Hackberry Hotel

Hackberry Hotel was amazingly racist by modern standards. But in Dallas, TX in 1948 that's about as surprising as sunshine in the the daytime. The program was broadcast on 570 WFAA-AM and was 15 minutes long and at least in 1948, sponsored by the Armstrong Packing Co. The program continued until at least 1951. You can hear some episodes here.

The "two voice rural comedy" was set in a "mythical peaceful valley" according to it's promotional literature. Other characters appears only via the telephone who's ring opens every episode. In 1948 it was in it's 5th year. They advertised the program for syndication in Radio Daily, and it even ran during the Early Birds radio program according to some sources. The show announcer was John Allen, a WFAA regular. Ben was on the Early Birds program through 1956.  But that program had it's 25th anniversary in 1955, Ben was a late addition. In 1956 the roster also included Elmer Baughman and Alex Keese.

The two main characters on Hackberry Hotel were Mr. Hack Berry the hotel manager and Willie Botts, an African American hotel worker. If you didn't notice in the above image, the one black character is played by a white voice actor. In their promotional ads and post cards he wears black face.Yes, black face. It was the 1940s. 

Ben McClesky played Willie Botts a.k.a. "Little Willie."  He also appeared as the same character on The Saturday Night Shindig. He had created the role possibly as early as 1931 and was also a script writer on Saturday Night Shindig. [SOURCE] Mr. Hack Berry was played by the Managing Director of WFAA, Martin B. Campbell. He had been with the station since at least 1934. Before WFAA he was the publicity director at 1280 WRR-AM in 1938.