Ralston-Purina obtained his permission to produce a Tom Mix radio series
on NBC called Tom Mix Ralston Straight Shooters which, but for one year
during World War II, was popular throughout most of the 1930s until June
of 1950. Mix, a western film star, never appeared on these broadcasts,
and was instead played by radio actors like Joe "Curley" Bradley (above) 
who portrayed Mix from 1944 until 1950. Others in the supporting cast 
included George Gobel, Harold Peary and Willard Waterman. 

The Ralston company,  sponsor of the show, asked
listeners to send in for a series of 12 special Ralston-
Tom Mix Comic books available only by writing the
Ralston Company by mail.

Thomas Edwin "Tom" Mix was "the King of Cowboys"
when John Wayne was a youngster.

Mickey Rooney (Joseph Yule, Jr.) has been working as a performer
since he was a child. He was a superstar as a teenager for the films
in which he played Andy Hardy, and has one of the longest careers
of any actor to date spanning 90 years actively making films in ten
decades (1920s to 2010s).

1941

Robert Blake was born Michael James Vincenzo Gubitosi in Nutley, New Jersey. He 
went from child actor in 1939 to ABC – TV’s "Baretta" (1975-1978). Blake was later 
arrested for the 2001 murder of his wife, Bonny Lee Bakely. In 2005, he was tried 
and acquitted.  

Detective Anthony Vincenzo "Tony" Baretta with Fred the
Cockatoo

1976

     Stone in Vietnam (Sept. 16, 1967 – late November, 1968)

Oliver Stone was part of the battle at Firebase Burt on the
evening of January 1, 1968.  He was wounded twice and
awarded the Bronz Star for combat gallantry. He was also
awarded the Purple Heart with Oak Leaf Cluster.

Oliver Stone is 66 today