Premier Collections:
Mr. President, Volume 1
Liner notes written by Ivan G. Shreve, Jr.

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“These are little-known stories of the men who have lived in the White House…dramatic, exciting events in their lives that you and I so rarely hear…”

"Mr. President," a dramatic series that premiered over ABC Radio on June 26, 1947 and was heard until September 23, 1953, established its novel premise pretty much from the first broadcast: it dramatized weekly events in the lives of the various men who at one time held the highest office in the land…the Presidency of the United States of America. Created by Robert G. Jennings, "Mr. President’s" “hook” was that during each episode, the name of the President was withheld until a brief epilogue at the program’s end. It became a challenge, then, for listeners to identify the subject of that week’s drama…though students and scholars of American history probably had an advantage over the average listener by sifting through the clues frequently inserted in the scripts.

Essaying the role of the Commander-in-Chief was character actor Edward Arnold, a popular performer with audiences -- even if subtlety wasn’t necessarily his stock-in-trade. Frequently cast in feature films as a well-fed capitalist and/or businessman, Arnold’s contract at M-G-M necessitated that he make appearances on their "Good News" radio program from 1937 to 1940, and he later became a regular on Charlotte Greenwood’s sitcom in the mid-1940s. (If you listen closely to extant broadcasts of "The Charlotte Greenwood Show," you can easily pick out the actor’s distinctive guffaw…primarily because he seemed to be enjoying the show far more than the audience was.) By the time of "Mr. President’s" debut, Arnold had demonstrated marked improvement in his radio acting, and made such a distinct impression in the role that he was often addressed as “Mr. President” -- even by President Harry S Truman, who became a good friend of the actor and invited him to the White House on many occasions.

Keeping Edward Arnold’s excesses in check were a vibrant group of supporting actors who, though they may have been deprived of credit, made the greatest contribution to the program with their consistently top-notch performances. They included such Radio Row stalwarts as Betty Lou Gerson, Lurene Tuttle, Bea Benaderet, Hans Conried, Parley Baer and Joseph Kearns, to name only a few. Owen James was "President’s" longtime announcer, with Dick Woolen handling the directing-producing end and Basil Adlam providing the music.

"Mr. President," to modern-day ears, might come across as a little sentimental and very heavy on the patriotism, but its content isn’t too far removed from the works of film director Frank Capra, whose films ("You Can’t Take It With You," "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington," and many others) were sometimes referred to as “Capra-corn”…and often featured "Mr. President’s star", Edward Arnold. It is the unusually fine writing on "President," however, that separates the program from its contemporaries: scribes like Jean Holloway, Bernard Dougall and Ira Marion crafted first-rate scripts despite the fact that at the time of the show’s run there were only thirty-two men who had occupied the White House. (On occasion, though, the program would deviate from its normal regimen and either present repeat performances or, as a change of pace, a dramatization like that of Edward Everett Hale’s classic short story, “The Man Without a Country,” which is featured in this Premier Collection.

“Here’s a story that happened in Washington a few years ago. Listen closely, and see if you can tell who the President was…” With that introduction from star Edward Arnold, listeners knew they were about to be entertained by a fascinating story - humorous, dramatic, or a combination of both - detailing an event in the lives of some truly great men. All of the episodes contained in this Premier Collection have been taken from ABC network master recordings, originally from the collection of Jean Holloway, the writer of many episodes in the series. All of the broadcasts in this collection are uncirculated and are, in fact, likely the only recordings of these shows in existence. The Archives is very lucky to have located these one-of-a-kind recordings and we're pleased to make them available for the first time in over half a century.

Here is the complete content of this ten CD Premier Collection:

