Storm Over Maine

Delicate problems faced National Broadcasting Co. last week. Swift & Co. fumed at something Listerine was about to do, insisted on doing. June 20 Listerine was to start a new program called "The Country Doctor." Author of the script is Phillips Haynes Lord, famed to radio listeners as "Seth Parker of Jonesport, Maine."

Successful with rustic Seth Parker on an NBC sustaining program, Author Lord last year wrote a script concerning "The Stebbins Boys," two elderly bachelors of Bucksport, Maine. In the same general rustic atmosphere as Seth Parker the Stebbins Boys manage their hotel and general store, act as a court of appeals for the village on all problems from political to amatory. A typical recent Stebbins dialog had to do with their beards. Suspected of being robbers at sea, they were told to take off their "disguises" by a Lieutenant McGee of the Coast Guard.

Esley Stebbins: I tell ye they're mine, durn et!

John Stebbins: I've worn these fer thirty year . . . now leave them alone!

Lieut. McGee: You mean to say you wear them from choice?

John S: Lookee here, have you ever spent a winter in Bucksport Point? . . . An' I'd like you to look in the encyclopedia an' you'll see that all but three presidents of these United States have American full beards er whiskers of some kind.

The program was bought by Swift & Co., an NBC client, and for a while Author Lord played in it. He then left to go on his famed personal appearance tour--"Seth Parker and his Jonesport Neighbors."

After his tour, Author Lord sold his "Country Doctor" script to Listerine, also an NBC customer. Swift & Co. protested loudly, threatened to go off the air. Pacified to some extent last week Swift & Co. prepared to hear a few of the Country Doctor's adventures, see how they competed with their own Stebbins Boys.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.