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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. SchedulesThe table below shows the program's varied schedules and sponsors during its time on network radio.
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] Acclaimed drummer Viola Smith joined as the group's drummer in 1942, replacing Mary McClanahan. 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 receptionThe 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 broadcastsIn 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
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