Radio Programs beginning with "h"
"We love the Halls of Ivy..."
The Hall of Fantasy
Producer: Ray Thorne
Sponsor: Sustained (none)
Network: Mutual (originated at WGN in Chicago)
Theme Music: The steady pounding of timpani
Aired: 1952-1953
Type of Show: Anthology (Gothic Drama)
NB: First heard as a local program in Salt Lake City, Utah (and
sponsored by the Granite Furniture Company), in 1947, this is one of the
best horror programs of radio. The only instrument in the "orchestra" for
this show is a set of timpani.
Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Colman
The Halls of Ivy
Stars: Ronald Colman, Benita Hume (Mrs. Ronald Colman), Willard
Waterman, Ken Carpenter (announcer)
Sponsor: Schlitz Beer, Sustaining (none)
Network: NBC
Theme Music: The Ivy College Alma Mater
Aired: 1950-1952
Type of Show: Situation Comedy
NB: Although the Colmans weren't particularly funny, there was
something quite comforting about a series featuring a university president
and his wife, a former entertainer. Even though both Mr. and Mrs.
Colman were born and grew up in England, Dr. William Todhunter Hall, the
character portrayed by Ronald, was supposed to be an American with ties
going all the way back to the Pilgrims. Vicki, his wife, was snatched
up by "Toddy," as she called him, at the prime of her career. They
lived on the campus of Ivy College at One Faculty Row, Ivy, USA. Created
by Don Quinn, who also created Fibber McGee & Molly. Not
on the air very long, but an excellent program! Ivy
was a very family oriented show, which would explain why sponsor Schlitz
beer didn't run ads every week.
The Happiness Boys were among the first national radio personalities to
cash in on their stardom. Listen
to them sing (requires RealPlayer)
The Happiness Boys
Stars: Billy Jones, Ernie Hare
Sponsor: Happiness Candy Co., Interwoven Socks, Tastyeast Bakers,
Hellman's Mayonnaise, Sachs
Network: NBC (Blue), NBC (Red), local NYC radio
Theme Music: How Do Ya Do?
Aired: 1926-1940 (the oldest surviving comedy recordings in
history are done were from the early shows)
Type of Show: Vaudeville Comedy
NB: Very sophisticated (yet clean!) comedy even for 2001!
Famous for their song, "Does the Spearmint Lose
Its Flavor on the Bedpost at Night?" (Sheb
Wooley would reintroduce the song in 1958 and change "spearmint" to "chewing
gum.") Began as a local program on New
York station WJZ (now WABC) in 1921. Another interesting fact is
that Ernie Hare died in 1939 and Billy Jones died in 1940. Hare's
daughter took his place after his death. The show went off the air
upon Billy's death. The program finished on New York station WMCA.
John Dehner
Have Gun, Will Travel
Star: John Dehner
Sponsors: various
Network: CBS
Aired: 1958-1960
Type of Show: Western
NB: Program is a spin-off of the television series (one of the
few times anything like that ever happened in OTR!) They have
different casts.
"Good evening, anyone. Here's Morgan..."
In the next picture is Arnold Stang in a publicity shot for the Top
Cat cartoon series.
Here's Morgan
Stars: Henry Morgan, Arnold Stang (later shows)
Sponsors: Sustaining (none), Eversharp Pens, Camel Cigarettes,
Bristol-Myers
Network: Mutual, ABC, NBC
Aired: 1940-1943, 1946-1950
Type of Show: Variety (Straight Comedy)
NB: Henry Morgan (not to be confused with Harry Morgan of TV
sitcom fame, who began his career being known as Henry Morgan) worked as
a boy at WMCA in New York. This led to a job as staff announcer
at WOR. Having such a dry wit, his first radio show, Meet
Mr. Morgan, premiered on WOR in September 1940. One month
later, his show went national on Mutual as Here's Morgan.
Usually sustained, known as "the bad boy of radio," Morgan
often made fun of his sponsors, angering them but actually boosting their
revenues! The show was off the air in the mid-1940s while Morgan
served in the US Navy. With his sidekick, Arnold Stang (later
the voice of TV's Top Cat) they could do the funniest material without
cracking a smile which added to the humor.
