BERGEN & Mccarthy Knock on Wood
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CD 5 A: Back in Hollywood - 11/01/1942 B: Guest: W. C. Fields - 11/08/1942 BERGEN & McCARTHY CD 6 Knock on Wood A: Guest: Edward Arnold - 11/15/1942 B: Guest: Marjorie Main - 11/22/1942 Program Guide by Karl Schadow CD 7 Broadway Eddie, Pedro, Lamb Chop, Jerry Mahoney and Judy Splinters were A: Guest: Edward Everett Horton - 11/29/1942 each endowed with a distinctive personality. Their creators -- The Great Lester, B: Guest: Marjorie Main - 12/06/1942 Edward Everett Horton Señor Winces, Shari Lewis, Paul Winchell and Shirley Dinsdale, respectively – were prominent ventriloquists. These unique acts were vaudeville, night club, CD 8 and television headliners. There was one mild-mannered gentleman, however, A: Guest: Nelson Eddy - 12/13/1942 who created a legendary character in the least likely venue imaginable for B: Christmas Show - 12/20/1942 the vocation: radio. This entertaining duo is, of course, Edgar Bergen and his impertinent dummy, Charlie McCarthy. Bergen’s first network radio performance was on December 17, 1936, as a guest on NBC’s Royal Gelatin Hour (starring Rudy Vallée). Although he was a newcomer Acknowledgements: The author thanks the following staff from the Library of to the air, Robert Landry (Variety, December 30, 1936) remarked that Bergen: “... Congress for their expert assistance: Bryan Cornell (Recorded Sound Reference makes the jump into radio with nonchalant ease...style and delivery are natural Center), Patrick Kerwin and Chelsea Fairley (Manuscript Division). and ingratiating.” In short, Landry felt that the novice was: “An artiste - in the old and best meaning.” Indeed, Bergen had spent some fifteen years on the various vaudeville circuits. The adventure had commenced in 1921, following his studies at Northwestern University. By 1926, Bergen www.RadioSpirits.com (assisted by Charlie, and a PO Box 1315, Little Falls, NJ 07424 small cadre of other wooden figures) was on his way to the © 2017 The Bergen Foundation, under license from the Bergen Foundation. top. In a June 30, 1926 Variety All rights reserved. For home use only. Unauthorized distribution prohibited. review, Ed Barry gave Bergen Manufactured under exclusive license by Radio Spirits. credit for “having outdistanced Radio Spirits is a registered trademark of RSPT LLC. All rights reserved. many in weaving a comedy of logical plot and plenty of Program Guide © 2017 Karl Schadow and RSPT LLC. All Rights Reserved. entertainment.” Bergen’s big break came in 1936, when he 47602 and Charlie were ‘discovered’ performing at New York’s Rainbow Room. It was that undertaking that ultimately promulgated throughout the program’s annals, that of the meager allowances led to the booking with Vallée, who had a knack for introducing new stars to the Bergen afforded his dummies. radio public (including Alice Faye and Joe Penner, among others). The Charlie McCarthy Show continued on NBC until December of 1948, when After appearing on the Royal Gelatin Hour for several weeks, Bergen and Standard Brands ceased its sponsorship due to budgetary constraints. Edgar McCarthy were cast as regulars on another sixty-minute variety program, The Bergen opted to take a leave of absence from radio and revisit his old roots: Chase & Sanborn Hour. One of the larger advertisers of the medium, Standard vaudeville. He described that particular institution in an exposé of the two Brands, Inc. promoted both the confectionery and coffee brands cited above. competing performing arts (The New York Times, October 2, 1949): “A beautiful The company had a history of successful radio programs during the 1930s, theatrical world of backstage, split weeks, singers, electricians, acrobats, property featuring such stars as Eddie Cantor and Major Bowes. Those shows, in addition men, stagehands, jugglers.” He understood and appreciated the contributions of to Rudy Vallée’s, were packaged by the J. Walter Thompson advertising agency. all involved in making an entertainment act a success. Several of the unsung NBC Numerous staff members from this firm were responsible for Bergen’s initial staff members who worked on his radio program included associate producer/ contract, and his continued popularity, including George Faulkner, Gordon directors Andrew Love and Karl Gruner; sound effects artists John Glennon, Thompson, Calvin Kuhl, Carroll Carroll, Richard Mack, Tony Stanford and Earl Dorothy Waknitz and Chester Petersen; and studio engineers Ed Miller and Leon Ebi (all of whom worked under John Reber, head of the JWT radio department). Fry. Bergen concluded his reflections with the following statements: “Some people have asked me if I was back in vaudeville to get ready for television. As The initial episode aired on May 9, 1937. It featured Don Ameche (as the a matter of fact, I went back to vaudeville to get ready for