Stars over Hollywood
{{Short description|American radio anthology series (1941–1954)}}
{{for|the television program|Stars Over Hollywood}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox radio show
| show_name = Stars over Hollywood
| image =
| imagesize =
| caption =
| other_names =
| format = Anthology
| runtime = 30 minutes
| country = United States
| language = English
| home_station =
| syndicates = CBS
| television =
| presenter =
| starring = Numerous Hollywood stars
| announcer = Jim Bannon
Frank Goss
Art Gilmore
Marvin Miller
Scott Douglas
| creator =
| writer =
| director = Paul Pierce
Les Mitchel
Don Clark
| senior_editor =
| editor =
| producer = Paul Pierce
Les Mitchel
Don Clark
| exec_producer =
| narrated =
| rec_location =
| rem_location =
| oth_location =
| first_aired = May 31, 1941
| last_aired = September 25, 1954
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| opentheme = Chopin Etude No. 3{{cite news|last1=Luther|first1=Paul|title=Inside Radio|newspaper=Cumberland Evening Times |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/2079178/inside_radio_050647/|agency=Cumberland Evening Times|date=May 6, 1947|page=5|via = Newspapers.com|accessdate = March 27, 2015}} {{Open access}}
| othertheme =
| endtheme =
| sponsor = Dari-Rich Armour and Co.
}}
Stars over Hollywood is a radio anthology in the United States. It was broadcast on CBS from May 31, 1941, to September 25, 1954, sponsored first by Dari-Rich, Carnation Milk and later by Armour and Company.{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EwtRbXNca0oC&dq=%22Stars+Over+Hollywood,+dramatic%22&pg=PA634 | 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| pages=634–635| edition=Revised| access-date=2019-09-24}} (Note: This program should not be confused with Stars over Hollywood, a 15-minute dramatic serial, produced via electrical transcription by C. P. MacGregor Electrical Transcriptions.){{cite news|title=(list entry)|url=https://archive.org/stream/radioshowmanship03radi#page/n315/mode/1up|accessdate=16 December 2014|agency=Radio Showmanship|date=September 1942}}
Format
Comedies and light romances were typical episodes for Stars over Hollywood. The presentations were "casual and relaxed ... but the performances were very professional."Reinehr, Robert C. and Swartz, Jon D. (2008). The A to Z of Old-Time Radio. Scarecrow Press, Inc. {{ISBN|978-0-8108-7616-3}}. p. 244. Each of the program's scripts was original.{{cite news|title=The Week in Review|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=707&dat=19530507&id=jrVNAAAAIBAJ&sjid=UUQDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4138,834990|accessdate=16 December 2014|agency=The Sherbrooke Telegram|date=May 7, 1953}}
The show's success surprised many doubters, who thought that audiences would not listen to this type of broadcast on Saturday mornings, a time that has been described as "the ghetto of the schedule."Dunning, John. (1976). Tune in Yesterday: The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio, 1925–1976. Prentice-Hall, Inc. {{ISBN|0-13-932616-2}}. pp. 567–68. The program lasted 13 years at the same time (12:30 pm, Eastern Time). Following the lead of Stars over Hollywood, other dramas, such as Armstrong Theater of Today and Grand Central Station, found success on Saturdays.
Personnel
As the title implies, the program featured "major Hollywood stars." As an anthology, Stars over Hollywood had no recurring cast. A 1943 newspaper ad promised, "Each week you'll find a Hollywood star in the leading role of a new story."{{cite news|title=WGAN ad|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1913&dat=19431023&id=hfYpAAAAIBAJ&sjid=JmcFAAAAIBAJ&pg=4017,1667418|accessdate=16 December 2014|agency=Lewiston Evening Journal|date=October 23, 1943}}
Actors and actresses who appeared in leading roles during the program's run included Alan Ladd, Anita Louise, Mary Astor, Phil Harris, Merle Oberon, and Basil Rathbone. Supporting actors, most of whom were regulars on radio, included Lurene Tuttle, Janet Waldo, and Eve McVeagh. A 1953 newspaper article commented: "The phenomenal success of the program is due largely to the stars themselves, who like the show's family appeal. More than 50 top name personalities have come back for a second and sometimes third performance."
The program's host was Knox Manning.Terrace, Vincent (1981), Radio's Golden Years: The Encyclopedia of Radio Programs 1930–1960. A.S. Barnes & Company, Inc. {{ISBN|0-498-02393-1}}. p. 250. Announcers were Jim Bannon, Art Gilmore,Alicoate, Jack, Ed. (1949). The 1949 Radio Annual. Radio Daily Corp. pp. 897, 932. Frank Goss, Marvin Miller, Art Ballinger,Buxton, Frank and Owen, Bill (1972). The Big Broadcast: 1920–1950. The Viking Press. {{ISBN|0-670-16240-X}}. pp. 224–225. and Scott Douglas.Alicoate, Jack, Ed. (1953). The 1953 Radio Annual. Radio Daily Corp. p. 1089. Producer-directors were Les Mitchel, Paul Pierce, and Don Clark.Alicoate, Jack, Ed. (1954). The 1954 Radio Annual. Radio Daily Corp. Music directors were Del Castillo, Rex Koury,Alicoate, Jack, Ed. (1952). The 1952 Radio Annual. Radio Daily Corp. p. 958. and Ivan Ditmars.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
=Logs=
- [http://www.otrsite.com/logs/logs1025.htm Episodic log of Stars over Hollywood from Jerry Haendiges Vintage Radio Logs]
- [https://radiogoldin.library.umkc.edu/Home/RadioGoldin_Records?searchString=Stars%20Over%20Hollywood&type=Programs Episodic log of Stars over Hollywood from RadioGOLDINdex.]
=Stories=
During Stars over Hollywood's time on the air, Radio Mirror magazine published a number of stories based on episodes from the program. The following are links to a few of those stories.
- [https://archive.org/stream/radiomir0mac#page/n135/mode/2up "A New Love Song"]
- [https://archive.org/stream/radiomirro00mac#page/n45/mode/2up "Emily's Husband"]
- [https://archive.org/stream/radiomirro00mac#page/n19/mode/2up "Lost Christmas"]
- [https://archive.org/stream/radiomirro00mac#page/n113/mode/2up "Our Love Was New"]
- [https://archive.org/stream/radiomirr00mac#page/n633/mode/2up "To Be Really Yours"]
=Streaming episodes=
- [https://archive.org/details/StarsOverHollywood Episodes of Stars over Hollywood available via streaming from Internet Archive]
- [http://otrrlibrary.org/OTRRLib/Library%20Files/S%20Series/Stars%20Over%20Hollywood/ Episodes of Stars over Hollywood available via streaming from Old Time Radio Researchers Library]
Category:1940s American radio programs
Category:1950s American radio programs