Billboard Vs Jimbo: Big Town

Billboard has it right. This review from 1943 is a year too late for the series of the the same name that included Edward G. Robinson and Claire Trevor.

"Wallop-packers"

That series named Big Town (1938-1942) has very few surviving entries but they are wallop-packers and they pretty much go to the head of the class (or close to it.)

I'm not sure how many Warner Brothers' films you have seen in the late 1930's but there is an air to them that defies explanation; they are fast, short, powerful films usually about a hoodlum or a newspaper.

Big Town prior to 1943 is about a newspaper with Robinson the cigar-sucking editor and Trevor the Lois Lane-type. The stories are hard-hitting, realistic and fast as lightning.

Adding to the realism is that many of the surviving Big Town episodes (again don't be suckered in by the 1943+ version) are only avilable because the rehearsal exists - and this is what we hear. Man, that's some really, really good radio.

The other series with the same name has very little in common and (while they may not actually be two different shows) are two different shows, entirely.

Billboard vs Jimbo: The Shadow

Looking at The Shadow is a lot like looking at a prism. It all depends on the angle (years.)

The Shadow in the early years (as in the Billboard review) has Orson Welles playing Lamont Cranston and Agnes Moorehead playing Margo Lane. It essentially got no better than this as far as the radio adaptation. The other Lamont characters were not near as good and the show suffered even further with the loss of Moorehead as different Margo Lanes are evident.

No matter what Welles touched turned to gold during this time period and you can certainly say that about the early episodes of The Shadow, where the show is thick with tremendous atmosphere. However, the sound quality of this show suffers badly, especially in the years that Welles appeared in, making listening a trial rather than a treasure.

I'm not sure this show will ever get it's due, do to sheer unluckiness. However, it remains one of the favorites and most everyone knows the The Shadow knows, hoo hoo haa haa haa haawwwww.

Billboard vs Jimbo: Amos and Andy

The 30 minute version of Amos and Andy is a fine show, despite what you might read or might have heard - or as in the case of XM Radio, not have heard.

XM refuses to play Amos and Andy, obviously afraid of the backlash they would receive.

Here's the thing: Amos and Andy is part of history. It's no different than people still eat at restaurants despite the fact that prior to the 1960's most of those places were racially divided.

It's also no different than Dave Chappelle's show a few years back; he made fun of all races, including his own. Controversial? Yes but the man sold more TV show DVD's than anyone else.

And besides, the show, "Amos and Andy" isn't making fun of anyone. They are simply doing a schtick - unlike Chappelle, who even made fun of his own race!

Now, on with the review:

The show really has a bad title as Amos has virtually nothing to do with the show. As a matter of fact, Amos is such a good guy, if he were a central part of the show, I'm afraid the show would be no fun at all. He does show up now and then but only to provide some sort of morality to the plot.

The show really centers around The Kingfish, a conniving, scheming out-for-a-buck fellow who usually takes easy pickings from Amos, who is a tiny bit slower than most folk. If the show should come with a warning, it shouldn't be about race but about the fast-buck morals of said Kingfish.

Other than the fact they are "black" there is no difference in their act than say, a cross between various John Brown radio characters, Lou Costello, Ralph Kramden and Fred Flintstone.

Billboard vs Jimbo: The Whistler

The Whistler - like Suspense - is a thirty minute mystery/suspense tale that's better in the post-war years than the early 1940's.

Good guess here is that 20 of the first 30 shows use esentially the same cast, including Bea Benaderet and Gerald Mohr - Benaderet can use different dialects, Mohr is the same every show. (The cry in 1942 was probably, "Less of Mohr!")

The Whistler will always be the red-headed stepchild because it drew few stars to the batter's box than more expensive Suspense did.

Unlike Suspense, The Whistler has a twist ending always even if you know the solution.

Billboard vs Jimbo: Suspense

Suspense was a show with tremendous sponsorship and had a huge throng of listeners all throughout it's 21 year run on radio.

