C A M P B E L L P L A Y H O U S E
--------------- -----------------
1938 - 1940
First Show: Dec 09, 1938 Last Show: Mar 31, 1940
Number Shows: 56 Audition Show: none
Series Description:
At the end of the eighteenth show of THE MERCURY THEATER OF THE AIR,
Orson Welles announced that the Campbell's Soup Company was to
sponsor the series. After four more shows, the series moved from
Sunday to Friday and changed its name to THE CAMPBELL PLAYHOUSE. The
first show of the new series aired December 9, 1938, at 8:00 PM.
The new series retained the hallmarks of the old. Orson Welles was
still active, the shows were still sixty minutes long. Although
some stories were based on classic books, popular movies were also
done. Thanks to Campbell's sponsorship, the listening audience was
treated to 56 shows featuring the genius of Orson Welles.
Log Comments:
Not many vendors seem to carry this series. The Lilly Library at
Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana has the most complete
collection and also has scripts for the shows. Unfortunately, copies
are not available from them.
Chronological Log:
Date Day Num Title Avail
------------ --- --- ------------------------------ -----
Dec 09, 1938 Fri 1 "Rebecca" yes
Dec 16, 1938 Fri 2 "Call It A Day"
Dec 23, 1938 Fri 3 "A Christmas Carol" yes
Dec 30, 1938 Fri 4 "A Farewell To Arms"
Jan 06, 1939 Fri 5 "Counselor At Law" yes
Jan 13, 1939 Fri 6 "Mutiny on the Bounty" yes
Jan 20, 1939 Fri 7 "The Chicken Wagon Family"
Jan 27, 1939 Fri 8 "I Lost My Girlish Laughter" yes
Feb 03, 1939 Fri 9 "Arrowsmith" yes
Feb 10, 1939 Fri 10 "The Green Goddess" yes
Feb 17, 1939 Fri 11 "Burlesque"
Feb 24, 1939 Fri 12 "State Fair"
Mar 03, 1939 Fri 13 "Royal Regiment"
Mar 10, 1939 Fri 14 "The Glass Key" yes
Mar 17, 1939 Fri 15 "Beau Geste" yes
Mar 24, 1939 Fri 16 "Twentieth Century" yes
Mar 31, 1939 Fri 17 "Show Boat" yes
Apr 07, 1939 Fri 18 "Les Miserables"
Apr 14, 1939 Fri 19 "The Patriot"
Apr 21, 1939 Fri 20 "Private Lives" yes
Apr 28, 1939 Fri 21 "Black Daniel"
May 05, 1939 Fri 22 "Wickford Point" yes
May 12, 1939 Fri 23 "Our Town" yes
May 19, 1939 Fri 24 "The Bad Man" yes
May 26, 1939 Fri 25 "American Cavalcade" yes
Subtitled "Things We Have"
Jun 02, 1939 Fri 26 "Victoria Regina yes
... Off for the Summer ...
Sep 10, 1939 Sun 27 "Peter Ibbetson" yes
Sep 17, 1939 Sun 28 "Ah, Wilderness" yes
Sep 24, 1939 Sun 29 "What Every Woman Knows" yes
Oct 01, 1939 Sun 30 "The Count Of Monte Cristo" yes
Oct 08, 1939 Sun 31 "Algiers" yes
Oct 15, 1939 Sun 32 "Escape" yes
Oct 22, 1939 Sun 33 "Lilliom" yes
Oct 29, 1939 Sun 34 "The Magnificent Ambersons" yes
Nov 05, 1939 Sun 35 "The Hurricane" yes
Nov 12, 1939 Sun 36 "The Murder Of Roger Ackroyd" yes
Nov 19, 1939 Sun 37 "The Garden of Allah" yes
Nov 26, 1939 Sun 38 "Dodsworth" yes
Dec 03, 1939 Sun 39 "Lost Horizons" yes
Dec 10, 1939 Sun 40 "Venessa" yes
Dec 17, 1939 Sun 41 "There's Always A Woman" yes
Dec 24, 1939 Sun 42 "A Christmas Carol" yes
Dec 31, 1939 Sun 43 "Come And Get It"
Jan 07, 1940 Sun 44 "Vanity Fair" yes
Jan 14, 1940 Sun 45 "Theodora Goes Wild" yes
Jan 21, 1940 Sun 46 "The Citadel" yes
Jan 28, 1940 Sun 47 "It Happened One Night" yes
Feb 04, 1940 Sun 48 "The Broome Stages" yes
Feb 11, 1940 Sun 49 "Mr. Deeds Goes to Town" yes
Feb 18, 1940 Sun 50 "Dinner at Eight" yes
Feb 25, 1940 Sun 51 "Only Angels Have Wings" yes
Mar 03, 1940 Sun 52 "Rabble In Armes" yes
Mar 10, 1940 Sun 53 "Craig's Wife" yes
Mar 17, 1940 Sun 54 "Huckleberry Finn" yes
Mar 24, 1940 Sun 55 "June Moon" yes
First program before a
live audience.
