The Hour of Charm
The Hour of Charm is an American old-time radio music program. It debuted on CBS on May 18, 1934, and had its final broadcast on CBS on May 2, 1948.[1] The program also was broadcast on Armed Forces Radio,[2] and after its network broadcasts ended, a new version was syndicated via transcriptions.
| Genre | Music |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | United States |
| Language(s) | English |
| Syndicates | CBS NBC |
| Hosted by | Rosalind Green Arlene Francis |
| Starring | Phil Spitalny Evelyn Kaye |
| Announcer | Ken Roberts Ron Rawson Richard Stark |
| Directed by | Joseph Ripley |
| Original release | May 18, 1934 – May 2, 1948 |
| Opening theme | The American Hymn of Liberty |
| Ending theme | We Must Be Vigilant |
| Sponsored by | Cheramy (Summer 1934) Linit Bath Oil Zotos Machineless Permanent Wave General Electric Combined electric cooperatives |
Schedules
The table below shows the program's varied schedules and sponsors during its time on network radio.
| Beginning Date | Ending Date | Network | Day | Time (Eastern) | Sponsor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 18, 1934 | June 1, 1934 | CBS | Friday | 10:30-10:45 | Cheramy |
| June 6, 1934 | September 26, 1934 | CBS | Wednesday | 8 - 8:15 | Cheramy |
| January 3, 1935 | June 25, 1935 | CBS | Thursday | 8 - 8:30 (later 9:30-10) | Linit Bath Oil |
| February 23, 1936 | June 21, 1936 | CBS | Sunday | 6:30 - 7 | Zotos Machineless Permanent Wave |
| November 2, 1936 | September 1, 1946 | NBC | various | various | General Electric |
| September 29, 1946 | May 2, 1948 | CBS | Sunday | afternoon | Combined electric cooperatives |
Source: On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio[1]
Personnel
The musical group featured in the program was originally called Phil Spitalny's All-Girl Orchestra.[3] Spitalny directed the group that, as the name implies, was composed only of females. In time, however, the group became so associated with the program that it became known as the Hour of Charm Orchestra.
Violinist Evelyn Kaye was the concertmistress and featured player. On the air, she was identified only by her first name —as was Spitalny's policy with all of his musicians[4] — billed as "Evelyn and Her Magic Violin". She was with the group from its inception until its disbanding, and she married Spitalny in 1946.[5]
Rosalind Green was the initial on-air hostess, a role that Arlene Francis filled later. Announcers were Ken Roberts, Ron Rawson, and Richard Stark. The director was Joseph Ripley.[1]
Critical reception
The trade publication Billboard published two reviews of The Hour of Charm. The March 7, 1936, review called the program "a tuneful affair, revealing several excellent arrangements, the better ones being of the South American tang ..."[6]
A brief review in the December 31, 1938, issue pointed out several shortcomings of a remote broadcast from the Hotel Biltmore in New York. Daniel Richman described the broadcast as "so laden with arrangements, production trappings, descriptions of the girls' clothes and talents, and so much general excess baggage that it sounded more like the Ford Sunday Evening Symphony than a dance remote."[7]
The August 1, 1942, issue of Billboard reported that Arturo Toscanini considered The Hour of Charm to be his favorite radio program.[8]
Transcribed broadcasts
In 1951, the RCA Thesaurus electrical transcription service launched a new Hour of Charm radio series.[9] Stations that broadcast the program included WFLA AM and FM in Tampa, Florida.[10]
References
- Dunning, John (1998). On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio (Revised ed.). New York, NY: Oxford University Press. pp. 331–332. ISBN 978-0-19-507678-3. Retrieved 2019-09-21.
- Tucker, Sherrie (2001). Swing Shift: "All-Girl" Bands of the 1940s. Duke University Press. p. 70. ISBN 0822328178. Retrieved 1 May 2018.
Hour of Charm.
- "Evelyn Klein Spitalny, Violinist, Is Dead at 79". The New York Times. New York, New York City. 1990. Archived from the original on 2 May 2018. Retrieved 2 May 2018.
- "Queens of Harmony (1937)". AFI Catalog of Feature Films. American Film Institute. Archived from the original on 2 May 2018. Retrieved 2 May 2018.
- "Phil Spitalny Marries Evelyn Kaye, Soloist". The Times. California, San Mateo. United Press. June 19, 1946. p. 2. Retrieved May 3, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Hour of Charm" (PDF). Billboard. March 7, 1936. p. 9. Retrieved 2 May 2018.
- Richman, Daniel (December 31, 1938). "Music in the Air" (PDF). Billboard. p. 67. Retrieved 2 May 2018.
- "Phil Spitalny". Billboard. August 1, 1942. p. 4. Retrieved 28 May 2023.
- "'Light' Exhibitors" (PDF). Broadcasting. April 23, 1951. p. 23.
- "Hour of Charm Features All-Girl Orchestra". The Tampa Tribune. Florida, Tampa. June 24, 1951. p. 9 - C. Retrieved May 3, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.