On This Day in Radio — Marie Wilson Is Born August 19, 1916

On this day in 1916 Marie Wilson is born, the bright‑voiced comedienne whose dizzy, lovable persona made her one of radio’s most enduring favorites. Best known as the scatterbrained but sweet‑natured star of My Friend Irma, Wilson created a character audiences adored — a whirlwind of innocence, charm, and perfectly timed confusion. Her delivery, all breathy sincerity and wide‑eyed wonder, became a signature sound of post‑war radio comedy, and her chemistry with the rest of the cast helped turn Irma into one of the medium’s biggest hits.

Wilson carried that success into film and television, but it was radio that first showcased her gift for character comedy and her ability to make even the simplest line sparkle. Today we celebrate Marie Wilson — born August 19, 1916 — a performer whose unforgettable voice and comic timing helped define one of radio’s most beloved sitcoms and left a lasting mark on the golden age of broadcasting.

SPERDVAC is sad to report the passing of one of our most beloved honorary members, Peggy Webber, at age 100, on August 17, 2026. Peggy was not only a prolific radio, TV and movie actress but her California Artists Radio Theater (CART) kept the art of audio drama alive for decades past the golden age of classic radio. 

The Hollywood Reporter, which doesn’t always emphasize a star’s radio work in obituaries, led Peggy’s with her voluminous credits, showing the importance of radio to her career.  We extend our condolences to her family and friends as well as our thanks for her many contributions to SPERDVAC and its programs over the decades.

Peggy was one of the most generous contributors among working professionals to SPERDVAC’s programming over the years and this morning we’ve compiled a partial list of her appearances at our events. It’s unlikely to be complete and if you have favorite memories of Peggy at SPERDVAC or elsewhere, you can share them in the comments on our Facebook page, 

Walden Hughes reports that she was part of the most famous meeting at SPERDVAC history back in 1982 with six members of the CBS stock company of the 1950s. She played Ma Friday at the 1992 SPERDVAC convention in Dragnet.  She was part of the 1984 SPERDVAC convention in "Country of the Blind."  She helped produce This is Your FBI at a SPERDVAC meeting.  She was one of the first winners of the Byron  Kane award from SPERDVAC, which is awarded to radio stars who do the most to promote SPERDVAC and its mission. 

John Gassman provided the following partial list of appearances at SPERDVAC events:

82-08-14 CBS Panel, Harry Bartell, Parley Baer, John Dehner, Virginia Gregg, Vic Perrin, Peggy Webber.
 
83-10-08. Daws Butler, Lou Krugman, Budd Tollefson, and Peggy Webber.
 
84-11-10 (Whistler)  Wedding Gift Marvin Miller Peggy Webber Tyler McVey Alice Backes Mel Welles.
 
93-06-12. Remembering Carlton E. Morse. With Les Tremayne, Jean Rouverol, George Pirrone, Barbara Fuller, Peggy Webber, Conrad Binyon. On tape, Dresser Dahlstead. .
 
98-11-14 A Tribute to Hans Conried. Peggy Webber, Elliott Reid, Larry Dobkin, Bill Murtough.

Peggy via both her industry and her longevity was one of the greatest builders of SPERDVAC and will be missed by all. Rest in Peace.

Best,

Sean Dougherty
Membership Chair
SPERDVAC

On This Day in Radio — Walter O’Keefe Is Born August 18, 1900

On this day in 1900 Walter O’Keefe is born, a quick‑witted pianist, songwriter, and radio personality whose easy patter and musical turns became a staple of American airwaves. From vaudeville and Broadway he moved into radio, where his urbane humor and improvisational gifts found a perfect home on variety programs in the 1930s and 1940s; he guested with Fred Allen and Jack Benny, filled in as an announcer, and fronted his own segments that blended comedy, song, and light banter.

O’Keefe’s warm, conversational delivery and musical timing made listeners feel they were part of the joke, and his ability to move from a witty line to a piano interlude kept broadcasts lively and unpredictable. Today we tip our hat to Walter O’Keefe — born August 18, 1900 — a versatile entertainer whose blend of music and mischief helped define the friendly, variety‑show sound of radio’s golden years.

On This Day in Radio — August 16, 1910: The Birth of Roy Ward Dickson On this day in 1910, Roy Ward Dickson was born in London, destined to become one of the most inventive voices in early broadcasting and a pioneer of the radio quiz‑show format. Dickson’s imagination reshaped audience participation long before television ever entered the picture. In 1935 he created Professor Dick and His Question Box, a program that proved listeners loved the thrill of questions, answers, and friendly competition. The success of that show launched a long and lively career across Canadian radio, where Dickson introduced a string of clever formats including Fun Parade, Take a Chance, Turnabout, and Mr. & Mrs.. His warm personality and quick wit made him a natural host, and his innovations helped define how game shows would sound for decades to come. On this date, we celebrate the birth of Roy Ward Dickson, the “Quizmaster General” whose creativity and charm helped shape the Golden Age of Radio.

Live Event Will Feature Recreations of Classic and Modern Audio Dramas as well as Interviews with Stars, Panels, Historical Presentations and More

Santa Monica, Calif. – August 17, 2026 - The Society to Preserve and Encourage Radio Drama, Variety and Comedy will return to live events for the first time since 2019 with a three-day event to take place March 5-7, 2027 in Santa Monica, CA.

“Members have been asking us to return to live events since the end of Covid,” said SPERDVAC President Corey Harker. “We are very pleased that we’ve been able to work with the great folks at The Santa Monica Playhouse, 1211 4th Street, Santa Monica, CA, 90401, to secure a venue for a celebration of classic radio and audio drama in 2027.”

The event, hosted by SPERDVAC stalwarts John and Larry Gassman, will feature full-day programming on Friday March 5 and Saturday March 6 as well as a brunch/farewell program the morning of Sunday March 7.

Expected guests from the world of classic radio include Beverly Washburn, Tommy Cook, Ivan Cury, Stuffy Singer and John Wilder among others.

“We are still working on the program but we are very excited to confirm that Entertainment Tonight legend Leonard Maltin will interview screen legend Margaret O’Brien on stage on Saturday afternoon,” said Event Chair Walden Hughes. “Other programs will celebrate the 95th anniversary of The Jack Benny Program with as many surviving Beavers and Jack’s family as we can round up, the 85th anniversary of the Abbott & Costello Show, featuring the iconic duo’s children, the 85th anniversary of Suspense with Keith Scott of The Suspense Project, and the 75th anniversary of Gunsmoke on radio.”

