Old Time Radio Theatre at Beowulf Alley
11 South 6th Ave, Downtown Tucson
Performances of
Classic Radio Shows
1st and 3rd Tuesday each month
7:00 p.m. Doors open at 6:15 p.m.
General seating.
$8 for adults and $5 each for the first two children ages 6-12
Cash at the door, no reservations required
The Old Time Radio Theatre company of performers have some terrific scripts to present to you through July with more coming in August. Directed by Sheldon Metz, the Old Time Radio Theatre Company includes Jacob Brown, Jon Benda, Warren Bodow, Janet Bruce, Joel Charles, Geri Courtney-Austein, Sydney Flynn, Vince Flynn, Audrey Ann Gambach, Barbara Glover, Bill La Point, Steve McKee, Mark McLemore, Joan O'Dwyer, Jessica Risco, Jeff Scotland, Ina Shivack, Jared Stokes, Pat Timm, John Vornholt, and Brian Wees plus occasional guest performers and the technical genius of Mike Saxon and Samuel De Jesus.
Tuesday, May 18
The Bickersons: Tax Refund begins this evening’s performance. Starring Don Ameche and Frances Langford, The Bickersons began as a radio sketch comedy that ran as part of other shows until 1946, when it became its own series. After a turn on NBC, it moved to CBS and ran until 1951. John and Blanche Bickerson spent their entire time in a relentless verbal war. Their quick dialogue brought laughter to all.
John: “You can accuse me of being selfish or inconsiderate, or anything else, but drinking is not one of my failures.”
Blanche: “No, it's one of your few successes.”
Leiningen vs. the Ants was a short story published in December, 1938, in Esquire Magazine. It later became one of radio’s most famous thrillers. The story will keep people on the edge of their seats. The story centers on a scrappy, no-nonsense plantation owner called Leiningen, and his stubborn refusal to abandon his plantation in the face of a seemingly unstoppable mass of army ants, described as "an elemental act of God!" These are ants that can devour a horse to the bones in two minutes. It was adapted to radio on January 14, 1948 as an episode of Escape on CBS Radio. It subsequently became the famous film, The Naked Jungle, with Charlton Heston, who later recreated the role originally performed by William Conrad.
"Ten miles long, two miles wide—ants, nothing but ants!”
Tuesday, June 1
My Friend Irma has been brought back again, by popular request. One of radio’s funniest comedies, it starred Marie Wilson, Diana Lynn, John Lund and a host of radio and TV greats. Most notably, it was the kick off for two of comedy’s greats, Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. My Friend Irma, and it’s popularity and wacky ensemble of misfits, allowed it to go on to two movies, comic books and a huge TV success. There is a laugh every 4.5 seconds. My Friend Irma: Seeing Ghosts was first presented on July 24, 1939. Regarding her boss, Mr. Clyde, Irma said,
"When I first went to work with him he had curly black hair, then it got grey, and now it's snow white. I guess I've been with him about six months."
One of radio’s most listened to detective shows, Boston Blackie starred Chester Morris, who originally played the role in many motion pictures. It was first broadcast on NBC June 23, 1944 as a summer replacement for Amos ‘n’ Andy, and continued until September 15 of that year. On April 11, 1945, it was renewed with Richard Kollmar in the role, playing over 200 shows until October 25, 1950. While investigating mysteries, Blackie invariably encountered hare-brained Police Inspector Farraday and always solved the mystery to Farraday's amazement. Initially, friction surfaced in the relationship between Blackie and Farraday, but as the series continued, Farraday recognized Blackie's talents and requested assistance. Blackie dated Mary Wesley and for the first half of the series, his best pal, Shorty, was always on hand. The humorless Farraday was on the receiving end of Blackie's bad puns and word play. This episode, Boston Blackie: The TV Poisoning was first presented December 20, 1945.
