our_miss_brooks.qxd:8 Page Booklet 6/24/10 9:39 PM Page 1 CD 6 A: Halloween Party - 10/30/1949 OUR MISS BROOKS B: Elephant Mascot - 11/13/1949 CD 7 Connie vs. Conklin A: Thanksgiving Mix Up - 11/27/1949 B: Walter’s Wonderful Radio - 2/12/1950 Program Guide by Jim Cox CD 8 A: The Burglar - 3/11/1950 She was the teacher you always wanted. And you may have felt indisputably slighted if B: Conklin’s TV Set - 4/2/1950 she taught somebody else. Constance (Connie) Brooks, the most notable schoolmarm on the air waves during the CD 9 golden epoch of broadcasting, didn’t set American public schools back on their heels by a century. A: Rumors - 9/10/1950 Indeed, quite the opposite occurred. She elevated education to a plateau never before realized from B: Conklin’s Tuba / Contest - 12/3/1950 a transmitter, figuratively bringing it light years ahead of its ethereal portrayals in the Dark Ages. And right along with that accomplishment, actress Eve Arden—who embodied the CD 10 captivating English teacher of mythical Madison High—offered incredible impetus to women A: The Kiss (Sneaky Peekers) - 8/14/1955 Eve and the apple. everywhere. By raising awareness of their real-life performances, produced mostly in obscurity, she B: Couch Potato - 8/28/1955 initiated a public appreciation of the fact that they contributed a whole lot that was worthwhile to the fabric of society. This transpired as Miss Brooks’ zany escapades took hilarious turns, winding Jim Cox writes prolifically, with an extensive number of broadcasting volumes to his credit, toward predictable outcomes that nevertheless while contributing liberally to vintage radio media. titillated both the studio audience and the millions who eavesdropped through their radios (and eventually, their televisions) in living rooms across the land. Between 1948 and 1957 (on radio) and 1952 and 1956 (on TV), Our Miss Brooks was a rowdy explosion of unrestrained delight—one of CBS’s most commonly acclaimed comedies. It www.RadioSpirits.com came to the airwaves after network magnate Bill PO Box 1315, Little Falls, NJ 07424 Paley determined to wrest his prime-time schedule away from the advertising agencies that had Audio programs released under license from series rights holders. controlled the agenda (and those of other © 2010 Al Lewis. All rights reserved. networks) for no less than 15 years. Paley returned from the Second World War intending that CBS Program Guide © 2010 Jim Cox and RSPT LLC. All Rights Reserved. control its own destiny. He wanted to supply the content and commercials, hire the talent, and handle all other programming facets that had 44732 slipped away to outside packagers over the years. our_miss_brooks.qxd:8 Page Booklet 6/24/10 9:39 PM Page 2 Our Miss Brooks was one of a handful of quick rising from their skirmishes to battle another day. hits that resulted. Others among the network’s new Miss Brooks and Mr. Conklin, true to breed were My Friend Irma , Life with Luigi , My form, lock horns to varying degrees in every Favorite Husband , Meet Millie , and My Little episode presented here, all while Brooks pursues Margie . Mr. Boynton’s affections with deep resolve. These Shirley Booth and Lucille Ball were recordings are a joyous rendering of madcap approached about playing the wisecracking mayhem. Sometimes, it’s easy to figure where all schoolmarm with the rapid comebacks and a of it is leading. At other times, the stimulation penchant for landing in hot water. Booth wasn’t results from the discoveries you’ll make as the convinced, and Ball was under serious destination of these absorbing episodes is meted consideration for the forthcoming My Favorite out a little at a time. Either way, the shows are Husband . The third time was the charm, after guaranteed to provide a rib-tickling, sidesplitting Paley himself courted Arden. She had built a ride. And you’ll almost certainly agree that the reputation by performing on stage, in B-films, and merriment has held up well despite a time lapse some limited radio features. She wouldn’t have of up to six decades. agreed to Paley’s request at all had he not allowed Happy chortling. her to transcribe the projected nine-week summer series, as she had plans to travel away from the West Coast. The longstanding network edict Episodes Included in This Collection: against taping shows had recently been breached by Bing Crosby and Groucho Marx—so how CD 1 could Paley resist? He accepted Arden’s terms and A: Weekend at Crystal Lake - 9/19/1948 the new show debuted on July 19, 1948, becoming B: Connie the Workhorse - 11/7/1948 Eve Arden an overnight sensation. Jeff Chandler, the first Mr. Boynton. Paley’s right arm, Frank Stanton, was soon telephoning Arden during her summer