This collection of "Best of Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy" shows features 168 shows on 2 CDs. Each episode is presented in the .mp3 format. There are many hours of entertaining programs.

The CDs are labeled and provided in highly protective jewel cases. A list of the programs on the disc as well as the date the program originally aired (if known) is also provided.


PLEASE MAKE SURE YOUR EQUIPMENT WILL PLAY MP3 FORMATTED FILES BEFORE PURCHASING THIS ITEM.

IT IS ULTIMATELY THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE BUYER TO ENSURE THAT HIS OR HER EQUIPMENT IS COMPATIBLE WITH THE MP3 FORMAT.


A note concerning sound quality. The sound quality for the shows in this collection is very good to good. It is difficult to find perfect recordings from the golden age of radio due to the equipment used for recording and the fact that many of the recordings were made 60, 70 or even 80 years ago.

HERE'S SOME BACKGROUND INFORMATION FOR "EDGAR BERGEN AND CHARLIE McCARTHY":

Edgar Bergen was born Edgar John Bergren in Chicago, Illinois, the son of Swedish immigrants Nilla Svensdotter (née Osberg) and Johan Henriksson Bergren. He grew up in Decatur, Michigan. He taught himself ventriloquism from a pamphlet when he was 11. A few years later, he commissioned Chicago woodcarver Theodore Mack to sculpt a likeness of a rascally Irish newspaperboy he knew. The head went on a dummy named Charlie McCarthy, who became Bergen's lifelong sidekick. At age 16, he went to Chicago, where he attended Lake View High School and worked at a silent movie house. For college he attended Northwestern University where he was enrolled in the School of Speech. He gave his first public performance at Waveland Avenue Congregational Church which was located on the northeast corner of Waveland and Janssen. He lived across the street from the church. In 1965, he gave that church a generous contribution, a thoughtful letter, and a photograph of himself which had been requested by the minister and was displayed in the church's assembly room which was dedicated to Bergen.

His first performances were in vaudeville, at which point he legally changed his last name to the easier-to-pronounce "Bergen". He worked in one-reel movie shorts, but his real success was on the radio. He and Charlie were seen at a New York party by Elsa Maxwell for Noël Coward, who recommended them for an engagement at the famous Rainbow Room. It was there that two producers saw Bergen and Charlie perform. They then recommended them for a guest appearance on Rudy Vallée's program. Their initial appearance (December 17, 1936) was so successful that the following year they were given their own show, as part of "The Chase and Sanborn Hour." Under various sponsors (and two different networks), they were on the air from May 9, 1937 to July 1, 1956. The popularity of a ventriloquist on radio, when one could see neither the dummies nor his skill, surprised and puzzled many critics, then and now. Even knowing that Bergen provided the voice, listeners perceived Charlie as a genuine person, but only through artwork rather than photos could the character be seen as truly lifelike. Thus, in 1947, Sam Berman caricatured Bergen and McCarthy for the network's glossy promotional book, NBC Parade of Stars: As Heard Over Your Favorite NBC Station.

For the radio program, Bergen developed other characters, notably the slow-witted Mortimer Snerd and the man-hungry Effie Klinker. The star remained Charlie, who was always presented as a highly precocious child (albeit in top hat, cape, and monocle) – a debonair, girl-crazy, child-about-town. As a child and a wooden one at that, Charlie could get away with double entendres which were otherwise impossible under broadcast standards of the time.

Bergen and McCarthy are sometimes credited with "saving the world" because, on the night of October 30, 1938, when Orson Welles performed his War of the Worlds radio play hoax that panicked many listeners, most of the American public had instead tuned in to Bergen and McCarthy on another station and never heard Welles' play. Conversely, it has also been theorized that Bergen inadvertently contributed to the hysteria. When the musical portion of Bergen's show, The Chase and Sanborn Hour, aired approximately 12 minutes into the show, many listeners switched stations and found the War of the Worlds presentation already underway with a realistic-sounding reporter detailing terrible events.

