The story of a widow who owned and managed a lumberyard in the fictitious town of Rushville Center. The show started in August of 1933 on Cincinnati station WLW; by December, it had moved to WMAQ/Chicago and joined the NBC network. The character was voiced by Virginia Payne, Ma had two children Evey and Fay.[2]
The Lux Radio Theater
Starting in 1934, broadcasting dramas from Broadway, presented radio versions of movie attractions. The biggest actors and actresses played the leading roles, and in an effort to improve ratings, the Lux Radio Theatre the show moved West in June 1936 to leech on Hollywood talent and popular movie fare. The show was costly and some actors were paid up to five thousand dollars for just one show. Over 50 actors, musicians and technicians were on production every week for the show.[2]
The Lone Ranger
“A fiery horse with the speed of light! A cloud of dust and a hearty ‘Hi-Yo, Silver!’ The Lone Ranger!” Created by George W. Trendle and writer Fran Striker, the show started in 1933, a story about a cowboy who, with his companion Tonto, fought for law and order in the early Western United States. The show was intended for a young audience but a substantial amount of the listeners were adults. The original voice of the Ranger was George Steinus, who was replaced in May 1933 by Earle Graser.[2]
Don McNeill
In 1928 he joined WISN, he went to audtion for The Pepper Pot and eventually took over the show, renaming it The Breakfast Club. In less than a decade the show became the morning programs most successful show. It was said that by 1941, him and the cast were receiving around 100,000 letters a year. "The show was divided into four 15-minute segments for the "four calls to breakfast," and featured music, comedy, inspirational verse and McNeill’s sunny, easygoing personality."[2]
Edgar Bergen
With his wise cracking dummy Charlie McCarthy, Edgar began his career as talent show headliners, performing in Chicago while Bergen attended Northwestern University. They first appeard on Rudy Vallee’s Royal Gelatin Hour in 1936. The duo were in instant hit; and in 1937, they were given their own show for Chase & Sanborn. They became The Edgar Bergen/Charlie McCarthy Show one of radios highest rate programs.[2]
Burns and Allen
A married comedy couple who first appeared in 1929. Soon after the comedic formula was switched after discovering that Gracie’s delivery got a bigger laugh than George's punchlines. In 1932 they joined The Guy Lombardo Show, and by the duo became the main attraction and the show was re-titled The Adventures of Gracie.[2]
The Shadow
First debuted in 1930, narrated by the CBS’ Detective Story Hour, the show followed the likes of Lamont Cranston and his companion Margo Lane. One of the catch lines was “the weed of crime bears bitter fruit…crime does not pay!” The main character had the ability to "cloud men’s minds so that they cannot see him." He often fought crime lords, werewolves, mad scientists, and psychopaths. In 1937 Frank Readick was replaced by Orson Wells.[2]
The first drama with the target audience being children, the show debuted on WGN/Chicago in 1930, then transferred to NBC blue network in 1931. The shows long time sponsor was Ovaltine chocolate milk. Anne and her dog Sandy traveled the globe, battling gangsters, pirates, and other evil doers. Her fictional hometown is Simmons Corners.[2]
The Romance of Helen Trent
The show debuted on CBS on October 30, 1933 and aired until June 24, 1960. It ran for 7,222 episodes, longer than any other soap opera. The premise involved a 35 year old woman who was still looking for romance even though she is middle aged. In doing so, thus proving that love can still be found after youth is gone. The character Helen was pure, no drinking, smoking, swearing, or promiscuous activity; even her thoughts were pure. She becomes very close to getting married but her plans are always destroyed. The show was Created by the husband-and-wife team of Frank and Anne Hummert.[2]
One Man's Family
Written by Carl E Morse, his message was to depict in an artistic form that the family unit was a primary source of moral and spiritual strength. The main characters were Father Henry, Mother Fanny, and children Paul, Hazel, Claudia, Clifford and Jack. The show started in 1932, the drama of the show centered around generation gaps between family members and the struggles between the family. The show was inspired by John Galsworthy’s novel The Forsyte Saga. It was set up in a way that each episode was a chapter and divided the shows stories into books.[2]
Cast of radio's One Man's Family, clockwise from lower left: Jack (Billy Page), Clifford (Barton Yarborough), Mrs. Barbour (Minetta Ellen), Claudia (Kathleen Wilson), Paul (Michael Rafetto), Hazel (Bernice Berwin), Mr. Barbour (J. Anthony Smythe).Mercury Theater On the Air
