''Betty and Bob'' is a 1932-1940 radio

soap opera A soap opera (also called a daytime drama or soap) is a genre of a long-running radio or television Serial (radio and television), serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term ''soap opera'' originat ...

. The soap opera follows the lives of Betty and Bob Drake. Betty was a

secretary A secretary, administrative assistant, executive assistant, personal secretary, or other similar titles is an individual whose work consists of supporting management, including executives, using a variety of project management, program evalu ...

who falls madly in love with her boss, bachelor Bob Drake. The two wed and each day, the subject matter dealt with everything from love to hate, jealousy to divorce, murder to betrayal, and collusion to insanity. The program was the first radio program produced by future daytime radio monarchs Frank and Anne Hummert. The program also began a long partnership between the Hummerts and scriptwriter Robert Hardy Andrews. The program originally starred Elizabeth Reller and

Don Ameche Don Ameche (; born Dominic Felix Amici; May 31, 1908 – December 6, 1993) was an American actor, comedian and vaudevillian. After playing in college shows, repertory theatre, and vaudeville, he became a major radio star in the early 19 ...

in the title roles of Betty and Bob Drake. The role of Bob Drake is credited as furthering Ameche's status as a sex symbol; he became the "first radio sex symbol" through his work on The First Nighter. But during the program's eight-year run, four other actresses, including

Arlene Francis Arlene Francis (born Arline Francis Kazanjian; October 20, 1907 – May 31, 2001) was an American game show panelist, actress, radio and television talk show host. She is best known for her long-running role as a panelist on the television game ...

, portrayed Betty and seven other actors, including

Les Tremayne Lester Tremayne (16 April 1913 – 19 December 2003) was a British-born American actor who performed in Vaudeville, film, theatre, radio and television. Early life Tremayne was born in Balham, London. He moved with his family at the age o ...

, portrayed Bob. According to author John Dunning, ratings for the soap opera plummeted after the addition of Drake's son Little Bobby. "Raymond William Stedman speculates that listeners refused to accept bickering and jealousy when a child was involved." Little Bobby died of pneumonia and the Drakes divorced. But ratings never did pick up again. The last few years of the program centered on how Betty and Bob grieve over the loss of their son, Bob's relationship with his new girlfriend Pamela Talmadge (portrayed by Ethel Kuhn), and Bob's time in and out of a mental institution. The program premiered on the

Blue Network The Blue Network (previously known as the NBC Blue Network) was the on-air name of a now defunct American Commercial broadcasting, radio network, which broadcast from 1927 through 1945. Beginning as one of the two radio networks owned by the ...

on October 10, 1932. The program moved to

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...

then to

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...

's Red Network where the series finished on March 15, 1940. The program was sponsored by both the

Wheaties Wheaties is an American brand of breakfast cereal that is made by General Mills. It is well known for featuring list of athletes on Wheaties boxes, prominent athletes on its packages and has become a cultural icon in the United States. Originall ...

and Bisquick divisions of the

General Mills General Mills, Inc. is an American multinational corporation, multinational manufacturer and marketer of branded ultra-processed consumer foods sold through retail stores. Founded on the banks of the Mississippi River at Saint Anthony Falls in ...

company.

Cast and characters

* Elizabeth Reller, Beatrice Churchill, Alice Hill,

Mercedes McCambridge Carlotta Mercedes Agnes McCambridge (March 16, 1916 – March 2, 2004) was an American actress of radio, stage, film, and television. Orson Welles called her "the world's greatest living radio actress". She won an Academy Award for Best Support ...

and

as secretary Betty Drake. *

Vinton Hayworth Vinton Hayworth (June 4, 1906 – May 21, 1970), also known as Jack Arnold and Vincent Haworth,Although some sources cite Vinton Hayworth's real surname as Haworthwhich clearly shows the surname as Hayworth. The genealogy site indicates that his ...

, Onslow Stevens, Spencer Bentley, Carl Frank, J. Anthony Hughes and Van Heflin as Bob Drake * Edith Davis as May Drake, Bob's mother, and Gardenia, Bob's negro servant. * Herbert Nelson and Eleanor Dowling as Carl and Ethel Grainger, friends of the Drakes. * Ethel Kuhn as Pamela Talmadge, Bob's next girlfriend after his divorce. * Bill Bouchey as Harvey Drew. * Frankie Pacelli as Little Bob Drake, son of Betty and Bob.

Broadcast history

* Weekdays at 3:00–3:15 pm on the Blue Network: October 10, 1932 – May 29, 1936 * Weekdays at 10:00–10:15 am on CBS: June 1, 1937 – May 27, 1938 * Weekdays at 2:00–2:15 pm on NBC: May 30, 1938 – March 15, 1940

References

{{US radio soaps American radio soap operas 1930s American radio programs 1940s American radio programs 1932 radio programme debuts 1940 radio programme endings NBC Blue Network radio programs NBC radio programs CBS Radio programs