[78-L] Al & Bob Harvey return to Canada
Lloyd Davies
all_my_linx at yahoo.ca.invalid
Wed Sep 4 20:35:45 PDT 2019
Al & Bob ran early Tuesday evenings on CBC, starting 1940-oct-01. They followed "John and Judy", and their program was eventually named "Good luck".
from the Regina Leader Post (1940-sep-28):
Two performers, well-known in England but comparatively new to Canadian radio audiences, start a new series of programs Oct 1 on CKCK. The series, known as "Al and Bob Harvey," will be heard Tuesday evenings at 6.30. "Al and Bob" are two Canadian boys who made good in England on the vaudeville and concert hall stage. Their program should bring a fresh touch and a very welcome new angle to Canadian radio.
(end quote)
There was simultaneously a "Bob Harvey and his orchestra" appearing on NBC radio.
This announcement is forgetting that Al & Bob were already popular on Canadian radio *before* they left for England.
from the Nanaimo Daily News (1931-mar-23):
Meet the Makers of "Melody Mike" The Canadian Pacific Railway cross-continent radio feature. ''Melody Mike" every Monday night hasgrown into the most popular radio hour in Canada as is proved by the fact that many thousands of letters continually pour into the railway headquarters from delighted fans. Al and Bob Harvey are responsible respectively for music and general effect and for direction of the dialogue. They are the sons of a well-known entertainer and have sung before the Prince of Wales. They won radio fame as the "A and B" battery boys. This season they have concentrated on "Melody Mike."
Mrs. Evelyn M. Biddle is responsible for the continuity and dialogue of the feature. She taught school in rural Ontario where her knowledge of atmosphere was acquired and where she gained the wide experience from which such characters as "Simplicity Sawdust," "Deacon Scratchgravel," "Abe," "Whiskers Wilson," and "Lack-a-day Liz" were evolved. These characters have captured the liking and interest of hundreds of thousands of listeners-in.
(end quote)
The Nanaimo article has headshots of the three radio artists.
- Stephen in Calgary
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