OUR MISS BROOKSBoynton Blues

Program Guide by Ivan G. Shreve, Jr.

Radio historian John Dunning, in his book Tune in Yesterday, referred to Our Miss Brooks as “one of the last bright lights of radio situation comedy.” Some of the comedy programs of yesteryear haven’t aged well, but the half-hour series that made character actress Eve Arden a household name as the universally beloved schoolteacher of the airwaves is a notable exception. Even some sixty years after its debut on July 19, 1948, Our Miss Brooks continues to be a favorite with fans, due largely in part to its strong characterizations and first-rate scripting.

At the center of the series was actress Arden, whose stock-in-trade was playing wise-cracking secretaries or sidekicks in movies like Stage Door and Mildred Pierce (a film for which she received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress). Arden applied her tart-tongued persona to the character of Constance Brooks, though she did tone down some of the more hard-boiled qualities associated with many of her movie roles. In Miss Brooks, she crafted a character that audiences could admire, respect and root for: a dedicated teacher of English at the fictional Madison High School.

The odd thing is that Arden wasn’t particularly interested in taking part in the Brooks series. In fact, she only acquiesced after CBS chairman William S. Paley agreed that the show could be transcribed (recorded) before she left for a summer vacation in 1948. To her surprise, she received a phone call from CBS executive Frank Stanton while enjoying some R&R at a friend’s farm. He informed her that Our Miss Brooks was the #1 hit of the summer season.

until Miss Enright puts the brakes on Connie’s plans. Robert Rockwell (right) as Mr. Boynton. With Mary Jane Croft

CD 10B: “Oo-Oo-Me-Me-Tocoludi-Gucci-Mo O-Moo” - September 18, 1955Miss Brooks and Mrs. Davis are attempting to sell a trailer that they used during their summer vacation. Mr. Conklin is in need of such a camper for a fishing weekend, but our favorite schoolteacher knows that it is grammatically incorrect to use the words “Conklin” and “buy” in the same sentence. Robert Rockwell as Mr. Boynton. With Joel Samuels.

www.RadioSpirits.comPO Box 1315, Little Falls, NJ 07424

Audio programs release under license from series rights holders.© 2012 Al Lewis. All rights reserved. For home use only.

Program Guide © 2012 Ivan G. Shreve, Jr. and RSPT LLC. All Rights Reserved.

45292

Robert Rockwell and Eve Arden

Eve Arden

The scripts written by Al Lewis and Joe Quillan introduced listeners to Connie Brooks, a modern-day working gal who rented a room from an absentminded landlady named Margaret Davis (played by Jane Morgan). Her career as a schoolteacher took up most of her daily routine but, as a single woman, she actively pursued romance in the form of one of her fellow educators, biology teacher Philip Boynton (Jeff Chandler). Boynton, a rugged, handsome specimen, would seem to be an ideal mate for Miss Brooks…were it not for the fact that he seemed completely oblivious to her amorous advances. Boynton rarely looked beyond the world of his biology lab, stocked with white mice, guinea pigs and a frog who answered to “McDougall.” Mr. Boynton and Miss Brooks did “date” on many occasions…though their relationship rarely went beyond the formalities of addressing one another as “Miss Brooks” and “Mr. Boynton.” Miss Brooks even had a rival for Boynton’s attention in the form of another English instructor named Daisy Enright (Mary Jane Croft).

The other man in Connie Brooks’ life was the autocratic principal, Osgood Conklin. Conklin was just as dedicated to educating students as Miss Brooks; the two just approached the practice from different viewpoints. However, his blustery, pompous disposition often made him the target of student pranks…and the frequently disastrous machinations of Miss Brooks, who was prone to visiting mayhem upon Conklin in the form of a dropped typewriter to the foot, spilled ink on a new suit, or an accidental locking in the school cafeteria’s meat freezer.

