The Columbia Workshop was an high-art radio show that aired from 1936 to 1957. The show’s creator was Irving Reis, who once worked as a radio director, as well as a sound engineer. Columbia Workshop was sort of like Reis’ experiment, since he wanted to focus on using different sound effects to bring his show to life, as opposed to other radio shows which he believes have overused popular celebrities. Hundreds of different sound effects were used for the show.
The show’s first director was William Robson, and his first show was Alice in Wonderland. Unlike Reis, Robson focused more on the brilliant acting of the characters and less on the sound effects. Then, in 1941, Norman Corwin took over and made the show more social (and political), as he focused more on delivering the day's newsworthy happenings.Most of the episodes presented, nevertheless, were derived from the work of classical authors such as Edgar Allan Poe, William Shakespeare, Lewis Carroll, and more. Although quite serious in theme, Columbia Workshop was well-received by the listeners, and the fact that it lasted for over two decades is an excellent proof to that.
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Please enjoy these 332 old time radio episodes:
| Air Date | Title | Synopsis | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 06.02.1940 | columbia workshop (033) dark valley |
+ A solo drama soliloquy of an old woman. | |
| 06.09.1940 | columbia workshop (034) no complications |
+ A surrealistic slapstick comedy for radio: impossible to describe. | |
| 06.23.1940 | columbia workshop (035) in april once |
+A poetic drama of medieval times, accurate sounds from the days of knights and crusades. | |
| 06.30.1940 | columbia workshop (036) the man with the one track mind |
+ A comedy about a man who wanted to become a locomotive! | |
| 07.07.1940 | columbia workshop (037) the cock eyed wonder |
A fantasy about baseball and a great player with very fast eyes. | |
| 07.14.1940 | columbia workshop (038) fish story |
+ A musical fantasy. A henpecked man catches a magic fish that grants wishes! | |
| 07.21.1940 | columbia workshop (039) canvas kisser |
+A comedy about a prize fighting kangaroo who falls in love. | |
| 07.28.1940 | columbia workshop (040) carmilla |
+ A Victorian horror story with hints of vampires, blood, death, other goodies; well told! | |
| 08.11.1940 | columbia workshop (041) nightmare at noon radio in the rain |
+ Two well-written, well-read anti-fascist poems. | |
| 08.18.1940 | columbia workshop (042) the 500 hats of bartholomew cubbins |
+ The famous children's tale well directed by Nila Mack. | |
| 08.25.1940 | columbia workshop (043) i followed the seals |
+A beautifully done, nostalgic look backwards at the good old days of vaudeville. | |
| 09.01.1940 | columbia workshop (044) alf, the all american fly |
+An excellent comedy/fantasy that only radio could have made possible. | |
| 09.08.1940 | columbia workshop (045) the major goes over the hill |
+ A tough army major suddenly cannot make a decision, deserts, and becomes a beauty advisor! | |
| 09.15.1940 | columbia workshop (046) mr charles |
+ A well-written story with a surprise ending about a harmless, shell-shocked old man and a murder. | |
| 09.29.1940 | columbia workshop (048) the pussy cat and the expert plumber who was a man |
+ An amusing fantasy about a cat with a yen for politics and a knack for blackmail! | |
| 10.20.1940 | columbia workshop (050) a man's house |
+ A tale about a wealthy family at the time of Jesus. | |
| 10.27.1940 | columbia workshop (051) fulton fish market |
+A "choric poem" read by Bob Edge, a CBS sportscaster. A romance of the sea and the fish in it. | |
| 11.03.1940 | columbia workshop (052) the constitution |
+Readings from the famous American document and its amendments, broadcast shortly before election da... | |
| 11.10.1940 | columbia workshop (053) piano recital |
+ Mr. and Mrs. Bela Bartok perform Bartok's "Sonata For Two Pianos and Percussion" (world radio prem... | |
| 11.17.1940 | columbia workshop (054) i get the blues from revues |
+A musical look at the life of a Broadway producer, in the Runyon tradition. | |
| 11.24.1940 | columbia workshop (055) dynasts |
+The story of Napoleon's aborted invasion of England. | |
| 12.01.1940 | columbia workshop (056) and to think i saw it on mulberry street |
+A fine story about an imaginative boy named Marco and his parade down a street in New York. The pro... | |
| 12.08.1940 | columbia workshop (057) trojan women |
+ The classic Greek tragedy about the Trojan War. | |
| 12.22.1940 | columbia workshop (59) the plot to overthrow christmas |
+The fiendish schemes of the Devil and the arch-villains of all time are to kill Santa Claus and eli... | |
| 12.29.1940 | columbia workshop (060) dr johnson in scotland |
+ A well-written philosophical portrait of the famous doctor, on a tour with Boswell. |
COLUMBIA RADIO WORKSHOP
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