Betty and Bob

The show seems to have gone through a Bob a year during its eight-year run. Bettys were more durable as there were only five. The cast had an astounding collective career starting with the first Bob, Don Ameche who had to win an Oscar to keep up with his cousin Alan who won football’s Heisman trophy. Les Tremayne made it to the Radio Hall of Fame. Vinton Hayworth was in I Dream of Jeannie and was the uncle of Rita Hayworth and Ginger Rogers. Onslow Stevens has a star in the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Spencer Bentley was an unlikely soap opera leading man as a GI back from WW2. Carl Frank was an announcer for March of Time and The Shadow along with working for Orson Wells. J Anthony Hughes is credited with 91 acting roles. Finally Van Heflin added another Academy Award to the Bobs along with two stars in the Hollywood Walk of fame for countless TV and movie roles. The Bettys were no less interesting. Elizabeth Reller was a Quaker with an impressive radio career. Beatrice Churchill defied her California family at 17 and headed to Chicago to become an actress. Alice Hill may or may not have migrated southward with fellow Canadian Lorne Greene. Mercedes McCambridge was called “the world’s greatest living radio actress” by Orson Wells and won an Academy Award. Arlene Francis was a panelist on the gameshow What’s My Line for 25 years where she made $1000 bucks for every appearance. Before we hang up our name dropping microphone here is one that will surprise you. Bob’s mom was played by Edith Prescott Luckett Davis who was the mother of former first lady Nancy Reagan.

Today I listened to disc #1 of Betty and Bob. It was a good representation of the soap opera, revolving a married couple and the various calamaties they and their town go through. Almost as interesting is the commercial for Wheaties, offering a print of a color etching, for proof of purchase of the box of Wheaties.