Backstage Wife
Encyclopedia
Backstage Wife is an American soap opera
radio program that details the travails of Mary Noble, a girl from a small town in Iowa who came to New York seeking her future.
Vivian Fridell had the title role from 1935 until the early 1940s. It was then taken over by Claire Niesen, who continued as Mary Noble until the end of the series. Mary's husband, Larry Noble, was portrayed by Ken Griffin, then James Meighan and finally, Guy Sorel. The music was supplied by organist Chet Kingsbury.
Each episode opened with the announcer (Pierre Andre, Roger Krupp, Stuart V. Dawson) explaining:
, who produced many radio daytime drama series, including Amanda of Honeymoon Hill
, Front Page Farrell, John’s Other Wife, Little Orphan Annie
, Ma Perkins
, Mr. Chameleon, Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons
and Our Gal Sunday.
Backstage Wife debuted August 5, 1935 on the Mutual Broadcasting System
, continued on NBC
and concluded January 2, 1959 on CBS
. The sponsors included Dr. Lyons Tooth Powder and Procter & Gamble
.
The program was parodied by Bob and Ray
as their continuing satirical soap opera, Mary Backstayge, Noble Wife, serialized for such a long period of time that it became better known to many listeners than the show it lampooned. Ray Goulding played Mary Backstayge, playwright Gregg Marlowe and other characters, while Bob Elliott portrayed Harry Backstayge and stage doorman Pop Beloved.
In Hogan's Heroes, season one, episode 23 ("The 43rd, A Moving Story"), Colonel Robert E. Hogan and Kinch find out from their secret radio that the bank is going to foreclose on Mary Noble, Backstage Wife.
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
radio program that details the travails of Mary Noble, a girl from a small town in Iowa who came to New York seeking her future.
Vivian Fridell had the title role from 1935 until the early 1940s. It was then taken over by Claire Niesen, who continued as Mary Noble until the end of the series. Mary's husband, Larry Noble, was portrayed by Ken Griffin, then James Meighan and finally, Guy Sorel. The music was supplied by organist Chet Kingsbury.
Each episode opened with the announcer (Pierre Andre, Roger Krupp, Stuart V. Dawson) explaining:
- Now, we present once again, Backstage Wife, the story of Mary Noble, a little Iowa girl who married one of America's most handsome actors, Larry Noble, matinée idol of a million other women — the story of what it means to be the wife of a famous star.
Production
The show was created by Frank and Anne HummertAnne Hummert
Anne Hummert was the leading creator of daytime radio serials during the 1930s and 1940s, responsible for more than three dozen drama series....
, who produced many radio daytime drama series, including Amanda of Honeymoon Hill
Amanda of Honeymoon Hill
Amanda of Honeymoon Hill was a 15-minute daily radio soap opera produced by Frank and Anne Hummert. Broadway actress Joy Hathaway had the title role, sometimes described as "the beauty of flaming red hair." The series was broadcast from February 5, 1940 until April 26, 1946, initially on the Blue...
, Front Page Farrell, John’s Other Wife, Little Orphan Annie
Little Orphan Annie
Little Orphan Annie was a daily American comic strip created by Harold Gray and syndicated by Tribune Media Services. The strip took its name from the 1885 poem "Little Orphant Annie" by James Whitcomb Riley, and made its debut on August 5, 1924 in the New York Daily News...
, Ma Perkins
Ma Perkins
Ma Perkins is an American radio soap opera which was heard on NBC from 1933 to 1949 and on CBS from 1942 to 1960. Between 1942 and 1949, the show was heard simultaneously on both networks...
, Mr. Chameleon, Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons
Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons
Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons was one of radio's longest running shows, airing , continuing well into the television era. It was produced by Frank and Anne Hummert...
and Our Gal Sunday.
Backstage Wife debuted August 5, 1935 on the Mutual Broadcasting System
Mutual Broadcasting System
The Mutual Broadcasting System was an American radio network, in operation from 1934 to 1999. In the golden age of U.S. radio drama, MBS was best known as the original network home of The Lone Ranger and The Adventures of Superman and as the long-time radio residence of The Shadow...
, continued on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
and concluded January 2, 1959 on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
. The sponsors included Dr. Lyons Tooth Powder and Procter & Gamble
Procter & Gamble
Procter & Gamble is a Fortune 500 American multinational corporation headquartered in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio and manufactures a wide range of consumer goods....
.
Broadcast history
- August 5, 1935–March 27, 1936, MBS, 9:45 a.m. ET
- March 30–June 26, 1936, NBC Blue, 4:15 p.m.
- 1936–1938, NBC Blue, 11:15 a.m.
- 1938–July 1, 1955, NBC, 4 p.m.
- July 4, 1955–January 2, 1959, CBS, 12:15 p.m.
In popular culture
Bob and Ray
Bob Elliott and Ray Goulding were an American comedy team whose career spanned five decades. Their format was typically to satirize the medium in which they were performing, such as conducting radio or television interviews, with off-the-wall dialogue presented in a generally deadpan style as...
as their continuing satirical soap opera, Mary Backstayge, Noble Wife, serialized for such a long period of time that it became better known to many listeners than the show it lampooned. Ray Goulding played Mary Backstayge, playwright Gregg Marlowe and other characters, while Bob Elliott portrayed Harry Backstayge and stage doorman Pop Beloved.
In Hogan's Heroes, season one, episode 23 ("The 43rd, A Moving Story"), Colonel Robert E. Hogan and Kinch find out from their secret radio that the bank is going to foreclose on Mary Noble, Backstage Wife.