Audiobooks narrated by Harold Peary

Nostalgia Radio’s All-Time Favorites, Vol. 2

Enjoy sixteen of the greatest programs from radio’s golden age and the Hollywood celebrities that starred in them. Nostalgia radio had incredible comedy, mystery, detective, western, sci-fi, musical, and drama shows that kept Americans glued to their radio sets. Families gathered around their living room radios to hear their favorite Hollywood stars in fully-dramatized broadcasts that entertained millions. In this collection of sixteen episodes, you’ll hear “Richard Diamond, Private Detective” with Dick Powell, “Suspense,” starring Gregory Peck, “The Charlie McCarthy Show” with Edgar Bergan and Robert Cummings, “You Bet Your Life” with Groucho Marx, “The Bickersons” with Lew Parker and Frances Langford, “The Great Gildersleeve” with Hal Peary, and many more! The Adv. of Ellery Queen 11/7/45 The Message in Red w/ Sydney SmithThe Bickersons 6/12/51 The Mink Coat w/ Lew Parker and Frances LangfordThe Charlie McCarthy Show 1953 w/ guest, Robert CummingsDavid Harding, Counterspy 6/22/50 The Case of the Frozen FortuneDuffy’s Tavern 11/2/45 w/ guest Dame Mae WittyThe Fred Allen Show 1/13/46 w/ guest, Maurice EvansThe Great Gildersleeve 11/22/42 Thanksgiving Show – “B” Ration BookLife With Luigi 1/29/52 High Standard of Living w/ J. Carrol NaishThe Line-Up 5/29/51 The Hiccupping Hamster Homeostatic Case w/ Bill JohnstoneMolle’ Mystery Theater 3/8/46 Red Wine w/ Ken Lynch and Richard WidmarkMr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons 11/7/52 Murder and the Prize-winning Bull w/ Phillip ClarkeThe Phil Harris & Alice Faye Show 12/25/51 Phil’s Golf GameRichard Diamond, Private Detective 1/11/52 The White Cow Case w/ Dick PowellSuspense 3/21/46 The Lonely Road w/ Gregory PeckTwo Thousand Plus 11/15/50 Alone You Bet Your Life 2/3/58 Secret Word: Chair w/ Groucho Marx

CBS Radio (Author), A Full Cast, Alice Faye, Dick Powell, Edgar Bergen, Fred Allen, Gregory Peck, Harold Peary, J. Caroll Naish, Richard Widmark, Robert Cummings (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Great Gildersleeve, Volume 10

Although the title of the program was The Great Gildersleeve, as much of the charm of the show came from the supporting cast and townsfolk of Summerfield as it did from Gildy. Of course, Leroy and Marjorie, Gildersleeve's charges, and Birdie Lee added a particular spark to the comedic family antics of the show, Summerfield itself boasted a few citizens that also made their mark. From Forrest Peavey, the twangy pharmacist to Leila Ransom, the widow with her sets sight on Gildy, these and more characters helped elevate The Great Gildersleeve from being just another comedy show to one that struck a funny and often loving chord with its audience. Discover why The Great Gildersleeve is not only considered a great comedy, but also one of the best shows of classic radio in this collection of 12 original broadcasts, as they originally aired from March to June 1944. Listen to The Great Gildersleeve, Volume 10, restored to sparkling digital quality.

Nbc Radio (Author), Harold Peary (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Great Gildersleeve, Volume 11

Many of the performers on The Great Gildersleeve would not ring any significant bells with anyone who wasn't an old time radio fan. A few actors, however, went on to rather promising careers from the program. Gale Gordon, known mostly today for his role on I Love Lucy played Gildy's wealthy, pompous neighbor, Rumson Bullard. Jim Backus also portrayed Bullard beginning around 1952, possibly as training for playing another millionaire he'd make famous on Gilligan's Island. Richard Crenna, who portrayed Marjorie's eventual husband Bronco Thompson, went on to have a long and successful movie and television career. Tune in to the twelve original broadcasts in this collection, complete with Kraft Foods commercials, to find out just what sort of love and trouble Gildy gets into. The Great Gildersleeve, Volume 11, restored to sparkling digital quality.

