For NBC’s grand opening on Nov. 15, 1926, the network was able to pull in the bands of George Olsen, Vincent Lopez, Ben Bernie, B. A. Rolfe, and Fred Waring from various locations. All were then natio...
Calling All Cars was one of the earliest police shows on the air. It dramatized true crime stories introduced by officers of the Los Angeles and other police departments. The show was a crude forerunn...
CAST: Barry Fitzgerald as Judge Bernard Fitz of the Vincent County District Court. Bill Green as Sheriff McGrath, Vincent County’s own little Hitler, a frequent antagonist of the kind-hearted judge. B...
At CBS, it was pursued by William S. Paley himself, who scheduled a demonstration of sound quality for Met chairman Otto Kahn. Paley recalled (in his memoir) that Kahn was inspired as he listened. Jus...
Then, in 1942, a disastrous strike against the record companies disrupted the industry and upset the delicate balance of business. Though it hit directly at record producers, the real target was radio...
The opening signature was vivid and long-remembered, with a thrilling theme and a gusty Voice of the Law giving the hero’s credo: Mister District Attorney! Champion of the people! Defender of truth! G...
The appearance of Destination Moon in movie houses helped make 1950 the year of S-F on radio. Dimension X rose to the task, proving that radio and science fiction were ideally compatible. The series d...
The Hummerts perfected a soap formula that was best explained by Erik Barnouw. A series of narrative and dramatic hooks was woven into a three- or four-week main storyline. Before the main crisis was...
The Adventures of Gracie catapulted into the top ten. Meanwhile, Gracie’s real brother, a publicity-shy San Francisco accountant named George Allen, had to go into hiding when reporters found him and...
Mr. and Mrs. North was conceived for radio as it had begun in literature: as a light comedy. When he wrote the original stories for the New Yorker in the 1930s, Richard Lockridge made them light domes...
Lillian Randolph, who had also played a maid on The Billie Burke Show and eventually took the lead on Beulah, was at her peak as Birdie, playing the role all the way. Birdie was perhaps the most endea...
Kenny Baker, brought another dimension of comedy to the singer’s role, the addled young man with the voice of gold. His tenure was solid, four full seasons. He was almost, but not quite, the answer in...
Joseph Kearns as the Crazy Quilt Dragon. Hanley Stafford as Snapper Snitch the Crocodile. Howard McNear as Samuel the Seal and as Slim Pickins the Cowboy. Elvia Allman as Penelope the Pelican. Elliott...
John’s Other Wife was such a perfect title for a soap opera that it was lampooned by Fred Allen (as Duncan’s Other Fife, etc.) and other comics for years. The main point of contention was the romantic...
Jack Webb had been active in radio for several years before Dragnet propelled him to national prominence. He had arrived at KGO, the ABC outlet in San Francisco, an unknown novice in 1945. Soon he was...
In his four months in England, wrote Corwin, I did not once interview a high government official. The main objective of the series was to establish the character of the British people and not dissemin...
His wit surfaced early: once, reviewing a vaudeville act, he noted that the performer could not be heard beyond the third row and advised patrons to request seats at least four rows back.
His reputation rests on his standing as the wit of his day, though his shows are seldom cited as the funniest in radio. His humor has paled, and today he plays to a tougher audience than he ever faced...
He studied everything on the air, listened to radio until it was coming out of my ears, getting the feel of it. This was a brand new ball game: it wouldn’t do any good to roll your eyes or clap your h...
He hunts the biggest of all game! Public enemies that even the G-men cannot reach! This 1939 signature was reportedly revamped after top G-man J. Edgar Hoover complained. For many years thereafter it...