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Aldrich Family (Henry Aldrich) Old Time Radio

30 minute comedy episodes

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Jack Kelk and Ezra Stone

Jack Kelk and Ezra Stone

The Aldrich Family, a popular radio teenage situation comedy (1939-1953), was also presented in films, television and comic books. In the radio series' well-remembered weekly opening exchange, awkward teen Henry's mother called, "Hen-reeeeeeeeeeeee! Hen-ree Al-drich!", and he responded with a breaking adolescent voice, "Com-ing, Mother!". Henry Aldrich was an endearingly bumbling kid growing awkwardly into adolescence, and The Aldrich Family often revolved around Henry's misadventures with the girls and with his friends.

Henry Aldrich was the creation of playwright Clifford Goldsmith. Aldrich began on Broadway as a minor character in Goldsmith's play What a Life. Produced and directed by George Abbott, The actor who brought Henry to life on stage was 20-year-old Ezra Stone, who was billed near the bottom as the 20th actor in the cast. Stone was also employed as the play's production assistant.

When Rudy Vallee saw the play, he asked Goldsmith to adapt it into some sketches for his radio program, and this was followed in 1938 by a 39-week run of a sketch comedy series on The Kate Smith Hour with Stone continuing in the role of Henry. Kate Smith's director, Bob Welsh, is credited with the creation of the "Hen-reeeeeeeeeeeee! Hen-ree Al-drich!" opening, which eventually became one of the most famous signature sounds in radio.

After finding an audience with Kate Smith's listeners, The Aldrich Family was launched in its own series as a summer replacement program for Jack Benny in 1939 on NBC. The Aldriches survived its replacement status and ran from 1939 to 1944. After a brief hiatus, the show moved to CBS, running on Fridays from 1944 until 1946 with sponsors Grape Nuts and Jell-O before moving back to NBC from 1946 to 1951 on Thursdays and, then, as a sustaining program in its final run of September 21, 1952 to April 19, 1953 on Sundays.

The show was a top-ten ratings hit within two years of its birth (in 1941, the show carried a 33.4 Crossley rating, landing it solidly alongside Jack Benny and Bob Hope). Earning $3000 a week, Goldsmith was the highest paid writer in radio, and his show became a prototype for the teen-oriented situation comedies that followed on radio and television.

Stone kept the lead role until 1942, when he entered the Army for World War II. Norman Tokar succeeded Stone as Henry for two seasons. Best known for his later work directing the television hit Leave It to Beaver — whose approach of telling its stories from the vantage point of a child may have been inspired by the similar implication in many Aldrich episodes — Tokar also helped write many of the Aldrich episodes. On The Aldrich Family, Tokar was followed by Dickie Jones (1943–44) and Raymond Ives (1944-45), before Stone returned to his signature role. Bobby Ellis became the last Henry Aldrich in 1952.

Henry's parents, Sam and Alice, were portrayed by House Jameson and Katharine Raht, and his usual girlfriend, Kathleen Anderson was played by Mary Shipp. The role of Henry's best friend, Homer Brown, was played by Jackie Kelk (as well as Jack Grimes, Michael O'Day and John Fiedler). Homer's parents were Arthur Vinton and Agnes Moorehead, among others. Eddie Bracken appeared in the earlier shows as friend Dizzy Stevens. The show's announcers included Harry Von Zell, Dan Seymour and Dwight Weist.



