Re: [ARSCLIST] Looking for Roxy's Gang/Roxy Radio Hour sources

[Michele Hilmes <mhilmes@xxxxxxxx>]

Hi Jack -- I remember it, and in fact wrote about it a little bit in
my book Radio Voices.  The earlier name for the show was "The Capitol
Theater Gang"; it later morphed into "Major Bowes Amateur Hour" when
Edward Bowes took over in in 1925 (Dunning says it was called "Capitol
Family Broadcasts" as well).  Roxy went to NBC in 1927 with the show
now called "Roxy and His Gang"; it ended in 1931 or thereabouts.

There are some Major Bowes recordings here and there -- the Museum of
Broadcasting in Chicago lists one or two -- but none that I've found
for Roxy.  However, in our archives here in Wisconsin, we have a
collections of "Yesterday's Newsreel" films -- compilation films made
in 1948-50 from old footage -- and one (#112) features "Roxy
Rothapfel" in the 1920s.

Hope this helps! -- Michele


Michele Hilmes
Professor, Media and Cultural Studies
Director, Wisconsin Center for Film and Theater Research
Department of Communication Arts
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Madison, WI 53706
608-262-2543