Harold Teen (radio program)
| Genre | Teenage comedy |
|---|---|
| Running time | 15 minutes |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Language(s) | English |
| Home station | WGN (1931-1932) |
| Syndicates | Mutual (1941-1942) |
| Starring | William Farnum (1931-1932) Charles Flynn (1941-1942) Eddie Firestone Jr. (1941-1942) |
| Announcer | Pierre Andre (1931-1932) |
| Written by | Blair Walliser Fred Kress |
| Original release | 1931 – 1942 |
Harold Teen is a teenage comedy old-time radio program in the United States. It was broadcast initially on WGN in Chicago, Illinois, and a decade later was heard nationally on the Mutual Broadcasting System.
Format
Based on the Harold Teen comic strip, the program's episodes centered around the adventures of the title character and his friends. Other characters included best friend Shadow Smart, girlfriend Lillums Lovewell and Cynthia (who had a crush on Harold). Harold's and Beezie's fathers were the adult characters, while Beezie and Josie were two of Harold's friends.[1]
The WGN version was broadcast in 1931-1932, and the Mutual version in 1941-1942.[2] (Although the preceding reference lists 1931-1932 for the initial run of the program, an article in the October 19, 1930, issue of the Chicago Tribune says, "... the radio audience has taken the broadcast version of Harold Teen as closely to its heart as the dashing cartoon creation of Carl Ed ...")[3] The Harold Teen character appeared on radio again in 1948 in two genres.
The Teen-Agers Quiz Club
In 1948, WGN broadcast The Teen-Agers Quiz Club, a program that featured competition between a team of three boys and a team of three girls, all chosen from the teenage audience. Harold Teen headed the boys' team, and Sheila John Daly (a teenage columnist for the Chicago Tribune) headed the girls' team.[4]
Swinging at the Sugar Bowl
Swinging at the Sugar Bowl featured Harold Teen as a disc jockey with music "expertly selected for 'teen-age taste'".[4]: 99 Other characters from the comic strip also occasionally appeared on the program.[4]: 99 Fred Reynolds (son-in-law of Teen's creator, Carl Ed)[5] portrayed Harold Teen on the disc-jockey program.[6] The program's debut occurred on April 3, 1948, the same day that the comic strip had Teen begin a new adventure as a disc jockey, "paralleling Harold's grafic [sic] adventures".[7]
Personnel
WGN
Characters and the actors who portrayed them included those shown in the table below.
| Character | Actor |
|---|---|
| Harold Teen | William Farnum |
| Lilacs | Wally Colbath |
| Bezie | Jack Spencer |
| Giggles | Ireene Wicker |
| Lillums | Eunice Yankee |
Source: Encyclopedia of American Radio, 1920-1960, 2nd Edition[2]
The supporting cast included Eddie Firestone Jr., Charles Flynn, Rosemary Garbell, Bob Jellison, Marvin Miller, Loretta Poynton, Beryl Vaughn and Willard Waterman. Writers were Blair Walliser and Fred Kress.[2] Pierre Andre was the announcer.[8]
Mutual
Characters and the actors who portrayed them included those shown in the table below.
| Character | Actor |
|---|---|
| Harold Teen | Charles Flynn Eddie Firestone Jr. |
| Shadow Smart | Bob Jellison |
| Lillums | Loretta Poynton Eunice Yankee |
| Josie | Rosemary Garbell |
| Beezie Jenks | Marvin Miller |
| Harold's father | Willard Waterman |
| Beezie's father | Jack Spencer |
| Cynthia | Beryl Vaughn[9] |
Source: Radio Programs, 1924-1984: A Catalog of More Than 1800 Shows,[1] except as noted.
Blair Walliser was the director. He and Fred Kress were writers for the program.[9]
References
- ^ a b Terrace, Vincent (1999). Radio Programs, 1924-1984: A Catalog of More Than 1800 Shows. McFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN 978-0-7864-4513-4. Pp. 145-146.
- ^ a b c Sies, Luther F. (2014). Encyclopedia of American Radio, 1920-1960, 2nd Edition. McFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN 978-0-7864-5149-4. Pp. 145-146.
- ^ "Harold, Lillums Live the Parts in Daily Life". Chicago Tribune. October 19, 1930. p. Part 5 - Page 1. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
- ^ a b c Alicoate, Jack (1948). Shows of Tomorrow. Radio Daily. p. 126.
- ^ Remenih, Anton (January 8, 1950). "Fred Reynolds Parlays Hobby into Radio Job". Chicago Tribune. p. Part 3 - Page 8. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
- ^ Green, Nat (December 20, 1948). "Chicago" (PDF). Radio Daily. p. 4. Retrieved 22 October 2016.
- ^ Wolters, Larry (March 28, 1948). "Harold Teen's Disc Show to Open Saturday". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 22 October 2016.
- ^ "Pierre Andre Launches New Show Tonight". Chicago Tribune. June 18, 1955. p. 4 F. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
- ^ a b Buxton, Frank and Owen, Bill (1972). The Big Broadcast: 1920-1950. The Viking Press. SBN 670-16240-x. Pp. 17-108.