Hollywood Hotel (radio program)
| Genre | Drama/Variety |
|---|---|
| Running time | 1 hour |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Language(s) | English |
| Syndicates | CBS |
| Hosted by |
Louella Parsons William Powell |
| Starring |
Dick Powell Fred MacMurray |
| Announcer | Ken Niles |
| Written by |
Wyllis Cooper John McClain |
| Directed by | George MacGarrett William A. Bacher F.G. Ibbett Brewster Morgan |
| Original release | October 5, 1934 – December 2, 1938 |
| Opening theme | Blue Moon |
| Sponsored by | Campbell Soup Company |
Hollywood Hotel was an American radio program broadcast in the 1930s. It featured Hollywood stars in dramatized versions of then-current movies and "helped to make Hollywood an origination point for major radio programs." Radio historian John Dunning called the program, sponsored by Campbell Soup Company, "the most glamorous show of its time." The program was the inspiration for the 1937 Warner Brothers movie of the same title, which featured Parsons as herself.
The instigator of the program was gossip columnist Louella Parsons, whose column was distributed by the Hearst Syndicate. Dunning wrote that she "promoted the concept and became the driving force behind the success of Hollywood Hotel."
At the time Hollywood Hotel was launched, Parsons had no peers in Hollywood. In 1937, columnist Jimmy Fidler wrote, "Louella Parsons has broadened her domination of filmland to include radio, and woe be to those who dare to flout her authority."
Hollywood Hotel's popularity even spread beyond the United States. On January 28, 1938, all stations of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation began carrying it. It was also broadcast in Australia. A June 11, 1938, ad in a Sydney newspaper said, "In America, 'Hollywood Hotel' entertains millions of listeners, and now, from 2UE, it is winning a big audience who appreciate smart, snappy entertainment. Hear it every Thursday night at 8:15."
Dunning described the hour-long program as being "built around the illusion of a glamorous hotel." Although it was broadcast from a studio, an episode would begin with "a lot of talk and film babble as the stars supposedly made their way in and out of the theater." Next came a musical segment featuring an orchestral number, a solo by a member of the cast and a performance by a guest singer. Then Parsons interviewed a celebrity. A station break ensued, followed by a 20-minute sketch based on a new movie and featuring several of the movie's stars.
That abridged version of a movie apparently whetted listeners' appetites for the real thing. One writer reported, "Lolly [Parsons] could sometimes double a picture's earnings by admitting it to the program."
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