Radio In Review

 By JOHN CROSBY

 Ronnie And Benita

 IN "HALLS OF IVY", a brand new NBC radio program (8 p.m. Fridays), a couple of old pros make it look as easy as does Joe DiMaggio in center field.

(Copyright, 1950, New York Tribune)

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To those of you who've read many of Mr. Crosby's reviews that we've reprinted in these articles, it would appear, by comparison, that John Crosby is conferring no less than the Nobel Prize for Radio on The Halls of Ivy. And then we have this, from the February 28, 1951 edition of the Olean Times Journal, upon the second season of The Halls of Ivy:

HOLLYWOOD, Calif .—Ronald Colman, who's turning into a pretty good radio comedian these days, is sneaking something else in between the laughs.
     His listeners don't know it, but they get a lesson in democracy every time they tune in to "The Halls of Ivy." It's mostly Don Quinn's idea. Quinn, who also writes ''Fibber McGee and Molly," turns Colman into a college' president once a week, and moves him from crisis to crisis. And the way be does it has everybody, from radio critics to real-life college presidents, sending in fan letters. "Ivy" has even been nominated for the Peabody Award, one of the highest honors in radio.
     Stands a good chance of winning, too. Because this is one of the few times in radio a program sells high ideals and gets yaks doing it.
     Colman and Quinn wade right into the "untouchables." They took a swing at racial prejudice when a Chinese honor student tried to leave college because of intolerant classmates.
     On another show, Colman turned down a half-million dollar endowment when the lady donor refused to provide scholarships for certain races and creeds.
     "This school was founded on a concept of personal freedom and individual integrity," Colman said in a little speech. "And that is not for sale . . . Not even for $500,000.
     "The Constitution of the U. S. must not be used to wrap up such a shoddy bargain."
     Then there was the time the college paper blasted the UN for getting into so many brawls.
     "Politically, there is nothing healthier than violent argument and debate," Colman said. "It will be the absence of noisy discussion which should worry us. That's when the shoddy deals are being made in the back room.
     "I welcome any attempt whatsoever to bring reason and good will into international argument. At this time the UN is that attempt. Therefore, I am in favor of it."
     This is pretty deep stuff for a popular radio show. But Colman and Quinn have their listeners eating it up. Maybe because they break up the speeches with gags like this:
     "The dangerous age for men is from their first long pants to their last short breath."

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Disclaimer and superlatives alert:

The authors of this article are unabashed admirers of this entire production, from its leading performers to its writers, supporting casts and technicians.

Let's get this out of the way right up front: The Halls of Ivy was, is, and will always be pure Radio magic. Indeed, if anything was 'too good for Radio'--even Golden Age Radio--it was The Halls of Ivy. The concept, the writing, the casting, the production and indeed, virtually every detail of this remarkable Radio series represented, arguably, the brightest moment of the waning days of The Golden Age of Radio:

• The leading performers: Ronald Colman and Benita Hume [Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Colman] were unquestionably the perfect choice of leading performers for this series.
• The writing staff: Don Quinn and his staff of some of the finest writers in Radio history, including Lawrence and Lee, Barbara and Milton Merlin, Walter B. Newman, and Hector Chevigny.
• The ensemble cast: Gale Gordon, Herb Butterfield, Willard Waterman, James Gleason, Gloria Gordon, Elizabeth Patterson, Arthur Q. Bryan, Alan Reed, Lee Patrick and Barton Yarborough
• The supporting casts: William Conrad, Barbara Jean Wong, Robert Easton, William Johnstone, Cliff Arquette, Joe Kearns, Ken Christy, Sam Edwards, Sheldon Leonard, Virginia Gregg, Bea Benaderet, Bill Irwin, Jeanne Bates, Elliot Lewis and Jane Morgan
• Music direction and composition: Henry Russell and Vic Knight as composers, and Henry Russell conducting the orchestra and chorus
• Production, direction and sound shaping: Nat Wolff and Don Quinn as both co-creators and Radio visionaries.
• Announcing: NBC legend, Ken Carpenter, and his wonderfully familiar introductions and exposition.

