Claudia
Volume 4
In 1947, a new soap opera debuted - a comedy/drama that was far different than the three-hankerchief weepers that occupied most of the daytime radio schedule.
"Claudia" told the tale of Claudia and David Naughton, newlyweds, just beginning their married life. Young, enthusiastic, and very much in love, they weren't suffering from any medical problems, suspicions, or ungrateful children. Instead, they were simply facing the many challenges of any new marriage in the years following World War II - finding an apartment, getting used to each other's quirks, and learning to live together as husband and wife.
Lacking many of the characteristics of a traditional soap opera, "Claudia" didn't offer the anguish and heartbreak that typified such long-running soaps as "Valiant Lady," "Backstage Wife," and "Ma Perkins" - and, being sponsored by Coca-Cola, it even lacked the traditional sponsorship of a soap company. But the very elements it was lacking quickly became its strengths: with very few of the "tune in tomorrow" hooks that most soaps used to lure listeners back the next day, people returning to "Claudia" instead came back for the interesting, fully developed characters, the lighthearted banter between them, and the familiarity of their day-to-day situations. Rather than suffering with them, the characters were, instead, simply the sort of people you enjoyed spending time with. Given this, most modern listeners view "Claudia" as a continuing daytime situation comedy, rather than as a soap opera -- and enjoy it immensely.
"Claudia" was based on the literary works of Rose Franken, a writer, novelist, playwright, and theatrical director who had first written about the Naughton's in the mid-1930s. By the end of the decade, the highly popular short stories had been brought together into a series of best-selling novels which, in 1941, were adapted by Franken into a Broadway play starring Donald Cook as David and a young actress named Dorothy McGuire in the title role. Claudia Naughton was a breakout role for McGuire; the sincerity, simplicity, and captivating charm which she brought to the part made the play a long-running hit and soon brought her to Hollywood to reprise the role in the 20th Century Fox film version, released in 1943 and co-starring Robert Young as David. Based on that film's success, in 1945, RKO Pictures starred McGuire and Young in "The Enchanted Cottage" and 1946 found them together again in "Claudia and David," a sequel to the earlier film.
Due in large part to the success of the two "Claudia" movies, in 1947, the D'Arcy advertising agency decided to bring the characters to radio in a five-a-week quarter-hour serial on behalf of its client, Coca-Cola. First heard on Monday, September 29, 1947, Kathryn Bard was cast as Claudia and Paul Crabtree as David, with Joe King announcing. But this daily serial was not the first time that "Claudia" had been heard on the air - nor, in fact, would it be the last. In June of 1941, "Claudia" had appeared as a weekly skit on the "Kate Smith Hour," quickly transitioning into Smith's summer replacement series that same year. In 1952, after the radio serial had left the air, "Claudia" came to television in a half-hour series, seen in a short run on NBC from January through March and later switching to CBS thru June.
Heard today, "Claudia" remains wonderful entertainment, notable for both its lighthearted tone and the believable interplay between its characters. Claudia, a bit younger than her years, is often impulsive, sometimes irresponsible, usually perky, and just a bit flighty. Her father had died when she was still a young girl and, as an only child, had been raised by her widowed mother. As a newlywed who married when she was just eighteen, she occasionally ponders whether she is still a "mama-baby," tied to her mother's apron strings and relying too much on Mama's continuing support and advice. As she matures, she becomes a unique mixture of enthusiasm, incompetence and over-confidence -- deeply in love with her somewhat older husband David, but frequently naive and too likely to trust in her insecurities rather than her instincts.
Claudia's loving and patient husband David came from a substantial family and he had trained to be an architect until World War II interrupted his plans. Like many a returning veteran, he's working to get ahead in his field, but he sometimes questions whether he's chosen the right career path - particularly when considering the success of his older brother Hartley, an influential banker. In these 24 sequential episodes of "Claudia", presented here for the first time in sixty years, Claudia is in the midst of her first pregnancy and both she and David are very excited about moving into the Connecticut farmhouse which David has redesigned and remodeled for them to live in. Claudia's mother, Mrs. Brown, is still very much a part of their lives, as are David's co-worker Roger, his brother Hartley and his wife Julia, and the many people who will soon become their new neighbors. You'll get to know more about all these people and share their lives -- in fifteen-minute segments.
