Old-Time Radio Reimagined

Good News of 1938

64 episodes · 1937–1940 · NBC · Variety & Music

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The first time a national network joined a major film studio to make a show for a sponsor. MGM ran it for Maxwell House Coffee on NBC from November 4, 1937, to July 25, 1940. The name changed with the year, to Good News of 1939 and Good News of 1940. Stars from the lot acted scenes from coming pictures, with interviews and songs, and Fanny Brice was often on as Baby Snooks.

Sources: Wikipedia: Good News of 1938; RadioGOLDINdex

Episodes

Tap a year to see its episodes, then a title to play it on Radio Days.

19373 episodes

With Judy Garland November 4, 1937 · NBC · 55 min
The Good News series opens with Judy Garland, introduced as fourteen, and Jeanette MacDonald and Allan Jones singing selections from Firefly, including Donkey Serenade. Robert Leonard hosts, and the cast includes George Murphy and Eleanor Powell.
Louie B. Mayer Birthday Party December 23, 1937 · NBC · 60 min
This hour from MGM's Sound Stage 30 celebrates the finished film Rosalie and Louis B. Mayer's birthday, with Jimmy Stewart as emcee. Nelson Eddy, Eleanor Powell, Frank Morgan and Fanny Brice take part.
With Myrna Loy December 30, 1937 · NBC · 62 min
Daddy spins a tale for Baby Snooks. Jimmy Stewart and Myrna Loy are newlyweds in a skit, young Freda Starr sings, and Lionel Barrymore explains a contest where listeners name the film. Frank Morgan is in a sketch by Kaufman and Connelly.