The part of Osgood Conklin was originated by actor Joe Forte, but the minds behind Our Miss Brooks were fortunate enough to obtain the services of Gale Gordon (who had asked for a larger salary in the hopes that he would be turned down). Gordon had begun his career in radio with such dramatic

fare as Flash Gordon (he played the titular hero) and The Shadow of Fu Manchu…but had since become radio’s go-to man for stuffed shirts and stack blowers on such shows as Fibber McGee & Molly, The Great Gildersleeve and The Phil Harris-Alice Faye Show. Gordon was a master at “slow burn” comedy, and though audiences today remember him as foil to Lucille Ball - he not only appeared on Lucy’s radio show, My Favorite Husband, but also guest starred or co-starred in all four of Ball’s TV ventures…the only performer to do so - Our Miss Brooks is, in this writer’s opinion, his best radio showcase. Each week, audiences would wait on the edge of their seats to hear Gordon’s Conklin blow his top over Connie’s latest shenanigans…and even though it sometimes came across as formulaic, it never failed to reap huge laughs.

2 7

CD 7A: “Professorship At State U” - January 22, 1950Mr. Boynton, being interviewed for a position at nearby State University, tells the dean a teensy white lie…that he lives with a “Mrs. Boynton.” When his interviewer wants to meet Mrs. B., Connie volunteers to play the part…unaware that her paramour is referring to his mother, not his wife! With Frank Nelson.

CD 7B: “Miss Enright’s Dinner” - February 5, 1950Miss Brooks is being kept occupied nights doing extra assignments for Mr. Conklin, allowing her rival Miss Enright to spend time preparing home-cooked meals for Mr. Boynton. Connie decides to fight fire with fire by whipping up Boynton’s favorite meal, oblivious to the fact that Walter has doctored the recipe! With Mary Jane Croft.

CD 8A: “Valentine’s Day Date” - February 19, 1950It’s Valentine’s Day, and Miss Brooks is determined to go out for a fancy dinner with Mr. Boynton (in lieu of their usual visits to the city zoo). Her attempts to raise the necessary funds hit a snag, but rescue comes in the form of restaurant busboy Stretch Snodgrass. With Leonard Smith.

CD 8B: “Boynton’s Barbecue” - May 7, 1950Mr. Boynton formally invites Miss Brooks to a barbecue…in Miss Brooks’ backyard. Connie is hoping that the two of them will get an opportunity to be alone, but a dinner mishap at the Conklin’s brings uninvited guests. With Mary Jane Croft.

CD 9A: “Mr Boynton’s Parents” - May 14, 1950Miss Brooks learns that Mr. Boynton’s parents will be paying him a visit on Mother’s Day. What she doesn’t know is that the students have voted her “Mother Away from Mother.” With Willard Waterman.

CD 9B: “Measles Diagnosis” - October 1, 1950After babysitting a neighbor’s child, Miss Brooks learns that she may have been exposed to measles. In stopping by Mrs. Davis’, Mr. Conklin ends up quarantined with her on the day he’s supposed to receive an honorarium in the form of a gold watch! With Leonard Smith and Mary Jane Croft.

CD 10A: “Who’s Going Where” - August 21, 1955Miss Brooks has arranged for Mr. Boynton and herself to be Madison High’s representatives at a convention honoring “American Education Week.” She is looking forward to enjoying the camaraderie of their fellow educators…and a little alone time...

Gale Gordon with Lucille Ball Eve Arden

36

The Conklin character, afflicted with allergies and high blood pressure, not only had to cope with Miss Brooks on a weekly basis, but also the boyfriend of his daughter Harriet (Gloria McMillan), a squeaky-voiced teenager named Walter Denton. Walter was played by radio’s resident nerd, Richard Crenna, who seemed to have a monopoly on all the adolescent geeks on the airwaves at that time. He was Waldo on George Burns & Gracie Allen’s show and Oogie Pringle on A Date With Judy…not to mention Bronco Thompson, boyfriend-and-later-husband of Marjorie Forrester on Gildersleeve. On Our Miss Brooks, Walter Denton was a likeable, well-meaning kid who just seemed to have a knack for stumbling into situations that were guaranteed to snowball into utter chaos. And, he was often a confederate in Connie Brooks’ madcap schemes. By the time Our Miss Brooks left the airwaves in 1957, actor Crenna was twenty-nine years old…and while that placed him in good stead among such decrepit delinquents as Leo Gorcey and Huntz Hall, he broke out of the juvenile lead mold to play opposite Walter Brennan on the TV sitcom The Real McCoys, and later became a highly respected dramatic actor in television and feature films.

