Old Radio

76 years ago today in 1937, the newspaper drama Big Town  premiered on CBS radio. Edward G. Robinson starred in it for the first 5 of its 15 year run. Here's what i find amazing. At its height of popularity, it attracted 20 million listeners a week. Currently on TV, only "NCIS" draws more fans week to week.

  October 18, 1943: Perry Mason was aired on CBS for the first time. The fifteen minute show was presented form Monday to Friday. John Larkin starred as the leading role of Perry Mason with Barlett Robinson, Santos Ortega, and Donald Briggs rounding out the rest of the cast. Perry Mason  has been mentioned in over 80 novels and short stories. There was also a popular television show made based on the radio one.

October 17, 1919: The founding of Radio Corporation of America RCA Corporation, established as Radio Corporation of America, was an electronics company that existed from 1919 to 1986. Now, the RCA trademark is owned by Thomson SA. The RCA Trademark is used by two companies, Sony BMG Music Entertainment and Thomson SA.

  October 16, 1945: Barry Fitzgerald appeared in the leading role of Judge Barnard Fitz in His Honor, the Barber ,which aired for the first time on NBC. Barry Fitzgerald refused all other radio shows until this one cropped up. It featured Judge Fitz and some of his comedic cases. The show only lasted one season, but it did go on to become a Broadway play.

During Ike Eisenhower 's presidency, the economy boomed, cars rolled out of Detroit at an unstoppable pace, rock and roll captivated teen audiences, conflict raged in Korea , trouble began in Vietnam, and legions who'd become rebellious hippies toddled around their living rooms in modern comfort. Eisenhower's Great Society played itself out on the radio in the form of his frequent addresses.  He discussed his relationship with communist-hunter Senator Joseph McCarthy , the Geneva Conference of 1955, and the landing of marines in Beirut. Today, his addresses serve as great primary texts chronicling both the Great Society and the Cold War .

We salute the 1891 birth of Dear John star, Irene Rich .  Rich's co-star was Gale Gordon , star of Our Miss Brooks , and the show was broadcast Sunday nights on the Columbia Network. The flapper was a frequent contributor of Will Rogers , starring in such silent films as The Strange Boarder and Jes' Call Me Jim. Share your cherished memories of Ms.Rich in our "comments" section!

  October 11, 1936: On this day, the first national quiz called Professor Quiz aired for the first time on radio. This quiz continued to be aired until 1948. In this quiz, contestants posed questions to Dr. Craig Earl, otherwise known as Professor Quiz. If the contestant could stump Professor Quiz, they earned $25, or the equivalent of $382 in 2009. This quiz show was sponsored by Robert Trout and Velvet Pipe Tobacco Professor Quiz   was dubbed as the first real radio quiz program It aired first on NBC from 1936 to 1941, then on ABC from 1946-1948. It was hosted by Bob Trout, and featured Professor Quiz himself Dr. Craig Earl, along with his wife Mrs. Quiz and son Professor Quiz Jr. The show posing questions to Professor Quiz which, if he answered incorrectly, resulted in the contestant winning $25.