Nbc Radio (Author), Harold Peary (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Great Gildersleeve, Volume 12

Although best remembered as The Great Gildersleeve, Harold Peary was as much a singer by trade as an actor initially. One of his earliest radio roles was on an NBC station in San Francisco. Using both his ability to mimic accents and his singing voice, Peary appeared on air as The Spanish Serenader. Playing off of Peary's singing ability, The Great Gildersleeve introduced a group that often regaled the audience with barbershop quartet type songs. Gildy and his friends, Barber Floyd Munson, Pharmacist Peavey, Judge Hooker, and Police Chief Gates, came together on one episode to provide a club that would be a place for Summerfield's boys to gather and stay out of trouble. What it became, however, was a hall above Munson's barbershop, where Gildy and the others sang around an old piano and drank Coca Cola. Supposed to be a one off gag, the audience loved The Jolly Boys and they became a part of the show. Laughter in the midst of small town life makes The Great Gildersleeve one of the best shows of classic radio. Experience it for yourself in twelve original broadcasts in this collection, presented exactly as broadcast, complete with commercials for Kraft Foods. The Great Gildersleeve, Volume 12, restored to sparkling digital quality.

Nbc Radio (Author), Harold Peary (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Great Gildersleeve, Volume 13

While many radio comedies went for the convenient model of stringing one liners and gags together, and some did this quite successfully, The Great Gildersleeve went in a more difficult direction. The humor in the program not only came from the catchphrases that developed or Gildy's laughter or tumultuous love life. What makes The Great Gildersleeve still humorous to listeners even today was the fact that the comedic moments felt so much like real life. People in the audience knew others like the Jolly Boys or had their own Widow Ransom to deal with, or were raising kids like Leroy and Marjorie. The Great Gildersleeve proved to be a fantastic example of character comedy done right. Discover why The Great Gildersleeve is not only considered a great comedy, but also one of the best shows of classic radio in this collection of twelve original broadcasts, presented as they originally aired, complete with Kraft Foods commercials. The Great Gildersleeve, Volume 13, restored to sparkling digital quality.

Nbc Radio (Author), Harold Peary (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Great Gildersleeve, Volume 14

The Great Gildersleeve, thanks to its writers and actress Lillian Randolph, did something that other shows either shied away from or could not do as successfully. A singer, Randolph was often heard on Al Jolson's radio show. Her big break in radio - landing the part of Birdie on The Great Gildersleeve - was due to a fortunate in-studio fall. When she heard that auditions were being for the part, she raced all the way through the studios at NBC until she burst through the door where the producers were casting the role and promptly tripped and fell on her face. Unscathed, she promptly laughed and stood up. Liking her tenacity and her laugh, Randolph was immediately hired and cast in the role. Listen in as Gildy, Judge Hooker, Birdie and everyone else in Summerfield make laughter and life happen in twelve original broadcasts of The Great Gildersleeve, Volume 14 as they originally aired, complete with Kraft Foods commercials and restored to sparkling digital quality.

Nbc Radio (Author), Harold Peary (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Great Gildersleeve, Volume 15

According to an article in 1949, Hal Peary credited noted actor John Barrymore with being responsible for The Great Gildersleeve. Six months after Fibber McGee and Molly moved to California, Peary was back in Chicago, where he met Barrymore while the latter was in a play. When asked by Barrymore why he'd left Hollywood, Peary stated he was so versatile, he couldn't find enough to occupy him. Barrymore told him that seeking versatility was a mistake, that the character he played on the radio show that would become Gildy was the funniest thing Barrymore had heard on the air. Peary took this to heart, returned to Hollywood, and negotiated for that character to appear weekly on the show. Thus, Gildersleeve was born. Laughter in the midst of small town life makes The Great Gildersleeve one of the best shows of classic radio. Experience it for yourself in twelve original broadcasts of The Great Gildersleeve, Volume 15 as they originally aired, complete with Kraft Foods commercials and restored to sparkling digital quality.

