Homework Assignment #7

Erin Kelman


Radio Entertainment in the 1930s and 40s

Imagine sitting at home with your family, gathered around in the living room, staring at the radio and anticipating the start of the next broadcast of The Shadow. Sounds a little strange and out of the ordinary for today, but this is what people did in Greenbelt in the 1930s and 40s for entertainment. Many of us, today, are used to watching TV or going to the movies, but people of the 30s and 40s usually did not have this option. For this reason, and because radios were becoming more readily available, they began to act to the people of the 30s and 40s as, among other things, a medium of entertainment.

Radios, introduced to the American people in the early 1920s, became a main resource for entertainment by the 1930s. In 1937, people were welcomed to the sound of the NBC Symphony Orchestra on a weekly radio series where they played full-length symphony concerts. The Orchestra was "the first full-time major symphonic orchestra ever assembled and maintained by a U.S broadcasting company"(RTD, 5). Bob hope began his long career in radio on September 27, 1938.(RTD, 5). Such radio shows as The Shadow became very popular and were heard about two times a week.(2)

The Shadow was geared to older children and adults. There was, though, radio entertainment provided for children as well according to Sam Goldgeier. He says in his report that such shows as Captain Midnight and Dick Tracy were provided for children in the 1930s and 40s. Along with shows geared to entertain children, says Meridith Harvey, were shows geared to entertain women. According to her, many soap operas were aimed to entertain women, since the shows involved career women and married couples. Radio entertainment in the 1930s and 40s was very diverse, but most shows seemed to be ones that the whole family could enjoy. This allowed the people and families of the 30s and 40s to enjoy radio as a whole.

Works cited:

(1) "NBC: from Sound to Sight". RTD, 10 May 1966: pgs. 5,8
(2) "The Shadow" "http://www.old-time.com/shadow.html"(version current at 20 Nov 1996).
(3) Goldgeier, Sam. "Sam Goldgeier's Radio Analysis of Childrens' Programs" "http://otal.umd.edu/~vj10/homework7.html"(version current 20 Nov 1996).
(4) Harvey, Meridith. "Soap Operas of the 1930s and 40s" "http://otal.umd.edu/~vj11/homework7.html"(version current 20 Nov 1996).

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