Comedy Radio Hour

Comedy Radio Hour is a feed of classic radio comedy that plays several series instead of just one. Recent episodes come from The Great Gildersleeve, Fibber McGee and Molly, Red Skelton, Amos 'n' Andy and A Date with Judy. That lets a listener hear early sitcoms in several different forms. The Great Gildersleeve appears twice, with Harold Perry named in the title role. In 'Leroys Paper Route', Marjorie tries to wake Uncle Mort so he can drive Leroy around his new paper route in a downpour. The joke is that he is barely awake. He agrees to everything, worries that coffee will keep him awake, and burns himself on a light bulb that is still hot. The other Gildersleeve episode is titled 'Investigating the City Jail'. A Date with Judy does a similar joke in a different way. Mr. Foster counts sheep into the thousands trying to get one full night's sleep, but doorbells, the telephone and Oogie Pringle keep him up. Oogie comes by to practice jokes in case he gets the job playing the senior prom. Red Skelton's program is built around its star, who trades lines with Rod O'Connor about an Associated Press dinner where autograph collectors handed out page space based on billing. In 'Sapphire's Sister Moves In', Amos 'n' Andy opens on a quiet evening at home, with the Kingfish reading his paper while Sapphire and her mother are at the piano. The Fibber McGee and Molly episode dated December 21st, 1943 is framed by a Johnson's Wax message about friends and family gathering for Christmas. The sponsor messages are still in, and they often say as much about the period as the scripts do. Kraft's announcer spells out P-A-R-K-A-Y and boasts about added vitamin A. Freeman Gosden thanks listeners for visiting their Rexall druggists. A Raleigh cigarette ad cites medical science. Home-front details come through too, from a request to take change in defense stamps to a sign-off saying the show was sent by shortwave to men and women overseas through the Armed Forces Radio Service. Because credits are read on air, you also hear names like writer Don Quinn and producer-director Helen Mack. The back catalog is large, so it works well to pick a series and follow it, and 'Leroys Paper Route' is an easy first episode for its household farce.