Podcast Summary: Juvenile Jury 1947.11.09 Juvenile Jury
Podcast: Harold's Old Time Radio
Host/Moderator: Jack Barry (with announcers John Scott and a panel of children)
Episode Date: February 13, 2026 (original 1947 broadcast)
Theme:
This episode revisits an original 1947 broadcast of Juvenile Jury, a family-friendly program from the Golden Age of Radio in which a panel of children provides candid, humorous advice to listener-submitted problems, blending youthful perspective with period charm.
Main Theme & Purpose
Juvenile Jury places the wisdom (and wit) of children at the forefront, as kids aged 5–10 respond to real-life dilemmas sent in by listeners. The show is lighthearted and unscripted, offering a snapshot of American family life and humor in postwar 1947.
Panel Introduction
[01:26] Host Jack Barry:
- Welcomes the audience and introduces the jurors:
- Peggy Booter (age 10)
- Robin Morgan (age 5)
- Kong Lu (age 9.5)
- Peggy Bruder (also identified)
- Elizabeth Watson (age 5)
- Vicki Orland (various ages cited)*
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Clothes Too Big for a Growing Girl [01:47–05:17]
Listener complaint: Her mother buys her clothes two sizes too large "so she won’t grow out of them too quickly"; the child finds this embarrassing.
- Kong Lu:
"Why don't you tell your mother that your feet are growing and you don't buy shoes too big for yourself?" [02:28] - Peggy Bird:
"Why don't you go outside when it's very, very, very hardly raining and just let your clothes rain?" [02:42]
(Barry chimes in: "Just let your clothes shrink.") - Dickie Orland:
Suggests honestly sharing feelings with the mother about feeling "self unconscious." [03:00] - Elizabeth Watson:
Shares a story of "hobbling around" until she gets dressed, injecting humor and childlike literalness. [03:33–04:26] - Robin Morgan:
Wonders if the mother is trying to keep up with "fashion" of having "all your clothes group and hang." [04:57] - Jack Barry's Summary:
Advises a compromise between fashion and fit with open communication.
2. Destructive Cousin – Throws Things Indoors [06:09–08:53]
Listener worries about cousin Alvin, who "throws anything" when he visits, breaking household items.
- Elizabeth Watson:
Suggests moving breakables out of reach. [06:32] - Kong Lu:
"When your aunt says he wants to get rid of some energy, tell her that you want to get rid of some cousins." [06:53] - Peggy Bird:
Leave "boomerangs around" as payback. [07:10] - Dickie Orlando:
Jokes that George Washington threw things, too—let Alvin throw coins across the river like Washington and "collect it on the other side." [07:19] - Robin Morgan:
Proposes taking away "irons and mashed potatoes" because they "give energy." [07:46] - Jack Barry:
Suggests explaining to the aunt that Alvin's actions must be controlled or his visits may end.
3. Dog Identification – Gaines Dog Guest of the Week [09:11–13:34]
Live segment: The kids are to identify two small, shaggy dogs (Lhasa Apsos).
- Funny Guesses:
- "I think the black one is a Scottish... the other one's a Scottish too." (Children, 09:49)
- "Lashaterious," "Irish Scots" [10:06–10:24]
- Peggy: Correctly guesses "Lhasa," connecting to the capital of Tibet. [10:52–12:27]
- Kong Lu: Relates he was "born in Hong Kong" but "didn't see those dogs" because he was too young. [13:09]
- Children agree: Lhasa Apsos are "watchdogs."
- Jack Barry:
Explains the origin: from "Lhasa, capital of Tibet"; bred as indoor watchdogs for Tibetan nobility. [12:27–13:34]
4. Youngest Listener's Problem – Riding in a Baby Carriage [15:35–18:53]
3½-year-old Bonnie Ann objects to being put in a carriage (stroller) while shopping.
- Children’s Responses:
- Safety: "So you don’t get lost." (Elizabeth Watson, 16:41)
- Shoe-saving: "Maybe your mother wants you to save your shoes." (Vicki Orland)
- Historic precedent: "Before automobiles... even grownups used to ride around in carriages." (Robin Morgan, 17:56)
- Message: It’s normal; Bonnie Ann should "ride in the carriage" until older.
- Notable quote:
"Even grown-ups can ride in a rolling chair. I don't see why she doesn't want to ride in the carriage." (Elizabeth, 18:48)
5. Cookie Jar Sibling Rivalry [20:09–22:48]
11-year-old writes: his sister races home after school and eats all the cookies.
- Kong Lu & Elizabeth:
Joke that if the sister eats all the cookies, she'll "get fat and then be slower" so he can get there first. [20:38] - Dickie Orland:
Suggests sister "leave the last cookie," or else "she'll be a bachelor." [21:12] - Peggy Bruder:
Advises asking the principal for early dismissal to beat the sister home. [21:38] - Robin Morgan:
Argues "cookies aren’t the most important thing in life"—"ice cream is." [22:01] - Solution: Separate cookie jars for each sibling; playful, childlike logic.
6. Should a 4-year-old Have a Dog? [24:25–27:50]
Richard Harvey Johnson wants a dog because he has "no one to play with" and promises to care for it.
- Panel's Dialogue:
- Asks about dog ownership responsibility: "Do you have enough time to give that?" [25:25]
- Discusses need for parental approval and care.
- Richard specifies he wants a "cocker spaniel," but lives in an apartment; mom thinks the dog will "chew up all the fringe and make a mess." [26:50]
- Closing advice:
- Peggy: "You should be thankful for the things you have already." [27:12]
- Dickie: "Ask the telephone company for a phone booth to keep the dog in." [27:18]
- Consensus: Only if he can prove responsible care.
Notable Quotes & Moments
- Elizabeth Watson (on morning routine):
"All I have to do is hobble around."[04:26] - Kong Lu (on rowdy cousin):
"Tell her that you want to get rid of some cousins." [06:53] - Dickie Orland (cookie dilemma):
"If she eats the last cookie, she'll be a bachelor." [21:12] - Robin Morgan (on life priorities):
"Cookies aren't the most important thing in lives." [pause] "Let me think a second. Ice cream." [22:01]
Other Notable Segments
Gaines Dog Food Promotion
- Interwoven into the episode with playful banter about dog nutrition and economy, often with the children chiming in.
- Fun Statistic: One 5-pound package of Gaines dog food equals the nourishment of 15 1-pound cans, and costs less than half as much. [23:35]
Closing Thought
- Jack Barry:
"Out of the mouths of babes oft times come gems." [28:32]
Episode Structure & Key Timestamps
- [01:26] Introduction of children’s jury
- [01:47–05:17] Clothes too big problem
- [06:09–08:53] Problem with destructive cousin
- [09:11–13:34] Gaines Dog Guest of the Week (Lhasa Apsos)
- [15:35–18:53] Listener Bonnie Ann – dislikes riding in a carriage
- [20:09–22:48] Cookie sibling rivalry
- [24:25–27:50] Four-year-old wants a dog
- [28:32] Closing remarks
Summary
Juvenile Jury endures as a charming slice of mid-century Americana, mixing sincere kid logic, innocence, and surprising wit. Through candid, often hilarious exchanges, the show not only delivers advice with humor but evokes nostalgia for an era when the whole family "sat around the radio." Unvarnished, unscripted, and enduringly funny, this episode highlighted why, indeed, "children should be heard as well as seen."