Nbc Radio (Author), Harold Peary (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Great Gildersleeve, Volume 16

Writing team Sam Moore and John Whedon left The Great Gildersleeve in 1947. Although a string of writers came behind them, the core of the show, the true heart of the program didn't shift. Gildersleeve and his family and friends were so fully realized by this point that writers simply had to keep the stories fresh and new in content; the characters were almost alive enough to do that on their own. Even when a new actor took over the lead role, The Great Gildersleeve didn't skip a beat for several years, continuing to turn out stories fans enjoyed and came back each week to hear. Tune in to the twelve original broadcasts of The Great Gildersleeve, Volume 16 as they originally aired, to find out just what sort of love and trouble Gildy gets into. Presented as they originally aired, complete with Kraft Foods commercials and restored to sparkling digital quality.

Nbc Radio (Author), Harold Peary (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Great Gildersleeve, Volume 17

In its sixteen year run, The Great Gildersleeve not only grew from what was simply a two dimensional character into a fully realized show. It also established a whole host of tropes that would influence situation comedies to come, most notably that of the rather crazy relative coming in a time of need to take care of children that aren't his. It also refined some aspects of comedy, including blending what essentially was a small town setting with more sophisticated storytelling. The Great Gildersleeve, like few other shows of its era, proved that comedies weren't simply all about getting laughs. Listen in as Gildy, Judge Hooker, Birdie and everyone else in Summerfield make laughter and life happen in the twelve original broadcasts of The Great Gildersleeve, Volume 17. Presented as they originally aired, complete with Kraft Foods commercials and restored to sparkling digital quality.

Nbc Radio (Author), Harold Peary (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Great Gildersleeve, Volume 18

The Great Gildersleeve had a sixteen-year run on the air. Unlike most comedies, this show changed and shifted in ways that allowed the audience to experience, even grow up with the characters. Listeners tuned in as Leroy and Marjorie grew up, even getting to be a part of Marjorie and Bronco's marriage and the birth of their children. Gildy himself grew from a two dimensional laugh to a fully realized character who experienced the hilarious and even heartbreaking struggle of life and love, the latter several times. This sort of storytelling gave listeners a connection to The Great Gildersleeve that is still present and effective today. Visit Summerfield and laugh with and at The Great Gildersleeve in the in the twelve original broadcasts of The Great Gildersleeve, Volume 18. Presented as they originally aired, complete with Kraft Foods commercials and restored to sparkling digital quality.

Nbc Radio (Author), Harold Peary (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Great Gildersleeve, Volume 3

Volume 3! The Great Gildersleeve is not only a fantastic comedy, but it's also a fascinating study in how a character can evolve. Originally, Gildy was created simply as a comic foil on Fibber McGee and Molly. To give him a reason to move, however, writer Leonard Levinson gave Gildy a suddenly deceased brother who had two children in Summerfield. But this sudden transition to being caregiver and family man didn't happen overnight. Over the years, Gildy becomes less pompous and garrulous, less self-centered, and more focused on not only providing for Leroy and Marjorie, but being a part of something beyond his own front yard. Visit Summerfield and laugh with and at The Great Gildersleeve in the 12 original broadcasts in this collection, restored to sparkling digital quality and presented as they were originally aired.

Nbc Radio (Author), Harold Peary (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Great Gildersleeve, Volume 4

Volume 4! The Great Gildersleeve is not only a fantastic comedy, but it's also a fascinating study in how a character can evolve. Originally, Gildy was created simply as a comic foil on Fibber McGee and Molly. To give him a reason to move, however, writer Leonard Levinson gave Gildy a suddenly deceased brother who had two children in Summerfield. But this sudden transition to being caregiver and family man didn't happen overnight. Over the years, Gildy becomes less pompous and garrulous, less self-centered, and more focused on not only providing for Leroy and Marjorie, but being a part of something beyond his own front yard. Visit Summerfield and laugh with and at The Great Gildersleeve in the 12 original broadcasts in this collection, restored to sparkling digital quality and presented as they were originally aired.

Nbc Radio (Author), Harold Peary (Narrator)

Audiobook

Audiobooks Narrated by Harold Peary