The Halls of Ivy

The Halls of Ivy was a successful radio comedy series, one of the last of its kind that ran from 1949-1952 and starred Ronald Colman and his wife Benita Hume.

Colman played William Todhunter Hall, the president of a small midwestern college and Benita was his wife who was a former British musical comedy star. The shows on radio and then on television were about their interaction with the students and faculty of their college. The college was named Ivy College, but that's not to say that it was an Ivy League school.

The Halls of Ivy had a very unique following on radio. It was a favorite show of Governor Adlai E. Stevenson of Illinois who as we know, became the Democratic presidential candidate in 1952 and 1956. Knowing Stevenson was a fan and his reputation as an intellectual, you can correctly assume that The Halls of Ivy had quite the following among college graduates and above. The scripts were literate and witty and acted with grace and style as only Colman and Hume could bring.

Now if somehow Adlai Stevenson had overcome America's liking for Ike and became president, I've a feeling The Halls of Ivy would have settled in for a long run on television. At least as long as Colman survived which was 1958. Lady Bird Johnson kept Gunsmoke on television for another decade when she said in an interview it was her favorite television program. President Stevenson could have used the bully pulpit and it's been used for worse.

Anyway it only lasted a year, but hopefully some episodes survive and we can get to see them someday and hear those radio transcripts of same.