Claudia, Volume 8

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Claudia
Volume 8

In 1947, a new soap opera debuted in syndication - a drama that was far different than the storm-and-strife ridden weepers that occupied most of the daytime radio schedule. 

“Claudia” told the tale of Claudia and David Naughton, newlyweds, just beginning their married life. Young, enthusiastic, and very much in love, they weren’t suffering from any medical maladies, suspicions of infidelity, or dealing with ungrateful children. Instead, they were simply facing the many challenges of any new marriage - finding an apartment, getting used to each other’s quirks, and learning to live together as husband and wife. 

“Claudia” was based on the literary works of Rose Franken, a writer, novelist, playwright, and theatrical director who had first written about the Naughton’s in the mid-1930s. By the end of the decade, the highly popular short stories had been brought together into a series of best-selling novels which, in 1941, were adapted by Franken into a Broadway play, which opened at the Booth Theater on February 12, 1941 starring Donald Cook as David and a young actress named Dorothy McGuire in the title role. Claudia Naughton was a breakout role for McGuire, whose previous stage experience had been understudying and playing small parts in touring companies. The sincerity, simplicity, and captivating charm which she brought to the part made the play a long-running hit and soon brought her to Hollywood to reprise the role in the 20th Century Fox film version, released in 1943 and co-starring Robert Young as David. Based on that film’s success, in 1945, RKO Pictures starred McGuire and Young in “The Enchanted Cottage” and 1946 found them together again in “Claudia and David,” a sequel to the earlier film. 

Due in large part to the success of the two “Claudia” movies, in 1947, the D’Arcy advertising agency decided to bring the characters to radio in a five-a-week quarter-hour serial on behalf of its client, Coca-Cola. In June of 1941, “Claudia” had appeared as a weekly skit on the “Kate Smith Hour,” quickly transitioning into Smith’s summer replacement series that same year. In 1952, after the radio serial had left the air, “Claudia” came to television in a half-hour series, seen in a short run on NBC from January through March and later switching to CBS thru June.

Heard today, “Claudia” remains wonderful entertainment, notable for both its light-hearted tone and the believable interplay between its characters. Claudia, a bit younger than her years, is often impulsive, sometimes irresponsible, usually perky, and just a bit flighty. Her father had died when she was still a young girl and, as an only child, had been raised by her widowed mother. As a newlywed who married when she was just eighteen, she occasionally ponders whether she is still a “mama-baby,” tied to her mother’s apron strings and relying too much on Mama’s continuing support and advice. As she matures, she becomes a unique mixture of enthusiasm, incompetence and over-confidence -- deeply in love with her somewhat older husband David, but frequently naive and too likely to trust in her insecurities rather than her instincts.

One of the sad things about radio show preservation is the fact that so many long-running series exist today only in fragments - a broadcast here and a broadcast there, rather than long continuous runs of a particular program. This is particularly the case when it comes to soap operas, where it is difficult to get into a storyline when often so few consecutive episodes exist. Happily, that is not the case with “Claudia”; Radio Archives has been able to locate and preserve the entire eighteen-month run of the series - 390 episodes in all - with no missing shows, allowing you to enjoy the complete series on a day-by-day basis. This eighth collection continues the joys and trials of Claudia and David as they adapt to married life together dealing with many of the same ups and downs their listeners both then and now encounter.

#218 Plans to Bring Bertha and Fritz Back to the Farm

Wednesday, July 28, 1948 - 15:00 - Syndicated, sponsored by Coca Cola

#219 Packing for the Return Trip

Thursday, July 29, 1948 - 15:00 - Syndicated, sponsored by Coca Cola

#220 Welcome to the Farm

Friday, July 30, 1948 - 15:00 - Syndicated, sponsored by Coca Cola

#221 Gertrude Departs

Monday, August 2, 1948 - 15:00 - Syndicated, sponsored by Coca Cola

#222 Gifts for Bobby

Tuesday, August 3, 1948 - 15:00 - Syndicated, sponsored by Coca Cola

#223 Bathing the Baby

Wednesday, August 4, 1948 - 15:00 - Syndicated, sponsored by Coca Cola

#224 Making the Beds

Thursday, August 5, 1948 - 15:00 - Syndicated, sponsored by Coca Cola

#225 Fritz and Bertha Arrive

Friday, August 6, 1948 - 15:00 - Syndicated, sponsored by Coca Cola

#226 Bobby’s First Visitor

Monday, August 9, 1948 - 15:00 - Syndicated, sponsored by Coca Cola

#227 Fritz Helps Ruby, the Pig

Tuesday, August 10, 1948 - 15:00 - Syndicated, sponsored by Coca Cola

#228 Bertha Takes Over

Wednesday, August 11, 1948 - 15:00 - Syndicated, sponsored by Coca Cola

#229 Claudia Cleans the Closet

Thursday, August 12, 1948 - 15:00 - Syndicated, sponsored by Coca Cola

#230 Lotte from the Bronx Recognizes the Farmer’s Wife Within Claudia

Friday, August 13, 1948 - 15:00 - Syndicated, sponsored by Coca Cola

#231 Claudia has Doubts, David has Doubts

Monday, August 16, 1948 - 15:00 - Syndicated, sponsored by Coca Cola

#232 A Day on the Town

Tuesday, August 17, 1948 - 15:00 - Syndicated, sponsored by Coca Cola

#233 Lunch in New York with Julia

Wednesday, August 18, 1948 - 15:00 - Syndicated, sponsored by Coca Cola

#234 First Night Back Home

Thursday, August 19, 1948 - 15:00 - Syndicated, sponsored by Coca Cola

#235 A Trip to the Movies

Friday, August 20, 1948 - 15:00 - Syndicated, sponsored by Coca Cola

#236 An Evening at the Summer Theatre

Monday, August 23, 1948 - 15:00 - Syndicated, sponsored by Coca Cola

#237 Claudia at the Ball Game

Tuesday, August 24, 1948 - 15:00 - Syndicated, sponsored by Coca Cola

#238 A Visit to Coney Island

Wednesday, August 25, 1948 - 15:00 - Syndicated, sponsored by Coca Cola

#239 Claudia Gets Offered A Part

Thursday, August 26, 1948 - 15:00 - Syndicated, sponsored by Coca Cola

#240 Claudia Talks About "Summer Love"

Friday, August 27, 1948 - 15:00 - Syndicated, sponsored by Coca Cola

#241 A Rocky Rehearsal

Monday, August 30, 1948 - 15:00 - Syndicated, sponsored by Coca Cola

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	June 23, 2022
Reviewer: Frank Annotto from Milford, CT United States

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