Premier Collections:
Jonathan Thomas and his Christmas on the Moon
Liner notes written by Harlan Zinck
Click to listen to a Microsoft WMA audio clip
Click to listen to a MP3 audio clip
"Hon-squee-non-squee-giggle-de-vay!"
It's bedtime, and six-year-old Jonathan Thomas and his teddy bear Guz are ready
for a story before going to sleep. But before the story can begin, a moonbeam
shines through Jonathan's window and, much to his surprise, two little elves
slide down it into his bedroom. Before Jonathan can stop him, Guz takes off
after the elves and scampers up the moonbeam chasing them. Jonathan follows and
soon finds himself involved in an exciting adventure to save Santa Claus, who
has been kidnapped and held prisoner in the Land of Squeebobble. Accompanied by
the Man in the Moon and a horse named Gorgonzola, and traveling to strange and
exotic places like the Merry-Go-Round River, the Rainbow Bridge, the Wall Of
Doors, and Looking Glass Land, Jonathan meets and befriends a wildly imaginative
group of characters in an adventure straight out of Lewis Carroll by way of many
of the best-loved fairy and folk tales of all time. Can Jonathan rescue Santa
Claus in time to save Christmas...or will he be defeated by the evil witch of
Rumplestitch?
* * *
In the late summer of 1937, radio stations were surprised to receive a 12"
audition recording in a sleeve bearing the words "Merry Christmas!" in red
festive lettering across the top. It was common enough for a station manager to
receive promotional records in the mail, but seldom did a Christmas recording
arrive when the thermometer was still hovering in the seventies. For most, this
unexpected recording was their introduction to a broadcasting phenomenon that
would become a part of their holiday programming for years to come -- and give a
profitable boost to the holiday sales of their retail advertisers, too.
"The Cinnamon Bear," a 26-part children's serial produced by the Transcription
Company of America, provided the perfect link between radio station and
retailer: a daily, self-contained special feature that could be broadcast at the
same time every weekday - usually just after children had arrived home from
school - and be sponsored by a single merchant who would use the series and its
colorful characters in their advertising layouts and displays. The shows were
designed to be played on the days between Thanksgiving and Christmas, gradually
building in dramatic intensity until they culminated on Christmas Eve in, of
course, a happy ending.
Creatively produced and featuring a small army of experienced radio performers,
"The Cinnamon Bear" proved to be an instant favorite of both children tuning in
for their daily musical adventure and the department stores that linked the
Cinnamon Bear to their Christmas promotions. Timing played a big part in the
success of the series - 1937 was the first year when it seemed as though America
would finally overcome its decade-long economic depression - but clever
promotional materials including coloring books, sheet music, and pre-designed
graphics made it easy for department stores to leap on the economic bandwagon
created by Paddy O'Cinnamon and his friends. It wasn't long before the yearly
rebroadcasts of "The Cinnamon Bear" became, in many cities, as much a local
holiday tradition as the Santa Claus parade and the church nativity pageant; in
fact, over time, some stores would even choose to send their stand-in Santa
packing -- replacing him with a person in an overstuffed Cinnamon Bear costume.
Inevitably, the ultra-successful "Cinnamon Bear" would spawn imitations -- and
it was less than a year later that a rival syndication company would come out
with another series designed for the financial benefit both radio stations and
retailers alike. Autumn 1938 found station managers receiving word of another
26-part children's serial titled "Jonathan Thomas and his Christmas on the
Moon." Though not quite as elaborately produced as the Bear, this new holiday
series had much to recommend it: a unique premise mixing elements of fairy
tales, folk tales, and well-known literary classics, a collection of characters
and situations that rivaled those that accompanied Paddy O'Cinnamon's
adventures, merchandising and promotional opportunities that were the equal of
the Bear...and, most important of all, a competitive program that could air on a
rival station at or near the same time as the Bear was being heard. Since "The
Cinnamon Bear" had been so successful the previous year, most of the larger
retailers had snapped up exclusive rights to sponsor it year after year in their
respective broadcast markets, leaving smaller stores or those which had simply
not foreseen the selling power of the Bear in need of something with which to
complete.
Economically, 1938 was an even bigger year for Christmas retail sales than 1937
had been -- and "Jonathan Thomas and his Christmas on the Moon" played a
significant part in boosting those sales. Because it was new and unknown (and
also because quite a few kid listeners already knew from the previous year how
"The Cinnamon Bear" series turned out), "Jonathan Thomas" often beat "The
Cinnamon Bear" in numbers of listeners and, as expected, these young listeners
influenced their gift-buying parents to shop at the stores that sponsored it.
Whereas Paddy and his friends set out to find a silver star and encounter
strange and unique lands and people along the way, six-year-old Jonathan Thomas
goes him one better: his quest is to rescue a kidnapped Santa Claus and save
Christmas itself. Now that's competition!
"CB" and his rival "JT" went head to head in radio markets both large and small
for the next few years. "The Cinnamon Bear," being first and usually being
sponsored by larger stores, tended to dominate the radio market and has become a
much-beloved part of the Christmas memories of many a radio enthusiast -- but
"Jonathan Thomas" does have his fans, what with its scripts written in rhyme
(mostly) and its characters and situations echoing elements of "Snow White and
Rose Red," "The Wizard of Oz," and Lewis Carroll's "Alice in Wonderland" and
"Through the Looking Glass." Heard today, both of the series have much to
recommend them: fascinating characters, excellent voice work from a large cast
of performers, dramatic cliff-hanging adventures, and the imaginative use of
radio's ability to create detailed pictures in your mind. In terms of sheer
production values, "The Cinnamon Bear" still comes out on top -- but I bet that,
after playing the creative and cartoon-like "Jonathan Thomas" for your children
or grandchildren this year, it too may well become an anticipated part of your
yearly holiday traditions.
Holiday serials like "The Cinnamon Bear," "Jonathan Thomas and his Christmas on
the Moon," and "Jump Jump and the Ice Queen" were all designed to be played once
each weekday between Thanksgiving and Christmas, culminating with that happy
ending on Christmas Eve. Thus, the opening section of each episode offers a
synopsis of what has come before, designed to keep young listeners up to date on
where the characters are in their adventure. Radio Archives recommends
sticking to this schedule for home listening as well. Pick a time each day to
play the first episode in the series, then play the next episode at the same
time the next day, and so on; this will give children the best listening
experience possible and keep them excited about what's going to happen next. (By
the way, none of these holiday serials contain advertising, so parents and
grandparents need not worry about younger family members begging for toys that
are no longer available for sale!)
All twenty-six episodes of "Jonathan Thomas and his Christmas on the Moon" have
been taken from first generation tape masters, professionally recorded from a
set of original discs for broadcast in Canadian markets. The programs have been
completely restored for outstanding audio fidelity and represent the best
sounding versions of these timeless programs that have ever been released. Since
daily schedules varied from market to market and year to year, broadcast dates
listed here only reflect likely first air dates for some local radio markets.
Here is the complete content of this delightful and imaginative Premier
Collection:
The Man in the Moon (#1)
Six-year-old Jonathan Thomas is asleep in his bed when, suddenly, a moonbeam
shines through his window. Sliding down the moonbeam come two odd little elves,
which wake up Jonathan's teddy bear Guz and send the bear scampering after them
–- all the way to the moon!
Friday, November 25, 1938 - 15:00 - Syndicated
The Court of Old King Cole (#2)
Court is in session, presided over by Old King Cole -- and the case is one
of kidnapping! It seems that the Squeebobblems have kidnapped Santa Claus and,
unless he is rescued, there will be no Christmas this year!
Saturday, November 26, 1938 - 15:00 - Syndicated
Gorgonzola the Horse (#3)
Sentenced by Old King Cole to rescue Santa Claus from the nasty
Squeebobblems, Jonathan begins his journey, accompanied by the Man in the Moon
and riding a dancing and talking "horse of another color" named Gorgonzola --
whose voice bears a not-unintentional resemblance to that of Schnozzola himself,
Jimmy Durante. (Little Bo Peep makes a cameo appearance as well - with the voice
of Katherine Hepburn!)
Monday, November 28, 1938 - 15:00 - Syndicated
The Valley of the Three Dwarfs (#4)
Closely watched by the evil witch of Rumplestitch, with the aid of her magic
mirror, our intrepid band comes upon the Valley of the Three Dwarfs, guarded by
Sneezle, Wheezle, and Beelzebub. To cross, they must sing a song -- and sing
they do, until the witch herself shows up to take Jonathan Thomas prisoner!
Tuesday, November 29, 1938 - 15:00 - Syndicated
The Magic Word (#5)
The evil witch of Rumplestitch insists that Jonathan Thomas be turned over
to her, but Jonathan hides with the aid of an invisible hat. After her
departure, the Three Dwarfs express they appreciation by giving Jonathan and his
friends a magic word to help them on their way -- a word that will come in very
handy when they try to cross the deep and dangerous Merry-Go-Round River.
Wednesday, November 30, 1938 - 15:00 - Syndicated
The Fairy Queen (#6)
In order to cross the Merry-Go-Round River, our travelers say the magic word
and get a surprise: Teenya, the Fairy Queen, arrives to give them both
encouragement and a magic talisman in the form of a golden acorn. They'll need
it, too, as they soon must prepare to enter the Forest of Nightmares!
Thursday, December 1, 1938 - 15:00 - Syndicated
The Dragon with the Thirteen Tails (#7)
While traveling through the Forest of Nightmares, Jonathan and his friends
hear the ferocious roar of a dragon in the distance and, taking the Fairy
Queen's advice, decide to seek out a pepper tree in order to turn the dragon's
fire into sneezes.
Friday, December 2, 1938 - 15:00 - Syndicated
Whiskery Bill (#8)
In the Forest of Nightmares, our travelers meet Whiskery Bill, a squirrel
with attitude, who wants nothing more than to eat the golden acorn which the
Fairy Queen gave them to guard against the witch of Rumplestitch.
Saturday, December 3, 1938 - 15:00 - Syndicated
Asleep for a Million Trillion Years (#9)
Poor Jonathan Thomas! He's fallen off Gorgonzola the Horse and the Forest of
Nightmares has put him soundly to sleep for maybe a million trillion years!
Luckily, the Fairy Queen knows an antidote...but can Whiskery Bill find it in
time to awaken Jonathan and save Christmas?
Monday, December 5, 1938 - 15:00 - Syndicated
The Slumber Cave (#10)
While he's asleep, the evil witch of Rumplestitch comes to Jonathan in his
dreams. Taking a view of her magical brew, he sees all of his friends seeking
the antidote for his slumber: a red, red rose. But it's December; where is
anyone to find such a bloom in the middle of winter?
Tuesday, December 6, 1938 - 15:00 - Syndicated
Whiskery Bill Meets Sir Algy (#11)
Good news! Whiskery Bill has found a rose bush both willing and able to grow
a rose to awaken Jonathan Thomas. But there's a problem: the bush has lost of
all its color, so Bill must go to the Keeper of the Rainbow to ask for some red
rubies from the Rainbow Bridge. Along the way, he meets a walrus with the
unlikely name of Sir Algernon Q. Whipplesnapple -- Sir Algy, for short.
Wednesday, December 7, 1938 - 15:00 - Syndicated
The Rainbow Bridge (#12)
Whiskery Bill and Sir Algy have made it to the Rainbow Bridge, but the
miserly Keeper of the Rainbow refuses to give Bill the red rubies he needs.
Luckily, Sir Algy has an idea.
Thursday, December 8, 1938 - 15:00 - Syndicated
Growing a Red, Red Rose (#13)
Having secured the rubies from the Rainbow Bridge, Whiskery Bill and Sir
Algy head back to the bramble bush so that she may grow a red, red rose. But the
evil witch sees their success in her magic mirror and schemes to stop them
before they can get back to awaken Jonathan Thomas.
Friday, December 9, 1938 - 15:00 - Syndicated
Crossing the Ice-Covered River (#14)
The witch has thawed the ice-covered river which Whiskery Bill and Sir Algy
must cross to get back to Jonathan...and Bill can't swim! Will the wicked witch
prevent them from waking up poor Jonathan Thomas?
Saturday, December 10, 1938 - 15:00 - Syndicated
The Lion King (#15)
Having awakened Jonathan with the scent of the red, red rose, our intrepid
band can now resume their journey to rescue Santa Claus. But before they can
travel very far, they encounter a silly pair known as Tiddle and LeWink, who
warn them against waking the Lion King of the forest.
Monday, December 12, 1938 - 15:00 - Syndicated
A Box of Roars (#16)
O'Gygraff, the newly-named Lion King, treats our travelers to dinner and
gives them a valuable weapon is their fight against the witch: a box containing
four of his most terrible roars, which frighten her no end. It's lucky they have
them, too, for while on their journey, the roars help them save the life of His
Majesty, the King of Any Old Thing.
Tuesday, December 13, 1938 - 15:00 - Syndicated
The Wall of Doors (#17)
In gratitude, the elfin King of Any Old Thing gives Jonathan and the Man in
the Moon a special golden key, which will open the correct door in the next
hazard they will soon confront: the Wall of Doors.
Wednesday, December 14, 1938 - 15:00 - Syndicated
Looking Glass Land (#18)
Entering the Wall of Doors, Jonathan, the Man in the Moon, and Gorgonzola
encounter many strange things: echoing voices that mock their words, a giant
toad with a cold in his nose, and three heralds (Me, Myself, and I) who tell
them that Jonathan's teddy bear Guz has been taken prisoner!
Thursday, December 15, 1938 - 15:00 - Syndicated
Good Queen Alice (#19)
Jonathan and his friends find themselves in Looking Glass Land, a bizarre
and wacky place populated by the Mad Hatter, the Jabberwocky bird who flies
backward, and ruled by Good Queen Alice -- who has a plan to help them rescue
Santa Claus.
Friday, December 16, 1938 - 15:00 - Syndicated
King Squeebeeble (#20)
In the Land of Squeebobble, mean King Squeebeeble is holding Santa Claus
prisoner in order to stop Christmas from coming this year. Meantime, Queen Alice
shares her rescue plan with Jonathan.
Saturday, December 17, 1938 - 15:00 - Syndicated
Growing Large and Small (#21)
Queen Alice gives Jonathan a magic whistle which, when blown once, will
allow him to grow...and grow...and grow -- the very thing to scare the
Squeebobbles when he arrives to rescue Santa Claus. Meantime, the witch and her
magic mirror have another scheme in mind.
Monday, December 19, 1938 - 15:00 - Syndicated
Kermit the Hermit (#22)
The witch has disguised herself as a shade tree, under which she hopes
Jonathan and his friends will rest and be cast under her spell. Luckily, a
hermit named Kermit (or is it a Kermit named Hermit?) has observed the witch and
arrives in time to warn our travelers before it's too late.
Tuesday, December 20, 1938 - 15:00 - Syndicated
The Pea Soup Fog (#23)
No sooner have our friends escaped the witch than they find themselves
confronted by another danger: the Pea Soup Fog, which is hiding an old foe known
as the Dragon with the Thirteen Tails! But wait: there's a building up ahead
that promises safety. If only Jonathan, the Man in the Moon, and Gorgonzola can
outrun the dragon and get there in time...
Wednesday, December 21, 1938 - 15:00 - Syndicated
A Reward for the Capture of Jonathan (#24)
Having given the dragon a tummy ache thanks to a large serving of rich plum
pudding, Jonathan and his friends resume their journey to Squeebobble Land.
Meanwhile, the evil witch of Rumplestitch informs King Squeebeeble of Jonathan's
impending arrival and the King responds by sounding the alarm, calling out the
guards, and declaring a reward for the capture of our brave band of
rescuers...dead or alive!
Thursday, December 22, 1938 - 15:00 - Syndicated
Prisoners of King Squeebeeble (#25)
Locked away and held prisoner by King Squeebeeble, Jonathan Thomas and the
Man in the Moon despair of ever escaping in time to rescue Santa Claus. But
wait: that magic whistle which Queen Alice gave to Jonathan isn't just good for
making him grow taller...it's also good for making him grow smaller, too!
Friday, December 23, 1938 - 15:00 - Syndicated
Santa is Rescued (#26)
Jonathan Thomas has kept his promise and rescued Santa Claus! But before
Santa takes off in his sleigh to bring Christmas cheer to all the children of
the world, he holds a party for Jonathan to celebrate his heroism -- and invites
all of the new friends who have helped him along the way. It looks like this
will be a merry Christmas after all!
Saturday, December 24, 1938 - 15:00 - Syndicated
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