Lux Redux: Hollywood's Timeless Theater

Originally Aired: January 23, 1939 Lux Radio Theater #203, "Cardinal Richelieu," presents the gripping political drama of 17th century France, where the powerful Cardinal Richelieu struggles to maintain King Louis XIII's authority against scheming nobles and ambitious conspirators. The cunning Count Baradar, secretly allied with Spain, plots with the Queen Mother Marie de' Medici and the weak-will...

Originally Aired: January 16, 1939 Lux Radio Theater #202, "Front Page Woman," stars Fred McMurray and Paulette Goddard in a fast-moving romantic comedy about two rival reporters and a battle of the sexes in the newsroom. Kurt Devlin of the Daily Express believes journalism is strictly a man's profession, while ambitious Ellen Garfield of the Star is determined to prove him wrong. When Ellen draws...

Originally Aired: January 9, 1939 Lux Radio Theater #201, "Mayerling," presents the tragic romance of Crown Prince Rudolph of Austria and the beautiful Marie Vetzera. Set in 1881 Vienna during a time of political unrest and student riots against the monarchy, the story follows the tormented heir to the Austrian throne who struggles against the suffocating constraints of royal duty. Rudolph, marrie...

Originally Aired: January 2, 1939 Lux Radio Theater #200, "Perfect Specimen," stars Errol Flynn as Gerald Ferrisford Wicks, a sheltered young heir kept virtually imprisoned on his grandmother's estate by the domineering Mrs. Wicks. Protected behind fences and guards, Gerald has been raised in isolation as the perfect gentleman, groomed to take over the family's Wix Utilities empire and marry the s...

Originally Aired: December 26, 1938 Lux Radio Theater #199, "Snow White," brings Walt Disney's beloved animated masterpiece to radio, with Disney himself as guest of honor. The story follows the beautiful young Princess Snow White, who becomes the target of her vain stepmother, the Queen. When the Queen's magic mirror reveals that Snow White has surpassed her as the fairest in the land, jealous ra...

Originally Aired: December 19, 1938 Lux Radio Theater #198, "Kid Galahad," presents a tense drama of ambition, loyalty, and corruption in the boxing world. Nick Donati, a hard-nosed fight manager, watches in fury as his fighter Danny Burke disobeys orders and gets knocked out by Chuck McGraw. Convinced that Burke has gone soft over a woman, Nick cuts him loose and vows to find a new fighter he can...

Originally Aired: December 12, 1938 Lux Radio Theater #197, "The Scarlet Pimpernel," In the midst of the French Revolution's Reign of Terror, as noble heads fall daily to the guillotine in 1793 Paris, a mysterious Englishman works to save condemned aristocrats from certain death. Known only as the Scarlet Pimpernel and identified solely by the mark of a crimson flower, this master of disguise move...

Originally Aired: September 30, 1935 Lux Radio Theater #48, "Alias Jimmy Valentine," brings Pat O'Brien to life as Jimmy Valentine, a skilled safecracker released from Sing Sing Prison with hopes of starting fresh. After receiving a pardon from the governor, Jimmy walks out determined to find honest work and leave his criminal past behind. However, the outside world proves unwelcoming as one job o...

In Lux Radio Theater’s sparkling adaptation of The Last of Mrs. Cheney, Norma Shearer, Walter Pidgeon, and Adolphe Menjou shine in a tale of deception, wit, and unexpected romance. When the elegant and mysterious Mrs. Fay Cheney charms her way into London high society, she seems to be the perfect guest—until a string of secrets, stolen pearls, and unexpected affection threaten to unravel everythin...

In Lux Radio Theater’s uproarious presentation of George Kelly’s celebrated play The Show-Off, Irene Castle joins Harold Peary—best known as the Great Gildersleeve—in a comic tale of bluster, blunders, and unexpected redemption. When Aubrey Piper, a loud, boastful clerk with grand illusions, sweeps Amy Fisher off her feet, her family’s world is turned upside down by his relentless bragging and abs...

Originally Aired: June 15, 1936, on "Lux Radio Theatre" In this captivating episode of "Lux Radio Theatre," we dive into the glitzy and tumultuous world of "Burlesque," a story that weaves together themes of love, ambition, and the harsh realities of show business. Set backstage at a small-town Midwestern burlesque show, we follow the journey of successful comedian and singer Skid Brown, played by...

In Lux Radio Theater’s emotionally charged drama “Confession: A Past Unveiled, A Mother's Secret,” Miriam Hopkins and Claude Rains deliver riveting performances in a tale of passion, loss, and redemption. When a glamorous cabaret singer is arrested for the murder of a famed pianist, the courtroom becomes the stage for a gripping story that spans decades—and hides a secret that could destroy an inn...

In Lux Radio Theatre’s swashbuckling adventure “The Buccaneer: Pirates, Patriotism, and the Price of Honor”, Clark Gable stars as the legendary Jean Lafitte, a pirate torn between infamy and integrity. Joined by Olympe Bradna, Akim Tamiroff, and Gertrude Michael, this dramatic retelling of Lafitte’s role in the War of 1812 explores loyalty, love, and redemption. As British forces threaten New Orle...