193829 episodes

With Frank Morgan February 10, 1938 · NBC · 61 min
A dinner visit from Daddy's boss has Baby Snooks pitching in. Host Robert Taylor is on hand, Frank Morgan chats about a new automobile and a trip abroad, and the drama is Of Human Bondage.
Good News, February 17, 1938 February 17, 1938 · NBC · 60 min
Jack Benny crashes the show to improve it and ends up in a steamy romance with Fanny Brice. Earlier, Daddy teaches Baby Snooks to read a clock, and director Jack Conway of the Oxford film guests.
With Virginia Bruce (1938) March 10, 1938 · NBC · 62 min
Daddy's tax return gets Baby Snooks's questionable help. Virginia Bruce and Robert Montgomery plug a new picture, Fanny Brice sings My Man, and Robert Taylor stars with Rita Johnson in Transient in Arcadia.
With Robert Montgomery March 24, 1938 · NBC · 62 min
Baby Snooks is no help as Daddy rehearses a speech. Cubs star Gabby Hartnett visits, Robert Montgomery stars in Happy Birthday to You, and Mickey Rooney and Lewis Stone act a Judge Hardy's Children scene.
Louis B Mayer from London March 31, 1938 · NBC · 62 min
From London, Louis B. Mayer talks about the premiere of the film A Yank at Oxford, and its director Jack Conway is heard. Snooks and Daddy have a sketch, Connie Boswell sings, and the cast offers its own Jekyll and Hyde.
With Freddie Bartholomew April 14, 1938 · NBC · 59 min
Uncle Louie is mad at Baby Snooks, and Daddy wants to know why. Judy Garland duets with Snooks, Freddie Bartholomew gets an award for Captains Courageous, and Robert Taylor leads the play The Hebrides.
Clark Gable and Judy Garland May 5, 1938 · NBC · 63 min
Robert Young hosts for the second time. Frank Morgan plans to start an escort business, Baby Snooks and Daddy visit a depot restaurant, and Clark Gable, Florence Rice and Una Merkel act in a Manhattan Melodrama scene.
With Joan Crawford May 19, 1938 · NBC · 62 min
The first of the MGM dramas, Arch Oboler's Dark World, premieres. Frank Morgan sings from Pagliacci, Joan Crawford speaks at length and cracks up over his flubbed line, and the Snooks sketch is set at a beach house.
Virginia Bruce on Good News May 26, 1938 · NBC · 62 min
Daddy tries to slip off to the prize fights, with Baby Snooks making trouble. Virginia Bruce and Robert Montgomery play Yellowjack, songwriter Gus Kahn talks shop, and Fanny Brice sings.
Robert Young and Mary Martin June 9, 1938 · NBC · 57 min
Baby Snooks and Daddy sit in a doctor's waiting room. Frank Morgan tells of conducting an orchestra, MGM's Nat Finston is a guest, and the drama is By Advice of Counsel.
With Ed Sullivan June 16, 1938 · NBC · 60 min
Snooks helps Daddy get over a hangover and Mary Martin sings. Robert Taylor stars in Thicker Than Water, and Ed Sullivan appears while Fanny Brice sings his song Hollywood.
Father Edward J. Flanagan September 1, 1938 · NBC · 58 min
The fall season begins with a medley of summer hits. Baby Snooks catches Daddy coming home at 3 A.M., and Louis B. Mayer introduces Boys Town scenes before Father Flanagan speaks.
Norma Shearer on Good News September 8, 1938 · 59 min
Virginia Barrow September 15, 1938 · NBC · 60 min
Baby Snooks frustrates Daddy's attempt to relax. Rita Johnson and Robert Taylor star in Rendezvous, a story of a soldier meeting death, while Frank Morgan recalls his army days.
Phil Regan September 22, 1938 · NBC · 58 min
Daddy and Snooks talk about Aunt Sophie's new baby. Frank Morgan quizzes guest Maxie Rosenbloom about prizefighting, and Robert Taylor and Florence Rice act in Literary Gem.
Spencer Tracy September 29, 1938 · NBC · 60 min
Daddy becomes a painter while Baby Snooks watches. Candidate Frank Morgan sings a campaign song, and Spencer Tracy and Rita Johnson perform He Who Gets Slapped.
Wallace Beery October 6, 1938 · NBC · 61 min
Daddy can't sleep and Snooks isn't any help. Thirteen-year-old Lennie Lynn sings, and Wallace Beery, Mickey Rooney and Joe E. Brown preview the film Stablemates.
Lionel Barrymore October 13, 1938 · NBC · 60 min
Daddy learns Baby Snooks has missed three days of school. Eleanor Powell tap dances, and Lew Ayres and Lionel Barrymore perform a Young Dr. Kildare scene.
Joan Crawford October 20, 1938 · NBC · 61 min
Baby Snooks and Daddy wander an art museum. Joan Crawford headlines the original drama The Moon Is on Fire, Frank Morgan tells of Polonia and Belgravia, and the whole cast sings the finale.
A Free Soul October 27, 1938 · NBC · 63 min
Snooks and Daddy ready themselves for a wedding. Frank Morgan remembers being a reporter, and Lionel Barrymore, Clark Gable and Rita Johnson perform A Free Soul.
The Valiant November 3, 1938 · NBC · 62 min
Bedtime brings a story from Daddy to Baby Snooks. Frank Morgan remembers life as a concert violinist, and Ralph Morgan, Ruth Hussey and Robert Young act in The Valiant.
With Lionel Barrymore November 10, 1938 · NBC · 62 min
Frank Morgan brags about all the dogs he has trained. Daddy gets ready for a college weekend with Snooks's help. Lionel Barrymore leads the Civil War drama The Copperhead, and Lew Ayres and Maureen O'Sullivan appear in Spring Madness.
With Tony Martin November 17, 1938 · NBC · 61 min
Frank Morgan tells how he beat back burglars. Boys Town gets a funding appeal from Mayer and Father Flanagan, Daddy readies Snooks for his boss's visit, and The Shining Hour is acted by Joan Crawford, Robert Young and Melvyn Douglas.
Thanksgiving with the Hardys November 24, 1938 · NBC · 60 min
Daddy shows off his new car to an impressed Snooks. Mickey Rooney and the Hardy family cast present a Thanksgiving drama, and Rooney's tune Have a Heart is played. Ted Pearson makes his last appearance as announcer.
The Gambler December 1, 1938 · NBC · 63 min
Warren Hull's first show as announcer. Meredith Willson and Frank Morgan sing Rigoletto together, Daddy tries to work at home with Snooks interfering, and Morgan takes a straight dramatic role in The Gambler.
Within The Law December 8, 1938 · NBC · 61 min
Daddy tries retelling Romeo and Juliet for Baby Snooks. Frank Morgan cooks pancakes in a hat, and Rosalind Russell, Robert Young and others perform Within the Law.
With Reginald Owen December 15, 1938 · NBC · 60 min
Snooks tells a story to Daddy, who is under the weather. Frank Morgan faces a lawsuit over a ruined hat, and Lionel Barrymore leads a cast in A Christmas Carol, scored by Franz Waxman.
Christmas Show: Salute to Eleanor Powell December 22, 1938 · NBC · 59 min
Eleanor Powell is saluted with a medley of her hits. Baby Snooks and Daddy see Santa Claus, Snooks recites a poem about an owl and a pussycat, and Rita Johnson and Robert Taylor star in Rendezvous at Dawn.
With Bill Stern December 29, 1938 · NBC · 61 min
Bill Stern talks sportscasting and the coming Rose Bowl, and Frank Morgan says he played on two football teams at once. Beulah Bondi and Lionel Barrymore star in Deep Rooted.

