Radio Host Takes Heights Residents Back to the Golden Age

Imagine life without your flat-screen television, without cable, without surround sound. 

Now imagine hearing voices through a box and imagining a face for those voices. What did Green Hornet look like? How about the Whistler? Can any movie come up with a scarier image than your own imagination?

Steve Darnall, host of "Those Were The Days" on WDCB, spoke to guests at the , giving a glimpse of history through radio broadcasts from the '30s and '40s. A glimpse he himself was once privy to.

“I was 12 years old when my father turned me on to this program called 'Those Were The Days,'" Darnall explained, going on to highlight all of the great aspects of radio. "It was not only entertaining but it was fascinating. There was a live audience; there was an orchestra, an announcer talking one on one. It was wonderful. It is cheap time travel. From then on, radio and I have been inseparable.”

For more than an hour Steve Darnall spoke about the history of old-time radio shows. He revealed rarely remembered facts, such as "The Lone Ranger" and "The Green Hornet" coming out of Detroit, and "Little Orphan Annie" and "Ma Perkins" having been broadcast over WGN in Chicago.  

“There were some shows produced in unusual places; one of the most famous examples is 'The Whistler,'" Darnall explained. "'The Whistler' was a west coast program Chicago residents never heard. Now, through radio’s golden age, people are hearing this for the first time."

Darnall said a favorite among children, which first broadcast in 1937, is "The Cinnamon Bear." The series is meant to be a holiday listen, played between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Next year will be the 75th anniversary of the classic.

“My sister told me about a repairman that came to her home," Darnell said. "He told her he loves old-time radio. When he was younger he played 'Cinnamon Bear' for his daughter in childhood. She would often fall asleep to the adventures of Paddy O’Cinnamon."

As Darnell told the story, it became increasing clear how relevant the radio shows from 70 and 80 years ago can still be.

"Now, his daughter went off to college," he continued. "As a freshman in college, when midterms came up, it was hard to get some sleep, so she would put 'Cinnamon Bear' on and fall asleep. Of course, now she has three roommates, who are all 18 years old. They ask her, 'what is this? Who is Paddy O’Cinnamon?' Now these college girls are hooked."

But, just like with any radio show, there is always a tug-of-war when it comes to what gets played and when, Darnell said.

"You also learn you can’t please everybody," he added. "First year, I played 'Cinnamon Bear' because I wanted to. The mail comes. 'We hear this all the time,' people write in. So the next year I give 'Cinnamon Bear' a rest and get piles of letters asking 'what did you do? Is Cinnamon Bear Dead? What Happened?'”

Steve Darnall brought his own radio, and with it he brought sound clips to be shared with his audience in the lower level of the library. As various shows played they smiled, they laughed and some even knew the lines. 

“Radio was fun," Chicago Heights resident Kathy Kemp said. "I love hearing about the old shows. There is something about radio that warms your heart. I am fortunate I grew up on radio instead of television.”

Darnall spoke about how old movie houses and how they had to promise to stop any shows at 7 p.m. so the audience could listen to "Amos & Andy." Radio comedy was king, and it brought about rare smiles in the face of the Great Depression and the difficult years that followed it. 

“Bob Hope had a different style of comedy," Darnall said.  "Hope was known for being brash and quick witted. He had a fast delivery, he told jokes quickly. To not laugh at Bob Hope is like spitting on the flag, you just weren’t going to do it.”

As Steve Darnall finished radio clips for his audience he began to talk about the modern era.

“I think it’s great old time radio and new technology co-exist," he said. "A lot of things considered generational barriers can be found thanks to the Internet. Someone 14 years old now doesn’t think twice about hearing something from 1980, 1950, 1930 or 2011. Everything is available."

Steve Darnall is the host of 'Those Were The Days' on Saturdays from 1 to 5 p.m. on WDCB-FM/90.9, also on the Internet Sundays from noon to 2 p.m. at www.yesterdayusa.com.

You may also subscribe to Nostalgia Digest at www.nostalgiadigest.com to learn more about old-time radio.