30 minute drama/relgious show
The Salvation Army sponsored The Heartbeat Theatre which gives dramatic accounts of regular people helping others through illness, tragedy, heartbreak, and more. Each episode illustrates that with faith, optimism, and the help of good Samaritans, any problem can be worked out. Many of the characters in the show either volunteer as Salvation Army Officers or live in a Salvation Army sponsored home.
There are numerous examples of how the organization aids others in need in every facet of life. The show quotes Bible verses and proclaims the power of prayer, but manages to come off as not too preachy. The radio production was not aimed at evangelizing for the Salvation Army, but rather at highlighting the Army's work in communities as well as its history. From Heartbeat Theater, listeners learned that the Salvation Army has its own missing persons division and the origin of the Organization's ubiquitous red kettles.
The program covered such serious topics as bigotry, alcoholism, murder, tornadoes, suicide, train wrecks, small town gossip, public cynicism, loneliness, deadbeat husbands, cheating wives, and the familiar Old Time Radio standby of old women dying on toboggans.
The show originated from Hollywood and early episodes featured many actors who had appeared during the golden age of radio. However, rarely did Heartbeat Theater land the big stars. Instead, those who had been character actors in the golden age were likely to find themselves starring in the plays.
Heartbeat Theater may be the very last “Old Time Radio” program. It first aired in 1956 and the last episode signed off in 1985. In 1985 it was estimated that the production cost half of the Salvation Army's media budget.
Text from Wikipedia
Purchase as a download, purchase as CD(s), or listen for free
Purchase as CD $4.50
All of our Old Time Radio Programs are in MP3 format. You can play them on your computer, you can transfer them to MP3 players (like the IPod), but, by and large, you cannot play them on stereos, walkmen, or car radios.
The sound quality of Old Time Radio Programs can vary greatly. Some episodes are excellent, others you have to turn up the volume a little and ignore the static. All of the episodes can be listened to and enjoyed. You can listen to our free samples to get a feel for how the programs sound.
You may also like: Family Theater
Episode List
heartbeat-theater_581116 The Sighting.mp3
heartbeat-theater_581116 The Sighting2.mp3
heartbeat-theater_590426 The Last Witness.mp3
heartbeat-theater_590503 The Lucky Break.mp3
heartbeat-theater_590510 Say to the Mountain.mp3
heartbeat-theater_590517 The Ghost of Dant001.mp3
heartbeat-theater_590517 The Ghost of Danton .mp3
heartbeat-theater_590726 The Con Man.mp3
heartbeat-theater_590809 Lie.mp3
heartbeat-theater_590830 Once A Thief.mp3
heartbeat-theater_590906 A Good Angel.mp3
heartbeat-theater_591220 Kettle.mp3
heartbeat-theater_591227 Yuan Tan.mp3
heartbeat-theater_600117 Abstract.mp3
heartbeat-theater_600124 Count of Nine.mp3
heartbeat-theater_610312 A Case in Point.mp3
heartbeat-theater_611217 In His Footsteps.mp3
heartbeat-theater_611231 Hand on my Shoulder.mp3
heartbeat-theater_690831 The Education of Mr .mp3