Created by actor/director Orson Wells, and producer John Houseman, together they produced some of the most memorable content to ever hit the airwaves. The show was on the CBS station and was focused on performing renditions of classic literature such as Dracula, The Count of Monte Cristo and Treasure Island. The most famous performance was that of October 30th, when they performed HG Wells War of the Worlds. An act that would scare more than enough people to cause a national panic. The realistic real-time news bulletins were enough to fool listeners into believing that what was being said was actually taking place.[2]
Arthur Godfrey
He started his career in 1929 at the WFBR/Baltimore station. His style was informal and he was notorious for ad-libs involving making fun of his sponsors. He was known by his audience as “Red Godfrey, the Warbling Banjoist,” and he talked to the people as if it were a one on one conversation. He felt that too many other announcers were stiff and stuffy, so he added sass to his performance. He was very successful and by 1942 his show was broadcast on the NBC flagship station as well.[2]
Amos N' Andy
The show started in 1926 on Chicago's WGN network as Sam N' Henry, then in 1928 moved to WMAQ where it changed to Amos N' Andy. The show was created by Freeman Gosden and Charles Correll, the premised of which is two African American men, "the modest, pragmatic Amos and the blustery, self-confident Andy." By 1931 the show became a national hit and was pulling audiences into the numbers of 40 million listeners nationwide. Even movie theatres paused to allow listeners to catch the fifteen minute radio show. The dialogue was controversial but the show did not restrict itself to any single race.[2]
Martin Block
His career in radio started when he read commercials in Tijuana, Mexico. From there he returned to Los Angeles to work at KFWB, he was junior assistant. From here he meet a popular DJ by the name of Al Jarvis who hosted Make Believe Ballroom. In 1934 Martin went to work for WNEW/New York, from there he adopted the show Make Believe Ballroom; the premise being he was in the ballroom recording the nations top bands live. The show was a huge success, and the station moved to a new location on Fifth Avenue where they built a simulated ballroom with a chandelier and black linoleum for Block’s broadcasts.[2]
Goodman and Jane Ace
This married couple started their careers together when husband Goodman Ace was forced to continue broadcasting on air after his show had finished. After bringing in his wife one time for a guest spot on air, the positive response was enough to warrant Goodman writing a 15 minute sitcom called Easy Aces. The couple became known as radio’s laugh novelty,” the low-key Easy Aces featured Goodman as a "harried business man" and Jane as his "scatterbrained wife."[2]
Gertrude Berg
Creator of the radio comedy The Goldbergs, she was also a housewife and mother at the time. Her show The Rise of the Goldbergs is acclaimed to be the first Jewish comedy in radio history. It ran as a 15 minute program and in 1931 was when it became The Goldbergs. Realism and authenticity were the artistic driving points of the comedy, Gertrude would often visit the lower east side and prepare eggs in the stuido to give a realistic sound to a scene such as breakfast. She played Molly, the mother who could be found in realistic events. The showe later transitioned to television.[2]
Jack Benny
Starting his career with a twice weekly show on CBS, Jack Bennt went on a lead a prosperous career in radio and later transitioned to television. Jack was popular for his personal portrayal of himself in a self-loathing style of comedy. He considered himself a "stingy and vain man, concerned about his receding hairline." His show The Jack Benny Program which was highly rated and ran for over 20 years.[2]
Eddie Anderson
His career breakthrough was the character "Rochester" on The Jack Benny Program. The response from his performance was so positive the writers expanded his role. Originally he was forced to portray the negative stereotypes of African American men, but over time he added new attributes to the character Rochester. Eddie was one of the few black comedians in radio at that time, his success allowed him to be one of the more outspoken African Americans in radio.[2]
Don was a Chicago based radio personality, starting with Empire Builders in 1930; he went on to become the leading man on two other Chicago-based programs. First Nighter and Betty and Bob, then in 1937 Don started working on The Chase and Sanborn Hour. His earlier Chicago work has been herald as the forerunner for the soap-opera genre.[2]
Abbot and Costello
In 1929 the dynamic duo known as Abbot and Costello was formed, "Abbott serving as the perfect straight man and Costello as the bumbling, wisecracking man-child." The two went on to hold a 30 year legacy on the air. Their most famous piece is "Who's on First" a witty dumbfounding short dialogue.[2]
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