Arthur Auerbach

Arthur Auerbach, born on May 17, 1903, known as "Mr. Kitzel," was an American comic actor and professional photographer. He gained fame on the Al Pearce radio show in 1937 and became a staple of the Jack Benny radio show for 12 years, also making appearances on The Abbott and Costello radio show in the 1940s. Auerbach initially worked with Phil Baker before joining the Jack Benny program. Alongside his acting career, he served as a reporter and photographer for the New York tabloid Daily Mirror and the New York Daily News, covering high-profile stories like the Lindbergh kidnapping and the Hall–Mills murder case. His photography fame included an incident involving an unauthorized picture of a person in the electric chair.

His comedic character, Mr. Kitzel, was inspired during an assignment at a Bronx drug store when he heard a man with a strong Yiddish accent singing "Yes, Sir, That’s My Baby." Auerbach took the character’s traits and developed Mr. Kitzel, whose name translates to "to tickle or make laugh" in Yiddish. The character was further influenced by the druggist Maurice Adolff, who became a close friend. Despite his budding career in comedy, Auerbach remained uncertain about leaving journalism, only taking temporary leaves from his newspaper job.

Discovered by Phil Baker due to his unique dialect humor, Auerbach made his stage debut in the Broadway revue Calling All Stars in 1934. Initially submitting comedy sketches, he transitioned to performing them himself, showcasing Mr. Kitzel for the first time. Auerbach was later involved in The Goldbergs and its predecessor, House of Glass, and played roles in CBS's The Wonder Show alongside notable stars like Lucille Ball.

His biggest success came from the Jack Benny Program, where he was introduced as Mr. Kitzel in 1946, originally as a hot dog vendor. His catchphrase "De pickle in de middle mit de mustard on top" became widely recognized, leading to a novelty song in late 1946. He earned accolades like being named Man of the Year by the National Pickle Packers Association. Auerbach's unique charm lay in his friendly rapport with Jack Benny, distinguishing him from other characters. Mr. Kitzel persistently appeared even as the show transitioned from radio to television until Auerbach's passing in 1957.

Robert Arthur Jr.

Robert Arthur Jr. was born on November 10, 1909. He was an American writer and editor known for crime fiction and speculative fiction. He significantly contributed to The Mysterious Traveler radio series and created The Three Investigators, a popular young adult mystery series. Arthur and collaborator David Kogan won three Edgar Awards from the Mystery Writers of America for their radio scripts, with adaptations for Alfred Hitchcock's TV show as well. Born in the Philippines, Arthur moved frequently during his childhood due to his father's military career. He initially enrolled at West Point but shifted to the College of William & Mary, later transferring to the University of Michigan, where he earned a B.A. in English in 1930 and an M.A. in Journalism in 1932.

Arthur's stories appeared in numerous magazines, including The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction and Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine. He wrote several mystery novels for children and young adults, with The Three Investigators series gaining the most recognition, initially marketed as "Alfred Hitchcock and the Three Investigators." In 1959, he relocated to Hollywood, transitioning to screenplays and television scripts. His notable radio work included Dark Destiny and The Sealed Book. He received Edgar Awards for his excellence in radio drama in 1950, 1951, and 1953. Arthur passed away at fifty-nine in Philadelphia and was buried at West Laurel Hill Cemetery in Pennsylvania.

Jon Arthur

Jonathan Arthur Goerss (1918–1982), known as Jon Arthur, was an American entertainer and the host of the children's radio series Big Jon and Sparkie. Sparkie, voiced by Arthur at a sped-up rate, was a little elf wanting to be a real boy. Born in New Kensington, Pennsylvania, to a Lutheran minister and his wife, he was a third-generation German-American. Arthur began his broadcasting career after attending radio school, starting at WJLS in Beckley, West Virginia, in 1939, before moving westward.

In Cincinnati, he began the Big Jon and Sparkie show, which aired daily on ABC stations starting in 1950. His Saturday show, No School Today, attracted 12 million weekly listeners on 275 stations, featuring "Teddy Bears' Picnic" as its theme. Arthur, with scriptwriter Don Kortekamp, developed Sparkie from a character that interrupted him on-air. The program, with Arthur voicing various characters and Kortekamp providing storylines inspired by his childhood, became popular. However, in 1951, the show moved to new studios after WSAI did not renew its contract.

No School Today included Sparkie's recounting of Captain Jupiter's episodic adventures, often referencing his foes and inviting listener participation in the birthday segment, signified by the song "Happy Birthday, Friend." Although the program did not transition successfully to television, it aired on the Family Radio Network for two decades (1962–1982). Kortekamp even considered remarketing the characters in new stories.

The radio program was adapted into the Big Jon and Sparkie comic book, published by Alden Getz for Ziff-Davis, and also inspired The Daily Weekly newspaper giveaway. The characters were parodied in Mad magazine. During the 1960s, Arthur worked at WKRC in Cincinnati, and his life was featured on the radio show Unshackled. Arthur passed away in Alameda County, California, in 1982.

ABC Mystery Theater

ABC Mystery Theater is an American radio anthology series, aired from October 3, 1951, to June 30, 1954, featuring 115 episodes over three seasons. Initially, Robert Carroll portrayed Inspector Mark Saber, a British detective from a Homicide Squad, while Sgt. Tim Maloney was first played by James Westerfield, then Douglas Chandler, and ultimately Walter Burke in later seasons. Despite mixed reviews, the show succeeded in garnering a second season beginning in the fall of 1952.

The first season of ABC Mystery Theater introduced listeners to the life and work of Inspector Saber and his assistant. The narrative centered around a separate murder mystery each episode, which led some critics to feel that the show’s premise would become tiresome. The radio series faced competition from CBS Mystery Theatre and later CBS's Hearthstone of The Death Squad, showcasing similar themes and storylines. Amidst audience fatigue from the overlapping concepts, neither series continued past the 1952-1953 season.

In contrast, ABC Television aired a similarly titled show, also called Mystery Theater, featuring Tom Conway as Mark Saber, which ran until June 1954. Following the original television series, a reboot titled The Vise debuted in December 1955, later changing its name to Saber of London in 1957 when it moved to NBC and continued until 1960.

Despite setbacks, ABC Mystery Theater received enough viewer engagement for a third season, which consisted of minor modifications of second-season episodes. Concurrently, the television adaptation faced competition, eventually renaming itself to attract more viewers. When rebranded as Inspector Mark Saber – Homicide Squad during the 1952-1953 television season, it struggled against strong contenders like CBS Lux Video Theatre.

The televised Mark Saber retained the essence of the radio version, featuring a British detective in a major American city's homicide department, alongside his assistant, Sergeant Maloney. The television series ended in 1954, with a notable transition into a reboot form titled The Vise, where Inspector Saber was reimagined as Donald Gray's one-armed private investigator based in London. This shift included new storylines and characters as Sgt. Maloney was removed in favor of various new sidekicks.

Over the years, The Vise underwent several title changes, including Saber of London and Saber of Scotland Yard, reflecting its evolving narrative. The character of Saber transitioned from a US detective to a British private investigator, evolving with shifting audience preferences and television trends as it navigated various scheduling changes until its cancellation in the 1960 television season.