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May 27: Happy Birthday, Dashiell Hammett

Today, dear fans of classic radio, we blow out the candles and celebrate the birthday of author Dashiell Hammett , born this day in 1894. The debonair writer gave us The Thin Man , The Maltese Falcon , and Red Harvest. These works were, yes, adapted into fine radio broadcasts. You may know that Hammett learned about the life of a gum-shoe detective by being one himself. He was employed by the Pinkerton agency from 1915-21, an experience that caused him great moral dilemmas and had a profound effect on him. It also had an effect on American letters, giving us the immortal character Sam Spade . You may recall the great radio series based on the Maltese Falcon protagonist, The Adventures of Sam Spade . Produced by William Spier and starring, first, Howard Duffe, and later, Steve Dunne, the great radio program ran from 1946-1951. Without the mind who birthed the words on the page, we wouldn't have these wonderful programs, so we salute Dashiell Hammett !

May 26: Happy Birthday, John Wayne

Hey, pilgrim, you didn't think John Wayne was one of those movie stars who didn't appear on radio, did you? One of today's birthday boys, originally christened Marion Morrison , the Duke made many memorable appearances on the biggest classic radio shows. He crackled over the airwaves on Lux Radio Theater with adaptations of "Red River," "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon," and "Movie Time, USA." Wayne, of course, is a symbol of American manhood, or at least a certain variety of it. He was a supporter of the Vietnam War, a staunch conservative, and a bar fighter who could mix it up with the best. His swaggering walk and even more swaggering speech made him one of the biggest movie stars of all time.

May 23: Happy Birthday, Artie Shaw

Artie Shaw was a master of swing, one of the leading bandleaders of the Big Band Era. At the tender age of fifteen, he heard that calling and left his New Haven, CT home to begin making noise. He'd already learned the clarinet and saxophone, and wanted to be a pro. His Artie Shaw Orchestra utilized the considerable talents of one Billie Holiday, and had a huge hit with "Begin the Beguine." His notoriety as a bandleader landed him a gig broadcasting on CBS radio from November of '38 'til a year later. His shows were concerts from the Blue Room of the Hotel Lincoln in NYC. Though he left the business mid-career, Shaw brought joy into the lives of millions with his swinging clarinet. Happy Birthday, Artie!

May 20: Happy Birthday, Jimmy Stewart

It's only natural that a man with a voice as distinctive as Jimmy Stewart 's would have a good time with radio. Of course he's known as a huge movie star, but he spent more than his share of time in front of a radio microphone as well. Stewart, whose birthday we celebrate today, made frequent appearances on classic radio mainstays such as Screen Guild Theater , Lux Radio Theater , and Silver Theater . He also starred in Six Shooter from 1952-'54. Some of the productions to which Stewart lent his talents on air include "It's a Wonderful Life," "Winchester '73," and "Destry Rides Again." Later he would host a show called " Good News ," a promotional venture for MGM . On this show, he'd interview MGM stars with upcoming films. So next time the name Jimmy Stewart comes up, remember his radio career and that he wasn't just a movie star.

May 18: Happy Birthday, Perry Como

Mr. Perry Como  was born on this day in 1912. His show biz career spanned half a century, including his exploits as a singer and also as a radio and TV personality. In 1943, Como signed on with RCA Victor records and began churning out an amazing string of hits, such as "When You Were Sweet Sixteen," "I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now," "Because," and "Forever and Ever." Radio played a big part in Como's life, and not just for playing his songs. He'd begun as a singer in a traveling band led by Ted Weems. When he became a family man, Como decided to quit the road life and was set to begin a middle-class life as a barber. However, an offer of a CBS radio show was what kept him in show business. The RCA recording contract would come not long after. Radio also made Como the highest paid performer at that time--he earned this big salary as the host of Perry Como 's Kraft Music Show . We're glad he didn't become a

May 15, 1933: Irna Philip's Scripted Soap Opera Debut on NBC

  May 15, 1933: Scripted and produced by Irna Phillips, the radio soap opera ‘ Today's Children ’ debuted on NBC. Creditted for writing many of the first American soap operas , Irna Phillips was a talented American actress and writer. After working as a writer on a day-time talk show, Irna Phillips penned the soap opera , Painted Dreams . She tried presented the serial series for airing over Chicago’s WGN during daytime broadcasts. The WGN Manager, Henry Selinger, matched the original daytime serial with sponsors that that offered products for women. Phillips continued to write the radio soap opera scripts and starred in the first episode. Disputes about ownership of Painted Dreams serial forced Philip to moved to station WMAQ. Later She changed Painted Dreams to Today’s Children . Philips received fame and criticism regarding Today's Children scripts.

May 11: Happy Birthday, John Michael Hayes

Only so many screenwriters become the subject of biographies, and John Michael Hayes is one of them. He was the subject of Steven DeRosa's Writing With Hitchcock which chronicled his screenwriting work for the famed director in the 1950s. In radio's golden age, the medium attracted the best talent, and  Hayes  was no exception. When not writing Hitchcock movies,  Hayes  wrote for such radio smashes as The Adventures of Sam Spade , Inner Sanctum , and Sweeney and March. He wrote an episode of Spade called "The Chargogagogmanchogagogchabunamungamog Caper," the name purportedly coming from a river in Webster, MA. We salute Hayes on the day of his 1919 birth. Thanks for the scripts, John!