193924 episodes

With Virginia Bruce (1939) January 5, 1939 · NBC · 58 min
Daddy tries to get exercise with Baby Snooks hindering him. Guest Melvyn Douglas plays harmonica, then stars with Virginia Bruce in a play about a rose and its names.
With Cecilia Parker January 12, 1939 · NBC · 60 min
Daddy tells Snooks about fish, and Frank Morgan says he once broke the bank at the Monte Carlo casino. Tony Martin and Miliza Korjus sing, and three film players promote Burn 'Em Up O'Connor.
Preview of Huckleberry Finn February 2, 1939 · NBC · 60 min
Daddy is ticketed for stepping on the grass in a park, and Snooks recites Simple Simon. Mickey Rooney and Rex Ingram head the cast in Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn, and Rooney's Have a Heart is sung.
With Rosalind Russell February 16, 1939 · NBC · 62 min
Daddy and Baby Snooks pack for a train trip to the World's Fair. Robert Young fills in for Robert Montgomery, who has laryngitis, in Fast and Loose with Rosalind Russell. Tony Martin leaves the show as a regular.
Gertrude Niesen February 23, 1939 · NBC · 60 min
En route to the fair on Treasure Island, Baby Snooks and Daddy stay at a hotel. Gertrude Niesen and Miliza Korjus sing, and Carey Wilson recounts how an unknown genius invented farming.
The Ice Follies of 1939 Preview March 2, 1939 · NBC · 61 min
Jimmy Stewart and Lew Ayres promote Ice Follies of 1939 with Joan Crawford, acting scenes from it. Snooks and Daddy are bound for the Treasure Island fair, and Mayer talks racing with a handicapper.
The Criminal Code March 9, 1939 · NBC · 61 min
Daddy wrestles with his income tax while Snooks helps. Frank Morgan marks 25 years on stage, Gertrude Niesen sings, and Lionel Barrymore and Robert Taylor star in The Criminal Code.
Robert Montgomery March 16, 1939 · NBC · 61 min
At the World's Fair in San Francisco, Snooks and Daddy look around. Frank Morgan describes his masterpiece painting, Meredith Willson sings every part of a mock opera, and Robert Montgomery directs and stars in an Irish play.
Sergeant Madden March 23, 1939 · NBC · 61 min
Snooks and Daddy prepare for the opera, and an oboist's wife accuses Frank Morgan of cheating at cards. Wallace Beery and Laraine Day perform in Sergeant Madden, and Miliza Korjus sings.
Moral Victory March 30, 1939 · NBC · 62 min
Leo Carrillo does a telephone impression of an Italian, and Frank Morgan plays an ace pilot. Daddy describes his truck farm to Snooks, and Virginia Bruce and Walter Pidgeon star in Moral Victory.
The Voice Of Bugle Ann April 6, 1939 · NBC · 62 min
Jeanette MacDonald is honored. Baby Snooks reports on her new tutor to Daddy, Kitty Carlisle sings and talks about her fashion award, and Lionel Barrymore stars in The Voice of Bugle Ann.
Virginia Bruce April 13, 1939 · NBC · 61 min
Daddy looks into why Baby Snooks skipped school. Frank Morgan plays a Scotsman, and Melvyn Douglas and Virginia Bruce star in I'll Be Suing You.
The Hardys Ride High April 20, 1939 · NBC · 62 min
A trip to the toy shop for Snooks and Daddy is followed by a cooking lesson. In The Hardys Ride High, Mickey Rooney's family comes into two million dollars.
First Of The Month April 27, 1939 · NBC · 62 min
The program celebrates Lionel Barrymore's 61st birthday, with Eddie Cantor singing a medley and short tributes from Robert Montgomery, Mickey Rooney, Clark Gable and others. The drama is First of the Month, set in New York's ghetto.
Lucky Night May 4, 1939 · NBC · 61 min
Ed Sullivan, as a guest, recalls June 4, 1929, in an air gossip column. Daddy tries to sleep while Snooks hears a burglar, and Frank Morgan stars in the serious play Water Under the Bridge.
Meredith Willson June 15, 1939 · NBC · 61 min
Daddy explains death to Snooks and her turtle, then they go to a baseball game. Frank Morgan joins from WEAF in New York, where he is opening in The Wizard of Oz.
Billy Halop November 2, 1939 · NBC · 58 min
Guests Maxie Rosenbloom and Marlene Dietrich join the show. Daddy brings Snooks to the depot to greet a wealthy uncle, Dietrich acts in The First Act, and Meredith Willson conducts Louis Alter's American Serenade for the first time.
The Commodore Marries November 9, 1939 · NBC · 60 min
Ed Gardner brings an early Duffy's Tavern sketch as Archie. Daddy's overdrawn checking account leads to a talk with Snooks about Pilgrims, and Walter Huston stars in The Commodore Marries. Duke Ellington's American Lullaby is introduced.
Marlene Dietrich November 16, 1939 · NBC · 59 min
Maxie Rosenbloom quotes Shakespeare, and Daddy attempts to explain astrology to Snooks. Connie Boswell sings, and the drama The Night Is Dark follows a tough kid on his first hold-up.
Bright World November 23, 1939 · NBC · 60 min
Jury duty calls Daddy, who explains it to Baby Snooks. Raymond Walburn runs a confidence game on turkeys, Walter Huston stars in Arch Oboler's Bright World, and a Thanksgiving comedy sketch follows.
Fay Wray November 30, 1939 · NBC · 60 min
Baby Snooks learns plenty when Daddy shops for life insurance. Lou Holtz tells a Sam Lapidus story and translates for an oboe player, and Fay Wray appears in Love in an Alley.
Excursion December 7, 1939 · NBC · 60 min
Daddy and Baby Snooks purchase a plot in the suburbs. Excursion, about a ferry captain facing retirement, stars Walter Huston, and Meredith Willson premieres Morton Gould's American Caprice.
Allan Jones and Mary Martin December 14, 1939 · NBC · 60 min
Baby Snooks is psychoanalyzed, and she sings a duet with Lou Holtz. Walter Connolly, Mary Martin and Allan Jones preview The Great Victor Herbert, and Willson premieres An American Bacarole and plays flute.
Invitation to the Waltz December 28, 1939 · NBC · 60 min
Daddy and Snooks go on a hunt. John Boles sings, then stars with Lucille Ball in a drama about a newspaper editor crusading against a corrupt city. Harold Arlen's An American Minuet premieres.