radio.” On October emcee) and W.C. Fields (below), as well as other major stars, but received mixed 2, 1949, Bergen returned to his former Sunday, 8 pm slot, but this time on CBS. reviews. Variety (May 12, 1937) noted that Bergen: “…didn’t have particularly After seven additional seasons, bankrolled by various sponsors, his consummate good material for so auspicious an occasion as his first network stardom. His network radio career came to a close in 1956. act continues to swell air novelty, but he’ll have to keep his grip via material.” Benn Hall (The Billboard, May 22, 1937) expressed more optimism: “Comedy, wholesome and deft, overshadowed the other fine contributions on this program. Episodes Include: That is as it should be. With such prime funny men as Bergen and Fields, this was a field day for fun.” CD 1 A: Guest: Charles Ruggles - 09/06/1942 Bergen and McCarthy’s continued success rated B: Guest: Rita Hayworth - 09/13/1942 special recognition with an editorial in The New York Times (July 10, 1937). Entitled “SAUCY CD 2 CHARLIE,” the treatise proclaimed: “Since Charlie’s A: Guest: The Great Gildersleeve - radio audience cannot see him, Mr. Bergen has had to 09/20/1942 concentrate on the tone of the simulated voice and the B: Guest: Hedy Lamarr - 09/27/1942 wit of the script. Both of these things he has done with Rita Hayworth such skill and originality that Charlie has become the CD 3 most real personality on the comic A: From: Ft. Monmouth, New Jersey - 10/04/1942 Don Ameche airwaves this season.” The anonymous B: From: Annapolis, Maryland - 10/11/1942 columnist referred to Charlie as an: “overbred brat of the radio...impudent, CD 4 lazy, egotistical and artful...and has no A: From: Quantico, Virginia - 10/18/1942 W.C. Fields respect for his betters.” Finally, readers B: From: West Point, New York - 10/25/1942 Hedy Lamarr 2 7 they were rarely acknowledged during the broadcasts, the accompanying choral were warned: “...his personality is developing so rapidly that even Mr. Bergen is group is The Sportsmen Quartet. Clinton ‘Buddy’ Twiss, head of the KFI-NBC losing control of him, and week by week, has less and less to say for himself.” Hollywood announcing corps, read the copy for both the java and Tender Leaf Tea commercials. Not only were the audience ratings (and sale of Chase & Sanborn Coffee) booming, but Edgar and Charlie were also credited with inspiring an The visitors you’ll hear include movie stars (Charles Ruggles and Marjorie unprecedented interest in ventriloquism at both the amateur and professional Main) and radio personalities (Hal Peary as The Great Gildersleeve). Moreover, levels. A report in Newsweek (July 17, 1937) noted that Frank Marshall, the two noteworthy individuals who had been longtime favorites from the early leading manufacturer of ventriloquist puppets, was enjoying his best year in years of the Bergen-McCarthy program were received with exceptional fervor: a decade. Based in Chicago, Marshall was the business successor to the late W. C. Fields and Nelson Eddy. The entire cast became guests during the month of Charles Mack, who had originally been engaged by Edgar Bergen to assist in the October as they traveled east to perform at various military facilities. construction of the McCarthy physique. In a rare appearance without his “chip of pinewood,” Edgar Bergen was a guest In any discussion of the 1937 Chase & Sanborn program, the infamous Mae West on the August 13, 1944 Old Gold Show. In that episode of the series, Bergen skit is always worthy of a brief mention. Though this caused much consternation introduced a female dummy, whose name had not yet been chosen. She would for NBC, Standard Brands, and J. Walter Thompson, Edgar Bergen escaped later garner the moniker “Effie Klinker.” (The surname was borrowed from one unscathed. West (below) was not so lucky, however, becoming persona non of Bergen's writers, Zeno Klinker.) The Bergen publicity machine, spearheaded grata on the etherwaves. At issue was her parlay with Don Ameche in the “Adam by the Thompson agency’s Wick Crider, scored slick profiles of the crew in two and Eve” skit, a performance that continues to be reviewed and studied today, major magazines within the same month. The newest member of the Bergen especially in academia. As for Charlie and Mae, Variety (December 15, 1937) clan was introduced to readers of LOOK (November 28th): “Charlie McCarthy’s remarked disappointingly: "Sex queen and lumber king failed to saw wood as Aunt Effie Klinker is a beamy, bosomy bachelor-girl of 40-odd with a wit almost anticipated." as quick as Charlie’s and a heart as soft as sawdust.” The previous week, the entire gang had been featured on the cover of Time (November 20th). That Edgar Bergen also developed a career for himself in movies. For his role in publication’s feature story contained an extensive interview with Edgar Bergen, several 1930s Warner Bros.