Breaking Walls

BW - EP117: The Outer Limit with X-Minus-One (1955 - 1958) [Rewind]

This episode was originally released on 7/1/2021. While new episodes of Breaking Walls are on hiatus I'll be going back and posting the older episodes. ____________ In Breaking Walls episode 117 we blast off with NBC in the fall of 1955 and spotlight its premiere science fiction series, X Minus One. We’ll listen to episodes, hear interviews with those involved, and find out why this series continues to be a favorite among listeners today. —————————— Highlights: • The Beginning of the End for Network Radio Drama • Ernest Kinoy: NBC Staff Writer • Ray Bradbury’s Radio Memories • New York’s Radio Actors • Dimension X Leads to the Launching of X-Minus-One • In Late 1955 CBS is Radio’s Top Network • Mars is Heaven • Radio’s Vital Factor • Nightfall on X-Minus-One • Looking Ahead By Gassing Up —————————— The WallBreakers: thewallbreakers.com Subscribe to Breaking Walls everywhere you get your podcasts. To support the show: patreon.com/TheWallBreakers —————————— The reading material used in today’s episode was: On the Air - By John Dunning Articles from: Broadcasting-Telecasting Magazine —————————— On the interview front: • Jackson Beck, John Gibson, Larry Haines, Mary Jane Higby, Joseph Julian, Mandel Kramer, Jan Miner, Arnold Moss, and Guy Sorel, spoke with Dick Bertel and Ed Corcoran for WTIC’s The Golden Age of Radio. Hear these full interviews at Goldenage-WTIC.org • Himan Brown and Nelson Olmsted were with SPERDVAC. For more information, go to SPERDVAC.com • Bob Hastings spoke with Chuck Schaden. Hear this full chat at SpeakingOfRadio.com • Ernest Kinoy was with both Fran Stoddard for PBS and Walden Hughes for Yesterday USA • Ray Bradbury spoke with Jerry Haendiges • Santos Ortega was with Richard Lamparski —————————— Selected music featured in today’s episode was: • Ill Wind — By the John Buzon Trio • Rock Around the Clock — By Bill Haley and the Comets • Satan Takes a Holiday — By Jack Malmsteen

BW - EP116: The Launch of NBC’s Monitor (1955) [Rewind]

This episode was originally released on 6/1/2021. While new episodes of Breaking Walls are on hiatus I'll be going back and posting the older episodes. ____________ In Breaking Walls episode 116, it’s June of 1955 and network radio is in uncharted territory. TV’s encroachment has the entire industry looking for new ideas. We’ll focus on the launch of one of the most successful—Monitor—which will air in some form or fashion until January of 1975. —————————— Highlights: • The Changing Network Radio Landscape • Who Is Sylvester “Pat” Weaver? • Monitor Origins • Building the Team • Radio Central • The Soft Launch • An Auto Tragedy at Le Mans • Going to San Quentin Prison • Lots of Tunes in Remote • A Potential United Automobile Workers Strike • Dave Garroway Interviews Marilyn Monroe, live on Monitor • Fibber McGee and Gildy Too • Here’s Henry Morgan • Monitor’s Last Hour • Miss Monitor Finally Makes an Appearance • The Full Launch • Looking Ahead in Time and Space —————————— The WallBreakers: thewallbreakers.com Subscribe to Breaking Walls everywhere you get your podcasts. To support the show: patreon.com/TheWallBreakers —————————— The reading material used in today’s episode was: On the Air - By John Dunning Monitor: Take 2: By Dennis Hart Network Radio Ratings — by Jim Ramsburg Articles from: Broadcasting-Telecasting Magazine Monthly Labor Review The New York Daily News The New York Times Newsweek Printer’s Ink Variety As well as the websites: accordions.com/ for their interview with Art Van Damme Dennis Hart’s monitorbeacon.net/ tipsontables.com/ —————————— On the interview front: • Pat Weaver was interviewed for Fred Allen’s May 29th, 1956 Biography In Sound. • Ben Grauer was interviewed for NBC’s 50th Anniversary and Westinghouse’ 50th Anniversary. • Dave Garroway and Willard Waterman spoke with Chuck Schaden. Hear their full chats at SpeakingOfRadio.com. • Jim Jordan was with Dick Bertel and Ed Corcoran for WTIC’s The Golden Age of Radio. Hear this full interview at Goldenage-WTIC.org.

BW - EP115: The CBS Radio Workshop (1956 - 1957) [Rewind]

This episode was originally released on 5/1/2021. While new episodes of Breaking Walls are on hiatus I'll be going back and posting the older episodes. ____________ In Breaking Walls episode 115, we focus on one of the last experimental programs on the air, The CBS Radio Workshop, and the man at its Hollywood helm, William Froug. We’ll listen to episodes, hear interviews with men and women known and unknown, and find out why this show was so critically acclaimed in its day. —————————— Highlights: • Who is Bill Froug and what does he do? • What do Norman Corwin, Orson Welles, Ray Bradbury, Burgess Meredith, and Bernard Hermann have in common? • Network radio in 1936 • Network radio in 1956 • The CBS Radio Workshop is revived • Season Of Disbelief & Hail And Farewell • A Report on ESP • Subways Are For Sleeping • Winding down the Workshop • Looking ahead to Monitor —————————— The WallBreakers: thewallbreakers.com Subscribe to Breaking Walls everywhere you get your podcasts. To support the show: patreon.com/TheWallBreakers —————————— The reading material used in today’s episode was: On the Air - By John Dunning As well as articles from: Broadcasting Magazine The New York Daily News —————————— On the interview front: • Lilian Buyeff, Don Diamond, John Dehner, Lawrence Dobkin, Bill Froug, Jack Johnstone, Byron Kane, Elliott Lewis, and Peggy Webber were with SPERDVAC. For more information, go to SPERDVAC.com. • Norman Corwin, Virginia Gregg, Carlton E. Morse, Alan Reed, and Russell Thorson spoke with Chuck Schaden. Hear their full chats at SpeakingOfRadio.com. • Bill Robson spoke with Dick Bertel and Ed Corcoran for WTIC’s The Golden Age of Radio. Hear this full interview at Goldenage-WTIC.org. • William Paley spoke while receiving a citation in November of 1958. • Ray Bradbury was interviewed by Jerry Haendiges in October of 1976. —————————— Selected music featured in today’s episode was: • Don’t Fence Me In — By Bing Crosby and The Andrews Sisters • February Sea — By George Winston • Heartbreak Hotel — By Elvis Presley • Seance on a West Afternoon — By John Barry

