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November 23: Happy Birthday, Harpo Marx

According to his memoir, Harpo Marx was thrown out of school in the second grade.  But not how you might think.  Literally thrown out.  In Harpo Marx , the blonde-maned, second-oldest Marx brother says that Irish bullies in his New York City elementary school would convey him out the window of his learning institution. No, the school didn't throw Harpo (born Adolph Marx ) out: he quit. From there, it was comedy on stage, screen, and airwaves.  Fans of harp solos should check out Mr. Marx's appearances on Command Performance , and The Burns and Allen Show.  We salute today's birthday boy, Harpo Marx .

November 21, 1938: WBOE radio went On-Air

  November 21, 1938: The first school-operated radio station, WBOE, started their operation on this day. They aired their program as the 500-watt AM radio station, having a license from the FCC to do so. Later on they evolved into an FM station. WBOE was also the first school radio to be converted into an FM station in 1941. Starting in 1984, the station became known as WCPN (90.3 FM).

November 16: Happy Birthday, Jim Jordan

Jim Jordan , one of the great--and pioneering--comedy minds of all time, was born on this day in  1896. In his early days in radio, being able to perform as many voices as possible was important, and a way for a comic actor to maximize his earnings.  One of the first voices Jordan nailed down was an old man's, and from that he developed the character Luke Grey.  Radio aficionados and historians know that Luke Grey was the star of the 15-minute WMAQ program called "Smackout."  Grey was a corner store owner and teller of tall tales who would excuse his not having what the customer was looking for by saying he was "smack out." Fibber McGee grew out of Luke Grey a few years later.  Phrases like "Tain't funny, McGee," and "You're a hard man, McGee" began to resound throughout the land, and the popular show ran from 1935-'59.  In addition to Jordan's title character and his wife Molly, the show gave us endearing characters

November 15, 1926: Samson Et Dalila First Broadcast

November 15, 1926: The first professional radio opera , Samson Et Dalila was aired for the first time on KYW radio, Chicago, IL from the Chicago Auditorium.  BBC started its domestic radio service on this day in 1922. Samson and Delilah came from the French The Opera Scenes by Camille Saint-Saëns, who was known as the greatest French Romantic composer. Samson et Dalila  was originally planned as an oratorio based on the biblical story of Samson and Delila, but later on the story was adapted for a full opera. For additional classical and opera radio shows, see also: Andre Kostelanetz Show Bell Telephone Hour Encores Chicago Theater of the Air Concert Hall Enchanted Hour Hour of Charm Metropolitan Opera Telephone Hour (Music From America) The Magic Key Lauritz Melchoir Collection Voice of Firestone

November 14, 1922: The First Domestic Broadcast of BBC

November 14, 1922: Domestic Radio Service was started by The British Broadcasting Corp. That first transmission on November 14th of that year was aired from station 2LO, located at Marconi House in London. They were experimental radio services of the BBC. The BBC is owned by six telecommunications companies: Marconi, Radio Communication Company, Metropolitan-Vickers (MetroVick), General Electric, Western Electric, and British Thomson-Houston (BTH)

November 21, 1944: Roy Rogers makes a debut on Mutual

  November 21, 1944: The Roy Rogers Show went on air for the first time on Mutual Broadcasting System on this date. Roy Rogers also starred in The King of the Cowboys. Roy was assisted by the Whippoorwills and The Sons of the Pioneers. The show’s title song was "Happy Trails" that was sung by Rogers and its composer Dale Evans during the credits.

Happy Veterans Day

Happy Veterans Day! "This nation will remain the land of the free so long as it is the land of the brave."  - Elmer Davis, News Commentator

November 11, 1940: A popular radio show 'Mandrake the Magician'

November 11, 1940: Mandrake the Magician  aired on Mutual for the first time, and the song ‘invovo legem magicarum’ (I invoke the laws of magic) was also broadcast for the very first time on the show. Mandrake the Magician  was a famous radio kids serial  established around the United States. The broadcast lasted for about 15 minutes. The radio show featured Raymond Edward Johnson, the unique host on Inner Sanctum , and ran for a year-and-a-half.

November 10, 1950: Monty Woolley performs the title role on 'Magnificent Montague's' debut

November 10, 1950: On this date, the Magnificent Montague was presented for the first time on NBC. Monty Woolley performed the title role. Anne Seymour played opposite Monty Woolley in the show as his wife. Together, the two captivated audiences with their charm and comedy . Monty became known for his white beard that became his trademark.

November 2, 1931: Debut of Myrt and Merge

November 2, 1931: On this date, CBS aired the radio show Myrt and Marge for the first time. The program revolved around the competition of two chorus girls for the same parts and the same men. Myrtle Vail, who created the series and wrote the script as well (with help from Cliff Thomas), also played the part of Myrt. Vail's daughter, Donna Damerel, was the original Marge. Unfortunately, Donna died giving birth and three other performers took her place during its run. The program went on for 11 years. Vail based the story idea off of her experiences during her stay in Chicago where she worked as a vaudeville actor play along with her husband, George Damerel . Almost all the stories she wrote were based on their experiences.  She presented the idea to the chewing gum manufacturer Wrigley, which was then not yet a sponsor for his show.  Manufacturer Wrigley liked Vail's idea an Wrigley finally agreed to sponsor the show. Myrt & Merge debuted as a prime time program in th

October 31: Happy Birthday, Ethel Waters

Tied for Halloween for greatest significance today is the birthday of singer, actress, and pioneer, Ethel Waters . Waters was a groundbreaker and trailblazer for many later African-American singers and performers of all stripes.  She ground out a living on the hard-scrabble vaudeville circuit in the early 20th century, then became a staple of the still-developing artform known as jazz.  She's best known for her big hit songs such as "Dinah," "Stormy Weather," and "Heat Wave." She was the first African-American woman to star in a nationally-broadcast radio program, and turned in great appearances on Jubilee, The Tex and Jinx Show , The Big Show , and Command Performance .  We salute a strong and successful woman and a great addition to the universe of oldtime radio .

October 29: Happy Birthday, Fredric Brown

I'm sure we're all grateful that the world of old-time radio is peopled by lovable hams and charming cut-ups. However, Fredric Brown injected some very deep thought into the medium. Not a song and dance man nor announcer, Brown was a sci-fi writer whose works were adapted into radio programs. One of the most interesting and cerebral of the pulp sci-fi writers of the mid-century, Brown wanted to experiment with the form and push the boundaries. One of his most noted short stories, "Knock," opens with the last man on Earth receiving a visitor. He challenged himself and worked his imagination so hard that, according to his wife, he actually hated writing. But listeners of Lux Radio Theater and other shows featuring his work probably wouldn't have guessed, and they themselves probably loved what Brown put to paper.

October 28, 1946: 'Sky King' and his final flight on NBC

October 28, 1946: The Mars Candy sponsored program  Sky King went on the air for the final time on ABC. It originally featured Lester as Sky, followed by Earl Nightingale. and lastly Roy Engel. Beryl Vaughn performed the role of Sky’s niece while Jack Biven performed as Chipper, and Cliff Soubier starred as the ranch foreman. Sky King  was a radio adventure series aired in the 1940's and 50's on radio and TV. The main character, Schuyler "Sky" King, was said to be based on a true-to-life personality named Jack Cones. King's character was both a rancher and a pilot, and his adventures involved chasing spies and criminals with the help of his plane, Songbird. Although different planes were used during the series' entire run, it was always called by that name.  The actors that portrayed Sky in the  radio and TV series included John Reed King, Earl Nightingale, and Kirby Grant.