Romance of the Ranchos

 

 

Romance of the Ranchos is a historical drama that was first broadcast on September 7, 1941. According to John Dunning’s “On the Air”, this show was still running on Sunday afternoons in 1948.

 

Romance of the Ranchos was based on the title records of Title Insurance and Trust Company of Los Angeles, the show’s primary sponsor. It has been described as an excellent, highly accurate and well done account of the early history of California (particularly Southern California) as obtained from the sponsor's title records.

 

Cast: In the early 1940’s the cast included Frank Graham as "The Wandering Vacaro"; Pat McGeehan, Howard McNear (ca. 1941-1942) and Bob LeMond was the announcer. In the mid-1940’s the cast included Pedro de Cordoba as narrator Jose Alvarado (1945-1946); Herb Butterfield later as Alvarado.

 

Cast information from “On the Air” by John Dunning.

 

Also appearing on Romance of the Ranchos was Harry Bartell.

 

Episode Log: (Note that most information contradicts the data in “On the Air”. Most information indicates that there were only 35 episodes to this series.) Available episodes are:

 

Date                 Number                 Title

41/09/07            1                  San Rafael

41/09/14            2                  Santa Gertrudes

41/09/21            3                  San Jose

41/10/01            4                  Aguaje De La Centinela

41/10/08            5                  Rodeo De Las Aguas

41/10/15            6                  San Pedro and Palos Verdes

41/10/22            7                  Paso De Bartolo Viejo

41/10/29            8                  Ex-Mission De San Fernando

41/11/05            9                  Los Cerritos and Los Alamitos

41/11/12            10                Tiburcio Vasquez

41/11/19            11                San Vicente Y Santa Monica

41/11/26            12                San Francisco

41/12/03            13                San Antonio

41/12/10            14                Benjamin D Wilson Part 1

41/12/17            15                Benjamin D Wilson Part 2

41/12/24            16                Christmas at San Gabriel

41/12/31            17                San Jose De Buenos Ayres

42/01/07            18                Joseph Chapman

42/01/14            19                Azusa Dalton

42/01/21            20                Jedediah Smith

42/01/28            21                Rancho La Puente

42/02/04            22                Santa Catalina Island

42/02/11            23                Hugo Reid

42/02/18            24                La Ballona

42/02/25            25                Juan Flaco

42/03/08            26                Phineas Banning

42/03/15            27                Rancho San Francisquito

42/03/22            28                Water Development

42/03/29            29                Joaquin Murietta

42/04/05            30                Rancho San Pasqual

42/04/12            31                Don Juan Temple

42/04/19            32                Rancho La Brea

42/04/26            33                Pueblo of Los Angeles

42/05/03            34                Transportation

42/05/10            35                Carrillo Family

 

FEBRUARY 4, 2005

Old Time Radio Researchers Group