I am a huge fan of classic radio series. There’s something so thrilling about these dramas, which were designed to tell a thrilling story without the aid of a visual medium. Music, sound effects, and of course, excellent acting all bring together a tale that feels just as vivid and real as if you were watching it on the TV. So, this year I decided to take my passion for this topic and redirect it into a series of programs about various programs of the Golden Age of radio. We have four sessions schedule for 2025, and are halfway through our series–but never fear! Whether you’ve attended each session from the beginning or if you’re just joining in for the first time, there’s plenty of space for you. And if we get enough positive feedback, we’ll likely continue into 2026.
If you aren’t able to attend (and learn a little about the history of each classic radio show) then feel free to check out the series at the links below. These titles can all be borrowed as audiobooks through the library’s ebook systems, with the first two on Hoopla and the second two on Libby.
Inner Sanctum Mysteries
This series will always have a special place in my heart as the first real radio show that I really, really enjoyed. Each episode of this mystery/horror series features a spooky host (first, Raymond Edward Johnson as “Mr. Raymond” and later Paul McGrath as “Mr. Host”) as they treat the listener to a story that is sure to make your hair stand on end. What makes this series so much fun is that the scares are cut with humor, as the host will often break the tension about halfway through an episode to make a few morbid jokes or mumble a gruesome little song. The best episodes (in my opinion) are the ones sponsored by Lipton Tea and Lipton Soup. It’s hard to get too scared when the host and the spokeswoman are arguing about whether or not tea can raise the dead or when the host is cracking jokes about ghosts not going to dances…because they have no-body to go with (ha!) Regardless, the stories are legitimately spooky and make for some great listening. We enjoyed this series back in May.
Have Gun, Will Travel
Changing gears completely, we have Have Gun, Will Travel, a western series that was inspired by the popularity of the hit TV show with Richard Boone. Instead of Boone in the role of Paladin, however, we have the great John Dehner. Each episode of this fascinating series follows Paladin, a rich and handsome gun-for-hire who resides at the Carlton Hotel as he waits for someone to request his services, advertised on calling cards that say “Have Gun, Will Travel”. Paladin is the sort of man that all the ladies want and all the other men want to be. He’s charming, well-educated, and clever. Along with his friends, the hotel workers Hey Boy and Miss Wong, Paladin gets into all sorts of adventures, such as finding buried treasure or officiating a shotgun wedding. If you enjoy classic Westerns, this show is sure to please. We enjoyed this series in August.
Hermit’s Cave
We return again for another spooky title. While Inner Sanctum manages to balance both horror and mystery, Hermit’s Cave is almost exclusively horror. Accompanied by his roving wolves and “The Mummers,” a small acting troupe that performs all the Hermit’s stories, this chilling character regales listeners with stories that are sure to unsettle. If you are looking for stories of ghosts, mad scientists and their grisly experiments, killers, and vampires, then turn off your lights and let the Hermit tell you the story. I won’t say much more about it here, since this is one of our next installments in the Classic Radio Hour series, but I hope you come to join us for a set of episodes that is sure to chill your bones! We’ll meet to listen to Hermit’s Cave on October 14th at 10am.
Gangbusters
If your interests lean towards crime and law enforcement stories, then you’ll have to join us for Gangbusters at the end of the year! This series, which we’ll explore in more detail this December takes real criminal cases and police records and reconstructs the most shocking into fascinating, action-packed radio dramas. And if that’s not cool enough, real law enforcement officials even participate in the retellings. If you’re interested in true crime case histories, stories of forgers, safecrackers, and killers, then you need to join us for this next installment of our series! We’ll meet to listen to Gangbusters on December 9th at 10am.