Mayor of the Town (radio program)
| Genre | Comedy-drama |
|---|---|
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Language(s) | English |
| Syndicates | NBC CBS ABC Mutual |
| Starring | Lionel Barrymore Agnes Moorehead Conrad Binyon |
| Announcer | Harlow Wilcox Frank Martin Ken Peters |
| Written by | Jean Holloway Leonard St. Clair Howard Blake Howard Breslin Charles Tazwell Erna Lazarus |
| Directed by | Jack Van Nostrand |
| Produced by | Murray Bolen Knowles Entrikin |
| Original release | September 6, 1942 – July 3, 1949 |
| Sponsored by |
Rinso Noxzema Mutual Benefit Life Insurance Company |
Mayor of the Town was a radio comedy-drama in the United States. From September 6, 1942, to July 3, 1949, it was broadcast at various times on ABC, CBS, Mutual and NBC.
Lionel Barrymore starred as the unnamed mayor of a community typical of those in other radio programs of the era, such as Summerfield in The Great Gildersleeve and River's End in Dr. Christian. Stories dealt with typical small-town situations that involved the mayor. The mayor's housekeeper, Marilly (Agnes Moorehead), and his ward, Butch (Conrad Binyon) usually played key roles in episodes. One old-time radio reference noted the similarity of The Mayor of the Town's plots to those of The Great Gildersleeve, citing "the grumbling but kindly mayor interacting with a number of interesting town characters."
A review of the program in the trade publication Billboard had little positive to say. The writer opined that except for selling the sponsor's product, Mayor of the Town "is otherwise devoid of merit." By way of explanation, he added, "From its very inception, almost every phase of 'Mayor of the Town' is the most palpable of contrivance; stock characters, stock plot and the lowest grade of corn."
In contrast, radio historian John Dunning commented that Mayor of the Town "gave a realistic portrait of rural living." "Often the stories were coming-of-age pieces," he wrote, "focusing on the mayor's special relationship with Butch."
In addition to Barrymore, Moorehead and Binyon, actors on Mayor of the Town included Gloria McMillan (Sharlee Bronson, Butch's girlfriend), Priscilla Lyon (Holly-Ann, the mayor's granddaughter) and Bill Wright (the sheriff). Dunning noted that Barrymore's involvement went beyond his acting. "He insisted on meticulous attention to detail, even though others were in charge of production. Barrymore had a way of knowing what lines were wrong and why."
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