainment. Rediscover the best in old time radio shows, classic radio, golden age radio, mystery, comedy, crime, suspense, Westerns, sci-fi, horror, and drama.
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