Big Sister

Big Sister was a daytime radio drama series created by Lillian Laugerty and broadcast on CBS from September 14, 1936 to December 26, 1952. It was sponsored by Lever Brothers (Rinso) until 1946 when Procter & Gamble became the sponsor.

Set in the fictional town of Glen Falls, the program dramatized the life of Ruth Evans who sacrificed her own happiness to care for her younger sister Sue and their crippled brother Neddie. After Sue married reporter Jerry Miller, Ruth continued to care for Neddie. She fell in love with Neddie's doctor, John Wayne, who cured Neddie. Ruth and John married on October 19, 1939, but during World War II, John was held in a Japanese prison camp. He returned to Glen Falls suffering from shell-shock.

The actresses who portrayed Ruth over the decades were Alice Frost, Nancy Marshall, Marjorie Anderson and Mercedes McCambridge. Sue was played by Haila Stoddard, Dorothy McGuire, Peggy Conklin and Fran Carlon. Michael O'Day was heard in the role of little Neddie Evans.

The popularity of this program led to a spin-off radio series, Bright Horizon, which CBS began broadcasting in 1941. To assure its success, Alice Frost appeared on Bright Horizon for a short while in her role of Ruth Evans Wayne.

Announcers for the program were Fred Uttal, Jim Ameche and Hugh Conover.

Organist Richard Leibert furnished the background music and the opening theme, "Valse Bluette".