The American Family Robinson
Step into the fictional town of Centerville and meet the Robinson family—Luke, Myra, Betty, and Bob—in this rare and fascinating "slice of life" radio series. Originally distributed free to stations across the country starting in 1935 by the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), The American Family Robinson offers a unique window into the social and political debates of Depression-era America. Each 15-minute episode unfolds the everyday conflicts of a typical American household, but with a deliberate twist: the Robinsons were crafted to promote NAM's pro-business perspective, often pitting workers against business owners and subtly countering Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal policies. This complete digital collection includes 93 recordings spanning both the 1934 and 1940 versions of the series, totaling over 22 hours of audio—a treasure for students of radio history, political propaganda, and classic drama.
Collection Highlights
- Explore over 22 hours of 15-minute episodes that capture the Robinson family navigating workplace accidents, factory riots, marital strife, and even a Bridge Club boycott—all in service of a larger ideological message.
- Witness the series' evolution across two distinct eras: the late Depression years and the brink of World War II, when NAM shifted themes to address government takeover of industry, wartime taxes, and business regulation.
- Hear the Robinson family undergo a "makeover" as the show's propaganda mission intensified, making this collection a compelling case study in corporate-sponsored radio and the battle over public opinion in the 1930s and '40s.
Track Listing
Show all 186 tracks (22 hours, 31 min)
- American Family Robinson 1934 001
- American Family Robinson 1934 023
- American Family Robinson 1934 024
- American Family Robinson 1934 025
- American Family Robinson 1934 026
- American Family Robinson 1934 027
- American Family Robinson 1934 028
- American Family Robinson 1934 029
- American Family Robinson 1934 030
- American Family Robinson 1934 031
- American Family Robinson 1934 032
- American Family Robinson 1934 033
- American Family Robinson 1934 034
- American Family Robinson 1934 035
- American Family Robinson 1934 036
- American Family Robinson 1934 037
- American Family Robinson 1934 038
- American Family Robinson 1934 039
- American Family Robinson 1934 040
- American Family Robinson 1934 041
- American Family Robinson 1934 042
- American Family Robinson 1934 043
- American Family Robinson 1934 044
- American Family Robinson 1934 045
- American Family Robinson 1934 046
- American Family Robinson 1934 047
- American Family Robinson 1934 048
- American Family Robinson 1934 049
- American Family Robinson 1934 050
- American Family Robinson 1934 051
- American Family Robinson 1934 052
- American Family Robinson 1934 053
- American Family Robinson 1934 054
- American Family Robinson 1934 055
- American Family Robinson 1934 056
- American Family Robinson 1934 057
- American Family Robinson 1934 058
- American Family Robinson 1934 059
- American Family Robinson 1934 060
- American Family Robinson 1934 061
- American Family Robinson 1934 062
- American Family Robinson 1934 063
- American Family Robinson 1934 068
- American Family Robinson 1934 069
- American Family Robinson 1934 070
- American Family Robinson 1934 071
- American Family Robinson 1934 074
- American Family Robinson 1934 075
- American Family Robinson 1934 076
- American Family Robinson 1934 084
- American Family Robinson 1934 085
- American Family Robinson 1934 086
- American Family Robinson 1934 087
- American Family Robinson 1934 090
- American Family Robinson 1934 091
- American Family Robinson 1934 122
- American Family Robinson 1934 123
- American Family Robinson 1934 140
- American Family Robinson 1934 141
- American Family Robinson 1940 004
- American Family Robinson 1940 005
- American Family Robinson 1940 006
- American Family Robinson 1940 052
- American Family Robinson 1940 053
- American Family Robinson 1940 054
- American Family Robinson 1940 055
- American Family Robinson 1940 064
- American Family Robinson 1940 065
- American Family Robinson 1940 068