May 10: Happy Birthday, Fred Astaire

"Can't act. Can't sing. Balding. Can dance a little." So read the RKO screen test of none other than...Lassie! No, not really. We're talking about today's birthday boy, Fred Astaire , who soft-shoed into the world today, 1899. Astaire  went into the world of dance with his older sister on the Vaudeville circuit. By 1917 the duo was appearing in big-time musicals on both sides of the Big Pond. Fortunately for all of us, his sister married a British aristocrat and decided there'd be no more professional dancing for her. This left the little brother to re-invent his career. He landed work in a Cole Porter musical, Gay Divorce . From there--failed screen test aside--it was on to celluloid. As far as the world of radio, in 1936 he hosted the Packard Hour , whose colloquial name was "The Fred Astaire Show." He also graced Bing Crosby 's variety program late in his career. Let's salute Fred Astaire !

May 9, 1936: Edgar Bergen: A ventriloquist’s success

May 9, 1936: After months of their debut on Rudy Vallee 's program, Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy broadcast their own show on NBC. With help from W.C Fields , Don Ameche and Dorothy Lamour , the show was one of the top old time radio hits. Edgar Bergen was an actor and a radio performer best known for his superb skill of being a ventriloquist. Along with Bergen,  Charlie McCarthy, his dummy puppet , rose to fame from their radio performances. Following his legal change of name from Berggren to Bergen, Edgar and Charlie were spotted performing at  a New York Party where they were offered a guest appearance in  Rudy Vallee’s radio show .  Their first appearance in 1936 was so successful that they were offered their own show as part of  The Chase and Sanborn Hour. Their success in the radio often puzzles the critics since the radio audience cannot  the dummy (Charlie) or even Bergen’ ventriloquist skill. The  radio ventriloquist  duo is best remember for their hilarious qu

May 7: Happy Birthday, Gary Cooper

Lux Radio Theater was one of the chief homes of the radio work of Western film star Gary Cooper . On the legendary program, he starred in adaptations of his hit films "The Virginian," "The Pride of the Yankees," and "Mr. Deeds Goes to Washington." Mr. Cooper lent his talents to Screen Guild Theater with adaptations of "Sergeant York," "A Farewell to Arms," and "Along Came Jones." In 1947, the actor appeared on The Charlie McCarthy Show. In the same year, he also graced Philco Radio Time, hosted by Bing Crosby . The debonair screen star showed that he could shine on more than one medium. Let's give props to the star, born on this day in 1901.

May 6, 1937: The Hidenburg Dirigible disaster of 1937

May 6, 1937: On this day, the  unforgetable recorded explosion of dirigible, Hindenburgh at Lakehurst,NJ was broadcast coast to coast by NBC Red and NBC Blue network from New York City. That event was reported by NBC's broadcaster, Herbert Morrison . Herbert Morrison's eyewitness report of the Hindenburg Disaster from the actual site of the disaster was the most famous broadcast of that event. His report was actually aired the day after the event took place. One thing that was well-remembered about his report was his phrase "Oh, the humanity!" which became a part of the popular culture back then. His very passionate reporting, along with the breathtaking footage of the incident, caused the public and other industries to lose their faith in huge passenger airships. Hindenburgh Disaster recordings can be heard on Old Time Radio's Great Moments Collection .

May 5: Happy Birthday, Alice Faye

Alice Faye was born on this day in 1915, and took a somewhat circuitous path to eminence in the universe of old time radio . She started in vaudeville and went on to a brief but very successful film career . Her leap to radio came from very personal circumstances. After ending her first marriage in 1940, Faye began a romantic relationship with radio icon Phil Harris . We know Harris has the hipster bandleader of The Jack Benny Show. After Faye married Harris, she joined him in his radio career. It began with their collaboration on the music show The Fitch Bandwagon , which aired on NBC. That show evolved into a sitcom and was re-named The Phil Harris-Alice Faye Show . Their real-life marriage and family was re-created--to perhaps some small degree of realism--on the show, with actors playing equivalents or their two young daughters. The couple remained married until Harris's 1995 death. Faye died three years later. We salute this talented actress and songstress.

May 3: Happy Birthday, Norman Corwin

Today we salute an innovative and pioneering writer and producer, Norman Corwin . In 2011, Corwin died at the age of 101. He is known for his production of the broadcast " On a Note of Triumph ," which trumpeted the Allied victory in World War II . In 1938,  Corwin began his noteworthy radio program Words Without Music. One of his next endeavors was Columbia Presents Corwin, which took flight in March of 1944. Corwin wrote the original scripts for the programs, each of which was a documentary-style look at the topic at hand. The inaugural episode was "Movie Primer," which looked at some of the pomposity of the movie business. For his thoughtful, high-quality programs, he tapped into the Rolls Royce of available talent: Charles Laughton , Orson Welles , and Everett Sloane, to name a few. A later work of distinction was American in England, in which Corwin conducted man-on-the-street interviews with British folks during World War II . Corwin would go