Breaking Walls

This episode was originally released on 2/1/2021. While new episodes of Breaking Walls are on hiatus I'll be going back and posting the older episodes.

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In Breaking Walls episode 112, we finish our five-part mini-series by examining NBC’s business and programming during the 1949-50 radio season in the wake of the CBS talent raids by examining the steps NBC took to regain their footing as the television era began.

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Highlights:
• Garroway
• Frank Sinatra’s Tailspin
• Monday Night of Music
• Ivy College and their Hallowed Halls
• Christopher London vs. Jack Benny
• Randy Stone Prowls Chicago’s Night
• Dimension X and Arnold Moss
• Cloak and Dagger
• Vincent Price and Simon Templar
• Looking Ahead to Elliott Lewis

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The WallBreakers:
http://thewallbreakers.com
Subscribe to Breaking Walls everywhere you get your podcasts.

To support the show:
http://patreon.com/TheWallBreakers

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The reading material used in today’s episode was:

• On the Air — By John Dunning
• Network Radio Ratings, 1932-53 — By Jim Ramsburg

As well as articles from the archives of:
• Broadcasting Magazine
• Radio Daily
• Variety
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On the interview front:
• Ken Carpenter, Dave Garroway, Jim Jordan, Phil Leslie, Vincent Price, Lurene Tuttle, and Herb Vigran were with Chuck Schaden. Hear their full chats at SpeakingOfRadio.com.

• Raymond Edward Johnson, Arnold Moss, Vincent Price, and Bill Robson were with Dick Bertel and Ed Corcoran for WTIC’s The Golden Age of Radio. Hear these at Goldenage-WTIC.org.

• Lawrence Dobkin and Elliott Lewis were with SPERDVAC. For more information, go to SPERDVAC.com.

• Don Quinn was interviewed by Owen Cunningham in 1951,

• Frank Sinatra was with Walter Cronkite in 1965,

• Lurene Tuttle spoke with Same Time, Same Station in 1972.

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Selected music featured in today’s episode was:
• I Can Dream, Can't I — By The Andrews Sisters
• Salute to Charlie Christian — By Barney Kessel
• Holo Holo Haa — With Lani McIntyre
• It All Depends on You — By Frank Sinatra
• The Look of Love — By Billy May
• Moon Moods — By Les Baxter
• Spooky — By Dusty Springfield

This episode was originally released on 1/1/2021. While new episodes of Breaking Walls are on hiatus I'll be going back and posting the older episodes.

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In Breaking Walls episode 111 we resume our mini-series in January of 1949. CBS is now the nation’s number one network, and NBC is left to come up with programming answers. We’ll focus on the shows they launched in the spring and summer of 1949.

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Highlights:
• Jack Benny: Now on CBS
• First The News
• Network Radio Opens 1949 with Record Earnings
• John Wayne, Claire Trevor, John Ford, and Ward Bond Open The NBC Theater
• David Sarnoff and the Mass NBC Exodus
• It’s the Martin and Lewis Show!
• Alan Young and Henry Morgan
• Richard Diamond
• Jack Webb Launches Dragnet
• Fred Allen Finally Has Enough
• William Conrad, The Killers, and The Four Star Playhouse
• Dangerous Assignment
• San Francisco’s YUkon 3-8309 Lady Detective
• Looking Ahead to the Fall of 1949

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The WallBreakers:
http://thewallbreakers.com
Subscribe to Breaking Walls everywhere you get your podcasts.

To support the show:
http://patreon.com/TheWallBreakers

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The reading material used in today’s episode was:

• On the Air — By John Dunning
• Network Radio Ratings, 1932-53 — By Jim Ramsburg

As well as articles from:
• Billboard Magazine
• Broadcasting Magazine
• Radio Daily

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On the interview front:
• Virginia Gregg, Lurene Tuttle, Herb Vigran, Mike Wallace, Don Wilson were with Chuck Schaden. Hear their full chats at SpeakingOfRadio.com.

• Parley Baer, Lilian Buyeff, Herb Ellis, Betty Lou Gerson, Virginia Gregg, and Peggy Webber were with SPERDVAC. For more information, go to SPERDVAC.com

• Arnold Stang was with Dick Bertel and Ed Corcoran for WTIC’s The Golden Age of Radio. Hear these at Goldenage-WTIC.org.

• Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin were with Cedric Adams

• Fred Allen was on Tex and Jinx

• Donald Vorhees was interviewed for Allen’s Biography In Sound

• Jack Kruschen was with Jim Bohannon

• John Dehner was with Neil Ross

• William Conrad was with Chris Lambesis

• E. Jack Neuman was with John Dunning

• Frank Sinatra was with Walter Cronkite

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Selected music featured in today’s episode was:
• Takin’ A Chance on Love — By Helen Forrest
• The Pavane — By Steve Erquiaga
• Lenore Overture Number 3 — By Ludwig Van Beethoven
• And Fly Me To The Moon — By Frank Sinatra

This episode was originally released on 12/1/2020. While new episodes of Breaking Walls are on hiatus I'll be going back and posting the older episodes.

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In Breaking Walls episode 110 we continue our mini-series on the 1948-49 radio season by focusing on news and programming during Christmas week, 1948.

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Highlights:
• Jack Benny: Leaving for CBS
• A northeast blizzard starts holiday week
• Edgar Bergen: Also leaving NBC
• Walter Winchell’s big new ABC deal
• Soaps, Queens, and the Chesterfield Supper Club
• Monday night belongs to CBS
• Lunch with WOR while NBC still owns Tuesday evenings
• Fred Waring and Yukon King Gear up For Xmas
• Blackie, Gildy, Duffy, and Bing
• Abbott, Costello, and Jolson fade, while Suspense soars on Thursday
• ABC wins Friday while Skelton gets ready to leave NBC too
• Merry Christmas from the Royal Roost in Manhattan
• Mary Lee, Grand Central, and Elgin Celebrate Xmas
• Sinatra’s up-and-down 1948
• Benny and Bergen say goodbye to NBC

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The WallBreakers:
http://thewallbreakers.com
Subscribe to Breaking Walls everywhere you get your podcasts.

To support the show:
http://patreon.com/TheWallBreakers

——————————

The reading material used in today’s episode was:

• On the Air — By John Dunning
• Network Radio Ratings, 1932-53 — By Jim Ramsburg

As well as articles from:
• Broadcasting Magazine
• The Los Angeles Times
• NationalParkService.gov
• The New York Daily News
• Radio Daily
• WhiteHouseHistory.org

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On the interview front:

• Edgar Bergen, Mel Blanc, Himan Brown, Ken Carpenter, Gale Gordon, Jim Jordan, Harold Peary, Alan Reed, Lurene Tuttle, and Don Wilson were with Chuck Schaden. Hear their full chats at SpeakingOfRadio.com.

• Edgar Bergen, Hans Conried, John Gibson, Jim Jordan, and Jan Miner were with Dick Bertel and Ed Corcoran for WTIC’s The Golden Age of Radio. Hear these at Goldenage-WTIC.org.

• Ralph Bell, Himan Brown, and Jack Johnstone were with SPERDVAC. For more information, go to SPERDVAC.com

• Bing Crosby and John Scott Trotter were with Same Time, Same Station

• Eve Arden was with John Dunning

• Phil Harris with Jack Carney

• Bob Hope with Johnny Carson

• Jo Stafford with Michael Feinstein

• Frank Sinatra with Larry King

• Red Skelton was with Dini Petty

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Selected music featured in today’s episode was:

• It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year — By Andy Williams
• Christmas Dreaming — By Frank Sinatra
• Somewhere in My Memory and Star of Bethlehem — By John Williams for Home Alone
• Christmas Blues — By Washboard Pete
• Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day — By The Marlborough Cathedral Choir
• Christmas Carols for 1928 — By Elsie Holt
• White Christmas — By Bing Crosby
• Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas — By Mel Torme
• Ya Viene La Vieja — By JP Torres

This episode was originally released on 11/1/2020. While new episodes of Breaking Walls are on hiatus I'll be going back and posting the older episodes.

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In Breaking Walls episode 109 we continue our mini-series on the 1948-49 radio season by focusing on news and programming from Thanksgiving Day, 1948.

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Highlights:

• Tex and Jinx for WNBC with photographer Robert Capa
• John Nesbitt’s Passing Parade for WOR while CBS broadcasts the Macy’s parade
• Cornell vs. Penn in the Turkey Bowl Game
• Norma Young’s Happy Homes for KHJ in Los Angeles
• Let’s Get Married with Bride and Groom on KECA
• The Elgin Thanksgiving Special with Don Ameche
• Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis with Vera Vague
• Jack Benny Gets a Turkey on the Cheap — Signs A Big Contract with CBS
• David Sarnoff Overplays his Hand
• Fulton Lewis Jr. with the News from Mutual Broadcasting
• Henry Aldrich’s Turkey Run
• Burns and Allen Loose a Wedding Ring
• Pre-teen Margaret O’Brien Stars on Suspense
• Casey, Crime Photographer’s Holiday
• James Hilton Hosts The Hallmark Playhouse with Free Land
• Virginia Gregg and Willard Waterman Guest-Star on The First Nighter Program
• Thanksgiving Leftovers and Looking Ahead to Christmas

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The WallBreakers:
http://thewallbreakers.com
Subscribe to Breaking Walls everywhere you get your podcasts.

