There are Seniors on this forum who have memories that are over 30 years apart, and that makes it impossible for all of us to share memories of the same topic. I'll post something from the Radio Days of the 1940's or early 1950's that I had fond memories of (before Television), but I find that I get no responses, or the "Junior" Seniors will say "That was before my time". Well, I'm sorry that the "youngsters" don't remember "Amos & Andy", or "Gangbusters", or "Burns & Allen", but I certainly wouldn't trade my elderly years to become so young that I would no longer remember those sweet evenings curled up with the family on the living room floor in front of that big Philco Radio-Phonograph Console! As a young boy once replied when asked if he preferred Radio or Television, he replied "Radio, because the Pictures are better!" Hal
My mom and dad had an old radio that looked just about the same as the one in the picture that you posted, @Hal Pollner , and it had the old 78/33 phonograph, too. I think it had the 33, I remember that most of the records were the heavy old 78’s, but mom liked to play Guy Lombardo, and his Hawaiian style music, and it was on an early 33 album. Possibly, that was from a diffferent phonograph, but the one on the radio was what I most remember. I remember once, I must have touched it wrong, and it really shocked me. I was pretty little, so the first time of ever experiencing an electrical shock, and I was hollering something like “MOM...... the radio BIT me ! “ We listened to some of the radio programs, and war news (I didn’t like), and my favorite was the Cisco Kid, of course. My folks didn’t get a television until sometime in the late 1950’s, so I was a teenager by then, and didn’t watch any of the early kids tv programs most of us my age remember seeing when they were growing up. I do remember my dad watching Amos and Andy, so it must have either still been on, or they had re-runs of it.
I believe we have some others who are closer to your age, but I know what you mean. There is an age gap. Although I was alive through most of the 1950s, I was nine when the 1950s ended so, while my early childhood memories are from the 1950s, they don't include things like music, cars, or that sort of thing very much. Even movies, as we had no television until the early 1960s, and the church that my family attended frowned upon movie theaters, not that we had any nearby anyhow. I do remember "Amos and Andy" very well, however, because I would listen to the radio show on my transistor radio and watched the television show on reruns, and have seen several "Burns and Allen" shows, probably on reruns. I was probably too young to appreciate Burns and Allen, though. I would often lie in bed listening to the radio serials on my transistor radio after I was supposed to be asleep. "Gangbusters" I don't remember, but I listened to "Dragnet" on the radio before it became a television show. At 67, I guess I'm in between.
We listened to a lot of radio from 1969 to 1972, when we lived in Turkey. No television in the area, so it was radio or nothing. We had a good short-wave radio, so could get the English-language broadcasts from all over the world. There was also the Armed Forces Radio stations, so we could get the US and world news. And you couldn't beat the pirate stations, which played all the newest music. One of the things we enjoyed the most were the radio plays. Also, there were a lot of old programs rebroadcast. I don't remember even missing television.
I remember Dragnet ! It was another one of my favorite shows, and I am pretty sure that I remember hearing it playing on the radio, and then watched it on television later when we had a tv. Who could ever forget that amazing voice of Jack Webb/Joe Friday !
I have memories that reach back to the late 1800's. I know what it was like to have lived without electricity, cars, telephones. I know all about the Great Depression. I know all this as my memories begin with my Grandma and my mother, who told me (endlessly I sometimes thought), what Life Was Like. I journeyed with Grandma when she left Russia and WALKED!! to Hamburg, Germany to catch the ship teeming with refugees headed for the Land of Liberty. I paid attention, or was it drilled in? but I know it. I'm the age of you Ken and I can still remember radio serials. If you have Sirius Radio, there is a station wholly dedicated to all the radio shows. I liked the comedies, and also Dragnet & Gunsmoke, which of course made it to TV. I remember from my own memories the repressive 1950's and the joy of leaving that behind in the '60's.
Hal, Here is a link to an old archive/jukebox of radio programs that you can listen to. https://oldradioprograms.us/A - Old Radio Programs.htm The folks next door to us had an old floor model radio that would pick up stations around the world and it always freaked me out to hear modern music and news broadcasts coming from it.
Wife and I are early Baby Boomers, 1948/1949, so, being so young, we don't remember much-to-anything of the 50's. There are a number of late Baby Boomers that don't know/remember the things we watched/listened to. Neither of us watch Amos & Andy or even George Burns/Gracey Allen and other shows of that era. Basically, the only old shows I remember watching was Roy Rogers & Dale Evans, Lone Ranger, Wagon Train and other old Westerns. The Bozo Show (Bozo the Clown) and, of course, because my parents loved this show...….The Lawrence Welk Show. If I wanted the "Saturday night popcorn" or "Saturday night dish of ice cream", that replaced supper, I had to set and watch at least part of Lawrence Welk. Hal, just because this is a Seniors forum, definitely doesn't mean that all of us are your age and can relate to things you know. Compared to a Senior who is 80 to 90 or older, wife and I are still youngin's/kids and we've been told that.
I watched most of those shows @Cody Fousnaugh and I'm a few years younger than you, I'm 67. Did you see me on Bozo's Circus? . I was in the audience with my daughter who was 3 at the time. I know the camera panned on me a few times...not to brag but I was pretty! Don't know if you are referring to the same show....this was filmed in Chicago at WGN studios.
Unfortunately, Chrissy, I wasn't allowed to watch much-to-any tv, when I lived with my Aunt, from age 6 thru 14. I know I watched some tv, but don't even remember what programs I watched. I think the Bozo Show that I watch was filmed in a Ft Wayne, Indiana studio. I do remember seeing Bozo in person when I was a Cub Scout on his show, so it had to be in Fort Wayne. What do you mean, Chrissy, we are ALL still pretty!!
I think at 63 I may be one of the youngest on this forum...I have no recollection of the 50's...apart from personal stuff, but that said the 'wireless' was always on in our house when I was living there.. even in the various foster homes there was music , so I am very aware of music from long before my time... and to this day it's one of my passions.. television however was something I don't remember seeing until around the mid 60's when I was about 10 years old... and then we were very limited to what we were allowed to watch. ...anyway we never stayed in long enough to watch much tv
Junior Seniors or Senior Seniors, I am so thankful that we have this Forum! But I know this: There are not many of you (if any) who remember paying 20 cents for a gallon of Gasoline! I do know of one Member who is older than I, at age 84! Hal
@Yvonne, our radio/phonograph played only the heavy, fragile old 78's, because the 33RPM Long Playing Record (LP) wasn't introduced until 1948. Hal
I just filled up my car this morning and it was ONLY 3.29 for regular...that's cheap for Fresno! I was ecstatic, lol