Skip to main content

Radio City Playhouse

By Old Time Radio

 Although a short-lived anthology, The Radio City Playhouse stories and production were a match for anything from the Tiffany Network

The competition between the NBC and CBS Radio Networks was one of the great rivalries of corporate America, on par with Ford vs Chevy, Pizza Hut vs Domino's, Marvel vs DC Comics, McDonald's vs Burger King, or Coke vs Pepsi. It is a story of innovation, imitation, strong personalities, and more than a few lucky breaks for each side. It is difficult to determine which network came out on top as the competition evolved into the broadcast TV market, but we can state that the overall winner was the audience.

One huge programming victory that the "Tiffany Network" enjoyed was in Anthology Programs. Although NBC's University Programs put out some great dramas, they could not match the artistic or commercial triumphs of CBS's Columbia Workshop, Escape, or Suspense. However, as TV was beginning to cut into Radio's dominance the National Broadcasting Company managed to field an anthology to match the quality of CBS's best, The Radio City Playhouse directed by newcomer Harry W. Junkin debuted on July 3, 1948.

Canadian-born Junkin started as an actor before serving in the RCAF during the Second World War. After his discharge, he went to work in advertising in Montreal before moving on to New York. While producing commercials he decided to try his hand at writing scripts. Most of the dialog he created was for his commercials, but by the end of the decade, Junkin began submitting dramas.

On Radio City Playhouse, Junkin worked as director and narrator, as well as writing nearly half of the scripts. Rather than exclusively seeking out scripts from big-name writers, Playhouse would consider all submissions as long as they were "good drama" stories. From the stories he authored himself, Junkin was qualified to make this judgment on his own, although the show was overseen by NBC Script Manager Richard McDonagh.

By the time Radio City Playhouse began, most of the broadcasting industry had migrated to the West Coast, although Playhouse would broadcast live from the Radio City Studios in New York. This allowed for both established radio actors and newcomers to be hired for the show, which aired in a late Saturday night timeslot.

After Playhouse went off the air at the beginning of 1950, Junkin wrote for Mr. Moto, Mr. District Attorney, and Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons before transitioning to television. Although the anthology would be short-lived, the stories and production of Radio City Playhouse matched or exceeded anything presented by CBS. 

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Candy Matson Old Time Radio Show

By Old Time Radio
Candy Matson  was no GIRL detective...she was all woman. Candy Matson was a response to all the hard-boiled detectives on the radio like  Jeff Regan ,  Rocky Fortune ,  Pat Novak , and all those  other detectives  who were beaten up on a regular basis. Candy, played by Natalie Parks, was  hard-boiled  in her own way. She never compromised her femininity but she did know how to use a gun and didn't hesitate to use when it was necessary. She didn't take any guff from the guys--the good guys or the bad guys. With a snappy comeback, she could take anybody's head off. Candy was fearless, never hesitating to go wherever she needed to solve a case from the lowest dive to the classiest night club. Candy worked hard to get her goon. Men orbited around her like she was the sun. Her best friend and partner in detection was Rembrandt Watson, a flamboyant photographer. All private detectives need a police detective foil and, in...
Post a Comment
Read more

Old Time Radio: Spies and Espionage

By Old Time Radio
Old time radio featured many spy-themed shows , which were popular during the Cold War era . These shows often depicted heroic spies and agents who worked to protect their countries from enemy spies and espionage, adding to the cultural fascination with the world of espionage and intrigue during this time. Spy shows were popular in the 1950s for several reasons. Firstly, the Cold War was in full swing , and the fear of Soviet espionage and infiltration was widespread. As a result, there was a heightened interest in stories and characters that dealt with the world of espionage and intrigue. Spy shows offered a way for listeners to vicariously experience the world of espionage and feel a sense of excitement and danger. Additionally, radio was one of the primary sources of entertainment during this time, and spy shows offered a way for audiences to escape the anxieties of everyday life and engage with exciting stories and characters. Many of these shows also featured strong, heroic prot...
Post a Comment
Read more

A Clown Laughs and Cries: Red Skelton

By Old Time Radio
  The Clown is one of the most traditional and enduring elements of show business. There are several vital characteristics which add up to define just what a clown is. One of the most important is that under the makeup, the clown is very often laughing on the outside while crying on the inside. America's favorite clown, Red Skelton typifies laughing and crying at the same time. Few performers have given as much to bring happiness to their audience, especially while living through their own personal tragedies. Joe Skelton had performed as a clown with the Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus, but settled down to life as a grocer, and sired four sons with his wife Ida Mae. Joe was taken from his family two months before his youngest son, Richard Bernard Skelton, was born in 1913 (the same year, the Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus lost 8 elephants, 8 performing horses and 21 lions and tigers when the Wabash River flooded). Richard soon became Red Skelton . With no father, Red went to work early to hel...
Post a Comment
Read more