''Stars over Hollywood'' is a

radio Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a tr ...

anthology In book publishing, an anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler; it may be a collection of plays, poems, short stories, songs or excerpts by different authors. In genre fiction, the term ''anthology'' typically cate ...

in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

. It was broadcast on CBS from May 31, 1941, to September 25, 1954, sponsored first by Dari-Rich, Carnation Milk and later by

Armour and Company Armour & Company was an American company and was one of the five leading firms in the meat packing industry. It was founded in Chicago, in 1867, by the Armour brothers led by Philip Danforth Armour. By 1880, the company had become Chicago's most ...

. (Note: This program should not be confused with ''Stars over Hollywood'', a 15-minute dramatic serial, produced via

electrical transcription Electrical transcriptions are special phonograph recordings made exclusively for radio broadcasting,Browne, Ray B. and Browne, Pat, Eds. (2001). ''The Guide to United States Popular Culture''. The University of Wisconsin Press. . P. 263. which wer ...

by C. P. MacGregor Electrical Transcriptions.)

Format

Comedies Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. The term origin ...

and light romances were typical episodes for ''Stars over Hollywood''. The presentations were "casual and relaxed ... but the performances were very professional."Reinehr, Robert C. and Swartz, Jon D. (2008). ''The A to Z of Old-Time Radio''. Scarecrow Press, Inc. . p. 244. Each of the program's scripts was original. The show's success surprised many doubters, who thought that audiences would not listen to this type of broadcast on Saturday mornings, a time that has been described as "the ghetto of the schedule."Dunning, John. (1976). ''Tune in Yesterday: The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio, 1925–1976''. Prentice-Hall, Inc. . pp. 567–68. The program lasted 13 years at the same time (12:30 pm, Eastern Time). Following the lead of ''Stars over Hollywood'', other dramas, such as '' Armstrong Theater of Today'' and ''

Grand Central Station Grand Central Terminal (GCT; also referred to as Grand Central Station or simply as Grand Central) is a commuter rail terminal located at 42nd Street and Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Grand Central is the southern terminus ...

'', found success on Saturdays.

Personnel

As the title implies, the program featured "major Hollywood stars." As an anthology, ''Stars over Hollywood'' had no recurring cast. A 1943 newspaper ad promised, "Each week you'll find a Hollywood star in the leading role of a new story." Actors and actresses who appeared in leading roles during the program's run included

Alan Ladd Alan Walbridge Ladd (September 3, 1913 – January 29, 1964) was an American actor and film producer. Ladd found success in film in the 1940s and early 1950s, particularly in films noir and Westerns. He was often paired with Veronica Lake ...

Anita Louise Anita Louise (born Anita Louise Fremault; January 9, 1915 – April 25, 1970) was an American film and television actress best known for her performances in ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' (1935), ''The Story of Louis Pasteur'' (1935), ''Anthony ...

Mary Astor Mary Astor (born Lucile Vasconcellos Langhanke; May 3, 1906 – September 25, 1987) was an American actress. Although her career spanned several decades, she may be best remembered for her performance as Brigid O'Shaughnessy in '' The Maltese ...

, Phil Harris, Merle Oberon, and

Basil Rathbone Philip St. John Basil Rathbone MC (13 June 1892 – 21 July 1967) was a South African-born English actor. He rose to prominence in the United Kingdom as a Shakespearean stage actor and went on to appear in more than 70 films, primarily costume ...

. Supporting actors, most of whom were regulars on radio, included

Lurene Tuttle Lurene Tuttle (August 29, 1907 – May 28, 1986) was an American actress and acting coach, who made the transition from vaudeville to radio, and later films and television. Her most enduring impact was as one of network radio's more versatile a ...

Janet Waldo Janet Waldo (born Jeanette Marie Waldo; February 4, 1919 – June 12, 2016) was an American radio and voice actress. In animation, she voiced Judy Jetson in various Hanna-Barbera media, Nancy in ''Shazzan'', Penelope Pitstop, Princess from '' ...

, and

Eve McVeagh Eva Elizabeth "Eve" McVeagh (July 15, 1919 – December 10, 1997) was an American actress of film, television, stage, and radio. Her career spanned 52 years from her first stage role through her last stage appearance. Her roles included leading ...

. A 1953 newspaper article commented: "The phenomenal success of the program is due largely to the stars themselves, who like the show's family appeal. More than 50 top name personalities have come back for a second and sometimes third performance." The program's host was Knox Manning.Terrace, Vincent (1981), ''Radio's Golden Years: The Encyclopedia of Radio Programs 1930–1960''. A.S. Barnes & Company, Inc. . p. 250. Announcers were Jim Bannon, Art Gilmore,Alicoate, Jack, Ed. (1949). ''The 1949 Radio Annual''. Radio Daily Corp. pp. 897, 932. Frank Goss,

Marvin Miller Marvin Julian Miller (April 14, 1917 – November 27, 2012) was an American baseball executive who served as the executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) from 1966 to 1982. Under Miller's direction, the players ...

, Art Ballinger,Buxton, Frank and Owen, Bill (1972). ''The Big Broadcast: 1920–1950''. The Viking Press. . pp. 224–225. and Scott Douglas. Producer-directors were Les Mitchel, Paul Pierce, and Don Clark. Music directors were Del Castillo, Rex Koury,Alicoate, Jack, Ed. (1952). ''The 1952 Radio Annual''. Radio Daily Corp. p. 958. and Ivan Ditmars.

References

{{Reflist

External links

Logs

Episodic log of ''Stars over Hollywood'' from Jerry Haendiges Vintage Radio Logs

Episodic log of ''Stars over Hollywood'' from RadioGOLDINdex.

Stories

During ''Stars over Hollywoods time on the air, Radio Mirror magazine published a number of stories based on episodes from the program. The following are links to a few of those stories.
"A New Love Song"

"Emily's Husband"

"Lost Christmas"

"Our Love Was New"

"To Be Really Yours"

Streaming episodes

Episodes of ''Stars over Hollywood'' available via streaming from Internet Archive

Episodes of ''Stars over Hollywood'' available via streaming from Old Time Radio Researchers Library
1940s American radio programs 1950s American radio programs American radio dramas CBS Radio programs Anthology radio series