Quarantined for Measles: The Way It Was, 11 March

1941---Just what Wistful Vista's biggest little tall teller (Jim Jordan) and his better half (Marian Jordan, who also plays Teeny) don't need: half the neighbourhood, if not the town, quarantined for measles in their humble abode . . . and Gildersleeve (Harold Peary), whose unseen wife is running things at his girdle factory in his absence (Gildersleeve: "Oh, what do women know about girdles?" McGee: "Plenty, if they got the proper foundation . . . and background"), isn't the only one getting more than just a little cabin-feverish, on tonight's edition of The Johnson Wax Program with Fibber McGee and Molly. (NBC.)

Additional cast: Isabel Randolph, Bill Thompson, Harlow Wilcox. Writer: Don Quinn. Music: Billy Mills Orchestra, the King's Men.

CHANNEL SURFING . . .

1951: A MOST GHASTLY EXPERIENCE---Well, that's what Tallulah Bankhead called putting together the week's show, after she "very helpfully" suggested they'd brought in too many singers for it---including jazz's original Mr. Smooth, Billy Eckstine ("I can sing better than she can, whoever she is"), pop stylist Evelyn Knight, and The Ol' Schnozzola, when they had a certain alleged singer already hosting the extravagazna, tonight's edition of The Big Show. (NBC.) Additional cast: Bob Burns, Celeste Holm, Cliff Hall, Smith and Dale. Music: Meredith ("Yes, sir, Miss Bankhead?") Willson. Writers: Goodman Ace, Selma Diamond, George Foster, Mort Greene, Frank Wilson. Announcer: Ed Herlihy.

PREMIERING TODAY . . .

1898---Dorothy Gish (actress: Texaco Star Playhouse, Lux Radio Theater), Massillon, Ohio.
1900---Andy Sannella (bandleader: Campbell Soup Orchestra, Gillette Community Sing), Brooklyn.
1907---Jessie Matthews (actress: The Dales), London.
1909---Ramona (as Estrild Ramona Myers; singer/pianist: Twenty Fingers of Sweetness, Kraft Music Hall, Paul Whiteman's Musical Varieties---on which she replaced jazz legend Mildred Bailey---and ABC Piano Playhouse), Lockland, Ohio; Karl Tunberg (writer: Lux Radio Theater), Spokane.

RIP . . .

1944: HENDRIK WILHELM VAN LOON---An author who often appeared as an old-time radio commentator, van Loon was the first recipient of the world's first known literary prize for service benefitting children, the Newbery Medal, in 1922. van Loon received the medal for his book The Story of Mankind. (Honourable mentions that first year went to Charles Hawes for The Great Quest, Bernard Marshall for Cedric the Forester, William Bowen for The Old Tobacco Shop, Padraic Colum for The Golden Fleece, and Cornelia Meigs for The Windy Hill.)

van Loon was also the author of The Rise of the Dutch Kingdom, 1795-1813 and several other books.