The Adventures of Topper Radio Show on NBC in 1945

The Adventures of Topper radio show aired on NBC in the summer of 1945 as a 15-episode summer replacement series. Starring Roland Young as Cosmo Topper, the program brought Thorne Smith’s well-known Topper character to radio audiences.

The cast also included Hope Emerson as Mrs. Topper, Paul Mann as George Kirby, and Frances Chaney as Marion Kirby. For listeners and researchers, the show is of special interest because it represents a short-lived radio version of the Topper world that is far less familiar today than the books, films, or television adaptations.

Produced by Stanley J. Wolf, the series ran for just one summer season.

Sources online occasionally have differed on exactly what program it replaced, with some references saying it filled in for The Dinah Shore Show and others pointing to Frank Morgan’s program. Surviving newspaper listings have confirmed it did replace The Dinah Shore Show and also confirm that the show moved between different evenings and time slots during its run.

That shifting schedule may have made it harder for regular listeners to keep up with the series. It also raises an interesting question about whether Topper’s ghostly comedy, which worked so well on the page and screen, translated as effectively to radio through dialogue and sound effects alone.

Today, The Adventures of Topper remains an intriguing part of 1940s radio history, especially for fans of Roland Young, old-time radio, and Thorne Smith. This page brings together the key known facts about the show, including its run dates, cast, and surviving episodes.

The Missing Adventures of Topper

So far, six episodes of The Adventures of Topper radio show have been located, while the remaining programs still appear to be lost. For fans of old-time radio, Roland Young, and Thorne Smith, these surviving broadcasts offer a valuable glimpse of the 1945 NBC series.

The following episodes are currently known to survive:

• The Psychiatrists (aired July 5, 1945)
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• Telephone Repairman (aired July 12, 1945)
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• Malveena Hires a Psychiatrist (aired July 19, 1945)
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• Topper Pretends to Be Dead (aired August 3, 1945)
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• Malveena's Mother Visits (aired August 30, 1945)
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• Rajah, the Mystic (aired September 6, 1945)

If you have information about the nine missing episodes, or about the show’s actors, writers, production, or broadcast history, please use the Contact Us page to get in touch. Any verified help will be fully credited.

I have also obtained a couple of excellent photos of Roland Young taken at NBC studios during the production of the show, and I hope to add them here soon.

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