Old Radio

  December 24, 1944: The Andrews Sisters were featured in the first episode of The Andrews Sisters' Eight-to-the-Bar Ranch on ABC. Maxene, Patty,and LaVerne ran an imaginary guest ranch. American George 'Gabby' Hayes and Vic Schoen's pop group were permanent guests. The ranch remained on air until 1946.

December 22, 1922: This day is the first double wedding ceremony broadcast on WEAF. This is proof that WEAF could be a pillar of radio promotion; the wedding ceremony at Grand Central Palace was watched by 4,000 spectators. The WEAF coorperated with the American Radio Exposition to conduct this classic radio broadcast and participating wedding couples received $100 as compensation. As the pioneer sponsored program broadcasting station, WEAF use long distance telephone service to broadcast their program. WEAF made arrangment between sponsorhip company and others radio stations that would be the chain station for equal distribution of service cost. The chain station received a portion of advertising program fee or could obtain non advertising program of the chain management for a fee.

December 12: Happy Birthday, Edward G Robinson Edward G Robinson could attack a role and make it not only his, but perpetuate a level of expertise that would keep others from having the same effectiveness in the casting. Born in 1893, this Romanian-American cast a spell over Hollywood with his dynamic approach to serious acting that transcended the industry. Most people remember his as Ricco in Little Caesar and the too-ambitious dathan in The Ten Commandments. In his 50 years of acting, Robinson was cast in more than 100 motion pictures and a sampling of stage. His voice was used in a few on-air radio characterizations of hit dramas. Besides being an ardent actor, Edward G. participated in politics during the 30’s and 40’s as a die-hard opponent of buying German made goods. Robinson, however, became entangled in the 50’s congressional witch hunts of communist sympathizers, which Robinson was able to keep his name clean. However, like many an actor during that period of our

A happy birthday this time, not to an actor or a commander of the microphone, but to a writer and producer, William Spier.  Lovers of Adventures of Sam Spade and Suspense have enjoyed the good work of Spier. Born today in 1906, Spier started his writing career as a critic for the magazine Musical America.  After foraying into radio in 1929, he decided he'd like to stay in the medium a bit longer. He got a job as a director of the news show The March of Time .  It began as a WLW (Cincinnati) program that gave voice to material from Time magazine.  It eventually evolved into The March of Time , on which talented actors dramatized the day's big news stories.  Spiers got a chance to work with huge stars such as Everett Sloane, Orson Welles, Lionel Barrymore , Nancy Kelly, and Joseph Cotten . From there, it was a stint as the chief of the writing department at CBS , a gig that led to his producership of Suspense and then The Adventures of Sam Spade . So let's salute th

November 25, 1920:  For the first time in College Station, WTAW broadcast a play-by-play radio football match , during which Texas University beat the Aggies of Texas A&M by a score of 7-3 WTAW was one of the oldest radio stations continually in service for their listeners around central Texas At the time of the broadcast, communication for a wide range was commonly conveyed by dots and dashes using the International Morse radio telegraph code. The vacuum tubes that would be used for voice transmission did not exist yet. Transmissions by code were much slower than by voice. Harry Saunders, previously an operator at Western Union, advertised the play by play football at Texas University using a commercial telegraph to notify the public that there would be a list of abbreviations that was being prepared. When they heard about the news, 275 then-licensed amateur radio operators in the state requested a copy of the list. Thus, WTAW transmitted the broadcas

November 23, 1929:  Shirley Booth and Ed Gardner married on this date. Ms. Booth was a famous actress who played the title role on the television show Hazel . She also appeared with her husband on Duffy's Tavern as Miss Duffy and Archie. In the years following her marriage to Ed Gardner , Ms. Booth win every major acting award without formal dramatic or musical training.  Her performance in the role of smart, sassy, take-charge maid on the TV sitcom Hazel propelled the show to the top of the ratings charts. She won two Emmys for Best Actress while on the show. Their marriage ended in divorce in 1942 and each would go on to remarry.