Text from Wikipedia

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Episode List


Af1939-10-03014HenrysBlindDateaka1939-04-07repeat4541949-04-07bettyFieldAsBarbaraPearson.mp3
Af1939-10-10015HenrysEngagementbettyFieldAsBarbaraPearson.mp3
Af1939-10-17016GirlTroubleakaDateMix-up-BettyFieldAsBarbaraPearson.mp3
Af1939-12-19025ChristmasShowrepeatScript4431948-12-23.mp3
Af1940-02-20034PigeonCoops.mp3
Af1940-02-27035CarrierPigeons.mp3
Af1940-04-23043CouponCraze.mp3
Af1940-04-30044ModelAirplane.mp3
Af1940-05-07045MothersDay.mp3
Af1940-05-21047afrsSchoolPicnicaka1945-01-12267afrsDateW2Girls.mp3
Af1940-06-11048CrossCountryRace.mp3
Af1940-09-05060GenerousGentleman1944-01-27222MovieStar.mp3
Af1940-09-12061LostWatchakaHenryLosesGiftWatchFromAuntHarrietreusedScriptFor562.mp3
Af1940-10-31068HalloweenPrankBackfiresakaHalloween.mp3
Af1941-01-23080PenPal.mp3
Af1941-10-23116HenryForgetsToMailLetterakaSoakedLetterToBeMailedByHenry.mp3
Af1941-1943afrsBringingHomeHeadCheesehenryMaryShopping.mp3
Af1942-01-22129Girlfriend.mp3
Af1942-01-29130HenrysSecretAdmirerAkahenrysLoanCoLetter.mp3
Af1942-04-02139AprilFoolsJokeRunsAmokakaReusedScript1948-04-01418.mp3
Af1942-06-11149HomerInvitesHimselfToDinnerakaIsHenrysDateWGladysForDinner.mp3
Af1942-06-18150SellingXmasCardsakaXmasCardsWarBonds.mp3
Af1943-02-11180ValentinesDayParty.mp3
Af1943-02-25182HomersLoveNoteGoesToHenrysTeacher.mp3
Af1943-03-11184LegalTrouble.mp3
Af1943-04-01187WarBondsakaLostInTheSnow.mp3
Af1943-04-15189afrsPropsForTheSchoolPlayhenryCollects...mp3
Af1943-10-07206EverybodySleepsOverakaMovingDayaka1943-10-07aka1943-11-10.mp3
Af1944-01-27222GenerousGentlemanakaMovieStar.mp3
Af1944-03-02227HomersPianoRecital.mp3
Af1944-03-09228WarmestDayInMarch.mp3
Af1944-04-13233CloseThatDoor.mp3
Af1944-04-20234SamHenryBothAwaitCalls.mp3
Af1944-04-27235HenryToReplaceBoxOfChocolatesakaHenryTradesABaseball.mp3
Af1944-05-11237434BabysittingOrMoviesVers1.mp3
Af1944-09-15250HomerIsPopularakaEveryoneIsAskingHomerForADate.mp3
Af1944-11-24260582MccallsBicycleVers1akaMrs.AldrichReturnsABicycleaka1944-11-20WrongDate.mp3
Af1944afrsWastePaperDriveneighborMrsJonesOldClothesalgebra.mp3
Af1945-01-25269ChurchChocolateakaTooMuchChocolate.mp3
Af1946-09-26352MaryHasJoeGrahamOverForDinnerakaRoastDuck.mp3
Af1947-03-13376BirthdayPipe.mp3
Af1947-12-11402SchoolRingakaHenryWantsASchoolRing.mp3
Af1948-05-13424WeddingDayDateWHelenForbes.mp3
Af1948-06-24430HenryPaintsTheGarageakaPaintingTheGarage.mp3
Af1948-09-16431HomersPartyakaRotatingParties.mp3
Af1948-10-07432MarysSurpriseakaMarys1stJobakaHenryRentsOutMarysRoom.mp3
Af1948-10-14433TheGreatWeinerRoast.mp3
Af1948-10-21434237BabysittingOrMoviesVers2akaBabysittingLosing9YrOldWillie.mp3
Af1948-10-28435LeadRoleakaDetentionOrBasketballGame.mp3
