The Baby Boomer Radio, TV, Movies, Magazines, Music, Comics, Fads, Toys, Fun, and More Show!

In this edition of Galaxy Moonbeam Night Site, Ian Rose gives a salute to Centenarians, famous persons born 100 years ago. Among the personalities Ian remembers are Jacques Cousteau, Norman Corwin, Himan Brown, and Mother Teresa, among others. Mike, Smitty, and Ian discuss whether Ipods, SmartPhones and digital media are killing radio. Also what radio is doing to stay competitive in this digital a...

On this, Galaxy Moonbeam Night Site's 25th program, Ian remembers Broderick Crawford, the actor best known for his role as Chief Dan Matthews on the TV show "Highway Patrol". He also appeared in such films as "Born Yesterday" and "All the King's Men". Ian tells us about Crawford's life and career. Mike and Smitty talk about the days when you could listen to police calls on home radios. Mike rememb...

Southern California radio personality Shotgun Tom Kelly joins Mike, Smitty, and Ian for the second part of an interview about Shotgun's life and career. We talk about "Words A Poppin", Shotgun's TV show from the 1970's. Shotgun talks about his work with the Muscular Dystrophy Association and his work with Jerry Lewis and Casey Kasem. Shotgun recalls some sage advice given him by Milton Berle. He t...

Smitty, Mike, and Ian welcome legendary Southern California radio personality Shotgun Tom Kelly. Shotgun joins the Galaxy Gang for the first of a two-part interview in which we recall his many years of on-air work, at such radio stations as KGB, KCBQ, and his present station KRTH in Los Angeles. We learn about Shotgun's early years, how he got into radio, his first jobs, his television work, and h...

Journey down memory lane on this edition of Galaxy Moonbeam Night Site as Mike remembers those great AM Summer Nights. Remember those hot nights in your front yard, up on the roof, at the local drive in or anywhere you hung out listening to your favorite AM music station with a live DJ spinning those hits? Mike recalls those days as well as telling you how you can put together your own summer retr...

This edition of Galaxy Moonbeam Night Site is all about Vintage Hi-Fi and Stereo. Mike Zuccaro joins Ian, Smitty, and Mike, and together the gang talks about the origins of post-war High Fidelity. Early Hi-Fi and Stereo gear is discussed, as well as the appeal of collecting, and restoring vintage gear. Different types of early gear are recalled, both American and Japanese gear. We remember such fa...

What are all of those different bands that were found on old radios, and even on newer radios? What does MB, SW1, or LW mean? Smitty talks about the what the different bands, or wavelengths on old sets were. He also talks about what could be heard on these bands at one time or another. How do these signals travel so far? That question is answered on this show. As an aside, Mike brings up the topic...

In this edition of Galaxy Moonbeam Night Site, Mike examines the history of Breaking News and Early Television, and contrasts it to breaking news today. The Texas City, Texas explosion of 1947, is remembered, as well as the attempted rescue of Kathy Fiscus from a well in San Marino, California in 1949. Also recalled is the Southern California Bel Air fire of 1961. Mike and Smitty talk about the ea...

It's all about jukeboxes this time as Mike, Smitty, and Ian welcome jukebox expert Mike Zuccaro. Mike talks about the history of jukeboxes as well as how the various Wurlitzer, Seeburg, and Rock-Ola jukeboxes work. What do you do if you want to get an old jukebox repaired? Mike Zuccaro offers some suggestions for getting your vintage jukebox restored and repaired. Also, Ian remembers Dennis Hopper...

On this edition of Galaxy Moonbeam Night Site, Mike remembers the legendary Wolfman Jack. Mike talks about the Wolfman's show and his unique on-air personality. The Galaxy Guys talk about the Wolfman Jack show and how it was heard on high-power stations. Some of these stations called "Border Blasters", could be heard throughout the U.S. Mike also remembers "Color Radio", the format used by KFWB in...

On this edition of Galaxy Moonbeam Night Site, Smitty remembers the great TV game show "To Tell The Truth". Both hosts of the game show, Bud Collyer and Gary Moore are recalled, as well as long-time panelists Kitty Carlisle, Peggy Cass, Bill Cullen, Orson Bean, and Polly Bergen. Ian recalls the Golden Age of Television and such shows as "Patterns", "Requiem for a Heavyweight", and "No Time For Ser...