With her syrupy Southern drawl, Judy Canova hosted her show with a disarming charm. Opening with a monologue, she'd then sing a number and go into skits or performances of the musical guest. Each half an hour episode was sponsored by Colgate and aired Tuesdays by CBS, from July '43 to May '53. Other stars of the Judy Canova Show were Mel Blanc , Sheldon Leonard, Verna Felton and Ruby Dandridge. It was on the Judy Canova Show that Mel Blanc developed the Sylvester the cat and Speedy Gonzalez characters he would later make famous on cartoons, though they appeared here under different names. The song "Goodnight Soldier" was a wartime favorite, and Canova recorded it in 1946. Canova (1913-1983) was born into a vaudeville family in Starke, Florida. Though not from the Ozarks, she somehow acquired the moniker "the Ozark Nightingale." Like just about everyone in show business, she aspired to be taken seriously. In her case, though, she was saddl

The angels sing a happy birthday to swing era crooner Martha Tilton .  Originally destined to be the pride of Corpus Christi, Texas, Tilton was instead moved with her family to Los Angeles at the tender age of 7.  Taking full advantage of living in an entertainment mecca, Martha turned pro as a singer during the 11th grade and dropped out of school.  We now know her for huge hits such as "Moon Dreams," "I Should Care," and "And The Angels Sing." While Alka-Seltzer Time might sound like a dubious name for a radio program, listeners were less than nauseated about tuning in to hear Martha Tilton , starring alongside Curt Massey.  After the show's 1953 cancellation, the duo appeared on such programs as Guest For Defense and Guest Star . Thanks for musical memories, Martha.

"WANNA BUY A DUCK?"  Happy Birthday to a favorite radio comedians, Joe Penner . Lesser known today,  Joe Penner  was a huge star in the 1930s on radio, on stage, and in films.  He died of heart failure at the age of 36...so he has faded from memory, but if you ever get to catch one of his films you'll find him to be a very funny and quirky presence.  Wherever he is now there are plenty of ducks.

November 7, 1938: Radio soap opera ‘ This Day is Ours ’ went on air for the first time on CBS. On the air for two years, the main character Eleanor McDonald was played by Joan Banks and later by Templeton Fox. She faced many tribulations including her child’s abduction. Written by Don Becker and Carl Bixby, the series also stars Jay Jostyn, Patricia Dunlap, Alan Devitt, and Santos Ortega. The last episode was aired on January 9, 1940. Only a single recording from this series is still believed to be in existence.

Bob Feller (1938-2010) November 3: Happy Birthday, Bob Feller, who was born today in 1938!  Bob Feller was a natural ball player who had a stellar 20 year career with the Cleveland Indians. He was also the first professional athlete to enlist to serve in WWII. After his storied career, he recorded the syndicated Bob Feller Show. The 4 minute programs each showcase a great contest from the history of sports, including Bob's own return to baseball, the wreck filled 1956 Indianapolis 500, Lou Gehrig's attempt at five homers in a single game, the 1936 Stanley Cup game which went into multiple over-times until 2 in the morning, Wilt Chamberlain scoring 100 points in a single game, and many others.

October 29: Happy Birthday, Jack Pearl !

"And now....here he is....the one....the only.....GROUCHO!"   You Bet Your Life debuted today in 1947 on ABC Radio. October 27, 1947: The quiz show You Bet Your Life  went on air for the first time on ABC. It was hosted by Groucho Marx  and George Fenneman. The show remained on radio from 1948 to 1959 and made the jump to TV from 1950 to 1961. The show included very easy questions, such as, “Who is buried in Grant's tomb?” Apart from hearing it on the radio, You Bet Your Life  could also be seen on television. The show featured teams of contestants consisting of one male and one female, usually selected from the audience. Sometimes, famous people were also invited to play. In the actual game, each team was given the chance to choose a category (from the 20 available), and their task was to answer the questions from that category. Every time they answered the question correctly, they earned money. For those who had earned $25 or less, a very easy question

Today we commemorate the birth--in 1931--of New York Yankee slugger Mickey Mantle. One of Mantle's main entrances into the starry galaxy of vintage radio came very much by accident.  In a still-preserved blooper , an announcer was discussing the phenomenon of "switch hitting," being able to bat with either the left or right hand, when he declared Mantle the best "swish hitter" of all time, with "swish" being slang for homosexual. The announcer comically overcorrected himself with a very enunciated "switch."

