Old Time Radio was television without pictures ... sort of. Oh, there were pictures, all right, sometimes very vivid pictures, and no two people were likely to see them in exactly the same way. The pictures were not projected on any kind of screen - they were created in the mind of the listener, and each person's imagination filled in the visual detail in its own unique way.
You saw the hero's jet black hair, the snazzy suit and tie, the shiny, sleek black automobiles (they were all black back then), - things that were not described at all in the show. It was there, and all very real, when we listened to the radio, and enjoyed the theatre in our mind.
There are several shows you can listen to, and a few of them are very rare. Many of these broadcast recordings are over 60 years old, so the quality is not always perfect. I've tried to select really good shows in each category from my collection and keep the quality in the very good to excellent range.
If you really want to experience the powerful combination of old time radio and your imagination, go to the Adventure section and play the Escape episode "Three Skeleton Key" - an experience made even stronger if you listen while sitting in a totally dark room - no lights at all. It's that story with Vincent Price about three lighthouse keepers .... and the rats.
Welcome to the theatre of the mind. |
