When Radio Ruled #113 - Bergen, McCarthy, and Snerd 1939
Release Date: 02/05/2025
When Radio Ruled #142 - SoundScape 1939 part 17 September 10-21, 1939
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Curated clips of live broadcasts from popular radio shows of the day. September 10 – September 21, 1939 History through the eyes of people as they lived it, reported by radio. In today’s SoundScape: Fibber and Molly Celebrate their Anniversary! George G. Nathan Talks Eugene O’Neil! Smoking Hot Swing Tunes! And More!! Featuring: Orson Welles Cary Grant Fibber McGee and Molly Don Ameche Edgar Bergen Charlie McCarthy Dorothy Lamour Nelson Eddy Robert Armbruster Fred MacMurray Helen Broderick George G. Nathan Myrt and Marge Louis...
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When Radio Ruled #141 - Best Variety Shows of the 1930s
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The first generation of radio talent, performers, directors, and writers came from the worlds of vaudeville, minstrel shows and Broadway revues. All forms of variety theater, so it isn’t any wonder that the variety show quickly emerged as a common Radio format. Here are the three Old Time Radio shows from the 1930’s I feel best exemplify the variety format, and the reasons why. I expect you, dear listener, might respectfully disagree with my choices. Leave me a comment on my blog, BeforeTVBlog.com, I’d love to hear your opinions. Meanwhile, give a listen to: Al...
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When Radio Ruled #140 - SoundScape 1939 part 16 August 27 - September 5, 1939
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Curated clips of live broadcasts from popular radio shows of the day. August 27 – September 5, 1939 History through the eyes of people as they lived it, reported by radio. In today’s SoundScape: Picking up Girls with Alan Mowbray! The Most Fateful Broadcast in History! On the Boat with Edgar and Charlie! Nutrition with Vera Vague! The Invasion of Poland! And More!! Featuring: Dorothy Lamour Don Ameche Donald Dixon Alan Mowbray Robert Young Meredith Wilson Alice Faye Louis B. Mayer Fanny Brice Hanley Stafford John Steele Charlie McCarthy Edgar...
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When Radio Ruled #139 - Vera Vague 1939
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Sometimes an actor playing a character becomes so popular with their audience that it becomes more than a character, it becomes a persona that the actor inhabits. Such was the case with Vera Vague, a creation of actor/writer Babara Jo Allen. Vera Vague was a constant presence on Old Time Radio, man-hungry, misinformed, and most amusing. Guest Starring: Edgar Bergen Charlie McCarthy Don Ameche And Rudy Vallee
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When Radio Ruled #138 - SoundScape 1939 part 15 July 30 - August 13, 1939
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Curated clips of live broadcasts from popular radio shows of the day. History through the eyes of people as they lived it, reported by radio. In today’s SoundScape: Donald Dixon Tries to Tell a Joke! Charlie McCarthy Interior Decorator! Charlie McCarthy Astronomer! Charlie McCarthy Coin Collector! Charlie McCarthy Boy Scout! Charlie McCarthy Talent Agent! And More!! Featuring: Don Ameche Dorothy Lamour Charlie McCarthy Edgar Bergen Donald Dixon Kay Frances Josephine Hutchinson Mischa Auer Beatrice Kay Nelson Eddy Vera Vague Joan...
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When Radio Ruled #137 - Fred Allen's People You Didn't Expect to Meet 1939
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Fred Allen and the people you didn’t expect to meet 1939. Fred Allen was famously a control freak on his radio shows. Although he used a staff of writers, it was just to generate ideas and jokes that would be incorporated into the final script that Fred always wrote personally. Each minute of those shows were a reflection of Fred, including his frequent on air conversations from many folks from many walks of life. I, personally, am grateful to Fred for helping me to appreciate the lives lived by folks in that past by allowing those folks to tell their own stories. I think you will...
