Let's Pretend

Let’s Pretend

In the 1940s and early ‘50s, I was a huge fan of Let’s Pretend on Saturday morning. The fairy tales my mother used to read to me when I was very young I could now hear portrayed on the radio by real people – usually children themselves. We didn’t have television until I was sixteen so home entertainment was always radio.

I actually recognized some of the voices back then. One in particular played with the Bowery Boys in the movies. Another young boy that was on the show for many years was Arthur Anderson who, in 2004, wrote the above book about the show, and that time.

I didn’t know at the time, but the woman at the head of Let’s Pretend was Nila Mack (1891-1953), a woman in a man’s work force. She had directed children’s programs on CBS since 1930, and in 1934 retitled one of the programs to Let’s Pretend. It ran until 1953, about the time of her death.

I know I loved the program, at least until I grew out of fairy tale age, but I never forgot that wonderful show. Even though Nila Mack had no children of her own, I think she knew what we liked.