Edgar Bergen 1945 09 23 (374) Guest Ann Baxter

# The Edgar Bergen & Charlie McCarthy Show - September 23, 1945

Settle into your favorite chair and adjust the dial to catch this delightful September evening in 1945, when America's most famous dummy takes center stage once more. As the familiar theme swells through your radio speaker, you'll be transported into Bergen's intimate living room where the chemistry between ventriloquist and wooden-headed wiseguy crackles with the energy of live performance. Tonight, the incomparable Ann Baxter graces the program, bringing the glamour of Hollywood to the microphone, and Charlie McCarthy—that impudent, quick-witted creation with the monocle and top hat—wastes no time in turning up the charm and getting into mischief. What ensues is a perfect storm of rapid-fire gags, double-entendres that sail right over the children's heads, and that peculiar magic that only live radio comedy could conjure: the audience roaring with laughter at a wooden figure whose every expression exists only in the listener's imagination.

By 1945, Bergen and McCarthy had become an American institution, one of radio's most enduring sensations that defied all logic yet captivated millions. Bergen's ventriloquism translated into pure comedic gold on the airwaves, where the visual was irrelevant and only the voice mattered—yet somehow, listeners could see Charlie's cheeky grin as clearly as if they were in the studio. The show represented a golden age of variety entertainment, where celebrity guests, orchestral music, and comedy sketches wove together seamlessly, creating an evening's complete entertainment without leaving home.

Don't miss this pristine capture of American radio at its most polished and entertaining. Tune in to experience the wit, the warmth, and the sheer audacity of Charlie McCarthy—the dummy who outsmarted everyone in the room—and see why millions tuned in every week for this unforgettable program.