It was the largest, most ambitious, and most successful military operation ever attempted — and radio was there to cover it.
D-Day, the invasion of Normandy. It was the turning point of the war in Europe, the beginning of the end for the Axis as the Allies started their drive towards Germany. It was a momentous event that would change not only the course of World War II, but the history of the world. Radio Archives is pleased and proud to offer the complete and continuous NBC network coverage of the events of June 6 and 7, 1944.
Noted inspirational author Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, King Haakon VII of Norway, Premier Gerbandy of the Netherlands, Premier Pierlot of Belgium, and US Senators Clark, Barkley, White, Hill and Congresswoman Clare Boothe Luce speak, as does the President of the United States, Franklin Delano Roosevelt. General Eisenhower speaks from SHAEF headquarters.
Regular NBC shows were included in the broadcast, “The Bob Hope Show”, “Fibber McGee & Molly”, “The Guiding Light”, “Vic & Sade”, “The Red Skelton Show”, “The Road of Life”, “Today’s Children”, “Ma Perkins”, “Pepper Young’s Family”, “Mary Noble, Backstage Wife”, “Stella Dallas”, “Lorenzo Jones”, “Young Widder Brown”, “When A Girl Marries” and “Front Page Farrell” among them.
Hear the events of the day as reported by Ben Grauer, Cesar Saerchinger, Charles F. McCarthy, David Anderson, Don Goddard, Don Hollenbeck, Ed Hocker, Edward R. Murrow, Elmer Peterson, George Wheeler, H. V. Kaltenborn, Herbert M. Clark, James Willard, John W. Vandercook, Louis P. Lockner, Lowell Thomas, Merrill Mueller, Morgan Beatty, Ralph Howard, Richard Harkness, Robert McCormick, Robert St. John, Tommy Traynor, W. W. Chaplin and Wright Bryan. Alex Dreier, in Chicago, recalled his experiences as the last western correspondent in Nazi Germany while Stanley Richardson offered an eyewitness account of the invasion from the Channel boats, and George Hicks reported from the beach-head itself!
These are recordings that many historians believe to be among the most valuable audio documents ever preserved. The NBC broadcasts — containing over 38 hours of continuous programming of news, music, drama, comedy, and entertainment — are history as it happened, in a special collection that is sure to occupy a special place in your radio collection. 38 hours. Normally priced at $113.98 Audio CDs / $56.99 Download, D-Day is Specially priced through the month of June at only $99.98 Audio CDs / $49.99 Download.
On June 6, 2004, in remembrance of the 60th anniversary of the Normandy invasion, the ABC Radio program Perspective featured a fascinating story detailing radio’s coverage of D-Day as it happened in 1944. Written, edited, and narrated by ABC reporter Chuck Sivertsen, the feature utilized clips from the D-Day collection described above. We think this in-depth and well-presented piece provides an excellent overview of the historic content of this collection.
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“The Great Gildersleeve” is considered one of old-time radio’s best examples of the situation comedy format, and it differed from its parent show, “Fibber McGee & Molly”, in that it emphasized a gentler humor that grew out of its realistic characters and situations as opposed to Fibber’s vaudeville-based verbal slapstick. “Gildersleeve” was also unique in that many of its episodes utilized a semi-serialized format; while the shows certainly could be enjoyed as stand-alone episodes. They often featured extended story arcs – examples of this include Gildy’s run for mayor in 1943-44, and an abandoned baby storyline featured in the 1948-49 season.
But perhaps the most interesting facet of “The Great Gildersleeve” was the fact that the titled character was in possession of old-time radio’s most active libido, or as authors Charles Stumpf and Ben Ohmart put it, “was involved in more matters of the heart than a cardiologist.” Throckmorton P. was Summerfield’s most notorious bachelor on the prowl, and as a ladies’ man had a bevy of quail…er… girlfriends. The best remembered was the syrupy Southern belle Leila Ransom (played by Shirley Mitchell), who always threw in a few extra syllables when calling him “Thrawk-maaahhhtin”, and who also managed to get Gildy to the altar (in a broadcast dated June 27, 1943) before a fluke of luck saved him from being manacled to the coquettish flirt till death do them part. Other girlfriends included schoolteacher Eve Goodwin (Bea Benaderet), who was romanced and proposed to by Gildy during his mayoral campaign, Leila’s cousin Adeline Devereaux (Una Merkel) and Nurse Kathryn Milford (Cathy Lewis).
