Lassie (radio program)

Lassie
Pal as Lassie (1942)
GenreJuvenile adventure
Running time15 minutes
Country of originUnited States
Language(s)English
SyndicatesABC
NBC
StarringPal
AnnouncerCharlie Lyon
Written byHarry Stewart
Directed byHobart Donovan
Produced byFrank Ferrin
Narrated byRudd Weatherwax
Original releaseJune 8, 1947 (1947-06-08) –
May 27, 1950 (1950-05-27)

Lassie is an American old-time radio juvenile adventure program. It was broadcast on ABC from June 8, 1947 until May 30, 1948, and on NBC from June 5, 1948, until May 27, 1950.[1]

Format

Although the program was titled Lassie, the dog's name varied from episode to episode because she wandered from place to place helping both people and animals, and the people the canine encountered used various names.[2] Episodes of the show captured the essence of Eric Knight's book, Lassie Come-Home.[3]

The sponsor was Red Heart Dog Food.[4]

Personnel

Lassie was portrayed by Pal, the male dog that played Lassie in early films about the canine character.[3] Trainer Rudd Weatherwax[5] cued him to whine, bark, and pant at appropriate times. Additional sounds for Lassie and other dogs were provided by Earl Keen, an animal imitator.[1]

Weatherwax narrated the program,[4] and Charlie Lyon was the announcer. John Duffy was the organist. Frank Ferrin, Harry Stewart, and Hobart Donovan were producer, director, and writer, respectively.[1]

Critical response

A review of the initial NBC episode in the trade publication Variety said that the show was "nicely produced ... and scripted okay".[6] The review said that the show "should interest lovers of dogs if the constant hammering for the product can be toned down."[6]

References

  1. ^ a b c Dunning, John (1998). On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio (Revised ed.). New York, NY: Oxford University Press. p. 389. ISBN 978-0-19-507678-3. Retrieved 2019-11-09.
  2. ^ Terrace, Vincent (1999). Radio Programs, 1924-1984: A Catalog of More Than 1800 Shows. McFarland & Company, Inc. p. 192. ISBN 978-0-7864-4513-4.
  3. ^ a b Coren, Stanley (2011). Born to Bark: My Adventures with an Irrepressible and Unforgettable Dog. Simon and Schuster. p. 8. ISBN 9781439189214. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  4. ^ a b "No Stand-in" (PDF). Broadcasting. May 12, 1947. p. 92. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  5. ^ Paietta, Ann Catherine; Kauppila, Jean L. (1994). Animals on Screen and Radio: An Annotated Sourcebook. Scarecrow Press. p. 323. ISBN 9780810829398. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  6. ^ a b "The Lassie Show". Variety. June 9, 1948. p. 36. Retrieved January 20, 2024.

Logs

Streaming