Breaking Walls

In the July 19th, 1952 episode of Gunsmoke, Doc Holiday comes to Dodge City. Holiday is a gunman, but on the right side of the law and a friend of Matt Dillon's. In this episode, Big Jack Finley, self-made "King of Southern Kansas" has a son named Thorne Finley. Thorne is a rotten apple. That rotten apple and Doc Holiday have a problem. It's Matt's job to intervene before Big Jack has his way.

Noted radio and tv actor and narrator Les Tremayne had a career that spanned eight decades. Here he spoke with Chuck Schaden (full interview here - http://www.speakingofradio.com/interviews/tremayne-les-announcer/) about some of the great things radio acting afforded the lay actor/actress.

On May 13th, 1988, Frank Sinatra was a guest of Larry King's for an incredible chat about the legend's life and career. During the course of the chat, the conversation turned to Frank's acting career. He had this to say about it.

The full interview can be watched here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-xkTDhOpCY

On May 10th, 1986, SPERDVAC (https://www.sperdvac.com/) was host to a This is Your FBI Panel and show recreation which featured creator Jerry Devine and several actors, including Parley Baer, Peggy Webber, and Lou Krugman. During the course of the afternoon Jerry Devine answered several questions, including this one, on how the show originated.

In August of 1982 SPERDVAC (http://www.sperdvac.com) hosted a CBS panel at the Thousand Oaks Library in California. The panel featured some of the best known radio character actors of the 1940s and 1950s. One of them, Virginia Gregg, told a funny story of a joke John Dehner played on her while they were on the air together.

On August 9th, 1986, Lawrence Dobkin, Don Diamond, and Lilian Buyeff were guests of SPERDVAC (http://sperdvac.com/) for a conversation about their lives and acting careers.

During the chat, the conversation swung around to working for Jack Webb, which was something Lawrence Dobkin struggled to do. Here he explained why.

On the July 12th, 1951 episode of Dragnet, Detective Sergeant Joe Friday is assigned to burglary detail. A gang of clever thieves has been at work for three months. They've looted fashionable homes to the tune of $100,000 in furs and Jewels. There are no clues to their identity. It’s Friday’s job to get them.

In 2010 Walden Hughes of SPERDVAC and YesterdayUSA Radio interviewed longtime NBC Staff Writer Ernest Kinoy on his radio experiences. It wasn't long before the conversation got around to X-Minus-One, a program Kinoy adapted and wrote many original scripts for between 1955 and 1958.

By the summer of 1951, Martin and Lewis had become the biggest act in show business, with both blockbuster film roles and a touring act selling out venues everywhere. After previously failing, the duo were ready to jump back into radio.

NBC hired Ed Simmons and Norman Lear—Martin & Lewis’ comedy writers—to write the new program. Dick Mack was the director.

NBC offered it as part of their new multi-sponsor Tandem Plan. Chesterfield Cigarettes, Anacin Tablets, and the makers of Chiclets gum signed on.The new show premiered on October 5th, 1951 to great reviews. Readers of TV-Radio Life voted it their favorite comedy show of 1952.

On February 24th, 1953, Marilyn Monroe was the guest for a skit about the story of a cold-blooded newspaper editor who has no friends, but who is also loved by Marilyn Monroe. The play was entitled, "So Who Needs Friends?"

On March 12th, 1983, SPERDVAC (https://www.sperdvac.com/) hosted a conversation with actors Herb Ellis and Herb Vigran. During the course of their chat, Herb Ellis spoke about his friendship and working relationship with hollywood character actor Gerald Mohr, who starred as Philip Marlowe for CBS.