Unlike MacArthur, I Have Returned: The Way It Was, 15 July

The only problem is that I picked a pretty dry day in old-time radio history to return, never mind that the hiatus did me well. Well, I suppose everyone's entitled to a dry day now and then. Meanwhile, I owe thanks to those who sent me their good wishes while I was on hiatus. They mean more than I have the words to say.

And could there be any better soundtrack for a return than two particularly classic episodes of two particularly classic shows?

CHANNEL SURFING . . .

1935: LUM'S THEATER BURNS DOWN---Which is exactly what Lum (Chester Lauck) doesn't need, after Abner (Norris Goff) finally decides he wants to be a partner, and after everything he went through including litigation with Squire (also Goff) to open the movie house, whose fire seems to be of mysterious origin, on today's edition of Lum & Abner. (NBC.)

Grandpappy: Chester Lauck. Writers: Chester Lauck and Norris Goff.

1941: SYLVIA'S PAST---After the dubious marriage plans of Sammy (Alfred Ryder) and Sylvia Allison (Zina Provendie), Sylvia's father wants to see her psychologist (Raymond Edward Johnson) but isn't entirely comfortable until Molly (Gertrude Berg) reassures him, on tonight's edition of The Goldbergs. (CBS.)

Jake: James R. Waters. Rosalie: Roslyn Silber. Announcer: Clayton (Bud) Collyer. Writer/director: Gertrude Berg.

PREMIERING TODAY . . .

1889---Marjorie Rambeau (actress: The Adventures of Ellery Queen; Lux Radio Theater), San Francisco.
1893---William Dieterle (director: Lux Radio Theater; Screen Directors' Playhouse), Rhein-Palatinate, Germany.
1897---Howard Lanin (bandleader: The Ipana Troubadors; Benrus Tricksters), Philadelphia.
1900---Helen Shields (actress: I Love Linda Dale; Amanda of Honeymoon Hill), Champaign, Illinois.
1919---Eve McVeagh (actress: The Clyde Beatty Show), Ohio.