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Get ready with those belly rolls, because Henry is in for another bout of chaos!

The show began when Rudy Vallee saw it as a play and encouraged Clifford Goldsmith, the writer, to perform it on The Rudy Vallee Show. After rave reviews, The Aldrich Family went on to perform for 39 weeks on The Kate Smith Hour.In 1939, it became so popular that The Aldrich Family took their own prime time slot on Sunday evenings. The show was a big success. By 1941, it rated in the top ten with Jack Benny, Bob Hope, and Fibber McGee and Molly.

In the show, Ezra Stone starred as 16-year old Henry Aldrich, also known as "Penrod of the '40s." In his 13 years, Henry Aldrich had more disasters, chaos, and craziness than a closet full of squirrels let loose in a glass house. Henry accidentally managed to create hilariously disastrous situations out of anything he could get his hands on, whether it be a telephone or a flat tire.

See also: Meet Corlis Archer, A Date with Judy and My Son Jeep.

The Aldrich Family was a teenage sitcom that featured "America's favorite teenager" Henry Aldrich, portrayed by Ezra Stone (until 1942), Norman Tokar (1942-1943), Dickie Jones(1943-1944), Raymond Ives (1944-1945), and Bobby Ellis (1952, both in radio and television). Debuting as a replacement for Jack Benny's Show, the series started airing on July 2, 1939. Months later, it moved to another timeslot and remained there until the show ended in April 19, 1953. During the show's first two years, it was one of the highest-rating radio shows, alongside Fibber McGee and Molly, Jack Benny, and Bob Hope.

The series was best known for its opening exchange between Henry and his mother, which goes as "Henreeeee! Aldrich!" to which the teen responded, "Com-ing, Mother!" Click here to read more about Aldrich Family

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Please enjoy these 133 old time radio episodes:

Air Date	Title	Synopsis
07.28.1938	crowded bathroom
10.03.1939	henrys blind date	+ , AFRS rebroadcast. After Gloria cancels her date with Homer, Henry fixes him up with a blind dat...
10.10.1939	henrys engagement	+ Sponsored by: Postum. Trying to get Doris Townsend jealous, Henry's parents naturally conclude th...
10.17.1939	girl trouble	+ Blue Network. Sponsored by: Jell-O. A poignant story about Henry and two girls, Barbara and Const...
12.19.1939	christmas show	+ It's the day before Christmas and Eleanor Wentworth is giving Henry an expensive wallet. Henry ...
02.20.1940	aldrich family (034) pigeon coops	+ Sponsored by: Jell-O. Will Henry raise rabbits or pigeons? And what about the dogs, snakes, etc.?...
02.27.1940	aldrich family (035) carrier pigeons	+ Sponsored by: Jell-O. The Aldrich's have just hired a maid named Martha. Henry's raising rabbitts...
04.23.1940	aldrich family coupon craze	+ Sponsored by: Jell-O. Henry and his pal Feddy are saving breakfast cereal coupons to get a boat w...
04.30.1940	aldrich family (044) model airplane	+ Sponsored by: Jell-O. Henry has lost the model airplane race, but is determined to reverse the ju...
05.07.1940	aldrich family (045) mothers day	+ Sponsored by: Jell-O. This Sunday is going to be Mother's Day.
05.21.1940	aldrich family (047) school picnic	+ Sponsored by: Jell-O. Who took Henry's lunch? Henry's got a total of 3 dates for the school picni...
05.28.1940	aldrich family (048) cross country race	+ Sponsored by: Jell-O. Henry's out to win the cross-country race. Henry's pal in this program is D...
06.11.1940	cross country race	+ Sponsored by: Jell-O. Henry's out to win the cross-country race. Henry's pal in this program is D...
09.05.1940	aldrich family (060) the generous gentleman movie	+ Sponsored by: Jell-O. Henry has seen a film called, "The Generous Gentleman," which has made a bi...
09.12.1940	aldrich family (061) henry loses gift watch from aunt harriet	+ Sponsored by: Jell-O. Henry has lost the new watch that was sent to him by Aunt Harriet. A simila...
10.31.1940	aldrich family (068) halloween prank backfires	+ Sponsored by: Jell-O. Henry's and his pal "Toby" plan to ring just one doorbell on Halloween. A d...
01.23.1941	aldrich family (80) the pen pal
02.26.1941	aldrich family (xxx) pen pal
10.23.1941	aldrich family (116) henry forgets to mail a letter	+ Sponsored by: Postum. Henry's forgotten to mail a letter, which leads to total confusion at the w...
N/A	sidewalk graffiti causes trouble for henry
N/A	stolen bicycles	+ Sponsored by: Postum. Why are Henry and Homer late for school each morning? What have they done t...
N/A	the letter
N/A	trouble with kathleens father
N/A	twin trouble
N/A	willie get lost	+ Program #64. , AFRS rebroadcast. Henry and Homer are stuck with young Willie on their way to a da...

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A big favorite. The best part for me is Jackie Kelk as Homer...so funny.

Frank

so much has mebeen lost to syndication.

John

As much as I try to like this show, I really couldn't get into it like other OTR sit-coms. I think it is because Henry addressed his parents as Mother and Father, and that sounded too formal and unnatural to me.

Scott

Going to have to find the movies

Chris

A big favorite. The best part for me is Jackie Kelk as Homer...so funny.

Frank

HenRYYYYYYYY!!!!!! Henry Aldrich!! (Coming, Mother.) Love it!

Frank

The Aldrich Family was silly stuff, but Stone and Kelk were so incredibly talented. They truly captured adolescent angst and always seemed to have a good reason for causing the chaos they reated every week. House Jameson was also a great straight man.c

Kenneth

Betty Field is great in the early show as Henry's girlfriend. She was a beautiful and very talented actress.

Frank

My favorite OTR show... It's surprising

James

I was fortunate to see Ezra Stone do a live re-creation of the show. Fantastic.

Bob

I love this show. It fascinates me to see the faces and place them with the characters. Henry and Homer look totally different than I imagine.

Melyssa

it is one of my favorites

Steven

I love Aldrich Family

Malyssa

I listened to it it wasn't too bad. I just couldn't listen to too many shows in a row.

Chris

Its pretty adolescent but enjoyable. Very similar to Archie Andrews

Andy

I started listening to the Aldrich Family jusst the other night. Pretty good. smile emoticon

Dennis

The Aldrich Family, a popular radio teenage situation comedy (1939-1953), was also presented in films, television and comic books. In the radio series' well-remembered weekly opening exchange, awkward teen Henry's mother called.

Jim

This situation comedy was a long- lasting radio, movie and TV series. The radio series was broadcast on NBC and CBS (1939-1953), mostly starring Ezra Stone as Henry Aldrich except 1942-1943 when Stone was serving in the Army during WWII. Stone was replaced by Bobby Ellis (1952-1953).

ALDRICH FAMILY