Needless to say, The Halls of Ivy was a completely unexpected entry into the NBC lineup of the post-World War II years of Radio. What seems more unexpected, in retrospect, is why no one else evisioned such a production even sooner after the close of World War II. Our Miss Brooks, arguably the high school precursor to The Halls of Ivy, had already been airing for well over a year prior to The Halls of Ivy. Any comparisons--or contrasts--between the two education-themed productions are admittedly only slight, but they do bear a brief acknowledgment. More slapstick, by comparison, Our Miss Brooks did, indeed, re-introduce America to formal education in the post-War years. Their only two uniting performers--Gale Gordon and Jane Morgan--leant the same flavor to both productions in their respective performances, although Jane Morgan in a somewhat smaller capacity.

Gale Gordon was initially envisioned as the lead in The Halls of Ivy, with noted Stage actress Edna Best, the wife of series co-creator Nat Wolff (and former wife of Herbert Marshall) as Mrs. Hall. Willard Waterman and Herb Butterfield supported Gordon and Best in the two auditions/promotions for the proposed series. Indeed, it was Gale Gordon's involvement in Our Miss Brooks that undoubtedly sidelined his further initial involvement in The Halls of Ivy. The audition/promotion pieces for The Halls of Ivy were reportedly recorded in the Summer of 1949. Our Miss Brooks had already begun to create a stir by the Summer of 1949 and by the Fall season of 1949, Our Miss Brooks had become an entirely justified hit in Radio. Don Quinn, in his 1951 Hawaiian vacation interview with Owen Cunningham hints that it was Gordon's contractual involvements that sent Quinn and Nat Wolff casting about for other leading stars for their The Halls of Ivy project.

Ronald Colman, for his part, was coming off of the wonderful Lawrence and Lee written, Ziv production, Favorite Story, which had already catapulted Colman into the family rooms of Radio listeners across America. Colman's recent long-running exposure over Radio unquestionably came to the attention of NBC, whose KFI studios in Hollywood had originated Favorite Story. But Colman would naturally need a compatible Mrs. Hall as a co-star. Enter the Jack Benny connection. . .

The Colmans who, in real life, lived right down the street from Jack Benny and Mary Livingston, had guest-starred in a running arc of at least four Jack Benny Program episodes as themselves--and to quite popular--and critical--acclaim in the Jack Benny vehicle. Benita Hume, who'd formally retired from show business some six years earlier, had been coaxed into the recurring appearances on the Jack Benny Program, and seemed the logical choice as 'Mrs. Hall' if she could be persuaded to appear with hubby Ronald in a recurring series. The rest became Radio History.

The Gordon family remained well represented from the premiere of The Halls of Ivy forward however, with Gale Gordon's mother, Gloria Gordon premiering in the role of Dr. and Mrs. Hall's housekeeper and cook, Penny, along with the initial ensemble cast of The Colmans, Willard Waterman, and Herb Butterfield. When Willard Waterman got the call to further Film, Radio, and Television work, Gale Gordon came back to essentially 'replace' Willard Waterman's role as John Meriweather, one of the more sympathetic members of the Ivy College Board of Governors, as John Meriweather's brother, Charles Meriweather. The aritifce employed for continuity's sake was a reference to John and Charles Meriweather being identical twin brothers, thus allowing Gale Gordon's character to 'slip right into the shoes' of his twin brother from that point forward. Gale Gordon remained in the ensemble cast as Charles Meriweather until the end of the series. Heard in recurring roles over the three seasons were the following members of the ensemble cast:

• Ronald Colman as Dr. William Todhunter "Toddy" Hall, Ph.D., L.L.D., M.A., and President of Ivy College
• Benita Hume [Colman] as Mrs. Victoria "Vickie" [Cromwell] Hall, former London Stage actress
• Herb Butterfield as Mr. Clarence Wellman, Chairman of the Board of Governors of Ivy College--and Soup Magnate
• Willard Waterman as Mr. John Meriweather member of the Board of Governors of Ivy College
• Gale Gordon as Mr. Charles Meriweather member of the Board of Governors of Ivy College
• Gloria Gordon as Penny, the Hall's first housekeeper and cook
• Arthur Q. Bryan as Professor Joseph 'Joe' Warren
• Alan Reed as Professor Heaslip of Ivy's English Department
• Bea Benaderet as Alice, the Maid (an ex-WAC)
• Barton Yarborough as Calhoun Gaddy
• Elizabeth Patterson as Miss Louisa Tate, the 'non sequitur dropping' housekeeper and cook
• James Gleason as Officer Grogan of the Ivy College constabulary
• Lee Patrick as Miss Goodsen, Dr. Hall's unbelievably efficient Personal Secretary

It was an absolutely marvelous ensemble over all three seasons. We'd be remiss however, to not note the passing of Radio legend Barton Yarborough during the third season of The Halls of Ivy. Yarborough performed in his fourth appearance as 38-yr old Ivy sophomore, Calhoun Gaddy, on December 5, 1951, less than two weeks before a critical heart attack would prematurely end his incredible career. The Calhoun Gaddy character was one of several key recurring characterizations that would eventually extend through all three seasons of The Halls of Ivy.