Other recurring characters on the program included Madison High’s resident star athlete and amiable dunce, Fabian “Stretch” Snodgrass (Leonard Smith), school superintendent Edgar T. Stone (Joseph Kearns, and on some broadcasts Frank Nelson), and French teachers Jacques Monet (Gerald Mohr) and Paul LeBlanche (Maurice Marsac). The role of Martha Conklin, the long-suffering wife of the principal, was played by Virginia Gordon—the real-life wife of Gale Gordon. When Our Miss Brooks made the transition from radio to TV, however, the part of Mrs. C was played by radio veteran Paula Winslowe…best known as another stoic spouse on radio’s The Life of Riley.

Our Miss Brooks was unique among comedies that later transitioned to television in that practically the entire radio cast reprised their roles for the video version…with the exception of Jeff Chandler (right), radio’s Mr. Boynton. In the four-year period between OMB’s radio and TV debuts, Chandler had become a silver screen success in such films as Broken Arrow, Two Flags West and Red Ball Express. Because of his matinee idol status, he opted out of the TV series and relinquished the part to actor Robert Rockwell. To Chandler’s credit, he continued to do the radio show until his contract ended…after which Rockwell became the radio Boynton as well.

The TV version of Our Miss Brooks was a huge success. As the first Desilu production to follow in the wake of the popular I Love Lucy, it garnered high ratings. Eve Arden won an Emmy Award for Best Female Star of a Regular Series in 1954 for her work on the show. But, during its fourth and final season on TV, the bloom was slightly off the rose: the show revamped its format

CD 3B: “The Telegram” - July 10, 1949Mrs. Davis superstitiously refuses to open a telegram, fearing it may be bad news. The superstition soon spreads throughout Miss Brooks’ circle of friends, as Connie futilely tries to find someone who’ll read its contents. With Jerry Hausner, Joseph Kearns, and Peter Leeds.

CD 4A “Mrs Davis’ Cookies (Pensacola Popovers)” - July 24, 1949Mrs. Davis explains to Miss Brooks that men like to be pampered when they take ill. Connie would like the chance to pamper Mr. Boynton, but doesn’t hold out much hope that his strong constitution will ever falter. Perhaps a dose of her landlady’s “Pensacola Popovers” will help?

CD 4B: “Heat Wave” - August 7, 1949When summer school is affected by sweltering heat conditions, Mr. Conklin has the authority to close Madison High for the day…something that is simply not in his nature. Miss Brooks schemes with Walter, Harriet, Stretch, and Mr. Boynton to turn Conklin’s office into a sweatbox in order to facilitate the proper course of action. With Leonard Smith.

CD 5A: “Conklin Causes a Fight” - September 25, 1949Harriet dents the fender on her father’s car, and Walter gallantly steps in to take the rap at the risk of incurring Mr. Conklin’s wrath. Inspired by Walter’s chivalrous act, Miss Brooks tries to arrange a similar set of circumstances in her pursuit of Mr. Boynton. With Hal March.

CD 5B: “Game at Clay City” - December 11, 1949Clay City and Madison High are squaring off in the championship “Cereal Bowl,” but a lack of funds may keep Miss Brooks from attending both the big game and the celebration dance afterward. Her only chance at scoring a ticket is being picked by Mr. Conklin to be a team chaperone…but she finds herself competing with rival Daisy Enright for both the ticket and Mr. Boynton’s affections. With Mary Jane Croft.

CD 6A: “A Letter to Santa” - December 18, 1949If Miss Brooks isn’t handing Mr. Conklin an explosive cigar, she’s dumping hot coffee in his lap. Wait until he plays department store Santa Claus and reads a letter from 7-year-old “Connie Brooks”! With Mary Jane Croft and Hal March.