BW - EP114: Sunday Afternoons at Fort Laramie (1956) [Rewind]

This episode was originally released on 4/1/2021. While new episodes of Breaking Walls are on hiatus I'll be going back and posting the older episodes. ____________ In Breaking Walls episode 114, as America moves to the suburbs in the mid-1950s, we move with them and examine a radio western called Fort Laramie. Although it only aired for ten months, it’s one of the most critically acclaimed western shows the genre ever produced. —————————— Highlights: • The Network Radio Landscape in 1956 • Norman MacDonnell loses Gunsmoke’s TV Production • Who Is William Raymond Stacy Burr and What Has He Really Done? • Launching Fort Laramie • Easter Sunday, 1956 • Lost Child • The Birth of Rock and Roll • Jeanette Nolan’s Stagecoach Stop • The New Recruit • Fort Laramie Dies, Gunsmoke Lives On • Looking Ahead to the CBS Radio Workshop —————————— The WallBreakers: thewallbreakers.com Subscribe to Breaking Walls everywhere you get your podcasts. To support the show: patreon.com/TheWallBreakers —————————— The reading material used in today’s episode was: • On the Air — By John Dunning • Network Radio Ratings, 1932-53 — By Jim Ramsburg As well as articles from • Broadcasting Magazine • The Los Angeles Times —————————— On the interview front: • Eve Arden, Dick Beals, Edgar Bergen and Shirley Mitchell, spoke to Chuck Schaden. Hear their full chats at SpeakingOfRadio.com. • Harry Bartell, Lilian Buyeff, Lawrence Dobkin, Lou Krugman, Jeanette Nolan, and Vic Perrin were with SPERDVAC. For more information, go to SPERDVAC.com. • John Dehner, John Dunkel, Norman MacDonnell and John Meston were with John Hickman for his History of Gunsmoke documentary. • John Dehner and Vic Perrin were with Neill Ross for KMPC. • Jack Kruschen and Shirley Mitchell were with Jim Bohannon. • Raymond Burr was with Jack Webster. —————————— Selected music featured in today’s episode was: • Don’t Fence Me In — By Bing Crosby and The Andrews Sisters • February Sea — By George Winston • Heartbreak Hotel — By Elvis Presley • Seance on a West Afternoon — By John Barry

BW - EP113: A Week With Elliott Lewis in 1953 [Rewind]

This episode was originally released on 3/1/2021. While new episodes of Breaking Walls are on hiatus I'll be going back and posting the older episodes. ____________ In Breaking Walls episode 113 it’s September of 1953 and Elliott Lewis is one of the busiest men in radio. He’s the producer/director of four shows and the star of two. We’ll join him that fall, following for a week to find out what life was like for the man affectionately dubbed by his peers as “Mr. Radio.” —————————— Highlights: • Phil and Alice Court Elliott Lewis • Broadway is My Beat, Still Going Strong • Agnes Moorehead Guest-Stars on Suspense • Finding and Losing Love On Stage • The Very Suspicious Borden Family Murders • Radio’s Golden Age Draws to a Close • Looking Ahead to Go Back in time to Wyoming —————————— The WallBreakers: thewallbreakers.com Subscribe to Breaking Walls everywhere you get your podcasts. To support the show: patreon.com/TheWallBreakers —————————— The reading material used in today’s episode was: • On the Air — By John Dunning • Network Radio Ratings, 1932-53 — By Jim Ramsburg —————————— On the interview front: • Sam Edwards, Alice Faye, Phil Harris, Elliott Lewis, Agnes Moorehead, Arch Oboler, and Paula Winslowe were with Chuck Schaden. Hear their full chats at SpeakingOfRadio.com. • Lilian Buyeff, Mary Jane Croft, Sam Edwards, Betty Lou Gerson, Byron Kane, Lou Krugman, Elliott Lewis, and Jeanette Nolan were with SPERDVAC. For more information, go to SPERDVAC.com. • Elliott Lewis and E. Jack Neuman were with John Dunning for his 71KNUS program from Denver. • Elliott Lewis was also with Dick Bertel and Ed Corcoran for WTIC’s The Golden Age of Radio. Hear this full interview at Goldenage-WTIC.org. • Jack Kruschen, Shirley Mitchell, and George Walsh were with Jim Bohannon. • Morton Fine spoke with Dan Hafele for SPERDVAC in 1988. • WIlliam Conrad spoke with Chris Lambesis. • Norman MacDonnell with John Hickman. • Raymond Burr was with Jack Webster. —————————— Selected music featured in today’s episode was: • Rags to Riches — By Tony Bennett • Manhattan — By Blossom Dearie • Pyramid of the Sun — By Les Baxter • The Venice Dreamer Parts 1 & 2 — By George Winston • I’ll Be Seeing You — By the Harry James Band • Caravan — By Gordon Jenkins