Radio Retropolis

Poco decides to rocket back to earth to track down Kent or Perry White with the last-ditch effort to find Superman.  JR speaks on the fascination with darker stories and horror in the WWII era.

rA reluctant deep-sea diver who murdered two men believes his next deep dive will end with his death. Commentary, on the meaning of "Eight Bells". Plus, a significant WWII event of this date, the #1 song and movie in America.

A doctor experimenting with chemicals in his lab "accidentally" blinds his assistant in a plot to use him to undermine the institution for its stock. Commentary on who Blue Coal's John Barclay really is.  Plus , the origin of the Shadow theme song.

Agnes Moorehead makes her fourth appearance on Suspense in the most famous radio play ever written about a bedridden woman who overhears a telephone conversation plotting somebody's murder...hers!  JR speaks on Moorehead, the film version of this script and why this is considered a masterpiece in suspense.

Jimmy and Anthar are imprisoned by Zaram awaiting trial while Kent investigates where Utopia is if it even exists.  JR speaks on the lack of popularoty of the rhyming Poco character.

When George forgets Liz's birthday, Liz sends an anonymous reminder through Mr. Atterbury,  only for George  to think it's his mother's birthday instead. Commentary on exceptional audio quality of the episode, guest actress GeGe Pearson, and the tremendous comedic pacing of this very funny script.

Two convicts escape from San Quentin.  They're armed and begin a crime wave of hold-ups. The trail leads to Mexico via San Diego as they vow never to be taken alive.  Commentary on San Diego Chief of Police Adam E Jansen who is credited as a contributor to this story line. Plus commentary on guest star Whitfield Connor.

Jimmy is in trouble on Utopia and Kent is finally figuring it out back on earth.  JR speaks on George Reeves quitting The Adventures of Superman after season 2.

A macabre tale of an artist whose insane love for his soon to be ex-wife turns into the most vicious hate when he asks her to pose for his sculpture of her bust. Commentary on star Lee Bowman. Plus , Lipton Tea lady Mary Bennett promoting Lipton Chicken Soup as the meal of the week!

A man who embezzled $2 million from his bank fakes his death and hides out on a secluded island off the coast of Nova Scotia.  The Shadow has figured out the scam and heads out to find him.Commentary on the Wellesian approach to this episode and Johnstone's approach to this Welles inspired script, the formula of writing comic book villains, and the real threat in Europe in 1938.

A man accepts an easy job answering phones for a horse betting operation from a woman he met in a bar only to find the woman dead the next day and he is the prime suspect!  JR speaks on stars Edmond O'Brien and Ann Blyth and O'Brien's real life brush with the mob world on one of his films. 

Jimmy goes along with what he thought was a joke until he finds himself in a round rocket ship hurtling through space to the planet Utopia.  JR speaks on who in the Bible Superman was really based on.

After listening to Liz explain how she balances her checkbook, George sends her to night school to learn arithmetic.  Commentary on why George, a banker, would let his mathematically challenged wife continue to mishandle their bank book. Plus we look at Liz' creative math and compare it to a similar routine by Abbott and Costello. Also, we discuss the Curly and Shemp Howard connection as well as tonight's guest star who was blacklisted as a purported communist.

The owner of an apartment building signs leases for the apartments then he threatens to kill the tenants if they move in.  Commentary on how arson was legally received back in 1952 and whether an individual could legally burn his own building down.

What may sound like a joke to Jimmy is serious business with Anthar which only means Jimmy is in for a big, unsettling surprise.  JR speaks on the rise of old time radio enthusiasts thanks to...podcasts.

This episode takes a little bit of active listening due to its less than ideal quality, but I hope you enjoy this next episode about two guys driving across the desert pick up three hitch-hikers who turn out to be escaped Nazi prisoners. Commentary on the Nazi's last attempt to overtake the Allies with the Battle of the Bulge, plus Hitler begins to mentally lose it causing some dissension in ranks.

A criminal lawyer clears his clients only to force them into a series of robberies. Commentary on great voice actors of the day and the art form of being a radio actor at that time. Plus, we discuss the logic of The Shadow as to how mass hypnosis would work if he really existed.

John Garfield stars as a man in the criminal underworld who is given a literal "death sentence" by a mob boss. He is told he has exactly one week to live.  JR speaks on Garfield's tragic career and his controversial death at age 39.

Jimmy Olsen encounters a strange man named Anthar who claims to be from a "lost planet" called Utopia and warns of an invasion of Earth.  Commentary on this serial which is an exact remake of the "lost" serial Planet Utopia from 1944.

When Liz gets a traffic ticket on the day George is "Safety Week" chairman, George decides to lock the car in the to garage and hide the key.  Commentary on why Lucille Ball allowed her character Liz to be naive and prone to deceitful tactics which are normally not admirable, sympathetic characteristics.  Also discussed are real driving statistics based on gender that may surprise you.