CD 6B: “Babysitting on New Year’s Eve” - January 1, 1950Mr. Boynton, Harriet and Walter all have big plans for New Year’s Eve…but Connie has been roped into babysitting Mr. Conklin’s bratty nephew. At the end of the broadcast, Eve Arden receives “Best Radio Comedienne of 1949” honors from the editors of Motion Picture Daily and Fame magazines. With Jeffrey Silver.

Jeff Chandler

54

by razing Madison High (to make room for a freeway) and sending both Miss Brooks and Mr. Conklin to a private girls’ school where they continued to match wits weekly. The audience deserted the TV show in droves, and not even the return of Mr. Boynton by mid-season could save OMB’s televised fortunes. So, the series said its goodbyes in 1956.

It is worth noting that the cancellation of the TV version of Brooks coincided with the release of a feature film based on the series in 1956. Although the movie featured the familiar cast, and a screenplay by Quillan and Lewis, it managed to capture the flavor of the show only in a few sequences.

As for the radio series, it continued to operate in an alternate universe from its television counterpart. It was a universe in which Madison High had managed to avoid the bulldozer. Our Miss Brooks didn’t ring down its radio curtain until June 30, 1957. Although its star, Eve Arden, continued to enjoy success on stage, screen and television, she was, for all intents and purposes, immortalized as the endearing heroine “who teaches English at Madison High School.” (Arden was often asked to speak at PTA meetings across the country during her tenure as the comic schoolmarm, and even received a number of job offers in the process.)

When the movie version of Grease was released in 1978, I remember laughing out loud in the movie theater at the sight of Arden playing the role of the school principal (a part she also essayed in Grease 2). Seeing “Connie Brooks” get her long overdue promotion made me grin from ear-to-ear, because I could just imagine the stack-blowing response from her longtime nemesis, Mr. Conklin.

Our Miss Brooks

Starring Eve Arden, Gale Gordon, Jeff Chandler, Richard Crenna,Jane Morgan, and Gloria McMillan.

Bob Lemond and Verne Smith announce for Colgate-Palmolive, with Hy Averback for Anacin-BiSiDol.

Music by Wilbur Hatch.

CD 1A: “The Model School Teacher” - November 21, 1948Miss Brooks has been chosen by Snap Magazine as the “Model American School Teacher.” To her dismay, she must compete with a catty female reporter for Mr. Boynton’s attention. With Mary Jane Croft and Jack Kruschen.

CD 1B: “Stretch the Basketball Star” - February 13, 1949Madison High’s star basketball player, Stretch Snodgrass, won’t be able to play in the big game against Clay City unless he passes an English exam. Connie is reluctant to participate in a scheme to get him transferred into her class, but changes her mind when she learns that Mr. Boynton is coaching the team. With Leonard Smith and Frank Nelson.

CD 2A: “Walter vs Stretch Grudge Match” - May 1, 1949Stretch Snodgrass and Walter Denton are the best of friends and thick as thieves. Their friendship goes south, however, when Walter learns that Stretch took Harriet Conklin to the movies…and he insists on fighting a duel for her honor! With Leonard Smith.

CD 2B: “Peanuts, the Great Dane” - May 22, 1949After lecturing Mrs. Davis about being a pushover, Miss Brooks finds herself agreeing to look after a neighbor’s dog. The woman thinks he’s “the cutest little thing you ever saw”…a phrase one generally doesn’t use to describe a Great Dane. With Leonard Smith, Mary Jane Croft, and Pinto Colvig (as “Peanuts”).

CD 3A: “Arguments, Arguments!” - May 29, 1949Walter’s on Cloud Nine after repairing a lover’s tiff with Harriet…a situation that inspires Miss Brooks to start a quarrel with Mr. Boynton in the hopes of strengthening their relationship. This sets off a chain reaction of arguments throughout Madison High, including a fight between Mr. and Mrs. Conklin!