In addition to the marvelously evolving ensemble cast, the series enjoyed numerous unforgettable, sparkling performances by some of the finest character actors of the era:

• Barbara Jean Wong as a Chinese-American coed running for student office
• Legendary Hollywood dialectician Robert Easton, among others, in the roles of "Moose" the lovesick Ivy College fullback and later as "Central" Park the phone repairman
• Jane Morgan of Our Miss Brooks Radio and Television fame, as the memorable Mrs. Yates, the 70-year-old coed
• Fritz Feld as the charming Professor of Psychiatry imposter, 'Doctor' Spaatzen
• Bill Johnstone as Ivy College's oldest surviving alumnus, Dr. Lucien Royce
• Ken Christy as Mr. Packard, fight promoter and manager, and also as 'Coach' Delavan
• Sheldon Leonard as "Beans" Philips an ex-boxer
• Mary McGovern as little Sheila Quincannon, crippled by polio
• John Brown as Professor Harmon, the professor shamed by little Sheila Quincannon's own personal bravery

Ronald Colman, for his part was virtually playing himself, or so his genius as an actor tended persuade his adoring audiences, in any case. Our personal belief is that he actually was, very much, simply playing himself. The romantic interplay between Dr. Hall and his wife over Radio was remarkably genuine and even intimate at times during each episode. In this respect, in particular, Benita Hume was every bit the scene stealer in virtually every epsiode of The Halls of Ivy. We say 'scene-stealer' not only inspite of, but indeed because of so many of the other captivating, riveting and wonderfully endearing performances of the ensemble cast and guest performers. The enduring, underlying romance between Ronald and Benita Colman was absolutely palpable throughout the series.

Perhaps it was simply Benita Hume's six-year absence from the public limelight that made her performances so remarkable. That's certainly the easiest explanation, but simply doesn't do Benita Hume justice. Indeed almost every episode, for at least the first two seasons in any case, would have Ronald Colman reflecting on his earliest meetings in England with his eventual bride. These loving and romantic flashbacks had Colman in his approximate early 30's in age as the 'suitor' Dr. Hall, and then London Stage actress Victoria Cromwell in her mid-20s, one was given to assume. And yet both great actors literally embodied those far younger characterizations quite believably in every instance.

At this point it's probably instructive to point out that neither of the two great leading actors for this series--nor their brilliant head writer, Don Quinn--had the benefit of completing formal higher education (Ronald Colman had attended Cambridge University in England but never graduated). Indeed, none of the three of them had anything other than a single honorary degree between them at the time that The Halls of Ivy first aired. This is all the more remarkable given the highly literate portrayal of Dr. Hall in particular. As fan mail almost immediately began pouring in shortly after the series' premiere, students and faculties from across the nation were sending glowing praises and wishes that their own College and University presidents and faculty members could be as literate, wise, sophisticated and philosophical as was Ronald Colman's portrayal of Dr. William Todhunter Hall.

This presented a P.R. problem not so much for the series itself, as much as for the thousands of colleges and universities throughout the U.S. and Canada. Recognizing the almost unrealistically idealized image that Ronald Colman was portraying each week, the production company began highlighting the significant accomplishments of several of the more notable real-world college presidents across the country. Over the course of the series, The Halls of Ivy formally recognized eight such educators, thus lending a bit more balance to Ronald Colman's wildly successful interpretation of everyman's idealized college president.

The other unspoken--or at least more subtly recognized--demographic were the hundreds of thousands of ex-G.I.s who'd elected to take advantage of the nation's first G.I. Bill during the post-World War II years. Though they never really beat the audience over the head with it, the writers did often mention the more heroic and remarkable histories of some of their imaginary students. Mentions of a Medal of Honor recipient among the student body of Ivy College, as well as frequent reminders of the relatively advanced ages of some of the Ivy students provided more than a passing nod to G.I. Bill students and their accomplishments, tribulations, and real-world problems in post-War America.

