The Blonde in the house and I just returned from a performance of the Old-Time Radio Drama Club. One part of the evening includes actors performing an old radio show complete with old time microphones and even old time ads. This time they performed a program called “Haunt me a House”. It was on a show that was put on every week called “NBC Grand Marquee”. It was on so long ago that even I do not recall it. Pretty funny show, and something diferent than what is on TV.
They also have a trivia section. This was on “The Big Bands”. There was a description of a band and the idea was to figure out what the band’s name was. I only missed one mostly because they picked descriptions of bands I had liked or even seen. For example, I had seen Glen Gray and his Casa Loma Orchestra in beautiful downtown Youngstown, Ohio. Then Paul Whitman performed at one of my college dances. I was amazed as Thiel College could normally not afford a band like that. I’m not certain they accomplished that feat. I think I may have been the only one there (But I could be mistaken) who knew the name of the last band – Russ Morgan. He had played one of my favorite songs way back. It started with a couple of beautiful trumpets and was entitled “So Tired.”
Not that I was tired back then, but I just liked the tune. You do not hear it much today, because it probably can’t be played loud enough for today’s venues.
I discussed my opinion on the loud music of today not long ago so I will not go into the matter further. Besides I believe they are working on new amplifiers that are guaranteed to ruin ear drums inside of five minutes tops. I guess that is not all bad as I understand that the sign language schools have all the business that they can handle now, so more noise may mean more jobs.
The evening at the above mentioned club ends with the playing of an actual old radio program. The latest one involved The Lone Ranger’s favorite grandnephew The Green Hornet. You will recall the Green Hornet whose program started out with “The Flight of the Bumblebee.” The program also often included other classical music which people do not think much of when remembering the program. They do recall The Hornet’s sidekick, Kato. Kato started out as Japanese and when they became the bad guys, he was a Filipino. Today, of course he could be Japanese and even drive a Mitsubishi, since it is now a car and not a war plane. Life certainly does change doesn’t it?
Barry Evans writes about Life in The Villages for Villages-News.com