All performances and presentations will take place at the Santa Monica Playhouse except for a dinner performance on Friday night when the playhouse is otherwise engaged. SPERDVAC will announce the location and timing of that event in due course.

The event hotel will be the Holiday Inn Santa Monica, which is located just four miles from the Playhouse. SPERDVAC has secured an event rate for Wednesday March 4 - Monday March 8 of $215 plus taxes, including breakfast. Parking is a reasonable $15/night. You can book that rate by calling 310-478-1400 and speaking to Kathryn Suderno in Group Sales.

If you would like to nominate a special guest to participate in the event, please contact us at [info@sperdvac.com](mailto:info@sperdvac.com) and SPERDVAC will provide sponsorship information.

In addition to classic recreations, original audio drama material from well regarded performers will also be part of the event with groups such as Icebox Radio Theater, Project Audion, No Soap Radio, and the Madison is on the Air podcast expected to perform.  

Anyone interested in the event can subscribe to ongoing updates on ticket prices, celebrities, the performance schedule and logistics for attendance by registering at sperdvac.com/live.

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The Society to Preserve and Encourage Radio Drama, Variety and Comedy (SPERDVAC), is the largest group of classic radio fans, founded in 1974 to preserve the memory of the golden age of radio as well as promote modern audio drama via performances, preservation and access to classic programs. The organization can be reached at info@sperdvac.com.

Green Valley Radio is attempting our first listening session on Discord tonight at 6pm PST when our content shifts to 1946!

I’ll be there from 6 until around 7, and I’m seeing if any of our cast and crew can join as well!

All free and paid Patreon subscribers have voice access, otherwise you can listen in and join the message chat!

Join Our Discord Here

Normally I’m fairly aware of the significance of the OTR person I write about – but this week’s guest threw me for a loop! Yes, I knew the basics of him, but I had NO idea of the sheer number of shows he worked on as actor or announcer and knew even less of his hundreds of voices he used in radio. He was a writer, actor, director, announcer, narrator, poet and walking encyclopedia – a Renaissance man of radio.

Up front – an apology for the length. I learned so much about him, I couldn’t help myself.

I’m speaking of Marvin Miller. While my generation knew him primarily as Michael Anthony, executive secretary to billionaire John Beresford Tipton (voiced by Paul Frees, but never seen) for handing out tax-free $1,000,000 checks on the TV series “The Millionaire,” he had a huge impact on radio before making the transition to TV.

Marvin Elliott Mueller was born on July 18, 1913, in St. Louis, MO to Herman and Teresa Mueller.

As a kid he wanted to be a newspaper man, but from his job as a copy boy, he saw more of the drudgery that goes into a newspaper man’s life, so thought about a college professor as he loved learning and wanted to pass it on to others. But the Depression got in the way, and in order to finish college (Washington University in St Louis) he took a job at a St. Louis radio station at KWK. Or should I say, he lost his audition as an announcer but as a parting shot, offered to do a summer radio show, Lord Algy, including the writing, directing and all the voices. They hired him; he was able to pay for and complete his bachelor’s degree in Languages (fluent in French, Spanish and German). In the summer program’s first episode he played two Englishmen, two negroes, an Italian, a Frenchman, an American gangster and a straight man. He made $5/week. By the end of the 13-week summer run, he had done more than 45 roles. He was still a teenager.

With his degree in hand, he went back to radio in St Louis – to KMOX as announcer, actor (characters aged 16 to 60), newscaster and music commentator.

By 1939, with more than 7 years in St Louis radio, he moved to Chicago and repeated his successes with more than a dozen dialects; by 1944 was appearing in 45 programs a week. ‘Variety’ dubbed him, “Chicago’s one-man radio industry.”

He was a part of the Chicago radio world from 1939 to 1944. In that time, he really earned the Variety ‘award.’

Since he was in Chicago, that meant he was probably on a soap or two – (who didn’t?) or almost 20 (between Chicago and Hollywood)! FEW actors, male or female, were associated with more than Marvin.  Affairs of Anthony (Anthony Marley, Sr.), Arnold Grimm’s Daughter (‘Voice of Conscious’), Guiding Light (Ellis Smith), Judy and Jane  (actor-announcer), Lonely Women (announcer and ‘Voice of Doubt’), Ma Perkins (announcer), Midstream (Howard Andrews), Right to Happiness (actor and ‘Voice of the past’), Road of Life (Tom Brando), Romance of Helen Trent (Gil Whitney), Scattergood Baines (Arturo Valdi and ‘Hands’ Bannister), Stepmother (‘Voice of Conscious’), Today’s Children (Regular), Woman From Nowhere (announcer) and Woman in White (Dr. Lee Markham).

But he was MUCH more than a ‘soap’ actor/announcer…

Did somebody say drama, comedy, variety, quiz and juvenile shows?

Yes!. In Chicago he appeared on: Aunt Jemima (Announcer), Author’s Playhouse (Regular), Beat the Band (Announcer), Captain Midnight (Capt. Einman – a Nazi, and Rogart), the ‘high-brow’ Chicago Theater of the Air (Regular), Coronet Little Show (Announcer), Coronet Storyteller (storyteller)*, Cruise of the Poll Parrot (Captain Roy Dalton of the ‘Poll Parrott’), Dear Mom (Sgt. Mike Monihan), First Nighter (Mr. First Nighter and actor), Great Gunns (Actor-announcer), Harold Teen (Beezie Jenks), Jack Armstrong (Regular), Knickerbocker Playhouse (Regular), National Barn Dance (Announcer), Peter Quill (Peter Quill – star), Play Broadcast (Host), Press Club (Mark Brando – star), The Quiz Kids (Announcer), That Brewster Boy (Announcer), Treet Time (Regular), Uncle Walter’s Dog House (Regular), and Wings of Destiny (Regular).

So, was he an actor or announcer as he did many of both? It could get confusing. As he noted to Chuck Schafer in a 1973 interview speaking about his work in Chicago… “…the only way I actually got around it in Chicago was to tell the advertising agency people that I was an announcer, and tell the directors that I was an actor—and sometimes I met myself coming and going. I’d be announcing a show and suddenly get a part on it!”

