Married Couples In Old Time Radio
Marriage is no stranger to old time radio. Shows such as Mr. & Mrs. North featured characters who were married to one another. And while Mr. & Mrs. North is a fascinating show featuring a married couple that solves mysteries together, you might be even more interested in the real-life couples that starred together in radio shows.
Some of Hollywood’s’ most famous couples starred in radio shows together. Probably the most famous we know from the golden age of radio are Jim and Marian Jordan of Fibber McGee and Molly fame. They Married on the 31st August 1918 and remained happily so until Marian's death in 1961.
In the Fred Allen Show, Fred Allen and his real-life companion Portland Hoffa were heard together each week. Fred Allenhad listeners rolling with laughter as he went up against his wife who played his foil. Their chemistry helped to make the show a great success.
Another famous couple, Phil Harris and Alice Faye starred together in several radio shows. The most widely known of those shows was the Phil Harris/Alice Faye Show that allowed them to play themselves. Phil was the bandleader and Alice was famous for her fantastic voice.
Equally as funny and appealing were husband and wife team George Burns and Gracie Allen in the Burns and Allen comedy show.
Then there was of course the Nelson Family, Ozzie and Harriet Nelson (nee Hilliard), and their two sons, David and Ricky who all appeared as the ideal American family in The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet. (see picture opposite).
The show On Stage brought together the married couple Elliott and Cathy Lewis in a dramatic series. Each week they played different characters in an anthology of dramatic scripts. This show was a big hit and Elliott and Cathy became known as Mr. and Mrs. Radio.
Their chemistry on the show was great, however things at home weren’t going so well. In 1958 Elliott and Cathy divorced. He later married Mary Jane Croft who also starred in On Stage. The two were married for the rest of Elliott’s life.
And finally, probably the most legendary Hollywood couple - Lauren Bacall and Humphrey Bogart - starred together in Bold Venture. This was an adventure series that starred Humphrey Bogart as a hotel owner in Cuba and Lauren Bacall as his sidekick. For years radio programs had courted the couple, but the invention of recorded radio allowed them to hook the stars.
Humphrey Bogart had resisted radio for many years because he wasn’t interested in having to commit to a live program. But when technology allowed the couple to tape a radio show that would air later, the couple decided to star in Bold Venture. Listeners tuned in eagerly to hear this famous duo.
It’s not surprising that some of radio’s biggest hits had married couples in their casts. The natural chemistry between couples in long-term relationships helped to aid the chemistry of the characters on the air. Take some time to listen to some of the shows starring married couples and hear it for yourself!
Happy listening my friends,