hiatus CD 2 to report the good news—that they needed her back in Hollywood at season’s end to resume Our A: The Heating System - 1/9/1949 Miss Brooks before a weekly live audience. With only brief interruptions, the series continued airing B: Head of the English Department - 1/23/1949 for nine aural seasons. It also went to television with the radio cast during a quadrennial that primarily reprised old radio scripts. So successful was it on the small screen that in 1956 Warner Brothers CD 3 released a feature-length theatrical motion picture based on the ethereal incarnations. Titled Our Miss A: Clay City English Teacher - 3/27/1949 Brooks , the film embraced the familiar radio-TV cast. Premiering when it did, in the latter years of B: Yearbook Photo Mix-Up - 5/15/1949 the golden age radio, the sitcom outclassed its rivals in popularity, longevity and diversity of formats. It was categorically the quintessential comedy classic. CD 4 Our Miss Brooks was the recipient of a handful of striking tributes, including a quartet of A: Taxidermists - 6/19/1949 honors awarded to Eve Arden by a like number of periodicals. Among her accolades was a listeners’ B: July 4th Weekend - 7/3/1949 poll appearing in the venerated fanzine Radio Mirror naming her the nation’s top-rated comedienne for 1948-49. Arden won a similar poll in 1949 when readers of Motion Picture Daily picked her as CD 5 that year’s best comedienne. A: Conklin’s Carelessness Code - 7/17/1949 For her efforts on the air, Arden received numerous teaching position offers, plus fan B: The Sweater - 9/18/1949 letters from educators. She was granted honorary membership in the National Education Association, 2 7 our_miss_brooks.qxd:8 Page Booklet 6/24/10 9:39 PM Page 3 after the passing of his wife of 58 years. He was and was recognized for “humanizing the American Teacher” by a state teachers college. later inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame, and his Eve Arden, nee Eunice Quedens, entered the world at Mill Valley, California on April 30, radio contributions earned him a star on the 1908. She quit school at 16 to join the renowned San Francisco touring stock company Henry Duffy Hollywood Walk of Fame. Over his lifetime, Players. She debuted in theatrical films at the age of 25, followed by a period of indecisiveness during Gordon appeared on stage, in film, on radio, and which she traveled back-and-forth between Hollywood and New York. In the Big Apple, she on television, acquiring running roles and guest performed in stage productions and as a Ziegfeld Follies showgirl. After changing her mind several spots in scores of popular series. His name, voice times, she ultimately settled on the West Coast and appeared in 65 films. She also found herself on and face were instantly recognizable in legions of radio in the mid 1940’s with the likes of Jack Haley, Jack Carson and Danny Kaye. American households. And, on radio, it was as Bill Paley subsequently offered her the role of Miss Brooks, her first aural lead. While Osgood Conklin that he reached his pinnacle. her acceptance typecast her forever, it didn’t prevent her from starring in a brief CBS-TV series under Our Miss Brooks was produced by her own moniker in 1957-58. Next, the namesake roles in touring companies of Hello, Dolly! and Larry Berns, and directed by Al Lewis (who was Auntie Mame were hers for the asking. Later, she co-headlined the NBC-TV comedy The Mothers- Robert Rockwell, Gale Gordon and Eve Arden the program’s head writer, too). The music was in-Law (1967-69). Arden died in Los Angeles on November 12, 1990. directed by Wilbur Hatch, who also penned the lilting melody “Brooks Theme.” While Jimmy As Miss Brooks, she interacted with a Mathews and Roy Rowan both announced, it was Bob Lemond who presided for most of the run. charismatic cast of characters whose antics Verne Smith delivered commercials for longtime sponsor Colgate-Palmolive-Peet, Inc., pitching reliably generated guffaws that went well past Colgate Dental Cream and tooth powder, Lustre Crème shampoo, Palmolive soap and brushless mere amusement. The misadventures from which shaving cream, Vel dishwashing liquid, and other personal care and household goods. In the show’s the laughter stemmed left Miss Brooks clearly final two seasons, American Home Products (Anacin, Kolynos toothpaste, Bi-So-Dol analgesic, standing before the crowd as the chief culprit Kriptin antihistamine, Freezone corn remover, Dristan and Primatine Mist cold remedies, etc.) and whether by contrivance or by default. Toni Company (Toni home permanent, Toni Crème shampoo and rinse, White Rain shampoo, Deep Appearing alongside her was the Magic beauty cream, etc.) jointly underwrote the show.