Radio Recap: The Cruise of the Poll Parrot

The Cruise of the Poll Parrot was a syndicated radio program that was apparently created in 1936 but because of its pre-recorded nature was rebroadcast several times up ‘til 1940. It was a juvenile adventure serial and lasted for 39 episodes. Although together the adventures run rather seamlessly, there are breaks every 13 episodes so that ultimately the series told different stories. The series was sponsored by Poll Parrot shoes, who made children’s shoes; to reinforce that sponsorship, in the program the adventures were set aboard the whaling vessel Poll Parrot and every episode featured the squawking commentary of Poll, a pet parrot aboard the eponymous vessel! You were not liable to forget the product’s name.

When I say the Cruise of the Poll Parrot was a juvenile adventure program, I can’t over emphasize “juvenile” enough. The series Moon Over Africa was a juvenile adventure program too - but the adventures in the Cruise of the Poll Parrot were told primarily through the viewpoints of two children, Susie (kid sister of the ship’s owner, Ezra) and Johnny (initially kidnapped, eventually a cabin boy). The adventures themselves are straight out of Treasure Island. Hardly any time is given over to whale hunting, instead the focus being on mutineers, treasure hunts, privateers, Brazilian natives and a magician with a pet panther.

It’s a program that’s certainly of its time; I’ve seen the show praised for its research, yet this is a program where indigenous people in the Amazon sound exactly like American “Indians” right out of a western serial. So maybe take claims that the program was well-researched with a grain of salt. The final 3rd of the series hiccups a bit as suddenly the historical setting became relevant (turns out the US Civil War broke out after the Poll Parrot set sail) and two major roles were recast (Johnny and Ezra).

It’s not bad for what it is - judged as 1930s children’s entertainment, I think the Cruise of the Poll Parrot is a fine adventure serial. You can listen to it all for yourself; here’s a link to the Old-Time Radio Researchers’ Group playlist of the entire series.