lux radio theatre

Arts

Lux Radio Theatre 1934-1955

This was one of few sixty-minute broadcasts and was the most important dramatic show in radio. The 931 episodes broadcast were all based on popular films with the biggest stars of Hollywood playing the parts and during its heyday the audience was estimated as high as forty million.

The one-and-only Cecil B. DeMille was your host (1936-45) for a lavish production of what was to become a veritable film checklist of many of Hollywoods best films from the mid-30s right through the mid 50s. Every genre is included, from darkest noir crime dramas to historical epics to bubbly musicals and broad comedies. There are some titles that are less known today, and that makes them even more historical.

The stars of the movie are usually in the productions, although sometimes contracts or schedules meant that another star took the part. In some another star would be featured in one of the major roles. The productions were live, with full orchestra, and many Hollywood legends were unused to performing in public without the benefit of retakes. Needless to say, the performances in every show are singular.

The Lux Radio Theatre is a masterpiece in OTRs crown, and each show is a historical time capsule that takes us back to the glamour of the Golden Age of Hollywood.