The Charlotte Greenwood Show

Last updated
The Charlotte Greenwood Show
Other namesThe Hallmark Charlotte Greenwood Show
Genre Situation Comedy
Running time30 minutes
Country of originUnited States
Language(s)English
Syndicates NBC
ABC
radio networks
Starring Charlotte Greenwood
(1890-1977)
AnnouncerWendell Niles
Written byRay Singer
Phil Leslie
Jack Hasty
Don Johnson
Produced byJohn Guedel
Thomas Freebairn Smith
Arnold McGuire
Original releaseJune 13, 1944 –
January 6, 1946
Sponsored byPepsodent (1944)
Hallmark Cards (1945–46)

The Charlotte Greenwood Show was a old-time radio situation comedy broadcast in the United States, on the longtime National Broadcasting Company (NBC) radio network, aired for three months from June 13 to September 5, 1944, and then later on the newly established in 1945 of the now independent third American broadcasting media network of the American Broadcasting Company (ABC radio and later also television network, formerly the old NBC Blue Network, divested / sold from NBC in 1942), airing from October 15, 1944 to January 6, 1946. [1]

Contents

Background

The program began as a summer replacement for The Bob Hope Show (1948-1955) on the NBC radio network. [2] Newspaper syndicated gossip and entertainment / celebrity news columnist Hedda Hopper (1885-1966) reported, "The interesting thing is that she (Charlotte Greenwood, 1890-1977) got the job on a couple of scripts written by her husband, Martin Broones, who's never before written for radio." [3] [4]

Format

The 1944 short summer version of the show on the NBC Blue Network (1927-1945), had comedienne Greenwood, playing herself, working as a cub reporter in a small newspaper as research in preparation for a future film role. When the program resurfaced in 1945 on the newly established ABC independent radio network, Greenwood's character had now the responsibility of raising three children, teenagers Jack and Barbara and little Robert [1] after her good friend died, making her executor of the estate. The setting was the fictional town of "Lakeview". [5]

An old time radio reference commented that Greenwood's character "managed to be single, moral, and peppy." [6]

Characters, cast and personnel

The main characters of the latter program and the actors portraying them are shown in the table below. [1] [5]

CharacterActor/actress
Jack Barton Cliff Carpenter, [7] Edward Ryan
Barbara Barton Janet Waldo, [7] Betty Moran
Robert Barton Dix Davis, [7] Bobby Larson
Judge CroninCharles Cantor
William Anderson John Brown
Mr. Reynolds Edward Arnold

Others in the cast were Shirley Mitchell, Arthur Q. Bryan, Harry Bartell and Will Wright. [1] Wendell Niles was the announcer. [8] The writers included Jack Hasty, Don Johnson, [5] Ray Singer, and Phil Leslie. [1] The producers included Arnold McGuire. [9]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Dunning, John (1998). On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio (Revised ed.). New York, NY: Oxford University Press. p. 150. ISBN   978-0-19-507678-3 . Retrieved 2019-08-29.
  2. ↑ "Photo caption" (PDF). Broadcasting. July 10, 1944. p. 49. Retrieved April 17, 2015.
  3. ↑ Hopper, Hedda (April 3, 1944). "Looking at Hollywood". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. 18. Retrieved April 16, 2015.
  4. ↑ Hedda Hopper (1944-04-06). "Hollywood". The Pittsburgh Press. p. 19. Retrieved 2023-06-11.
  5. 1 2 3 Boyd, Malcolm (April 22, 1945). "The Winnah!" (PDF). Radio Life. pp. 26–27. Retrieved April 17, 2015.
  6. ↑ "Stereotypes on Radio" (PDF). Routledge. Retrieved April 17, 2015.
  7. 1 2 3 Terrace, Vincent (2003). Radio Program Openings and Closings, 1931-1972 . Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company. p. 49. ISBN   978-0-7864-4925-5.
  8. ↑ West, Virginia (November 4, 1945). "KECA mike memos" (PDF). Radio Life. Retrieved April 17, 2015.
  9. ↑ "On All Accounts" (PDF). Broadcasting. February 21, 1949. pp. 84, continued from 10. Retrieved April 17, 2015.

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