THE AMERICAN RADIO WARBLERS, (OR THEIR DOUBLES), MADE COUNTLESS STORE APPEARANCES.
RADIO FOR THE BIRDS
Their stay on network and local radio lasted longer than most performers. By some estimates, The American Radio Warblers - a chorus of ten canaries accompanying a studio organist playing soft, familiar melodies - were heard for 15 minutes every weekend in Chicago for 25 years - first as a local attraction, then as a Mutual network presentation.
The American Radio Warblers had a single purpose: To sell bird food marketed by American Bird Products, Inc.
As a program concept it was pure genius, created in the late 1920’s by Arthur Barnett of the Chicago ad agency Weston-Barnett for American Bird Products. Its ten original stars, (Goldie, Ranny, Ronnie, Rudy, et al.), all began in the the company's research lab as members of American’s experimental feeding program. But under Barnett’s billing, the flock became known as The Original Feathered Stars of The Air, (fed an exclusive diet of American’s 3-Vees Balanced Diet Seed and 3-Vees Song Food). (1)
The ten caged performers chirped accompaniment to standard melodies played by Wurlitzer organist Preston Sellers. (2) Their Sunday quarter hour was first broadcast on WBBM/Chicago in October, 1929, and then moved to WGN and Mutual in the mid-1930’s where it remained for the next 18 years with time-off during the summer moulting seasons.
Although its audience was limited, the show was a hit where it counted - it sold 3-Vee’s birdseed by the tons, What's more, it stimulated the sale of canaries in pet shops and variety stores which, in turn, produced more consumers for 3-Vee products. (3)
As Andrew Clayman at the Made In Chicago website notes, The Warblers’ success, (and their extremely low production cost), inspired bird and pet food competitors. Before long, Hartz Mountain’s Master Radio Canaries and The Canary Chorus from Chicago’s oldest bird seed distributor, Kaempfer’s, Inc., were on the air.
But Barnett stayed ahead of the flock by merchandising his canaries as "vocal coaches" to their birds of a feather listening across America. He pitched The Warblers in newspaper ads as, “…excellent teachers. Place your bird within easy hearing distance of the radio. First it will listen with interest, then join right it. Your bird may learn some new trills and melodies.” (4)
Then Barnett offered recordings of The Warblers most requested tunes which fans of the program could purchase at 3-Vees’ retailers. The larger stores also received “personal appearances” from The Warblers, (or their doubles), as part of 3-Vee "clinics" featuring canary experts and special prices on live birds with Radio Warbler training, ($5.95), and those whose talents were yet undiscovered, ($3.95). All were sold in "genuine" 3-Vee’s Cages.
Wholesale trade in live canaries stalled during World War II when imports from their major source, Germany, stopped. But the birds continued to sing and promote the sale of bird seed every weekend on Network Radio for the three major suppliers. The postwar years saw a resumption of bird imports but at a much slower pace. Nevertheless, the competition in the canary related business of feed and accessories remained hot until the 1950’s when Hartz Mountain bought out both American Bird Products and Kaempher’s.
No episodes of The American Warblers broadcasts remain in circulation. However, two very good recordings of The Hartz Master Radio Canaries have survived and are posted as Hartz Canaries 1 and Hartz Canaries 2.
Both shows are hosted by Mike Wallace, some three decades before his 60 Minutes days, when he was a multi-tasking announcer and actor in Chicago. Once the shock passes of hearing him in his role of a syrupy pitchman for birdseed, you’ll have to admit that he was good at it!
Yet, the real hero of this nearly forgotten short story of a long lasting series from Network Radio's Golden Age is Arthur Barnett, the Chicago ad man who first used radio to sell birdseed with results that could never be called mere chicken feed.
1/ The three “V’s” in American’s trademark were: Vitality, Vigor & Vitamin.
2/ Preston Sellers, the original American Warblers organist, was later replaced by his wife, Edna, and then Helen Westcott and Porter Heath.
3/ The mass import of canaries from Germany was begun in the 1920’s by Hartz Mountain’s founder Max Stern.
4/ Our thanks to Andrew Clayman at www.madeinchicagomuseum.com.
