MGM Theatre of the Air - 10 hour set #RA083
Alternative Views:	Join Marlene Dietrich, Margaret O'Brien, Rex Harrison, Celeste Holm, and a host of other stars as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer presents ten full-length Hollywood dramatic favorites in this 10 hour collection, fully restored from original recordings for outstanding audio fidelity. Our Price: $29.98 Availability:: Usually Ships in 24 Hours Product Code: RA083 Qty:

Description List of Shows   The MGM Theatre of the Air "Ars gratia artis" During the postwar years, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, the Tiffany of movie studios, successfully made the leap into the production and distribution of transcribed syndicated radio series, often capitalizing on their many long-running film series as inspiration for program ideas. "The Story of Dr. Kildare", "The Adventures of Maisie", "The Hardy Family", and "Crime Does Not Pay" were just a few of the offerings syndicated to individual radio stations - after being first run on New York's WMGM, owned by Loew's Incorporated and known in the business as "The Call Letters of the Stars." MGM Radio Attractions also attempted to duplicate the success of many of the medium's popular anthology series, particularly "The Lux Radio Theatre", in an effort to beef up falling attendance at movie theaters. Its own showcase, "The MGM Theatre of the Air", dramatized popular films from the studio's vaults, showcasing a big Tinsel Town guest star each week and, on rare occasions, even managing to secure the service of the original performer or performers who had appeared in the movie in the first place. "MGM Theatre of the Air" wasn't able to offer up a "big gun" host like Lux's Cecil B. DeMille, so the series settled instead for Howard Dietz. Though not the legendary self-promoting showman that DeMille was, Dietz was certainly no slouch when it came to his chosen field; he was MGM's vice president at the time and had also made his name as a publicist, lyricist of such tunes as "Dancing in the Dark". "By Myself," and "You and the Night and the Music", and librettist for such Broadway successes as "The Band Wagon" and "Revenge with Music". Assisted by announcer Ed Stokes, Dietz would announce with great fanfare the program's weekly production and guest star, serve as sort of a quasi-narrator throughout the broadcast, and then at the end would chat up the week's star, allowing them to plug their latest project. Like most MGM radio productions - and, in fact, most syndicated series in general - "MGM Theatre of the Air" had a fairly tight budget to work with each week and (if you'll pardon the pun) the lion's share usually went towards securing that week's big name performer. But the production wasn't penny-wise and pound-foolish; they wisely chose the cream of New York radio actors - Gertrude Warner, Eric Dressler, Parker Fennelly, Alice Frost - for supporting roles in each production, expertly adapted by the likes of William Kendall Clark, Welborn Kelly and Joseph Ruscoll. Raymond Cass was the producer, with Marx B. Loeb directing and music composed and conducted by Joel Herron. "MGM Theatre of the Air" premiered over WMGM on October 14, 1949, ran until April 20, 1951, and then spent its retirement in radio syndication. But the series was also heard nationally over Mutual for a year in 1952, a testament to the quality of a show which, like "Dr. Kildare" and other MGM properties, was presented with the typical gloss the studio was known for. This collection features ten representative productions from the series, transferred directly from a series of original MGM Radio Attractions pressings and meticulously restored for your listening enjoyment. Though these may not feature "more stars than there are in Heaven" - that long-time MGM catch phrase - we know you'll find these smooth dramatic productions offer more than enough dramatic power to fill your mind with impressive entertainment.   Average Customer Review: Based on 3 reviewsWrite a review.

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Keep Up the Good Work September 18, 2009 Reviewer: Connie Haddeland   Keep up the good work. I love "The MGM Theatre of the Air"! Was this review helpful to you?

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A Great Series September 18, 2009 Reviewer: Richard Stone   Thank you for making the MGM Theatre of the Air available. I have always considered it a great series -- "Anna Karenina" and "The Citadel" are two of the best radio shows I've ever heard. I'm looking forward to the whole set and cannot wait to hear Basil Rathbone and Lili Palmer in "Queen Christina". Was this review helpful to you?

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A Wonderful Era September 18, 2009 Reviewer: Marshall Ginsburg   Thanks for all you do for the preservation of a wonderful era in broadcasting. Was this review helpful to you?

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