He Went to Paris
With the war having ended, Mr. President is determined to carry out his notion of a League of Nations where, as he puts it, “the problems of the world can be solved around a conference table instead of on a battlefield.” He finds to his dismay, however, that other nations are not quite sold on his ideal.
Sunday, January 23, 1949 – 30:00 – ABC, sustaining
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The Tall Target
Mr. President, traveling by train, enjoys meeting and shaking the hands of well-wishers as he celebrates his inauguration, but his wife is concerned about the possibility of his being assassinated. Will her fears be justified when her husband learns of a plot against his life?
Sunday, March 6, 1949 – 30:00 – ABC, sustaining
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To the Victor Go the Spoils
Besieged by his party on what appointments he should make, the newly-elected Mr. President throws caution to the winds and insists on keeping an appointee from the opposition party after his infant daughter receives a letter on the appointee’s behalf.
Sunday, March 27, 1949 – 30:00 – ABC, sustaining
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A Door That He Can’t Open
The President’s sons, Willie and Thomas, receive the gift of a pony from a mysterious benefactor. When Willie falls ill with fever from riding the animal in the rain, the Commander-in-Chief is beside himself with grief -- especially when it appears that his son may not pull through.
Sunday, April 3, 1949 – 30:00 – ABC, sustaining
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Splitting Wood and Splitting Hairs
Mr. President is practically riddled with ulcers in his frustration that the members of his cabinet will not cooperate with his policy regarding France. He even attempts to make peace with the head of his party, but to no avail. Can an insurrection in Philadelphia unite the President, the cabinet and the party?
Sunday, May 8, 1949 – 30:00 – ABC, sustaining
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Ladies They Talk About
Mr. President empathizes with a widow who’s the subject of gossip in the nation’s capital, particularly because he attributes the death of his wife to the same spurious tongue-wagging. Meanwhile, a cadre of wives whose husbands serve in his cabinet are working furiously to scuttle two of the President’s most loyal allies.
Sunday, May 15, 1949 – 30:00 – ABC, sustaining
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He Went to Paris
With the war having ended, Mr. President is determined to carry out his notion of a League of Nations where, as he puts it, “the problems of the world can be solved around a conference table instead of on a battlefield.” He finds to his dismay, however, that other nations are not quite sold on his ideal. (This broadcast is a repeat performance of a show originally heard on January 23, 1949.)
Sunday, June 26, 1949 – 30:00 – ABC, sustaining
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The Man Without a Country
In celebration of the July 4th week, the series breaks with tradition and dramatizes Edward Everett Hale’s classic short story. A U.S. Army lieutenant named Philip Nolan is convicted of treason and sentenced to spend the rest of his life in exile on U.S. Navy warships…never to hear of or set foot in the United States again.
Sunday, July 3, 1949 – 30:00 – ABC, sustaining
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Have a Little Faith
With the war over, an Army general is determined to opt out of public life and settle down for peace and calm. But his family and friends try to talk him into furthering his political aims…particularly when his former soldiers begin to talk of insurrection when it appears the Congress won’t pay them for their service in the war.
Sunday, July 31, 1949 – 30:00 – ABC, sustaining
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The Beast of Buffalo
Running for reelection, and in spite of his advisers’ counsel, Mr. President is determined to take the issue of high tariffs to the American people. The reaction of both the press and the opposition party to this bold move could spell trouble for a second term.
Sunday, August 7, 1949 – 30:00 – ABC, sustaining
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Strategy, My Boy, Strategy!
Mr. President starts off the day by undergoing a surgical procedure to remove a bullet that’s been lodged in his left arm for nearly twenty years. He’s also, despite his age, been giving serious consideration to running for reelection in order to give his choice for Vice-President a leg up on the Presidency.
Sunday, August 21, 1949 – 30:00 – ABC, sustaining
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Boys Will Be Boys
Mr. President lectures his young sons on their prevalent pranks in the White House and orders them to curtail their rambunctious activities. The tables are soon turned, however, when members of his Secret Service implore him to stop his practice of sneaking out of their sight and jeopardizing security.
Sunday, September 11, 1949 – 30:00 – ABC, sustaining
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The Man of the Hour
The popular election is over, but no one is quite certain who, of the four men that ran, has actually been elected President. The Electoral College is deadlocked, and the House of Representatives must choose the winner.
Sunday, September 25, 1949 – 30:00 – ABC, sustaining
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Leadership in Crisis
The Vice-President is furious when he learns the identity of the man his President is supporting for the post of Collectorship of the Port of New York - a man who has been consistently against everything their party has stood for. In his attempts to kill the nomination, he soon discovers he has bigger fish to fry, as the President’s health is failing as the result of an assassination attempt.
Sunday, October 23, 1949 – 30:00 – ABC, sustaining
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Stormy Weather
With a driving rain on inauguration day, the new President hopes that the weather doesn’t translate into a bad omen. But when it rains, it pours: he soon encounters a crisis in Chile, opposition from senators who insist on making the rules regarding appointments…and a White House that’s literally falling apart!
Sunday, December 11, 1949 – 30:00 – ABC, sustaining
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Give and Take
A matchmaking friend joins forces with the Commander-in-Chief to get Mr. President’s son romantically involved with her cousin. The President also finds himself having to deal diplomatically with a Canadian faction dissatisfied with British rule.
Sunday, December 18, 1949 – 30:00 – ABC, sustaining
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Weighty Affairs of State
The newly inaugurated President plans to make good on all his campaign promises: a lower tariff, a balanced budget and conservation of the nation’s natural resources. Mrs. President, however, will settle for the promises he made to her to cut back on eating and to lose twenty pounds.
Sunday, January 1, 1950 – 30:00 – ABC, sustaining
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Sound as a Dollar
A grocer friend opens Mr. President’s eyes to business conditions in the country by explaining to him that, even though times seems prosperous, the common man must confront a high cost of living. The president decides to take this advice to heart and institute changes in the nation’s monetary policy.
Sunday, January 8, 1950 – 30:00 – ABC, sustaining
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A Gift Horse in the Mouth
An ambassador from Tunis is coming to the White House to reclaim a pair of ships recently seized by the U.S., as well as a demand for tribute. In return, the ambassador is also bringing a present of three fine Arabian horses to Mr. President…who cannot accept such a gift unless it is approved by the U.S. Congress.
Sunday, January 15, 1950 – 30:00 – ABC, sustaining
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Homeland Security
On the eve of his inauguration, Mr. President is concerned with both the tremendous preparations for his security and the grave possibility that war is inevitable. He soon finds himself calling in troops to protect the nation’s capital from secessionists, which is interpreted as an act of war in itself.
Sunday, January 22, 1950 – 30:00 – ABC, sustaining
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