the big broadcast

11.28.2014


we first listened to the lux radio theatre adaptation of miracle on 34th street driving home from ohio four years ago. I-70 was jammed with all the other travelers heading back from their thanksgiving holidays and we were somewhere south of Pittsburgh where the radio stations were few and far between.

the tuner scanned for a clear transmission, pausing for a moment before moving to another ten second clip of some chart-topping song, but when it landed on an old-timey radio broadcast, the evocative sound of a nasal toned radio actor pulled at our curiosity. we stopped the search and leaned in for a better listen. the poor signal, combined with the aged recording crackled through the speakers. distant voices from another era came across in a dreamy alto that was undeniably nostalgic.

i’d seen the classic black and white film about the macy's santa claus as a child, so i was familiar with the story, but there’s something about not having visuals. without the advantage of seeing movie sets, actors, or costumes, you have nothing to rely on but sound and your imagination. it's incredible how powerful that is. we slowly crawled along our route, in a trance from both the old radio transmission and the hypnotic flashing of red taillights. we came in and out of consciousness with the sounds as they faded in and out at the beginning and end of each scene or when there was a break in the program from the show's sponsor, lux soap, to advertise the many uses of lux flakes, from spot removal to fake snow for your christmas tree. the drive went pleasantly by as we rode in silence, listening to the tale of kris kringle and how he taught doris, a cynical widow, and susan, her disillusioned daughter, to believe again. only words like “charming” and “delightful” can really express it.

ever since that first traffic-y november night, listening to miracle on 34th street has become an annual tradition. this year we stayed at home for thanksgiving, but on sunday we're turning the tv off, cozy-ing up on the couch, and listening to the big broadcast. let the holiday season begin! 



15 comments:

Amy S. said...

In this era, it's easy to forget that not too long ago before the internet and tv, people mainly listened to radio shows, and had to rely on their imaginations and create a mental picture to correspond with what they were listening to.
I've never listened to this broadcast before, but your story makes me want to!

Christine D. | The Plumed Nest said...

my grandfather looooved old radio programs. there used to be a radio station here years ago that played them all the time. after that he started buying tapes (he ended up with thousands). and as a kid he's send me home with bag fulls and i'd listen to them when i went to sleep at night.

one of my favorites is orson well's read A Christmas Carol. if you haven't heard that - look it up. SOOOOO good. and i am going to look up this one, i didn't know about it!! xo

Erin said...

My dad was born in the late 30s, and often spoke of the joy of listening to the radio shows, the evening stories, laying on his stomach on the rug in his family's living room. (There was also a bowl of Fritos that he would break in half so he'd have twice as many...man, those little details stick with you). I inherited his Tivoli radio, and love listening to it. I haven't had the experience of listening to Miracle on 34th street or War of the Worlds or anything classically radio-esque. But now I have a reason to scan for them! Loved the visual of you guys sitting in traffic but worlds away inside the car. xo

Petra said...

I've never heard of this before. but I will have a listen. you got me curious. happy festive season xo

lucinda said...

we're on a radio show kick right now. currently, we're super into the serial podacast from this american life, but we'll have to check out vinyl cafe after we get through the series. thanks for sharing!

lucinda said...

oh, you should! there are many good programs in the lus theater archive.

lucinda said...

LOVE this story about your grandfather. i've only heard orson well's reading of war of the world's - i didn't know he alo did a christmas carol. we'll definitely be adding that to the queue!

lucinda said...

yes! it's so nice to slow down and get back to basics in a way. i encourage you to listen to one of these old programs, i think you'll enjoy it!

Hollands reverie said...

What an incredible tradition- that can only be described as dreamy, and I love the backstory it makes it all the lovelier.

www.hollandsreverie.blogspot.com

lucinda said...

^^ see this is what it's all about, thank you for sharing this story. i love everything about it from the very relatable thought process of a child (1 bag of fritos in 2 bowls > 1 bag of fritos in 1 bowl) to the awesome inheritance of that tivoli. you MUST listen to something this holiday season, my absolute favorite is 'it's a wonderful life'

lucinda said...

yes, it is my favorite tradition and a wonderful way to start the holiday season. xo

Kaylan said...

what a great post. John asked for a record player for christmas (his folks still buy us a ton of gifts..eh) because we have all his parents old albums. we're hoping to start incorporating more purposeful listening into our home.

lucinda said...

that's awesome. a record player is on our 'wish list' too, but that he already has a stack of albums inherited from his parents is so cool. i imagine it'd be some neat insight into what kind of kids they were as a newly wed couple. ;)

ursula @ Nothern Ambitions said...

What a great tradition! Ian and I love talk radio especially on long road trips. Have you ever listened to Vinyl Cafe? It's amazing and I love being "read" a story :)

rebecca said...

That sounds absolutely amazing. I'm a sucker for traditions and this just sounds so snuggly and warm hearted. So cool. :)

 

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