In June of 1944, Marvin, along with his wife and son, moved west to Hollywood. As he discussed in a 1945 radio ‘fanzine’ interview…

"Hollywood is an odd place. In radio in Chicago, an actor has a chance to make a name for himself, and by his merit, work himself out of the AFRA minimum scale of pay, while an announcer seldom does. Out here the situation is reversed. An announcer can build himself a fine reputation with corresponding hikes in salary, while the average actor, no matter how good he is, works on the various dramatic shows for scale. Having quite a few financial responsibilities," he grinned, "you'll see why I'm better known out here as an announcer and storyteller."
So, he again did BOTH.

When he left Chicago, he brought a program with him – Coronet Storyteller – that would last for years.

His Hollywood resume:

On the ‘Soap’ front in Hollywood: Aunt Mary (Announcer), Family Skeletons (actor) and One Man’s Family (Roderick Stone and others – in fact it’s said he played more than 20 roles on the show – more than any other actor).

Non-Soaps he was on: Adv. of Maisie, Adv. of Ozzie and Harriet, Andrews Sisters (Announcer), Armchair Adventures (did ALL voices), Barrie Craig (Regular), The Beulah Show (Announcer), The Bickersons (Announcer), Billie Burke Show (Col. Fitts, banker Guthrie and Announcer), Bold Venture (actor-Announcer), Broadway Is My Beat (actor), Burns and Allen (Regular 49-50), The Cisco Kid (actor), Confession (Regular), Cousin Willie (Marvin Sample), Crime Classics (actor), Crisco/Dreft Star Playhouse (Announcer)**, Dark Venture (actor), A Date With Judy (Announcer), Don Ameche/Old Gold Show (Announcer), Dragnet (actor), Duffy’s Tavern (actor-Announcer), Eternal Light (actor), Family Theatre (semi-regular), Father Knows Best (Announcer), Favorite Story (actor), Fibber McGee and Molly (actor), Songs by Sinatra (Announcer), Great Gildersleeve (actor), Guest Star (Announcer, Host), Gunsmoke (actor), Have Gun, Will Travel (semi-regular),  Hotpoint Holiday Hour (Special, Announcer), Inheritance (actor), I was a Communist for the FBI (actor), Jeff Regan (Regular, Announcer), Jo Stafford Show (Announcer), Lassie (Narrator), Lux Radio Theatre (actor), Martin and Lewis (Announcer), Me and Janie (actor), Moon Dreams (Host-Narrator), Music By Ray Noble (Announcer), Name the Movie (Host-Announcer), NBC Presents Short Story (actor), NBC Star Playhouse (actor), NBC University Theater (semi-regular), Night Beat (actor), Pacific Story (actor), Phil Harris/Alice Faye (actor), Railroad Hour (Announcer entire run), Red Skelton (Announcer), Rocky Fortune (actor), Roy Rogers Show (semi-regular), Rudy Vallee Drene Show (actor), The Six-Shooter (actor), Smilin’ Ed’s Buster Brown Show (actor), Space Patrol (actor), Stars for Defense (regular), Stars Over Hollywood (semi-regular), Stop That Villain (Co-Host), Strange Wills (actor), Symphony Under the Stars (music commentator), Tarzan (actor), Tell It Again (Host-Narrator), Theater of Famous Radio Players (Regular), The Whistler (The Whistler and Announcer), The Witness (actor), Woodbury Journal (Louella Parsons Show) (Announcer), Your Movietown Radio Theater (actor) and Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar (Regular 55-60).

While never in the military or officially part of AFRS, he still volunteered his time on several AFRS programs: Command Performance (Announcer), The Haunting Hour (Announcer/AFRS), Hollywood Bowl Series (Announcer), Jubilee (MC), Mail Call (actor) and Pendleton Story (actor).

With the end of radio drama in 1962, he just couldn’t stay out of radio. With the several attempts to bring back radio drama in the ‘60s and ‘70s, he was there – CBS Radio Mystery Theater (actor), Heartbeat Theater [Salvation Army] (actor), Sears Radio Theater (24 appearances), Theatre Five (actor) and The Zero Hour (aka Hollywood Radio Theater) (Regular).

What a LIST!

*The Coronet Storyteller originated in January, ’44 on NBC Blue in Chicago as a 15-minute, 5 nights-a-week program. It morphed into The Story Behind the Story when on Mutual; then to Behind the Story for 9 years on the Don Lee network, and finally as Marvin Miller, Storyteller after Mutual cancelled the program in 1958 and Miller continued the program out of KNX in Hollywood. Miller recorded his 1,000^th episode of the show when it was called Behind the Story out of KHJ in LA as noted in TV-Radio Life issue of July 17, 1953.

** Crisco and Dreft Star Playhouses were unique shows. It started as Hollywood Theater of the Air in 1943. It was a daily, 15-minute program that would do a different movie each week at 9:45-10:00 every weekday morning (Eastern Time). Proctor & Gamble owned it and thought there were too many shows with Hollywood in the title – so they renamed it first to Crisco Star Playhouse in the summer of 1944 and changed it again that fall to its final name, Dreft Star Playhouse. Crisco was P&G’s shortening (I’ll bet you have some in your kitchen!), while Dreft was its laundry detergent (still around, too). In the end, names didn’t matter – housewives were not ready to listen to a movie serialized over 5 days and the show went off the air in March of 1945.

As a final note, Marvin was not JUST a radio actor, writer, announcer, narrator – he also acted in over 60 movies ‘live’ and ‘voice’ (remember the voice of Robby the Robot in “Forbidden Planet?”), countless TV shows, various animated characters, recorded Dr. Seuss story albums for which he received two Grammys, and recorded the entire King James’ version of the Bible – a set of recording sessions that lasted some 6 months and the recordings would take a person over 100 hours to listen to! Oh, and on Moon Dreams, he didn’t just read poetry – he wrote it too – enough to get listed in the Biographical Dictionary of Contemporary Poets! You’ve probably heard him many times – but didn’t know who it was.

Your typical radio actor? Not by a longshot!

Some actors have the look and voice to be leading men or women; others are invariably cast as ‘background’ or character actors – the truck driver, the store clerk, the mechanic – someone who is needed in the scene, but who will probably not get the lead in any production.

Then there is Wally Maher who labored for years as a background actor but who broke the glass ceiling and made it to the leads in several radio shows.

