Old Radio

On this day in 1926, Richard Crenna was born.

If anyone had the acting prowess to change characterizations over the years, that was embodied in Richard Crenna . Born November 30, 1926, Crenna started his early years as a character actor for radio, eventually moving on to film and television . He grew up in Los Angeles and served his tour of duty as a radio operator in WWII . Upon his return after the conflict, Crenna attended college and took up acting. Richard Crenna began his radio legacy on The Great Gildersleeve as Walter “Bronco” Thompson. He played that role for 9 years, 1948-1957. His stimulus as a comic actor carried him over to do a duel run on another radio program from 1948 to 1952, as Walter Denton on Our Miss Brooks . His portrayal as the affable and naive Mr Denton played well in attracting him handle television roles in similar character positions. He performed on the I Love Lucy program and   George and Gracie . In both guest star roles Crenna hit his mark as a “lacking worldly wisdom, but sure willing to learn

Eve Arden was born--as Eunice Quedens, on this day in 1908. However, we know her as Our Miss Brooks , the star and title character of the long-running radio series about a witty and wise school teacher. The show actually hauled in an award from The National Education Association for its sympathetic portrayal of teachers. On Our Miss Brooks , Mrs. Brooks interacted with the bio teacher, Mr. Boynton ( Jeff Chandler ), Principal Conklin ( Gale Gordon ), and Walter Denton, one of her wacky students, played by Richard Crenna . For her efforts, Eve Arden won a Radio Mirror magazine readers' poll for best comedienne of 1948-49. Though her own series was her claim to fame, Arden also guested on The Danny Kaye Show , and The Lux Radio Theater .