Harold’s Old Time Radio

Episode: Bertha And Karl Bertha - Gets Grilled
Date: April 5, 2026
Main Theme:
A comedic, satirical adventure in the tradition of classic Golden Age radio, this episode follows Bertha as she’s interrogated by the menacing Carl while other side characters get drawn into ever-more absurd plotlines involving mistaken identities, confessions, and even a plot for revenge, all with a tongue-in-cheek homage to radio drama conventions.

Episode Overview

In “Bertha Gets Grilled (Part Two),” listeners are swept into the ongoing saga of Bertha—a plucky, self-effacing heroine from Pratt Falls. She finds herself imprisoned in a grimy dungeon, starved and pressured by the intimidating Carl (in his signature neck brace), who demands answers about her mysterious husbands. Interwoven vignettes feature flashbacks to Bertha's wild romantic past, including disastrous marriages, comic barroom brawls, and absurd criminal plots, all delivered with a sharp wit and delightful wordplay reminiscent of the era’s best radio serials.

Key Discussion Points & Episode Highlights

1. Bertha’s Interrogation by Carl

[00:30 – 02:29]

• Bertha, locked in a dungeon, spars verbally with Carl, who tries to coerce information about her husbands using culinary threats.
• Their exchange is droll and rapid-fire, with Bertha feigning confusion over which husband Carl wants to hear about, and bartering worthless scraps (“a jelly bean,” “old stale mashed potatoes”) for sustenance.
• Memorable exchange:
  • Carl (01:27): “What was your husband doing that was so important to my government? Answer the question.”
  • Bertha (01:38): “What do you want me to do? Tell you about every husband I’ve had until you get to the one you want?”
• The food-based standoff escalates until Carl, exasperated, threatens to feed her coveted pork shoulder to the dungeon rats.

2. Flashback: The Leo Nightclub Fiasco

[02:29 – 06:34]

• Bertha tells the not-so-tragic story of her marriage to Leo.
• Set in a smoky nightclub, Bertha and Eunice blag their way into drinks, suspect gangsters lurk, and a brawl erupts—culminating in mistaken insults and culinary confusion.
• Notable comedic moment:
  • Bertha (03:13): “Yes, I’ll have an... Grasshopper. Is that the green one?...”
• The chaos peaks when a knife-wielding sailor is involved in a scuffle, Leo faints, and—via physical comedy and wordplay—ends up accidentally stabbed.
• Bertha’s eulogy (06:18): “Oh, my poor, poor Leo. Oh, you were so young, so strong, so cute in your jammies. And that was how Leo died.”

3. Return to the Dungeon: Hunger and Dr. Tensor’s Green Stuff

[06:34 – 08:05]

• Carl is dissatisfied with Bertha’s story and, to her chagrin, has eaten the roast pork shoulder during her monologue.
• The banter shifts towards increasingly gross food requests (“a sugar beet, a raw pork chop, some rancid butter”), and histrionic complaints about physical aches.
• Comic product plug: Bertha offers Carl a mystery ointment:
  • Bertha (07:18): “It’s Dr. Tensor’s Green Stuff from the makers of Dr. Tensor’s muscle tonic. Try some.”
  • Carl (07:29): “It tastes a little like mint and a lot like creosote.”
  • Bertha (07:33): “You’re not supposed to eat it, silly. You just rub a little green stuff onto your skin...”
• This segment satirizes the overt sponsorships of old radio shows.

4. Eunice’s Noir-ish Side Quest

[08:41 – 10:14]

• On the docks in New Orleans, Bertha’s best friend Eunice attempts to hire a hitman (Freddy Tucker) to take out a mystery target—referenced only as an “affair of the heart.”
• The dialogue plays with hardboiled tropes and euphemisms for murder.
  • Eunice (09:40): “Let’s just say it’s an affair of the heart.”
  • Carl/Freddy (09:52): “He done you wrong.”
• The transaction (“here is my life savings and a plane ticket to Acapulco”) is conducted with comic nonchalance and sly innuendos.

5. Sybil’s Farcical Search for Bertha

[10:26 – 12:06]

• Sybil Curtley, Bertha’s self-declared enemy, searches door-to-door for Bertha, using business cards and awkward small talk.
• Funny exchange about names:
  • Unidentified Man (11:00): “Must be difficult to go through public school with a name like that.”
  • Sybil (11:03): “Well, yes.”
• Sybil imagines the entire town as her alibi, should anything untoward happen to Bertha.

6. Cliffhanger and Teaser for Next Episode

[12:06 – 12:33]

• The narrator sets up next episode’s intrigue: Will Sybil find Bertha? Will Bertha finally answer Carl’s question? Has Eunice really hired a killer?
• Cliffhanger call:
  • Carl/Freddy (12:25): “Hi, I met this Dr. Wagner and he’s a real sweet guy. And now we’re going steady. Tomorrow on the further adventures of Bertha and Carl…”

Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• On Bertha’s many husbands:

  • Carl (01:28): “What was your husband doing that was so important to my government?”
  • Bertha (01:38): “What do you want me to do? Tell you about every husband I’ve had until you get to the one you want?”

• Comic monologue about a gangster bar:

  • Bertha (02:39): “It was smoky and noisy and smelled of old whiskey, face powder, lipstick, cigars, and greasy food. I loved it.”

• Product spoof:

  • Bertha (07:44): “Dr. Tensor’s green stuff is an unobtrusive, soothing analgesic balm that will take away the pain and replace it with a good feeling... comes in regular mint, creosote, or unscented.”

• Hitman hire gone absurd:

  • Carl/Freddy (09:56): “Made a little bump and run, huh?”
  • Eunice (09:58): “Bump and run?”
  • Carl/Freddy (10:03): “Never mind. Give me the ticket.”

• Sybil’s campaign:

  • Sybil (11:00): “It must be difficult to go through public school with a name like that.”
  • Sybil (11:03): “Well, yes...”

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Segment Description | Timestamp | |----------------------------------------|-----------| | Opening narration/context | 00:30 | | Bertha interrogated by Carl | 01:13-02:29| | Flashback: Leo nightclub story | 02:29-06:34| | Return to dungeon; Green Stuff bit | 06:34-08:05| | Eunice’s hitman scene | 08:41-10:14| | Sybil’s search for Bertha |10:26-12:06| | Cliffhanger/teaser for next episode |12:06-12:33|

Tone & Style

The episode is a playful, tongue-in-cheek pastiche that keeps the spirit of Golden Age radio alive with:

• Fast-paced, witty repartee
• Running gags and absurd plot twists
• Affectionate parody of noir tropes and radio advertising

Noir meets slapstick, with love for classic comedic timing and a wink at the audience.

For listeners:
This episode delivers plenty of clever callbacks, spirited dialogue, and lampoons both the genre’s conventions and its quirks. The cliffhangers and banter will leave you eager for the next installment of Bertha's madcap journey.