Meet Corliss Archer - a review

Sam Edwards and Janet Waldo

Meet Corliss Archer was one of those shows I had tried listening to in the past and didn't like. With my recent hiatus, I had the opportunity to actually take a good listen to the show and what I heard this time seemed completely different.

Meet Corliss Archer was a show mostly centered around 15 or 16 year old Corliss, who was "engaged to be engaged" to her boyfriend Dexter.

Corliss was played by Janet Waldo, the same gal who played the bobbysoxer on the Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet who was always so infatuated with Ozzie Nelson. She does a fine job of being a teen and is very believable, although she tones it down a bit from the Nelson show.

Sam Edwards as Dexter is just as good if not better than Waldo. He played Dexter for more than 10 years (the show ran for 13 years!) and was made for the part. He was prone to say, "Holy cow!" and seems to do it more than Phil Rizzuto ever did. He was also prone to calling his girl in a similar way that Henry's mother called him on the Aldrich Family. Dexter is definitely part of the show's overall fun.

While this show has many similarities with the other teen comedies that were out in the same era of the Golden Age of Radio (for instance, A Date With Judy) this show has far more charm. Corliss is the central character but Edwards (who would go on to play many other parts in radio and television) is the deciding factor.  He's goofy but not ridiculously so.

Mr. Archer was played by Bill Christy. He was a level-headed dad and he has a laugh similar to Harold Peary's trademark giggle.

The sound quality of the 10 or so surviving episodes ranges from passable to fine. I'm going to give the show 3 stars.

©Jimbo 2010/2011