“The Great Gildersleeve” remains a favorite for old-time radio enthusiasts even today, as its fine writing, engaging characters and brilliant blend of comedy and drama sets a high watermark for classic situation comedy. You’ll be certain to enjoy the twenty original broadcasts offered in this collection, transferred directly from original 16” NBC Orthacoustic master recordings and presented exactly as broadcast, complete with commercials for Kraft Foods. 10 hours. Regular Price $29.98 – Specially priced until July 4 for $14.99 Audio CDs / $7.49 Download.
Will Murray’s Pulp Classics #28
by Norvell W. Page writing as Grant Stockbridge
Read by Nick Santa Maria. Liner Notes by Will Murray

For our latest Spider audiobook, we’ve jumped ahead in time to 1939 and one of the most dramatIc and horrific exploits of Richard Wentworth’s nightmarish career.
“Exploits” might not be the operative term for Claws of the Golden Dragon. It’s actually one of the most intense ordeals the Master of Men ever endured in his decade-long career as a crime hunter. And that’s saying a hell of a lot!
It begins with the arrival in New York of a Chinese supercriminal known as the Golden Dragon. His true identity shrouded in secrecy, the Dragon plans to loot America in order to fuel his planned conquest of Asia. Author Novell W. Page took his inspiration from Sax Rohmer’s Dr. Fu Manchu, obviously. The editors at Popular Publications loved the sinister Oriental arch-villain. They published Dr. Yen Sin, The Mysterious Wu Fang, and frequently pitted their other heroes, like Operator 5 and G-8, against similar human scourges. The Golden Dragon is among the worst of these.
Claws of the Golden Dragon dates from the period when The Spider magazine was infused with Weird Menace elements, like the fare offered by companion magazines Terror Tales and Horror Stories. In this case, the Golden Dragon has cultivated a hothouse orchid that insinuates its suffocating roots and tendrils into the victim’s still-beating heart! Forget Terror Tales, this is Weird Tales territory.
Page milks this new menace for all it’s worth. Victims begin succumbing in the first chapter. And by the time Richard Wentworth and the valiant Nita van Sloan have struggled to defeat the Blood Orchids, they too fall victim to this most hideous doom!
Has Norvell Page gone too far this time? Can even the Spider survive this soul-paralyzing predicament? Or will he and his beloved be buried with their own personal funeral flowers feeding off of their stopped hearts?
Once again, Nick Santa Maria takes on the dual persona of Richard Wentworth and his arachnid alter-ego for this nail-biting audio rendition of the January, 1939 issue of The Spider. Michael C. Gwynne reads the thrilling Doc Turner story by Arthur Leo Zagat, “Death’s Wedding March!” 6 hours $23.98 Audio CDs / $11.99 Download.
RadioArchives.com and Will Murray are giving away the downloadable version of the newly released Strange Detective Mysteries audiobook for FREE.
If you prefer the Audio CDs to play in your car or home CD player, the coupon code will subtract the $11.99 price of the download version from the Audio CDs. That makes the Audio CDs half price.
Add Strange Detective Mysteries to the shopping cart and use the Coupon Code AUDIOBOOK.
“Strange Detective Mysteries #1 is one of my favorite pulps and I am excited to produce it as an audiobook with my good friends at Radio Archives. It leads off with Norvell W. Page’s bizarre novelette, “When the Death-Bat Flies,” and includes thrilling stories by Norbert Davis, Paul Ernst, Arthur Leo Zagat, Wayne Rogers and others. Popular Publications went all-out to make this 1937 debut issue a winner. And they succeeded!”
Happy listening,
Will Murray