BW - EP120: Radio and The Harvest (1936 - 1954)

Breaking Walls: The Podcast on the History of American Network Radio Broadcasting

In Breaking Walls episode 120, we continue our Americana mini-series in autumn with a host of harvest-centered radio programing. We’ll warm by the fire and listen in on stories from some of the medium’s most prominent. —————————— Highlights: • Welcome to October, Welcome to Harvest Season • Fibber and Molly Launches • Feast from Cavalcade’s Harvest • Mel and Dennis Get Their Own Shows • Gale Gordon’s Green Acres • How Mild Can Richard Diamond on ABC Be? • From Peary to Waterman as Gildy Changes Leads • Escape From the Death of Network Dramatic Radio • Looking Ahead to the Homecoming —————————— The WallBreakers: http://thewallbreakers.com Subscribe to Breaking Walls everywhere you get your podcasts. To support the show: http://patreon.com/TheWallBreakers —————————— The reading material used in today’s episode was: • On the Air - By John Dunning • Network Radio Ratings — By Jim Ramsburg —————————— On the interview front: • Mel Blanc, Dennis Day, Gale Gordon, Phil Harris, Jim Jordan, Jim Jordan Jr., Harold Peary, and Willard Waterman spoke to Chuck Schaden. Hear their full chats and many others from Chuck’s forty year career at SpeakingOfRadio.com. • Mel Blanc, Jim Jordan, and William N. Robson spoke with Dick Bertel and Ed Corcoran for WTIC’s The Golden Age of Radio. Hear these full interviews at Goldenage-WTIC.org. • Harry Bartell and Virginia Gregg spoke to SPERDVAC. For more information, go to SPERDVAC.com. • Don Quinn was interviewed by Owen Cunningham in 1951. • Ozzie Nelson was a guest of Johnny Carson’s in 1969. • Mel Blanc also spoke with Jack Carney. • Dennis Day also spoke with John Dunning for his 71KNUS program from Denver. —————————— Selected music featured in today’s episode was: • Autumn — By Michael Silverman • Ghost Bus Tours — By George Fenton for High Spirits • Moon — By George Winston • Shine On Harvest Moon — By Joan Morris and William Bolcom —————————— Special thanks to: The Fireside Mystery Theatre https://www.firesidemysterytheatre.com/ The Mysterious Old Radio Listening Society https://www.ghoulishdelights.com/ Twelve Chimes, It’s Midnight https://www.twelvechimesradio.com/ —————————— Subscribe to Burning Gotham—the new audio drama set in 1835 New York City. It’s available everywhere you get your podcasts and at BurningGotham.com. —————————— A special thank you to Ted Davenport, Jerry Haendiges, and Gordon Skene. For Ted go to RadioMemories.com, for Jerry, visit OTRSite.com, and for Gordon, please go to PastDaily.com. —————————— Thank you to: Tony Adams Steven Allmon Orson Orsen Chandler Phil Erickson Briana Isaac Thomas M. Joyce Ryan Kramer Gary Mollica Barry Nadler Christian Neuhaus Aimee Pavy Chris Pilkington —————————— WallBreakers Links: Patreon - patreon.com/thewallbreakers Social Media - @TheWallBreakers