Classic Radio 10-15-26 - The Village of Doom, Seeds of Disaster, and Smart Boy

Wyatt Cox (0:10)

Now, the greatest radio shows of all time.

SPEAKER_2 (0:14)

Suspense, The Shadow Node, Washington Calling, David Harding, Counter Spy, Classic Radio Theater, The Great Yildir Slave, Fibber McGee and Molly, Dragnet, Gunsmoke, The Lone Ranger.

Wyatt Cox (0:28)

Now, step back into our time machine with your host, Wyatt Cox.

SPEAKER_3 (0:34)

Good evening, friends of the Inner Sanctum.

Wyatt Cox (0:39)

Prime on a Thursday, episodes of The Shadow, Suspense, The Whistler, Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar and Claudia. That's all straight ahead on this. You're happy it's Thursday, 15th day of October, 288th day of the year, 77 days left in 2026 The Edison Electric Light Company began operation on this date in 1878 It had been since, outside of Paris, Dutch dancer Matahari executed by firing squad on this date in 1917 for spying for Germany.

The airship, the Graf Zeppelin, completed its first transatlantic flight on this date in 1928, and it landed at Lakers, New Jersey. The New York Municipal Airport dedicated on this date in 1939, it will later become known as LaGuardia Airport. A satirical social commentary film, The Great Dictator by Charlie Chaplin released on this date in 1940

SPEAKER_5 (1:39)

I'm sorry, but I don't want to be an emperor.

SPEAKER_6 (1:42)

That's not my business.

SPEAKER_7 (1:44)

I don't want to rule or conquer anyone.

Wyatt Cox (1:46)

Chaplin's Great Dictator released on this date in 1940 I Love Lucy premiered on this date in 1951

SPEAKER_8 (1:55)

Ethel, how could you ever think up a sneaky scheme like that? Who do you think you are?

Wyatt Cox (2:02)

Me? Of course, the roots of I Love Lucy came from my favorite husband, and the team that eventually led that show to success in its final years came over to make I Love Lucy. Now, in 2012, it was named Best TV Show of All Time in a survey conducted by ABC News and People Magazine. Fortran, the first modern computer language first shared with the coding community on this date in 1956

I learned Fortran in high school and always ran around with a stack of computer punch cards. That's how we programmed in those days. Released on this date in 1961, Smokey Robinson and the Miracle Shop Around. Now, Smokey Robinson told this story of how the hit was recorded in an early morning session by Barry Gordy.

SPEAKER_9 (2:54)

The record had been on for about two weeks. And about 3 o'clock one morning, Barry calls me up and he says, hey, man, what's happening? I said, what's happening? What time is it? 3 o'clock in the morning? What's happening? He said, yeah, he said, I want you to get the group together and come to the studio right now. So I said, Barry, I said, wait a minute, man, it's 3 o'clock in the morning. He said, because for two days I have not been able to sleep and I keep thinking about the Chopin record and I want to change it. I want to change the beat on that. And I want you to get the group together. And I've already called all the musicians and bring the group to the studio. We're going to re-record it right now.

So I said, okay, I got up. I got all the group together. We went over there and everybody showed up with the exception of the piano player and Barry played the piano on the record himself. And we re-recorded Shopping Round and his idea of it, you know. And it was a big, big smash hit, of course. I've never regretted getting up, going over there to do that, you know.

I'm so happy that he did that.

Wyatt Cox (4:23)

The National Coordinating Committee to End the War in Vietnam staged the first public burning of a draft card in the US on this date in 1965 And that resulted in an arrest under a new law.

Black Panther Party created on this date in 1966 by Huey Newton and Bobby Seale. And it was on this date in 1969, hundreds of thousands of people took part in national moratorium anti-war demonstrations across the US. Among those to speak, Mrs. Martin Luther King, Jr. Tonight, we are saying that we as the American people have taken up the night watch.

SPEAKER_10 (5:06)

And we have moved to break the betrayal of our own silences. We have seen the plunder of thousands of villages.

We know of the destruction of life and spirit and hope. And we recognize that the only solution that is fitting to the problem is to bring the boys home.

Wyatt Cox (5:33)

Mrs. Martin Luther King, Jr. on this date in 1969

In 1990, Soviet Union leader Mikhail Gorbachev awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to lessen Cold War tensions and open up his nation. Fears over apparent anthrax mailing grew on this date in 2001 when a letter containing anthrax turned up at Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle's office. Daschle would not be deterred.