Hollywood on the Radio #22: Rita Hayworth

The words Rita Hayworth and radio star don’t seem to quite fit together. Celebrated primarily for her beauty and glamour, Rita Hayworth electrified the motion picture screen. But did she have the personality for a medium without pictures, or even the inclination to perform there? Apparently the answer was yes. Between 1942 and 1947, she is credited with 34 radio appearances, on program ranging from the dramatic (Lux Radio Theater and Suspense) to the light-hearted (Edgar Bergen). She was also a popular attraction on wartime series Mail Call and Command Performance. In this episode of HOTR, we hear Rita paying "herself" on the Burns & Allen program from March 21, 1944.