One of the sad things about radio show preservation is the fact that so many long-running series exist today only in fragments - a broadcast here and a broadcast there, rather than long continuous runs of a particular program. This is particularly the case when it comes to soap operas, where it is difficult to get into a storyline when often so few consecutive episodes exist. Happily, that is not the case with "Claudia"; Radio Archives has been able to locate and preserve the entire eighteen-month run of the series - 390 episodes in all - with no missing shows, allowing you to enjoy the complete series on a day-by-day basis. This fourth collection, which takes up where their earlier collections left off, offers 24 consecutive episodes of "Claudia," just as originally aired in 1948 - a real treasure for radio enthusiasts to play and enjoy for many years to come.
#121 A Snack at 4:00 AM
Monday, March 15, 1948 - 15:00 - Syndicated, sponsored by Coca-Cola
#122 Touring the Farm
Tuesday, March 16, 1948 - 15:00 - Syndicated, sponsored by Coca-Cola
#123 The Tree Surgeon
Wednesday, March 17, 1948 - 15:00 - Syndicated, sponsored by Coca-Cola
#125 Waiting for the Train
Friday, March 19, 1948 - 15:00 - Syndicated, sponsored by Coca-Cola
#126 Shopping for the Baby
Monday, March 22, 1948 - 15:00 - Syndicated, sponsored by Coca-Cola
#127 Finding a Farmer
Tuesday, March 23, 1948 - 15:00 - Syndicated, sponsored by Coca-Cola
#128 Laundry Problems
Wednesday, March 24, 1948 - 15:00 - Syndicated, sponsored by Coca-Cola
#129 The Interior Decorator
Thursday, March 25, 1948 - 15:00 - Syndicated, sponsored by Coca-Cola
#130 The Flower Seller
Friday, March 26, 1948 - 15:00 - Syndicated, sponsored by Coca-Cola
#131 Renting the Apartment
Monday, March 29, 1948 - 15:00 - Syndicated, sponsored by Coca-Cola
#132 Jeffrey Pays a Visit
Tuesday, March 30, 1948 - 15:00 - Syndicated, sponsored by Coca-Cola
#133 The Night Clubbers
Wednesday, March 31, 1948 - 15:00 - Syndicated, sponsored by Coca-Cola
#134 April Fool's Day
Thursday, April 1, 1948 - 15:00 - Syndicated, sponsored by Coca-Cola
#135 Finding the Stateroom
Friday, April 2, 1948 - 15:00 - Syndicated, sponsored by Coca-Cola
#136 Hiring a Maid
Monday, April 5, 1948 - 15:00 - Syndicated, sponsored by Coca-Cola
#137 Opening the Safe
Tuesday, April 6, 1948 - 15:00 - Syndicated, sponsored by Coca-Cola
#138 Dinner with Aunt Louisa
Wednesday, April 7, 1948 - 15:00 - Syndicated, sponsored by Coca-Cola
#139 Browsing the Catalog
Thursday, April 8, 1948 - 15:00 - Syndicated, sponsored by Coca-Cola
#140 Vacuums and Mailboxes
Friday, April 9, 1948 - 15:00 - Syndicated, sponsored by Coca-Cola
#141 The Moving Men
Monday, April 12, 1948 - 15:00 - Syndicated, sponsored by Coca-Cola
#142 An Important Banquet
Tuesday, April 13, 1948 - 15:00 - Syndicated, sponsored by Coca-Cola
#143 Mama's Living Arrangements
Wednesday, April 14, 1948 - 15:00 - Syndicated, sponsored by Coca-Cola
#144 The Last Night in New York
Thursday, April 15, 1948 - 15:00 - Syndicated, sponsored by Coca-Cola
#145 Driving to the New House
Friday, April 16, 1948 - 15:00 - Syndicated, sponsored by Coca-Cola
