 Vivian Fridell portrayed Mary Noble onBackstage Wife in the 1930s and early 1940s | |
| Other names | Mary Noble, Backstage Wife |
|---|---|
| Genre | Daytime serial drama |
| Running time | 15 minutes |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Language | English |
| Syndicates | MBS Blue CBS |
| Starring | Vivian Fridell Ken Griffin |
| Announcer | Pierre Andre |
| Created by | Frank and Anne Hummert |
| Original release | August 5, 1935 – January 2, 1959 |
| Audio format | Mono |
| Opening theme | "Stay As Sweet As You Are"[1] |
| Sponsored by | Double Danderine Dr. Lyon's Tooth Powder Ironized Yeast Mulsified Cocoanut Oil Shampoo Procter & Gamble |
Backstage Wife is an Americansoap opera radio program that details the travails of Mary Noble, a girl from a small town in Iowa who came to New York seeking her future.
Vivian Fridell had the title role from 1935 until the early 1940s. It was then taken over byClaire Niesen, who played Mary Noble for 14 years, until the end of the series.[2] Mary's husband, Larry Noble, was portrayed by Ken Griffin, then James Meighan, and finally, Guy Sorel. The music was supplied by organist Chet Kingsbury.
Others heard on the series includedBob Jellison, Klock Ryder, and John Walsh.[3]
Each episode opened with the announcer (Pierre Andre, Roger Krupp, Stuart V. Dawson) explaining:
In 1946, when the program was in its 12th year, a newspaper article summarized the plot's status as follows:
By 1951, Larry had been charged with a murder that had happened backstage at a theater. Larry was found innocent, and the killer (described as having undergone a nervous breakdown) was committed to an institution, but not before splashing acid in the face of Mary, "possibly disfiguring her forever".[5]
The show was created byFrank andAnne Hummert, who produced many radio daytime drama series, includingAmanda of Honeymoon Hill,Front Page Farrell,John's Other Wife,Little Orphan Annie,Ma Perkins,Mr. Chameleon,Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons andOur Gal Sunday.[6]
Backstage Wife debuted August 5, 1935, on theMutual Broadcasting System, continued onNBC Radio and concluded on January 2, 1959 onCBS Radio. The sponsors included Dr. Lyons Tooth Powder andProcter & Gamble.[7]
The program was parodied byBob and Ray as their continuing satirical soap opera,Mary Backstayge, Noble Wife, serialized for such a long period of time that it became better known to many listeners than the show it lampooned.Ray Goulding played Mary Backstayge, playwright Gregg Marlowe, neighbor Calvin L. Hoogevin and other characters, whileBob Elliott portrayed Harry Backstayge and stage doorman Pop Beloved.
In theHogan's Heroes episode "The 43rd, A Moving Story", Hogan and Kinch find out from their secret radio that the bank is going to foreclose onMary Noble, Backstage Wife.