The Hermit's Cave
Stars: John Kent, Charles Penman, or Clark Ryder (in Detroit); John
Dehner or Mel Johnson (in Los Angeles)
Sponsors: Olga Coal in Detroit; Sustaining (none) in Los Angeles
Network: Syndicated (remotely); originated from WJR and
KMPC
Aired: 1935-1947 (Detroit); 1940-1944 (Los Angeles)
Type of Show: Drama (Gothic Horror)
NB: Although this is two series they are both one in the same.
One of the spookiest shows ever aired, it makes no difference whether you
listen to the Midwest or the West Coast version, they're both creepy!
I haven't checked but I think the shows sold by Radio
Spirits are from Detroit.
This was taken
from a Lone Ranger serial from the 1930s in which Jinx Falkenberg
was one of the stars. (That's the outlaw's pistol in the lower left
corner of the photo.)
Hi, Jinx! (known as "Tex and Jinx" afer Jinx's husband, Tex
McCrary was added to the program)
Stars: Jinx Falkenberg, John "Tex" McCrary
Sponsors: Ipana Toothpaste, others
Network: Local (WEAF/WNBC), NBC
Aired: as a local morning show, 1945-1961; as a network prime
time show, 1947-1949 (maybe later?)
Type of Show: Variety (Interview)
NB: Jinx Falkenberg was a cultural icon of the Second World
War. She was a pinup girl (and B-movie actress) with a beautiful
figure, but mostly pretty eyes and nice brunette hair. Because of
her great personality, she was a natural for an interview show on the radio.
When she spoke to someone that person was the most important person in
the world. I'm sure she broke a lot of hearts before marrying husband
Tex. Trivial stuff: Jinx
Falkenberg was born in Barcelona, Spain, and grew up in South America,
though her parents were Americans. Her real first name is Eugenia.
She now signs her name, "Jinx Falken."
Hollywood Star Time
Stars: various movie stars
Sponsor: Frigidaire
Network: CBS
Aired: 1946-1947
Type of Show: Anthology (movies)
NB: There was another show called "Hollywood Star Time" on
the Blue Network in 1944. It was an interview program.
Hooked On Trivia
Star: Mike Cook
Sponsor: Local Sponsors
Network: Local (KFMB)
[Can be heard on the internet!], was syndicated for a few months
in 1999 (stations in Oregon and Northern California)
Aired: Since 1983 (the longest running game show in radio history!)
Type of Show: Game show (listeners call station)
NB: You can listen to the program anywhere in the world
on the internet. It airs weeknights from 11:00 pm to 2:00 am and
on Saturdays from 8:00 pm to 2:00 am (San Diego time). That's breakfast
time in Germany. If you have a separate (or wireless/cellular) phoneline,
you can even play. There have been constestants who were far from
San Diego when they called in.
William Boyd dressed as "Hoppy" til the day he died
Stars: William Boyd, Andy Clyde (usually mistaken for Gabby Hayes)
Sponsors: General Foods, Cella Vineyards (I don't know about
you, but doesn't it seem funny that a wine company would sponsor a program
which attracts kids? Oh, that goes on today, too, huh?)
Network: CBS
Aired: 1948-1952
Type of Show: Western
NB: Spin-off from a very successful movie serial series, which
also starred William Boyd. You might come across a pilot program
from 1942 (CBS series FORECAST), in which Gale Gordon plays "Hoppy."
.
Ever
get the feeling you're missing something?
The Howdy Doody Radio Show
Stars: Buffalo Bob Smith, Howdy Doody, Clarabelle, Princess Winterspring
Summerfall
Sponsors: International Shoes (Poll Parrot)
Network: NBC
Aired: 1951-1953
Type of Show: Children's Variety
NB: Ran concurrently with the TV series, though at a different
time and an entirely different program (no cartoons, for example).
The neat thing about this program was, for those children who didn't own
television sets and didn't know what Howdy Doody looked like, they weren't
haunted by images of the scary freckle faced, red haired puppet into the
middle of the night! When my own daughters (who were born in 1986
and 1989) were little they saw a color picture of the freckle faced puppet
and couldn't sleep for several nights afterwards! Unlike the TV show,
this ran for an hour on either Saturday or Sunday morning. An
interesting trivial fact: Princess Winterspring Summerfall was originally
a puppet. After being on the air a few seasons she became a live
person. In the summer of 1956 the actress who played the princess got married
in California and was killed in a car wreck during the honeymoon.
She was only 23.
Updated November 23, 2001
CHOOSE THE FIRST LETTER OF A RADIO PROGRAM
