Mysteryshows.com

[auss2004]

One of the best radio shows of the early 1950s was "The Halls of Ivy" starring Hollywood legend Ronald Colman and his wife Benita Hume. Ivy was a sort of offshoot of a character Colman played in the 1950 film "Champagne for Caesar," in which he played a genius named Beauregard Bottomly who goes on a early quiz show hosted by Art Linkletter. The show is sponsored by a soap company owned by Vincent Price. It's all great fun.

In "The Halls of Ivy," Colman plays Dr. William Todhunter Hall, President of Ivy College in Ivy, USA. His wife plays Victoria Hall, late of the London stage. The show was one of the best written and most erudite shows on the air, much of it written by Don Quinn of Fibber McGee & Molly fame, with scripts by MIlton and Barbara Merlin. It was a combination comedy and drama involving the activities of Dr. Hall and his wife, faculty members, students, etc. on the college campus. Of course, the program's title was a play on words, the Halls of Ivy referring both to the college and to the Dr. Hall and his wife. Dr. Hall's foil is the blustering chairman of the board of governors, Clarence Wellman played by Herb Butterfield.

Dr. Hall, who once taught English literature, is fond of quoting the classics and injecting literary allusions into his conversations. The show is warm, engaging, and reflective of an earlier era in campus life, although it doesn't shy away from tackling some controversial topics. About 95 shows were produced, 26 of which were later televised using the same scripts. Sadly, these have not been releaed on DVD, although one made it into a VHS compilation of radio shows that made the transition to television. The show also featured a memorable theme song of the same name ("Oh, we love the Halls of Ivy, that surround us here today"), written by Henry Russell and performed by male voices in collegiate fashion.

If you are a Ronald Colman fan, as I am, or even if you are not, you will love these warm and witty shows.

Kendall

[Mr-Wimple]

Simply wonderful show. Very uplifting and those two guys have perhaps the best radio voices of all time!