Af1948-11-04436HenryBuysAHat.mp3
Af1948-11-11437HerbertsBrokenToyakaTroubleWKathleensFather.mp3
Af1948-11-18438GrabBagAtSpringersHardware.mp3
Af1948-11-25439ThanksgivingDanceTurkeyRun.mp3
Af1948-12-09441477GrouseForDinnerVers1.mp3
Af1948-12-16442478HomersPartyakaHomerHostsWeeklyRotatingPartyaka1949-12-16478WrongDate.mp3
Af1948-12-23443025ChristmasProgramVers2.mp3
Af1948-12-30444NewYearsEvePartyakaMasqueradeParty.mp3
Af1949-01-13446FrenchNotesMixup.mp3
Af1949-01-20447KathleensDinnerakaKathleenHomerBothComeToDinnerakaDinnerDateWKathleen.mp3
Af1949-02-03449ShovelingSnowaka1952Summertime.mp3
Af1949-02-10450GeometryHomeworkakaHenryTheProcrastinator.mp3
Af1949-02-17451MrsAldrichsAntiqueChairs.mp3
Af1949-03-03453PlanningTripToWashingtonDc.mp3
Af1949-04-14459HenryTheShortstop.mp3
Af1949-04-21460HenryTakesGladysToSchoolPlaywheresDrLeaf.mp3
Af1949-04-28461HenryHasADateWithATallGirl.mp3
Af1949-05-05462HomerAcc.EngagedToAgnesvers1EarlierVersionW3rdYrAwardAtProgramEndakaAnniv.OfHomers1stDateWAgnes.mp3
Af1949-05-05462HomerAcc.EngagedToAgnesvers2ReusedScriptButNewVersionakaAnniv.OfHomers1stDateWAgnes.mp3
Af1949-12-09477441GrouseForDinnerVers2.mp3
Af1949afrs-InDrugstoreBrokeUpWithHomerhomerExpectsAHorseFromAgnes.mp3
Af1950-01-26484TheGreatSledRaceakaHenryNotWantedAtSleighRideParty.mp3
Af1950-09-14509ContestToWinMoneyForMotorScooter.mp3
Af1951-04-19540SchoolGossipColumnakaHenryAltersSchoolPaper.mp3
Af1951-06-28550EveryoneExpectsASurpriseParty.mp3
Af1952-09-21551TheBarterSystemakaPaidInCorn.mp3
Af1952-09-28552He-manOrMouseakaPhysicalDevelopment.mp3
Af1952-10-05553TheHaircutNewPixakaClassDebtChairman.mp3
Af1952-10-12554TheBigDealakaTheBirthdayPresentForMom.mp3
Af1952-10-19555TheCampingTrip.mp3
Af1952-10-26556ParentsDay.mp3
Af1952-11-02557TheOverdueLibraryBook.mp3
Af1952-11-09558TheHand-me-downSuitakatheNewSuit.mp3
Af1952-11-16559TheDebatingTeamaka1952-02-21TheDebatingTeam.mp3
Af1952-11-23560TheLastTurkeyakaTheThanksgivingTurkey.mp3
Af1952-11-30561SamAldrichIsSickakaHenrysFatherIsSick.mp3
Af1952-12-07562061LostWatchvers2akaHenryLosesGiftWatchFromAuntHarriet.mp3
Af1952-12-14563RoadsideStandakaRoadsideRefreshmentStand.mp3
Af1952-12-21564ChristmasEveWithTheFamily.mp3
Af1953-03-15576LatinExamakaLatinHomework.mp3
Af1953-04-26582260MccallsBicycleVers2akaMrs.AldrichReturnsABicycleaka1944-11-20WronglyDated.mp3
AfHenrySpillsGlueAtSchool1stLine-EmptyClassroomAtCentralHigh-Footstep.mp3
AfLookingForTuxedosForSchoolFormal1stLine-MrAsBedroom.mp3
AfSidewalkGraffitiCausesTroubleForHenrypoorSound.mp3
AfTheBoysThrowFarewellPartyForGirls.mp3
AfTwinTroubleveryPoorSound.mp3
AfafrsCleaningTheFurnace1stLine-117ElmStreetEveningLr-PutAnyCoalInFurnace...mp3
AfafrsHenryGoesIceSkatingakaTheFruitcake.mp3


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