During the Golden Age of Radio from 1934-1950, radio became intimate family entertainment. People regularly listened to music, news, sports, talk and weather on their radios. However, radio also featured surprisingly popular comedy shows and dramatic programming. Serial radio dramas allowed characters to develop over time, engaging listeners. Iconic programs like The Jack Benny Show established familiar personas and supporting casts, drawing in large audiences. Radio transformed private spaces into theaters of imagination through the power of audio storytelling alone.

1. EMC 2410Intro to Electronic MediaEdward BowenLecture SevenThe Golden Age of RadioRadio Dramatic Techniques

2. The Golden Age of Radio: 1934 - 1950So what was everyone listening to on all these radios, anyway?

3. The Golden Age of Radio: 1934 - 1950Not surprisingly:MusicNews SportsTalkWeatherQuiz ShowsMore Surprisingly:ComedyDrama

4. Radio was intimate.It was a member of your family.It sat in your living room,brought the world into your home,and it told you stories.

5. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt understood this, and used radio to talk directly, simply and quietly to each individual American.

6. The Great DepressionUnemployment reaches 25%

7. His “Fireside Chats” helped calm a nation through both the Great Depression and World War II.http://youtu.be/z9CBpbuV3ok

8. The serial nature of radio allowed for character to be developed through the course of a series, for comedy and drama to be based on personalities made familiar over time.

9. Jack Benny was one of the leading American entertainers of the 20th century.His radio show was one of the most popular of the Golden Age of Radio.He established a clear persona:A penny-pinching miser …claiming to be a perennial 39 years of age …a horrible violin player who thinks he’s a virtuoso …an actor with a less than stellar track record.On his radio show, he played “himself” as the star of his own radio show. His supporting cast were the actors who worked with him on his show.

10. The Jack Benny ShowMarch 28, 19482:26

11. The Jack Benny ShowMarch 28, 19481:56

12. The Jack Benny ShowDecember 7, 19471:06

13. The Jack Benny ShowDecember 7, 19475:00

14. The Jack Benny ShowDecember 7, 19474:09

15. “Amos ‘n’ Andy” 1928-1960"I can recall walking past motion picture theaters and seeing signs promising to stop the movie and turn on the radio when it came time for the show.” ----Jack Benny

16. “Amos ‘n’ Andy” 1928-1960Freeman Gosden and Charles Correll

17. Radio: The Theater of the Imagination

18. I like radio more than television. The pictures are better.

19. “Stretching the Imagination”Stan Freberg and Sarah Vaughn, 1966Radio Advertising Bureau

20. Lights Out“The Chicken Heart”1937http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwgmmMYshJQ

21. Lights Out“The Chicken Heart”1937http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwgmmMYshJQ

22. Wonderfulness“Chicken Heart”Bill Cosby, 19664:58

23. “The Thing on the Fourble Board”Quiet Please, August 9, 1948Ernest ChappellWyllis Cooper2:57

24. “The Thing on the Fourble Board”Quiet Please, August 9, 19485:28

25. “Leiningen Vs. the Ants”Escape, 1948William Conrad

26. “Leiningen Vs. the Ants”Escape, 1948

27. “Leiningen Vs. the Ants”Escape, 1948

28. “Leiningen Vs. the Ants”Escape, 1948

29. “Leiningen Vs. the Ants”Escape, 1948