The series also went far out of its way to highlight national problems of prejudice and stereotyping that had almost never been mentioned, let alone dramatized, over a Radio production of the visibility and popularity of The Halls of Ivy. Indeed, even common automobile courtesy, public safety--and even campus hooliganism and hazing--came under the scrutiny of at least five of the epsiodes during the series. This was, after all, a period of vastly increased automobile ownership and usage. Roadway and pedestrian fatalities during the post-War years had reached epidemic proportions throughout America. The Halls of Ivy very skillfully and sensitively utilized their 'bully pulpit' to raise many of these very important national priorities with sensitivity, frankness and humor--but always quite effectively.

The importance of this production and its far-reaching popularity was not lost on the series' primary sponsor. The Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company almost immediately realized that it could tap a far different demographic than it had traditionally targeted during the World War II years. Throughout their sponsorship of the series, through both their on-air pitches, and in the print media of the era, Schlitz began portraying their target audience as urbane, sophisticated, 'shirt-and-tie' drinkers, such as college graduates and professionals, both insistent on quality and mindful of the need for sophisticated moderation. This was almost unheard of during previous beer-promotion campaigns over Radio, and more reminiscent of the campaigns of wine sponsors such as Schenley's Cresta Blanca or the Gallo Family and Roma Wine campaigns of the 1940s.

Even more serendipitous was the amazing popularity of 'The Halls of Ivy Theme' penned by Henry Russell and Vic Knight. The theme was so catchy and effective that within four months the demand for the song propelled it to national popularity. Russell and Knight eventually cut a two-sided LP of 'The Halls of Ivy' with what became an even more enduringly popular song, 'Drink, Drink, Drink' on the flip side. 'Drink, Drink, Drink' was first performed on-air during the 'Doctor Abel Kandor of Ivy' episode on May 17, 1950. To this day, 'Drink, Drink, Drink' remains one of the more popular nostalgic favorites of a bygone era with colleges--and fraternities in particular, throughout the world. And in all fairness to 'The Halls of Ivy Theme', it also continues to be a sentimental favorite of many colleges and universities throughout the U.S. and Canada almost seventy years later.

It's impossible to overstate the historic importance of The Halls of Ivy. The pointedly adult themes presented throughout the series, represented ground-breaking material for the era. Indeed, during a period of explosion in popular Television, The Halls of Ivy almost immediately recaptured an audience that Radio networks had all but written off by 1951. The sophistication of the production--from beginning to end--was emulated for years after The Halls of Ivy left the air--on both Radio and Television. And indeed, as must have seemed inevitable, after the first six months of airing over Radio, the production company began discussions with Television networks about the feasibility of mounting a similar production for television viewers. Of course the key to the success of any Television rendition of The Halls of Ivy would have to be The Colmans' participation. The Colmans did, indeed eventually agree to another two years, and the Television version of The Halls of Ivy premiered as an ITC production over CBS Television on October 19, 1954. The series, sponsored by Nabisco and International Harvester, ran for over a year, utilizing the almost verbatim scripts from the Radio series. It might well have run far longer but for the rapidly evolving political climate of the Korean War and Cold War years.

Adlai Stevenson, a self-styled intellectual of the highest order, was twice defeated by General Dwight Eisenhower for the Presidency of the United States. Somewhat more ironic is the fact that when The Halls of Ivy first aired over Radio, General Eisenhower was the President of Columbia University of New York, and by the time The Halls of Ivy debuted over Television, soon to be elected President Eisenhower had returned to the position of President of Columbia University after two years of service as the Supreme Commander of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (N.A.T.O.). Indeed, if anyone had a stake in the continuing success of The Halls of Ivy--over any medium--it should have been 'Ike' himself. But as history would later disclose, Ike's running mate and Vice President, Richard M. Nixon, was virulently opposed to the very 'Northeast intellectual establishment' idealized throughout The Halls of Ivy.

In any case, The Halls of Ivy was overtaken by even graver events. Ronald Colman himself passed away in April of 1958, less than three years after the final airing of The Halls of Ivy over Television. Benita Hume survived her adoring husband by another nine years, passing away in England in November of 1967. They were survived by their daughter, Juliet Benita Colman.