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.

The First Lady of American Theater, the first stage actress to go on to win an Academy Award , Helen Hayes was born on this day in 1900.  Helen Hayes starred in Victoria Regina, The Sin of Madelon Claudet and Happy Birthday. In 1941, she took the helm as producer, actress and even casting director of the CBS radio series The Helen Hayes Theatre of the Air, a series running contemporary plays. Hayes starred in a 1938   Lux Radio Theatre production of Jane Eyre and turned in appearances on a wide variety of classic radio series such as The Campbell's Playhouse , The Silver Theatre , and Dupont Cavalcade of America .  Radio gave us all the big stars of the 30's, 40's, and 50's, delivered as just a voice to let our imaginations fill in the rest.  Helen Hayes was just one shining example.

Stretcher days, cars plasters with religious slogans, and gypsies in garish clothing: all the iconography of one Aimee Semple McPherson , whose birthday we celebrate. McPherson was a preacher whose message revolved around the "four-square Gospel."  She was well-spoken and charismatic, and she had a radio ministry.  In 1926, she disappeared from her Los Angeles home, alarming her followers, who called for a full-scale investigation. She later reappeared with a yarn about a kidnapping, while it seemed more likely she had run off for a romantic tryst with her radio operator. In any event, Aimee McPherson , with donations from her congregation, started station KFSG in 1924 to broadcast her message.  On the station, among other programming, she unleashed such sermons as "Big Bad Wolf," "I Found the Keys," and "Seven Sneezes In Shunnen."  That's worth a happy birthday and this brief recognition, right?

Today marks what would've been the one hundredth birthday of Walter Schumann!  Schumann was a composer in the television, radio, and film industries, noted for whipping up The Dragnet Theme. New York -born Schumann enlisted at the outbreak of the Second Great War, becoming the musical director of the Armed Forces Radio Service.  That made an improbable segue into his next gig, the job of writing scores for Abbott & Costello pictures.  From there it was the infamous Dragnet theme and work on The Night of the Hunter. Rock on, Walter. And happy birthday!

Happy Birthday to Andy Devine!   Andy Devine was born on this day in 1905. He was a character actor in Western radio and TV, Andy Devine was the sidekick of the greatest stars in Hollywood.

October 5, 1934: " Hollywood Hotel " aired on CBS. It was one of the earliest radio programs to be transmitted directly from Hollywood. The program " Hollywood Hotel " was hosted by Dick Powell and featured   hollywood gossip radio star,   Louella Parsons in a starring role.   Dick Powell  also performed his song and and kibitzed withLouella and her movie star guests.  Louella Parsons   with her power, could get various stars to come as features of the program. The impressive collaboration between Dick Powell and Louella Parsons gave the  Hollywood Hotel  mass appeal, pushing it to become one of the highest rated radio shows on the air. The program, broadcast on CBS, only lasted until 1937 because of a problem with the American Federation of Radio Artists. Powell and Louella then moved to other radio stations. The whole story is featured in the Tony Thomas book, The Films Of Dick Powell .

Let's give an oldtime radio happy birthday to Damon Runyon , the creator of "The Seldom Seen Kid," "Dave the Dude," "Harry the Horse," and "Benny Southstreet."   The author of Guys and Dolls also penned many short stories on characters one could find around Broadway in Depression-era NYC. Damon Runyon Theatre soared the airwaves in 1949, bringing to life such works as "Barbecue," "Lonely Heart," and "Blond Mink."  Frank Gallop served as the announcer. We salute the stylish prose of Damon Runyon !

