WE TAKE YOUR WORD

by Martin Grams, Jr.

The series of discussions presented the origin of words. There were four panelists for each broadcast, three regulars and one guest "word master," almost  always a female (there were a few exceptions). The reason for the weekly guest being a female was to add a "female element" to the discussions. For the first two broadcasts, Don Hollenbeck, Abe Burrows and Dr. Lyman Bryson were the  regular panelists. Beginning with episode three, John K.M. McCaffrey took over  Don Hollenbeck's seat on the panel discussions as the moderator, and these three stayed with the program until the very end. We Take Your Word was broadcast on television from April of 1950 to March of 1951, which means the radio program outlived the television version! Sixty-three episodes were broadcast.

For any curious parties, in May of 1940, Invitation to Learning premiered over CBS, and the first two broadcasts were entitled We Take Your Word. Although that program dealt with the intellectual side of our written civilization, this series bore no relation to the two broadcasts of May 1940. (Just wanted to make sure that was clear.)

Episodes 1 to 21 was broadcast Sunday evening from 10:30 to 11 p.m., EST.
Episodes 22 to 25 was broadcast Sunday evening from 9 to 9:30 p.m., EST.
Episodes 26 to 63 was broadcast Friday evenings from 10 to 10:30 p.m., EST.
(1/29/50) Faye Emerson
(2/5/50) Faye Emerson
(2/19/50) no guest known, and there was no broadcast on February 12.
(2/26/50) Meg Mundy
(3/5/50) Jan Struthers
(3/12/50) Faye Emerson
(3/19/50) Lois Wheeler
(3/26/50) author Emily Kimbrough
(4/2/50) Vicki Cummings
(4/9/50) Cornelia Otis Skinner
(4/16/50) no guest known
(4/23/50) no guest known
(4/30/50) Eva La Gallienne
(5/7/50) Jan Struthers, author of Mrs. Miniver
(5/14/50) Harriet Van Horne
(5/21/50) Jan Struthers
(5/28/50) Faye Emerson
(6/4/50) Harriet Van Horne
(6/11/50) Faye Emerson
(6/18/50) Hiram Sherman
(6/25/50) Sylvia Sidney
(7/2/50) Margie Hart
(7/9/50) Agnes Rogers
(7/16/50) Cornelia Otis Skinner, co-author of Our Hearts Were Young and Gay
(7/23/50) Jan Struthers
(9/22/50) Ilka Chase
(10/6/50) Emily Kimbrough
(10/13/50) singer Jeannette MacDonald
(10/20/50) Jan Struthers
(11/10/50) Anna Lee
(11/17/50) Jan Struthers
(11/24/50) Ilka Chase
(12/1/50) Jan Struthers
(12/8/50) Vicki Cummings
(12/15/50) Jan Struthers
(12/22/50) Emily Kimbrough
(12/29/50) Jan Struthers
(1/5/51) Harriet Van Horne and John Faulk
(1/12/51) Jan Struthers
(1/19/51) Anna Lee
(1/26/51) Faye Emerson
(2/2/51) Jan Struthers
(2/9/51) Wendy Barrie
(2/16/51) Jan Struthers
(2/23/51) Harriet Van Horne
(3/2/51) Anna Lee
(3/9/51) Anna Lee
(3/16/51) Jan Struthers
(3/23/51) Kitty Carlisle
(3/30/51) David L. Cohn
(4/6/51) Anna Lee
(4/13/51) Jan Struthers
(4/20/51) Emily Kimbrough
(4/27/51) Jan Struthers
(5/4/51) Mary Orr
(5/11/51) Jan Struthers
(5/18/51) Ethel Barrymore Colt
(5/25/51) Jan Struthers
(6/1/51) Margaret Ernst
(6/8/51) Jan Struthers (6/15/51) Harriet Van Horne
(6/22/51) Jan Struthers and Max Shulman
(6/29/51) Jan Struthers and Basil Davenport

Martin Grams, Jr. is the author and co-author of many books about old-time radio, television and movies including Inner Sanctum Mysteries: Behind the Creaking Door, The Alfred Hitchcock Presents Companion and Invitation to Learning.