Ma Perkins

Ma Perkins was an American radio soap opera that aired on NBC from 1933 to 1949 and on CBS from 1942 to 1960. The series was a daytime daily serial that followed the life of Ma Perkins, a kindly widow who owned and operated a lumber yard in the small town of Rushville Center. The show centered around Ma’s interactions with the local townspeople and the ongoing dramas of her three children, Evey, Fay, and John.

The series was created by the husband-and-wife writing team of Frank and Anne Hummert, with scripts penned by Robert Hardy Andrews, Orin Tovrov, and others. The role of Ma Perkins was portrayed by actress Virginia Payne, who began the role at the age of 19 and continued in the part for the entire 27-year run of the program. Ma Perkins is widely credited with pioneering the use of storytelling and content-based advertising on radio.

The Stars

Virginia Payne was the heart and soul of Ma Perkins, portraying the kind-hearted, sage-like widow for the entirety of the show’s run. Payne’s Ma Perkins was a beloved figure who always offered her homespun philosophy to the troubled souls in the town of Rushville Center.

Other key cast members included Charles Egelston as Ma’s best friend Shuffle Shober, and a rotating group of actors who played Ma’s three children - Dora Johnson, Laurette Fillbrandt, and Kay Campbell as Evey Perkins; Isabelle Krehbiel, Rita Ascot, and Margaret Draper as Fay Perkins; and Gilbert Faust as John Perkins.

Key Dates

• Ma Perkins debuted on August 14, 1933 on the Cincinnati radio station WLW.
• It then moved to the NBC Red network on December 4, 1933, where it aired until 1949.
• From 1942 to 1949, the show was simulcast on both NBC and CBS.
• The series continued on CBS until its final broadcast on November 25, 1960, making it one of only eight entertainment shows still on the CBS radio network at that time.

Other Information

Ma Perkins was sponsored for many years by the Oxydol soap company, earning it the alternate title of "Oxydol’s Own Ma Perkins". The show was also broadcast in Canada and carried on Radio Luxembourg in Europe.

Over the course of its nearly three-decade run, Ma Perkins tackled a variety of dramatic storylines, including Ma exposing a black market baby-napping ring and harboring Soviet political dissidents in her home. While the show was known for its slower-paced, character-driven plots, it still managed to captivate audiences with its depiction of small-town life and the trials and tribulations of the Perkins family.

Ma Perkins was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame in recognition of its lasting impact on the radio soap opera genre. The show’s enduring popularity and the iconic performance of Virginia Payne as the title character have cemented Ma Perkins’ place as one of the most beloved and influential radio dramas of the golden age of American radio.