''Betty and Bob'' is a radio

soap opera A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio dramas originally being sponsored ...

. The soap opera followed the lives of Betty and Bob Drake. Betty was a

secretary A secretary, administrative professional, administrative assistant, executive assistant, administrative officer, administrative support specialist, clerk, military assistant, management assistant, office secretary, or personal assistant is a w ...

who falls madly in love with her boss, bachelor Bob Drake. The two wed and each day, the subject matter dealt with everything from love to hate, jealousy to divorce, murder to betrayal, and collusion to insanity. The program was the first radio program produced by future daytime radio monarchs

Frank Frank or Franks may refer to: People * Frank (given name) * Frank (surname) * Franks (surname) * Franks, a medieval Germanic people * Frank, a term in the Muslim world for all western Europeans, particularly during the Crusades - see Farang Curr ...

and

Anne Hummert Anne Hummert (née Schumacher) (January 19, 1905 – July 5, 1996) was the leading creator of daytime radio serials or soap opera dramas during the 1930s and 1940s, responsible for more than three dozen series. Biography She was born in Baltimore ...

. The program also began a long partnership between the Hummerts and scriptwriter

Robert Hardy Andrews Charles Robert Douglas Hardy Andrews (October 19, 1903 – November 11, 1976) was a novelist, screenwriter and radio drama scriptwriter. Career Andrews began his career as a reporter for the ''Chicago Daily News'', and edited the newspaper's maga ...

. The program originally starred

Elizabeth Reller Elizabeth Reller (December 4, 1913 - July 14, 1974) was an American actress, best known for her work in old-time radio. She was active from 1935 until 1948. Early years Reller was born in Richmond, Indiana, descended from a Quaker family whos ...

and

Don Ameche Don Ameche (; born Dominic Felix Amici; May 31, 1908 – December 6, 1993) was an American actor, comedian and vaudevillian. After playing in college shows, stock, and vaudeville, he became a major radio star in the early 1930s, which l ...

in the title roles of Betty and Bob Drake. The role of Bob Drake is credited as the role that made Ameche the "first radio sex symbol". But during the program's eight-year run, four other actresses, including

Arlene Francis Arlene Francis (born Arline Francis Kazanjian; October 20, 1907 – May 31, 2001) was an American actress, radio and television talk show host, and game show panelist. She is known for her long-running role as a panelist on the television game s ...

, portrayed Betty and seven other actors, including

Les Tremayne Lester Tremayne (16 April 1913 – 19 December 2003) was an English actor. Early life Born in Balham, London, he moved with his family at the age of four to Chicago, Illinois, where he began in community theater. His mother was Dolly Trema ...

, portrayed Bob. According to author John Dunning, ratings for the soap opera plummeted after the addition of the Drake's son Little Bobby. "Raymond William Stedman speculates that listeners refused to accept bickering and jealousy when a child was involved." Little Bobby died of pneumonia and the Drakes divorced. But ratings never did pick up again. The last few years of the program centered on how Betty and Bob grieve over the loss of their son, Bob's relationship with his new girlfriend Pamela Talmadge (portrayed by Ethel Kuhn), and Bob's time in and out of a mental institution. The program premiered on the

Blue Network The Blue Network (previously known as the NBC Blue Network) was the on-air name of a now defunct American Commercial broadcasting, radio network, which broadcast from 1927 through 1945. Beginning as one of the two radio networks owned by the N ...

on October 10, 1932. The program moved to

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...

then to

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...

Red Network Red is the color at the long wavelength end of the visible spectrum of light, next to orange and opposite violet. It has a dominant wavelength of approximately 625–740 nanometres. It is a primary color in the RGB color model and a secondar ...

where the series finished on March 15, 1940. The program was sponsored by both the

Wheaties Wheaties is an American brand of breakfast cereal that is made by General Mills. It is well known for featuring prominent athletes on its packages and has become a cultural icon in the United States. Originally introduced as Washburn's Gold Meda ...

and Bisquick divisions of the

General Mills General Mills, Inc., is an American multinational manufacturer and marketer of branded processed consumer foods sold through retail stores. Founded on the banks of the Mississippi River at Saint Anthony Falls in Minneapolis, the company orig ...

company.

Cast and characters

* Elizabeth Reller, Beatrice Churchill, Alice Hill,

Mercedes McCambridge Carlotta Mercedes Agnes McCambridge (March 16, 1916 – March 2, 2004) was an American actress of radio, stage, film, and television. Orson Welles called her "the world's greatest living radio actress." She won an Academy Award for Best Support ...

and

as secretary Betty Drake. *

Vinton Hayworth Vinton Hayworth (June 4, 1906 – May 21, 1970), also known as Jack Arnold and Vincent Haworth,Although some sources cite Vinton Hayworth's real surname as Haworthwhich clearly shows the surname as Hayworth. The genealogy site indicates that his ...

Onslow Stevens Onslow Stevens (born Onslow Ford Stevenson; March 29, 1902 – January 5, 1977) was an American stage, television and film actor. Early years Born in Los Angeles, California, Stevens was the son of British-born character actor Houseley Ste ...

, Spencer Bentley,

Carl Frank Carl Frank is an artist whose work has appeared in role-playing games. Education He graduated from California State University, Fullerton with a BFA in illustration. Career His ''Dungeons & Dragons'' work includes '' Scourge of the Howling Hord ...

, J. Anthony Hughes and

Van Heflin Emmett Evan "Van" Heflin Jr. (December 13, 1908 – July 23, 1971) was an American theatre, radio and film actor. He played mostly character parts over the course of his film career, but during the 1940s had a string of roles as a leading man. H ...

as Bob Drake * Edith Davis as May Drake, Bob's mother, and Gardenia, Bob's negro servant. * Herbert Nelson and Eleanor Dowling as Carl and Ethel Grainger, friends of the Drakes. * Ethel Kuhn as Pamela Talmadge, Bob's next girlfriend after his divorce. *

Bill Bouchey Willis Ben Bouchey (May 24, 1907 – September 27, 1977) was an American character actor who appeared in almost 150 films and television shows. He was born in Vernon, Michigan, but raised by his mother and stepfather in Washington state. ...

as Harvey Drew. * Frankie Pacelli as Little Bob Drake, son of Betty and Bob.

Broadcast history

NOTE: The most frequent time slot for the series in bold text. * Weekdays at 3:00–3:15 pm on the Blue Network: October 10, 1932 – May 29, 1936 * Weekdays at 10:00–10:15 am on CBS: June 1, 1937 – May 27, 1938 * Weekdays at 2:00–2:15 pm on NBC: May 30, 1938 – March 15, 1940

References

{{Reflist American radio soap operas 1930s American radio programs 1940s American radio programs 1932 radio programme debuts 1940 radio programme endings NBC Blue Network radio programs NBC radio programs CBS Radio programs