Page 5 - C:\Users\Pattye\Documents\Flip PDF\AS1120

November 2020 - Antique Shoppe - 5
Pepsodent flowing over your teeth Leapin’ Lizards!
now, than to have water running By the late 1940s, the glint was
under your bridge later!”) fading. Television was the new
Plus, there communications
were all those craze, and the antics
premiums, yours of “Uncle Miltie”,
An example of for just a boxtop and “Lucy” soon
what everyone and the price of a captivated America.
was gathered stamp. Among the Although sputtering
‘round: a Zenith best-remembered: on into the 1960s,
brown Bakelite Little Orphan radio’s heyday was
radio, dating from Annie’s lineup over. It became
1938. $200-250. of Ovaltine cups, an endless loop of
(Photo by Leslie Piña) shake-up mugs, music and news,
Radio and decoders. serving only as life’s
backdrop.
But even those
Continued from Page 2 of us not around
Radio also created its own (In some cases they actually for radio’s “Golden
flotilla of durable stars. Among the have.) But radio environments? Well, Age” can experience
sensations of the airwaves: “Amos those existed only in the mind’s eye. Name the place, and he the magic. Many
‘n’ Andy” (Freeman Gosden & You may envision Fibber McGee’s was there. Radio’s top programs are still
Charles Correll); “Fibber McGee and famed closet of noisy junk in one comedian Bob Hope, broadcast on such
Molly” (Jim & way. I might pictured on the cover of vintage-oriented
Marian Jordan); see it in quite his World War II memoir, radio channels as
“They Got Me Covered”.
and “The Great another. Radio $15-20. Hope’s frequent co-star, Sirius/XM’s “Radio
Gildersleeve” gave listeners Bing Crosby, emblazoned on a record Classics”. So sit back,
(Hal Peary, the opportunity cleaner distributed by Decca, and stamped with the relax, and, (in the
succeeded to imagine. That name of a local dealer. $10-15. words of The Lone
by Willard was its greatest Ranger’s announcer),
Waterman). appeal. “return with us
These Of course, now to those thrilling days of
characterizations without “a yesteryear!”
were just as word from our
beloved by sponsor”, there Photo Associate: Hank Kuhlmann
Donald-Brian Johnson, a fervent fan of old-
audiences of the would be no time radio,, is the co-author of numerous
1930s and ‘40s words from Schiffer books on mid-twentieth century
as characters the performers. design, including “Postwar Pop”, a collection
of his columns. He also wrote the Golden
on I Love Many programs Age radio revue, “On The Air”. Please
Lucy and The became address inquiries to: donaldbrian@msn.com
Honeymooners inseparable from
were by later TV- Cover girl for the September, 1935 issue of their identifying Is there anyone finer? Sweetheart
watchers. “Tower Radio”: Broadway and radio lovely, products. of the airwaves, Dinah Shore, posed
The Vivienne Segal. $10-15. “Soap operas”, before a Blue Network microphone.
Promotional photo, $5-7.
difference? What for instance,
radio characters earned the name
looked like, where they lived, and because of sponsorship by soap
how their interaction with other manufacturers. There were even “portables”! Ad for
RCA Victor’s early “Personal Radio”.
characters played out, relied solely Other programs proclaimed “Bennett Brothers Blue Book”, 1941.
on the imagination of the listener. their product right from the get-go.
Today, avid TV fans can recreate the (“Jell-O again, this is Jack Benny!”;
domain of The Andy Griffith Show “This is Bob ‘Pepsodent’ Hope
down to the last doily. reminding you that it’s better to have

Out for a ride in the “Fresh Air Taxi”.
Marx windup, featuring “Amos ‘n’ Andy”,
5” h. x 8” w. Marx, $700-750.