In Lux Radio Theatre’s stirring adaptation of That Certain Woman, Carole Lombard and Basil Rathbone deliver deeply affecting performances in this tale of love, loss, and redemption. Lombard stars as Mary Donnell, a resilient woman trying to escape the shadows of her gangster husband’s past, while Rathbone portrays the compassionate lawyer who helps guide her path forward. Caught between societal j...

In Lux Radio Theatre’s madcap mystery-comedy Seven Keys to Baldpate, Jack Benny and Mary Livingston trade wisecracks, bullets, and ghost stories in a snowbound house with more “one-of-a-kind” keys than anyone expected. When Benny wagers he can write an original drama in 24 hours at Cecil B. DeMille’s remote mountain lodge, he finds himself tangled in a whirlwind of shady characters, hidden treasur...

In Lux Radio Theatre’s sparkling adaptation of “Theodora Goes Wild,” Irene Dunne and Cary Grant light up the airwaves in a breezy comedy of secrets, scandal, and small-town rebellion. Dunne plays Theodora Lynn, a seemingly prim Sunday school teacher whose sensational novels, penned under a pseudonym, scandalize her quiet Connecticut town. But when a dashing illustrator (Grant) uncovers her double...

In Lux Radio Theatre’s gripping production of “A Doll’s House: Secrets, Sacrifices, and Selfhood,” Joan Crawford and Basil Rathbone deliver powerful performances in Henrik Ibsen’s revolutionary play. This compelling drama explores the quiet struggles and internal awakenings of Nora Helmer, a devoted wife whose world is upended when a long-concealed secret threatens to destroy her carefully constru...

In Lux Radio Theatre’s poignant romantic drama “I Met My Love Again: Lost Time, Rekindled Hearts,” Joan Bennett and Henry Fonda reunite in a touching tale of youthful love, heartbreak, and second chances. Set in the serene college town of Linborough, Vermont, the story follows Julie and Ives—two souls torn apart by a decade of missteps, misjudgments, and missed opportunities. When Julie returns ho...

In Lux Radio Theatre’s stirring adaptation of W. Somerset Maugham’s “The Letter,” Merle Oberon and Walter Houston lead a powerful cast through a haunting tale of love, betrayal, and courtroom drama. Set in the steamy colonial world of Singapore and the Malay Peninsula, the story centers on Leslie Crosby, the refined wife of a British plantation owner, who is arrested for murder under suspicious ci...

In this heartfelt and dramatic episode of Lux Radio Theatre, “The Girl from Tenth Avenue: Love Across the Divide,” Hollywood luminaries Loretta Young and George Brent star in a compelling story of romance, social boundaries, and redemption. Adapted from the 1935 Warner Bros. film, the episode follows Miriam Brady, a hardworking girl from the wrong side of the tracks, and Geoffrey Sherwood, a wealt...

In this sparkling episode of Lux Radio Theatre, “My Man Godfrey: Forgotten Men and Manhattan Madcaps,” Hollywood legends William Powell and Carole Lombard lead an all-star cast through a whirlwind of wit, romance, and social satire. When the eccentric Bullock family plucks a mysterious “forgotten man” from a city dump to win a high-society scavenger hunt, they never expect their new butler, Godfre...

In this powerful episode of Lux Radio Theatre, “The Prisoner of Shark Island: Justice on Trial,” Hollywood legends Gary Cooper, Fay Wray, and Walter Connolly lead a gripping dramatization based on one of the most dramatic chapters in American history. The story follows Dr. Samuel A. Mudd, a physician condemned to life imprisonment after treating John Wilkes Booth—the assassin of President Abraham...

In Lux Radio Theatre’s riveting drama “Dangerous: A Jinxed Heart, A Daring Redemption,” Madeline Carroll and Don Ameche star alongside Heather Angel in a story of luck, love, and second chances. Carroll shines as Joyce Heath, a gifted but ill-fated actress believed to bring disaster to those around her. When Don Bellows, a successful young architect, stumbles into her troubled world, he’s determin...

In Lux Radio Theatre’s heartfelt comedy “Mad About Music: A Daughter’s Dream, A Stranger’s Role,” Deanna Durbin shines as a spirited schoolgirl who concocts a fantastic tale about her nonexistent globe-trotting father—only to rope a bewildered composer, played by Herbert Marshall, into playing the part. Set in the picturesque Swiss countryside, this tale of imagination, identity, and unexpected co...

In this thrilling episode of Lux Radio Theatre, “Mary Burns, Fugitive,” screen legends Miriam Hopkins and Henry Fonda star in a riveting tale of love, betrayal, and redemption. Mary Burns, a small-town girl with a quiet life, finds herself swept up in a dangerous romance with a man who isn’t what he seems. As her world collapses around her, Mary becomes a fugitive—caught between the law and a gang...