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Twenty Questions (20 Questions)

This ageless parlor game was a natural for a fun radio Quiz Show, but what made Twenty Questions so popular with listeners was the fact that its panelists all came from the same family.

Twenty Questions

17 old time radio show recordings
(total playtime 7 hours, 49 min)
available in the following formats:

1 MP3 CD
or
8 Audio CDs


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Play a sample episode from February 11, 1950:

"Roswell G Ham"



... or click here to save the Mp3 file to your computer
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Text on OTRCAT.com ©2001-2024 OTRCAT INC All Rights Reserved. Reproduction is prohibited.

Radio crew of Twenty Quesions radio broadcast

Quiz Show (1946 - 1954)

"Animal, vegetable or mineral? The simple game of 20 questions became a surprisingly popular old time radio show, running for almost 10 years. In its first summer, between 10,000 and 20,000 letters came rumbling into the show weekly! 20 Questions was put on by the Van Deventer family from New Jersey Nancy (16), Bobby (14), Florence the mother and Fred the father and newsman. Each member played a panelist in the game along with the producer, Herb Polesie. Although it was, the Van Deventers didn't want it to seem like a family show, so Mrs. Van Deventer took her maiden name and Bobby took his maternal grandmother's last name.

Twenty QuestionsTo make the show more exciting, bickering was encouraged by the makers of the show. This didn't fly with the audience, however, especially when Bobby sassed it up with his elders. It was quickly written back out of the script. The 20 question game, however, was played by the seat of the Van Deventers' pants and completely unscripted.

The producer, Herb, offered comic relief with his questions such as "Can I give it to my mother-in-law?" or "Can I do it to my wife?" The audience is filled in on the answer ahead of time by the "mystery voice" of Jack Irish, Frank Waldecker, and Bruce Elliott throughout the years.

Surprisingly entertaining and hilarious, Twenty Questions is a fun timeless show for all age quizzsters!

For more quiz show fun, see also: The Game Show Collection, Twenty Questions, You Bet Your Life, It Pays to Be Ignorant, Quiz Kids, and Information Please.

Text on OTRCAT.com ©2001-2024 OTRCAT INC All Rights Reserved. Reproduction is prohibited.

These classic recordings are available in the following formats:

  • Show Rating

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    COMMENTS

    I am really starting to get into the quizzes on O.T.R.For the last three evenings my wife and I have been enjoying Twenty Questions.A shame that there are so few episodes available. The earliest episode was from 1945. Remarkable how well the show has stood up all those years later. Beat The Band is also a delight. Tried listening to Double Or Nothing too.

    Barrie Verified Purchase

    There's lots of episodes of Information Please out there. What don;t you go up against the "panel of highly touted experts" and see how you fare? There's also quite a few episodes of the Quiz Kids hosted by Joe Kelly too. And of course, there's You Bet Your Life with "the one, the only Groucho!" If you want to listen to a game show parody that's absolutely hysterical, try It Pays To Be Ignorant with Tom Kelly. It's the 100% opposite of Information Please."

    Rusty Verified Purchase

    One other show I should've mentioned is Stop The Music hosted by Bert Parks. The show had a building jackpot, the band would play a song, then Bert Parks would call somebody randomly across the United States. The music would stop and they had to guess the song. If they didn't, then more money was added to the jackpot and it continued building until some lucky listener guessed the song correctly. The real importance of this show is that it was programmed opposite Fred Allen, pummeled his show in the Hooper ratings and lead to Fred Allen's cancellation. His last 30 minute broadcast was a response to the way he'd been torpedoed in the Hooper ratings by Stop The Music.. Jack Benny was his last guest and the show is entitled King For A Day and it's one of Top 5 single funniest episodes in radio history. Kenny Delmar's laughing so hard, he can barely read the ending announcements and you can still hear the audience laughing in the background as he's attempting to read them.

    Russ Verified Purchase

    I'm not sure how many episodes of Stop The Music are available. But Fred Allen's response to the show leading to his cancellation is brilliant!

    Bill Verified Purchase

    One of the great things I enjoy about the U.S.version of Twenty Questions is the teenage genius Bobby Maguire.Also love the Hollywood star guests.Lucille Ball was in the episode I heard last night.

    Barry Verified Purchase

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  • MP3 CDs are delivered by mail. These archival quality MP3 CDs are playable in your computer and many MP3 player devices.