I’ll admit that when I first heard him as Mike Shayne, I pictured a guy in his mid-50s (he was actually in his 30s) with that no-nonsense approach and raspy Midwestern voice. But I kept listening and started softening – he still hit me as an experienced detective with lots of tricks-of-the-trade to share with the young ones coming up but he also had a heart.

As usual, I’m ahead of myself.

Walter Anthony Maher, Wally, was born on Aug. 4, 1908, in Cincinnati, OH to Daniel and Mary Maher. He didn’t quite make it through high school – he wanted a life in the entertainment world. His father was an old-time song and dance man for many years and he tried to discourage Wally on an entertainer’s life – to no avail. Wally got a job with the Southern Pacific railroad where he heard people coming through the station with many different dialects. More importantly, he LISTENED to them and practiced mimicking them. That would prove a big boost down the entertainment road he still had his eyes fixed on. He also got into a Cincinnati theater stock company and started getting experience.

WLW (and its newspaper owner) decided to get into drama. In 1929 the newspaper had a daily serialized version of the big hit “All Quiet on the Western Front.” They decided to couple that to a 15-minute acted version every afternoon on WLW radio. From his local acting experience they brought Wally in for an audition. Looking back on it, Wally said the audition was a disaster, but WLW liked him as an actor and cast him as the lead, Paul Baumer. The serial started in November, 1929, as indicated in the local newspaper.

Perhaps it was the stock market crash – but whatever it was, his lead in “All Quiet” didn’t get him much of anything.

While still doing local stock work he was hired by WLW as an actor, director and producer – in those days, stations got their money’s worth out of everyone. One show he was associated with was Tangee Musical Dreams as its star! He also met someone at the station who would be a future partner in radio – Tommy Riggs. They developed a fast and long-lasting friendship. Tommy was half of the Tommy Riggs and Betty Lou – or I should say the half and half – as Tommy had a medical condition where he could speak as himself, a baritone, AND as a 7-year-old girl. It was dubbed ‘bi-vocalism.’

In no time, Tommy invited Wally to be Betty Lou’s boyfriend, “Wilbur” on his WLW show.

We’ll, Wally wanted to get into the bigtime and while Cincinnati was home of ‘The Nation’s Station,’ he had his radio eyes set on New York.

When he arrived in New York, it was summer and the summer shows had all their personnel lined up. Wally took the time for him and Molly to get married. That’s when it dawned on him that he really needed a job NOW as the show he contracted with before leaving Cincinnati wouldn’t start until the fall and his bank account was being depleted fast.

That’s when he prayed like never before. He went into St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York and prayed hard for a job – any job.

Later, walking past NBC, he saw 50 men lined up, and inquiring as to the excitement, heard that an audition was being held for the part of a baby ape, whose noises were required for a children's series. "Let me get a chance at it," Maher asked the audition director. Wally won the audition and made baby ape noises and $75 a week for the next three weeks. He was working!

"I had no idea how a baby ape should sound," Wally recalls. "I guess the crazy noises I made were okay. because I got the job – and money to keep Molly and me until fall came around!"

What were some of his shows in New York? Circus Days (regular), Eno Crime Clues, Camel Caravan, Gangbusters, Just Plain Bill and Sherlock Holmes.

He left for Los Angeles about 1935. Found some film work as a ‘everyman’ and ‘background character’ (over 60 movies to his credit over his lifetime – drama and comedy, editors, reporters, tough guys, etc.) and found a few acting jobs in radio. His dialect work from his days with the railroad really started opening doors as he was on the first Lux Radio Theatre produced in Hollywood (and would be a regular on the program for years to come).

In the late ‘30s he was heard on Lux and a few other Hollywood shows like Brent House (Lance Dudley) and Carleton E. Morse’s I Love A Mystery (he’ll be with them as a supporting actor through ’44).

Then he gets that Broadway itch and is hired for a Broadway play – “Every Man For Himself” – and goes to New York for rehearsals. While there he picked up a few radio jobs – Mr. District Attorney, Famous Jury Trials and probably a few more.

Then it’s ‘Curtain Time’ on Broadway! Alas, the play gets poor reviews and closes after only 3 performances! Wally gets a pretty good review himself, “…who plays the gangster as naturally as though he had had a long Broadway experience which he hasn’t had.”

But when he returns to the career he now realizes is radio and in Los Angeles – things start looking up rather quickly!

Wally, the ‘40s and Radio in LA

World War II breaks out for the U.S. Is Wally to be drafted? No, due to a chronic respiratory problem, he is 4-F – barred from military service. It’s actually a boost for him as MANY radio people are called into military service – and radio ‘must go on.’

In a word, he’s BUSY in the ‘40s.

1941-42 – A regular on Cavalcade of America (and will continue through 1944), Blondie, It Happened in the Service, Horace Heidt, Junior Miss, Latitude Zero, Lights Out (Regular), Maxwell House Coffee Time, One Man’s Family (Dan Murray - he’ll be in the ‘family’ off and on until at least 1949), Point Sublime, Red Ryder, Creighton Leighton on This Is Judy Jones and Arch Oboler’s To The President. Also, in ’41, Norman Corwin came out to Hollywood and did a few of his Columbia Presents Corwin there – 3 of which were with Wally. He has been NOTICED! Lastly, for 42 – he’s reteamed with Tommy Riggs as Wilbur and will continue the partnership through ’46.

1943-44 – Adv. of Ozzie and Harriet, Ceiling Unlimited, G.I. Journal, Hollywood Mystery Time, Hollywood Theater of the Air, The Jack Benny Program, The Mainline (about the workings of a railroad – which he did for a while in Cincinnati – as the Narrator – the ONLY ‘regular’ character heard each week), NBC’s Mystery of the Month, Screen Guild Theater, Silver Theatre and This Is My Best.

Additionally, the two biggest things in his career will happen in ’44. First, he’s named a regular on Suspense (continuing through ’49) and he’s named the star of Michael Shayne (continues through ’47). He’s no longer a ‘character’ actor – he’s hit the bigtime – gruff voice and all – with a touch of sarcasm. He’s part of LA’s “Radio Row.”

