MR KEEN, Tracer of lost persons on Radio Then Network

Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons was one of radio's longest running shows, airing October 12, 1937 to April 19, 1955, continuing well into the television era. It was produced by Frank and Anne Hummert, who based it upon Robert W. Chambers' 1906 novel The Tracer of Lost Persons. The sponsors included Whitehall Pharmacal (as in Anacin, Kolynos Toothpaste, BiSoDol antacid mints, Hill's cold tablets and Heet liniment), Dentyne, Aerowax, RCA Victor and Chesterfield cigarettes. It aired on the NBC Blue network until 1947, when it switched to CBS. Bennett Kilpack began as Mr. Keen in 1937 with Arthur Hughes and then Phil Clarke stepping into the role later in the series. The kindly Keen and his faithful assistant, Mike Clancy (Jim Kelly), entertained listeners for 18 years. With 1690 nationwide broadcasts, Mr. Keen was the most resilient private detective in a namesake role. WIKIPEDIA

"Betty & Bob" Old Time Radio Soap Opera

In the early 1930's the "daytime female serial dramas" and the "light, homey, or love interest dramas" were becoming very popular. The NBC-Blue network introduced ROMANCE, and SHEER ROMANCE, with Betty and Bob. "Betty and Bob" began at NBC Blue on October 10, 1932 with General Mills sponsorship, the first show to be produced by the pioneers of soap opera, Frank Anne Hummert [photo] (January 19, 1905 - July 5, 1996) was the leading creator of daytime radio serials during the 1930s and 1940s, responsible for more than three dozen drama series.

WIKIPEDIA | Episodes at archive.org

Hummert and the then Anne Ashenhurst who married in 1935 to become the paramount creators of radio daytime dramas. With an early afternoon (1:45PM est) serial time slot, the show was the first network daytimer to contain all the classic themes in the episodes of the genre: downtrodden but virtuous Betty Drake and her once well-to-do husband Bob.

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