19408 episodes

Ann Sothern and William Gargan January 4, 1940 · NBC · 60 min
Snooks irritates Daddy as he listens to the police band on a new shortwave set. Ann Sothern and William Gargan act in a Damon Runyon drama about Joe and Ethel Twerp, and Ferde Grofe's American Concert March premieres.
Strike Up The Band January 11, 1940 · NBC · 62 min
Hattie McDaniel appears in a revival scene, and Daddy tries to work at home with Snooks around. Lurene Tuttle and William Gargan act in Paul Rafall's story of an out-of-work actor.
Joe And Ethel See Gone With The Wind January 18, 1940 · NBC · 60 min
Daddy attempts to teach Snooks chemistry. A Damon Runyon skit has Joe Twerp and Ethel seeing Gone with the Wind, and Connie Boswell sings Scatterbrain.
Alice Faye January 25, 1940 · NBC · 60 min
Daddy plans to buy Snooks a pony. George Huston is the Spirit of Metropolis in Meredith Willson's Ode to New York, and Alice Faye and Brenda Joyce star in a New York period piece.
Happy Year February 1, 1940 · NBC · 60 min
Daddy traces the family tree with Snooks tagging along. Connie Boswell sings, and Arch Oboler's Happy Year deals with love, crime and punishment.
The Light That Failed February 8, 1940 · NBC · 59 min
Daddy demonstrates a coffee-pouring robot of his own invention to Baby Snooks. Ida Lupino and Ronald Colman act scenes from the film The Light That Failed, and Connie Boswell sings Stormy Weather.
Purple And Fine Linen February 15, 1940 · NBC · 60 min
Daddy works on his books while Snooks asks for homework help. Virginia Bruce appears in Purple and Fine Linen, and Connie Boswell sings I've Got My Eyes on You.
The Lone Wolf Strikes February 22, 1940 · NBC · 45 min
Snooks has used Daddy's dollar to buy her friends ice cream sodas. The cast performs The Lone Wolf Strikes, in which Michael Waring solves a baffling murder, and Connie Boswell sings a swing Martha.