July 6
CANDID MICROPHONE DAY
A hidden microphone eavesdropped on unsuspecting people for the first time this night, as Candid Microphone hit the airwaves. It was 1947 and Allen Funt was the host of the ABC radio show, the forerunner of the long-running TV version, Candid Camera.
Candid Microphone didn’t have as long a run on radio, however, lasting one year on ABC, taking a two year hiatus and returning to CBS radio for another year.
The radio format of Candid Microphone was slightly different than the TV version ... when one of the eavesdropees uttered words considered too colorful by the network, a soft woman’s voice would say, “Censored,” and the program would continue with Don Hollenbeck as the narrator. The program, directed by Joseph Graham, was sponsored by Philip Morris cigarettes.
The radio show’s announcer, Ken Roberts, joined Allen Funt on the early version of the smash TV hit. Funt, who became a big star with Candid Camera, also produced a movie called What Do You Say to a Naked Lady using the Candid idea.
Those Were the Days, the Today in History service from 440 International
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