Golden Age of Radio

MARCH 19, 1955               THE BILLBOARD                 TV FILM          5 THE WHISTLER Hits the right note every time! Overnight, the eerie note of The Whistler ’s signal has struck a responsive chord with viewers and sponsors alike. WITH VIEWERS: In Spokane, The Whistler hit a 30.5 rating the first month…27.8 in Salt Lake City. In Cincinnati it soared to 30.4 (up 39%) in two months. Audiences are big everywhere, and 4 out of 5 viewers are adults. ”So the show’s a natural… WITH SPONSORS: Signal Oil and Thomas J. Lipton, Inc. picked it up right from that start, regionally. Among others: Block Drug, Hamm’s Beer, Household Finance, Necchi Sewing Machines, Safeway Stores. Call us today for a private screening and details on this 39-week series: its big-name stars, and its heads-up merchandising and promotion which translates audiences into customers. CBS TELEVISION FILM SALES New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Berian, San Francisco, Delles, Atlanta, Detroit and

JACK    "Dennis, what you did to me tonight, scaring me the way you did -- oh Dennis, that gave me an eerie feeling." DENNIS  "Gee Mr. Benny, that's where I was born!" JACK:           "Oh, Erie Pennsylvania?" DENNIS  "No, Feeling, West Virginia." The zinger. This is a typical exchange between Jack Benny and his naive, young comic foils. Jack always enjoyed having this one-dimensional character to add to the mix of his radio `gang.' The tenor vocal range was the perfect match for the sweet, dumb kid type. The role was played by a handful of radio actors over the run of the Benny series among them Frank Parker, Michael Bartlett, and James Melton. The three that are most memorable in the role and most aptly portrayed the developing character were Kenny Baker, Larry Stevens, and Dennis Day . Longtime listeners and admirers of the Benny show will readily associated Dennis Day with the role. True, Dennis is mostly closely

CBS Program Splash Debs 7 Between July 1-6 NEW YORK, June 29— CBS starts its first big summer splurge of programming the first week in July, seven programs being set to debut between July 1 and 6. From now on as spots open, programing chief Dave Taylor threw in Sustainers from a numerous backlog built up in the past months, and indications are that New York and Hollywood won’t be the only origination points. Taylor has already stated his desire to develop the web programing on a national basis, and view of it is interesting to note that one of the newcomers is an opus titled Oklahoma Round-Up, a hillbilly piece of business set to bow Saturday (6) in the 10:15-45 slot. Origination for this program, which replaces the canceled Continental Celebrity Club , will be Oklahoma City, KNOX (Los Angeles) originates three of the newcomers. These are the revived Jack Kirkwood Show, set in a bow in the 9:30-10 p. m. slot Monday (1); Sweeney and March, comedy replacement for Kate Smi

December 11, 1943 The Whistler for one, a number of big musical shows like Hollywood Showcase, a number of quizzes, amateur shows and dramas, and are always readying  new ones. Right now they have a Jane Plakens quarters -hour Ladies in Waiting, with Ellen Drew, Jane Pickens and Patay Moran coming up. WAPI, Birmingham, with Kimmy Willson, as program manager, is the latest addition to the radio sales type of program operation. This outlet is still building. It’s still too soon to look for results, but it is adhering to the modus operandi that has clicked in other towns. WBT, Charlotte, N. C., is perhaps the most interesting story of the lot. They had practically no professional talent in the community and a peculiar audience problem. The Carolinas are one place that people do not leave and do not move into. They are mentally, morally, socially and economically self-sufficient. Cotton, tobacco and furniture are their industries, and folk music—not hillbilly —is the prime favor

Household May Drop ‘ Whistler ’ NEW YORK, Aug. 7—Household Finance, which sponsors The Whistler over the Columbia Broadcasting System(CBS) , this week reportedly decided to drop the mystery airer when the current period runs out September 15. The program is on Wednesdays at 10 p.m. Sponsor is undecided about the future radio plans, but may take a flier on another show,  possibly on a different web, later in the fall. La Vally, Inc., is the agency.

