Just Plain Bill was one of the Hummert Radio Factory's most successful Soap Opera offerings, centered around a plainspoken character and the customers in his barber shop. With plenty of cliff hangers and long running situations, the show is closer to the mystery and suspense genre's than traditional Soap Opera.
23 old time radio show recordings
(total playtime 5 hours, 1101 min)
available in the following formats:
Following the extraordinary life of an ordinary man, Just Plain Bill is a suspenseful serial soap opera. Bill Davidson owns a barbershop and solves both local and international troubles. Though similar to most soap operas, Just Plain Bill is unique in that most of the shows are comparable to other entertainment genres such as mystery and suspense. Thus the show's storylines are more engaging than the classic soap opera standard. In this collection, there are the few remaining shows available today.
In 1932, Just Plain Bill was
first heard on CBS. It was "The real life story of people just like
people we all know." The 15 minute show (Monday through Friday at 7:15
p.m.) was all about (just plain) Bill Davidson and his daughter, Nancy,
who lived in (just plain) Hartville. Since Bill was the town barber,
everybody came to him with their problems and Bill helped them
straighten things out.
Instead of playing the usual organ, as a first, Hal Brown played
harmonica and whistled the Just Plain Bill introduction music (Darling
Nellie Gray). Hal also handled the closing theme (Polly Wolly Doodle) in
the same manner.
The show, created by Frank and Anne Hummert, who also came up with Mr.
Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons, Little Orphan Annie, Amanda of Honeymoon
Hill, Front Page Farrell, John's Other Wife, Mr. Chameleon, Our Gal
Sunday and many other radio dramas, later moved to NBC. Just Plain Bill
chalked up 23 years on the air, until 30 September, 1955. A few of the
Just Plain Bill sponsors over the years were Kolynos toothpaste and
Clapp's baby food..
Just Plain Bill was a 5-shows-a-week daytime soap opera that ran from 1932 to 1955. Created by the Hummerts, it began as Bill the Barber and followed the activities of Bill Davidson and his daughter Nancy.
Trivia: Don Pardo was the program's announcer for its last few years.
Following the extraordinary life of an ordinary man, Just Plain Bill is a suspenseful serial soap opera. Bill Davidson owns a barbershop and solves both local and international troubles. Though similar to most soap operas, Just Plain Bill is unique in that most of the shows are comparable to other entertainment genres such as mystery and suspense. Thus the show's storylines are more engaging than the classic soap opera standard. In this collection, there are the few remaining shows available today.
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