The First Nighter Program
Encyclopedia
Macdonald Carey
Edward Macdonald Carey was an American actor, best known for his role as the patriarch Dr. Tom Horton on NBC's soap opera Days of our Lives...
, Bret Morrison
Bret Morrison
Bret Morrison was an American actor best known as the voice of the mysterious crusader for law and order on radio's The Shadow....
, Marvin Miller
Marvin Miller (actor)
Marvin Elliott Miller was an American film and voice-over actor. Possessing a deep, baritone voice, he began his career in radio in St. Louis, Missouri before becoming a Hollywood actor...
, Don Briggs and Rye Billsbury [later known as Michael Rye]).
The show's opening recreated the aural atmosphere of a Broadway opening. Before each week's drama began, Mr. First Nighter was first heard walking on Broadway, emerging from the noise of people and street traffic into the crowded lobby of "the Little Theater Off Times Square" and then taking his seat in the third row center, where he gave the whispered introduction:
- The house lights have dimmed, and the curtain is about to go up on tonight's production.
Romantic comedies were the specialty of the series, and the principal roles were played by the teams of Don Ameche
Don Ameche
Don Ameche was an Academy Award winning American actor with a career spanning almost sixty years.-Personal life:...
and June Meredith (1930-36), Ameche and Betty Lou Gerson
Betty Lou Gerson
Betty Lou Gerson was an American actress, predominantly in radio, but also in film and television, and as a voice actress.-Early life:...
(1935-36), Les Tremayne
Les Tremayne
Les Tremayne was a radio, film, and television actor. Born Lester Tremayne in England, he moved with his family at the age four to Chicago, where he began in community theatre. He danced as a vaudeville performer and worked as amusement park barker...
and Barbara Luddy
Barbara Luddy
Barbara Luddy was an American actress from Great Falls, Montana. Her film career began with silent pictures in the 1920s, during which time she was also a prolific radio performer....
(1936-43) and
Olan Soule
Olan Soule
Olan Soule was an American character actor with hundreds of credits in films, radio, commercials, television and animation.-Early life:...
and Luddy (1943 and after).
Performing before a studio audience, the actors wore formal attire, with Luddy in a gown and Tremayne clad in evening clothes and top hat.
The series ran on three radio networks in the following timeline: 11/27/30 to 09/29/33 NBC-Blue, 10/06/33 to 02/12/37 NBC, 02/19/37 to 12/21/37 CBS, 01/07/38 to 08/26/38 NBC, 09/02/38 to 05/29/42 CBS, 10/04/42 to 10/25/44 Mutual, 10/20/45 to 04/13/46 CBS, 10/04/47 to 10/20/49 CBS, 04/27/52 to 09/27/53 NBC (repeats).
The show was hosted by The Campana Company
The Campana Company
The Campana Company was a major manufacturer of cosmetics in the early to mid-20th century.-History:The Campana Company was incorporated in 1927. Its first product was Italian Balm, a hand lotion. The formula was purchased from a Dr. Campana, from where the company derives its name...
and solely featured commercials for their products. Due largely in part to this exposure, their Italian Balm became the best-selling hand lotion in the United States in the 1930s.
Listen to
- NPR: First Nighter opening in "Radio Legend Les Tremayne Dies" (December 26, 2003)
- OTR Network Library: The First Nighter Program 16 1944-53 episodes