Marlon Brando (upper left) seen with other cast members of the play 

Marlon Brando made his Broadway stage debut in the John Van Druten play
I Remember Mama. The production was based on the fictionalized memoir
Mamma’s Bank Account by Kathryn Forbes. It opened at the Music Box
Theatre on October 19, 1944 and ran for 713 performances. 

Mady Christians (left) as mama and Brando (center) playing Nels

 
Anne Bancroft and Patty Duke

Patty Duke’s first major starring role was as Helen Keller in the
Broadway play The Miracle Worker, based on Helen Keller’s
autobiography The Story of My Life. The show, co-starring
Anne Bancroft and Patricia Neal, opened on October 19, 1959
and ran for nearly two years to July, 1962. Duke’s name was
placed above the title on the marquee midway through the
production run. The play was made into a film in 1962, for
which Duke received the Academy Award for Best Supporting
Actress at the age of 16. 

This was Preston’s second solo chart-topper, following his 1973 hit
"Will It Go Round in Circles". Preston performed the song in 1975 on
Saturday Night Live which was the first musical performance on the show.

Jeannie C. Riley (born Jeanne Carolyn Stephenson) is best known
for her 1968 big country and pop hit Harper Valley PTA, a song
written by Tom T. Hall. She continued in the country music field
with moderate chart success. Riley began recording gospel music
in the late 1970s.

 
Claire Trevor with Edward G. Robinson


Ona Munson with Robinson in 1941

Big Town first aired on CBS from October 19, 1937 to June 25, 1952. Edward
G. Robinson had the lead role of crusading newspaper editor Steve Wilson
from 1937 till 1942. Clair Trevor played Wilson’s sidekick with Ona Munson
taking over the role in 1940. The show was written by ex-newspaperman
Jerry McGill. It was rated No. 1 among the r reporter-type drama series
on radio. Big Town w as also rated in the top 15 among all radio programs
broadcast and had a listenership of between 10 and 20 million people. Show
sponsors were Isronized Yeast, Bayer Asprin, and Lifeboy Soap.The original
announcer was Carlton KaDell (below). 

Carlton KaDell

The radio drama Big Town was later adapted to both film
and television as well as a comic book published by DC
Comics (shown above).