Jack Armstrong, the All-American Boy, began as a fictional shill for Wheaties cereal. His popularity grew fast so that in 1933 he had his own radio show -- one that lasted until 1951. The same mind (Samuel Chester Gale) who created Jack also created another American household name: Betty Crocker.
First portrayed by Jim Ameche (Don's younger brother), then by Michael Rye (radio's first Matt Dillon and one-time Cisco Kid announcer); Charles Flynn, Franklyn MacCormack, and two others also played the Wheaties-infused adolescent. Jack attended Hudson High School with his friend Billy Fairfield and Billy's sister Betty. Jack and his friends often traveled the world with Jack's Uncle Jim. As a chaperon, Uncle Jim left much to be desired because the trio kept bouncing from intrigue to adventure to danger and back again. All this affected Jack's schoolwork because he did not graduate from high school until the final season when he became a government agent. Not to worry -- Jack's slow scholastic progress was assuredly offset by his copious consumption of Wheaties.
Here's the ten episodes that comprised "The Adventures of the Sunken Reef."
Enjoy.
https://archive.org/details/JackArmstrong
I used to listen to Jack Armstrong. I even ate Wheaties. But I never became The All-American Boy.
ReplyDeleteYou did better, Bill. You became the All-Alvin Boy!
ReplyDelete