To support the show:
http://patreon.com/TheWallBreakers

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The reading material used in today’s episode was:

• On the Air — By John Dunning
• Network Radio Ratings, 1932-53 — By Jim Ramsburg

• The fantastic work by Doctor Joseph Webb on
Suspense — https://sites.google.com/view/suspense-collectors-companion?fbclid=IwAR1L18Vl___MNGzqrDnJQd9fMgoyzxFboroMVC2akJBkfhDe5DHJHXgrYsE)

Casey Crime Photographer — https://sites.google.com/view/ethelbertsarchives/home?fbclid=IwAR1MRDebzXn8uVYd36uaJBcwIcKV-PEu_IFMKOqOo12S38ka3UXlT39wAmo

As well as articles from the archives of
• Broadcasting Magazine
• Radio Daily
• The New York Times

I’d also like to thank Mark Greenspan for supplying the audio from Penn vs. Cornell.

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On the interview front:

• Virginia Gregg, Barbara Luddy, Margaret O’Brien, Olan Soule, Ezra Stone, Willard Waterman, and Don Wilson, were with Chuck Schaden. Hear their full chats at http://www.speakingofradio.com/

• Don Ameche, Hans Conried, Staats Cotsworth, John Gibson, Jan Miner, and Vincent Price were with Dick Bertel and Ed Corcoran for WTIC’s The Golden Age of Radio. Hear these at https://goldenage-wtic.org/

• Cedric Adams spoke with Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin in 1952.

• Jack Poppele spoke with Westinghouse in 1970.

• Jack Benny was interviewed for a 1972 PBS Documentary on Great Radio Comedians.

• Barbara Walters spoke with George Burns in 1979.

• Virginia Gregg spoke with SPERDVAC on August 14th, 1982. For more information, go to https://www.sperdvac.com/

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Selected music featured in today’s episode was:

• Sleigh Ride and Jingle Bells — By Al Caiola, Riz Ortolani & Jimmy McGriff
• Thanksgiving — By Michael Silverman
• Greensleeves — By Steve Erquiaga
• Night Pt. 1 - Snow — By George Winston
• Deck The Halls — By J.P. Torres

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This episode was originally released on 10/1/2020. While new episodes of Breaking Walls are on hiatus I'll be going back and posting the older episodes.

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In Breaking Walls episode 108 we go back to October 31st, 1948 and open a five-part mini series on that season’s business and programming.

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Highlights:

• You Are There
• Dewey V Truman
• Let’s Sit This One Out
• Halloween 1948 in New York over the Mutual Broadcasting System
• Ozzie and Harriet Visit a Haunted House
• Jack Benny Goes Trick-or-Treating for a New Network
• Phil Harris and Alice Faye
• Sam Spade, Rocky Jordan, and Connie Brooks
• Walter Winchell Spits Fire
• Cabin B-13
• A Tremendous Election Upset
• Looking Ahead to Thanksgiving 1948

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The WallBreakers:
http://thewallbreakers.com
Subscribe to Breaking Walls everywhere you get your podcasts.

To support the show:
http://patreon.com/TheWallBreakers

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The reading material used in today’s episode was:

• Sunday Nights at Seven — By Jack and Joan Benny
• On the Air — By John Dunning
• Network Radio Ratings, 1932-53 — By Jim Ramsburg
• WOR Radio 1922-1982

As well as articles from the archives of
• The Los Angeles Times
• The New York Daily News
• The New York Times
• Radio Daily
• The Saturday Evening Post.

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On the interview front:

• Eve Arden, Jack Benny, Alice Faye, Phil Harris, Elliott Lewis, Bret Morrison, and Lurene Tuttle were with Chuck Schaden. Hear their full chats at SpeakingOfRadio.com.

• Hans Conried, Howard Duff, and June Havoc were with Dick Bertel and Ed Corcoran for WTIC’s The Golden Age of Radio. Hear these at Goldenage-WTIC.org.

• Dick Joy spoke with John Dunning for 71KNUS.

• Ben Grauer spoke with Westinghouse in 1970.

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Selected music featured in today’s episode was:

• Danse Macabre — by Camille Saint-Saëns (Camille San Sons)
• I’ll Take Manhattan — By Blossom Dearie
• Ghost Bus Tours — By George Fenton
• The Look of Love — By Nelson Riddle
• Verdi’s Macbeth Overture — Conducted by Giuseppe Sinopoli
• Flag of Columbia — By Jacqueline Schwab
• Over The River and Through The Woods — By the U.S. Air Force Band