    17 recordings on 1 MP3 CD for just $5.00. Total playtime 7 hours, 49 min
    17 recordings on 1 MP3 CD for just $5.00
    total playtime 7 hours, 49 min
    Add MP3 CD Collection to Cart

    1. 17 shows - total playtime 7 hours 49 minutes
    2. Twenty Questions 460000 Easter Bunny (AFRS).mp3
    3. Twenty Questions 460310 Mouse that Ran Up the Clock.mp3
    4. Twenty Questions 460601 Lucille Ball.mp3
    5. Twenty Questions 460622 021 Francis Lederer.mp3
    6. Twenty Questions 461102 040 Glenda Farrell.mp3
    7. Twenty Questions 461123 043 Emily Post.mp3
    8. Twenty Questions 470000 Hank Goudy.mp3
    9. Twenty Questions 470510 051 Henry Wallace.mp3
    10. Twenty Questions 471122 079 Frog of Calaveras County.mp3
    11. Twenty Questions 471213 82 Eugene O'Neill Jr.mp3
    12. Twenty Questions 480000 Lulu McConnel.mp3
    13. Twenty Questions 480918 William Gagstein.mp3
    14. Twenty Questions 481225 135 Victor Borge.mp3
    15. Twenty Questions 500211 Roswell G Ham.mp3
    16. Twenty Questions 501128.mp3
    17. Twenty Questions 511222 Santa Claus.mp3
    18. Twenty Questions.mp3
  • MP3 downloads are available instantly after purchase!



    17 recordings on 1 MP3 Collection Download for just $5.00. Total playtime 7 hours, 49 min
    17 recordings on 1 MP3 Collection Download for just $5.00
    total playtime 7 hours, 49 min
    Add Instant Download Collection to Cart

    1. 17 shows - total playtime 7 hours 49 minutes
    2. Twenty Questions 460000 Easter Bunny (AFRS).mp3
    3. Twenty Questions 460310 Mouse that Ran Up the Clock.mp3
    4. Twenty Questions 460601 Lucille Ball.mp3
    5. Twenty Questions 460622 021 Francis Lederer.mp3
    6. Twenty Questions 461102 040 Glenda Farrell.mp3
    7. Twenty Questions 461123 043 Emily Post.mp3
    8. Twenty Questions 470000 Hank Goudy.mp3
    9. Twenty Questions 470510 051 Henry Wallace.mp3
    10. Twenty Questions 471122 079 Frog of Calaveras County.mp3
    11. Twenty Questions 471213 82 Eugene O'Neill Jr.mp3
    12. Twenty Questions 480000 Lulu McConnel.mp3
    13. Twenty Questions 480918 William Gagstein.mp3
    14. Twenty Questions 481225 135 Victor Borge.mp3
    15. Twenty Questions 500211 Roswell G Ham.mp3
    16. Twenty Questions 501128.mp3
    17. Twenty Questions 511222 Santa Claus.mp3
    18. Twenty Questions.mp3
  • Standard Audio CDs are delivered by mail on archival quality media with up to 60 minutes on each CD and play in all CD players



    17 recordings on 8 Audio CDs. Total playtime 7 hours, 49 min
    17 recordings on 8 Audio CDs
    total playtime 7 hours, 49 min

    Twenty Questions Disc A001

    1. Twenty Questions
    2. Twenty Questions 460000 Easter Bunny (AFRS)
    3. Twenty Questions 460310 Mouse that Ran Up the Clock

    Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00
    Twenty Questions Disc A002

    1. Twenty Questions 460601 Lucille Ball
    2. Twenty Questions 460622 021 Francis Lederer

    Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00
    Twenty Questions Disc A003

    1. Twenty Questions 461102 040 Glenda Farrell
    2. Twenty Questions 461123 043 Emily Post

    Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00
    Twenty Questions Disc A004

    1. Twenty Questions 470000 Hank Goudy
    2. Twenty Questions 470510 051 Henry Wallace

    Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00
    Twenty Questions Disc A005

    1. Twenty Questions 471122 079 Frog of Calaveras County
    2. Twenty Questions 471213 82 Eugene O'Neill Jr

    Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00
    Twenty Questions Disc A006

    1. Twenty Questions 480000 Lulu McConnel
    2. Twenty Questions 480918 William Gagstein

    Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00
    Twenty Questions Disc A007

    1. Twenty Questions 481225 135 Victor Borge
    2. Twenty Questions 500211 Roswell G Ham

    Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00
    Twenty Questions Disc A008

    1. Twenty Questions 501128
    2. Twenty Questions 511222 Santa Claus

    Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00

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