Golden Age of Radio

ATCHISON, TOPEKA & SANTA FE Johnny Mercer didn’t come to New York recently on the Atchison Topeka & Santa Fe, but whatever he rode must have been going pretty fast because Johnny picked up some early speed that has spent him shooting to the celling of the entertainment world, his most immediate big splurge being on Your Hit Parade with Joan Edwards (Saturdays, CBS 9:00 P.M. EST). It was always in Johnny’s mind to be in the theater, but he was a wise young man and kept that to himself until it would do him some good. As a result, he submitted quietly to a formal education at the Woodbury Forest School in Virginia. His first acting was with an amateur group, the Savannah Players. In 1929, he landed a small part with the New York Theater Guild in its production of “The Hero.” His first song to capture the public’s fancy was “Out of Breath, Scared to Death of You,” which he wrote for the “Garrick Gaieties,” in collaboration with Everet Miller, who wrote the music....

Washington Afro-American – Sep 18, 1951 With only a five-minute-break during a rehearsal for their Saturday night NBC-TV “ Your Hit Parade ” show (10:30), the program’s singing stars (left to right), Dorothy Collins, Snooky Lanson and Eileen Wilson have to tackle one ice cream soda between them. The radio edition of the program is now heard on Thursday nights, at 10. Jack Webb , heard twice weekly over the NBC radio network, has gained a reputation for being authentic as well as versatile in the dramatizations of “ Pete Kelly’s Blues ” and “ Dragnet .” When playing as Pete Kelly or Detective Sergeant Joe Friday on “ Dragnet ,” Webb has a manner and a voice that are not easily forgotten. A regular feature of this show is the straight role played by actress, Meredith Howard, who sings a blues number during each performance. She is not identified as to race nor is there any reference made forward the part she plays. This is in keeping with NBC policy of integration on th...