FREE! Click here to Join FunTrivia. Thousands of games, quizzes, and lots more!
Quiz about Guess the OldTime Radio Show
Quiz about Guess the OldTime Radio Show

Guess the Old-Time Radio Show Trivia Quiz


Here are questions about ten of the best old-time radio shows. Almost all of them are available to listen to for free on the internet.

A multiple-choice quiz by chessart. Estimated time: 5 mins.
  1. Home
  2. »
  3. Quizzes
  4. »
  5. Entertainment Trivia
  6. »
  7. Radio
  8. »
  9. US Old Time Radio

Author
chessart
Time
5 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
311,608
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
8 / 10
Plays
1716
Awards
Top 10% Quiz
Last 3 plays: nycarol2u (0/10), Guest 98 (9/10), Guest 131 (9/10).
- -
Question 1 of 10
1. This show, which aired on NBC radio for ten years, was a quiz show with a twist. Instead of members of the public answering questions, people would send in questions for a panel of experts to tackle. Regular panel members included Oscar Levant, Franklin P. Adams, and John Kieran, and the moderator was Clifton Fadiman. What was the name of this pioneering quiz show? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. Next we have a show starring a man born Benjamin Kubelsky, who played a character known for his stinginess, for always claiming to be 39, and for his bad violin playing. Who was this giant of old-time radio?

Answer: (two words)
Question 3 of 10
3. Our next show was set in a high school and starred Eve Arden as an English teacher, with a strong supporting case which included Gale Gordon as Osgood Conklin, the curmudgeonly principal. What was this show called? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. Before Lucille Ball became a big TV star in the 1950's with "I Love Lucy", she had a successful radio show. However, that show went by a different name. What was the name of Lucy's radio show? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. One of the best mysteries on old-time radio was one which ran from 1947 to 1951, starring first Van Heflin and then Gerald Mohr. Who was this main character, a hard-boiled detective originally created by Raymond Chandler? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. One of the most popular cowboy heroes on old-time radio was played by actor William Boyd, who also played this character in movies and on television. Which western hero was this, whose nickname was later adopted by the 1955 Heisman Trophy winner from Ohio State? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. Which old-time radio show was an anthology of true stories about the old West, and ran on radio from 1930 to 1945, followed by a successful 23-year run as a TV show, hosted for a time by future President Ronald Reagan? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. The fictional superhero was a favorite source of old-time radio shows. Most of these superhero characters originated in comic strips and then were transferred to the radio; however, there was at least one exception. Which masked crime-fighting superhero debuted on the radio, rather than in the comics? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. The longest-running radio show ever debuted in 1928, and featured two White actors voicing the two main characters who were African-American. What were the names of these two main characters?

Answer: (Three Words, middle word "and")
Question 10 of 10
10. Edgar Bergen had a great run on radio with a program lasting from 1937 until 1956. Bergen's talent was unusual for radio. What was he? Hint



(Optional) Create a Free FunTrivia ID to save the points you are about to earn:

arrow Select a User ID:
arrow Choose a Password:
arrow Your Email:




Most Recent Scores
Mar 23 2024 : nycarol2u: 0/10
Mar 18 2024 : Guest 98: 9/10
Mar 17 2024 : Guest 131: 9/10
Mar 17 2024 : Guest 216: 10/10
Mar 17 2024 : Guest 174: 10/10
Mar 04 2024 : Guest 216: 3/10
Mar 04 2024 : Guest 174: 8/10
Feb 26 2024 : Guest 73: 4/10
Feb 22 2024 : PurpleComet: 8/10

Score Distribution

quiz
Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. This show, which aired on NBC radio for ten years, was a quiz show with a twist. Instead of members of the public answering questions, people would send in questions for a panel of experts to tackle. Regular panel members included Oscar Levant, Franklin P. Adams, and John Kieran, and the moderator was Clifton Fadiman. What was the name of this pioneering quiz show?

Answer: Information Please

If the question you sent in got used, you got $2.00. If you stumped the panel, you got $5.00. Oh how times have changed! "Information Please" ran from 1938 to 1948.
2. Next we have a show starring a man born Benjamin Kubelsky, who played a character known for his stinginess, for always claiming to be 39, and for his bad violin playing. Who was this giant of old-time radio?

Answer: Jack Benny

Benny's show ran for 23 years and was always among the most highly-rated shows of its era. He had a steady cast of supporting characters, and Benny allowed his supporting cast to get most of the laughs, usually by poking fun at Benny. After leaving radio in 1955, "The Jack Benny Show" continued on television for another ten years, using the same formula and characters which had worked so well on radio.
3. Our next show was set in a high school and starred Eve Arden as an English teacher, with a strong supporting case which included Gale Gordon as Osgood Conklin, the curmudgeonly principal. What was this show called?

