The Railroad Hour


(4.7 stars; 7 reviews)

Episodes of the old-time radio musical program "The Railroad Hour". This series aired condensed versions of musicals and operettas. Gordon MacRae starred with guests like Dorothy Kirsten, Dorothy Warenskjold, Lucille Norman, and Jane Powell.

This recording is part of the Old Time Radio collection.

License

Chapters

Good News 44:03
Anything Goes 42:37
Hit the Deck 44:28
New Moon 44:38
Naughty Marietta 44:39
Blossom Time 30:23
Sweethearts 44:34
Lady Be Good 45:23
Apple Blossoms 44:43
Ethelbert Nevin Salute 29:30
Mack Gordon - Joseph Warren Salute 29:33
New Moon 29:29
Music in the Air 29:27
No, No Nanette 30:27
The Mikado 30:00
The Red Mill 29:37
The Merry Widow 30:39
Brigadoon 30:27
Song of Norway 30:27
Naughty Marietta 28:30
Madame Sherry 30:08
Sally 29:27
Review of 1937 29:24
Review of 1931 29:27
Review of the Gay Nineties 29:57
Review of 1925 29:58
Review of 1900-1905 29:57
Review of 1934 29:25
Review of 1938 29:26
Review of 1932 29:34
Review of 1926 21:44
Review of 1935 21:24
Review of 1929 29:31
Review of 1922 19:30
Review of 1933 21:21
Roberta 29:24
Countess Maritza 29:59
Revenge with Music 28:01
Showboat 30:27
Irene 29:35
Orange Blossoms 22:39
A Connecticut Yankee 30:26
Christmas Songs 29:46
Review of 1950 29:44
Carousel 29:31
Student Prince 28:38
New Moon 28:57
Two Hearts in Three Quarter Time 27:55
Vagabond King 30:27
Apple Blossoms 29:30
One Touch of Venus 28:09
Nina Rosa 29:06
Very Warm for May 30:34
Springtime in Paris 28:37
A Thousand and One Nights 30:14
Long Ago 28:48
Innocents Abroad 29:44
Journey into the Sun 29:44
Rip Van Winkle 28:45
Emperor of San Francisco 30:06
State Fair 30:03
Martha 29:18
Sweethearts 29:44
Rose Marie 29:35
Bohemian Girl 29:48
Jubilee 29:26
Mademoiselle Modiste 29:42
The Happy Prince 29:40
Review of 1951 29:14
Blossom Time 25:59
Desert Song 30:27
East Wind 30:22
Orange Blossoms 29:30
Frederika 28:12
The Firefly 30:03
The White Eagle 30:06
Sari 29:44
Countess Maritza 29:47
Rosalinda 29:43
Erminie 29:43
Sunny 29:18
The Great Waltz 29:26
My Maryland 29:38
Minstrel Boy 29:43
Swedish Nightingale 29:10
The Right Dress 30:42
The Little Minister 29:45
Springtime in Paris 28:37
The Necklace 28:38
The Pirate of New Orleans 29:39
The Brownings 29:30
Miss Cinderella 30:38
Fantasy Impromptu 28:49
The Pirates of Picadilly 29:43
Swan Lake 29:10
Maestro 29:31
Annie Laurie 29:44
Maytime 27:31
A Waltz Dream 30:23
Naughty Marietta 30:27
Dearest Enemy 27:21
On Your Toes 28:19
Babes in Toyland 29:25
Gypsy Baron 29:16
Holiday Inn 30:27
Christmas Party 29:14
Review of 1952 29:35
My Romance 29:47
Two Hearts in Three Quarter Time 29:43
Showboat 29:55
The Merry Widow 30:44
Carousel 29:21
Miss Liberty 29:43
Blue Paradise 28:59
Bittersweet 29:52
Rose of Algeria 29:36
Up in Central Park 29:37
Eileen 29:44
Lute Song 24:00
Sally 29:40
Mary 29:27
Irene 28:42
Dear Yesterday 28:50
The Rudolph Friml Story 29:23
Starlight 29:38
The Golden Empress 29:57
Trilby 27:35
Roaring Camp 29:35
Hope Is a Woman 29:05
Night Music 28:12
The Million Pound Bank Note 30:01
Minstrel Boy 29:56
Student Prince 30:27
Roberta 29:27
State Fair 30:27
Sweethearts 29:18
Snow White 25:07
Review of 1953 29:43
Girl from Utah 29:24
The Schumann Story 29:44
The Great Waltz 28:50
Irene 28:42
Birthday 29:39
Penny Whistle 29:29
Homecoming 29:43
Rosalie 29:49
The Pink Lady 25:20

Reviews

How COOL and useful too


(5 stars)

Want to watch a play, but can't? don't have the time? Try these. These are mini-operettas (Gilbert & Sullivan musicals are operettas) or if you just want to hear those old numbers again. Cool because they are in bite -size chunks. PS the reviewer below- a "Max Reiner" is one of those people you would want to know personally (I don't) as he claims to have listened to 1930s broadcasts when they were first aired. I wish I were alive during his early years. To be exposed to this kind of media would have been a magical era. Instead we can "live it" in our minds with these uploads. What a wonderful thing we have here.

Top quality entertainment


(5 stars)

I have to say that the Railroad Hour is top quality entertainment. I'm particularly impressed by the standard of each presentation. As good as any musical. Lots of songs, great characterization and each show is great to listen to time and time again. My favourite is 'Music in the air' with Jane Powell and Gordon MacRea. The storyline has exactly the right mix of happiness, sadness, and of course romance! The sound quality is superb. I can't praise these fantastic shows enough.

A Musical Theater Lover's Dream


(4 stars)

This radio series tanks major musical theatre works and whittles them down to a half-hour presentation that still tells a story. I enjoyed listening to most of it. Some of the episodes were of such poor quality recording that I could not listen long. WARNING: Don't try to download the series onto a mobile phone.

Delightful!


(5 stars)

In the late forties and early fifties, our family would gather around the radio every Monday (8:30 in Southern California if I remember correctly) for the Railroad Hour. I still remember many of the episodes. What a pleasure to hear them again, and now to share them with my granddaughter. Thanks for making these available.

Whole Directory Zip File


(5 stars)

Unfortunately, the zip file containing the whole directory is damaged and won't unzip. Shame too - because these are unusually great light opera programs. There are a lot of files to download individually but if you're a fan of this music and the historic artists, it's worth it!

Carousel Was Superb!


(5 stars)

Wow! RR Hour did Carousel in half an hour. Gordon MacRae sand that role in the movie. Sound was perfect. I recall hearing this show when it was broadcast on the weekend. So now onto more RR Hour. Thanks Archive! You get me through the night.

Great shows


(4 stars)

I'm a big fan of this program. Gordon MacRae's voice is rich and powerful and these condensed musicals and operettas are very enjoyable. A few of the episodes have poor sound quality but most are fine listening.

Apple Blossoms


(0 stars)

The Apple Blossoms broadcast from 4/18/49 is not a complete file. It cuts out in the middle of one of Jeanette MacDonald's songs.