Old Radio

November 12, 1941: Mandrake the Magician debuted on WOR in New York City on this date. It was then that the chant "Invovo Legem Magicarum" was first heard. WOR is an A-class AM radio station (nighttime clear-channel station), located in New York, New York, United States, managing on 710 kHz. On 22nd February 1922, it started broadcasting using an AM transmitter (500-watt) on 833 kHz. From 1987, this radio channel broadcasted as a talk format and has been owned by Buckley Broadcasting after being acquired from RKO. This radio channel has traditional or right-of-center views. It is one of the primary channels of the Shore to Shore AM system and broadcasts the Rutgers Scarlet Knights basketball and football games. They had formerly been certified for use by the ship SS Florida, owned by the Orient Lines.

An ethnic Hungarian born on November 11th, 1904 as József Pintér, Joe Penner passed through Ellis Island as a child when his family moved to New York City. Penner began his successful radio career with the help of Rudy Vallee , who helped him earn his own radio show, The Baker’s Broadcast. The program began on NBC’s Blue Network on October 8th, 1933. Penner’s crazy , zany comic style was punctuated by his catchphrase, “Wanna buy a duck?”  Joe Penner  was voted as radio’s top comedian of 1934, but an ad dispute caused him to quit his radio show. Vox Pop began as a summer replacement series for Penner in 1935 until the creation of The Joe Penner Show on radio in 1936. Penner died of heart failure in 1941 at the young age of 36.

November 10: Happy Birthday  Jane Froman ! Jane Froman (November 10th, 1907 - April 22nd, 1980) was a famous radio singer and actress. In spite of her classical training, Froman was drawn to the songs of the modern songwriters. She met vaudeville performer Don Ross while auditioning for a radio show in Cincinnati. From there, she was able to join Henry Theis’ orchestra and was featured as a vocalist. Finally, Froman moved to New York City and appeared on the radio program Music That Satisfies with Bing Crosby . She joined the Ziegfeld Follies , who also had a program on the radio. At age 27, she became the top-polled female singer. Known throughout her career for volunteer work, she continued her contributions until her death.

November 9, 1948: This is Your Life , presented by Ralph Edwards, was transmitted on NBC for the first time on this date. The show made its way to TV after only two years of its broadcast. This is Your Life  became a successful show both in the radio and in the big screen. This show was revived several times .  Also, it aired with different versions and was remade in different countries including Britain, Australia, and New Zealand. The premise of the show involved surprising a guest by “traveling their lives” in front of the audience.  The guest was walked through a biography of their life by the host.  The show is said to be the foundation of today’s “reality TV show.”

November 8: Happy Birthday Norman Macdonnell! Norman Macdonnell with  William Conrad Norman Macdonnell, born in Pasadena, California on November 8th, 1916, was a radio and television and producer best known for helping to create the hit TV and radio series Gunsmoke . Macdonnell served in the military during World War II and took part in the invasion of Normandy . Macdonnell and writer John Meston helped to create  Gunsmoke   the first major adult western program on radio and TV. The program was launched on CBS radio in 1952. The stories for the program took place in and around Dodge City, Kansas during the development of the American West. The program was starkly somber, a sharp contrast from the childish nature of many other western programs on the radio.  Macdonell went on to produce other popular radio dramas including  Fort Laramie , Philip Marlowe and more! Macdonnell died on November 28th, 1979.

November 7, 1932: Science Fiction adventure Buck Rogers in the 25th Century debuted on CBS. The radio serial aired from 1932 through 1947. The character of Buck Rogers was played by Matt Crowley, Curtis Arnall, Carl Frank and John Larkin. Buck Rogers in the 25th Century originally was produced by Universal Studios.  The American science fiction adventure television series  ran for two seasons from 1979 until 1981. Before the series aired, the feature-length pilot episode for the series was released as a theatrical film several months.

  November 5, 1934: For the first time on this date, CBS broadcast The Gumps . Andy Gump was played by Wilmer Walter and Agnes Moorehead played his wife.  Jackie Kelk played their son. This program was sponsored by Karo Syrup and Pebico toothpaste/tooth powder. The Gumps was originally a comic strip that appeared newspapers. The Gumps had a wide impact on others medium such as radio and television programs. Many sitcoms and serialized dramas took The Gumps as their reference. The Gumps was adopted for radio program for the first time at WGN in 1931. The program then moved to CBS from 1934 - 1937,  where it was produced and directed by Himan Brown with the scripts written by Irwin Shaw.  In the early programs, The Gumps featured Jack Boyle as Andy Gump and Dorothy Denvir as Min, with Charles Flynn as their son Chester and Bess Flynn as Tilda the maid.