- American Family Robinson 1940 069
- American Family Robinson 1940 070
- American Family Robinson 1940 071
- American Family Robinson 1940 072
- American Family Robinson 1940 073
- American Family Robinson 1940 074
- American Family Robinson 1940 075
- American Family Robinson 1940 076
- American Family Robinson 1940 077
- American Family Robinson 1940 078
- American Family Robinson 1940 079
- American Family Robinson 1940 080
- American Family Robinson 1940 081
- American Family Robinson 1940 082
- American Family Robinson 1940 083
- American Family Robinson 1940 126
- American Family Robinson 1940 127
- American Family Robinson 1940 128
- American Family Robinson 1940 129
- American Family Robinson 1940 204
- American Family Robinson 1940 256
- American Family Robinson 1940 257
- American Family Robinson 1940 258
- American Family Robinson 1940 259
- American Family Robinson 1934 001
- American Family Robinson 1934 023
- American Family Robinson 1934 024
- American Family Robinson 1934 025
- American Family Robinson 1934 026
- American Family Robinson 1934 027
- American Family Robinson 1934 028
- American Family Robinson 1934 029
- American Family Robinson 1934 030
- American Family Robinson 1934 031
- American Family Robinson 1934 032
- American Family Robinson 1934 033
- American Family Robinson 1934 034
- American Family Robinson 1934 035
- American Family Robinson 1934 036
- American Family Robinson 1934 037
- American Family Robinson 1934 038
- American Family Robinson 1934 039
- American Family Robinson 1934 040
- American Family Robinson 1934 041
- American Family Robinson 1934 042
- American Family Robinson 1934 043
- American Family Robinson 1934 044
- American Family Robinson 1934 045
- American Family Robinson 1934 046
- American Family Robinson 1934 047
- American Family Robinson 1934 048
- American Family Robinson 1934 049
- American Family Robinson 1934 050
- American Family Robinson 1934 051
- American Family Robinson 1934 052
- American Family Robinson 1934 053
- American Family Robinson 1934 054
- American Family Robinson 1934 055
- American Family Robinson 1934 056
- American Family Robinson 1934 057
- American Family Robinson 1934 058
- American Family Robinson 1934 059
- American Family Robinson 1934 060
- American Family Robinson 1934 061
- American Family Robinson 1934 062
- American Family Robinson 1934 063
- American Family Robinson 1934 068
- American Family Robinson 1934 069
- American Family Robinson 1934 070
- American Family Robinson 1934 071
- American Family Robinson 1934 074
- American Family Robinson 1934 075
- American Family Robinson 1934 076
- American Family Robinson 1934 084
- American Family Robinson 1934 085
- American Family Robinson 1934 086
- American Family Robinson 1934 087
- American Family Robinson 1934 090
- American Family Robinson 1934 091
- American Family Robinson 1934 122
- American Family Robinson 1934 123
- American Family Robinson 1934 140
- American Family Robinson 1934 141
- American Family Robinson 1940 004
- American Family Robinson 1940 005
- American Family Robinson 1940 006
- American Family Robinson 1940 052
- American Family Robinson 1940 053
- American Family Robinson 1940 054
- American Family Robinson 1940 055
- American Family Robinson 1940 064
- American Family Robinson 1940 065
- American Family Robinson 1940 068
- American Family Robinson 1940 069
- American Family Robinson 1940 070
- American Family Robinson 1940 071
- American Family Robinson 1940 072
- American Family Robinson 1940 073
- American Family Robinson 1940 074
- American Family Robinson 1940 075
- American Family Robinson 1940 076
- American Family Robinson 1940 077
- American Family Robinson 1940 078
- American Family Robinson 1940 079
- American Family Robinson 1940 080
- American Family Robinson 1940 081
- American Family Robinson 1940 082
- American Family Robinson 1940 083
- American Family Robinson 1940 126
- American Family Robinson 1940 127
- American Family Robinson 1940 128
- American Family Robinson 1940 129
- American Family Robinson 1940 204
- American Family Robinson 1940 256
- American Family Robinson 1940 257
- American Family Robinson 1940 258
- American Family Robinson 1940 259
