Golden Age of Radio

From 1939 to 1947, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes reached millions of listeners every week. When the voices of Basil Rathbone as Holmes and Nigel Bruce as Dr. Watson came to the microphone, America was ready to listen. Rathbone brought a sophisticated tone to the character that was hard to mimic. In fact, through the years whenever portrayed Sherlock Holmes in movies or on the air...it was hard to picture anyone but the irrefutable expertise of Rathbone in the role. Concurrently, Mr Bruce maintaining the base bellow of Dr Watson precluded anyone else from establishing similar credibility. Many tried, but no one had Nigel’s presence of portrayal. When Rathbone decided to leave the role, they brought in Tom Conway to continue the voice characterization. Later John Stanley came in to fill the boots. Although these fine performers extended the life of the program...they could not extend the same rapport Rathbone and Bruce developed. These same gentleman played the parts in many movi

The Miami News – Jan 23, 1938      From Edgar Bergen — Revealing Facts of Hollywood Life To Charlie McCarthy Now that Casanova McCarthy has become a film star and has met Mae West on his Sunday night NBC program, his long-suffering better half decides it is time to take him aside and tell him a thing or two. The lecture and the outcome are recorded here, along with a photographic record of what happened when they visited Dorothy Lamour at Paramount studios. MY DEAR CHARLIE: It has been a long time since my last opportunity to talk to you like a father. Remember the night in the rainbow room of Radio City over a year ago when you bet Rudy Vallee you’d take that blond chorus girl home after the show? I had to pay that bet for you, Charlie, and you promised never to look at a woman again after I took you aside in the cloak room and impressed on your tender young nature some of the facts of life. “Ah, please stop, Mr. Bergen,” you cried in shame, “No one ever

Sunday, January 7, 1940           THE MILWAUKEE OURNAL –SCREEN and RADIO       11                  Radio Gagsters Won’t Laugh By Jack Sher MILTIE BERLINDER, aged 7, stood in front of the mirror in the Berlinger’s Bronx apartment making faces. He knitted his eyebrows furiously. He seriously studied his image in the mirror. He knitted his eyebrows furiously. He decided it was pretty good. Papa Berlinger put down his paper, pointed a long finger at Miltie and addressed Mama Berlinger. “Lookit our boy.” He wagged his head disapprovingly. “All day he’s gonna stand there and make monkeyshines in the mirror?” Mama Berlinger wagged a finger back at papa. “So if Miltie wants to make faces, it hurts you? Leave him alone. Something will come of this.” “From such foolishness comes nothing,” Papa Berlinger replied and went back to his paper. Miltie turned from the mirror and shuffled across the room. Mama Berlinger began to chuckle. “Miltie,” she laughed. “Just like Charl

DOWN WITH COMMON SENSE VOTE FOR “GRACIE ALLEN” The Pittsburgh Press – Jul 17, 1944 Gracie Allen Reporting – Dewey’s Eye on President’s Chair, But Look What Roosevelt Has on It By GRACIE ALLEN Written for North American Newspaper Alliance, CHICAGO, July 17—Well, here I am back in Chicago to report another political convention. This time, the Democrats are going to meet and try to figure out how to keep Mr. Dewey out of the White House. The Democrats I’ve seen so far don’t seem to look very worried. I guess they figure that if Dewey has his eye on that presidential chair . . . look what Roosevelt has on it. I Gracie Allen asked some one if the  Roosevelt  'sowned the White House and they said “No.” Too bad—think of the rent they could have saved. And by the way, this time my husband. George Burns, is with me. I was afraid George might object to my working as a newspaper reporter. The average husband doesn’t like his wife to work. But t

Here's a fascinating story from Fate Magazine written by Arch Oboler , one of the golden age of radio's premier radio authors and directors. Born in Chicago, Illinois on December 7, 1907 to parents Leon and Clara Oboler, Arch Oboler was a director, producer, and a prolific writer. He had his very first script sold when he was still in highschool. He started to become famous after being hired by NBC in 1936 as the writer for its extremely popular horror radio series called Lights Out, whose original writer Wyllis Cooper left the show. Oboler was considered by many as the father of radio drama. Apart from his work in the radio, he also worked as a writer for many films, theater, and television series. He also wrote a couple of books. Most of you here would probably remember Bill Crosby’s routine about one of Oboler’s radio plays entitled The Chicken Heart. Another of his popular works include the Bwana Devil, which was the world’s first full-length film in 3D. Oboler m

In "Radiogram" Magazine, there is a brief article listing the Old Time Radio celebrities who should be in the government after this coming election: PRESIDENT: Edward Arnold, who starred as every president from George Washington to Calvin Coolidge on the show " Mr. President ." VICE-PRESIDENT: Senator Beauregard Claghorn . SECRETARY OF STATE: Truman Bradley, prolific announcer, once touted for the position by Gracie Allen when she ran for President . SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: Red Albright, a.k.a. Captain Midnight ! SECRETARY OF EDUCATION: Osgood Conklin  ( Gale Gordon ). SECRETARY OF LABOR: Chester A. Riley . SECRETARY OF COMMERCE: Col. Lemuel Q. Stoopnagle . SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY: Jack Benny . SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY: David Harding . SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES: Henry Barbour . SECRETARY OF THE NAVY: Captain Silver . SECRETARY OF THE AIR FORCE: Jimmie Allen . SECRETARY OF THE ARMY: Major George Fielding Eliot. SECRETARY OF T

* Queen of Comedy . . . (8:30) Eve Arden (above) has been selected as “Queen of Comedy” for 1948-49 by radio listeners. Eve, long a favorite of movie and stage fans, now has come into her own on the airlanes with her new characterization in “ Our Miss Brooks .”