Movie poster for 1956’s Our Miss Brooks

Richard Crenna

54

by razing Madison High (to make room for a freeway) and sending both Miss Brooks and Mr. Conklin to a private girls’ school where they continued to match wits weekly. The audience deserted the TV show in droves, and not even the return of Mr. Boynton by mid-season could save OMB’s televised fortunes. So, the series said its goodbyes in 1956.

It is worth noting that the cancellation of the TV version of Brooks coincided with the release of a feature film based on the series in 1956. Although the movie featured the familiar cast, and a screenplay by Quillan and Lewis, it managed to capture the flavor of the show only in a few sequences.

As for the radio series, it continued to operate in an alternate universe from its television counterpart. It was a universe in which Madison High had managed to avoid the bulldozer. Our Miss Brooks didn’t ring down its radio curtain until June 30, 1957. Although its star, Eve Arden, continued to enjoy success on stage, screen and television, she was, for all intents and purposes, immortalized as the endearing heroine “who teaches English at Madison High School.” (Arden was often asked to speak at PTA meetings across the country during her tenure as the comic schoolmarm, and even received a number of job offers in the process.)

When the movie version of Grease was released in 1978, I remember laughing out loud in the movie theater at the sight of Arden playing the role of the school principal (a part she also essayed in Grease 2). Seeing “Connie Brooks” get her long overdue promotion made me grin from ear-to-ear, because I could just imagine the stack-blowing response from her longtime nemesis, Mr. Conklin.

Our Miss Brooks

Starring Eve Arden, Gale Gordon, Jeff Chandler, Richard Crenna,Jane Morgan, and Gloria McMillan.

Bob Lemond and Verne Smith announce for Colgate-Palmolive, with Hy Averback for Anacin-BiSiDol.

Music by Wilbur Hatch.

CD 1A: “The Model School Teacher” - November 21, 1948Miss Brooks has been chosen by Snap Magazine as the “Model American School Teacher.” To her dismay, she must compete with a catty female reporter for Mr. Boynton’s attention. With Mary Jane Croft and Jack Kruschen.

CD 1B: “Stretch the Basketball Star” - February 13, 1949Madison High’s star basketball player, Stretch Snodgrass, won’t be able to play in the big game against Clay City unless he passes an English exam. Connie is reluctant to participate in a scheme to get him transferred into her class, but changes her mind when she learns that Mr. Boynton is coaching the team. With Leonard Smith and Frank Nelson.

CD 2A: “Walter vs Stretch Grudge Match” - May 1, 1949Stretch Snodgrass and Walter Denton are the best of friends and thick as thieves. Their friendship goes south, however, when Walter learns that Stretch took Harriet Conklin to the movies…and he insists on fighting a duel for her honor! With Leonard Smith.

CD 2B: “Peanuts, the Great Dane” - May 22, 1949After lecturing Mrs. Davis about being a pushover, Miss Brooks finds herself agreeing to look after a neighbor’s dog. The woman thinks he’s “the cutest little thing you ever saw”…a phrase one generally doesn’t use to describe a Great Dane. With Leonard Smith, Mary Jane Croft, and Pinto Colvig (as “Peanuts”).

CD 3A: “Arguments, Arguments!” - May 29, 1949Walter’s on Cloud Nine after repairing a lover’s tiff with Harriet…a situation that inspires Miss Brooks to start a quarrel with Mr. Boynton in the hopes of strengthening their relationship. This sets off a chain reaction of arguments throughout Madison High, including a fight between Mr. and Mrs. Conklin!