The episodes prior to 1945 are probably the weakest of the lot but there are some good ones thrown in there; however, the quality of show really is much better in the post-war years.

I'm pretty sure you all listen to this show; if you don't you're missing out on some very fine radio. Almost every week one of Hollywood's finest show up to act and does a good job.

I still find it amazing how writers wrote of shows like The Shadow and Suspense as if they were in the horror vein rather than the mystery vein, but whatever.

Addendum to Billboard vs Jimbo: Counterspy

As you may recall from an article posted here a few days ago, Phillips Lord was also the creator-etc. of Gang Busters.

Billboard vs Jimbo: Soldiers of the Press

Excellent series devoted to the press who covered the war overseas.

Having read all of Andy Rooney's books and about how he and his compatriots served the United States via the typewriter but did it right along with the troops, it is astounding to me; therefore this series means something more to me than it might to you.

There is the feel of both war and drama set here but also an insight into the minds of some of the best newspaper writers who covered the war.

This is better than most shows and it's interesting to boot.

Billboard vs Jimbo: Lux Radio Theatre

Surely, anyone who enjoys classic Hollywood films would enjoy Lux Theater.

The show is loaded down with radio's top production, top Hollywood stars and top film screenplays crammed into an hour of radio. It really gets no better than this.

The only drawback (for me) is sitting through a program for a whole hour. Most of the Lux productions I have already seen on the Turner Classic Movie network, so it's hard to hold my interest. But that's not LRT's fault.

The first-class productions are wonderful radio listening and every now and then I seek one out I haven't heard before. You can find any genre you want. Generally I avoid the mostly-romance shows and stick to the productions that are full of adventure, action or crime.

For someone who hasn't seen all the films, I'd think this would be like a lower level of heaven.

Billboard vs Jimbo: Dr. I.Q.

Tons of fun here, even today with the unusual quiz-master asking questions that most anyone could know.

The show has an aura about it unlike any other show I can think of, as it is set in a large auditorium with men holding microphones all over the audience and picking people at random (I think) to be a part of the show and given a chance at an odd prize (seven silver dollars, for example.)

Some of the questions are seemingly easy: "I'm going to say this once and once only, repeat this sentence" - then an impossible to remember and say correctly sentance is given. Do it correctly and you might win thirty silver dollars.

The "I have a lady in the balcony" stuff is just too much fun. And even the losers on this show get a box of candy bars (disregard Billboard saying they backed out, we're on different time schedules here.)

Some of the most fun you will ever have if you enjoy quizzes.

Billboard vs Jimbo: Counterspy

This is a great, little-known show almost in the vein of This is Your FBI.

The show has some great acting and deals with subjects of subterfuge, murder - even suicide.

The two above entries from Billboard say all that needs to be said and I agree with them.

Billboard vs Jimbo: Dear Adolph

Wow Billboard did a pretty good job at analyzing this show although what must be said in no uncertain terms is that professional actors read and act out actual letters (spruced up a bit) by Benet.

The letters and the show come off quite well.  You can hear the pain in the heart of the mother who wants her son back and that kind of thing.

 It makes for pretty good radio in my opinion.  It's too bad there were only six shows made.

Billboard vs Jimbo: It Pays to be Ignorant

Strange anti-Information Please show with experts giving ridiculous answers to open-ended questions.

I suppose this is the kind of show someone like Dagwood (see my previous Blondie entry) would have been listening to in 1942.

The shows all seem speeded up a bit (I have listened to 4 of them - they are sped up) probably so they could cram an extra 40 seconds worth of show down the gullible public's throats.

I'm not totally sure of the purpose of this show (except, as I said, to be anti-Information Please) as again, the show is not funny and borders on making me angry, to tell you the truth.

I'm guessing that there must be some sentiment that has always existed that it's okay to be stupid and damn those who are intelligent.   This show preaches that mantra and seems to have done well enough to allow them to parade their wares on the air many years, as I see shows from at least 1942-1945 available.

Indeed!

Surely a sign of the times because I see no need today in proving to the world that you hate intelligence and intelligent people. 

