Lucille Ball (The Best of Old Time Radio/Legendary Performers) [Box set]

Lucille Ball | Format: Audio Cassette

Product Details

• Audio Cassette (July 11, 2000)
• Original Release Date: July 11, 2000
• Number of Discs: 4
• Format: Box set
• Note on Boxed Sets: During shipping, discs in boxed sets occasionally become dislodged without damage. Please examine and play these discs. If you are not completely satisfied, we'll refund or replace your purchase.
• Label: Radio Spirits
• ASIN: 1570192677
• Also Available in: Audio CD
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #100,005 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

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Editorial Reviews

The Smithsonian Institution and Radio Spirits proudly present the classic radio broadcasts that made Lucille Ball a star and led to the creation of her classic television series I Love Lucy. Lucy's versatility is showcased with dramatic roles on Suspense and Lux Radio Theatre and comedic performances of the Abbott and Costello Show, The Gulf Screen Guild Theatre and her own series, My Favorite Husband. Lucille Ball stars with Bob Hope, Red Skelton, Richard Denning and Gale Gordon in classic performances from the Golden Age of Radio. This collection also includes a 60-page historical book featuring a foreword by Madelyn Pugh Davis and Bob Carroll, Jr. the scriptwriters of My Favorite Husband and I Love Lucy. America loved Lucy for years on radio before she became one of television's most legendary stars. Listen to this classic Smithsonian Legendary Performers collection and you'll know why.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars There are many Lucies to love, July 31, 2000

By 

F. Behrens "Frank Behrens" (Keene, NH USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lucille Ball (The Best of Old Time Radio/Legendary Performers) (Audio Cassette)

That Lucille Ball is a genius is undoubted. Who else would leave a secure contract at one studio to go to Columbia Pictures for a role in a single Three Stooges short? Who else could play low comedy and do a very creditable role on a dramatic radio show? It is a Very Good Thing that Radio Spirits has chosen to release a collection of 10 radio shows that starred or had as a guest star the Redhead herself.

<The Best of Old Time Radio Starring Lucille Ball> is available on 6 CDs or 4 cassettes. I have both formats. I find it very pleasant hearing the tapes in my car and the CDs for my classes or easier access to a program I want to hear again. In this collection we have 4 episodes of "My Favorite Husband," 2 of "Suspense," and one each of "Lux Radio Theatre" ("Fancy Pants"), "The Abbott & Costello Show," ""The Lux Radio Theatre" ("The Dark Corner"), "The Gulf Screen Guild Theatre" ("Tight Shoes").

Personally I wish they did not have quite so many of "My Favorite Husband," when the single radio episode of "I Love Lucy" is available and is indeed included in another Radio Spirits collection. However I do thank the publishers for avoiding undue duplication in their huge inventory of "sets."

It is amazing how well she handles her dramatic assignments and then can turn around to create comic cartoon characters as she does at the end of each "Husband" episode to plug the sponsor's product. And while Bob Hope is allowed all sorts of anachronistic references in the "Fancy Pants" feature, Lucy plays her part straight and to far better effect.

As is always true with Radio Spirit sets, the accompanying booklet is a treasure of information and excellent photos, first about Lucy's career and then about each individual show.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great dose of the evolving "Lucy", August 13, 2003

By 

Mr. Mooney "Ontarian" (Aurora, ON) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lucille Ball (The Best of Old Time Radio/Legendary Performers) (Audio CD)

This CD set is a must for all fans of Lucille Ball. It not only has wonderfully suspenseful episodes of "Suspence" (How would you ever have guessed?), but it has radio plays of Lucille Ball's classic movies such as Fancy Pants with the late, great Bob Hope. Perhaps best of all, this set contains episodes of Ball's 1947-51 radio show "My Favorite Husband." Ball stars as Liz Cugat/Cooper in this series and Liz was the prototype for Lucy Ricardo/Carmichael/Carter/Barker. In fact, many of the episodes of My Favorite Husband were reworked into episodes of I Love Lucy. If you haven't heard My Favourite Husband, or had the pleasure of listening to an installment of Lux Radio Theatre, buy this set today.