OTR - Old Time Radio
Most individuals today never heard an Old Time Radio show. Old Time Radio, also known as OTR, it was the golden age of radio, a time before television, a time forgotten. There were crime-fighting programs, "The Shadow" and Dragnet. There were Super heroes programs for kids, such series as Superman, Batman, and the Blue Beetle. For Christmas kids were tuned to "The Cinnamon Bear" a mini-series that ran from Thanksgiving to Christmas Eve. Comedy, suspense, mystery and horror, all were there. The best-known old time radio show was Orson Welles version of “The War of the Worlds”. A show, that caused national panic.

“The War of the Worlds” based on an HG Wells classic was adapted for radio by Howard Koch. Orson Welles and the Mercury Theatre aired the show on CBS Radio October 30 1938 coast to coast. Because of the format and unfortunate scheduling events of another popular radio program, many joined to listen part way into the program and missed the disclaimers. Panic ensued across the country. Many actually believed the Martians had landed. Orson Welles and company took a serious slap in the hand from the government for this incident.

While the 1938 airing is the first and best-known account of “The War of the Worlds” causing panic, it was not the last. November 12, 1944, Santiago, Chile mobilized troops and artillery. The saddest case of a rebroadcast was in February 12, 1949 in Quito, Ecuador. A mob rioted, stormed the radio station and set it on fire, killing according to accounts at the time twenty people.

Buffalo, New York, October 31 1968. There were twenty-one days of pre-program announcements and again some panic occurred and Canadian National Guard sent units out to several bridges to repel the Martians.

Another great radio program was The Shadow. The story of Lamont Cranston, playboy around town and his alter ego the invisible Shadow, fighting crime and assisted by the lovely Margo Lane. It was a time that you had to use your imagination to visualize the radio episode you were tuned too. Families sat together around the radio listening to their favorite show and almost everything stopped when Amos and Andy were on.

Many of the original performers of Old Time Radio are long departed. Nevertheless, they leave behind a legacy of wonderful work. For me, Old Time Radio is an interesting collectibles hobby. I have always had an interest, but it grew when I started working steady nights and with no one to pass the time with. I introduced OTR to my family and even they liked many of the programs. My daughters insist on listening to "The Cinnamon Bear" starting from Thanksgiving through Christmas Eve for the last three years.

I have many of Old Time Radio programs on CD and tape. You can even get them on the internet for a small fee and there are internet sites out there with them free of charge.