Episode Listing for the "Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy" programs included in this collection:

EBCM - 370509 - Ann Harding Performs A Scene From 'The Guardsman' 14011 KB
EBCM - 370516 - Carole Lombard, Joseph Bentoelli 27759 KB
EBCM - 370606 - Constance Bennett And Baritone Ray Middleton 14237 KB
EBCM - 370613 - Joan Blondell With Songwriting Team Rodger And Hart 10679 KB
EBCM - 370711 - Gladys George 13980 KB
EBCM - 370801 - Bruna Castagna 27936 KB
EBCM - 370822 - Glenda Farrell 27922 KB
EBCM - 370905 - Ida Lupino 14311 KB
EBCM - 371003 - Sally Eliers 26065 KB
EBCM - 371212 - Mae West 13029 KB
EBCM - 380828 - Ralph Bellamy And Edward Arnold Perform 'A Well Remembered Voice' By James Barrie 13725 KB
EBCM - 381030 - Madeline Carroll 13978 KB
EBCM - 391112 - Jean Arthur 7032 KB
EBCM - 400421 - Charles Laughton And Donald Dickson 7032 KB
EBCM - 401027 - Frank Morgan 7032 KB
EBCM - 410921 - W.C. Fields 6140 KB
EBCM - 411111 - EBCM Guest Star On 'Fibber McGee And Molly' 5017 KB
EBCM - 411207 - Judy Garland 6932 KB
EBCM - 420220 - W. C. Fields 3755 KB
EBCM - 420222 - Hedy Lamarr 5069 KB
EBCM - 420503 - Edward Everett Horton 4442 KB
EBCM - 420621 - Judy Garland 6681 KB
EBCM - 420628 - Walter Brennan And Ginny Sims 5646 KB
EBCM - 420906 - Charlie Ruggles 7032 KB
EBCM - 421011 - From Annapolis Naval Academy 7032 KB
EBCM - 421018 - From Quantico Marine Base 7032 KB
EBCM - 421108 - W. C. Fields 7032 KB
EBCM - 430214 - Bill Thompson And Charles Ruggles 3705 KB
EBCM - 430221 - Carmen Miranda 7033 KB
EBCM - 430328 - Roy Rogers 8790 KB
EBCM - 430411 - Martha Raye 7032 KB
EBCM - 430418 - Ronald Coleman 7032 KB
EBCM - 430425 - Barbara Stanwyk 12882 KB
EBCM - 430502 - Barbara Stanwyck 7032 KB
EBCM - 430516 - Claudette Colbert And Rags Ragland 7032 KB
EBCM - 430523 - Charles Boyer 5231 KB
EBCM - 430530 - Walter Pidgeon 4902 KB
EBCM - 430912 - Humphrey Bogart 4062 KB
EBCM - 430926 - Hedy Lamar 13430 KB
EBCM - 431031 - Dorothy Lamour 9083 KB
EBCM - 431107 - Elsa Maxwell 5165 KB
EBCM - 431205 - Jane Powell And Fats Waller 8790 KB
EBCM - 431212 - Bert Lahr And Lena Horne 3666 KB
EBCM - 440109 - Paulette Goddard And Prince Michael Romanoff 7032 KB
EBCM - 440123 - Greer Garson 7041 KB
EBCM - 440206 - Susan Hayward 7032 KB
EBCM - 440220 - W.C. Fields 7425 KB
EBCM - 440305 - Cecil B. Demille 7041 KB
EBCM - 440312 - Charles Ruggles And Jane Powell 7041 KB
EBCM - 440402 - Orson Welles 7041 KB
EBCM - 440917 - Leo Carillo 8833 KB
EBCM - 441015 - Gertrude Niesen 6785 KB
EBCM - 441022 - Don Ameche 6557 KB
EBCM - 441029 - Halloween with Orson Welles 5050 KB
EBCM - 441105 - World Of Tomorrow with Orson Welles 4878 KB
EBCM - 441112 - Frank Fay 7032 KB
EBCM - 441203 - Don Ameche And Professor Irwin Corey 5205 KB
EBCM - 441210 - Professor Irwin Corey, Signe Hasso And Verna Felton 7041 KB
EBCM - 441224 - The Chorus Of The Great Lakes Naval Training Station 7003 KB
EBCM - 441231 - Charles Laughton 6588 KB
EBCM - 450107 - Carmen Miranda 5283 KB
EBCM - 450114 - Louis Bromfield 7032 KB
EBCM - 450121 - Frank Sinatra 5117 KB
EBCM - 450128 - Frank Sinatra 7032 KB
EBCM - 450131 - EBCM Guest Star On 'Mail Call' 7301 KB
EBCM - 450204 - Dr. Albert E. Wiggem 6953 KB
EBCM - 450218 - Veronica Lake 7032 KB
EBCM - 450225 - Gene Tierney 7032 KB
