RED RYDER: CHRISTMAS STORY

From December 23, 1948, here's a Christmas story conveniently titled "Christmas Story" from the Red Ryder radio series.

Red Ryder began as a comic strip by Stephen Slesinger and Fred Harman in 1938, lasting for 26 years.  At it's height of popularity the strip ran in 750 newspapers and had a readership of 14 million.
 From Wikipedia: Slesinger "embarked on a successful campaign of merchandising and licensing with a seemingly endless parade of comic books, Big Little Books, novels, serial chapters, radio programs, events, rodeos, powwows, commercial tie-ins, and licensed products such as the Red Ryder BB Gun, which remains the longest-continuous license in the history of the global licensing industry.  There were more than 35 movies and serials featuring the character.  Two television pilots were unsold, though.

At the beginning Red Ryder topped its radio rival The Lone Ranger in the ratings.  That success was short-lived.  The NBC Blue Network sold the show to the Mutual Broadcasting Network, which placed the program with its Don Lee Network which only broadcast on the West Coast.  Sic transit gloria.

Red Ryder, "America's famous fighting cowboy," rode the range on his horse Thunder, accompanied by his young Indian sidekick Little Beaver and his horse Papoose.  Like The Lone Ranger, Red Ryder toned down the violence, never killing a ne'er-do-well, instead shooting the guns out of villains' hands.

The Christmas episode below features Brooke Temple as Red Ryder and Johnny mcGovern as Little Beaver.

Enjoy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0i70hxOfQ0&index=10&list=PLeagipoZmyflU9tUrwDRWsHcYFN_XWdQp