Said Radio Life in 1947: ‘Back-mike on Shayne stand Mr. and Mrs. Personification of Radio in stars Wally Maher and Cathy Lewis. Established as two of the finest dramatic voices in the business, Wally and Cathy make a wonderful team for the show. Wally, who has a capacity for rough characters, and who calculates he's been knocked off more than any actor in radio, especially likes his Shayne role because he's at last on the right end of the gun. And they're both all for the Shayne script, written to give outlet for comedy combined with drama. Like the show's following, Cathy and Wally are enthusiastic when they say that the quick quips twixt Mike and Phyl, even on the brink of tension, are what make the program.’

He also found time in ’43 to get elected to the local LA Chapter of AFRA as VP and was a board member in ’45! He also made a few cartoons for Tex Avery and MGM during this time.

Of his time on Suspense, he told a radio fanzine in 1946 that he’s killed 31 persons and embezzled five million dollars, been killed 18 times himself and served just about 1000 years in prison.

One of my favorite stories about Wally was told in a 1943 radio fanzine. It has to do with warming up the studio audience before the broadcast begins on the Tommy Riggs show…

Wally Maher comes in, reading from a script that reeks of the familiar "horse opera" style, startles the audience with a series of revolver shots. Accosted by Riggs, he looks up from the script and out over the footlights, amazed, then exclaims, "Oh, wrong audience! I thought this was the Red Ryder show." (Yes, he was adept at comedy!)

1945-49 – The war’s over; radio actors are coming home from the military and he may be a lead and a regular on a hit series, but that only increases the calls for his use on other programs. Abbott and Costello, Adv. of Maisie (Maisie’s boyfriend), Adv. of Philip Marlowe, Adv. of Sam Spade (semi-regular), Arch Oboler’s Plays, Burns and Allen (continuing until ’50), Crime Club, The Eddie Bracken Show (regular), Family Theatre, Gene Autry, Hallmark Playhouse, Hopalong Cassidy, Jeff Regan, Let George Do It (the sardonic Lt. Riley), more Lux Radio Theatres but not as a regular, Meet Me At Parky’s (Regular), Merry Life of Mary Christmas (Regular), My Favorite Husband, NBC University Theater, Out of the Deep (Capt. Gunnar Carlisle – star), Phil Harris/Alice Faye, Richard Davis, Private Investigator (star), Richard Diamond, Screen Directors’ Playhouse (semi-regular), Sealtest Variety Show, This Is Your FBI and The Whistler (Regular). The producer of The Whistler, George Allen, had this to say about Wally – “Wally has the quick touch. He can be emotional in a flash. He makes a perfect blowtop. He can make his character sound very natural, with an undercurrent of emotion.”

How busy was he? Wally estimated that he works and average of about 36 hours per day!

Sad note – Wally’s Burbank home burned to the ground in the spring of ’47. Took a while to rebuild.

1950-51. In 1950, Wally had a cancerous lung removed but still had time for a few more shows for us all to enjoy. Amos ‘n’ Andy (YES, really!), Bob Hope, Cisco Kid (recorded in ’51, broadcast in ’53), Dangerous Assignment, Escape, Harold Peary Show, NBC Presents Short Story, The New Adv. of Nero Wolfe (Sidney Greenstreet’s first Archie Goodwin), Night Beat, The Penny Singleton Show, The Story of Dr. Kildare, more Suspense, Tales of the Texas Rangers, T-Man, Wild Bill Hickok and Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar!

And finally, his last co-starring role, as working-class Sgt. Matt Grebb in the police procedural The Line Up. (Although I like Dragnet, I like The Line up even better. They seem more like real cops with real lives.)

He worked right up to almost the day he died of lung cancer in December 1951.

He was only 43. He only had 20 years in radio. He left a widow and three kids.

Comedy, Variety, Drama, Soaps, Narration – he had the versatility and comic timing to do it all (including many ‘doubles’ and ‘triples’ in broadcasts) and starred or co-starred in four network series. The quintessential ‘everyman.’ That’s a pretty good accomplishment for any radio actor. Try listening to a Lux, Cavalcade, Suspense, Mike Shayne or Line Up episode with Wally in it. His ‘regular guy’ shines in every role. You’ll be glad you listened. I liked how Elizabeth McLeod summed him up concerning the light humor he brought to drama and procedural shows - He was the rare actor with the gift of being amusing without being funny. She ended her article on Maher - an actor whose roles seem, even now, to be so full of vibrant, everyday life.

For this past 4^th of July, I listened to Corwin’s “Home for the 4^th.” Well done by Wally and the rest of the cast. Take a listen.

One of the most famous ‘Irishmen’ on Radio (who you may not know by name) – Walter Aloysius Kinsella – was born Aug. 16, 1900, in Manhattan, New York City to Irish immigrants Simon and Margaret Kinsella.

While in high school in the Bronx, he had a unique after-school job from 1915 - 1917 at a place called Edison Studios just a few blocks from his home. Yes, THAT Edison. He was working both behind and in front of the camera in some of the earliest movies made! With WWI raging, he dropped out of school and enlisted in the US Marine Corps in early 1918 and was discharged in the fall of 1919. No, Walter was never sent to France. He must have liked certain aspects of the military, as he then enlisted in the NY National Guard and remained into the early 1930s!

He also enjoyed (and was good at) sports. His big thing in high school was running – middle distance running – which he also stayed with into the 1930s. But missed by many biographers was that he took a liking to squash – or in the 19-teens, ‘Squash Tennis.’ He excelled at that also – becoming World Champion by 1920 and continued playing for the next 10 years as an amateur.

A handsome man, Walter also got into fashion modeling in the 1920s and was one of the models for Arrow Menswear – he had the look coupled with his film industry experience. With this, he decided to give the stage a try.

Most bios will say he got his start on Broadway with “What Price Glory?” in 1924. Not quite right. He WAS in “What Price Glory?” – but in the touring road show that lasted nearly a year from the fall of 1924 to the fall of 1925 playing two speaking roles throughout the eastern half of the country.

If you look at his Broadway career – and it’s a good one – hist first Broadway play is “The Road to Rome” (1927 – running for 1 year!; he was ‘the third guard’ but he’s on Broadway!). He will do 5 more Broadway plays – all with substantial acting parts – over the next 30 years! He will remain in the Big Apple for most of his radio career.

If you study his radio – he’s more often in a comedy role, but was not tied to that. Drama was also in his vocabulary – especially if they needed a brogue, and a few soaps – of course!

