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Claudia
Volume 5
 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, 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 and David have moved to their Connecticut farmhouse and are coping with the challenges of remodeling and rebuilding a home dating from the 1700s. Claudia's pregnancy doesn't diminish her activity or enthusiasm, but both she and David are finding that there are considerable differences between city and country life.
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"; RadioArchives.com 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 fifth collection, which takes up where the earlier
collections left off, offers 24 consecutive episodes of "Claudia," just
as originally aired in the spring of 1948 - a real treasure for radio enthusiasts to
play and enjoy for many years to come.
#146 Peaceful in the Country
Monday, April 19, 1948 - 15:00 - Syndicated, sponsored by Coca Cola
#147 News of the Neighbors
Tuesday, April 20, 1948 - 15:00 - Syndicated, sponsored by Coca Cola
#148 Egg Hunting
Wednesday, April 21, 1948 - 15:00 - Syndicated, sponsored by Coca Cola
#149 In the Gloaming
Thursday, April 22, 1948 - 15:00 - Syndicated, sponsored by Coca Cola
#150 Hiring a Farmer
Friday, April 23, 1948 - 15:00 - Syndicated, sponsored by Coca Cola
#151 Noises in the Night
Monday, April 26, 1948 - 15:00 - Syndicated, sponsored by Coca Cola
#152 Repairing the Wall
Tuesday, April 27, 1948 - 15:00 - Syndicated, sponsored by Coca Cola
#153 Chicken in the Oven
Wednesday, April 28, 1948 - 15:00 - Syndicated, sponsored by Coca Cola
#154 A Visit from Bertha and Fritz
Thursday, April 29, 1948 - 15:00 - Syndicated, sponsored by Coca Cola
#155 The Happy Woman
Friday, April 30, 1948 - 15:00 - Syndicated, sponsored by Coca Cola
#156 Mama Takes the Train
Monday, May 3, 1948 - 15:00 - Syndicated, sponsored by Coca Cola
#157 Reviewing the Budget
Tuesday, May 4, 1948 - 15:00 - Syndicated, sponsored by Coca Cola
#158 The New Maid
Wednesday, May 5, 1948 - 15:00 - Syndicated, sponsored by Coca Cola
#159 Noises in the Pipes
Thursday, May 6, 1948 - 15:00 - Syndicated, sponsored by Coca Cola
#160 Dry Flies
Friday, May 7, 1948 - 15:00 - Syndicated, sponsored by Coca Cola
#161 Parking the Car
Monday, May 10, 1948 - 15:00 - Syndicated, sponsored by Coca Cola
#162 An Appointment in New York
Tuesday, May 11, 1948 - 15:00 - Syndicated, sponsored by Coca Cola
#163 Breakfast in Bed
Wednesday, May 12, 1948 - 15:00 - Syndicated, sponsored by Coca Cola
#164 An Evening Stroll
Thursday, May 13, 1948 - 15:00 - Syndicated, sponsored by Coca Cola
#165 The Prodigal Pup
Friday, May 14, 1948 - 15:00 - Syndicated, sponsored by Coca Cola
#166 Gertrude Arrives
Monday, May 17, 1948 - 15:00 - Syndicated, sponsored by Coca Cola
#167 Fresh Off the Farm
Tuesday, May 18, 1948 - 15:00 - Syndicated, sponsored by Coca Cola
#168 The Lack of a Jack
Wednesday, May 19, 1948 - 15:00 - Syndicated, sponsored by Coca Cola
#169 A Letter of Recommendation
Thursday, May 20, 1948 - 15:00 - Syndicated, sponsored by Coca Cola
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