American Radio Trends: Programming--Specific Shows
Figure 1.--Here we see Gracie Allen in 1939 with the two children that she and George Burns adopted. The press caption reffered to a movie she made rather than their radio show for which they were better known. The children were not involved in their radio show although Ronnie was involved in the TV show as a college student. The caption read, "Mother's Day at Gracie Allen's: The star of Paramount's 'The Grcie Allen murder case' is shown as she received a big package from her children Sandra Jean and Ronnie. Their daddy, George Burns, whispered the significance of the day to the children and helped them select a gift."
We have persued theatricals primarily because of the clothing and fashion information involved. As radio was purely a audio medium, there was very limited fashion information involved, except when for some reason clothing may have beem involved in the plot line. Thus the programming is not of as much interest to us as movies, plays, and television. We will, however, mention the programs that we know of that had important child characters. There were family-type shows as well as adventure stories in which the main character had a juvenile side-kick.
(The) Adventures of Ozzie and Hariet
'The Adventures of Ozzie and Hariet' originated on radio. David and Ricky on radio were played by actors. It was only when the program shifted to television in 1952 that the boys began playing themselves. Ricky was a natural from the beginning. David, the oldr brother, struggled as a performer.
(The) Aldrich Family
'The Aldrich Family' was a popular radio teenage situation comedy (1939-53). It began on radio, but there were also versions in films, television, and comic books. The radio series' well-remembered weekly opening exchange, awkward teen Henry's mother called, "Hen-reeeeeeeeeeeee! Hen-ree Al-drich!", and he responded with a breaking adolescent voice, "Com-ing, Mother!" Playwright Clifford Goldsmith created the series. Henry Aldrich began on Broadway as a minor character in Goldsmith's play 'What a Life'. It was produced and directed by George Abbott and ran for 538 performances.
George Burns and Gracie Allen were vaudevill performers that developed a routine about George and other men pursuing Gracie. The pair criss-crossed the country with the act. Interestingly, Gracy at first the straight man or woman as it was, setting up George to deliver the punchlines which got the laughs In his book, George explained that he noticed that Grcie's straight lines were getting more laughs than his punchlines. So they decided to flip roles , so he cannily flipped the act over�he made himself the straight man and let her get the laughs. It proved a masterpiece of American commedy. Audiences fell in love with Gracie. They loved the naivete, zaniness, and total innocence she so effectively portrayed. In reality she was a very astute businesswiman. They made some short films with the same routine. And this is what is routine when they contiunued along with other importanht show-biz figures graviated toward radio. At first they did not have their own show, but filled in breaks to the Guy Lombardo band music program (early-1930s). They continued this format for a decase, even as they got older and the audience all knew that they were married. As a result, they finally changed to the family format that we are more familar with because they used it on TV. They were a popular show in early TV and their shoiw was a success from the begiunning (1950). They had two children. They adopted two children, Sandra Jean and Ronald Jon, because they could not conceive on their own. They were Jewish, but as the children's parents were Ctholic, agreed to raise the children as Catholics. And the children would be free to make their own religious choice as adults. The were not part of the radio show, but Ronnie joined the cast of the television show, playing George and Gracie's son. He was a serious drama student who wanted nothing to do with comedy. Sandy made only occasional appearances on the show. She became a treacher.
Eddie Cantor (Isidore Itzkowitz) was born in New York (1892). He was best knowbn as comedian, but was also an actor, dancer, singer, songwriter, film producer, screenwriter and author. He was mor than anything a popular radio personality. He was one of the first poppular radio personalities, first appearin (1922). For some reason he did not have long running TV series, but rather a series of different popular radio shows. He was a n eakly ciobvert to teklevision, but he never achieved the ppukarioty he had on radio. His stick on radio was often his failing efforts to cintrol his five indeendent-minded wife and daughters. He virtually created the variety show foncetv that becane a radii and TV staple. The vsons he sung are legebdary, 'Makin' Whoopee', 'If You Knew Susie', 'Ma! He's Making Eyes at Me', 'Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town', and 'How Ya Gonna Keep 'em Down on the Farm (After They've Seen Paree)'. The kater referred to World War I. He was most noted for his his rolling eyes. His charity and humanitarian work was extensive, and he helped to develop the 'March of Dimes'. Cantor was priamry fixture on the 'Chase and Sanborn Hour' (1930s). This was a variety show which launched caeers of many imprtant show business figures. He played such an imprtat role that it was sometimes called Eddie Cantir Hour. This was followed by the NBC radio show 'Time to Smile' (1940-46). These were his major shows.
'The Children's Hour' was a long-running variety show featuring childtrn and youth which made the transition on television. The full name of the show was first 'The Horn and Hardart Children's Hour', but later known as just 'The Children's Hour'. There was a substantial cast of children. Some essentially grew up on the show. A few became popular adult performers. The program ran for more than three decades on radio and television. Horn & Hardart was a company which owned restaurants, bakeshops, and automats in New York City and Philadelphia. It was not uncommon for radio and at first television programs to be known by their long-term sponsors. The program was launched on Halloween day, October 31, 1927. It began on WCAU Radio in Philadelphia, hosted by Stan Lee Broza, and was later aired on NBC Radio in New York City (1940s and 1950s). The original New York host was Paul Douglas, followed by Ralph Edwards and finally Ed Herlihy. The transition to television begn as a simulcast. The television premiere was on WCAU-TV in Philadelphia (1948). It was followed by WNBT (TV) in New York (1949). It was broadcast on Sunday mornings. The hosts were Broza in Philadelphia and Herlihy in New York. Some of the children who aoppared oin the show that had successful adukt careers inluded: Ted Arnold (musical director for Glenn Yarbrough and Jos� Feliciano), Frankie Avalon, Rosemary Clooney, Buddy DeFranco, Eddie Fisher, Connie Francis, Dan Gralick, Joey Heatherton, Kitty Kallen, Rose Marie, Bernadette Peters, Ann Sheridan, Arnold Stang, Ezra Stone (radio's original Henry Aldrich) and Bea Wain. Al Alberts (of The Four Aces) had a 30-year children's variety show modeled on the Horn & Hardart show where he had appeared as a child.