Billboard vs Jimbo: Can You Top This?

CYTT has a premise that sounds like it could be fun: a listener sends in a joke - a professional comedian (aka "gag specialist") tries to tell a joke better than that joke.

If you like one lame joke after another - well then this is your show. 

(I know where I can find about 30 of these shows, so if you find yourself wanting more, drop me a request.)

Billboard vs Jimbo: Blondie

1942

Blondie is one of those shows that neither does any harm nor does it bring any pleasure; it's a time killer.

We'd all love to be spending our time listening to Jimmy Stewart in the Six Shooter or Don Perkins in Nightwatch but there's only so many of those things.   Some of our time has to be filled with palatable fluff - and to me, Blondie is such a program.

In the show, it's not so much Blondie being a knucklehead as it is Dagwood, her husband.  He is just goofy and is prone to do goofy stuff; you wonder if maybe he has one of those "impairments" they are diagnosing all the kids with these days that didn't exist 30+ years ago.  Or did Dagwood fall off the bus and hit his head?  You'd think so.

Blondie runs the family.  She's a bit ditzy but she seems to be all there.  As reluctant as he is, Dagwood takes his marching orders from her and tries not to get in trouble at work (one of the pleasing things about the show is Hanley Stafford, who does an A+ job as the boss man.)

Is the show funny?  Funny is not the right word.  It's a time killer.  And we need those.

Billboard vs Jimbo: Burns and Allen

1942

Burns and Allen is sometimes pretty good (usually in the late 1940's) and sometimes not (early 1940's and before.)

While George is fine (not funny but not getting on your nerves, either - unless he's "singing") Gracie is a wound-up toy with decent comedic timing (like her husband.)

It's just a bit too bad that most of the jokes are stale.

I have no idea who put a talking duck on their show (early 1940's) but it was such a bad idea...  I'm not too fond of Mel Blanc as the depressed postman either -- he's almost as bad as the talking duck.

The early forties (and particularly prior to this) is pretty annoying stuff.  It seems that if radio got a good idea - such as Gracie running for President -  that they ran it into the ground (just like Jack Benny did to Buck Benny.)  I can't take another episode of Gracie and the President theme, although it's kind of funny how George Burns got thrown under the bus during the whole schtick.

Billboard vs Jimbo: Don Winslow of the Navy

Reviewed in 1942

NOTE: I've only had one opportunity to hear this show.

Don Winslow of the Navy is a harmless quarter-hour program geared toward nine year-old boys in 1942. This is not some disappointing Hollywood production where they sunk a couple thousand dollars into every week of serial excitement, as Billboard would have had you believe.

It's hard to take any note of the show as I only heard the one episode but I found it was something that could be interesting if I had more of a grip on the characters. I'm not sure if they ever did this but I assume they did that somewhere along the line.

There's a good chance that none of us will ever get a chance to hear more than 1 or 2 episodes of this show in our lifetimes - but I just wanted to set the record straight (no pun intended.)


Don Winslow OTN 2 Man Submarines

Billboard vs Jimbo: Abbott & Costello

Reviewed in 1942

Abbott and Costello are funnier than you think they are. Their humor - which almost always stems from puns or malaprops - essentially make them a lower-class version of Fibber McGee and Molly.

I've heard the Who's on First routine a good 50 times in my lifetime and when I hear them do it (and yes, better yet, see them do it - below) it's still funny.

They, on occasion, will rush their routines and when this happens, they sound over- rehearsed and not-as-humorous.

Lou Costello, the short, dumpy one of the team - is more like a cartoon character than a real person while Bud Abbott (tall and thin) is never funny and is most ways, invisible when the almost-always wound-up Lou is around.

There are several famous routines aside from Who's on First. But even their lesser known routines draw something of a smile from someone who has heard it all.

It's all about words and misunderstanding them - and that little fat guy going bananas.

Granted, the show is geared for the teenage intellect (they even did a kid's show for a while after this series) and the show is far from fascinating; however, it's worth passing the time with, even if it's just once or twice a month.