Tuesday, June 15
My Friend Irma continues to be the most popular request and this evening’s episode, The Boss Buys a Racehorse is one of their funniest. Irma’s boss, Mr. Clyde is buying a race horse. Irma comments,
“Well, Mr. Clyde wouldn’t buy any old animal. He’s very particular. Remember what I went through before he hired me?”
The second presentation for this evening is Dragnet: The Big No Tooth. Dragnet, most noted as one of early television’s first police dramas, created by and starring Jack Webb as Sgt. Joe Friday, Badge number 714, was perhaps the most famous and influential police procedural drama in media history. The series gave millions of audience members a feel for the boredom and drudgery, as well as the danger and heroism, of real-life police work. Dragnet earned praise for improving the public opinion of police officers. In it’s short run, It was one of radio’s top-rated shows. While "Just the facts, ma'am" has come to be known as Dragnet's catchphrase, it was never actually uttered by Joe Friday; the closest he came were, "All we want are the facts, ma'am" and "All we know are the facts, ma'am"."Just the facts, ma'am" comes from the Stan Freberg’s parody in St. George and the Dragonet.
Tuesday, July 6
The Bickersons: The Honeymoon Is Over was first presented on November 30, 1945, starring Don Ameche and Frances Langford. The Bickersons began as a radio sketch comedy that ran as part of other shows until 1946, when it became its own series. After a turn on NBC, it moved to CBS and ran until 1951. John and Blanche Bickerson spent their entire time in a relentless verbal war. Their quick dialogue brought laughter to all.
BLANCHE: “There isn't another woman in the world who'd sacrifice her youth and her looks to live with a man who rattles himself to sleep like a lot of old bones in a bag. What do you think I'm made of, John?”
JOHN: “Old bones.”
Lights Out: Bon Voyage was first presented June 22, 1938. During the day, radio provided listeners with excitement and thrills as well as laughs. Lights Out was one of radio’s strangest, spookiest and most spine-chilling shows dedicated to horror and the supernatural. It was the radio equal of The Twilight Zone and generated a genre that included Inner Sanctum, Suspense and others. Lights Out was first broadcast on WENR in January, 1934, on Wednesday evenings, and continued until 1947. It was run on television from 1949-1952.
Tuesday, July 20
Baby Snooks and Daddy: Looking For a New House was presented on December 16, 1945. Baby Snooks and Daddy starred Fannie Brice as Baby Snooks. The show was based upon a character created by Brice for the Ziegfeld Follies in 1912. In 1936, Baby Snooks became part of the radio version of the Follies. She started her own show in 1944 and it lasted until she died in 1951. At heart, Snooks was a really nice kid, but her impish ways could make Daddy wince. Daddy has just received an eviction notice from their landlady. He must now look for a new place to live. Of course, with Baby Snooks along, it’s not that simple. She could always draw a smile with her, “Oh, Daaadddiiiee...”
Escape: The Time Machine (H.G. Wells) was presented first presented in 1948 with Jeff Corey and again in 1950, starring John Dehner. Escape was one of radio’s great supernatural series. The Time Machine begins with the Time Traveller returning from his trip, unkempt and in disarray. He relates to his friends of what he has witnessed: wars' horrors first-hand in June, 1940 over London and a nuclear bomb in August, 1966. Travelling to 802,701 A.D., he finds world has settled into a vast garden. He meets the pacifist Eloi, who speak broken English, and have little interest in technology or the past. Their brethren from long ago, the Morlocks, however, have devolved into cannibalistic underground workers. " ... he has all the time in the world."
Directed by Sheldon Metz, the Old Time Radio Theatre Company includes Jacob Brown, Jon Benda, Warren Bodow, Janet Bruce, Joel Charles, Geri Courtney-Austein, Sydney Flynn, Vince Flynn, Audrey Ann Gambach, Barbara Glover, Bill La Point, Steve McKee, Mark McLemore, Joan O'Dwyer, Jessica Risco, Jeff Scotland, Ina Shivack, Jared Stokes, Pat Timm, John Vornholt, and Brian Wees plus occasional guest performers and the technical genius of Mike Saxon and Samuel De Jesus.
