Golden age of radio to be showcased by Lawrence enthusiast

In 2000, Ryan Ellett was searching for an Internet radio station and stumbled upon a Web site with downloadable episodes of the vintage radio serial “The Shadow.”

A show featuring the mysterious costumed crime-fighter ran from 1931-1954 and was best remembered for introducing the world to a then-unknown Orson Welles.

“I had no knowledge of old-time radio at that point, but I recognized the name from old movie serials and comic books, so I downloaded one to pass the time. I’ve been hooked ever since,” Ellett says.

Seven years later, the Lawrence resident is editor of “The Old Radio Times” (www.otrr.org), the official publication of old-time radio researchers. In addition to his collection of antique radio sets, he has amassed approximately 45,000 programs from all over the world.

Ellett will play some of these classic selections during a free presentation titled “Return with Us Now: An Interactive Walk Through the History of Radio’s Golden Age, 1929-1962.” The event takes place at 2:30 p.m. Sunday at the Lawrence Public Library, 707 Vt.

“If you were born in the ’70s or later, you likely have no idea radio drama ever existed. In our lifetime, radio has never been more than news, music, sports and talk,” Ellett says.

Ellett says that the number of radio enthusiasts – which he defines as those who “actively collect vintage broadcasts and enjoy reading and doing research about the medium” – probably numbers around 3,000 or 4,000. He describes it as a fairly obscure area of interest, and he hasn’t met anyone else in Lawrence who fits the description.

“I know a few individuals who restore antique radios, and there’s a local ham radio club, but all these areas of radio interest really are distinct groups of hobbyists. There is not necessarily much overlap in interest between them,” he says.

From among his many recordings, Ellett reveals he is most partial to comedies.

“There are a surprising number that have aged very well,” he says.

“‘Fibber McGee and Molly’ is a favorite of mine and many collectors. ‘The Great Gildersleeve’ was a spin-off of that show and my personal favorite. It’s arguably the first sitcom in radio and television. Jack Benny’s program is wonderful as well. ‘Nightbeat’ is another favorite, about a Chicago newspaper writer who dug up stories while working the graveyard shift. ‘Gunsmoke’ is fantastic, though overshadowed by its television run,” he says. “Many fans would agree it was the best all-around radio drama produced in the U.S.”

Ellett says he and other radio enthusiasts work hard to raise public awareness about the bygone art form through presentations such as his library appearance this weekend.

“Radio drama seems to be the overlooked stepchild of the entertainment/mass communications mediums,” Ellett says. “Television and motion pictures get all the attention.”