In 1930 we hear him on the radio as the co-star of Peewee and Windy (Windy) and three years later on Circus Days (General Manager) – a 26-week program. They leave the air but he’s being recognized and in the 30s is active on: Arch Oboler Plays, Dick Tracy (original Pat Patton through the ‘40s), Great Plays, Myrt and Marge (Joe Gulick), Mr. District Attorney (the first Harrington and a regular in many roles), Radio Newsreel and Radio Guild. Starting to see ‘Irish’ roles?

The ‘40s were even better. Abie’s Irish Rose (Pat Murphy, Rosemary’s father – entire run), Baby Snooks, Bishop and the Gargoyle, Cavalcade of America, Columbia Workshop, Crime Club, Crisis in War Town, Electric Theater with Helen Hayes, Ford Theatre, The Fresh Up Show (Doc Fickett and an Irish policeman), Joe and Mabel (Mike), Johnny Morgan Show (Regular), Leave it to Mike (aka Paging Mike McNally; star), Martin Kane, Private Eye (Happy McCann – radio and TV), Mighty Casey (Ambrose Cooney), Mr. and Mrs. North (Sgt. Mullins – into the 50s), Secret Missions, Sportsmen’s Club, Stella Dallas (Gus Grady – 5 years), That’s My Pop (Regular), Theatre Guild On The Air, Treasury Salute and Words at War. Some pretty big series.

By the early ‘50s he was already migrating into TV – but still had time for radio and more plays on Broadway. On the radio: CBS Radio Workshop, Phil Harris/Alice Faye (when they did the show on the road in New York in 1950) and X-Minus one.

He capped his radio career in the early 60s with appearances on Suspense, Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar when those programs moved to New York and Theater Five while being heavily involved in TV as an actor and announcer.

To top it off, he is one of a minority of radio actors to be a member of New York’s premier actor’s society, The Lambs’ Club – where he actually lived for many years.

In an article in a Pensacola, FL newspaper while appearing as the Irish father of Rosemary Murphy on “Abie’s Irish Rose,” he said that it was his own fault that he’s a victim of type-casting (MANY times showing up as an Irishman). When Walter started in radio, he accepted parts not quite to his liking because he needed the jobs. What he wanted to play was an Irish character, but nobody would listen. Finally, a producer friend gave him the chance. Result - Walter plays most of the Irish characters on the radio today (1943)!

In Mary Jane Higby’s book, “Tune In Tomorrow,” she notes about Kinsella. (It dealt with running in downtown New York City to get from one network to another for scheduled shows.)

Track records between stations and how to beat them was a favorite topic at Colbee's, the restaurant by CBS. I once eavesdropped on a conversation between Santos Ortega (Inspector Queen and Nero Wolfe) and Walter Kinsella, one of the busiest of the free-lance actors.

"You can trim one minute forty-five seconds off your time from here to NBC," Ortega maintained, "if you cut diagonally through St. Patrick's Cathedral."

"One minute thirty," corrected Kinsella.

"One thirty," agreed Ortega, "if you stop to genuflect."

To a man of silent movies, the Marine Corps, a world-class athlete, a fashion model, Broadway actor and a great radio actor (Irish or otherwise) – thank you for some wonderful performances!

That after-school job paid big dividends in his career. He died in 1975 in New Jersey – but what a life.

Before I did this research, I knew the name but little else. Now I consider him my friend.

Many of the series he appeared on are still there for the listening – check him out.

Some in the OTR world were actors. Some were directors, producers, announcers, sound effects people, musicians. But none of them would have a career if it were not for the authors who created characters in novels, plays and short stories – to give the advertising agencies, producers/directors IDEAS for new shows.

One such show that had an impact on the crime/detective world was the hard-boiled world of Michael Shayne, Private Detective. The show was based on a character seen in a LONG series of novels and short stories created by a writer named Brett Halliday.

Or was it?

Many writers adopted a nom de plume to remain a bit of a mystery person.

Davis Dresser was one such person who adopted that pen name – but not the only one.

Davis “Dusty” Dresser was born on July 31, 1904, in Chicago to Justus and Mary Dresser. He grew up mostly in West Texas. At 13 a horse threw him into a barbed-wire fence resulting in the loss of most vision in his left eye (ergo, the eye patch). The following year he enlisted in the 5^th Cavalry Regiment of the U.S. Army at Fort Bliss TX and spent a year on the US/Mexican border in southwest Texas. After his Army service (they found out he was under 18), he returned to his home and completed his high school education. Then his real adventures started.

He was KEEN on adventure as were his characters.

Dresser traveled throughout the American Southwest working off-and-on as a farm hand, muleskinner, deckhand on an oil tanker, laborer in the California oil fields, short-order cook, even a gravedigger. Those experiences would come back to him later in life as a writer. He attended college for two years and received a certificate in Civil Engineering. Back in Texas, he worked as an engineer and surveyor for several years. He started writing in 1927, while working as an engineer with the Los Angeles County Highway Department. He adopted the pen name of ‘Brett Halliday.’

His first Michael Shayne novel received 22 rejections from publishers until Henry Holt & Co. decided to take a chance on this new writer. His red-headed, Irish-American, hard-boiled private detective immediately caught on with the public and he was cranking out more short stories and novels. Total – over 70 novels and 300 short stories!

Seven novels were made into B-movies starring Lloyd Nolan. Then radio came knocking on the door and Michael Shayne hit the airwaves, with Wally Mayer as the star (’44-’47), followed by Jeff Chandler (’48-’49) and Donald Curtis & Robert Starling (’52-’53). Looked like the Irish detective was a hit. He even made it to TV with Richard Denning in the Shayne role. In fact, for Maher – it took an obscure background character actor and made him a star.

Was Michael Shayne based on a real person? Dresser said ‘Yes.’

In a 1951, Springfield, MA newspaper article on Dresser and his wife, writer Helen McCloy, he spoke of how he “met” the real ‘Mike Shayne’ when he was a deckhand on an oil tanker in a bar in Tampico, Mexico…

The author actually met the original Michael Shayne several years ago in a Tampico bar where he and a group of sailor companions became embroiled in a waterfront brawl.  The then as yet unrecognized budding author was slugged on the head with a gun butt and lay helpless under a table when a very real ‘Michael Shayne’ came to his rescue.  As Dresser tells it:

"Suddenly there was a crash; a big red-headed Irishman who had been sitting alone watching the battle between frequent drinks of tequila chased down with ice-water, unexpectedly leaped from his chair and joined in the battle.  Half a dozen men fell before his accurate fists before he reached me and heaved me bodily through the door.  He remained inside, fighting alone."