Movie poster for 1956’s Our Miss Brooks

Richard Crenna

36

The Conklin character, afflicted with allergies and high blood pressure, not only had to cope with Miss Brooks on a weekly basis, but also the boyfriend of his daughter Harriet (Gloria McMillan), a squeaky-voiced teenager named Walter Denton. Walter was played by radio’s resident nerd, Richard Crenna, who seemed to have a monopoly on all the adolescent geeks on the airwaves at that time. He was Waldo on George Burns & Gracie Allen’s show and Oogie Pringle on A Date With Judy…not to mention Bronco Thompson, boyfriend-and-later-husband of Marjorie Forrester on Gildersleeve. On Our Miss Brooks, Walter Denton was a likeable, well-meaning kid who just seemed to have a knack for stumbling into situations that were guaranteed to snowball into utter chaos. And, he was often a confederate in Connie Brooks’ madcap schemes. By the time Our Miss Brooks left the airwaves in 1957, actor Crenna was twenty-nine years old…and while that placed him in good stead among such decrepit delinquents as Leo Gorcey and Huntz Hall, he broke out of the juvenile lead mold to play opposite Walter Brennan on the TV sitcom The Real McCoys, and later became a highly respected dramatic actor in television and feature films.

Other recurring characters on the program included Madison High’s resident star athlete and amiable dunce, Fabian “Stretch” Snodgrass (Leonard Smith), school superintendent Edgar T. Stone (Joseph Kearns, and on some broadcasts Frank Nelson), and French teachers Jacques Monet (Gerald Mohr) and Paul LeBlanche (Maurice Marsac). The role of Martha Conklin, the long-suffering wife of the principal, was played by Virginia Gordon—the real-life wife of Gale Gordon. When Our Miss Brooks made the transition from radio to TV, however, the part of Mrs. C was played by radio veteran Paula Winslowe…best known as another stoic spouse on radio’s The Life of Riley.

Our Miss Brooks was unique among comedies that later transitioned to television in that practically the entire radio cast reprised their roles for the video version…with the exception of Jeff Chandler (right), radio’s Mr. Boynton. In the four-year period between OMB’s radio and TV debuts, Chandler had become a silver screen success in such films as Broken Arrow, Two Flags West and Red Ball Express. Because of his matinee idol status, he opted out of the TV series and relinquished the part to actor Robert Rockwell. To Chandler’s credit, he continued to do the radio show until his contract ended…after which Rockwell became the radio Boynton as well.

The TV version of Our Miss Brooks was a huge success. As the first Desilu production to follow in the wake of the popular I Love Lucy, it garnered high ratings. Eve Arden won an Emmy Award for Best Female Star of a Regular Series in 1954 for her work on the show. But, during its fourth and final season on TV, the bloom was slightly off the rose: the show revamped its format

CD 3B: “The Telegram” - July 10, 1949Mrs. Davis superstitiously refuses to open a telegram, fearing it may be bad news. The superstition soon spreads throughout Miss Brooks’ circle of friends, as Connie futilely tries to find someone who’ll read its contents. With Jerry Hausner, Joseph Kearns, and Peter Leeds.

CD 4A “Mrs Davis’ Cookies (Pensacola Popovers)” - July 24, 1949Mrs. Davis explains to Miss Brooks that men like to be pampered when they take ill. Connie would like the chance to pamper Mr. Boynton, but doesn’t hold out much hope that his strong constitution will ever falter. Perhaps a dose of her landlady’s “Pensacola Popovers” will help?

CD 4B: “Heat Wave” - August 7, 1949When summer school is affected by sweltering heat conditions, Mr. Conklin has the authority to close Madison High for the day…something that is simply not in his nature. Miss Brooks schemes with Walter, Harriet, Stretch, and Mr. Boynton to turn Conklin’s office into a sweatbox in order to facilitate the proper course of action. With Leonard Smith.

CD 5A: “Conklin Causes a Fight” - September 25, 1949Harriet dents the fender on her father’s car, and Walter gallantly steps in to take the rap at the risk of incurring Mr. Conklin’s wrath. Inspired by Walter’s chivalrous act, Miss Brooks tries to arrange a similar set of circumstances in her pursuit of Mr. Boynton. With Hal March.

CD 5B: “Game at Clay City” - December 11, 1949Clay City and Madison High are squaring off in the championship “Cereal Bowl,” but a lack of funds may keep Miss Brooks from attending both the big game and the celebration dance afterward. Her only chance at scoring a ticket is being picked by Mr. Conklin to be a team chaperone…but she finds herself competing with rival Daisy Enright for both the ticket and Mr. Boynton’s affections. With Mary Jane Croft.

