Introducing HENRY MORGAN

He auctioned off a network—vice-president by vice-president!

WHAT is this Henry Morgan—the brash young man who has injected the first real touch of originality into radio comedy with his wit, sharp satire? The only way to find out—because interviewing him won’t tell you—is to listen to his program on ABC, Wednesdays at 10:40 PM, EST.

A good looking, blue-eyed, brown-haired chap, neatly dressed, Morgan might be mistaken for what he likes to call “the average man.” That is, until he opens his mouth.

According to Morgan, he was born if mixed parentage—man and woman—on the day before April Fools Day, 1915. A native New Yorker, he started poking fun at radio years ago when, at the age of 17, he went to work as a page boy’s opinions concerning programs, announcer or talent were not only not solicited, they were not welcome. In spite of a bit of discomfort here and there on the staff, however, Morgan did work himself up to an announcer’s job at WMCA before he moved over to WABC. He wasn’t with WABC very long before he went to WCAU in Philadelphia.

Returning to New York, Morgan was hired by WOR as an announcer. Among his chores was announcing dance bands from remote spots. Finally, WOR decided to give him a once-a-week program on which he could do all the kidding he wanted—a matter of self-protection from the station’s point of view.

After a row with the executives at WOR, which he gleefully related in detail to his radio audience, he went on the air and auctioned off the whole network, station by station, vice-president by vice president, for $83. The announcers he sold in pairs—“so they wouldn’t be lonely.”

Early in 1943, Morgan went into the Army. Upon his discharge in the fall of 1945, he picked up with Here’s Morgan on WJZ. Then he went west and married actress Isobel Gibbs.

At long last returned to New York and the Henry Morgan Show finally went on the air. After three broadcasts, Henry got another target for his wit—a sponsor. Morgan is one of the few in radio whose contract allows him to kid his sponsors.

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