Edgar Bergen was also Charlie McCarthy but Charlie McCarthy was one of a kind. The cutest little obnoxious guy on the radio.  A big personality in a tiny package.

Charlie McCarthy took radio by storm and Edgar Bergen rode his coattails to fame and fortune. Actually Bergen rode his own coat tails, but it was so easy to forget they were the same person. Charlie seemed to have a life of his own.

 Given his first big radio break by Rudy Vallee, Edgar Bergen himself doubted the wisdom of a ventriloquist act on Radio. But audiences couldn’t resist Charlie McCarthy and history was made.

 This episode features some of the biggest stars in Hollywood cavorting with our wooden protagonist, Charlie McCarthy, thanks to Edgar Bergen and Chase and Sanborn!

FEATURING:

Joan Blondell

Constance Bennett

Fred MacMurray

Helen Broderick

Anita Louise

David Niven

Loretta Young

Charles Laughton

Clark Gable

John Garfield

Geraldine Fitzgerald

1939 SoundScape part 10, Radio highlights originally broadcast live May 22 through June 4, 1939

 Curated clips of live broadcasts from popular radio shows of the day.

History through the eyes of people as they lived it, reported by radio.

In today’s SoundScape:

 Youth committing crimes!

American Freedom!

The Death of John Brown!

Jack Benny: Ladies Man!

Interviews with Civil War Veterans!

Airmail to Europe!

Featuring:

Cecil B Demille

Courtney Riley Cooper

Fibber McGee and Molly

Harlow Wilcox

Orson Welles

Don Wilson

Jack Benny

Phil Harris

Mary Livingstone

Kenny Baker

The Green Hornet

Baby Snooks

Eddie “Rochester” Anderson

And More!

17 year old Wynn Murray already had two Broadway hits on her resume when she joined The Fred Allen show as the resident Female Vocalist in 1939.

Fred Allen’s decision to bring a famous female vocalist onto his show in 1939 was a recognition that female singers were now in vogue.

Singers like Connie Boswell on the Good News Program, and Charlie McCarthy’s Dorothy LaMour were part of their show’s ratings success.Those Shows broadcast from Hollywood so those singers came from the film industry.

 Fred Allen broadcast from New York City so he had access to Broadway Talent, and Wynn Murray was one of New York Theater’s most promising young shining stars.

SONGS:

Sing For Your Supper

Great Day

Johnny One Note

Comes Love

I didn’t know what time it was

Blow Gabriel Blow

The Man with the Mandolin

What’s New

Stop it’s Wonderful

Stormy Weather

SoundScape part 9, Radio highlights originally broadcast live May 4 through May 21, 1939

Curated clips of live broadcasts from popular radio shows of the day.

History through the eyes of people as they lived it, reported by radio.

In today’s SoundScape:

Mother’s Day 1939 with Jack Benny!

Where are the real high class professional crooks in America today?

As a Lover, rumor has it,  Jack Benny is a regular Caveman!

Featuring:

Robert Young

Connie Boswell

Frank Morgan

Fannie Brice

Orson Welles

Jack Benny

Phil Harris

Mary Livingstone

Leslie Howard

Don Wilson

Cecil B DeMille

The Family Doctor

Fibber McGee and Molly

Ida Lupino

and

Kenny Baker

Charlie McCarthy is really Edgar Bergen. Or the other way around. It was a ventriloquist act.

 On the radio.

Go figure.

But you can’t argue with success and the Charlie McCarthy show was more than a success, it was a cultural phenomenon.

The Kids loved Charlie McCarthy, so did the parents and Grandparents.

The biggest Movie stars didn’t have time to do radio.

Except for the Charlie McCarthy show.

They all wanted to do the Charlie McCarthy show.

