During the Golden Age of Radio from 1934-1950, radio became intimate family entertainment. People regularly listened to music, news, sports, talk and weather on their radios. However, radio also featured surprisingly popular comedy shows and dramatic programming. Serial radio dramas allowed characters to develop over time, engaging listeners. Iconic programs like The Jack Benny Show established familiar personas and supporting casts, drawing in large audiences. Radio transformed private spaces into theaters of imagination through the power of audio storytelling alone.
7. His “Fireside Chats” helped calm a nation through both the Great Depression and World War II. http://youtu.be/z9CBpbuV3ok
8. The serial nature of radio allowed for character to be developed through the course of a series, for comedy and drama to be based on personalities made familiar over time.
9. Jack Benny was one of the leading American entertainers of the 20th century. His radio show was one of the most popular of the Golden Age of Radio. He established a clear persona: A penny-pinching miser … claiming to be a perennial 39 years of age … a horrible violin player who thinks he’s a virtuoso … an actor with a less than stellar track record. On his radio show, he played “himself” as the star of his own radio show. His supporting cast were the actors who worked with him on his show.
15. “Amos ‘n’ Andy” 1928-1960 "I can recall walking past motion picture theaters and seeing signs promising to stop the movie and turn on the radio when it came time for the show.” ----Jack Benny
16. “Amos ‘n’ Andy” 1928-1960 Freeman Gosden and Charles Correll