CD 6A: “A Letter to Santa” - December 18, 1949If Miss Brooks isn’t handing Mr. Conklin an explosive cigar, she’s dumping hot coffee in his lap. Wait until he plays department store Santa Claus and reads a letter from 7-year-old “Connie Brooks”! With Mary Jane Croft and Hal March.

CD 6B: “Babysitting on New Year’s Eve” - January 1, 1950Mr. Boynton, Harriet and Walter all have big plans for New Year’s Eve…but Connie has been roped into babysitting Mr. Conklin’s bratty nephew. At the end of the broadcast, Eve Arden receives “Best Radio Comedienne of 1949” honors from the editors of Motion Picture Daily and Fame magazines. With Jeffrey Silver.

Jeff Chandler

The scripts written by Al Lewis and Joe Quillan introduced listeners to Connie Brooks, a modern-day working gal who rented a room from an absentminded landlady named Margaret Davis (played by Jane Morgan). Her career as a schoolteacher took up most of her daily routine but, as a single woman, she actively pursued romance in the form of one of her fellow educators, biology teacher Philip Boynton (Jeff Chandler). Boynton, a rugged, handsome specimen, would seem to be an ideal mate for Miss Brooks…were it not for the fact that he seemed completely oblivious to her amorous advances. Boynton rarely looked beyond the world of his biology lab, stocked with white mice, guinea pigs and a frog who answered to “McDougall.” Mr. Boynton and Miss Brooks did “date” on many occasions…though their relationship rarely went beyond the formalities of addressing one another as “Miss Brooks” and “Mr. Boynton.” Miss Brooks even had a rival for Boynton’s attention in the form of another English instructor named Daisy Enright (Mary Jane Croft).

The other man in Connie Brooks’ life was the autocratic principal, Osgood Conklin. Conklin was just as dedicated to educating students as Miss Brooks; the two just approached the practice from different viewpoints. However, his blustery, pompous disposition often made him the target of student pranks…and the frequently disastrous machinations of Miss Brooks, who was prone to visiting mayhem upon Conklin in the form of a dropped typewriter to the foot, spilled ink on a new suit, or an accidental locking in the school cafeteria’s meat freezer.

The part of Osgood Conklin was originated by actor Joe Forte, but the minds behind Our Miss Brooks were fortunate enough to obtain the services of Gale Gordon (who had asked for a larger salary in the hopes that he would be turned down). Gordon had begun his career in radio with such dramatic

fare as Flash Gordon (he played the titular hero) and The Shadow of Fu Manchu…but had since become radio’s go-to man for stuffed shirts and stack blowers on such shows as Fibber McGee & Molly, The Great Gildersleeve and The Phil Harris-Alice Faye Show. Gordon was a master at “slow burn” comedy, and though audiences today remember him as foil to Lucille Ball - he not only appeared on Lucy’s radio show, My Favorite Husband, but also guest starred or co-starred in all four of Ball’s TV ventures…the only performer to do so - Our Miss Brooks is, in this writer’s opinion, his best radio showcase. Each week, audiences would wait on the edge of their seats to hear Gordon’s Conklin blow his top over Connie’s latest shenanigans…and even though it sometimes came across as formulaic, it never failed to reap huge laughs.

2 7

CD 7A: “Professorship At State U” - January 22, 1950Mr. Boynton, being interviewed for a position at nearby State University, tells the dean a teensy white lie…that he lives with a “Mrs. Boynton.” When his interviewer wants to meet Mrs. B., Connie volunteers to play the part…unaware that her paramour is referring to his mother, not his wife! With Frank Nelson.

CD 7B: “Miss Enright’s Dinner” - February 5, 1950Miss Brooks is being kept occupied nights doing extra assignments for Mr. Conklin, allowing her rival Miss Enright to spend time preparing home-cooked meals for Mr. Boynton. Connie decides to fight fire with fire by whipping up Boynton’s favorite meal, oblivious to the fact that Walter has doctored the recipe! With Mary Jane Croft.

