{{Short description|1931-1951 radio music series}} {{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}} {{Infobox radio show | show_name = The Carnation Contented Hour | image = File:Carnationpercyfaith.jpg | imagesize = | caption = Percy Faith conducting his orchestra | other_names = | format = Traditional mainstream American music | runtime = 30 minutes | country = United States | language = English | home_station = | syndicates = NBC West Coast<br>Blue Network<br>NBC<br>CBS | television = | presenter = | starring = Josephine Antoine<br>Reinhold Schmidt<br>Buddy Clark<br>Dinah Shore<br>Tony Martin<br>Jo Stafford<br>Dick Haymes | announcer = Vincent Pelletier<br>Jimmy Wallington<br>Holland Engle | creator = | writer = Albert Hansen | director = Robert Redd | senior_editor = | editor = | producer = Charles Cottington<br>Robert Redd | exec_producer = | narrated = | rec_location = | rem_location = | oth_location = | first_aired = April 26, 1931 | last_aired = December 30, 1951 | num_series = | num_episodes = | audio_format = | opentheme = | othertheme = | endtheme = | sponsor = | website = <!-- {{URL|example.com}} --> | podcast = <!-- {{URL|example.com}} --> }} '''''The Carnation Contented Hour''''' is a long-running radio music series, sponsored by the Carnation Milk Company, which premiered April 26, 1931 on the regional NBC West Coast network. The full network series began January 4, 1932, on the Blue Network and was broadcast for two decades until its final broadcast on CBS December 30, 1951.<ref name="dunningota">{{cite book |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=Fi5wPDBiGfMC&dq=%22The+Carnation+Contented+Hour,+traditional%22&pg=PA139 |last=Dunning |first=John |author-link=John Dunning (detective fiction author) |title=On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio |date=1998 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=New York, NY |isbn=978-0-19-507678-3 |page=139 |edition=Revised |access-date=2019-10-11}}</ref>
== Overview == When the program began on the NBC Pacific Coast Network, it originated from Seattle and featured a quartet and an aorchestra. It moved to Chicago when national distribution began on January 4, 1932.<ref>{{cite magazine |date=March 26, 1951 |pages=23–26, 52, 50, 54 |title=How Carnation invests $2,400,000 in air media |url=https://archive.org/details/sponsor51spon/page/n563/mode/1up?view=theater |magazine=Sponsor |access-date=January 31, 2025 }}</ref>
With its opening theme, "Contented," the musical variety show featured Josef Pasternack conducting until he died of a heart attack during a rehearsal. Leroy Shield and other conductors played four-week tryouts until the network settled on Percy Faith and his orchestra.<ref>[https://www.taddlecreekmag.com/the-streamlined-man Holden, Alfred. "The Streamlined Man," ''Taddle Creek'', July 13, 2023.]</ref>
Performers varied but usually included Buddy Clark, vocalist; Reinhold Schmidt, bass; and Josephine Antoine, soprano. The announcer was Vincent Pelletier. The program's producers were Harry K. Gilman and C. H. Cottington.
Until October 24, 1932, the program featured Gene Arnold and Herman Larson, broadcast over NBC Blue on Mondays at 8 p.m. Clark joined the cast on October 31, 1932.{{Citation needed |date=August 2022}}
==World War II== During World War II, the Armed Forces Radio Service obtained rights to rebroadcast the program to military personnel. Recordings were made on 16" electrical transcription discs for playback at 33{{frac|1|3}} rpm over AFRS. Commercial messages were edited out, and the program was re-titled '''''The Melody Hour'''''.{{Citation needed |date=March 2024}}
== Post-war == On January 7, 1946, the program began originating from New York after having been based in Chicago for 14 years. The change in location was accompanied by a change in format as weekly guest performers replaced regularly scheduled singers. Faith remained with the program as conductor, composer, and arranger.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Lohman |first1=Sidney |date=January 6, 1946 |title=Radio Row: One Thing and Another |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1946/01/06/archives/radio-row-one-thing-and-another.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=January 29, 2025 |work=The New York Times |page=X 5}}</ref> Faith left the program as of January 1, 1948, because it was moved to Hollywood.<ref>{{cite news |date=December 11, 1947 |title=The News of Radio: Alan Ladd to Do Adventure Series on WOR -- Percy Faith Signs New 4-Year Pact |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1947/12/11/archives/alan-ladd-to-do-adventure-series-on-wor-percy-faith-signs-new-4year.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=January 29, 2025 |work=The New York Times |page=66}}</ref>
