rand's esoteric otr

The Greatest Story Ever Told - Pgm 52

I'm not the biggest fan of religious programming, but "The Greatest Story Ever Told" starts to rub off on you if you listen to a few episodes.  The series ran on ABC in the 1940s and 50s and was based on a popular book that retold stories from the Bible in a form that would be more understandable to today's audiences.  Some shows are based on specific incidents in the Bible, while others are fictionalized dramas crafted around one of Christ's teachings.

Program 52 in the series, "The Figure at the Door", concerns a man who is obsessed with a little mystery - it seems one of his rivals in the community hasn't appeared in public for two weeks.  Is he hiding some kind of secret?  Otrsite's log on the series dates this episode, which may be uncirculated among Old Time Radio collectors, to January 23, 1949.  Other discs I have in the series seem to date from this time period. The program was transferred from an original AFRS vinyl transcription.

The Greatest Story Ever Told - Pgm 51

"The Greatest Story Ever Told" was an unusual series of Biblical dramas carried on the ABC network in the 1940s and 50s.  Based on a bestselling book that novelized great stories from the Bible, the program took basic moral questions and turned them into compelling dramas that could be thought of in everyday situations.  The approach can be a bit, well, cheesy at times and remind one of a Cecil B. DeMille movie.

In this post, program 51 in the series as it was carried by the Armed Forces Radio Service, originally broadcast on ABC on January 16, 1949, according to Goldin and otrsite.  "The House in Darkness" looks at a woman who is obsessed with the death of her son and learns that charity to the living is more important than her own fears.  I think this may be an uncirculated program in the series. It was transferred from an original AFRS vinyl transcription and has undergone some scrubbing with some click reduction software.  I'll be posting more programs from the series in the coming months.

Great Scenes from Great Plays - Pgm 12

"Great Scenes from Great Plays" was a dramatic half-hour program syndicated by the National Council of the Protestant Episcopal Church.  Using some of the top stars and performers of the day, the shows are well-produced entertainment that might remind you of shows like "Academy Award" or "Lux Radio Theater".

In celebration of the July 4th holiday, we offer program 12 in the series, "Young Mr. Lincoln", starring Henry Fonda.  The play focuses on Lincoln's famous defense of two brothers accused of murder where a certain little book provides a vital clue in the trial.  The program includes some simple announcements at the end to encourage you to attend church next Sunday. The show was transferred from an original vinyl transcription set pressed by Columbia, matrix numbers YTNY 10214 and YTNY 10215. A special tip of the hat to blog listener Michael Utz for his donation of this disc to may collection.