CD 8A: “Valentine’s Day Date” - February 19, 1950It’s Valentine’s Day, and Miss Brooks is determined to go out for a fancy dinner with Mr. Boynton (in lieu of their usual visits to the city zoo). Her attempts to raise the necessary funds hit a snag, but rescue comes in the form of restaurant busboy Stretch Snodgrass. With Leonard Smith.

CD 8B: “Boynton’s Barbecue” - May 7, 1950Mr. Boynton formally invites Miss Brooks to a barbecue…in Miss Brooks’ backyard. Connie is hoping that the two of them will get an opportunity to be alone, but a dinner mishap at the Conklin’s brings uninvited guests. With Mary Jane Croft.

CD 9A: “Mr Boynton’s Parents” - May 14, 1950Miss Brooks learns that Mr. Boynton’s parents will be paying him a visit on Mother’s Day. What she doesn’t know is that the students have voted her “Mother Away from Mother.” With Willard Waterman.

CD 9B: “Measles Diagnosis” - October 1, 1950After babysitting a neighbor’s child, Miss Brooks learns that she may have been exposed to measles. In stopping by Mrs. Davis’, Mr. Conklin ends up quarantined with her on the day he’s supposed to receive an honorarium in the form of a gold watch! With Leonard Smith and Mary Jane Croft.

CD 10A: “Who’s Going Where” - August 21, 1955Miss Brooks has arranged for Mr. Boynton and herself to be Madison High’s representatives at a convention honoring “American Education Week.” She is looking forward to enjoying the camaraderie of their fellow educators…and a little alone time...

Gale Gordon with Lucille Ball Eve Arden

OUR MISS BROOKSBoynton Blues

Program Guide by Ivan G. Shreve, Jr.

Radio historian John Dunning, in his book Tune in Yesterday, referred to Our Miss Brooks as “one of the last bright lights of radio situation comedy.” Some of the comedy programs of yesteryear haven’t aged well, but the half-hour series that made character actress Eve Arden a household name as the universally beloved schoolteacher of the airwaves is a notable exception. Even some sixty years after its debut on July 19, 1948, Our Miss Brooks continues to be a favorite with fans, due largely in part to its strong characterizations and first-rate scripting.

At the center of the series was actress Arden, whose stock-in-trade was playing wise-cracking secretaries or sidekicks in movies like Stage Door and Mildred Pierce (a film for which she received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress). Arden applied her tart-tongued persona to the character of Constance Brooks, though she did tone down some of the more hard-boiled qualities associated with many of her movie roles. In Miss Brooks, she crafted a character that audiences could admire, respect and root for: a dedicated teacher of English at the fictional Madison High School.

The odd thing is that Arden wasn’t particularly interested in taking part in the Brooks series. In fact, she only acquiesced after CBS chairman William S. Paley agreed that the show could be transcribed (recorded) before she left for a summer vacation in 1948. To her surprise, she received a phone call from CBS executive Frank Stanton while enjoying some R&R at a friend’s farm. He informed her that Our Miss Brooks was the #1 hit of the summer season.

until Miss Enright puts the brakes on Connie’s plans. Robert Rockwell (right) as Mr. Boynton. With Mary Jane Croft

CD 10B: “Oo-Oo-Me-Me-Tocoludi-Gucci-Mo O-Moo” - September 18, 1955Miss Brooks and Mrs. Davis are attempting to sell a trailer that they used during their summer vacation. Mr. Conklin is in need of such a camper for a fishing weekend, but our favorite schoolteacher knows that it is grammatically incorrect to use the words “Conklin” and “buy” in the same sentence. Robert Rockwell as Mr. Boynton. With Joel Samuels.

www.RadioSpirits.comPO Box 1315, Little Falls, NJ 07424

Audio programs release under license from series rights holders.© 2012 Al Lewis. All rights reserved. For home use only.

Program Guide © 2012 Ivan G. Shreve, Jr. and RSPT LLC. All Rights Reserved.

45292

Robert Rockwell and Eve Arden

Eve Arden