Aldrich Family - Radio Show OTR
As the dawn of the 1940s ushered in the golden age of radio, it was the voice of a young Henry Aldrich that echoed through the living rooms of America, a voice that would become as familiar as the crackling warmth of the family hearth. "The Aldrich Family," a tableau of teenage life in the heartland, invited listeners to peer into the everyday comings and goings on Elm Street, in the heart of Centerville.Here was a portrait of Middle America, the Aldriches, whose trials and triumphs were as comfortable and worn as a favorite armchair. At the center of this gentle whirlwind was Henry, a boy perched on the cusp of manhood, navigating the seas of high school society.With a clarion call that would resonate through the ages, "Hen-reeeeeeeeeeeee! Hen-ree Al-drich!", listeners were summoned to partake in the misadventures and milestones that marked the journey of youth. This voice of a mother's love, sometimes exasperated but always endearing, was crafted on the bright lights of Broadway. Clifford Goldsmith's "What a Life" laid the foundation, a theatrical piece that captured the essence of adolescence with humor and heart.Ezra Stone, a young actor with the charm of the boy-next-door, breathed life into Henry Aldrich, first on the stage and then across the airwaves. It was a stroke of serendipity when Rudy Vallee, captivated by the play, envisioned Henry's life beyond the proscenium arch and into the homes of America.With the ingenuity of Bob Welsh during "The Kate Smith Hour," the once-minor character of Henry Aldrich became an icon of the era. The call of "Hen-reeeeeeeeeeeee! Hen-ree Al-drich!" became not just a signature of the show but a siren song of an era that, while long passed, remains as vivid and cherished as the memories of our own youthful escapades.
