Golden Age of Radio

Another great advertisement from Fitch on Shaving Cream and their sponsored old time radio shows: Which kind of beard do you have . . . TOUGH? WIRY? LIGHT? All come off clean . . . comfortably . . . with Fitch’s NO-BRUSH Yes! No matter what type of beard you have, try Fitch’s No-Brush. It delivers a close, easy shave even in cold or hard water. The instant you apply it, the special “skin conditioner” ingredient goes to work to prepare even the most sensitive fact for a mighty sweet, smooth shave, Fitch’s No-Brush gets right next to your skin . . . holds those whiskers up until the razor mows ‘em down! Leaves the face with a frosty cool feeling that lasts for hours. Whether yours is a “problem” beard or the ordinary “garden” variety, you’ll find solid comfort shaving once you've  SWITCHED TO FITCH. BRUSH USERS! Ask for Fitch’s Brush Shaving Cream, it also contains the special “able conditioner” and gives an abundance of Laches. LISTEN TO “ FITCH

I thought I would create my own list of  best books on Old Time Radio . The Top 10 Books on OTR: On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio, John Dunning (1998) The Jack Benny Show, Milt Josefsberg (1977) Raised on Radio, Gerald Nachman (2000) Heavenly Days: The Story of Fibber McGee and Molly, Charles Stumpf (1987) The Great American Broadcast: A Celebration of Radio's Golden Age.  Leonard Maltin (1997) Remember Radio, Ron. Lackmann (1970) The Big Broadcast 1920-1950, Frank Buxton Speaking of Radio, Chuck Schaden (2003) Treadmill to Oblivion, Fred Allen (1954) Sunday Nights at Seven: The Jack Benny Story, Jack & Joan Benny (1990) *Honorable Mention* The Shadow Scrapbook, Anthony Tollin Fibber McGee's Scrapbook, Charles Stumpf Much Ado About Me, Fred Allen What would YOU pick to be on a list?

The Milwaukee Journal – Nov 22, 1942 A Composer Turns Into Comedian By Robert Myers HOLLYWOOD, Calif. (AP) When Dr. Albert Coates, distinguished Brit- Meredith Wilson perform as a radio comic, he got up and walked out of the studio. “I played your ‘Missions of California’ symphony in concert because I considered you one of the most promising of the young America composers,” Dr. Coates told Wilson afterward. “But when I saw you doing that . . . that slapstick with Frank Morgan , it was just too much. I was horrified.” Versatile, affable Wilson, who would have been called a heretic a few years ago by the lovers of Bach, Beethoven and Brahms, laughed. “I try to enjoy everything I do. It is fun to do comedy lines. And I don’t believe this outlet has in any manner injured my reputation in the field of music.” Wilson, tall and easygoing, is proud of several things. One is his home town of Mason City, Iowa. Another is his versatility. He was written two symphon

February 20, 1943 Benny for Mexico NEW YORK, Feb, 13— Jack Benny will do one and possibly two broadcasts from Mexico City within the next six weeks. South-of-the- border emanation stems from Benny’s show for servicemen, which will bring him into Mexico early in April. Currently the comedian, in addition to doing his broadcasts for servicemen, is devoting each Mondau and Tuesday to a vaude type of show, using his radio casts as nucleus, at army camps and navy bases. Now in Canada to entertain and broadcast before Canadian and British troops, Benny will play his way back to the Coast and then head for camps in Texas and finally Mexico.

First Families of Radio “DEAR JOHN” STORIES have been told successfully in the form of betters in many novel and magazine yarns. Now IreneRich is doing a radio serial with letters . Kach Sunday evening she writes a letters to “Dear John,” but the letter fades quickly into a dramatic episode, which, in turn, fades into some such words as these, “And in, dear John, that’s the way things are. . .” Miss Rich, Faith Chandler, writes of her married life with Josh Chandler, writes of her married life with John Chandler (Norman Fields). Josh’s first wife is died. He has two grown children, Noel (Ray Minitgomeyy) and Carole (Betty Moran). Stumbling-block for Faith is the children’s nurse, Puindexter Brice—or Bricey, as they call her. Before Josh married Faith, nurse Briery was able to influence the children’s thinking and actions pretty much without interference. When Faith comes, both Noel and Carole turn in her for advice. So Brice is madly jealous. Her retaliation is a sly at

The Milwaukee Journal – Feb 21, 1943   Browse this newspaper>> The Mighty Allen Art Players Two Russian one Englishman, a Yank and a star who impersonates Chinese detectives. That’s Fred Allen and his famed “Mighty Art Players.” TAKE Charlie Cantor, for instance. Charlie was born in Russia on Sept. 4, 1898. He was such a tiny tot when his parents brought him to America that he never knew the name of his birthplace. His parents never mentioned it, so he honestly wouldn’t know his home town if you showed it to him. Fred Allen  fans currently know Cantor’s voice as either Socrates Mulligan or Rensselaer Nussbaum, two residents of that mythical slum section called Allen’s Alley . Charlie doesn’t even have to clear his throat to change to a high voiced dope, a rasp throated taxi driver or a mincing vice-president. His voice agility makes him quite a favorite with radio directors . . . which should provide listeners with a lot of fun trying to identify him on as

Harlow Wilcox Your Announcer PITY poor Harlow Wilcox , NBC announcer whose voice is heard on a variety of programs origination in that network’s Chicago studios. Harlow earns an enviable salary-and practically every cent of it goes on the horses. No-Harlow never has bet on a race in his life. The nags which preempt his income are polo ponies. Not that Wilcox courts commiseration. For what else should he spend his money? After all, he’s only 35 and he’s in that state of blessed singleness in which he can fold up his trousers at night with serene assurance that (barring burglars) they will not be rifled by hands that leave telltale finger-nail polish. There was a time when Harlow lavished his excess funds on Persian carpets, but that was before he fell victim to the more rugged diversion of equine croquet. And there is more than mere love of the game in the Wilcox addiction. He is one of a small group of young Chicagoans who are eager to show the world that polo need not