Old Radio

Today we commemorate the birth on this day in 1920 of charming and lovely screen actress Ann Miller. No flash in the pan or overnight success, Miller paid her dues and toiled for years before becoming a major film star. She is reputed to have been discovered by Lucille Ball during a nightclub song and dance act, and went on to spectacular musical roles in such films as "Small Town Girl," "On The Town," and "Kiss Me Kate." The versatile performer made a few, memorable radio appearances. Many of these were on the shows devoted to entertaining the WWII troops, including G.I. Journal and Command Performance . In 1940 , she appeared in Forecast a series highlighting notable people from a particular state. Her episode took a look at Texas's Sam Houston. Happy birthday, Ann Miller!

From being referenced in J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye to being pictured on a postage stamp, Alfred Lunt has pretty much lived the life. He and his wife Lynne Fontanne made up one of the biggest theatre couples in American history . If you tuned in to Theater Guild on the Air in the 1940s , you would've heard the Lunts spinning wonderful renditions of Elizabeth the Queen, The Guardsman, O Mistress Mine, and several other great dramatic works. The couple also strutted their stuff on a couple of episodes of The Cavalcade of America . All of this came some decades after Lunt had conquered the Broadway world with his acclaimed work in Elizabeth the Queen and The Magnificent Yankee. He snagged an Oscar nomination for his work in The Guardsman. The cherished actor was born on this day in 1892 in Milwaukee. We celebrate  Alfred Lunt 's birthday!