Before the Internet and its social connections such as YouTube, even before television – live or streaming – there was radio. Many Saturday mornings and weekday afternoons or evenings, I had the time to listen to distant sounds and, with a vivid imagination, see them come alive. Although I’ve forgotten a program’s content, the theme songs which introduced each one are still able to activate a synapse or two.
Programs in the afternoon were usually produced for teenage listeners. This was the time for Superman and Mark Trail. Saturday mornings was dedicated to Let’s Pretend and, for some strange reason, Grand Central Station. Evenings were for variety shows like Fred Allen and Your Hit Parade. Of course there were also comedies like Jimmy Durante and Fibber McGee and Molly. My evening favorites, however, were playhouse productions with real drama or mysteries with fake drama. Do you remember the short walk to the Little Theater Off Times Square?
There is no reason to include a listing of all of the theme songs from the forties and early fifties. If you click on the link below, you should be able to hear some of them. If you’re too young to remember them, I hope you might find them amusing, anyway. Welcome to being surprised!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_d8Pj36RuR0&ab_channel=PatCamerino