Copyright © 2019, Jim Ramsburg, Estero FL Email: tojimramsburg@gmail.com
Their stay on network and local radio lasted longer than most performers. By some estimates, The American Radio Warblers - a chorus of ten canaries accompanying a studio organist playing soft, familiar melodies - were heard for 15 minutes every weekend in Chicago for 25 years - first as a local attraction, then as a Mutual network presentation.
The American Radio Warblers had a single purpose: To sell bird food marketed by American Bird Products, Inc.
As a program concept it was pure genius, created in the late 1920’s by Arthur Barnett of the Chicago ad agency Weston-Barnett for American Bird Products. Its ten original stars, (Goldie, Ranny, Ronnie, Rudy, et al.), all began in the the company's research lab as members of American’s experimental feeding program. But under Barnett’s billing, the flock became known as The Original Feathered Stars of The Air, (fed an exclusive diet of American’s 3-Vees Balanced Diet Seed and 3-Vees Song Food). (1)
The ten caged performers chirped accompaniment to standard melodies played by Wurlitzer organist Preston Sellers. (2) Their Sunday quarter hour was first broadcast on WBBM/Chicago in October, 1929, and then moved to WGN and Mutual in the mid-1930’s where it remained for the next 18 years with time-off during the summer moulting seasons.
Although its audience was limited, the show was a hit where it counted - it sold 3-Vee’s birdseed by the tons, What's more, it stimulated the sale of canaries in pet shops and variety stores which, in turn, produced more consumers for 3-Vee products. (3)
As Andrew Clayman at the Made In Chicago website notes, The Warblers’ success, (and their extremely low production cost), inspired bird and pet food competitors. Before long, Hartz Mountain’s Master Radio Canaries and The Canary Chorus from Chicago’s oldest bird seed distributor, Kaempfer’s, Inc., were on the air.
But Barnett stayed ahead of the flock by merchandising his canaries as "vocal coaches" to their birds of a feather listening across America. He pitched The Warblers in newspaper ads as, “…excellent teachers. Place your bird within easy hearing distance of the radio. First it will listen with interest, then join right it. Your bird may learn some new trills and melodies.” (4)
Then Barnett offered recordings of The Warblers most requested tunes which fans of the program could purchase at 3-Vees’ retailers. The larger stores also received “personal appearances” from The Warblers, (or their doubles), as part of 3-Vee "clinics" featuring canary experts and special prices on live birds with Radio Warbler training, ($5.95), and those whose talents were yet undiscovered, ($3.95). All were sold in "genuine" 3-Vee’s Cages.
Wholesale trade in live canaries stalled during World War II when imports from their major source, Germany, stopped. But the birds continued to sing and promote the sale of bird seed every weekend on Network Radio for the three major suppliers. The postwar years saw a resumption of bird imports but at a much slower pace. Nevertheless, the competition in the canary related business of feed and accessories remained hot until the 1950’s when Hartz Mountain bought out both American Bird Products and Kaempher’s.
No episodes of The American Warblers broadcasts remain in circulation. However, two very good recordings of The Hartz Master Radio Canaries have survived and are posted as Hartz Canaries 1 and Hartz Canaries 2.
Both shows are hosted by Mike Wallace, some three decades before his 60 Minutes days, when he was a multi-tasking announcer and actor in Chicago. Once the shock passes of hearing him in his role of a syrupy pitchman for birdseed, you’ll have to admit that he was good at it!
Yet, the real hero of this nearly forgotten short story of a long lasting series from Network Radio's Golden Age is Arthur Barnett, the Chicago ad man who first used radio to sell birdseed with results that could never be called mere chicken feed.
1/ The three “V’s” in American’s trademark were: Vitality, Vigor & Vitamin.
2/ Preston Sellers, the original American Warblers organist, was later replaced by his wife, Edna, and then Helen Westcott and Porter Heath.
3/ The mass import of canaries from Germany was begun in the 1920’s by Hartz Mountain’s founder Max Stern.
4/ Our thanks to Andrew Clayman at www.madeinchicagomuseum.com.
Copyright © 2019, Jim Ramsburg, Estero FL Email: tojimramsburg@gmail.com