  October 3, 1942: Radio show Thanks to the Yanks was presented on CBS for the first time by Bob Hawk, later becoming one of the most famous war shows of its time. Thanks to the Yanks was considered one of the greatest war-themed programs to ever hit the airwaves during war-time era. It was aired for three years from 1942 to 1945. It was succeeded by The Bob Hawk Show which basically followed the format of its predecessor.

Though he lived just fifty-one years (1900-51), actor Barton Yarborough racked up an awful lot of mileage with appearances on a variety of programs. Joe Friday's partner Ben Romero on Dragnet ; Doc Long on Dragnet , and Clifford Barbour on One Man's Family : jeez, Barton, save some parts for someone else. Yarborough was born in Goldthwaite, Texas, and early on decided that he wasn't going to be a cowpoke.  He ran away and joined the vaudeville circuit.  Just like a computer software reviewer or recipe expert experiencing a boon with the advent of the blog, Yarborough flourished when radio was invented for him. And we're glad he did! Happy Birthday, Big B!

  September 30, 1939: A popular show Captain Midnight was heard on radio for the first time on Mutual. The Captain flew his single-engine plane all over the place fighting crime. Captain Midnight was sponsored by Skelly Oil and by Ovaltine, which dropped its sponsorship of Little Orphan Annie to climb on board with this show. Captain Midnight , an adventure franchise, was a radio aviation serial that debuted in 1938 as a syndicated show. Sponsored by the Skelly Oil Company, it was initially aired on a few radio stations in the Midwest area. When Ovaltine took over sponsorship in 1940, it became a national hit. The show was broadcast on the Mutual Radio Network. Captain Jim ""Red"" Albright, a World War I U.S. Army pilot, was the title character. The show moved to another network from 1942 until 1945 when it was aired back on Mutual and remained there until its final run in 1949.

Today marks the birthday, in 1907, of Gene Autry , song-writer, singer, cowboy, singing cowboy , actor, radio star, and baseball team owner. A teenage Autry took a job operating a telegraph wire, sending people's messages for them.  One day, in walked the comedian Will Rogers .  Autry, a good worker though he may have been, happened to have been playing a guitar between customers.  Rogers was impressed with what he heard and encouraged Autry to go into show biz. To Autry this meant landing a spot of Tulsa's KVOO, billed as "Oklahoma's Yodeling Cowboy." From there it was a successful radio career that would then propel Autry into the role of radio host, taking the helm of a show sponsored by Wrigley's.  The CBS show put on a spread, not just of music and comedy, but even drama.  It lasted a lot longer than a stick of gum: 16 years in all. In the spirit of honoring that kind of longevity, we take off our hats and offer a cowboy salute to Gene Autry .

  September 28, 1939: After a decade of entertaining radio, the final broadcast of The Fleischmann Hour was heard. Rudy Valle , the star of the show, wrapped things up. The top-rated musical variety radio show The Fleischmann Hour was a pioneering radio program aired on NBC. The broadcast showcased the hosting skill of Rudy Vallee, who was both a singer and an actor.  The show became the staging platform of many future stars of America, such as Milton Merle, The Mills Brothers, and Burns and Allen , to name a few. Rudy Vallee concluded the show's final broadcast after a decade of great radio entertainment.

  September 27, 1938: The NBC Red Network aired "Thanks for the Memory" on The Bob Hope Show  for the first time on this day. "Thanks for the Memory" was a song written by Ralph Ringer and Leo Robin. It was performed by Bob Hope and Shirley Ross, and was used in the film The Big Broadcast of 1938, where it won the Academy Award for Best Original Song. The song has also become Bob Hope's signature piece. Due to its extreme popularity, other well-known singers such as  Bing Crosby , Ella Fitzgerald , Harry Nilsson , and Frank Sinatra made their own versions of the song.