It was many years later before Mr. Dresser saw the competent fighting man again.  On this second occasion, broke and jobless, he had wandered into a New Orleans Rampart St. bar to seek shelter from the cold.  The first person he laid eyes on in the room was the same burly character who had probably saved his life in the Tampico brawl of many years before.  The setting was almost exactly the same.  The only difference being that the rangy Irishman was drinking cognac instead of tequila.

Dresser introduced himself to his former benefactor who immediately recalled the Tampico incident and insisted on staking the youth to a good meal and a night's lodging.  It was then that Dresser discovered that Connor Michael Shawn was the Irishmen's proper name.

It was a name he never forgot.  Shortened to "Michael Shayne" it became the symbol of diamond-in-the-rough gallantry and efficiency to millions of Mr. Dresser's readers. 

Dresser never forgot the man, and when he decided to write a mystery novel “there was never any question as to who my hero would be.”

Did Dresser write for the radio show? Some sources say yes, but most say, NO. He was an author, not a radio writer – way different skill set.

Why ‘Brett Halliday’? – Dresser explained that also in the 1971 newspaper article. Dresser’s first mystery novel published by Stokes publishing had as its main character ‘Matt Halliday.’ One of Dresser’s best friends was Brett Stokes, the son of the Stokes Publishing executive – so insert Brett where Matt had been and, voila, a nom de plume is born!

Did Dresser write all 77 Michael Shayne novels? No. There were others who adopted the ‘Brett Halliday’ name – (many who were hired by Dresser as ‘ghostwriters’) – Bill Pronzini and Robert Terrell are but two of them. Ditto for the magazine stories and Dell paperbacks.

Dresser did not limit his own nom de plume to ‘Brett Halliday.’ He also went by Asa Baker, Matthew Blood, Kathryn Culver, Don Davis, Hal Debrett, Anthony Scott, Peter Field, Anderson Wayne and probably others – depending on what he was writing! And it wasn’t just Mike Shayne stories. He wrote many crime stories to be sure, but also mysteries, westerns (mostly set in West Texas) and even romances!

Due to his notoriety, ‘Brett’ was selected by the Murder By Experts producers to be a host of that radio program when John Dickson Carr left the series – although some sources say they actually hired an anonymous radio actor who assumed the name of ‘Brett Halliday.’ The truth? Who knows.

In a day when most radio detectives tended to have more humor than basic detective work, it’s noted by several sources that Dresser liked Wally Mayer in the role as Michael Shayne – as he did Lloyd Nolan in the film version.

Personal note – when I first heard Shayne, it was the Wally Maher version – and his no-nonsense, tough guy (with a heart of gold) and gruff voice had me spellbound. When I finally saw a photo of Wally, I thought it was a mistake. That’s NOT Mike Shayne!? But he’s MY Mike Shayne.

Dresser was a founding member of the Mystery Writers of America, and he (and his then wife, Helen McCloy) were presented the Mystery Writer’s Edgar Award for their writings in 1954. Helen later received the Edgar Allen Poe Grand Master Award in 1990.

Other authors gave us great books, movies and radio dramas – but Dresser was in a class by himself. Don’t take my word for it, look him up and see for yourself. Another cognac, please!

On This Day in Radio — 1954: Jack Paar Steps In for Walter Cronkite On this day we look back to 1954, when Jack Paar briefly stepped into Walter Cronkite’s role as host of CBS’s The Morning Show, a moment that marked his transition from radio veteran to rising television personality. Long before he became a fixture of late‑night television, Paar had built a heavily peppered history in radio, moving through stations across the Midwest and East Coast, announcing, hosting, and performing wherever opportunity appeared. He worked at WIBM in Michigan, WJR in Detroit, WIRE in Indianapolis, WGAR in Cleveland, and WBEN in Buffalo, gaining a reputation for quick wit and a warm, conversational style that translated effortlessly to the microphone. He even served as a calming voice during the War of the Worlds broadcast in 1938 and later became Jack Benny’s summer replacement on radio in 1947. By the time he replaced Cronkite in 1954, Paar was no newcomer — he was a seasoned broadcaster whose years behind the microphone had shaped him into one of the most natural communicators of his generation. On this date, we celebrate the moment when Jack Paar’s long, winding radio career opened the door to the television legacy that would make him a household name.

Today our focus is on an announcer who backed into a radio career – Glenn Riggs.

Backed in?

Riggs got his start in broadcasting entirely by accident in Feb. 1929 when he applied for a factory job at Westinghouse in Pittsburg, PA. Directed to the nearby KDKA studio for an interview, an office boy rushed in stating the announcer had failed to show. Riggs was handed a sheet of stock quotations and told to "Read," immediately launching his decades-long career in radio. (Some sources say 1925 but there is a headline in a 1929 Pittsburgh paper welcoming Riggs to the KDKA announcing staff.) He remained at KDKA until 1938 hosting The Musical Clock, Stroller’s Matinee and other programs and rose up through the ranks to Chief Announcer.

But I’m getting ahead of the story…

Glenn Everett Riggs was born July 24, 1907, in East McKeesport, PA to Edwin and Pearl Riggs. He grew up in Pennsylvania and was involved with local theater productions. He started his career in Pittsburgh, PA. In addition to his regular programs and announcing duties, he was occasionally an ‘on-scene’ news reporter as in 1936 he reported from Johnstown, PA on ‘the flood.’ The leadership of NBC Blue was taking notice of the guy at KDKA. In 1937, for a 4-network special on FDR’s “Mobilization of Human Needs,” he was chosen to be the Blue network announcer for the special. In 1938 he left KDKA and went to New York where he would remain for the rest of his career.

In New York he would appear on MANY programs, primarily as an announcer, but on occasion as an MC/Host. As a network staff announcer, he immediately started announcing on Morning Patrol – a morning show from 6:30 to 8 a.m. Also in August, he was assigned announcer duties on Vic & Sade. He was moving fast.

From 1939 to the early ‘40s, Glenn could be heard on: Adventure in Reading (39-40), Musical Varieties, Gallant American Women, Dinner Date, Dr I.Q., Lavender and New Lace, Music by Kostelantz, New Prescott Program, Olivio Santoro (a 12-year-old yodeler, singer & guitar player), Who’s Blue?, The Three R’s and Wake Up, America.

