Golden Age of Radio

February 16, 1951 Pitts-Post Radio and Television in Review:  Intelligence, Wit and Charm By JOHN CROSBY “Young people are children callously pulling the wings off butterflies. The chief purpose of education is to impart an understanding of the butterfly’s viewpoint ,” observed Dr. William Todhunter Hall, president of Ivy College. <John Crosby> That fairly well sums up the point of view of “ Halls of Ivy ” a surprisingly sophisticated one, on which RonaldColman impersonates Dr. Hall, and Mr. Colman’s real wife, Benita, engagingly plays his liberal and humanitarian philosophy expressed in “ Halls of Ivy ,” ( NBC -KDKA, 8 p. m. Wednesday) is not anything that would provoke controversy even in the bar of the Union League Club. Just the same, it is a rare and wonderful thing to find such mature and worthy sentiments expressed so repeatedly and so wittly on a radio program. *   *    * “ Halls of Ivy ” has been on the air a year now and—let’s face

Man & Moppet The rogue most beloved in the U. S. is a precocious, conceited, impertinent, fast-cracking ventriloquist’s dummy named Charlie McCarthy . On Sunday nights from eight till nine EST, when the U. S. radio audience reaches its peak for the week, almost a third of the nation tunes in on the Chase and Sanborn Hour to hear Charlie make rude and clever remarks to important people. < McCARTHY & BERGEN  A wood-carving barkeep was important> Last week the Chase and Sanborn troupe broadcast from Manhattan’s Radio City—the first time the program had originated from anywhere but Hollywood in nearly two years on the air. When the plan to do this was announced to the press, 60,000 Charlie McCarthy fans besieged NBC and the agency producing the show for admission to Radio City’s I , 3I8-seat Studio 8-H. A crowd of 5,000 was at the station when the troupe arrived, but Charlie was nowhere to be seen. Photographers grouped Master of Ceremonies Don Ameche, da

                         RADIO                              13 RWG’s Scribblers Teach Pro Methods CHICAGO, March 1,--Radio Writers’ Guild here is attempting to teach would-be radio writers how to write professionally by the simple method of having its top writers demonstrate pro techniques. Local RWG is only Guild chapter in the country which actually undertakes to teach commercial radio writing, directing and production to hopefuls. Advanced course in script analysis, production, etc, which began yesterday (28), has the city’s top radio men such as Sherm Marx ( TheWhistler ), Orin Tovrov ( Ma Perkins ), and Myron Golden (Grant Advertising) teaching more advanced neophytes secrets of script salesmanship. Reason Guild sponsors course in Chi, and nowhere else, is that it would like to develop more paying members in a city where admittedly radio writing and production has declined. Reasoning is that altho competition is less keen in Chi than in New York and Hollywood,

Basic Stats Concept: Situation Comedy, Spin-Off from " Fibber McGee and Molly ". A pompous bachelor takes domestic charge of his young niece and nephew in the fictional town of Summerfield. 30-minute episodes. Aired: On NBC Red Network, Sundays at 6:30 PM, later, Wednesdays 8:30 PM. From 8/31/41 - 6/2/54 Program Sponsor: The Kraft Food Company Main Characters/Players: Throckmorton P. Gildersleeve played by Harold Peary , and later Willard Waterman Marjorie Forrester played by Lurene Tuttle , and later Louise Erickson Leroy Forrester played by Walter Tetley Birdie Lee Coggins played by Lillian Randolph (with sister Amanda Randolph filling in) Judge Horace Hooker played by Earle Ross Richard Peavey played by Richard LeGrand Floyd Munson played by Arthur Q. Bryan Radio Show History Actor Harold Peary was a much appreciated talent on the old Harold Peary radio series, "Fibber McGee and Molly". Over the course of time, he played a number of different characters, like a

CLAGHORN’S THE NAME BUT CALL HIM KENNY – DELMAR, THAT IS BY TWEED BROWN THAT grinning whirlwind whipping in and out of Radio City isn’t a refuge from the sound effects cabinet. On closer inspection it will prove to be a bushy-haired young gent out of Boston by name of Kenneth Frederick Fay Howard, attempting to keep up with his radio commitments. This bustling Bostonian has ample reason to rush, for under the professional name of “Kenny Delmar” his actor-announcer talents are in such demand as to require would be sponsors to queue up for considerable distances. Not only is Delmar sought for more announcing chores than he can shake a Social Security card at, but his brainchild, “Senator Claghorn” (That’s a joke, son!) is currently the “hottest” thing in radio. If you don’t immediately identify “the Senator” as the unreconstructed tenant of Allen’s Alley—on the Fred Allen program—then he is the person responsible for normally sane citizens from Wenatchee, Wash.,

  The True Story of— GOSSIPS LINK PHIL HARRIS WITH DOZENS OF HOLLYWOOD GLAMOR GIRLS. BUT JUST ONE GIRL REALLY COUNTS! HE TAKES the romantic “rap” from Master Kidder Jack Benny on his fictitious “dates” with tawny-haired GingerRogers and wisecracking Carole Lombard , when a Hollywood blonde with a husky voice is the one who really makes his heart turn somersaults. And he’s never met her! That’s the “true story” of curly-haired Phil Harris ’ big “dates” . . . that is, it’s almost the story. The other half has to do with a five-foot, four-inch brunet. A gal who swims and dances and sings and handles the piano ivories in a way that should put her in her husband’s band. You’re right. She’s Mrs. Phil Harris . And has been for nine years. It takes the romantic starch out of the Sunday night kidding that Swingmaster Harris, with the broad, beaming smile, is subjected to. But there’s more to this romance-and-rhythm story than that. when I saw her.” Good sport that

  HOW BING CROSBY WILL LIVE ON $ 25,000 A YEAR WHEN the President urged a wartime $25,000 limit on incomes, he sent shudders along many famous Hollywood spines. Pencils squeaked far into the night as name stars tried to squeeze six-figure budgets under the $25,000 ceiling. But Bing Crosby can take the cut without a whimper. His huge income has never turned his head. He’s a regular fellow with a sincere love of things. Bing’s non-working life centers around his family, his home, his horses and his wide range of sports interests. He lives well and owns two comfortable houses. Wife Dixie Lee manages them with very few servants, for home to the Crosbys is not a cross between Grand Hotel and Buckingham Palace. Bing and Dixie are home bodies , and the bright spots see them seldom. Bing wants his four boys to be real kids. He may splurge in such matters as playground equipment for them, but he keeps them in public school. Bing’s strictly an “old hat and slacks” d