September 15: Happy Birthday, Agatha Christie ! Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple could solve the most amazing crimes and mysteries. However, these fictional characters would not have been known by anyone if not for the pen of Miss Agatha Christie . Born in 1890, Miss Christie would use the name of her first husband (Colonel Archibald Christie)as her authorship name to perplex the world with her imaginative characters and beloved tales. Eventually mantled with the name, “Queen of Crime”, Agatha Christie would write more than 70 mystery novels based upon her Belgian champion or English matriarch as crime solvers.  Various mystery radio programs would carried some of Agatha Christie's more intriguing forays into the realm of her literary works. After her divorce from the Colonel, Miss Christie married a notable archaeology professor and would travel with him extensively. It was these journeys that impacted many of her books.  In 1952, her work, The Mousetrap, made it

In 1898,three years before her brother, Fred Astaire , was born, Adele Astaire entered the world on Sept 10. A child raised in a New York boardinghouse and educated at the Alviene Master School of the Theatre and Academy of Cultural Arts, Adele began performing on the Vaudeville circuit with her sibling at the tender age of seven. Astaire appeared on the sustaining program Magic Key on Jan. 12, 1936. The episode also showcased the Pickens Sisters .

Dick York , the tall, willowy actor who played Darrin on "Bewitched," was born today in 1928.  To look at the extensive, prolific TV career of York, take this quiz. Which of these TV series did York not appear in: "The Twilight Zone," " Dr. Kildare ," "The Virginian," "Wagon Train." You're absolutely correct if you said he appeared in all of them. He also played occasional roles in "Rawhide," "The Flintstones (himself)," and "Simon & Simon." Dick York was born at the right time to catch the tail end of radio's comet, and appeared in series such as The Cavalcade of America , Tales of Tomorrow , and Meet the Meeks . York is widely quoted as saying that Lux Radio Theater inspired him to puke, but it's unclear what he meant by this.

Perhaps once when you were enjoying the swinging dance music of Bob Wills and The Texas Playboys, you wondered "how did one get to be a Playboy?" Well, being Bob's brother was the way Johnnie Lee Wills chose. The banjoist joined his brother on the road and in the studio, where the band hosted a show on Tulsa's KVOO.  Brother Bob set his compass for Hollywood, the band became " Johnnie Lee Wills and His Boys " and the show went on. Were they no longer playboys? Had they turned a new leaf and started practicing temperance? Probably not. In any event, the show ran exactly a quarter of a decade on KVOO, and did syndicated broadcasts after that. He also took the boys on the road. He and his family also ran a store that sold Western clothing. So let's salute a great musician and long-time radio host, born on this day in 1912.

They just don't make ' em like Gene Kelly anymore, do they?  George Clooney, Tom Cruise, you name any of today's big leading men and whatever their virtues, they fall short of the charm and all-around talent of Gene Kelly. He could act, he could sing, he could dance!  He could even choreograph. Today we celebrate the 1912 birth of Eugene Kelly, the man who gave us Singin ' in the Rain, An American in Paris and so much more. While dancing works only so well on the radio, Kelly did lend his talents to the medium that concerns us here.  He appeared on some of the cream of old-time radio, such as Suspense and The Lux Radio Theatre (I'll bet his appearances sold a lot of soap!).    He also appeared on episodes of The Hotpoint Holiday Hour, Opportunity USA, and The Best of Groucho .  His first known appearance on the airwaves was in 1942 (Your Hollywood Radio Reporter) and his last in 1978 (The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast).  What a lot of great memories in betw

August 13, 1912: U.S. Department of Commerce gave the first radio license for an experiment, conducted by St Joseph's College, Philadelphia,PA. The Department of Commerce issued an EXPERIMENTAL RADIO LICENSE after the International Radio Convention and Radio Act of 1912 at Philadelphia, Pa. The experiment used a 2 kilowatt transmitter.

Legend has it that exactly a dozen (not even a baker's dozen, but a true dozen) people tuned in to the inaugural broadcast of A Prairie Home Companion in 1974.  It is now an NPR staple, playing to millions. The show includes skits and songs, Keillor's character Guy Noir, and his famed Tales From Lake Wobegon, the fictional Minnesota hamlet that exemplifies the Midwestern folksiness for which Keillor is renowned. Much lampooned, often for his breathy voice that hazards the line between radio host and obscene phone caller, Keillor is also an heir to Will Rogers , a beloved awe-shucksy quasi-humorist.