Mar 31, 1940 Sun 56 "Jane Eyre" yes
(last show)
Alphabetical List:
This list is intended to be used with the chronological list above.
Therefore, not all information from the log above is included in this
list. Note that the date format is year-month-day.
Title Date Num
---------------------------- -------- ---
Ah, Wilderness 39-09-17 28
Algiers 39-10-08 31
American Cavalcade 39-05-26 25
Arrowsmith 39-02-03 9
Bad Man, The 39-05-19 24
Beau Geste 39-03-17 15
Black Daniel 39-04-28 21
Broome Stages, The 40-02-04 48
Burlesque 39-02-17 11
Call It A Day 38-12-16 2
Chicken Wagon Family, The 39-01-20 7
Christmas Carol, A 38-12-23 3
Christmas Carol, A 39-12-24 42
Citadel, The 40-01-21 46
Come And Get It 39-12-31 43
Counselor At Law 39-01-06 5
Count Of Monte Cristo, The 39-10-01 30
Craig's Wife 40-03-10 53
Dinner at Eight 40-02-18 50
Dodsworth 39-11-26 38
Escape 39-10-15 32
Farewell To Arms, A 38-12-30 4
Garden of Allah, The 39-11-19 37
Glass Key, The 39-03-10 14
Green Goddess, The 39-02-10 10
Huckleberry Finn 40-03-17 54
Hurricane, The 39-11-05 35
I Lost My Girlish Laughter 39-01-27 8
It Happened One Night 40-01-28 47
Jane Eyre 40-03-31 56
June Moon 40-03-24 55
Les Miserables 39-04-07 18
Lilliom 39-10-22 33
Lost Horizons 39-12-03 39
Magnificent Ambersons, The 39-10-29 34
Mr. Deeds Goes to Town 40-02-11 49
Murder Of Roger Ackroyd, The 39-11-12 36
Mutiny on the Bounty 39-01-13 6
Only Angels Have Wings 40-02-25 51
Our Town 39-05-12 23
Patriot, The 39-04-14 19
Peter Ibbetson 39-09-10 27
Private Lives 39-04-21 20
Rabble In Armes 40-03-03 52
Rebecca 38-12-09 1
Royal Regiment 39-03-03 13
Show Boat 39-03-31 17
State Fair 39-02-24 12
Theodora Goes Wild 40-01-14 45
There's Always A Woman 39-12-17 41
Things We Have 39-05-26 25
Twentieth Century 39-03-24 16
Vanity Fair 40-01-07 44
Venessa 39-12-10 40
Victoria Regina 39-06-02 26
What Every Woman Knows 39-09-24 29
Wickford Point 39-05-05 22
References:
* "The Ultimate History of Network Radio Programming and Guide To All
Circulating Shows", by Jay Hickerson, Box 4321, Hamden, CT 06514
* Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana. Lilly Library web site
(http://www.indiana.edu).
* OTR club and vendor catalogs or web sites:
* Radio Showcase, Steve Kelez, PO Box 4357, Santa Rosa, CA 95402
* Radio Historical Association of Colorado, PO Box 1908, Englewood,
CO 80150
* Crabapple Sound, Henry Hinkel, 254 Florida Ave., Amsterdam, NY
12010
* Great American Radio, Gary Kramer, PO Box 504, Genesee, MI 48437
* Jerry Haendiges Productions, Jerry Haendiges, 13808 Sunset Dr.,
Whittier, CA 90602
* Radio Memories, Ted Davenport, 1600 Wewoka St., North Little Rock,
AR 72116
Other Logs or Books:
* MERCURY THEATER OF THE AIR log, Jay Hickerson, Box 4321, Hamden, CT
06514 (includes Campbell Playhouse)
* CAMPBELL PLAYHOUSE log, Jerry Haendiges Productions, 13808 Sunset
Dr., Whittier, CA 90602 (http://www.otrsite.com)
* "This Is Orson Welles" by Orson Welles, Peter Bogdanovich, Jonathan
Rosenbaum (Editor), 1992, revised 1998, Da Capo Press, ISBN:
030680834X
Reader Feedback:
* John B. White, Jr. sent correct titles for May 5, 1939 and May 26,
1939 based on information in "This Is Orson Welles", a book of
interviews with Welles (see "Other Logs or Books" section above).
Last Update: May 20, 2004
This log is informational only. It does not imply that I or my
references have these shows for trade or sale. The shows may still
be protected under copyright law and should be obtained only from
authorized dealers.
The log may be freely reproduced and published on a no-profit basis.
Please send error corrections or additional information to Frank M.
Passage, 109 Elmwood Road, Verona, NJ 07044 (email: wb2ntp@arrl.net).