Louis Fantasia & Families Forward Learning Center present AN OLD TIME HOLIDAY RADIO HOUR
By: A.A. Cristi Dec. 13, 2017
Louis Fantasia and Families Forward Learning Center announced their first ever "OLD TIME HOLIDAY RADIO HOUR" - ONE NIGHT ONLY at the Moss Theatre in Santa Monica, California on Thursday, December 14, 2017 at 8:30 PM. featuring two classic NBC Radio episodes; DRAGNET ("The Big Little Jesus," 1953), and THE GREAT GILDERSLEEVE (Christmas Special, 1943) A LOST EPISODE, not heard on radio since it's original air date. Under the direction of Louis Fantasia, the stage readings star Eric Braeden, Isabella Hofmann, and Claudia Christian.
Featured cast members include: Ashley Bell, Michael Bell, Adan Canto, Merrilyn Crouch, Michele Greene, Matt Lagan, Don De Forest Paul, Oscar Revelins, Elisa Richardson, Jasper Shaffer, Victoria Tilford, and Robert Wisdom.
"Gildy and his family are really very appropriate for Families Forward. The Gildersleeve household was one of the first non-traditional families in broadcast media, with two children being raised by an uncle; and no mother and father. The love and happiness in the Gildersleeve household made Christmas a lot more special for people in the 1940s and 50s - and I think we need to capture that holiday spirit today!" ~ Louis Fantasia("The Big Little Jesus," 1953)
Original airdate: 12/22/53
(Production #227)
Directed by Louis Fantasia
CAST:
JOE (JO) FRIDAY- CLAUDIA CHRISTIAN
FRANK (FRAN) SMITH - ISABELLA HOFFMAN
FATHER ROJAS- Adan Canto
FLAVIN - MICHAEL BELL
BARNARD - ROBERT WISDOM
Joe Heffernan - JASPER SHAFFER
DESK CLERK - DON DeFOREST PAUL
CLAUDE STROUP - MATT LAGAN ANNOUNCERS - LOUIS FANTASIA & MERRILYN CROUCH DRAGNET "The Big Little Jesus"
"It was Wednesday, December 24th. It was cold in Los Angeles..." Joe Friday and his Partner Frank Smith get a call: a statue of the baby Jesus had been stolen from the Christmas nativity crèche at the downtown Los Angeles Mission church. They go to investigate. Who would steal such a worthless piece of plaster? Their search leads them through the pawnshops and cheap hotels of (then) downtown L.A. The detectives come up empty handed. They return to the church and are about to confess their failure to the parish priest when the "thief" turns himself in. Little Paco Mendoza had taken the baby Jesus for a ride in his new red wagon: the one toy he had prayed for for Christmas!
THE GREAT GILDERSLEEVE
(Christmas Special, 1943)
LOST EPISODE, not heard on radio since it originally aired.
Written By John Whedon & Sam Moore
Original airdate: Sunday, December 19, 1943 (Production #105)
Directed by Louis Fantasia
CAST:
THROCKMORTON P. GILDERSLEEVE - Eric Braeden
MARJORIE FORRESTER (his niece) - Ashley Bell
LeROY FORRESTER (nephew) - OSCAR REVELINS
BIRDIE (his housekeeper)- VICTORIA TILFORD
JUDGE HOOKER - MATT LAGAN
FLOYD MUNSON (barber) - MICHAEL BELL
LEILA RANSOM - MICHELLE GREENE
EVE GOODWIN - ELISA RICHARDSON
MR PEAVEY (pharmacist) - DON DeFOREST PAUL
"Well, in Summerfield, too, Christmas is almost at hand, but for Gildersleeve and his household there is little cheer in prospect. For Gildersleeve has had a falling out with his niece, the apple of his eye...." Marj left home 24 hours ago when her Uncle Gildy refused to let her go out with her boyfriend. Now everyone is filled with remorse as worry and concern set in. A posse of local characters is about to be sworn in to look for Marj, when Gildy's neighbor (and sometime fiancée) Leila comes over to announce that Marj has spent the night at her house and wants to come home now. She does - just in time for the extended family and friends to rush off to see Gildy's nephew LeRoy in his school production of A CHRISTMAS CAROL! They return home to open their (wartime) holiday presents: War Stamps and Bonds... and a new puppy!
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