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£4.04 On Hold

OLD TIME RADIO OTR BIG JOHN & SPARKY 97 EPISODES 5.0 1 rating

OLD TIME RADIO OTR  BIG JOHN & SPARKY  97  EPISODES

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Old Time Radio Show

Big John And Sparky

97 Episodes



MY HUSBAND HAS BEEN COLLECTING OLD TIME RADIO SHOWS FOR A LONG TIME NOW. HE LISTENS TO THEM WHILE HE IS WORKING IN THE DARKROOM.

WE THOUGHT WE WOULD SHARE THEM WITH OTHERS SO THEY COULD ENJOY THEM ALSO.

Although Jon Arthur created and produced Big Jon and Sparkie for kids, it is a wonderfully inventive and gently humorous show that many adults will find utterly charming. It may be for its opening theme, The Teddy Bear's Picnic. Big Jon is the regular mild-mannered father figure that loves and cares for Sparkie. "Ukie" is the pretty goofy but adventurous cabbie who is their friend. But the show really revolves around Sparkie who sounds like a little "elf from the land of make-believe" but acts and thinks just like a real boy. In that earlier time, a "live" voice like a cartoon that was a part of a "real" show was something special for kids. It's still special to listen to today, as Jon Arthur's gentle and witty writing about a small town's characters (although it's Cincinnati!) makes this show great fun. For the record, Jon Arthur did nearly all of the voices and oversaw the show's production single-handedly. His use of sound effects and interlude music is exemplary. He was quoted as saying that all the ideas on the show were from real life, or were sent in by the show's thousands of young fans. They even had a "What Does Sparkie Really Look Like Contest", and the accompanying photo is Jon Arthur with the realization of the kid's composite idea.

The show began as a half hour, and was changed to a syndicated twelve-plus minute radio serial format in 1951. These rare episodes are from that period. Mayor Plumpfront, is getting married to the "fabulously wealthy" Florida widow Daffodil Dilly. We are with the boys coming back from an adventure-packed trip to Africa, and as the wedding plans near completion, kidnappers take Daffodil Dilly! The boys work to crack the case. The second major adventure in this group is a mystery involving Bunny, Sparkie's Boston Bulldog. It's called "The Canine Mutiny." The small-town qualities of so many old time radio favorites such as Fibber McGee and Molly, the Great Gildersleeve, Vic and Sade and are mirrored in The Further Adventures of Big Jon and Sparkie. And it's not a stretch to say that Jon Arthur liked I Love a Mystery. What radio adventure serial after Morse's I Love a Mystery wasn't influenced by its finely drawn, individual characters dealing with unexpected twists of plot?The Further Adventures of Big John and Sparkie developed through the 1950's and went to a longer format broadcast on Saturday mornings as "No School Today." Sparkie's irrepressible sense of belonging in a real if slightly wacky world, is very involving. John Dunning, in "On the Air, The Encyclopedia of Old Time Radio," says "It remained, for those who heard it, one of the most important and poignant pieces of childhood."



THERE ARE 97 Episodes ON 1 CD AND THEY ARE IN MP3 FORMAT. THEY WILL PLAY ON ANY COMPUTER AND SOME CD PLAYERS THAT ARE MARKED PLAYS MP3s. YOU CAN EASILY BURN THEM TO A CD SO YOU CAN PLAY ON YOUR CAR SYSTEM. I HAVE THEM ON MY ZUNE AND ONE OF MY FRIENDS HAS THEM ON HIS I-POD. REMEMBER THEY ARE IN MP3 FORMAT AND WILL NOT PLAY ON MOST CD PLAYERS.

LOOKING FOR THAT SPECIAL SHOW NOT LISTED?

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ALSO SHIP TO CANADA, AUSTRALIA, GERMANY, NEW ZEALAND AND UK

Any questions please email [email protected] or call 702-373-6469
... [Full Description]

Ratings & Reviews

5.0 out of 5
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The collection of Big John & Sparky episodes is great nostalgia. The quality of the recordings is impressive, and it has provided endless entertainment. My husband enjoys listening to them while working, and we appreciate the effort that went into curating this collection. A recommended purchase for fans of old radio shows.
Christine - Feb 13, 2012

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