Wife Wanted

How do you find the perfect mate? Deciding who we will spend the rest of our lives with is probably the most important decision we will ever face, and it is not one to be taken lightly. While we are searching for just the right partner, we are often vulnerable to those who would take advantage of our wants and desires.

One interesting way to find the love of your life is to simply take out an ad expressing your desires. That is essentially the premise of the 1939 syndicated program Wife Wanted. The show uses recurring characters to present an ongoing expose' of the Lonely Heart's industry. Retired businessman Norman Howard has taken out a newspaper ad where he presents himself as a very eligible bachelor (with a not insignificant annual income). Norman's friend, writer Bob Nolan, makes it his mission to investigate the various replies to the advertisement. There are plenty of interested, eligible women from all ages and situations, but there are also some rather dubious responses, including "Get Acquainted Clubs", fortune tellers, mystic healers, escort bureaus, a few churches, and several just plain crackpots.

The producers claim that while the names and characters in Wife Wanted are fictitious and any resemblance to actual persons is coincidental, the stories are based on actual replies to a "wife wanted" advertisement". It is our sincere belief that there is indeed a perfect soul mate out there for everyone, but there are also more than a few scammers who are very willing to take advantage of lonely people.

See also: Get Rich Quick Schemes, Con men, Cheats, and Bunco Artists in Old Time Radio, Wife Wanted, and Hello Sucker!