The Parker Family was an American radio soap opera broadcast from 1939 to 1944.
Leon Janney, a child star in films in the 1930s, starred as Richard Parker, a teenage boy growing up in a small midwestern town. Janney (whose character was nicknamed "Richard the Great") also narrated the series, and his character's chronic misunderstandings formed the basis of the stories. Richard lived with his father Walter (Jay Jostyn) and mother Helen (Linda Carlon-Reed, later Marjorie Anderson), as well as his twin sister Nancy (Mitzi Gould) and younger sister Elly (Patricia Ryan). Harry Clark and Hugh James were the announcers. [1]
Don Becker created and produced the program, with Chuck Vincent and Oliver Barbour as directors. [1] Priscilla Kent was the writer. [2]
The program was sponsored by Woodbury Soap [3] and Ipana toothpaste. [3] : 98 The theme song was Deep Purple. [1]
The Parker Family aired weekly on CBS from July to October 1939, then switched to NBC Blue (today's ABC), running until April 10, 1944. An experimental video version was aired on NBC-TV on May 9, 1941, with Janney and Gould reprising their radio roles. The soap was also part of a slate of programs (which included a middleweight title fight between Billy Soose and Ken Overlin) shown to a group of 1,200 people at the New Yorker Theatre as an experiment in "theatre television". [4]
Only one episode exists: the one airing on September 21, 1939, and thus preserved on the WJSV broadcast day recordings.
The Great Gildersleeve is a radio situation comedy broadcast in the United States from August 31, 1941 to 1958. Initially written by Leonard Lewis Levinson, it was one of broadcast history's earliest spin-off programs. The series was built around Throckmorton P. Gildersleeve, a regular character from the radio situation comedy Fibber McGee and Molly. The character was introduced in the October 3, 1939, episode of that series. Actor Harold Peary had played a similarly named character, Dr. Gildersleeve, on earlier episodes. The Great Gildersleeve enjoyed its greatest popularity in the 1940s. Peary played the character during its transition from the parent show into the spin-off and later in four feature films released at the height of the show's popularity.
Don Ameche was an American actor, comedian and vaudevillian. After playing in college shows, repertory theatre, and vaudeville, he became a major radio star in the early 1930s, which led to the offer of a movie contract from 20th Century Fox in 1935.
Irna Phillips was an American scriptwriter, screenwriter, casting agent and actress. She is best remembered for pioneering a format of the daytime soap opera in the United States geared specifically toward women. Phillips created, produced, and wrote several radio and television daytime serials throughout her career, including Guiding Light, As the World Turns, and Another World. She was also a mentor to several other pioneers of the American daytime soap opera, including Agnes Nixon, William J. Bell and Ted Corday.
Portia Faces Life was an American soap opera first broadcast as a radio series from 1940 to 1953, and then on television for a single season in the mid-1950s. It began in syndication on April 1, 1940 and was broadcast on some stations that carried NBC programs, although it does not seem to have been an official part of that network's programming. The original title was Portia Blake Faces Life.
The Life of Riley is an American radio situation comedy series of the 1940s that was adapted into a 1949 feature film, as well as two different television series, and a comic book.
The Aldrich Family, a popular radio teenage situation comedy, was also presented in films, television and comic books. In the radio series' opening exchange, awkward teen Henry's mother called, "Hen-reeeeeeeeeeeee! Hen-ree Al-drich!", and he responded with a breaking adolescent voice, "Com-ing, Mother!"
One Man's Family is an American radio soap opera, heard for almost three decades, from 1932 to 1959. Created by Carlton E. Morse, it was the longest-running uninterrupted dramatic serial in the history of American radio. Television versions of the series aired in prime time from 1949 to 1952 and in daytime from 1954 to 1955.
The First Hundred Years is the first ongoing TV soap opera in the United States that began as a daytime serial, airing on CBS from December 4, 1950 until June 27, 1952.
The Guiding Light (TGL) was an American radio series which became a television soap opera.
Young Doctor Malone is an American soap opera, created by Irna Phillips, which had a long run on radio and television from 1939 to 1963. The producer was Betty Corday (1912–1987), who also produced Pepper Young's Family and later was a co-creator with husband Ted Corday of NBC Daytime's Days of Our Lives.
Big Sister was a daytime radio drama series created by Lillian Lauferty and broadcast on CBS from September 14, 1936, to December 26, 1952. It was sponsored by Lever Brothers for Rinso until 1946 when Procter & Gamble became the sponsor.
Leon Janney was an American actor and radio personality from 1920 to 1980.
Your Family and Mine is an American radio drama series that aired April 25, 1938–April 28, 1939, on NBC, and May 1, 1939–April 26, 1940, on CBS. Sponsored by Sealtest, the 15-minute soap opera program aired weekdays at 5:15 p.m. ET on NBC, and at 2:30 p.m. ET on CBS.
Life Can Be Beautiful was a daytime radio drama broadcast on NBC and CBS during its 16-year run. The program was also facetiously known to many as Elsie Beebe, a contrived acronym based on the show's initials.
For the television series of the same name, see The Silver Theatre.
Kitty Foyle is an American old-time radio and television soap opera originally aired during the 1940s and 1950s that was based on the 1940 film of the same name starring Ginger Rogers. Kitty Foyle was created by soap opera mogul Irna Phillips of Guiding Light fame and produced by daytime radio monarchs Frank and Anne Hummert of Helen Trent recognition. The program originally starred Julie Stevens in the title role of Kitty Foyle on radio. On television, the title role was portrayed by Kathleen Murray.
The Fred Allen Show is a long-running American radio comedy program starring comedian Fred Allen and his wife Portland Hoffa. Over the course of the program's 17-year run, it was sponsored by Linit Bath Soaps, Hellmann's, Ipana, Sal Hepatica, Texaco and Tenderleaf Tea. The program ended in 1949 under the sponsorship of the Ford Motor Company.
The Pepsodent Show is an American radio comedy program broadcast during the Golden Age of Radio. The program starred comedian Bob Hope and his sidekick Jerry Colonna along with Blanche Stewart and Elvia Allman as high-society crazies Brenda and Cobina as well as a continuously rotating supporting cast and musicians which included, for a time, Judy Garland, Frances Langford and Desi Arnaz and his orchestra.
Lillian "Mitzi" Smith, known professionally as Mitzi Haynes, was an American actress and showgirl.
The Story of Mary Marlin is an American soap opera radio program. It was broadcast from October 3, 1934, until April 12, 1945, and returned from September 24, 1951, until April 11, 1952. After 1937 it was among the highest-rated soap operas. A version was also broadcast in Australia in 1959-1960.