Tarzan Series, Apes, Jungle, Tohr, 1,173 Old Time Radio Action Episodes DVD

Don't be fooled by other collections that claim to contain more episodes.  Many of these shows were aired on multiple dates in reruns, so you have plenty of sellers out there padding their collections with reruns!  We feature all known episodes in existence and do not add "fluff" to our collections to increase our claimed episode count like many others. 

NOTICE: This collection is all in MP3 format supplied on DVD.  You play this in your computer and then can copy all the MP3 files to your MP3 player of choice.  This DVD will NOT play in a regular CD player in your car, or your TV's DVD player, it is intended for your computer only which will allow you to transfer the MP3 files to any device that can play MP3's.  This collection remains the largest most original collection on ebay.

Tarzan Series:

The initial radio Tarzan originated at WOR in New York City and was syndicated by the World Broadcasting System. Production later switched to Hollywood, California. The series was broadcast September 12, 1932 - March 3, 1934.

Tarzan was played by James Pierce, who portrayed the title character in the film Tarzan and the Golden Lion (1927).  Jane was played by Joan Burroughs, daughter of Edgar Rice Burroughs, creator of the Tarzan stories. The program's writer prepared scripts using material from the original Tarzan books, and Burroughs himself revised each script as needed for accuracy.

This version of Tarzan was notable for the extent of distribution of a recorded program. Jim Cox, in his book, Radio Crime Fighters: More Than 300 Programs from the Golden Age, wrote: "The first Tarzan show, produced and recorded by American Radio Features, set a distinct precedent in U.S. radio. It was actually the premier feature prerecorded and distributed to local broadcasters throughout the nation and overseas."

The youth-oriented program included two elements that were often found in other programs aimed at a young audience: a club centered on the central character and premiums that could be obtained by sending in elements such as labels or box tops from the sponsor's products. In the first 30 days after the Signal Tarzan Club was launched by sponsor Signal Oil, 15,000 youngsters from California signed up for it. During the club's first year, membership reached 125,000. Another sponsor, Fould's Milling Company of Chicago, received 93,000 package ends of its products in eight weeks through WBBM in Chicago and CKOK in the Windsor/Detroit market. The proofs of purchase were submitted to obtain "plaster of paris statuettes of various characters in the Tarzan series."

Tarzan and the Diamond of Asher (1934-1935) and Tarzan and the Fires of Tohr (1935-1936) applied a serial structure to the Tarzan episodes, with one story line in each of the two seasons. Andy Briggs, in his book, The Savage Lands, wrote, "Tarzan radio serials thrilled millions of listeners across the country."

An anecdote from Dayton, Ohio, demonstrated the popularity of the second Tarzan radio series -- especially when its appeal was combined with the opportunity for a free viewing of the film The New Adventures of Tarzan. The trade publication Broadcasting reported that radio station WHIO joined with sponsoring milk dealers and producers to offer a showing of the film with one milk cap as admission. The result: "By curtain time more than 15,000 children were lined up for several blocks on each side of the movie house." The theater added two showings to accommodate the crowd.

Lets Pretend:

Originally known as Aunt Jymmie and Her Tots in Tottyville, Let’s Pretend was an award-winning children’s show created in October 1928 by CBS Director for Children’s Programs Nila Mack. Aired every Saturday morning, the show featured various fairy tales, which were narrated by Aunt Jymmie to a group of young kids called “the tots.” While being told the story, the tots travelled to the fantasy world of “Tottyville,” where kings and queens, princes and princesses, witches, and other characters live. The show retained this title and format until February 1929, before it was replaced by The Children’s Club Hour, who had Howard Merrill as the host and scriptwriter, and lasted until June 1929.

The show underwent several title changes after that, before it came to its final title Let’s Pretend. Among the titles used were The Adventures of Helen and Mary and Land O’ Make Believe. The show started airing under the title Let’s Pretend on March 1934. In the next two decades, the show went on to adapt popular and classic fairy tales such as Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, Rumpelstiltskin, The Sleeping Beauty, and Thumbelina. Cream of Wheat remained the show’s main sponsor from the first time it aired, until its last episode on October 1954. The show won lots of awards, including the prestigious Peabody Award, not just once but twice.

And more Bonus Radio Shows:

As a sampler of our old time radio library, we are including these classic old time radio shows on this DVD-ROM at no extra charge: