Radio
Legends:
Our Miss Brooks, Volume 1
Liner notes written by Ivan G. Shreve, Jr.
"Our Miss Brooks" was one of the last bright lights of radio's Golden Age,
premiering over CBS Radio on July 19, 1948 and lasting until July 7, 1957 (with
an overlapping four-year run over CBS-TV from 1952-56). In retrospect, it's hard
to think of anyone essaying the role of high school English teacher Connie
Brooks other than Eve Arden -- but the first choice for the role was actually
Lucille Ball, who would begin her own successful sitcom, "My Favorite Husband",
on CBS Radio beginning July 23, 1948. Shirley Booth was also auditioned for the
part but, according to producer Harry Ackerman, "All she [Booth] could see was
the downside of the underpaid teacher. She couldn't make any fun of it."
Finally, William Paley, the president of CBS and an Arden fan, cajoled Eve into
playing the part, which Arden agreed to do, on the condition that the programs
be pre-taped for broadcast that summer of 1948. (Arden had a previous commitment
she wouldn't shake.) When she returned, she was amazed to discover that "Our
Miss Brooks" had become the smash hit of the summer.
In this more jaded era, it's difficult to discern how much "Our Miss Brooks"
was, in many ways, a sitcom ahead of its time. Arden's Connie Brooks was the
first bright, independent, unmarried, working female comic character to appear
on the airwaves. Quick, outspoken, and funny, even sophisticated, Brooks
possessed one of the fastest tongues of either gender, regularly cutting
everyone down to size with a withering wisecrack or flippant aside. Eve Arden
also demonstrated that there was a different side to teachers than had been
previously displayed; most of the time, they were stereotyped as asexual
schoolmarms.
Much of Miss Brooks' unique appeal was that, unlike most of the rattlebrained
females that surrounded her in radio comedy, she treated men not only refreshing
suspicion, but also as undeserving equals. She tolerated the befuddled,
hopelessly square biology teacher Philip Boynton (played by Jeff Chandler on
radio, Robert Rockwell on television), but she was clearly superior to that wet
noodle of a beau. She humored the perpetually enraged Mr. Conklin, and pitied
the inept, squeaky-voiced Walter Denton, played by forever-young Richard Crenna,
who tripled as resident nerd Oogie Pringle on "A Date With Judy" and boyfriend
to Marjorie Forrester on "The Great Gildersleeve".
The undefined relationship between Miss Brooks and Mr. Boynton was played mostly
for comedic effect; oftentimes the two of them would address each other as "Miss
Brooks" and "Mr. Boynton," like something out of a Jane Austen novel.
Personally, I never could see what the smart, sexy, take-no-guy's-guff Miss
Brooks saw in Boynton. He was a decent enough sort, but it always seemed that he
was too thick for the sharp educator and she was a little too patient in waiting
for him to exhibit any real interest. In many episodes, Miss Brooks found
herself competing with rival English teacher Daisy Enright (Mary Jane Croft, in
a wonderfully catty portrayal) for Boynton's affections. There must have been a
severe man shortage in that town.
"Our Miss Brooks" was several notches above most radio comedies of that period,
due in part to the talents of director-writer Al Lewis, but what really made it
stand out from the usual sitcom fare was its first-rate cast. Chandler, an
excellent Mr. Boynton, was certainly no stranger to radio, having often acted
under his real name, Ira Grossel. Gale Gordon, whose portrayal of the seething,
blustering principal Mr. Conklin was perhaps his greatest radio role, was also
no slouch on the airwaves, appearing on shows like "Fibber McGee & Molly",
"Burns & Allen", "The Great Gildersleeve", and "My Favorite Husband". In
audition recordings, Conklin had been played by Joe Forte and Will Wright, but
the show's creators wanted an actor with more "pizzazz" and so they contacted
professional stack-blower Gordon. Gordon didn't really want the role, and his
wife suggested that he ask for an outrageous salary - $150.00 a week - in the
hopes that they would leave him alone. To Gordon's chagrin, they took him up on
the offer, and it was his involvement with "Brooks" that kept him from accepting
the part of Fred Mertz when Lucille Ball launched "I Love Lucy" on CBS
Television in October of 1951.
