Painted Dreams enjoyed a good deal of success, but Phillips couldn't talk WGN management into taking it national.

Although originally unsponsored, Phillips would add an engagement and wedding to the plot in order to maximize product tie-ins. Irna Phillips, an actress and staff writer for talk shows on WGN, Chicago, was given the assignment of creating a 15 minute daily show 'about a family.'The result was Painted Dreams, a story of Mother Moynihan and her unmarried daughter. The Housewife was busy taking care of the home, and would have the radio on as company.

Originally broadcast in the evening, the show was moved to daytime on Feb 15, 1932. Interest soon grew and Colgate-Palmolive soon took sponsorship. WGN-AM, Chicago, is credited with the very first soap opera, Clara, Lu, and Em, premiering Jun 16, 1930.The act began as sorority sketch by three friends Louise Starkey (Clara), Isobel Carothers (Lu), and Helen King (Em),at Northwestern University it was popular enough that friends suggested they take it to radio.The trio approached WGN and did the first shows without pay. That left the Housewife, by herself a powerful market force. It was reasoned that Men would be away from home working, and Children either at school or playing. By 1930 the Networks and the Advertisers recognized the great potential of the Daytime market.

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