Happyland Amusement Park - Pt 01: The Adventures of Superman (July 8, 1940)

“Happyland Amusement Park - Pt 01” is an episode of The Adventures of Superman, the old-time radio show, first broadcast July 8, 1940. Listen free on Stupid Potato.

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What happens

Clark Kent and Lois Lane travel to the grand opening of Happy Land, a newly built amusement park on the edge of Metropolis. Lois has a personal interest in the park's young owner, Nancy Bartlett, whose father, Colonel Bartlett, built it before his recent death. Midway Martin, who runs a rival carnival, has been pressing Nancy to sell, and Kent overhears a troubling remark about what Happy Land will need in a couple of hours. Later, a celebratory parade winds through the streets, with Nancy driving a silver carriage pulled by six white horses. The horses suddenly grow frightened and wild, and the carriage is put in serious danger as the crowd looks on in alarm. The episode ends there, with Superman still far away and unaware of the trouble.

Metropolis, at the opening day of the Happy Land Amusement Park and its parade through the city streets

Characters: Clark Kent, Lois Lane, Nancy Bartlett, Midway Martin, Kelly

Listen for: The sudden panic of the six white horses pulling Nancy's carriage during the parade

Written from the episode itself; it never gives away the ending. Every recording is remastered for the stream: cleaned of rumble, hiss and mains hum (and the old TV whine where we found it), then levelled in two passes to steady broadcast loudness, so one show is never quieter than the next.