The Cinnamon Bear

 The Tarantula Ghoul search worked so well that I decided to ask another Portland question of Bing/Co-Pilot.

Here is my question.

"In the 1950s there was an afternoon radio show in Portland during the Christmas season that was sponsored by Lippman Wolfe a Portland Oregon department store. What can you tell me about it.  I think it was called The Cinnamon Bear."

Here is what it found.

"Certainly! The Cinnamon Bear is a delightful old-time radio program that holds a special place in the hearts of Portlanders. Let me share some fascinating details about this beloved holiday show:

"Origins and Air Dates:

"The Cinnamon Bear was produced by Transco (Transcription Company of America), based in Hollywood, California.

"The show was specifically designed to be listened to six days a week between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

"Its inaugural broadcast took place between Friday, November 26 and Saturday, December 25, 1937.

"Interestingly, some markets, including Portland, Oregon, couldn’t wait and debuted the program on November 25, which was Thanksgiving Day.

"In the first season, Portland aired the program on two stations: KALE at 6:00 pm and KXL at 7:00 pm.

"Syndication issues temporarily halted the program in 1940, although some stations may have aired previous transcriptions. No program aired in Portland that year.

"In 1941, Transco programming was sold to Broadcasters Program Syndicate, and The Cinnamon Bear returned to the airwaves nationally.

"During the 1950s, syndication was taken over by Lou R. Winston, also based in Hollywood.

"Plot and Characters:

"The heartwarming story revolves around Judy and Jimmy Barton, who venture into the enchanted world of Maybeland to retrieve their missing Silver Star, which belongs on their Christmas tree.

"Assisting them in their quest is the endearing Cinnamon Bear, a stuffed bear with shoe-button eyes and a green ribbon around his neck.

"Along the way, they encounter other memorable characters, including:

"The Crazy Quilt Dragon, who repeatedly tries to snatch the star for himself.

"The Wintergreen Witch.

"Fe Fo the Giant.

"Of course, Santa Claus himself!

"Episodes began at Thanksgiving and concluded at Christmas, with one episode airing each night.

"The show was created by a group of merchants as an advertising promotion and was recorded in just a few weeks.

"Lindsay MacHarrie produced the show and also lent his voice to characters like Westley the Whale.

"Cast and Crew:

"The voice of The Cinnamon Bear was provided by Buddy Duncan, a little person and vaudeville comedian.

"Other notable radio voices included:

"Barbara Jean Wong as Judy Barton.

"Bobby La Manche as Jimmy Barton.

"Joseph Kearns as The Crazy-Quilt Dragon.

"Verna Felton as Judy & Jimmy’s mother.

"Lou Merrill as Santa Claus.

"Martha Wentworth as The Wintergreen Witch.

"Portland’s Enduring Love:

"The Cinnamon Bear remains one of the longest continuously running radio shows in American history.

"Even today, Benson High School’s KBPS-AM (1450 kHz) in Portland continues to play it during the holiday season, making Portland’s airwaves one of the show’s longest-running homes.