3 Episodes (05-21-41) (05-22-41) (05-22-41)
The Rise of the Goldbergs began as skits produced at her family's Catskills hotel for the rainy-day entertainment of guests. Originally centered around the comic character Maltke Talznitsky, Maltke became Molly and Talzinitsky modulated to Goldberg, while Berg herself ventured into writing theatrical and commercial continuities. On 20 November 1929, the first episode of The Rise of the Goldbergs aired as a sustaining program on WJZ, flagship of the NBC Blue network, no doubt building on the success of radio's first network dramatic serial, Amos 'n' Andy, introduced in August 1929. Early scripts concerned themselves explicitly and intimately with an immigrant Jewish family's assimilation into American life. The cast consisted of "Molly" herself, playing the wise and warmhearted wife of Jake (James R. Waters) and mother of Rosalie (Roslyn Silber), and Sammy (Alfred Ryder/Alfred Corn). Uncle David (Menasha Skulnik) filled the role of resident family patriarch. Molly, Jake, and Uncle David spoke with a heavy Yiddish accent, while the children favored standard American with a goodly dash of the Bronx. Much humor derived from Molly's malapropisms and "Old World" turns of phrase, drawing on the vaudeville ethnic dialogue tradition. The first season's scripts deal with such issues as the difficulties of raising children in an American environment that sometimes clashed with old world traditions, and the immigrant family's striving for economic success and security. Molly's conversations up the airshaft with her neighbor--"Yoo hoo, Mrs. Bloo-oom"--and frequent visitors in their small apartment vividly invoke New York tenement life. The success of this slice of specifically ethnic, but far from atypical, American experience resulted in eighteen thousand letters pouring into NBC's office when Berg's illness forced the show off the air for a week.
TODAY'S SHOW:
May 21, 1941. Ep. 0960 "Sylvia & Molly Face Each Other"
May 22, 1941. Ep. 0961 "Sammy & Sylvia Talk"
May 23, 1941. Ep. 0962 "Molly Chastises Mr. Allison"
FOR THIS EPISODE AND HUNDREDS MORE, FOLLOW THIS LINK TO BOXCARS711
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