A salute to radio, in which many radio stars are paraded on stage,
some of whom play a brief Secret, but most of whom do not.
The show
opening is provided by Westbrook Van Voorhis, the voice of The March of Time, a longtime radio news program sponsored by Time
Magazine.
A “Mr. X” is Arthur Tracy, who was ‘The Street Singer’ on
radio. He performs his theme song, "Marta,
Rambling Rose of the Wildwood." The panel then tries to identify other radio theme
songs.
Adele Ronson, who was John’s
Other Wife in the radio series of that name, plays a brief game, followed
by appearances from soap stars Julie Stevens of The Romance of Helen Trent and Virginia Payne of Ma Perkins. Both Trent and Perkins were still being produced. Both would continue until 1960, two of the
last vestiges of radio drama.
CBS sound effects men Orville White (part of the Secret staff) and Jerry McCarty recreate sounds associated with specific radio shows, and the
panel tries to identify them.
News Commentator H.V. Kaltenborn plays a brief game claiming, “I
had the first quiz show on radio” in 1923
.
The show is not identified, but since 1923 predates network
broadcasting, it would have been a local series.
Panelists try to recognize voices of guests who are in the studio:
Jay Jostyn of Mr. District
Attorney.
Pat Barrett of Uncle Ezra’s
Radio Station. Barrett’s wife Nora
Cuneen, who played Cecilia, is seen but not heard.
John J. Anthony, whom the show identifies as being from The Court of Human Relations, though he
actually hosted a different human-interest show called The Good Will Hour.
Parker Fennelly, who played Titus Moody on Fred Allen’s radio
show. Fennelly’s distinctive New England
accent would later be heard on television for two decades in commercials for
Pepperidge Farm.
The show ends with the panel trying to recognize two taped voices
of performers no longer living, Major Bowes of the Major Bowes Amateur Hour and comic Joe Penner, heard here saying
one of his many catch phrases, “Wanna buy a duck?”
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