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When Radio Ruled #136 - SoundScape 1939 part 14 July 10-23, 1939
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Curated clips of live broadcasts from popular radio shows of the day. History through the eyes of people as they lived it, reported by radio. In today’s SoundScape: Meet a Real English Butler! Edgar Bergen Gets Airsick! The Pie Eyed Piper of Hamlin! And More!! Featuring: Cecil B Demille Charlie McCarthy Dorothy Lamour Don Ameche Edgar Bergen Andrea Leeds Donald Dixon Vera Vague Ida Lupino And More!
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When Radio Ruled #135 - Origins of the Mutual Network 1934-39
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Old Time Radio was dog eat dog, CBS and NBC scooped up the all the best stations and biggest talent, leaving all the little local stations in the dust Not all the independent stations wanted to let NBC and CBS run away with their audiences In 1934 WGN and 3 other independents, WOR in New York, WLW in Cincinnatti, and WXYZ in Detroit entered into a program sharing agreement. They called themselves the Mutual Network but they were more Mutual than Network. There was a coordination committee, but the real power was with the individual stations who maintained their autonomy as equals. It was a...
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When Radio Ruled #134 - SoundScape 1939 part 13
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Old Time Radio highlights originally broadcast live June 29 to July 9, 1939. Chronologically curated clips of live broadcasts from popular shows of the day. History told by the people living it, as reported by radio. In Today’s SoundScape: The Making of Wizard of Oz Meadow Mouse Grabs 40 Winks! Charlie and Edgar visit the Grand Canyon! Featuring: Judy Garland Harold Arlen Robert Young Bert Lahr Ray Bolger Frank Morgan Don Ameche Charlie McCarthy Edgar Bergen Donald Dixon Dorothy Lamour Jackie Cooper Alan Mowbray Cecil B DeMiille H.V. Kaltenborn The Green Hornet Tony...
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When Radio Ruled #133 - Orson Welles and Guests 1939
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Voices from 1939 talking with one of the Greatest Voices on Old Time Radio In 1939 Orson Welles was only 24 years old but a veteran of Radio. He’d been a regular on The March of Time and was enjoying a very successful run playing The Shadow. These excerpts are from the Campbell Playhouse in 1939, previously named Mercury Theater of the Air. These interviews were a regular feature of the Campbell Playhouse. And were meant to deepen the audience understanding of that week’s Radio Play. FEATURING: Orson Welles Dorothy Hall The Warden of Sing-Sing Prison Laurence Olivier Noah Beery Jane Allen...
info_outlineCharlie McCarthy was created by Edgar Bergen based on a wise cracking newsboy named Charlie from the neighborhood.
High Schooler Edgar Bergen sketched the design for Charlie.
More than a little obsessed, Bergen decided to bring his Charlie to life.
Bergen built Charlie’s movable body but paid woodworker Theodore Mack $35 to carve Charlie’s head.
Edgar named his completed dummy Charlie McCarthy after newsboy and woodworker.
None of this carpentry could be seen by the radio audiences. Didn’t matter. On the Radio Charlie was just as real as any other voice.
The little boy con man Charlie sparring intellectually with his exasperated father-figure straight man Edgar was what they loved.
Didn’t matter that Edgar was them both. Charlie was the star.
Charlie had been with Edgar since the beginning. Mortimer didn’t appear on Radio until 1939
Mortimer Snerd was created by Edgar Bergen sometime during 1936 or 1937. He appeared in his first film, a short called “A Neckin’ Party” in 1937.
In my research I have yet to uncover what motivated Edgar to create Mortimer.
I can only conjecture that Edgar welcomed a creative change of pace, or might have wanted to get out from under Charlie’s shadow, at least for a little while.
Whatever the reason, Mortimer was created by comedy genius Edgar Bergen and became a great foil for Charlie McCarthy.
With Appearances By:
Don Ameche
Dorothy Lamour
Donald Dixon
Jean Arthur
and More!