Old Radio

August 31, 1946: Superman ' back to the airs on MBS. Superman had been dropped from the program schedule earlier in the year, but the outrage of youngsters brought the show back to the airwaves. "Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's Superman!" Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound ...the caped crusader returned to radio on the Mutual Broadcasting System. The amazing power of Kryptonite in the hands of kids! Bud Collyer, later of TV's Beat the Clock, played Clark Kent aka Superman on the series . Most people didn't have a clue as to the identity of Superman until a TIME magazine article about Collyer appeared in 1946. His identity had been well guarded for years.

August 29, 1914 marked the entry into the world of one Willard Lewis Waterman , who would adorn the airwaves as the star of The The Great Gildersleeve from 1950-'57. The Great was otherwise known as Throckmorton P. Gildersleeve , the water commissioner of Summerfield, with his bellowing calls and inimitable laugh.  Fans of the show may recall the Jolly Boys Club , Floyd the Barber, Police Chief Gates, Eve Goodwin, and Leila Ransom. When replacing Harold Peary with Waterman , Gildersleeve was getting a seasoned and popular radio actor. He had already rocked the mic on such series as Those Websters and The Tom Mix Ralston Straight Shooters . It's our pleasure to commemorate what would've been the ninety-ninth birthday of a great character actor.

  August 28, 1938: Edgar Bergen 's wooden dummy partner, Charlie McCarthy  accepted the Master of Innuendo and Snappy Comeback honorary degree from the School of Speech at Northwestern. This degree was the first-degree awarded to a dummy. This event was broadcast by Ralph Dennis radio on this day. Charlie McCarthy  was inspired by an Irish newspaper boy that Edgar Bergen knew. Although they appeared in a number of short films, the comedy duo was more successful with their radio work. They first guest starred on  Rudy Vallee 's radio program in December 17, 1936.  Their appearance was such a hit that a year after, they were given their own show.