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The 60 Greatest Old-Time Radio Shows of the 20th Century selected by Walter Cronkite

The 60 Greatest Old-Time Radio Shows of the 20th Century selected by Walter Cronkite

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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: The best collection available
Review: I am very happy with this collection. Old Time Radio continues to be hard to obtain in a decent format, and finding it on CD is even more difficult. In light of this, "The 60 Greatest Old-Time Radio Shows of the 20th Century" is the best, all-around collection I have found.

There are some real gems here. The dramatization of Isaac Asimov's "Nightfall (X Minus One)" is very well done. Adolph Huxley introduces his classic "Brave New World (CBS Radio Workshop)," and Abbott and Costello shine as usual with "Who's on First (Abbott and Costello Show)." Orson Wells is well represented in a variety of genres, doing good work with "The Hitchhiker (Mercury Summer Theater) and "White God (The Shadow)." His classic "War of the Worlds (Mercury Theater on the Air)" is included, although if you buy any Old Time Radio collections, you tend to end up with several copies of this. A nice episode of Bold Venture stars Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall. "Sorry Wrong Number (Suspense)" is considered one of the finest examples of the genre, and Orson Welles considered it to be the best script available. Bing Crosby is great in his performances

Personally, I would have picked a slightly different collection of the 60 greatest, but they did not ask me. The collection is a little heavy on comedy and variety shows. This type of humor tends not to translate well over the years, and you may not know the references. The patriotic pieces are very heavy handed, and America operates under a different set of morals. "God, and plutonium, are on our side..." I could do without any Baby Snooks.

All together, the good episodes far outweigh the mediocre. I am definitely happy with this purchase, and have listened to episodes multiple times.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Maybe this is why Radio died.
Review: This collection of old-time radio programs is barely passable. The selection of shows only brings out how dull and very TV-like radio could be. Listening to these "great" Jack Benny and Edgar Bergen episodes (and they give us two or three shows from each) you may be left wondering --what on earth were people laughing at (and I like both these comedians). And why would The Jazz Singer be on here. It has freak appeal, but surely there were better Lux Theater productions. The only redeeming tapes in this entire collection are one with an odd Christmas episode from Dragnet, and the tape devoted entrely to Yours Truly Johnny Dollar. The other episodes are --for the most part-- barely passable... definitely not anywhere near the best radio shows ever. But that title probably wouldn't sell many tapes.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Cronkite can pick 'em
Review: This was just the companion I needed when I drove 14 hours home for Christmas. The selection is kind of heavy on "christmas episodes" so it was even more perfect. Granted I am a radio "buff" but this collection exposed me to a lot of "new" old shows.


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