Skip to main content

Inner Sanctum Host Isn't a Bad Guy If you Look at Him Out of Character



The Pittsburgh Press- Jul 19, 1942
Inner Sanctum Host Isn’t a Bad Guy If You Look at Him Out of Character
He’s been a caddy, a soda jerk, a bus boy, an insurance salesman, a bank teller and a tennis pro. His favorite composer is Sibelius, he is a profound a thinker as a college professor but he usually dresses in casual tweeds and sport jackets. His friends sum him up simply as “a heck of a swell guy.” That’s Raymond Edward Johnson, much-heard NBC actor.
Currently Ray is heard in “The Story of Bess Johnson” as Clyde. Bess’ outspoken but sincere’ friend. That’s pretty close to real life, too. The real Bess Johnson (no relation) gave Ray his first radio job some years back. He also is “The Host” on the Blue Network’s “Inner Sanctum” and his fan mail brings carloads of oil cans for the famous squeaking door that opens the program
*         *        *
The first radio job Ray landed was in “Today’s Children,” which ran for more than five years. He then played a lead role in “Henry Mathews,” and now appears regularly on too many other programs to name. His stage experience includes “everything from Greek tragedy to modern high comedy.” Among the stars Ray has worked with are Paul Lukas, Boris Karloff, Nazimova, Bette Davis, Joan Crawford, Alfred Lunt and many others. And all this at the age of 31.
Ray sees his wartime work as “an actor’s duty to give his listeners some faith, some hope, and a few laughs.” As to his ambitions, he says “I want to do as fine a job as I can in whatever medium I find myself.”
At his upstate New York home Ray’s greatest joy—for some inexplicable reason—is lugging rocks, huge rocks. Seems the lanky thespian s building a badminton court, and the topography requires a big rock wall to keep a hill from sliding onto the court. Ray regrets he has no room for tennis, his favorite sport.
*         *         *
He is married to Betty Caine, a radio actress currently heard on “Mary Marlin.” They have one child. Ray met the future Mrs. Johnson in Chicago, where they both were acting in “Young Hickory.”
Ray hails from a little Midwestern town that bids fair to become known as the nursery of America’s acting talent, Kenosha, Wis. Don Ameche and Orson Welles were born in Kenosha, and Frederic March comes from nearby Racine.
Johnson enjoys his country home tremendously and commutes daily. “The country is the end of all living,” says Ray. Eventually he hopes to own a farm. But acting is in his blood. He enjoys radio work. Says he: “To be able to earn money at something I like is a blessing.”
Air Billing
Two actors frequently heard on “Mr. District Attorney” received “air billing in last week’s script, when Ed Byron, author-producer of the series, used the names of Arthur Vinton and Jack Smart as name of characters in the story. And neither actor played the role which bore his name!
Take It Away
Now that the Stage Door Canteen is going to be a sponsored radio series starting Thursday, July 30, 9:30 to 10:00 p.m. over WJS, rafts of anecdotes are beginning to pass across this desk.
We like this one about Alfred Lunt and the “at liberty” actor who approached Lunt while he was making sandwiches for U. S. servicemen at the Canteen. “How are you.” Lunt shouted joyously. What are you doing these days?”
The actor hurried up. “I’m fine, Mr. Lunt. Just fine, and I’d sure like to be in a play with you this fall.” Lunt cut a deft slice of roast beef then looked up. “But what are you doing right now?” he insisted. “I could go into immediate rehearsals, sir,” the boy said, “because I’m not doing anything right now.” “Well then,” Lunt shouted. “Why don’t you just run and empty this garbage pail.”



MURDER TONIGHT!
Inner Sanctum Mysteries
Featuring Famous Stars of Broadway, Hollywood and Radio
Tonight’s Star
*   *   *
SUNDAY
JULY 13th
WFIL
8:30
E.D.T.


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

"Was Jack Benny Gay?": The Amount of Weight In Jack Benny's Loafers

While doing research for an article I came across an unexpected search result: "Was Jack Benny Gay?" There was no more than the question as previously stated from the original poster, but the replies made for interesting reading, ranging from: Jack Benny Celebrating his 39th Birthday "Of course not, he was a well known skirt-chaser in his youth, and he was married to Mary Livingston for many years" "Sure he was, everyone in Hollywood with the possible exception of John Wayne was and is homosexual!" "Part of Benny's "schtick" was his limp-wristed hand-to-face gestures. He was not gay, but emphasized what his fans observed as "acting like a girl" for humor. While heterosexual Benny tried to gay it up, many really gay actors or comedians in those days tried to act as "straight" as they could muster." "... the idea behind his character was to have him a little on the ambiguous side. His charact

OLD TIME RADIO ACTORS AND THEIR ROLES, AND OLD TIME RADIO PROGRAM

Old Time Radio Actor's Name, Character Played, Program Aaker, Lee Rusty Rin-Tin-Tin Aames, Marlene McWilliams, Lauralee Story of Holly Sloan, The Abbott, Judith Lawson, Agnes Aldrich Family, The Abbott, Minabelle Sothern, Mary Life of Mary Sothern, The Ace, Goodman Ace, Goodman Easy Aces Ace, Goodman Ace, Goodman Mister Ace and Jane Ace, Jane Ace, Jane Easy Aces Ace, Jane Ace, Jane Mister Ace and Jane Adams, Bill Cotter, Jim Rosemary Adams, Bill Hagen, Mike Valiant Lady Adams, Bill Roosevelt, Franklin Delano March of Time, The Adams, Bill Salesman Travelin' Man Adams, Bill Stark, Daniel Roses and Drums Adams, Bill Whelan, Father Abie's Irish Rose Adams, Bill Wilbur, Matthew Your Family and Mine Adams, Bill Young, Sam Pepper Young's Family Adams, Edith Gilman, Ethel Those Happy Gilmans Adams, Franklin Mayor of a model city Secret City Adams, Franklin Jr. Skinner, Skippy Skippy Adams, Franklin Pierce Emcee Word Game, The Adams, Guila Mattie Step M

Old Time Radio Shows "Transcribed" Explained

What does it mean on old time radio shows when you hear the show is "Transcribed"? During the Golden Age of Radio , "transcribed" programs were recorded and sent to stations or networks on a disc running at 16 rps. The discs are larger than 33 1/3s. "Transcribed" means it was recorded on a disc. "Recorded" was a term that was known, of course, but not used very much in Radio's Golden Age. During the era, it was also considered very important to distinguish which shows went out live and which were recorded (transcribed), so if a show was transcribed it was announced as such.  "Transcribed" was a colloquialism of the era. One reason they came up with it was because there was still enough skittishness about recording that "pre-recorded" sounded a little obscene inside the industry. CBS and NBC were live through the '30s and '40s. Yet line transcriptions were made for either the sponsor or its ad agency.