Blackstone Plantation
{{Short description|1929-1934 old-time radio musical variety program}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox radio show
| show_name = Blackstone Plantation
| image = Julia Sanderson Frank Crumit Columbia Radio Playhouse 1935.jpg
| imagesize = 250px
| caption = Julia Sanderson and Frank Crumit starred in Blackstone Plantation.
| other_names =
| format =
| runtime =
| country = United States
| language = English
| home_station =
| syndicates =
| television =
| presenter =
| starring = Frank Crumit
Julia Sanderson
| announcer = Ed Herlihy
| creator =
| writer =
| director =
| senior_editor =
| editor =
| producer = Frank Vallan
| exec_producer =
| narrated =
| rec_location =
| rem_location =
| oth_location =
| first_aired = 1929
| last_aired = January 2, 1934
| num_series =
| num_episodes =
| audio_format =
| opentheme =
| othertheme =
| endtheme =
| sponsor =
| website =
| podcast =
}}
Blackstone Plantation is an old-time radio musical variety program in the United States. It was broadcast on CBS (1929–1930) and on NBC (1930–1934).{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Fi5wPDBiGfMC&dq=%22Blackstone+Plantation,+musical%22&pg=PA96 |last=Dunning |first=John |author-link=John Dunning (detective fiction author) |title=On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio |date=1998 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=New York, NY |isbn=978-0-19-507678-3 |page=96 |edition=Revised |access-date=2019-10-15}} The program was one of NBC's top-rated programs in 1932.{{cite news|title=A Chronicle of Popular Programs|url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/51-OCR/1951-11-26-BC-OCR-Page-0062.pdf|accessdate=25 November 2016|work=Broadcasting|date=November 26, 1951|page=62}}
Personnel
Frank Crumit and Julia Sanderson, a husband-and-wife team{{cite news|title=(untitled brief)|url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/75-OCR/1975-02-03-BC-OCR-Page-0071.pdf|accessdate=25 November 2016|work=Broadcasting|date=February 3, 1975|page=71}} who had been headliners in vaudeville,{{cite book|last1=Slide|first1=Anthony|title=New York City Vaudeville|date=2006|publisher=Arcadia Publishing|isbn=9780738545622|page=61|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YNc9VRnnP_MC&q=%22Blackstone+Plantation%22+radio&pg=PA61|accessdate=24 November 2016|language=en}} were hosts for the show. Alfred Swenson played Captain Blackstone, Santos Ortega played Don Rodrigo, and Ted de Corsia played Don Philippe.{{cite book|editor-last1=Key|editor-first1=Pierre V.R. |title=Pierre Key's Radio Annual|date=1933|publisher=Pierre Key Publishing Corporation|page=218|url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Annuals/Archive-Radio-Annual-IDX/30s/1933/Keyes-Annual-1933-OCR-Page-0229.pdf|accessdate=25 November 2016}} The program also featured guest stars such as Lanny Ross{{cite book|last1=Cox|first1=Jim|title=Musicmakers of Network Radio: 24 Entertainers, 1926–1962|date=2012|publisher=McFarland|isbn=9780786489626|page=262|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aYuyvt7VR2sC&q=%22Blackstone+Plantation%22+radio&pg=PA262|accessdate=24 November 2016|language=en}} and Parker Fennelly.{{cite news|title=The Radio Parade|url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/Archive-Radioland-IDX/IDX/Radioland-1934-01-OCR-Page-0008.pdf|accessdate=25 November 2016|work=Radioland|date=January 1934|page=8}}
Ed Herlihy was the program's announcer,{{cite book|last1=Cusick|first1=Fred|title=Fred Cusick: Voice of the Bruins|date=2006|publisher=Sports Publishing LLC|isbn=9781582619811|page=29|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zGOkrNrrOfwC&q=%22Blackstone+Plantation%22+radio&pg=PA29|accessdate=25 November 2016|language=en}} and Jack Shilkret's orchestra provided music.
Frank Vallan was the producer when the program was on CBS.{{cite news|last1=Jackson|first1=Earle|title=out of the east|url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/Archive-Radio-Doings-IDX/IDX/Radio-Doings-1931-05-OCR-Page-0022.pdf|accessdate=25 November 2016|work=Radio Doings|date=May 1931|page=22}}
Format
The book Vaudeville old & new: an encyclopedia of variety performances in America summarized the program as follows: "The two stars sang and exchanged banter. Music and gab with guests in their breezy and humorous style characterized their programs."{{cite book|title=Vaudeville old & new: an encyclopedia of variety performances in America|year=2007|publisher=Psychology Press|isbn=9780415938532|page=284|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XFnfnKg6BcAC&q=%22Blackstone+Plantation%22+radio&pg=PA284|accessdate=25 November 2016|language=en}} The show was sponsored by Blackstone cigars.Terrace, Vincent (1999). Radio Programs, 1924–1984: A Catalog of More Than 1800 Shows. McFarland & Company, Inc. {{ISBN|978-0-7864-4513-4}}. P. 44.
{{Portal|Radio|1920s}}