Old Radio

  June 8, 1942: The original show of Clara, Lu and Em began in 1931 on NBC. The comic soap opera was then revived on CBS.  Clara, Lu and Em   vanished into radio oblivion after being broadcast for only a short while. Clara, Lu and Em    made a comeback as a revival on the CBS network. First aired over a local AM radio in Chicago, it was considered one of the first soap operas on the radio . It became a standard for all soaps that came after it. The show was described as a light drama with a few comedic stunts from three tongue-wagging Midwestern housewives.

The Oscar Award winning actress (Best Actress, "Driving Miss Daisy") Jessica Tandy was born on this day in 1909.  She reached adulthood and began her acting career in a world that was becoming familiar with broadcast radio, and she thrived in this new medium. Those of you with the sharpest memories might recall her work on the NBC sustaining program " The Marriage ," on which she played the wife of the character played by Hume Cronyn, her real-life second husband. She also turned in sterling performances on The Lux Radio Theatre (as an intermission guest on "Presenting Lily Mars"), The Columbia Workshop (on "The Trojan Women"), and Great Plays (on "The Tempest"). A happy birthday to someone who thrilled audiences half a century before becoming Miss Daisy!

Newspaper reporter, radio announcer and reporter, War Department Information head were all signature components of Elmer Davis . Davis was born in 1890 in Indiana and was quick as a young man to find his way into the world of news and reporting. He spent time as a reporter and editorial writer for the New York Times. By 1939 Davis moved onto radio when asked to fill in for a regular announcer that had gone to Europe covering events. The radio audience instantly was captivated by his easy going voice and was soon reporting nightly. Edward R Murrow once stated that the reason Elmer Davis was so successful so quick was due to his Indiana voice.. The irony here is that Davis would receive a couple of Peabody awards during the course of his career placing him as a peer to Murrow. In 1941, the government asked Davis to become head of the War Departments Information Division. Davis left a high paying radio position to handle this government position thus displaying his patriotic sta

Not a lot of show biz icons got their start in a library, but that's exactly how it happened to Fred Allen , born on this day in 1894. Bless that Boston Public Library for hosting a little variety show for patrons--it gave Allen a chance to take up some juggling and perform a bit of comedy. The encouragement he got from impressed audience members sent him into local amateur night competitions, and the rest is history. We today know Fred Allen as a master satirist and pioneer of meta-humor, with one example being his fictional feud with Jack Benny . This reality-bending brand of comedy would later become more commonplace, finding homes in the repertoires of Andy Kauffman, Sacha Baron Cohen, and David Letterman, whose pugnacious exchanges with various guests were infused with a mock-venom. We also know him as the long-time host of The Fred Allen Show and then Texaco Star Theater You may recall, from the latter, Allen's Alley , home to Sampson Souse, John Doe, Socrate

Who hasn't whistled "Sweet Georgia Brown"? It's a jazz standard and the theme song of the Harlem Globetrotters, and it was co-written by today's birthday boy, Ben Bernie , whose orchestra made the song's first recording.  Bayonne, NJ's own Ben Bernie was a violinist, bandleader, and radio star. From 1930 to 1943 he hosted various radio variety shows, all bearing his name. This vehicle allowed him to popularize his catchphrase "yowza, yowza, yowza!" He became one of the most beloved radio personalities. One trait of his radio career was a fictional feud with writer Walter Winchell , a little publicity stunt. So go up to your friends, give 'em a couple of "yowza"s, and see if they recognize the source.

  May 29, 1939: The series, " When a Girl Marries ", was first heard on CBS and continued to be heard on radio for eighteen years. This radio drama series was created by American screenwriter Elaine Sterne Carrington.  It is one of the most popular drama series of all time. The series followed the story of a  married young couple, Harry and Joan Davis,  who faced endless problem brought about by their social backgrounds-- Harry came from a impoverished family, while Joan was from a wealthy, high-society family.

A happy birthday to legendary actor Raymond Burr , born this day in 1917. Radio fans know that he did a lot as an actor besides playing the famed role of Perry Mason . He was also Captain Lee Quince on the "adult Western" series Fort Laramie . Aided by excellent writers, Burr was able to get deep into the psychology of the cavalry leader.  And let's not forget Dragnet . Burr played the Chief of Detective on Jack Webb 's legendary series, making him an A-list radio star. He also appeared in Pat Novak For Hire . Improbably, the actor who played so many masculine, no-nonsense characters would go on to become a great wine maker and owner of Raymond Burr vineyards.