The President's Lady (Aired September 28, 1953)


Hollywood Radio Theater (Lux), one of the genuine classic radio anthology series (NBC Blue Network, 1934-1935; CBS 1935-1955), adapted first Broadway stage and then (and especially) films to hour-long live radio presentations and became the standard by which future radio and early television anthologies would be judged. Cecil B. DeMille was the host of the series each Monday evening from June 1, 1936 until January 22, 1945.Lux Radio Theater strove to feature as many of the original stars of the original stage and film productions as possible, usually paying them $5,000 an appearance to do the show. It was when sponsor Lever Brothers (who made Lux soap and detergent) moved the show from New York to Hollywood in 1936 that it eased back from adapting stage shows and toward adaptations of films. The first Lux film adaptation was The Legionnaire and the Lady, with Marlene Dietrich and Clark Gable, based on the film Morocco. That was followed by a Lux adaptation of The Thin Man, featuring the movie's stars, Myrna Loy and William Powell.

THIS EPISODE:

September 28, 1953. Program #93. CBS net origination, AFRS rebroadcast. "The President's Lady". A well-done biography of Andrew Jackson's early life and his constant defense of his wife's honor. AFRS program name: "Hollywood Radio Theatre." Charlton Heston, Joan Fontaine, Irving Cummings (host), Ken Carpenter (announcer), Rudy Schrager (music director), Paul Frees (narrator), William Johnstone, Norma Varden, Whitfield Connor, Herb Butterfield, Gail Bonney, Lillian Randolph, Robert Griffin, Leone LeDoux, Tyler McVey, Edward Marr, John Patrick (screenwriter), Irving Stone (author), Earl Ebi (director), Sanford Barnett (adaptor), Charlie Forsyth (sound effects). 56:52. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.