The series ended (summer of 1958).
Jack Armstrong, All American Boy
Jack Armstrong was the most famous boy character on radio. The program began in 1933 and continued until 1950. Each episode began with the anouncer virtually screaming "Jack Armstrong, All American Boy". Jack was a star athelete at Hudson High School, but his adventures took him all over thge world. Jack isong gone, but he made Wheaties a a major cereal beand and Wheaties continues to promote its cerea with atheletes, only real atheletes today. The program would be seen aspertty smaltzy. Every conceival peon to fair play and patriotism was cramed into the script. A good example was what a monk told Jack when he got to Tibet. "Tell the boys and girls of the United States this world is theirs. If thgey have hearts of gold, a glorious new golden age awaits us. If they are honest, riches shall be theirs. If thy are kind, they shall save the whole world from malice and meaness. Will you take that message to the boys and girls of the Uninted States, Jack Armstroing?" Smaltzy it may have been, even in 1939 when it aired. But young American boys on December 7, 1941 were engulfed in the alreeady ranging world war and what they did was mothing less than save the world. I don't know of any TV series, but there was a movie "Jack Armstrong" (1947).
Little Orphan Annie
Annie was the most famous girl character ob radio. Annie was one of the many shows that came from the comics. Annie was a real grounder breaker in 1924, when she first appeared in the "funnies" (newspaper comics), people were surprised to find she was not funny. But she was soon followed by a steady stream of adventure comics. Annie first appeared was the plucky little red-haired girl that with her dog Sandy took on all comers. Her creator Harold Gray had extremely conservative political views which evenually colored the plotlines. This might seem difficult to do considering the fact that his main character was a poor little orphan girl. Gray's philosophy for Annie was, "ya hafta earn what ya get". Expecting a poor little orphan to earn her way seems bit much for even the most hard-bitten conservative Gray used "Annie" to attack labor leaders and liberal politicans attempting to use government to address the needs of people affected by the Depression. Concerned about the reaction of Depression audiences to Gray's extreme conservatism, Gray tempered his reactionany views when "Annie" began on radio. The cartoon was also the inspiration for the musical "Annie".
Adaptations of the Edgar Rice Burroughs Tarzan book began with the movies, but soon there were radio peograms as well. They also dealt with a grown-up Lord Greystoke, who was raised by a female ape as Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle. Jane was a girl who was separated from a safari. We think radio programming began in 1924, but we only have information on specific programs with 'Tarzan of the Apes' (1932). This Tarzan program originated at WOR in New York City and was then syndicated by the World Broadcasting System. Production later was moved to Hollywood, California. The series was broadcast September 12, 1932 - March 3, 1934. The programs began as a 15 minute show, byt was soon exposndedto 30 minutes which became a standard for radio and TV serials. Each show depicted Tarzan's efforts to protect his jungle homeland from evildoers. To add a touch of reality, the producers went to locl zoos to record actual animal sounds. The was no 'Boy' in the initial radio series. ('Boy' played by Johnny Sheffield did not appoear in the movies until 1939.) The seies was, however, very popular with children. Child-oriented programs like Tarzan commonly promoted two two elements found to be appealing to the Kids. Firsr was a club centered on the main cgrcter. Second was premiums that could be obtained by sending in items like labels or box tops from the sponsor's products. Signal Oil was a Trzan sponsor. And the Signal Tarzan Club provd enormously popular.
Vincent Terrace wrote in his book, Radio Programs, 1924-1984: A Catalog of More Than 1800 Shows, "Stories relate Tarzan's efforts to protect his adopted homeland from evildoers.
'The Quiz Kids' was a popular radio series that made the transition to television. It was created by Chicago public relations and advertising man Louis G. Cowan. It was originally sponsored by Alka-Seltzer. The program was first broadcast on NBC from Chicago (June 28, 1940). It began as a summer replacement show for 'Alec Templeton Time'. It was a hit anbd continued on radio for the 13 years. It made the transition to television and appeard on both NBC and CBS (1949-53) with Joe Kelly as quizmaster. It was briefly reprised with Clifton Fadiman as host (1956). Kelly asked questions both sent in by listeners and researched by Eliza Hickok and Rachel Stevenson. Kelly frely admitted that he was no intellectual, and that he could not have answered any of the questions without knowing the answer from his flash cards. He proved successful in his role, however, because he was kind and affable with the children. He had an appealing knack for putting the children at ease. The questions were answered by a panel composed of five children, all under 16-years old. The children were chosen for their high IQs, strong academic interests, and appealing personalities, as well as oher attributes including poise, quickness, and sense of humor. One of the first Quiz Kids was 7-year-old nature expert Gerard Darrow, he prived populr because he was one of the younger children. For the initial premiere panel he was joined by Mary Ann Anderson, Joan Bishop, George Van Dyke Tiers and Charles Schwartz. Other notable participans were
war refugee Gunther Hollander and math experts Joel Kupperman and Richard Williams. The kid panelists rotated each week. The three top scorers each week appeared with two others the next.
Winthrop Family
We have been uable to find infiormation about this family radio show. We ghink it was a sitcom.
