Amazing Short Film on Old Time Radio Sound Effects: "Back of the Mike" (1938)

Insider's view of the 1930s radio studio showing the production of dramatic sound effects.

A boy lies on his bed (wearing a white shirt and a necktie), listening to a radio western. We see the images the radio creates in his mind, then we cut to the studio, where we see that this whole fantasy world is created at a frantic pace by announcers in three-piece suits and sound-effects technicians operating incredibly complicated jury-rigged devices. We get to see such things as one guy doing both voices in a conversation, an adult do a very convincing impersonation of a child's voice, guys playing cowboys impersonating the sound of conversing while riding by playing "horsie" while reading their lines, and all the weird stuff used to make sound effects. Since this is a Jam Handy picture, the good guys catch the bad guys in the end because the good guys are in a Chevrolet and the bad guys are only on horses.

A real gem of a short. Watch it the second time with your eyes closed.

Producer: Handy (Jam) Organization
Sponsor: Chevrolet Division, General Motors Corporation

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• 1938
• radio
• old timey
• Cowboys
• Radio broadcasting
• Radio studios
• Microphones
• Sound effects
• Surrealism
• Actors
• Entertainment
• Westerns
• Automobiles
• Chevrolet
• Fires
• Chases
• Horses
• Language
• Regional accents
• Sounds
• Mountains
• Stunts
• Robberies
• Crime
• Bandits
• Desperadoes
• Radio drama
• Drama
• Plays
• Safety

[ShiekahTribe]

Haha, I love that they are all wearing suits while doing this. I think my favourite part was the guy preparing to hop into the box from 6:41 :D

[Edfilm711]

I love it, this is simply MAH-Vellous! I love the posse sound guys, that is so humorous to see. And the man doing the little boys voice is a real hoot!

[HeilEvilCupCake]

@smittsteve04 I do, what ya have in mind?

[hotdog2020]

I love the rain and storm. Very Very Cool. I still listen to radio strories on radio. A lot are online

[smittsteve04]

did anyone else come here for inspiration on doing their own radio show? if you'd like to take part in something of the nature contact me...i do something similar to suspense!

[TuberOnTheLoose]

This reminds me of a great bit I heard on the radio once. A guy was saying that you could do things on radio that you couldn't do on TV using only sound effects. To prove it he described a scene where Lake Michigan had been drained and then filled with hot chocolate, then an army of bulldozers pushed a mountain of whipped cream into the hot chocolate, and finally the Royal Canadian Air Force flew overhead and dropped a giant cherry onto the mountain of whipped cream. Wish I could find that.

[imajika2]

That was awesome! It's so neat to see how they made the sound effects. Being a radio actor or sound effect person would have been an awesome job back then.

[annearky]

The guy doing the kid's voice.....! eek!  D:

[savoy1801]

VERRRRY interesting!!!!...AND, COOL!!!!!!