Beautiful Child Contest: The Phil Harris (April 29, 1951)

The Phil Harris, old-time radio on Stupid Potato

“Beautiful Child Contest” is an episode of The Phil Harris, the old-time radio show, first broadcast April 29, 1951. Listen free on Stupid Potato: no sign-up, no app.

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What happens

Phil Harris and Alice Faye's family in the series The Phil Harris first aired on NBC on April 29, 1951. A local milk company is running a beautiful child contest with a $500 prize, and the Harris children want to enter. Phyllis suggests submitting a baby picture of their father instead, and it is entered without his knowledge. When the milk company calls to say he has won, Phil must find a baby who resembles him to pose for publicity photographs, and his efforts to do so bring several friends and acquaintances into the scheme. Lead actors include Phil Harris, Alice Faye, Elliott Lewis and Gale Gordon.

The Harris home and surrounding neighbourhood, with visits to a lonely hearts business and other local places.

Characters: Phil Harris, Alice Faye, Phyllis, Frankie, Curly, Remley, Grogan, Mr. Mann

Listen for: Phil discovering that his baby photograph has been entered in the contest and the milk company's call announcing the prize.

Written from the episode itself; it never gives away the ending. Every recording is remastered for the stream: cleaned of rumble, hiss and mains hum (and the old TV whine where we found it), then levelled in two passes to steady broadcast loudness, so one show is never quieter than the next.