Old Radio

On this day in 1950, Jack Benny Program made its debut.

On this day in 1894, Jack Benny was born.

On this day in 1927, Jack Benny and Sadye Marks (aka Mary Livingstone) were married.

December 25: Happy Birthday,  Humphrey Bogart Humphrey Bogart , born December 25th, 1899, was an American actor dubbed the greatest male star in the history of American cinema by The American Film Institute. Bogart attended a prestigious academy in Andover, Massachusetts as a young man, but he was eventually expelled from the institution. With no other options, Humphrey joined the Navy. While serving, he was injured in the bombing of the USS Leviathan. The partial facial paralysis that resulted from the attack gave him the signature vocal and facial style that he became famous for. Many people identify Bogart as a film actor, but he actually made numerous radio appearances after moving to Hollywood . Both Lux Radio Theater and Screen Guild Players featured famous actors in their starring roles, and Bogart made numerous appearances on these programs. He also performed on Command Performance , a post World War II program that let Bogart chat with Lauren and Frank Sinatra . In ...

We commemorate the births of a lot of radio hosts and actors, but today's birthday boy is a producer, John Guedel.  If you don't quite remember his name, you surely remember shows he both produced and created, including The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet and You Bet Your Life . Legend has it he was behind Jack Benny 's little ditty "J-E-L-L-O."  Let's all remember the great John Guedel.

On this day in 1927, Jack Benny and Sadye Marks (aka Mary Livingstone) were married.

The persona Phil Harris created on the radio was one who was easy to like. He was a happy-go-lucky hep cat who never met a bottle or a pretty girl that he didn't like. By reputation, he made acquaintances with plenty of both. Most of all, the radio Phil Harris was easy to like because he was a fundamentally happy fellow, as willing to laugh at himself as he was to laugh at those around him. When your boss is Jack Benny , of course, there is plenty around you to laugh at. Phil is best remembered as one of Benny's many “second bananas”, although he had a relatively successful career beyond the Jack Benny Program. He was never quite a superstar, but that seems to have been just alright with him. On June 24, 1904, Wonga Philip Harris was born to circus performers Harry and Dollie Harris in Linton, Indiana. Harry, a circus band leader, taught the lad to play several instruments and gave his son his first gig, playing drums under the big top. The boy played in movie houses...

On this day in 1932, Jack Benny Program made its radio debut.

On this day in 1984, Jack Benny was born.

January 25: Jack Benny Marries Sadye Marks Sadye Marks looked beautiful in her wedding dress. At least Jack thought she did. Jack was crazy about her, and would marry her on January 25, 1927. Sadye Marks would change her name. If you know the Golden Age of Radio, you know her as Mary... Mary Livingstone . And Jack? Jack Benny , of course. Sadie was a cousin of the Marx brothers .

Join us in celebrating the nativity of one of Old Time Radio's most beloved and recognizable character actors, Mr. Eddie Anderson . The actor so many of us love as Jack Benny 's sidekick Rochester was born on September 18, 1905. In a less enlightened time,  we might say that Eddie Anderson did very well for one of his races. It might even be said that Eddie would never have gone as far if not for his association with Jack Benny . To a certain extend both of these sentiments were true, but when we look at Eddie Anderson's achievements it becomes pretty obvious that Eddie would have found the opportunities and resources to do great things no matter what. Eddie was born into a show business family in Oakland. “Big Ed” Anderson was a minstrel performer and his wife Ella Mae was a tight rope performer until a fall put an end to her career. As a boy Eddie sold newspapers on the street corner. The newspaper boys believed that whoever would yell the loudest would get the mo...

By definition, all Radio Stars are voice actors. No one had as many voices as Mel Blanc . Or perhaps, all those voices had Mel Blanc . Several voice actors have been called “the man of a thousand voices” with some degree of exaggeration. Mel's son, Noel, claimed that Mel's count was closer to 1500. Mel was born in San Francisco, the second son of Frank and Eva Blanc, on May 30, 1908. The family moved to Portland, OR, where Mel attended Lincoln High school. Mel has been always fond of making up voices and clowning. At the age of 16,  he decided to change his last name because a teacher warned him that he could end up that way, a Blank, a nothing. It is hard to imagine someone as good natured being kept down by such a prediction. He began working in vaudeville throughout the Northwest, and at 17 was the youngest orchestra conductor in the country. Mel's radio career began at KGW in Portland on the show The Hoot Owls. Mel became  popular with his ability to so many voic...

On this day in 1894, Jack Benny was born.

James Kern Kyser was born June 18, 1905 and became one of the most notable bandleaders of the 30’s and 40’s. He...oh wait, you may know him by his other name, Kay Kyser ...went onto become of the most respected and admired radio personalities of his day. Because of his energy and enthusiasm while in college, Kyser was asked to head up a band whose leader was moving on to other pursuits. As the new bandleader, Kay Kyser discovered his talent lay more in the announcing end of leading then trying to perform an instrument. Kyser would record a couple of hit pieces for Victor before becoming nationally acclaimed. As the band toured the country, Kay’s benchmark of turning playing music into quiz time for the audience, earned the band the name of the Kollege of Musical Knowledge . And as the “The Ol’ Perfessor”, Kyser would use his position to query and encourage the audience into dancing with phrases like, “C’mon chilluns, let’s dance”. By the late 30’s and in through the 40’s, the Koll...

If it were 1918, Jack Paar would be born today. Paar, the host of radio's The Jack Paar Show before the television counterpart, is one of broadcasting's most vibrant personalities. Paar once said that his personality wasn't split but shredded. Perhaps this is what helped him in the format of the talk show, which he's widely-regarded to have pioneered. In 1947, his radio show debuted as a summer replacement for The Jack Benny Show . It ran Sundays at 7 and was sponsored by Lucky Strike. Episode titles such as "Interview With Beauty Contest Loser," "Singing Cowboy Parody," and "Spoofs on Fan Magazines And Disc Jockeys" go a long way in telling the story. As good as the radio show may have been, in didn't last long--Paar quickly made the jump to television . It was good while it lasted, and episodes are still available.

February 14, 1894: Forever 39 years old, happy birthday to Jack Benny, born on this day in 1894 !

November 23: Happy Birthday, Boris Karloff Unlike a lot of radio stars who would go on to careers in television or film, Boris Karloff was a star of the silver screen before embarking on a radio career. He is best known for starring as Frankenstein 's monster in the 1931 opus Frankenstein (as well as in some sequels). He would later cross over and appear in many radio shows. He hosted The Boris Karloff Show in 1957, with episodes such as "The Vampire's Grave," " Shakespeare 's Hometown," and "The White House." Shows on which he appeared as a guest include " Bergen & McCarthy ," " Inner Sanctum ," " Lights Out ," " Martin and Lewis ," " Jack Benny Program" and more. To these shows he lent his distinctive, deep, slow, spooky drawl. Later in his life he would play many voice roles, including that of the narrator of "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas ." Karloff's birth...

January 6, 1950: In ‘ The Halls of Ivy ’, Ronald Coleman acted as the President of Ivy College. After guest appearances on The Jack Benny Program, with his wife, ' The Halls of Ivy ' became a popular show.  Ronald went on to write for the show, which transferred to television in 1954.  Colman won an Academy award for his work in 'Othello'.