Edgar Bergen 1939 07 16 (115) Guest Andrea Leeds

# Edgar Bergen & Charlie McCarthy Show – July 16, 1939

Tune in for an evening of pure enchantment as ventriloquist extraordinaire Edgar Bergen brings his irrepressible wooden dummy Charlie McCarthy to vivid life before the microphone. On this sweltering summer night in 1939, Bergen welcomes the luminous film star Andrea Leeds, fresh from her triumph in *Stage Door*, to share the spotlight with America's most famous dummy. Listeners will delight in the signature banter between Bergen's suave, reasonable persona and Charlie's bratty, wisecracking interjections—the dummy's wooden voice cutting through with perfectly timed insults and non-sequiturs that keep the studio audience roaring with laughter. Miss Leeds brings glamorous Hollywood sophistication to the proceedings, and her exchanges with the impudent Charlie promise moments of genuine comedic magic, as the beautiful actress finds herself both charmed and exasperated by the dummy's relentless impertinence. The orchestra swells, the audience anticipates, and Bergen's hands work their invisible artistry.

This episode captures the golden age of radio at its absolute zenith. Bergen revolutionized entertainment by proving that radio—a medium of pure sound—could showcase a visual act with such skill and presence that listeners forgot they couldn't see the dummy's lips move. By 1939, *The Edgar Bergen & Charlie McCarthy Show* had become appointment listening for millions of Americans, a cultural phenomenon that transcended the medium itself. Bergen's Emmy-winning artistry made Charlie McCarthy a household name and genuine celebrity, complete with film appearances and merchandise that rivaled any human star.

Step back into July 1939 and experience the artistry, humor, and sheer magnetism that made this program a cornerstone of American entertainment. This is radio at its most inventive and delightful.