Charlie McCarthy was created by Edgar Bergen based on a wise cracking newsboy named Charlie from the neighborhood.
High Schooler Edgar Bergen sketched the design for Charlie.
More than a little obsessed, Bergen decided to bring his Charlie to life.
Bergen built Charlie’s movable body but paid woodworker Theodore Mack $35 to carve Charlie’s head.
Edgar named his completed dummy Charlie McCarthy after newsboy and woodworker.
None of this carpentry could be seen by the radio audiences. Didn’t matter. On the Radio Charlie was just as real as any other voice.
The little boy con man Charlie sparring intellectually with his exasperated father-figure straight man Edgar was what they loved.
Didn’t matter that Edgar was them both. Charlie was the star.
Charlie had been with Edgar since the beginning. Mortimer didn’t appear on Radio until 1939
Mortimer Snerd was created by Edgar Bergen sometime during 1936 or 1937. He appeared in his first film, a short called “A Neckin’ Party” in 1937.
In my research I have yet to uncover what motivated Edgar to create Mortimer.
I can only conjecture that Edgar welcomed a creative change of pace, or might have wanted to get out from under Charlie’s shadow, at least for a little while.
Whatever the reason, Mortimer was created by comedy genius Edgar Bergen and became a great foil for Charlie McCarthy.
The Episode consists of a curated collection of Old Time Radio Clips originally broadcast live November 2 through November 6, 1938.
Starring:
Fred Allen
Harry Von Zell
Portland Hoffa
Orson Welles
Don Wilson
Jack Benny
Phil Harris
Mary Livingstone
Kenny Baker
Bill Goodwin
Charlie McCarthy
Edgar Bergen
Ray Noble
Jean Arthur
And
The Merry Macs
In this episode:
Fred Allen’s Tribute to November!
Sound Poems from Columbia Workshop!
Jean Arthur Tells Charlie McCarthy about Goldilocks
And More!!
Please come with me on the time machine to the year 1938 and be entertained by these giants of show biz from long ago, alive again through the magic of the theater of the mind.
Before TV 