Sarah Bernhardt  (October 22, 1844 — March 26, 1923) 

Bernhardt was one of the pioneer dramatic silent film actress. She has been referred
to as “the most famous actress the world has ever known”. Her career began on the
stages of France in the 1870s, and was soon in demand in Europe and America.
 

Actress Joan Fontaine and her older sister Olivia de Havilland are two
of the last surviving leading ladies from Hollywood of the 1930s. Joan
is the only actor to have won an Academy Award for a performance in
a film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, Suspension (1941).

 

Joan Fontaine with Alfred Hitchcock

 
1940

1943

Based on the popular characters created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle,
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes began on coast-to-coast radio
from Monday October 20, 1930 until June 5, 1955. There were 574
broadcasts over the NBC, Mutual and ABC networks. The original
cast featured William Gillette as Holmes and Leigh Lovell as Dr.
Watson. The first sponsor was George Washington Coffee. The
announcer was Joseph Bell.

William Gillette

 
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. 

 
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).