Lester Joseph Damon—born in Providence, RI on this date in 1908—was memorably described by my Radio Spirits colleague Elizabeth McLeod as “the prototype of the radio actor on the go.” From his ea ...
Happy Birthday, Stacy Harris!(Post)Before embarking on his long career as a much-in-demand actor on radio, TV, and in the movies, Stacy Harris—born in Big Timber, Quebec, Canada on this date in 1918—was the dictionary definition of ...
Review: Boston Blackie’s Rendezvous (1945)(Post)As he and his sidekick The Runt (George E. Stone) settle in for the night, Horatio “Boston Blackie” Black (Chester Morris) gets an unexpected visit from his wealthy friend Arthur Manleder (Harry H ...
Happy Birthday, Eleanor Audley!(Post)The epitaph on the headstone adorning the final resting place of actress Eleanor Audley reads: “A Kind Friend to All.” And while it’s undeniably true that Audley—born Eleanor Zellman on this date ...
“I’ll clip ya, Bergen…so help me, I’ll mow you down!”(Post)On this date in 1937, a program that would soon become the number one radio show in the nation premiered over the Red network of NBC. The Chase and Sanborn Hour was big-time radio: it featured the ...
Happy Birthday, Clayton “Bud” Collyer!(Post)“I never try to force people into impossible situations on the shows,” observed Clayton “Bud” Collyer to Radio Mirror in June of 1953. One of those “shows” Bud was referencing was TV’s Break the ...
“Saints preserve us, Mr. Keen! He’s got a gun!”(Post)Back in the 1970s, when I first immersed myself in the wonderful world of old-time radio, my enthusiasm for “The Hobby” was such that I beseeched both my mother and father for stories about their ...
Happy Birthday, Ann Sheridan!(Post)In Tinsel Town, she was known as “The Oomph Girl.” Ann Sheridan—born on this date in 1915—loathed the nickname. “Just being known by a nickname indicates that you’re not thought of as a true act ...
Happy Birthday, Ben Alexander!(Post)With the death of Barton Yarborough in December of 1951, Jack Webb was anxious to find a replacement for the actor who had portrayed Ben Romero to his Joe Friday on the radio and television versio ...
Happy Centennial Birthday, John Dehner!(Post)For an actor who once set out purposely not to be typecast in Western roles, John Dehner—born John Forkum one hundred years ago in 1915 in Staten Island, NY—appeared in a lot of oaters across the ...
Happy Birthday, Virginia Gregg!(Post)In our natal anniversary spotlight today is one of old-time radio’s indisputable veterans. She would get a special nod for proficiency alone, but Virginia Gregg—born in Harrisburg, Illinois on this ...
Happy Birthday, Red Skelton!(Post)The town of Vincennes, Indiana welcomed Richard Bernard “Red” Skelton into their midst on this date in 1913…and got the best of the bargain, because their favorite son spent most of his show busin ...