Old Radio

A few days (and seven years) after the birth of William Powell, Myrna Loy realized if she wanted to star with him in fourteen films, she'd have to be born too.  So she was, on Aug. 2, 1905. Loy spent her childhood switching from Montana and Southern California, permanently settling into Culver City in 1918, after the death of her father.  She began playing vampy, exotic roles in less-than-stellar silent films like A Girl in Every Port. Her big break was her first role with Powell, in The Thin Man .  She'd soon become a sought-after actress, starring alongside Jimmy Stewart , Clark Gable , Clifton Webb, and--why not?--Shirley Temple. She hit the airwaves for a few adaptations of movies she'd starred in, produced by Lux Radio Theatre .  On Suspense she starred in "The Library Book," which probably sounded a lot more intriguing in 1945 than it would today, and she was part of an intrepid group of artists appearing on the 1947 special Hollywood Fights Bac...

Today marks the day on which, in 1907, " What's My Line " regular Arlene Francis was born. Francis was a New York native and a Finch College graduate, who achieved a relatively painless entry into show business. Her first big play appearance was when she was a mere 21, and she would go on to act in 25 Broadway plays. Radio-wise, the fetching starlet joined the cast of the intelligent and challenging game show " What's My Line ?"  The show was hosted by John Charles Daly and featured, along with Francis, high-brow personages such as Bennett Cerf and Dorothy Kilgallen . One thing to recall about " What's My Line ?" is that in addition to the main guessing game, the panelists also attempted to divine the identity of a mystery guest at the show's end.  MG's included Jimmy Stewart , Orson Welles , Marlene Dietrich and a host of others. Thanks for the memories, Arlene!

September 20, 1953: Jimmy Stewart was starred as Britt Ponset on the Western in his first appearance in an NBC program radio western ‘ The Six Shooter ’. The well-known parts of the show were when Stewart would whisper during high drama scenes. Only 39 episodes aired on this show, lasting only one season. The classic radio western ended well, with Stewart's character proposing marriage.

It's only natural that a man with a voice as distinctive as Jimmy Stewart 's would have a good time with radio. Of course he's known as a huge movie star, but he spent more than his share of time in front of a radio microphone as well. Stewart, whose birthday we celebrate today, made frequent appearances on classic radio mainstays such as Screen Guild Theater , Lux Radio Theater , and Silver Theater . He also starred in Six Shooter from 1952-'54. Some of the productions to which Stewart lent his talents on air include "It's a Wonderful Life," "Winchester '73," and "Destry Rides Again." Later he would host a show called " Good News ," a promotional venture for MGM . On this show, he'd interview MGM stars with upcoming films. So next time the name Jimmy Stewart comes up, remember his radio career and that he wasn't just a movie star.