Remembering 1951: The Post-War Economic Boom Reaches Its Peak
Step back into a pivotal year when America was humming with prosperity, unemployment dipped to a sunny 3.3%, and the nation was hitting the road in bigger, shinier cars. Yet beneath the optimism lay the shadow of the Korean War, the dawn of the Atomic Age, and the first stirrings of a cultural revolution. This collection of 50 vintage radio recordings captures 1951 as it truly was—a year of dramatic contrasts, from the Senate floor to the studio floor, all preserved in over 23 hours of timeless audio.
Collection Highlights
- Headlines That Shook the World: Hear the raw audio of President Truman relieving General Douglas MacArthur, the legendary "Shot Heard 'Round the World" with Russ Hodges calling the Giants' pennant win, and Edward R. Murrow reporting from the frontlines of a frozen war.
- Radio’s Golden Hour in Twilight: This was the year beloved series like The Adventures of Sam Spade, Philip Marlowe, and The Fat Man signed off, while I Love Lucy debuted on television—a seismic shift you can hear in these final, masterful broadcasts.
- A Cultural Crossroads: From the eerie sci-fi of Dimension X and Escape to the birth of Rock and Roll (Jackie Brenston’s “Rocket 88” was cut that March), plus the iconic voices of Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, and Jack Benny, this collection captures a nation at a crossroads between radio’s past and television’s future.
Track Listing
Show all 100 tracks (23 hours, 38 min)
- Archie Andrews 510527 Babysitting To Earn Money
- Bergen McCarthy 510600
- Big Show 510225 Jack Haley And Paul Kelly
- Bill Stern 510629 606 Final Show For Colgate
- Bing Crosby 510502 Walter O'Kieff
- Bob Hope 510605 498 Johnny Desmond
- Bob Ray 510601 Diet Expert Dr. Claudis Von Sturdley
- BV 510528 10 Sailor Is Framed for Murder
- COTY 510913 0921 The Landlady
- Defense Rests 510417 Client Joseph Moriano
- Dimension X 510712 39 TimeAndTimeAgain
- Dragnet 510208 e087 Big Cast
- Duffys 510216 397 Archie Hypnotist
- Escape 510114 141 Bullet For Mr Smith Afrs
- FMM 510515 0661 Hole In One
- GG 510411 401 Gildy Worried That Kids Want To Leave
- Guest Star 510318 0208 First Of April
- If Freedom Fails 01 1951 Matter Fact G Peck R Burr
- Jack Benny 510114 2219 King Solomon 2o2
- LR 510205 Rough Diamonds
- Man Called X 510113 14 Five Ounces Of Treason
- My Favorite Husband 510324 124 Iris And Lizs Easter
- Mysterious Traveler 510828 319 Fire In The Sky
- News 510112 CBS Hear It Now
- News 510202 CBS News Don Hollenbeck
- News 510320 CBS Edward R Murrow UN Troops Stiff Opposition
- News 510411 CBS KOOK Truman MacArthur Interruption
- News 510411 MBS Truman MacArthur Commentary
- News 510419 CBS MacArthur Congress
- News 510419 Douglas MacArthur Old Soldiers
- News 510420 CBS Hear It Now
- News 510629 NBC Bill Sterns Sports Newsrl Final Show Colgate
- News 511003 WMCA The Shot Russ Hodges
- News 511025 CBS Edward R Murrow News
- News 511104 MBS UN Radio Windows World Fairbanks Corwin
- News 51xxxx 2UW These Were Their Yesterdays ep42 HMAS Sydney
- News 51xxxx AFRS Special Troop Infor 103 We Take Our Stand
- News 51xxxx NBC 25th Anniversary Silver Jubilee Broadcast
- Our Miss Brooks 510318 123 Miss Enright's Birthday Party
- Philip Marlowe 510915 Sound And Unsound
- Proudly We Hail 511209 e166 Terror At Polgar
- Red Skelton Show 510408 319 Town Social
- Richard Diamond 510216 086 The Gray Man
- Saint 510325 Intruder
- Sam Spade 510202 C012 String of Death Caper
- Sdp 510315 E094 Thelma Jordan
- Susp 510405 423 Murder In G Flat
- Truman 510507 Address At Dinner Of Civil Defense Conference
- Whistler 510107 449 Hit And Run
- YTJD 511013 118 Millard Ward
- Archie Andrews 510527 Babysitting To Earn Money
- Bergen McCarthy 510600
- Big Show 510225 Jack Haley And Paul Kelly
- Bill Stern 510629 606 Final Show For Colgate
- Bing Crosby 510502 Walter O'Kieff
- Bob Hope 510605 498 Johnny Desmond
- Bob Ray 510601 Diet Expert Dr. Claudis Von Sturdley
- BV 510528 10 Sailor Is Framed for Murder
- COTY 510913 0921 The Landlady
- Defense Rests 510417 Client Joseph Moriano
- Dimension X 510712 39 TimeAndTimeAgain
- Dragnet 510208 e087 Big Cast
- Duffys 510216 397 Archie Hypnotist
- Escape 510114 141 Bullet For Mr Smith Afrs
- FMM 510515 0661 Hole In One
- GG 510411 401 Gildy Worried That Kids Want To Leave
- Guest Star 510318 0208 First Of April
- If Freedom Fails 01 1951 Matter Fact G Peck R Burr
- Jack Benny 510114 2219 King Solomon 2o2
- LR 510205 Rough Diamonds
- Man Called X 510113 14 Five Ounces Of Treason
- My Favorite Husband 510324 124 Iris And Lizs Easter
- Mysterious Traveler 510828 319 Fire In The Sky
- News 510112 CBS Hear It Now
- News 510202 CBS News Don Hollenbeck
- News 510320 CBS Edward R Murrow UN Troops Stiff Opposition
- News 510411 CBS KOOK Truman MacArthur Interruption
- News 510411 MBS Truman MacArthur Commentary
- News 510419 CBS MacArthur Congress
- News 510419 Douglas MacArthur Old Soldiers
- News 510420 CBS Hear It Now
- News 510629 NBC Bill Sterns Sports Newsrl Final Show Colgate
- News 511003 WMCA The Shot Russ Hodges
- News 511025 CBS Edward R Murrow News
- News 511104 MBS UN Radio Windows World Fairbanks Corwin
- News 51xxxx 2UW These Were Their Yesterdays ep42 HMAS Sydney
- News 51xxxx AFRS Special Troop Infor 103 We Take Our Stand
- News 51xxxx NBC 25th Anniversary Silver Jubilee Broadcast
- Our Miss Brooks 510318 123 Miss Enright's Birthday Party
- Philip Marlowe 510915 Sound And Unsound
- Proudly We Hail 511209 e166 Terror At Polgar
- Red Skelton Show 510408 319 Town Social
- Richard Diamond 510216 086 The Gray Man
- Saint 510325 Intruder
- Sam Spade 510202 C012 String of Death Caper
- Sdp 510315 E094 Thelma Jordan
- Susp 510405 423 Murder In G Flat
- Truman 510507 Address At Dinner Of Civil Defense Conference
- Whistler 510107 449 Hit And Run
- YTJD 511013 118 Millard Ward