"Our Miss Brooks" was one of the few radio shows to successfully cross over to
television with practically the original cast intact: Arden (who was rewarded
with an Emmy for her work), Gordon, Crenna, Jane Morgan as Mrs. Davis, Connie's
absent-minded landlady, Gloria McMillan as Harriet Conklin, the principal's
daughter and sweetheart to Walter Denton, and Leonard Smith, as school dunce
Stretch Snodgrass, all made the leap to the cathode ray tube; Robert Rockwell
assayed the role of Mr. Boynton, as Jeff Chandler's burgeoning movie career
prevented him from appearing in the TV version. Originally, Dick Crenna was
reluctant to do the series - he was thirty years old by that time and was tired
of playing a 17-year-old juvenile - but he agreed to do the TV show after Arden
talked him into it. It was a solid TV hit for 4 seasons (1952-56) and a movie
version of the show was released in 1956.
For fans of radio comedy- as well as for those who simply love to laugh - it's
wonderful to note that a great many "Our Miss Brooks" shows are still around to
enjoy today, with a heavy concentration of the 1948-51 broadcasts and some later
1955 shows in circulation among collectors. I, for one, can think of no
pleasanter pastime than popping a CD in my player and laughing along with
everyone's favorite tart-tongued schoolmarm - particularly in this Radio Legends
collection from Radio Archives.
Here is the complete content of this 10-CD set:
A Surprise Birthday Party For Connie
Sunday, October 24, 1948 - 30:00 - CBS
Sponsored by Colgate/Palmolive
Driving to the Football Game
Sunday, October 31, 1948 - 30:00 - CBS
Sponsored by Colgate/Palmolive
Working Too Hard
Sunday, November 7, 1948 - 30:00 - CBS
Sponsored by Colgate/Palmolive
Babysitting
Sunday, November 14, 1948 - 30:00 - CBS
Sponsored by Colgate/Palmolive
The Model School Teacher
Sunday, November 21, 1948 - 30:00 - CBS
Sponsored by Colgate/Palmolive
Sunnydale Finishing School
Sunday, November 28, 1949 - 30:00 - CBS
Sponsored by Colgate/Palmolive
Old Clothes for a Party
Sunday, January 2, 1949 - 30:00 - CBS
Sponsored by Colgate/Palmolive
A Lack of Coal at Madison High
Sunday, January 9, 1949 - 30:00 - CBS
Sponsored by Colgate/Palmolive
Student Government Day
Sunday, January 16, 1949 - 30:00 - CBS
Sponsored by Colgate/Palmolive
Head of the English Department
Sunday, January 23, 1949 - 30:00 - CBS
Sponsored by Colgate/Palmolive
School Banking, School Savings
Sunday, January 30, 1949 - 30:00 - CBS
Sponsored by Colgate/Palmolive
Working in the Stockroom
Sunday, February 6, 1949 - 30:00 - CBS
Sponsored by Colgate/Palmolive
Away Basketball Game
Sunday, February 27, 1949 - 30:00 - CBS
Sponsored by Colgate/Palmolive
The Faculty Dance and the Beauty Parlor
Sunday, March 6, 1949 - 30:00 - CBS
Sponsored by Colgate/Palmolive
Boycotting the Cafeteria
Sunday, March 13, 1949 - 30:00 - CBS
Sponsored by Colgate/Palmolive
Romantic Poetry
Sunday, March 20, 1949 - 30:00 - CBS
Sponsored by Colgate/Palmolive
Clay City High Wants Miss Brooks
Sunday, March 27, 1949 - 30:00 - CBS
Sponsored by Colgate/Palmolive
April Fool
Sunday, April 3, 1949 - 30:00 - CBS
Sponsored by Colgate/Palmolive
Problems Over Clothes
Sunday, April 24, 1949 - 30:00 - CBS
Sponsored by Colgate/Palmolive
Grudge Match: Walter vs Stretch
Sunday, May 1, 1949 - 30:00 - CBS
Sponsored by Colgate/Palmolive
The complete content of this
website, including all text, illustrations, and audio content © 2009 First
Generation Radio Archives. All Rights Reserved. The contents of this website may
not be duplicated or reproduced in any way, in whole or in part, without the
express written permission of the copyright holder.
