Just Plain Bill #374: Anne & Frank Hummert Scripts

Published April 9, 2024 at 6:00 AM MDT

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Article featuring Anne Hummert from Tune In, the national radio magazine, August 1943. Box 1, Anne and Frank Hummert scripts, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.

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Article featuring Frank Hummert from Tune In, the national radio magazine, August 1943. Box 1, Anne and Frank Hummert scripts, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.

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A story outline for the radio soap opera Just Plain Bill. Box 26A, Anne and Frank Hummert scripts, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.

Long before the era of television soap operas, there was the golden age of radio and daytime radio dramas. Anne Hummert and her husband Frank were among the first writers and producers of these shows, which aired on CBS and NBC Radio.

The Hummerts exercised an outsized influence on radio of the 1930s and 40s, producing more than three dozen series. Their programs were heard by millions of listeners weekly.

One of their early dramas, Just Plain Bill, aired for twenty-three-years. Each episode followed the life of Bill the barber. In between advertisements for soap, Anacin and other household products, listeners were drawn into storylines that had complicated twists and turns. Episodes incorporated everything from attempted murders to failed romances. Housewives interrupted their days to tune in.

Learn more about the early days of the radio soap opera by reading through the Anne and Frank Hummert scripts at UW’s American Heritage Center.

For more information, visit the American Heritage Center site.