Starring:

Charlie McCarthy

Edgar Bergen

Maureen O’Sullivan

Jackie Cooper

Kay Francis

Andrea Leeds

Tony Galento

Ida Lupino

And

Vera Vague

Also Appearing are:

Alan Mowbray

Don Ameche

Dorothy Lamour

and

Donald Dixon

Radio highlights originally broadcast live April 6 through April 30, 1939

 Curated clips of live broadcasts from popular radio shows of the day.

History through the eyes of people as they lived it, reported by radio.

 In today’s soundscape:

A Tribute to Man’s Best Friend, my Dog

Pearl Buck Talks China with Anna Mae Wong and Orson Welles

Jack Benny’s 7th Anniversary on Radio!

And more!!!

FEATURING:

Robert Young

Kitty Carlisle

Meredith Wilson

Lionel Barrymore

Don Wilson

Jack Benny

Phil Harris

Mary Livingstone

Cecil B DeMille

General Hugh Samuel Johnson

Errol Flynn

Fibber McGee and Molly

Orson Welles

Anna Mae Wong

Kenny Baker

Eddie Rochester Anderson

Gertrude Lawrence

and

Eddie Cantor

Close harmony groups were popular in the 1920’s, 30’s,40’s and  50’s. The Merry Macs were among the most successful and were certainly the longest lived of all the Old Time Radio harmony groups.

Close Harmony singing evolved from the Barbershop Quartets of the 1880s and 1890s, but with a jazz age sensibility. Closer harmonic chords and experimentation with tempo and rhythm are some differences between the two styles of harmony.

The Songs you’re going to hear are all recorded from live broadcasts in 1939:

Mister Zip Zip Zip

Stumbling All Around

She’s my Sweetheart

Do You Ever Think of Me

Moonlight Bay

Wizard of Oz Medley

Jingle Bells

Little Drink Do Harm?

Mister Daily Star

Oh Johnny

Radio highlights originally broadcast live March 22 through April 5, 1939

Curated clips of live broadcasts from popular radio shows of the day.

History through the eyes of people as they lived it, reported by radio.

In today’s soundscape:

Nothing about the war in this one, things were quiet there and we were more than happy to pretend the bombs and blood wasn’t real. We will soon find out different.

 The violent wedding of Andy Brown!

 Georgie Jessell kills it with the comedy on the Fed Allen show!

And more!!!

This episode features:

Cecil B DeMille

Loretta Young

Spencer Tracy

Father Flanagan

Fibber McGee

Robert Young

Leo Carillo

Orson Welles

Jack Benny

Don Wilson

Eddie “Rochester” Anderson

Phil Harris Orchestra

Mary Livingstone

Mr. Distrct Attorney

Amos ‘n Andy

Fred Allen

Portland Hoffa

Peter Van Steeden

Harry Von Zell

And

Georgie Jessell

Cecil B. DeMille was a legend, a trailblazer, and a person of ambition and talent.

In this episode, DeMille talks with others like him, movers and shakers who have risen to the top of their chosen fields.

Greatness, talking with greatness on the Lux Radio Theater.

DeMille’s guests include:

Father Flanagan

H.V. Kaltenborn

Grand Duchess Marie

The Daughter of William Jennings Bryant

General Hugh Samuel Johnson

Captain of the Largest American Steam Ship

Barbara Stanwyck and George Arliss

The Playwright Zoe Akins

The Author James Hilton

Floyd Gibbons International Reporter

And More!!

History through the eyes of people as they lived it, reported by radio.

Curated clips of live broadcasts from popular radio shows of the day.

In today’s soundscape:

Mary’s Springtime Poem!

Ed Sullivan wants to know! Is Jack Benny the real Jack Benny?!

And more!

This episode features:

Orson Welles

Laurence Olivier

Noah Beery

Cecil B DeMille

Clark Gable

Claudette Colbert

Eddie “Rochester” Anderson

Jack Benny

Mary Livingstone

Phil Harris

Kenny Baker

Columbia Workshop

Fibber McGee

Zasu Pitts

Fred Allen

The Merry Macs

Don Wilson

Ed Sullivan

And More!!