Ian Rose offers an essay on Desilu Studios, complete with reviews of The Untouchables and Eliot Ness. Desilu was famous in the 1950s-1960s for some great television shows. Mike recalls the original husband-wife "buddy movie" The Long, Long, Trailer, starring Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball. The Moonbeam Boys discuss all the great gag gifts and cool items available from the old Johnson-Smith catalogs....

t's all about TV sets this time around. Remember when the TV broke down and you called the repairman? Smitty recalls the TV repair shop started by his dad and remembers his time there testing tubes and dealing with customers. Mike tells us the story of Earl "Madman" Muntz and his TV sets of 1950's vintage. Also remembered are the cars Muntz sold as well as his advertising gimmicks. In addition the...

Mike was only six years old when his folks took him to his first, but over the years he noticed some of the similarities of the drive-in movie theaters. He share some of the history and memories of his favorite passion pits. Smitty learns all about Mike's experiences as a consumer victim in the 1960s. Chameleon lizards Dead on Arrival, X-ray glasses that made the family optometrist smile, and thos...

A handful of candy, fake a sneeze, and spray the front row of the local theatre with red hots...this the typical scene during the Saturday matinees that Mike recalls, along with those cliff-hanging serials such as Zorro and Flash Gordon, repurposed as fillers in 1950s-1960s U.S. cinemas. Smitty offers insight on transcription disks, those pre-vinyl recording media that were the grandparents of tod...

(Courtesy of www. NormanCorwinOnline.com)Norman Corwin is one of the greatest living writers in the English language, and has been called America's "poet laureate of radio."During the 1930's and 40's, he wrote and produced many of the most powerful, most influential, and simply the best programs ever created for the media. When President Roosevelt wanted to celebrate the Bill of Rights, as World W...

Smitty, MIke, and Ian discuss TV/radio history paper collectibles, live audience open houses for radio and TV shows, and what went on at these live events. Ian remembers Peter Graves and Fess Parker, plus, offers some insight on the Davey Crockett fad of the mid 1950s. The Galaxy Gang talks about the many talents of Jackie Gleason.

Remember the Edsel, the TV and radio repair shop, and the furniture upholstery shop? Here's a look back to the 1950s, when very few big ticket consumer items were thrown away. Listen in to the thrilling days of yesteryear as former KFMB radio personality Ian Rose shares some thoughts on the serials of the 1930s and 1940s that helped feed the programming monster of early 1950s TV. Most of this segm...

What was going on between Norma Desmond and Cecil B. DeMille (Sunset Boulevard). A look at how Alan Funt would have loved YouTube, and some discussion of Silent Film stars that made (or tried to make) the jump to talkies and TV. Also, Smitty gives some advice on old radio repair.

What were people the 1950's predicting about the future? Ian delivers an essay in which he poses this question. Mike and Smitty join in the discussion. Mike talks about citizen journalists and how it's easier to be one now with today's technology. He also recalls his days as a freelance reporter in Los Angeles in the early 70's. Also a discussion about the 50's Red Scare as well as the sci-fi movi...

Smitty, Mike, and Ian Rose discuss the plethora of TV westerns that dominated the tube in the 1950s. How and why the genre developed, and how roles in TV westerns launched big careers for new actors. Ian wonders "When Did the 50s Era End? The Galaxy Gang also talks about The Red Scare, and The Greatest Generation. Retro Commercial: Ultra Brite Toothpaste

Former KFMB Traffic Reporter Ian Rose joins the team in this episode. He will have an essay or two on every program and will join in the general conversation. Mike answers a question posed on a previous show about the old TV show "Surfside Six". Smitty, Mike, and Ian have a brief discussion of 1970's TV detective shows. Smitty gives a tech talk on easy ways to connect an antenna to old radio sets....

Smitty talks about the RCA CT-100, RCA's first color TV set, a picture of which is on our web site. Mike and Smitty talk about vintage TV antennas, collectible art deco rabbit ear antennas and vintage outdoor antennas and rotors. Mike talks about the 60th anniversary of "Your Show of Shows". All this plus two great Retro-Commercials on this show!

Mike and Smitty talk about a CBS-TV photo. Old radio and TV tubes and how to ID them. vintage Zenith Trans-Oceanic radios and what they are worth. Mike poses a question about the vintage TV show "Surfside Six". Plus another great Retro-Commercial.

Here's the show that explores the evolution of Old School TV and Radio, to the fast-paced, instant gratification of today's news shows and TV programs.