Old Radio

According to his memoir, Harpo Marx was thrown out of school in the second grade.  But not how you might think.  Literally thrown out.  In Harpo Marx , the blonde-maned, second-oldest Marx brother says that Irish bullies in his New York City elementary school would convey him out the window of his learning institution. No, the school didn't throw Harpo (born Adolph Marx ) out: he quit. From there, it was comedy on stage, screen, and airwaves.  Fans of harp solos should check out Mr. Marx's appearances on Command Performance , and The Burns and Allen Show.  We salute today's birthday boy, Harpo Marx .

  November 21, 1938: The first school-operated radio station, WBOE, started their operation on this day. They aired their program as the 500-watt AM radio station, having a license from the FCC to do so. Later on they evolved into an FM station. WBOE was also the first school radio to be converted into an FM station in 1941. Starting in 1984, the station became known as WCPN (90.3 FM).

Jim Jordan , one of the great--and pioneering--comedy minds of all time, was born on this day in  1896. In his early days in radio, being able to perform as many voices as possible was important, and a way for a comic actor to maximize his earnings.  One of the first voices Jordan nailed down was an old man's, and from that he developed the character Luke Grey.  Radio aficionados and historians know that Luke Grey was the star of the 15-minute WMAQ program called "Smackout."  Grey was a corner store owner and teller of tall tales who would excuse his not having what the customer was looking for by saying he was "smack out." Fibber McGee grew out of Luke Grey a few years later.  Phrases like "Tain't funny, McGee," and "You're a hard man, McGee" began to resound throughout the land, and the popular show ran from 1935-'59.  In addition to Jordan's title character and his wife Molly, the show gave us endearing characters

November 15, 1926: The first professional radio opera , Samson Et Dalila was aired for the first time on KYW radio, Chicago, IL from the Chicago Auditorium.  BBC started its domestic radio service on this day in 1922. Samson and Delilah came from the French The Opera Scenes by Camille Saint-Saëns, who was known as the greatest French Romantic composer. Samson et Dalila  was originally planned as an oratorio based on the biblical story of Samson and Delila, but later on the story was adapted for a full opera. For additional classical and opera radio shows, see also: Andre Kostelanetz Show Bell Telephone Hour Encores Chicago Theater of the Air Concert Hall Enchanted Hour Hour of Charm Metropolitan Opera Telephone Hour (Music From America) The Magic Key Lauritz Melchoir Collection Voice of Firestone

November 14, 1922: Domestic Radio Service was started by The British Broadcasting Corp. That first transmission on November 14th of that year was aired from station 2LO, located at Marconi House in London. They were experimental radio services of the BBC. The BBC is owned by six telecommunications companies: Marconi, Radio Communication Company, Metropolitan-Vickers (MetroVick), General Electric, Western Electric, and British Thomson-Houston (BTH)

  November 21, 1944: The Roy Rogers Show went on air for the first time on Mutual Broadcasting System on this date. Roy Rogers also starred in The King of the Cowboys. Roy was assisted by the Whippoorwills and The Sons of the Pioneers. The show’s title song was "Happy Trails" that was sung by Rogers and its composer Dale Evans during the credits.

Happy Veterans Day! "This nation will remain the land of the free so long as it is the land of the brave."  - Elmer Davis, News Commentator