We did not get a TV until I was in the 9th grade. I started babysitting when I was about 10 years old. As TV began to find its way into peoples homes it was great when I could tend kids who had a TV. But right now I’ll talk about radio. We had a big radio and phonograph player in the livingroom. Saturday mornings we would gather around the radio to listen to a local childrens progaram. They would play a progam called “Let’s Pretend”. They would act out stories. I can’t remember exactly which ones but I think they were Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and other stories like these. It was sponsored by “Cream of Wheat” I can still hear the song in my head. “Cream of Wheat is so good to eat, we eat it every day.” It must have worked because I did like Cream of Wheat. The radio station sponsered a safe bike riding rally and if you entered you could win prizes. I was probably in 5th or 6th grade when I entered. I tried to do my best but I was not good enough. I think I got something for participating but I don’t remember. I do remember being disappointed and feeling a bit foolish. I have struggled for many years feeling stupid. This experience just helped verify this notion.
Radio was an important part of our lives. I remember listening to the evening dramas. The Lone Ranger, Gunsmoke, The Shadow, Dick Tracy and many others. In the daytime there were the soap opares, Our Miss Brooks, Guiding Light, and several others. These were played in 15 minute segments. Then there was Arthur Godfrey, and Art Linkletter’s House Party, the best part of his show was “Kid’s Say the Darndest Things”. We would hurry home for lunch during school so that we could listen to Art Linkletter. When we finally got a TV and these shows were on TV we loved them even more.
We had a small radio in our room and on Christmas eve after Mom and Dad had banished us to our bedrooms and we were too excited to sleep, I remember quietly listening to Christmas programs. It seems like Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney were always on. Finally driffting off to sleep to the sounds of Bing Crosby. We only had one station in town so whatever they played we listened to. I believe they were a CBS affiliate and so we heard Edward R Murrow, Lowell Thomas and the other great CBS News casters. CSB would broadcast Symphony Orchestras and the Grand Old Opry. Our local station played a wide variety of music, so I grew up listening to big band, country, pop, classical and rock and roll. I developed an appreciation for a wide variety of music. This has proven very beneficial since meeting my husband Jim. It has given us a comman ground that has given us many happy times.
These radio dramas served another purpose. I would get together with my cousins and we would act out the stories we heard. We would play Robin Hood, Prince Valiant, Tarzan, seems like I was always the male part and Charlotte and Phyllis were the damsels in distress. Another story that we made up was Prince Jump over the Wall. I saw an old movie the other day that I think must have influenced us. It was the Thief of Bagdade and the hero climbed over the wall into the princess’s garden. So romantic.
What can I say we were kids.
I get a satelite radio station that plays old radio shows. I listened to one the other day that was about some girl that was 15 and wanted to adopt this abandoned baby. she lived with her uncle. Her boyfriend worked at a gas station and her uncle talked about how it was such a great job and he’d be able to support her. Job at a gas station to support a family? Must be nice.
Oh how I loved the radio. As much as I enjoy television I think I loved radio more in the “good old days”. Let’s Pretend Theatre used to be the highlight of my week and i confess I looked for faked illnesses so that I could miss school and listen to Helen Trent and other wonderful soap operas. I even liked listening to general conference more on the radio because I could hear it in any room in the house or when I was in the car. Alas, radio just isn’t the same any more!