Answer: Our Miss Brooks

"Our Miss Brooks" had a radio run of 1948-1957, and a TV run of 1952-1956. It was enormously popular, and Eve Arden was voted the top ranking comedienne of 1948-1949, beating out the likes of Lucille Ball for the award.
4. Before Lucille Ball became a big TV star in the 1950's with "I Love Lucy", she had a successful radio show. However, that show went by a different name. What was the name of Lucy's radio show?

Answer: My Favorite Husband

"My Favorite Husband" was a radio hit in 1948, and CBS asked Lucy to develop the show for TV. However, Lucy insisted on keeping her husband, Desi Arnaz, in the show and CBS balked, thinking the public would not accept the heavily-accented Arnaz as a TV personality. Lucy and Desi then went on the road with a vaudeville routine that was a huge success, so CBS relented and gave the show the green light.
5. One of the best mysteries on old-time radio was one which ran from 1947 to 1951, starring first Van Heflin and then Gerald Mohr. Who was this main character, a hard-boiled detective originally created by Raymond Chandler?

Answer: Philip Marlowe

"The Adventures of Philip Marlowe", starring Van Heflin, first ran in 1947 on NBC as a summer replacement for "The Bob Hope Show". In the fall it then moved to CBS for four seasons, with Gerald Mohr playing the lead.

Though Marlowe was hardboiled and cynical, he was always on the side of truth and justice, as reflected by the comment he would make at the beginning of each show: "Get this and get it straight. Crime is a sucker's road and those who travel it wind up in the gutter, the prison or the grave."
6. One of the most popular cowboy heroes on old-time radio was played by actor William Boyd, who also played this character in movies and on television. Which western hero was this, whose nickname was later adopted by the 1955 Heisman Trophy winner from Ohio State?

Answer: Hopalong Cassidy

The relationship between Boyd and his character is a fascinating story. Between 1935 and 1948, Boyd played Cassidy in 66 movies. In 1944 the studio lost interest in producing any more Cassidy films, so Boyd mortgaged everything he owned to buy all rights to the character and to the backlog of movies. Over the years Boyd's shrewd investment brought him many millions of dollars in licensing and endorsement deals. In 1949 Hopalong Cassidy became the first Western series on TV, and the next year it started its successful two-year run on radio, always with Boyd playing the hero.

Howard "Hopalong" Cassady won the 1955 Heisman Trophy as an Ohio State running back, followed by a successful nine-year career in the NFL.
7. Which old-time radio show was an anthology of true stories about the old West, and ran on radio from 1930 to 1945, followed by a successful 23-year run as a TV show, hosted for a time by future President Ronald Reagan?

Answer: Death Valley Days

The success of "Death Valley Days" was unusual in that there were no big name stars or recurring characters; rather, the success was based on the authenticity of the stories. The writers meticulously researched events of the old West and used that research to write the compelling stories which were aired during the combined 38-year run of the radio/TV series. Reagan hosted for a year in the mid-1960's, but then quit to run for governor of California.

The other choices were all successful TV westerns, but were never on radio.
8. The fictional superhero was a favorite source of old-time radio shows. Most of these superhero characters originated in comic strips and then were transferred to the radio; however, there was at least one exception. Which masked crime-fighting superhero debuted on the radio, rather than in the comics?

Answer: The Green Hornet

The Green Hornet debuted on radio in 1936 and had a good 17-year run on radio. The other choices all debuted in the comics.
9. The longest-running radio show ever debuted in 1928, and featured two White actors voicing the two main characters who were African-American. What were the names of these two main characters?

Answer: Amos and Andy

"Amos 'n' Andy" lasted until 1960 on radio, and till 1966 on television, counting syndicated reruns. While there were periodic protests against the racial stereotypes depicted on the show, the radio show was able to withstand the criticism. Radio historian Elizabeth McLeod writes: "While often overlapping popular stereotypes of African-Americans, there was at the same time a universality to their characters which transcended race...beneath the dialect and racial imagery, the series celebrated the virtues of friendship, persistence, hard work, and common sense, and as the years passed and the characterizations were refined, "Amos 'n' Andy" achieved an emotional depth rivaled by few other radio programs of the 1930s."
10. Edgar Bergen had a great run on radio with a program lasting from 1937 until 1956. Bergen's talent was unusual for radio. What was he?

Answer: a ventriloquist

Bergen and his puppet, Charlie McCarthy, entertained audiences for many years. Many big stars made guest appearances on the show, including Mae West who was blackballed from radio for twelve years after a 1937 appearance during which she used dialogue considered too racy and suggestive. For example, she told Charlie, "Charles, I remember our date and have the splinters to prove it."
Source: Author chessart

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor DakotaNorth before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.
Related Quizzes
This quiz is part of series Americana:

Here are my top five quizzes in a category I call "Americana".

  1. Giants of American Twentieth Century Journalism Average
  2. Famous Taverns in U.S. History Tough
  3. Guess the Old-Time Radio Show Average
  4. More Giants of 20th Century American Journalism Average
  5. Groundbreaking Books of the 20th Century Average

Also part of quiz list
3/29/2024, Copyright 2024 FunTrivia, Inc. - Report an Error / Contact Us