This is a snippet from Breaking Walls Episode 97: Thanksgiving 1947—The Most Popular Season in Radio History

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At 10PM eastern time on Thanksgiving Day 1947, as families put their young children to bed, ABC broadcast Mr. President from its Los Angeles KECA affiliate, starring Edward Arnold and Betty Lou Gerson.

Mr. President first signed on June 26th, 1947. Producers picked Arnold to star because his voice had the “aggressiveness of Teddy Roosevelt, the humility of Abraham Lincoln, and the tenacity of Andrew Jackson.”

Listeners were challenged to guess the president’s identity before it was revealed at the end. Fittingly the 1947 Thanksgiving episode featured a tale from the life of George Washington.

Opposite Mr. President, live from Hollywood over all CBS stations Radio Reader’s Digest signed on, guest-starring Van Heflin.

1947 was a good year for the thirty-eight year-old actor. That summer he co-starred with Joan Crawford in Possessed and brought Philip Marlowe to radio as a summer replacement for Bob Hope. His latest film, Green Dolphin Street, just hit theaters. It co-starred Lana Turner and was that year’s biggest MGM hit.

Radio Reader’s Digest debuted on September 13th, 1942 on CBS. The famed magazine actually didn’t sponsor the show. They provided the material. Hallmark Greeting Cards was sponsor. In 1947 Les Tremayne was the host.