Golden Age of Radio

The Milwaukee Journal – Jan 14, 1945   Wow! $10,000 Every Week HOLLYWOOD , Calif. (AP) Edgar Bergen his earning 10 grand a week for his radio show Sunday nights at 7. That is pretty nice moola for talking to one’s self for approximately 20 minutes. Pressed for confirmation of this amazing stipend, the shiny domed parent of Charlie McCarthy replied: “Yes, I guess it’s true although I never see the dough. As a matter of fact, it doesn’t seem any different than when I was earning $1,000 a week.” The NBC ventriloquist reflected that he was none too happy about his success, although he admitted a bit of the ham entered into this statement. “I have to be nice to so many people—sponsors, agents, producers, directors, and—”   he added with a grin—“newspapermen. In the old days when I was playing night clubs. I only had to be nice to the manager, and if I didn’t like, I could move on to another date.” “And back in those days, I could take a rest whenever I wanted,

The Milwaukee Journal – Apr 22, 1947 Quiz Master Kills Intruder Firs at Prowlers in Kitchen; One Escapes; Other an Ex-Convict Chicago, III. - (AP) – Joe Kelly, quizzer of the famed radio Quiz Kids , shot at two prowlers in the kitchen of his apartment Monday night, killing one. Andrew Aitken, deputy chief of detectives, said the dead man was identified from fingerprints as Harold C. Fransen, 25, an ex-convict who had been paroled to the army, saw service, as a paratrooper overseas, and was released as psychoneurotic in 1945. He died in a back yard adjoining that of Kelly’s apartment building after leaping a four foot fence with .38 caliber bullet wounds in his back and neck. A trail of blood indicated the other burglar had been wounded. Kelly said he, his wife, Mary, and their son, Joseph, jr, were sitting in the darkened living room of their apartment discussing the son’s November wedding plans when a noise was heard in the kitchen. Joseph, jr.,

St. Petersburg Times – Jul 15, 1945 Loyal Judy Canova Is Wild About Florida Hurricanes Earl Wilson, New York columnist who writes under the heading “It Happened Last Night,” wrote the following interview with Wilson and the New York Post: By EARL WILSON I come from God’s country, meaning the great state of Ohio, the modern Eden, and while gabbing with Judy Canova , who calls herself a Florida Cracker, I found she’s even more loyal to her state than I claim to be. She’s even wild about Florida’s hurricanes. The bums in California wanted her to kid the Florida oranges on her radio program—and she wouldn’t. Personally, I think President Truman’s return to his home state recently may have caused state pride to perk up everywhere. Postmaster General Hannegan of Missouri has a lot of state pride, too, and according to the Republicans here, he’s going to give jobs to all Missouri Democrats not busy reporting to their parole officers. *  *  * “CALIFORNIANS,” Miss

The Milwaukee Journal – Feb 4, 11940 THE Hollywood hills give ArchOboler a lift! “It seems,” he says, “that all these Hollywood people live on top of cliffs and mountains. And when you go calling it’s no cinch. When Mrs. Walter Huston was on the program recently I took the supporting cast and drove all the way up to her home—6,000 feet above sea level on the ‘Rim of the World drive,’ one of the most breath taking, heart fluttering journeys you can imagine. “In half an hour you leave the orange groves and are up in the ice and snow. They’ve got a home like a feudal castle. Just imagine this tremendous redwood house, with a vast living room three stories high, and a stone fireplace large enough to roast an ox. Well, I toted my portable recording outfit all the way up there and we had a really good rehearsal because everyone was rested. “I’m getting so that I can’t produce a play unless I’m sitting on the edge of a cliff.” Several month ago, after a whirlwi

The Milwaukee Journal – Mar 16, 1941 Alice Faye Still Going By Carlton Cheney JUST take a glimpse at Alice Faye if you want to realize how swiftly eight years can spin by. To most of you—and us, too—Alice seems like a mere youngster, who has come along pretty rapidly in the last two or three years. But now let’s look at the record: Back in 1933—a good eight years— Rudy Vallee publicly asserted: “No, I am not going to marry Alice Faye , that beautiful blond singer in my band.” And Rudy kept his word, too. He never married Alice. Jump ahead to 1937 and let’s hear a pronunciamento of Miss Faye herself: “I will never marry Tony Martin . I don’t like young actors. They’re too selfish.” Three days later she eloped with the 22 year old singing actor, Tony Martin. She explained a few days after the ceremony: “I guess it was because of a quarrel or something. Tony insisted that I marry him or else. I’m still up the air. Marriage is a kind of letdown to romance. I

Washington Afro-American – Sep 18, 1951 With only a five-minute-break during a rehearsal for their Saturday night NBC-TV “ Your Hit Parade ” show (10:30), the program’s singing stars (left to right), Dorothy Collins, Snooky Lanson and Eileen Wilson have to tackle one ice cream soda between them. The radio edition of the program is now heard on Thursday nights, at 10. Jack Webb , heard twice weekly over the NBC radio network, has gained a reputation for being authentic as well as versatile in the dramatizations of “ Pete Kelly’s Blues ” and “ Dragnet .” When playing as Pete Kelly or Detective Sergeant Joe Friday on “ Dragnet ,” Webb has a manner and a voice that are not easily forgotten. A regular feature of this show is the straight role played by actress, Meredith Howard, who sings a blues number during each performance. She is not identified as to race nor is there any reference made forward the part she plays. This is in keeping with NBC policy of integration on th

The Milwaukee Journal – Aug 25, 1940 Radio Widow Loves Life Wife of Bill Stern Hears but Seldom Sees Her Wandering NBC Sports Announcer By Harriet Stern (Wife of Bill Stern ) I AM A stranger to the radio audience but my husband is probably better known to you than he is to me you see, he never comes home. When we were first married several years ago, I realized that it was like marrying traveling salesman who was always  traveling. But I never thought that my only look at my husband  would be either in the early morning or very late at night. Long ago I gave up inviting people over for dinner. You see, I soon ran out of excuses as to why Bill was late. But please do not misunderstand. I love it! It’s like being on merry-go-round and always trying for the brass ring. Bill is busy morning, noon and night, but I, at least, have one advantage over other wives. All I have to do is turn on the radio and I know at once where my wandering boy is tonight. Nor