EBCM - 450325 - Lynn Bari 6269 KB
EBCM - 450422 - Rita Hayworth 6824 KB
EBCM - 450429 - Ida Lupino 6872 KB
EBCM - 450502 - Dr. Max Mason 3492 KB
EBCM - 450520 - Janet Blair 6784 KB
EBCM - 450903 - Fred Allen and Portland Hoffa 5287 KB
EBCM - 450909 - Keenan Wynn And June Kilgore 6823 KB
EBCM - 450923 - Keenan Wynn And Ann Baxter 7007 KB
EBCM - 450930 - Fred Allen And Portland Hoffa 5258 KB
EBCM - 451007 - Fred Allen's New Partner 4769 KB
EBCM - 451014 - Hildegarde 7005 KB
EBCM - 451021 - Fred Allen 5346 KB
EBCM - 451028 - EBCM Guest Star On 'Fred Allen Show' 6651 KB
EBCM - 451104 - Elsa Maxwell 6855 KB
EBCM - 451111 - Robert S. Kerr, Governor Of Oklahoma 6265 KB
EBCM - 451118 - Margaret O'Brien Performs 'The Courtship Of Miles Standish' 6915 KB
EBCM - 451216 - Susan Heyward 6834 KB
EBCM - 460210 - Jose Iturbi 7132 KB
EBCM - 460217 - Ray Milland 6811 KB
EBCM - 460324 - W. C. Fields 7032 KB
EBCM - 460331 - Roy Rogers 4659 KB
EBCM - 460621 - Abbott And Costello (Part 01) 4984 KB
EBCM - 460628 - Abbott And Costello (Part 02) 4925 KB
EBCM - 461006 - Jack Benny 12097 KB
EBCM - 461117 - Tallulah Bankhead 3649 KB
EBCM - 461124 - Edward Everett Horton 9376 KB
EBCM - 470105 - Charles Boyer 6804 KB
EBCM - 470112 - Edward Arnold 6818 KB
EBCM - 470119 - Dorothy Lamour, Nelson Eddy, Don Ameche And Rudy Vallee 9083 KB
EBCM - 470125 - Roy Rogers 6834 KB
EBCM - 470202 - Jane Wyman 6838 KB
EBCM - 470209 - Nelson Eddy 6752 KB
EBCM - 470216 - Nelson Eddy And Billie Burke 6734 KB
EBCM - 470223 - Elsa Maxwell 6732 KB
EBCM - 470302 - Chester Morris 6808 KB
EBCM - 470309 - Monty Woolley 6746 KB
EBCM - 470423 - Roy Rogers 5340 KB
EBCM - 470509 - Getting Ready For Hunting Trip 3408 KB
EBCM - 470902 - Jack And The Beanstalk 5027 KB
EBCM - 470914 - Veola Vonn And Michael Romanoff 7144 KB
EBCM - 470921 - Jack Mather, Alan Reed And Walt Disney 7033 KB
EBCM - 470928 - Alan Reed And Betty Hutton 6762 KB
EBCM - 471005 - Don Ameche 6979 KB
EBCM - 471012 - Linda Darnell Plays The Role Of 'Queen Lindabella' In A Columbus Day Skit 7032 KB
EBCM - 471019 - Jane Wyman And Hans Conried Perform 'Aladdin And His Lamp' 6873 KB
EBCM - 471026 - Gloria Blondell, Jack Mather And Richard Widmark 7087 KB
EBCM - 471102 - Fred Allen 7024 KB
EBCM - 471109 - Lulu McConnell And Maurice Evans 7136 KB
EBCM - 471116 - Lana Turner 7073 KB
EBCM - 471123 - Carmen Miranda 6921 KB
EBCM - 471130 - Edward Everett Horton 7116 KB
EBCM - 471207 - Roy Rogers And The Sons Of The Pioneers 7013 KB
EBCM - 471214 - John McGovern And Gary Cooper 5175 KB
EBCM - 471227 - EBCM Guest Star On 'All-Star Western Theater' 6759 KB
EBCM - 480118 - Hoagy Carmichael 7033 KB
EBCM - 480404 - Barbara Bel Geddes And Rudy Valee 3334 KB
EBCM - 480411 - Dr. Max Mason 7032 KB
EBCM - 480418 - Gary Cooper 7173 KB
EBCM - 481017 - Don Ameche And Marsha Hunt 9083 KB
EBCM - 481107 - Marsha Hunt, Don Ameche 13952 KB
EBCM - 481219 - Don Ameche And Marsha Hunt With Mario Lanza Singing 'The Lord's Prayer' 6514 KB
EBCM - 481226 - Last Show For 'Chase And Sanborn' 5253 KB
EBCM - 490130 - Basil Rathbone 3375 KB
EBCM - 490421 - EBCM Guest Star On 'Sealtest Variety Theater' 6735 KB
EBCM - 491113 - Dick Powell 6153 KB
EBCM - 491218 - June Allyson 6657 KB
EBCM - 491225 - Hopalong Cassidy 6417 KB
EBCM - 520406 - The Mills Brothers 6835 KB