John Dunning, author of On The Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio , called Jack Kirkwood a "comic's comic." This was due to Kirkwood's passion and dedication to the craft, his great work ethic, and his background banging out jokes for years on the vaudeville circuit. The host of The Jack Kirkwood Show was born on this day in 1894. His show ran from '43-'53 under various named, and treated audiences to sketch comedy, including spoofs of Westerns and other genres of radio programs (this also according to Dunning). The veteran comic made appearances all over the dial, trading wits with Bob Hope and Edgar Bergen , and also guesting on Ozzie and Harriet , Hallmark Playhouse , and Fibber McGee and Molly . A happy birthday to Mr. Kirkwood!

August 5, 1921: On this day, the first baseball game radio broadcast reached the airwaves.  A baseball game for the first time was aired by KDKA in Pittsburgh. Harold Arlin reported, on that match Philadelphia was beaten by Pirates with score 8-5 for Pirates Harold Arlin also described the action of the Pirates' at Forbes Field, would on to fall just short of the National League Pennant that year with a solid record

A few days (and seven years) after the birth of William Powell, Myrna Loy realized if she wanted to star with him in fourteen films, she'd have to be born too.  So she was, on Aug. 2, 1905. Loy spent her childhood switching from Montana and Southern California, permanently settling into Culver City in 1918, after the death of her father.  She began playing vampy, exotic roles in less-than-stellar silent films like A Girl in Every Port. Her big break was her first role with Powell, in The Thin Man .  She'd soon become a sought-after actress, starring alongside Jimmy Stewart , Clark Gable , Clifton Webb, and--why not?--Shirley Temple. She hit the airwaves for a few adaptations of movies she'd starred in, produced by Lux Radio Theatre .  On Suspense she starred in "The Library Book," which probably sounded a lot more intriguing in 1945 than it would today, and she was part of an intrepid group of artists appearing on the 1947 special Hollywood Fights Bac

On this day in 1930, The Shadow debuted.

On this day in 1912, Jackson Beck was born.

July 22, 1942: Mr. and Mrs. North aired for the first time on NBC . ‘The Way You Look Tonight’ was the title song for the show. Joseph Curtin was performed by Jerry North and Alice Frost starred as Pam. The program was sponsored by Jergens lotion, Woodbury soap, and Halo shampoo. In every show, Pam would rightly lead police to the lawbreakers. The saying a 'thrill with a smile' best described the show. The main protagonists were a couple of seemingly normal professionals whose preoccupations everybody else would shun – picking up dead bodies of mysterious crime victims in dark alleys and then solving the mysteries. The show presented this as an unbelievable and ridiculously simple task that was analogous to kids piecing jigsaw puzzles together. Their ability to solve the crimes put well-trained and professional law-enforcement officers to shame.

On July 16, 1907, Barbara Stanwyck , once considered to be the highest paid actress of her time in America, was born. Originally known as Ruby Stevens, Miss. Stanwyck’s first tour of duty as an entertainer is when she traveled with her older sister, who was a Jort Cort showgirl, learning behind the scenes of the business. By 1922, she was hired as a dancer for Ziegfeld Follies , “just so she could eat.” Over the next few years she worked for an unseemly nightclub doing late shows as a chorus girl. Over the years she had a long-running success in motion pictures and televisi Stella Dallas (among others) were brought to radio on Lux Radio Theatre. In a different portrayal, to that of the legendary Agnes Moorehead , Stanwyck did a run on Lux with Suspense . Varied radio theatre productions carry her movie performances around the country. Miss Stanwyck was married twice and had one adopted child. It was said that leading men of her day were also considered very close friends, usuall

July 7, 1920: For the first time in broadcast radio history , the United States Navy aircraft using a device known as a radio compass near Norfolk, Virginia. Radio compass is a direction finder that gives a bearing by determining the direction of incoming radio signals, it used as navigation tools at aircraft.