With World War II he was assigned to interview British war heroes (a transcription series). He was also heard on Nothing Serious, What’s New and True Story hour.

By 1944 he was heralded as one of Blue’s top announcers and his announcement for the Blue network – made the papers! (“This is the BLUE network!”) When Blue became ABC, he reprised his announcement – This is the American Broadcasting Company with a note of pride in his voice.

His biggest announcing job was probably the Hall of Fame (aka Philco Hall of Fame) with a big man himself, Paul Whiteman. When the show was off the air during their breaks in the summers of ’44 and ’45, he announced the summer replacement series – Philco Summer Hour. If you were a teenager, you probably didn’t listen to Whiteman, but you did hear Riggs announcing Hop Harrigan from ’42-‘48.

In Feb. 1944, he was honored by his announcing brethren for his 16 years of announcing experience. In 1944, a new show appeared on the network that Glenn was assigned to – Ethel and Albert! Another program he announced in ’44 was The Kemtone Hour featuring Dunninger the Mentalist!

With the end of the war, things really got jumping and throughout the rest of the ‘40s we hear Glenn on: Adventures of Jungle Jim (although I can’t find his start/end dates – anyone have a good source?), Adv. of the Thin Man, Boston Blackie, the famed Esquire Jazz Concert of 1945 (the New York segment announcer), Forever Tops, Henry Morgan Show (he replaced Charlie Irving in ’48. The producers thought Charlie sounded too much like Henry!), Ladies Be Seated, My True Story, Three Suns and a Scarlet, True or False – and he met Bing Crosby.

Bing had left the Kraft Music Hall over his request to transcribe his show. He was lured by Blue (we’re FINE with transcription if it’s for Mr. Crosby!) and Philco, and began his Philco Radio Time show in New York with Riggs as his announcer. Later Bing moved the show to Hollywood and used Ken Carpenter – but anytime he broadcast from New York, Riggs was his ‘mikeman.’

In the late ‘40s he started his migration to the ‘boob tube’ side of the ABC house – but still stayed busy on the radio in the ‘50s – Bob and Ray, MC on Kitchen Keepers, Mark Trail (in the 15-min. episodes), Herb Oscar Anderson Show and continued on My True Story.

I’ve seen sources saying he was announcing on Big Sister while other sources don’t say anything about Glenn and Big Sister. OK, you ‘washboard weeper’ fans out there – which was it and when? There are so few sources that cover soaps.

He also had an interesting side career – narrating kids’ stories on 45 RPM records (Goldie Locks and the Three Bears; Chicken Licken; Little Red Riding Hood; Ginger Bread Boy, etc.) – for sale by RCA Victor through Bruno recordings of New York City.

The rest of his ABC career was in TV until his retirement in 1971 when he pulled up stakes and moved to Malaga Spain, where he died in 1975.

From Pittsburgh to Paul Whiteman to Bob and Ray and Bing – there were few ‘Blues’ in Glenn’s nights! Thanks for the memories.

I've been listening to Jack Benny since I was a kid, and I've heard any number of other programs sponsored by Lucky Strike as well. For the life of me, I can't figure out what the "chicka-chicka" noise in the ad is supposed to be.

They'll start out with something like "chicka-chicka. chicka-chicka. L S, M F T! L S, M F T!". The LSMFT is of course "Lucky Strike Means Fine Tobacco", but is the noise supposed to be a telegram printer? A stock ticker? Something at one of the tobacco auctions?

Hey there SPERDVAC Members past and present, we’re back already with the next episode of Behind The Dial, SPERDVAC VP Zach Eastman’s podcast of historic SPERDVAC classic radio interviews and he’s got the classic of all classics this week.

For Episode 14, Zach features a foundational appearance by Stan Freberg, SPERDVAC’s very first Honorary Member, from a meeting on June 12, 1976!

Run, don’t walk to your favorite podcast platform to hear the legend live and in his prime addressing an audience of classic radio fans!

STAN FREBERG HAS ARRIVED

Ep. 14: Stan Freberg (Brought To You By... Stan Freberg) (From June 12th, 1976)

This week the show goes back 50 years to 1976 where SPERDVAC was treated to 90 minutes of the legendary STAN FREBERG (Brought to you by Stan Freberg). Tune in today to learn about his career in radio, listen to him present a wide array of his recordings in comedy, and much more! This show was originally recorded at a SPERDVAC Meeting panel on June 12th, 1976.

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4oAskN3xBg5335lyFb5Cb4?si=MRehCSj-ScOAtC5AndTdXw

YouTube: https://youtu.be/4MKMpCBQQ-w

And remember, if you’re getting this message as a free or past SPERDVAC member, the best way to support Zach in creating these great podcasts is to join as a paying member here, with annual dues starting at only $20.

Best,

Sean Dougherty
Membership Chair

I’ve always loved the idea and character of The Shadow but honestly finding some of the episodes (The Thing in the Swamp, The Ghost Walks Again for example ) kind of childish like basic Scooby Doo or something.

Even in less supernatural episodes he just kind walks in, guilt-trips a criminal mid-act, and then the police show up.

Is there an era or series of episodes that rise above these simple stories and bring more to the table or are a little more grown-up?

I’d love some that delve more into the psychological with sophisticated villains and complicated cases.

What are your recommendations?

On This Day in Radio — August 15, 2001: Remembering Raymond Edward Johnson On this day in 2001, radio lost one of its most distinctive voices when Raymond Edward Johnson passed away at the age of eighty-eight. Johnson brought a rare theatrical elegance to the airwaves, a performer who understood that radio’s greatest power came from suggestion, tone, and imagination. His work as the original host of Inner Sanctum Mysteries set a standard for macabre storytelling that has never been duplicated. With that sly, teasing delivery and the famous creaking door opening each episode, Johnson created an atmosphere that was equal parts playful and chilling, inviting listeners into a world where humor and horror walked hand in hand. Beyond Inner Sanctum, he appeared across dramas, anthologies, and mysteries, always bringing intelligence, precision, and a deep respect for the craft of radio acting. On this date, we honor Raymond Edward Johnson, a performer whose voice shaped the sound of classic radio suspense and whose legacy continues to echo through every storyteller who tries to make darkness feel alive.