21st Precinct
Drama
Drama
Jack Armstrong, the All-American Boy.
As a collector's gem, Jack Armstrong, the All-American Boy remains a notable entry in the adventure genre of Old Time Radio. Fans of classic radio dramas will appreciate the nostalgic charm and the moral lessons woven throughout the series.
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Jack Armstrong, the All-American Boy: Programme Guide.
Jack Armstrong’s next adventure can begin with a voyage, a scientific threat or a mystery close to home. The serial combines a schoolboy hero’s resourcefulness with friends whose skills help him face unfamiliar dangers.
Broadcast history.
The All-American Boy began in 1933 and remained a radio fixture until 1951. Blackett-Sample-Hummert and writer Robert Hardy Andrews developed the programme in Chicago, with Wheaties sponsorship central to its presentation.
Cast and creative team.
Jim Ameche was the original Jack, followed by several other performers, notably Charles Flynn. The Radio Hall of Fame records six actors in the role, so the earliest star’s name should not be attached automatically to every later recording.
Where to begin.
Preparing to Dive for the U-235 · A Stowaway on the Spindrift
These available recordings offer an introduction to this collection. Their current publication dates are separate from historical broadcast dates.
An interesting detail.
The programme’s serial structure helped make listening a repeated appointment. A cliffhanger has a different purpose from the final solution of a self-contained detective story.
Listening appeal.
Try the available Spindrift and U-235 material as part of its adventure group. Look for surrounding story titles and chapter sequence before treating a late surviving instalment as the opening broadcast.
Collection and date notes.
HRV lists 108 public recordings. The 108 records are a selection from a long-running production, not a complete eighteen-year archive. Current podcast dates describe later archive publication, separately from original broadcast dates.
Sources.
Choose your next episode.
108 public recordings in this programme. Catalogue order is not a verified original broadcast chronology.
108 episodes available.
Questions about Jack Armstrong, the All-American Boy.
Was Jack always played by Jim Ameche?
Several actors played him over the programme’s long run.
Are these all independent complete adventures?
Much of the programme used continuing serial stories.
