The Second Mrs. Burton is an American radio soap opera, broadcast daily five days a week on CBS Radio from January 7, 1946, to November 25, 1960. It was the final serial broadcast on a national radio network, after The Right to Happiness, Ma Perkins, and Young Doctor Malone.[5]
| Genre | Daytime daily serial |
|---|---|
| Running time | 15 minutes |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Language(s) | English |
| Syndicates | CBS Radio |
| Starring | Sharon Douglas (1941–43) Claire Niesen (1946–47) Patsy Campbell (1947–55) Jan Miner (1955–57) Teri Keane (1957–60) Dwight Weist (1946–60) |
| Announcer | Hugh James Harry Clark Warren Sweeney |
| Written by | John M. Young (1946–47) Martha Alexander (1947) Priscilla Kent (1948–52) Hector Chevigny(1952–60) Johanna Johnston(1960)[1] |
| Original release | January 7, 1946 – November 25, 1960 |
| No. of episodes | 3823[2] |
| Sponsored by | General Foods[3] Armour and Company[4] |
Plot
editThe three main characters of the show were the wealthy Stan Burton, his mother, and his wife Terry (the second Mrs. Burton of the show's title). The action was driven by the Burtons' interactions with their extended family, neighbors, and church. It was one of the first radio shows to openly address the topic of divorce and remarriage.
Cast
edit- Terry Burton—Sharon Douglas, Claire Niesen, Patsy Campbell, Jan Miner,[4] Teri Keane
- Stan Burton—Gale Gordon, Gary Merrill,[6] Dwight Weist
- Mother Burton—Evelyn Varden, Charme Allen, Ethel Owen
- Marian Burton Sullivan—Anne Stone, Joan Alexander, Cathleen Cordell
- Brad Burton—Dix Davis, Karl Weber, Ben Cooper, Larry Robinson
- Marcia Burton Archer—Alice Frost
- Lew Archer—Larry Haines
- Lillian Anderson—Elspeth Eric
- Jim Anderson—King Calder
- Reverend Cornwell—Bartlett Robinson
- Don Cornwell—Robert Readick
Production
editThe Second Mrs. Burton originally aired between 1941 and 1943 on CBS West Coast stations (airing as early as 7 February 1941),[7] written by John M. Young, and featuring Sharon Douglas, Gale Gordon, and Ann Stone.[8] The series premiered nationally in 1946, again written by John M. Young,[1] and starring Claire Niesen and Gary Merrill.[9] In March 1946, Dwight Weist replaced Merrill as the voice of Stan Burton, and would continue in the role until the end of the series.[6] Patsy Campbell joined the series as Stan's sister "Louisa" in late January 1946,[10] eventually taking over the leading role of Terry Burton from Niesen in October 1947 "due to a change in characterization" by new writer, Martha Alexander[11][12]
References
edit- ^ a b Ellett, Ryan (3 November 2017). Radio Drama and Comedy Writers, 1928—1962. McFarland. p. 110. ISBN 978-1-4766-2980-3.
- ^ Taishoff, Sol, ed. (28 November 1960). "Life will have to go on without Ma Perksins" (PDF). Broadcasting. Vol. 60, no. 53. Washington, DC: Broadcasting Publications, Inc. p. 68.
- ^ LaGuardia, Robert (1993). Soap World. New York, NY: Arbor House. p. 371. ISBN 0-87795-482-8 – via Internet Archive.
- ^ a b Dunning, John (7 May 1998). On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio. Oxford University Press. p. 604. ISBN 978-0-19-977078-6.
- ^ Cox, Jim (14 June 2015). The Great Radio Soap Operas. McFarland. pp. 221–228. ISBN 978-1-4766-0414-5.
- ^ a b Stackpole, Albert H., ed. (30 March 1946). "Jane Lawrence to Be Melton Guest On 'Star Theatre'". Harrisburg Telegraph. Vol. 106, no. 73. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: The Telegraph Press. p. 19 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Danson, Tom E. (6 February 1941). "Dial-o-logue". Wilmington Press. Vol. 15, no. 31. Wilmington, CA. p. 16 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Taishoff, Sol, ed. (29 December 1941). "General Foods Shift" (PDF). Broadcasting and Broadcast Advertising. Vol. 21, no. 26. Washington, DC: Broadcasting Publications, Inc. p. 29 – via American Radio History.
- ^ Hilton, Chuck (4 January 1946). "On the Beam". Mason City Globe-Gazette. Vol. 52, no. 75. Mason City, Iowa: Globe-Gazette Publishing Co. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Steinhauser, Si (30 January 1946). "Finale of March of Dimes on All Stations". The Pittsburgh Press. Vol. 62, no. 217. Pittsburgh, PA: Pittsburgh Press Co. p. 29 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Mrs. Burton". Harrisburg Telegraph. Vol. 117, no. 241. Harrisburg, PA: The Telegraph PRess. 11 October 1947. p. 17 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Knight, C. L., ed. (29 August 1947). "Bee's Bits". The Akron Beacon Journal. Vol. 108, no. 266 (Final ed.). Akron, Ohio: Beacon Journal Publishing Co. p. 27 – via Newspapers.com.
External links
edit- The Second Mrs. Burton radio scripts (1952–1960) at the New York Public Library Archive
- The Second Mrs. Burton radio scripts (1946–1947) at the Cornell University Library