Old Radio

On this day in 1937, Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy debuts on NBC.

A baritone that could sweep the hearts of bubble gum chewing teenagers to older women was Nelson Eddy . Born June 29, 1901, this classically trained crooner led four decades of entertaining people through radio, movies and live concerts. Most people will remember him for his time spent filming a number of movies opposite Jeanette MacDonald. The first notice of Eddy singing (besides early years being fired for crooning on the job  Nelson Eddy would hit the Hollywood scene and contract with MGM to make almost 20 motion pictures. His on-screen performances were as well received as his nightclub performances. Eddy made over 600 on-air radio appearances. ) was a tenor in a church boys choir. During his teens he became a trained singer of the opera genre. His talent drew him attention when he won a singing competition in Philadelphia. Throughout the 20’s and into the early 30’s, Eddy could be seen in some of the more impressive opera houses around the country. By 1933, Nelson E...

April 17: Happy Birthday, Hans Conried Perhaps best known for his voice-over role as Captain Hook in the 1953 version of Disney's Peter Pan , Hans Conried was also a show-hopping radio actor. He was a consummate comedian whose niche was zany doctors and other professionals. Conried's regular gigs were on My Friend Irma , The Burns and Allen Show , and the dramatic programs Suspense and Mercury Theatre on the Air . He made occasional or one-time appearances on Martin and Lewis , Lux Radio Theatre , and Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy . A very fun fact about Conried is that his villainous growl caused him to inspire the character "Robot Devil" on the TV show Futurama . Conried fans will also enjoy this anecdotal story with famed director and author Arch Oboler .

March 12: Happy Birthday,  Gordon MacRae Broadway fixture Gordon MacRae made a name for himself with appearances in Oklahoma! and Carousel. Just before he'd attained that level of stardom, though, he hosted several installments of radio's Texaco Star Theatre in 1948. Episode titles during his reign include "When The Red Red Robin Comes Bob-Bob-Bobbin' Along," "June Is Busting Out All Over," and "Top hat, White Tie and Tails." He also hosted the very popular The Railroad Hour in which he and his fellow cast members performed abridged versions of Broadway productions. Do you remember his guest appearances on: The Big Show , Guest Star Radio , Martin & Lewis , The Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy , and The Railroad Hour show? Take a listen!

January 29: Happy Birthday, W.C. Fields Raise your glass to toast a playboy, a consort of the likes of John Barrymore , Anthony Quinn, Cecil B. DeMille, and a hard drinker, comedy icon W.C. Fields . Fields is known for his acerbic, biting persona, which includes sexism and a general misanthropy. He was a vaudeville and Broadway one-man act, a silent film star, a talkie star, and a radio star. In 1937, Fields joined the cast of The Chase and Sanborn Hour , popularly remembered as "The Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy " show. One of Fields' niches was trading insults with the dummy, Charlie. "Is that your nose or are you eating (insert a vegetable here)" was a standard line from Charlie to Fields, whose nose was not small. A shorter-lived stint for Fields was as emcee of Your Hit Parade , briefly known as Your Hit Parade With W.C. Fields . His particular brand of comedy kept him on the show for just a month. If you're looking for a quote for...