The Aldrich Family 97 Eps
Various
(97 Episodes) THE BEST sitcom BY FAR!! "The Aldrich Family" is one of those really GREAT and TIMELESS Old Time Radio sitcoms that make you laugh every time you listen to it. The main characters (created by Clifford Goldsmith) never age. Henry Aldrich (portrayed by Ezra Stone, Vic Jones and Bobby Ellis) is one of those types of teenagers everyone has met at sometime during life, as is his best buddy, Homer Brown (Jackie Kelk, Jack Grimes, Johnny Fieldler). More characters: Mary (Henry's sister); Alice and Sam Aldrich (his parents, played by House Jamieson, Katherine Ross and Barbara Robbins); Aunt Harriet; Dizzy & Herbert (Henry's buddies); Joe Graham (Mary's boyfriend); Homer's girlfriend (Agnes - May 1949). Henry's girlfriends: Constance Marshall , Barbara Pearson (Oct 1939, played by Betty Field); Nancy Adams (Sep 1940), Eleanore Wentworth (Oct 1941), Cynthia (May 1948), Kathleen(Jan 1949), Gladys (Apr 1949). The words: "Hen - Reeeeeeeeeey! HEN - REEEEY ALD - rich!!!! - "COM - miiiiing Moth - er!!"... immediatly bring to mind a pimply-faced, squeaky-voiced teenage boy - the junior high school science nerd. ... the boy who wants to be everyone's best friend ... so, he generally ends up with a whole heap of people upset with him over something he has done, to make that happen. The scene opens .... OTR * def gp ddh
This recording is part of the Old Time Radio collection.
Chapters
Reviews
Genesis of Henry Aldrich
Spelvin
It might have started on the radio on the Kate Smith show, but the real birth of The Aldrich Family was a Broadway play of 1938 called WHAT A LIFE! by Clifford Goldsmith. That was the basis for the radio series. There was then a movie version of the play, followed by a series of movies. Like so many other radio shows, there was a television version in the early Fifties. During the radio-TV years, there was even a Dell comic book, called "Henry Aldrich Comics." There aren't many things in history that can lay claim to having appeared in that many media, so it must have had something going for it.
Classic old-time radio
Moongleam
Funny and entertaining depiction of a naive and inexperienced teenager who has impractical schemes and plans. Some of my favorites: 1940-04-30 #044 Model Airplane 1940-06-11 #048 Cross Country Race 1940-09-12 #061 & #562 Lost Watch (Vers 1) 1949-04-21 #460 Henry Takes Gladys To School Play 1948-11-18 #438 Grab Bag at Springer's Hardware 1943-03-11 #184 Legal Trouble Regarding EasyAceMCMLV: He says that he can't stand this show, and yet he takes the time and trouble to think about it, to come here, to read the reviews, and to write about it. Not very bright. "teenager who sounded like he didn't have two brain cells to rub together" Do you think that EasyAceMCMLV came up with "two brain cells to rub together"? No. He doesn't have the mental capacity for that. He copied that from someone else. He's made extremely uncomfortable by what he perceives as Henry Aldrich's substandard intellect because it reminds him that his own intellect is substandard. "his mother sounding old enough to be his grandmother" Not correct English. Better: "his mother's sounding old enough to be his grandmother" This statement is absurd and completely false; the mother sounds the right age.
The Best Comedy Radio Show I've ever seen.
wolski888
Great to see it free here. And to think people charge others to download these on other websites. Let me share you the story on how I got to listening to this. My brother and I were sitting in the car waiting for our father. The car was new and came with a free 1 month XM radio subscription. So we could listen to anything. One station had old radio shows in the 40's so we tried listening to anything that was interesting. And what do you know, we were listening to The Aldrich Family. And loved it. I mostly only like the ones starring Ezra Stone, and Jackie Kelk, and the original Mr. and Mrs. Aldrich. It is not the same without that cast. Thanks for the downloads! Anyone know if there are any more different ones? :D
The Aldrich Family
Holly413
I've been listening to OTR since I was a teenager. Now 30+ years later I'm able to listen to what shows I enjoy most when I'd like to hear them. I listen mainly to the comedies most every night. These shows have gotten me through what would be sleepless nights. I specifically wanted to thank you for streaming The Aldrich Family. It's my personal favorite and here I found about 50 episodes I'd not heard before after searching quite extensively. I truly appreciate your collection.
The Kate Smith Connection
EasyAceMCMLV
robertsradio---Yes, Kate Smith first presented the Aldriches. I've never forgiven Kate Smith for that. (Sorry---I never could wrap around an adenoidal teenager who sounded like he didn't have two brain cells to rub together on his best days, or his mother sounding old enough to be his grandmother . . .)
The Aldrich Family
jake13
Agree about the origins of the character Henry Aldrich. Those iconic words: "Hen - Reeeeeeeeeey! HEN - REEEEY ALD - rich!!!! we uttered by by none other than Lea Penman in the play "What a Life" by George Abbott in 1938.
Help for a neighbor
websiteBob
I'm looking for two episodes of the Aldrich Family # 510 and #538. My neighbor play in both episodes as a little girl and would really love to hear them again
A Great Collection
robertsradio
It's Great to find this many episodes of The Aldrich Family. I've wondered if the show first originated on the Kate Smith Hour, does anyone know?