EBCM - 521005 - Rosemary Clooney 6979 KB
EBCM - 521109 - Marilyn Monroe 7087 KB
EBCM - 540228 - June Allison 5210 KB
EBCM - 540620 - Nelson Eddy 6711 KB
EBCM - 541226 - Hopalong Cassidy 3562 KB
EBCM - 551016 - Jack Kirkwood, Carole Richards And Gary Crosby 10029 KB
EBCM - 551111 - Frances Bergen (Edgar’s Wife) Sings And Charlie Pays A Visit In Hell 12735 KB
EBCM - 551113 - Charlie Dreams That He Visits Hell 5343 KB
EBCM - 551118 - Frank Kreml And Shiela Graham 12649 KB
EBCM - 551125 - Dr. Fredrick Webb Hodge, Indian Expert And Jack Benny 13767 KB
EBCM - 551204 - Dan Pursuit Discusses Juvenile Delinquency 13540 KB
EBCM - 551211 - Japanese Actress Shirley Yamaguchi Performs 'Romeo And Juliet' With Bergen 12936 KB
EBCM - 551218 - Candy Bergen 25757 KB
EBCM - 551225 - Frank Fawcett (Santa’s Helper) And Candy Bergen 13039 KB
EBCM - 560101 - Lew Ayers 13468 KB
EBCM - 560115 - Tad Sanders, Cattleman 13638 KB
EBCM - 560205 - Adele Davis, Diet Expert 13170 KB
EBCM - 560304 - Richard Armour, Famous Writer Of Humor 13444 KB
EBCM - 560318 - Ralph Larue, Agriculturist 13761 KB
EBCM - 560325 - Alfred Boyce, Entiomologist 13778 KB
EBCM - 560408 - Dr. Ernest Tracher, Sea Shell Expert 13787 KB
EBCM - 560415 - Roger Revell, Oceanographer 13593 KB
EBCM - 560422 - Virginia Cox Smith, Author 13588 KB
EBCM - 561127 - Jack Benny 13198 KB
EBCM - 580512 - With Candy Bergen And Melinda Marx 5053 KB
EBCM - 641115 - Chase And Sanborn 100th Anniversary 9289 KB
EBCM - 661113 - NBC Radio 40th Anniversary (Part 01) 18391 KB
EBCM - XXXXXX - 20 Anniversary Show 12679 KB
EBCM - XXXXXX - Charlie's Toothache 6784 KB
EBCM - XXXXXX - Dr Fred Hodge, Indian Expert 5015 KB
EBCM - XXXXXX - Edward Everett Horton And Abbott And Costello 7032 KB
EBCM - XXXXXX - Getting Ready For Hunting Trip

IMPORTANT NOTE!: The CD presented for sale contains radio programs recorded and preserved in the MP3 audio format. The MP3 format allows for audio compression and can allow the storage of over 50 hours of audio per CD. The MP3 format is compatible with many newer DVD and portable CD players, as well as MP3 players. The MP3 format is also playable on Windows based computers using Real Player, Windows Media Player or other players.

Attention EBay: After a careful search of the Library of Congress and the United States Trademark and Patent Office, it has been determined that the programs listed for sale here are in the Public Domain. They are being offered with the understanding that no valid or active copyright, trademark, and/or patent exist for them. These recordings are sold for private home listening and use only. No broadcast rights are stated, implied, or given. Historical Media assumes no responsibility for unauthorized use of these programs. The Library Of Congress has ruled that old radio broadcasts are within the Public Domain, since they were not qualified for copyright protection when presented, nor was any attempt to place them under such copyright protection when the opportunity existed in 1978-1979 when the copyright law regarding these programs was revised. Radio shows created before January 1, 1978 are protected by the Copyright Act of 1909. These shows are listed in accordance with current EBay policies concerning selling Old Time Radio Public Domain materials.