Radio

A complete production shot of the Lux Radio Theater. Deep in the background, Leslie Howard and Helen Chandler at the microphone, for the radio presentation of Berkeley Square (December 9, 1934)

Leslie was very popular as a radio actor and guest star of various shows. The first notice I have found of his participation in a radio show is a series of dramatic readings (or monologues) for  the Yardley program (WJZ and other NBC channels) in 1932; I am still searching for more information about this program.
Leslie’s appearances on the Yardley program I have found in newspapers and magazines until now, are those from March 27 to May 8, 1932, but they probably went on until July. This is a photo of Leslie published in “The Radio Hall of Fame”, in Silver Screen, July 1932:

1933

• November 16: Leslie appeared at the The Fleischmann’s Yeast Hour, a popular radio show also known as Rudy Vallee Hour (NBC), with Margaret Sullavan. I could not find further information, this first participation from Hollywood is only cited by Leslie himself during the presentation of his second appearance, in 1935, and is documented by a couple of photos.

With Margaret Sullavan at the Rudy Vallee’s Show, 1933

With Margaret Sullavan and William Gargan at the Rudy Vallee’s Show, 1933

1934

• December 9: Lux Radio Theater: Berkeley Square with Helen Chandler

A complete production shot of the Lux Radio Theater. Deep in the background, Leslie Howard and Helen Chandler at the microphone, for the radio presentation of Berkeley Square (December 9, 1934)

1935

• February 14: The Fleischmann’s Yeast Hour, a also known as Rudy Vallee Hour, (NBC). Leslie played A Minuet (a play in rhyme) by Louis N. Parker, with Merle Oberon at her first radio appearance. Available on my YouTube channel
• March 31: Lux Radio Theatre: The Romantic Age by A.A. Milne
• June 27: The Fleischmann’s Yeast Hour, also known as Rudy Vallee Hour, (NBC). Leslie played the Enchanted Forest scene from James Barrie’s Dear Brutus with his 11-year-old daughter Leslie Ruth. The scene was so acclaimed by the public and got such an amount of fan mail that the scene was repeated a few weeks later. Available on the Internet Archive.

 

 

• October 6: Leslie started a new radio series, The Amateur Gentleman (CBS — October 6, 1935-March 29, 1936), adapted by Edith Meiser from Jeffery Farnol’s novel, in which Leslie played Barnabus Barty, the hero, with Elizabeth Love in the role of Leone, the heroine. Leslie Ruth was also part of the cast, occasionally.
• December 29: WUAC-WABC (8.30 p.m.): Leslie Howard in a radio dramatization of a short story by Richard Harding Davis, An Unfinished Story (source: Philadelphia Inquirer, here)

Leslie with Elizabeth Love, leading lady in his radio show

With Leslie Ruth, in The Amateur Gentleman

1936

• January 5 -March 29: WCAU-WABC-CBS (at 2.00 p.m.): Leslie Howard’s Sunday matinées (source: various newspapers)
  • January 5: Her Cardboard Lover by Jacques Deval
  • January 12: The Admirable Crichton by James M. Barrie
  • January 19: (postponed because the networks broadcast the address by President Roosevelt at dedication of Theodore Roosevelt Memorial)
  • January 26: There’s Always Juliet by John Van Druten with Anne Grey
  • February 2: The Guardsman by Ferenc Molnar
  • February 9: Murray Hill by Leslie Howard
  • February 16: Journey’s End by R.C. Sheriff
  • February 23: Springtime for Henry by Benn W. Levy
  • March 1: (postponed because of Leslie’s illness)
  • March 8:  a radio version of The Scarlet Pimpernel
  • March 15: a radio version of Raffles
  • March 22: Just Suppose by E.A. Thomas
  • March 29: The Second Man by S.N. Behrman
• April 5: NBC network, Leslie Howard broadcast from Hollywood a scene from Galsworthy’s Justice during the popular show The Magic Key of RCA. Available on Leslie Howard Net.
• December 6: Eddie Cantor’s Texaco Town, on the WABC network  (Leslie sang If You Knew Susie, Cantor’s best-known success of 1925) – The three recordings for this show are available on my YouTube Channel

1937

• February 14: Eddie Cantor’s Texaco Town, on the WABC network – The three recordings for this show are available on my YouTube Channel
• May 19: Leslie Howard appeared as a testimonial in the Lucky Strike program Your Hit Parade (transcript).
• May 30: Eddie Cantor’s Texaco Town, on the WABC network – The three recordings for this show are available on my YouTube Channel
• June 21: Lux Radio Theatre – Monsieur Beaucaire, with Elissa Landi. – Available on the Internet Archive

With Elissa Landi and Cecil B. De Mille, 1937

 

• July 19: Leslie Howard appeared in Much Ado About Nothing for the Shakespeare Festival on the CBS network. He played the role of Benedick, with Rosalind Russell as Beatrice. – Available on The Definitive Shakespeare su The Digital Deli

With Rosalind Russell, 1937

1938

• January 2: Leslie appeared in a radio broadcast of Hamlet on the Scottish regional programme of BBC.
• November 28: Lux Radio Theatre – Interference, with Mary Astor and Herbert Marshall.

Leslie with Mary Astor and Herbert Marshall in Interference, for Lux Radio Theatre, November 28, 1938

• December 12: Lux Radio Theatre – The Scarlet Pimpernel, with Olivia de Havilland. – Available on the Internet Archive
• December 15: Leslie was Bing Crosby’s guest at the Kraft Music Hall, where he presented his own song Without You

1939

• May 8: Lux Radio Theatre – as a guest host, replacing Cecil B. DeMille (The Life of Zola with Paul Muni) – Available on the Internet Archive

• January 8: The Silver Theatre, on the CBS network: Leslie played the leading role in A Study in Triangles, with Rita Johnson – Available on the Internet Archive
• March 26: The Gulf Screen Guild Theatre on the CBS network: Leslie Howard appeared in Never In This World, with Kay Francis – Available on the Internet Archive
• June 11: Radio Tribute To The King and Queen,  on the NBC network – Leslie played a scene from Goodbye Mr. Chips, with Greer Garson – Available on my YouTube Channel

With Brian Aherne, Ronald Colman, David Niven, Basil Rathbone e Nigel Bruce

participating in the NBC special tribute for the Royal visit to the USA, June 11, 1939 (left to right: Greer Garson, Leslie Howard, Vivien Leigh, Brian Aherne, Ronald Colman, Basil Rathbone)