Old Time Radio. Man oh man. Jack Benny, Amos N Andy, Fibber McGee and Molly. Those were the days. I have a confession to make. I auditioned to be the very first Shadow. Lost out. My voice was too high. They gave it to grumbling William Conrad, who went on to TV fame as Cannon.
How about Orson Welles Mercury Theater's presentations of War of the Worlds? Man, were people fooled. I was actually cast as one of the Martians. I was supposed to cackle. But ultimately Welles decided no Martians would be heard. Damn shame. I worked on my cackle for weeks.
Every night entire families would gather around this magical appliance and have their imaginations engaged. Then TV arrived and everything was just presented to us. We didn't need to imagine anything. I auditioned for Tonto in The Lone Ranger, but lost out because I couldn't mount a horse. Damn. I was this close.
I'm an old man now and I find myself staring at the radio as depressing news drones on. I think about what has been lost. Then again, without TV we wouldn't have Sophia Vergarra's Boom Booms or J Lo's caboose. I may be old, but I'm not dead.