Shaw-LeVally Combo Splits; Each To Form Own Chi Org CHICAGO, July 5 – Shaw-LeVally, Inc, agency formed here about a year ago by John W. Shaw and Norman W. LeVally , two account execs from the Leo Burnett Company, this week dissolved, with each principal forming his own agency. The new firms will be John W. Shaw, Inc., and LeVally, Inc. Shortly after the agency started, it had a fast growth that had the trade talking about it. One of its major surprises was taking the Household Finance account from BBD&O. Shaw bought out LeVally for an undisclosed sum. Each, Shaw stated, would take about a million dollars worth of billing to new agencies. LeVally takes the Household Finance account, which sponsors the net show. The Whistler , and according to LeVally other accounts that are planning to get into radio in the near future. Show stated that he will take such accounts as Grace Shoe Company, Dromeyer Company, Standard Milling, Victor Welding and Lumberman’s Mutual an

WBBM is inciting free-lance script writers to submit material for a new half-hour mystery show which will replace The Whistler when Whistler moves to New York . . . Campus Cavalcade is a new series of weekly news round-ups about colleges in Ohio which will begin airing Saturdays, February 1 over WOSU, Ohio State University station.

Old Time Radio (OTR) programs are still listened to today by a dedicated group of fans and aficionados. OTR refers to audio dramas, comedies, and other entertainment programs that were produced from the 1920s to the 1960s and broadcast primarily on AM radio. Despite the advent of television and other forms of modern entertainment, many people continue to enjoy the nostalgia and charm of these classic radio shows .

“ Blondie ” Leads Coast Segs NEW YORK, Sept. 7— Blondie , with a rating of 18.8, lends the first 15 programs on the Pacific Network Hooperatings report, Whistler , with a rating of 13.4, and Michael Shayne , with 12.9, are second and third respectively. Others among the first 15, in order of their rating, are: Aldrich Family 11.4; Frank Morgan , 11.3 ; Crime Doctor , 11.0; Jervens Summer Edition, 10.8: Adventures of Ellery Queen , 10.8; Quiz Kids , 10.2; Big Town , 10.2; Mr. and Mrs. North , 10; Screen Guild Players, 9.7; Skippy Hollywood Theater , 9.7; This Is Your FBI , 9.1, and Bob Hawk Show, 9.1.

 "Fibber McGee and Molly" was a long-running American radio comedy series that aired from 1935 to 1959. The show was created by Don Quinn and featured Jim Jordan and Marian Jordan as the title characters, Fibber McGee and his wife Molly. The series was set in the fictional town of Wistful Vista and centered around the everyday lives and misadventures of the main characters. Fibber was portrayed as a fast-talking, boastful, and often clueless man who was always getting into trouble, while Molly was his level-headed and practical wife who often had to clean up after his messes. The show was known for its clever writing, talented voice actors, and memorable catchphrases. The show's popularity skyrocketed in the 1940s, and it became one of the most popular radio comedies of its time. It was estimated that more than 40 million people tuned in each week to listen to the antics of Fibber and Molly. The show was also known for its elaborate sound effects, which included the famo

Judy Canova Refuses to Play Second Fiddle To Dummy, So She Breaks With Edgar Bergen ‘ Charlie McCarthy ’ Gets Blame for Ending Engagement, By The United Press HOLLYWOOD , Sept. 1— Judy Canova , film and radio comedienne, broke her engagement to Edgar Bergen today because, she said, she does not want to play second fiddle to dummy.” The other side of the “triangle” s “ Charlie McCarthy ,” the famous wooden dummy Bergen uses in his radio and screen acts. “We had a quarrel Sunday and now it’s all over,” she said. “I’ve heard nothing but Charlie this and Charlie that. The dummy has become an obsession with Eddie.” Bergen for years has worked with “ CharlieMcCarthy .” His fame spread nationally, however, only recently, when Rudy Vallee put Bergen and “Charlie” on a radio broadcast. Later, the dummy became a favorite in a radio feud with W. C. Fields . Miss Canova’s hill-billy roles won her radio fame and landed her in pictures. Though they had kept company for

Old-time radio , also known as the Golden Age of Radio, refers to the era of radio broadcasting that lasted from the 1920s to the 1950s. During this time, radio was the primary source of entertainment and information for millions of people around the world. It was an innovative and transformative technology that changed the way people lived and communicated. Radio broadcasting began in the early 20th century with a handful of experimental stations. However, it wasn’t until the 1920s that commercial radio broadcasting took off in the United States. Radio stations sprang up all over the country, and by the mid-1920s, there were hundreds of stations nationwide. Radio offered a new form of entertainment, allowing people to hear live music , drama, comedy , and news from the comfort of their homes. One of the most popular programs of the Golden Age of Radio was the soap opera. These melodramatic serialized dramas were broadcast daily and became a staple of radio programming. They were follo