Ted Dale succeeded Faith as musical director in January 1948.<ref>{{cite magazine |date=January 31, 1948 |page=9 |title=Cottington to Handle Coast Wasey Agency |magazine=Billboard |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=c_UDAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22Carnation+Contented+Hour%22+intitle%3ABillboard&pg=PA9 |accessdate=January 30, 2025}}</ref> Dale brought a dramatic and theatrical quality to the program with energetic, colorful arrangements.{{Citation needed |date=March 2024}} On March 26, 1950, Dick Haymes became the program's host, and Jo Stafford became its "featured feminine singier".<ref>{{cite news |date=March 19, 1950 |title=Haymes and Stafford Signed As 'Contented Hour' Regulars |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/107238919/the-times/ |access-date=August 9, 2022 |work=The Shreveport Times |page=A - 13 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> The program had been using guest stars since the death of Clark.<ref>{{cite magazine |date=March 18, 1950 |page=5 |title=Haymes, Stafford To Co-Star on Carnation Hour |magazine=Billboard |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OwEEAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22Carnation+Contented+Hour%22+intitle%3ABillboard&pg=PA5 |accessdate=January 30, 2025 }}</ref> Tony Martin became the star of the program in October 1950.<ref>{{cite news |title=Tony Martin Returns to Air Tonight |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/richmond-times-dispatch-tony-martin/164248223/ |access-date=January 29, 2025 |work=Richmond Times Dispatch |date=October 8, 1950 |page=B 15|via = Newspapers.com }}</ref>
== Schedule == The program was broadcast on the Blue Network on Mondays at 8 p.m. January 4, 1932 - October 24, 1932.<ref name="dunningota" /> Jay Hickerson's ''The Ultimate History of Network Radio Programming and Guide to all Circulating Shows'' indicates the program aired on NBC at 8 p.m. from October 31, 1932, moving to 10 p.m. from November 21, 1932, until September 26, 1949. He reports that 43 recorded shows are available, 36 bearing dates.<ref>Hickerson, Jay. ''The Ultimate History of Network Radio Programming and Guide to all Circulating Shows''. Hamden, Connecticut: Hickerson, 1992.</ref>
NBC announced plans for the program to be broadcast on Mondays at 10 p.m. Eastern Time beginning October 3, 1949, as part of NBC's move to present "a full-scale 'Night of Music'".<ref name=t/> ''Carnation Contented Hour'' was to be the last of five 30-minute musical programs in a block that began with ''The Railroad Hour'' at 8 p.m. E. T.<ref name=t>{{cite news |title=Radio and Television; 'Railroad Hour' to Switch From ABC to NBC Oct. 3, Leading Off 'Night of Music' |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1949/08/26/archives/radio-and-television-railroad-hour-to-switch-from-abc-to-nbc-oct-3.html |access-date=January 29, 2025 |work=The New York Times |date=August 26, 1949 |page=36 |url-access=subscription }}</ref> Subsequently the program was moved to CBS to be broadcast on Sundays at 10 p.m. E. T.<ref>{{cite news |title=Radio-Video; 15 Professional Football Games Scheduled for Television by ABC |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1949/08/30/archives/radiovideo-15-professional-football-games-scheduled-for-television.html |access-date=January 29, 2025 |work=The New York Times |date=August 30, 1949 |page=42 |url-access=subscription }}</ref> The trade publication ''Billboard'' reported that Carnation wanted to leave the 10 p.m. Monday slot to avoid the competition of ''My Friend Irma'' on CBS at that time.<ref>{{cite magazine |date=July 30, 1949 |page=5 |title=NBC Juggling Sked for Moo; CBS Hop Looms |magazine=Billboard |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Jw4EAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22Carnation+Contented+Hour%22+intitle%3ABillboard&pg=PT4 |accessdate=January 30, 2025 }}</ref>
==Critical response== A review in ''Billboard'' in 1951 described the selection of musical content as "particularly adroit, made up of a neat mixture of current pop hits, standards, show tunes, etc."<ref name=bbrev>{{cite magazine |last=Csida |first=Joe |date=September 29, 1951 |page=11 |title=Carnation Contented Hour |magazine=Billboard |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3UQEAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22Carnation+Contented+Hour%22+intitle%3ABillboard&pg=PA11 |accessdate=January 30, 2025 }}</ref> The review complimented Martin's and Stafford's voices and artistry and the performance of Victor Young's orchestra.<ref name=bbrev/>
The trade publication ''Variety'' said in a review that the program "gained new stature" when Martin and Stafford were added.<ref name=vrev>{{cite magazine |date=October 11, 1950 |page=34 |title=Carnation Contented Hour |magazine=Variety |url=https://archive.org/details/variety180-1950-10/page/n97/mode/1up?view=theater |accessdate=January 31, 2025 }}</ref> The review added that combining their talents with the backing of Young's orchestra created "a solid song session".<ref name=vrev/> It also complimented the work of the Ken Lane Singers.<ref name=vrev/>
==References== {{reflist}}
==Sources== *{{cite book|title=The Big Broadcast, 1920–1950|author=Frank Buxton, Bill Owen|isbn=0-670-16240-X|url=https://archive.org/details/bigbroadcast192100buxt}}
==External links== *[http://www.otrsite.com/logs/logc1088.htm Jerry Haendiges Vintage Radio Logs: ''The Carnation Contented Hour'']
{{DEFAULTSORT:Carnation Contented Hour}} Category:1930s American radio programs Category:1940s American radio programs Category:1950s American radio programs Category:NBC Blue Network radio programs Category:CBS Radio programs Category:NBC radio programs Category:American Forces Network radio programs Category:American music radio programs