Radio Soap Opera Discussion

[DRW50]

I wonder why they didn't try to transition it - maybe Irna wasn't interested? (was she involved by this time)

[dc11786]

I don't know the extent Irna Phillips stayed involved. She turned over the writing duties to John Young in 1942. Young guided the show through its evolution as it morphed into the political crime drama in the early 1950s (the years Miles Nelson was governor) and then back into a class warfare drama with working girl Grace Driscoll trying to marry with upper class Skip Kramer. Young ended up writing for television, but his original series, "Golden Windows," was quickly cancelled. Also, when he took over "From These Roots," there are several fan comments in the newspapers speaking of the displeasure with the sudden focus on political and criminal elements. 

 

Claudia Morgan is an attractive woman, but I don't know how much work she did in television. I think she easily could have carried the show for another 20 years. 

[DRW50]

Thanks. That's great you were able to find fan comments from those days. 

 

Who was writing Right to Happiness when it ended?

[dc11786]

John Young still was writing for the series.

[slick jones]

Was Lynn Loring the voice of Kitty Braden? Also, I have her as Ivy Trent on Pepper Young's Family. Did she have any other radio roles? I'm working on her "Soap Hopper", and these were the only 2 roles I've found.

[danfling]

I have been listening to a lot of radio drama, comedy, and comedy/variety since Christmas.   For the last several days, I have heard a program called CBS Radio Workshop.

 

The episode is called The Endless Road.   I do not remember its author.

 

A fable about a highway built in a circle, going nowhere! Then, one day, the road connects with the outside world. The Endless Road is a fable of a highway which was built to lead nowhere yet made everybody happy until one day it was linked to the outside world…

 

It is a fable with music.   The composer is Charles Paul.

 

The cast consisted of:

 

Dick Beals

Roscoe Lee Brown

Ralph Camargo (Another World, The Edge of Night)

Ronald Dawson (The Edge of Night, All My Children)

Ruby Dee (One Life to Live)

Robert Dryden (The Edge of Night)

Maurice Ellis

Frances Foster (All My Children, Ryan's Hope)

Pert Kelton

Daniel Ocko

Leslie Scott

 

The producer or producer/director was Paul Roberts, who wrote Love of Live, and helped to created One Life to Live.

 

 

A number of these performers were African-American, and they may have not been heard as frequently as the European-American performers.

 

 

[Paul Raven]

Radio Ratings for 2 weeks ending Oct 23 1954 - to give you an idea of the popularity of particular shows at that time.

1. Ma Perkins

2. Arthur Godfrey

3.Young Widder Brown

4. Road of Life

5. Romance of Helen Trent

6. Stella Dallas

7. Arthur Godfrey

8. Arthur Godfrey

9.Our Gal Sunday

10. Perry Mason

 

Regarding Arthur Godfrey appearing multiple times, I think each segment with a different sponsor is ranked separately.

[danfling]

I have known for a long time that The Thin Man (created by Dashell Hammit) was on the radio, on movie screens, and on television.    However, I did not know until tonight that there was also a series called The Fat Man (also created by Mr. Hammit)!

[jam6242]

From 1949.

 

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[jam6242]

From 1942.

 

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[DRW50]

Thanks for sharing those. I'm glad they eventually let people know who played Ma Perkins.

[Paul Raven]

Variety August 1947

Martha Alexander, headwriter for Second Mrs Burton has seen ratings rise in her two months on the job. Show has jumped from 38th to 21st.

She wanted to change both female and male leads but sponsors prevailed and Dwight Weist was retained. Alexander wanted Les Tremayne.

Lead actress Claire Neilson will be dropped and new actress retained on a week to week basis. Actresses up for the job included Ginger Jones and Jone Allison.

Meanwhile meeting has been set between writer and execs to discuss the whole direction of the show.

 

* Patsy Campbell, who had been playing Louisa ascored the role of Terry Burton and played it for 8 years.

From what I can gather, Martha Alexander was headwriter for about 6 months.

[Bill Bauer]

 

I believe Vera Allen went on to play Granny Matthews on Another World.

[jam6242]

From 1941.

 

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[Paul Raven]

Billboard 1946

For first time on any daytime serial, background mood music accompanies the emoting, in the dramatization of Rosemary, CBS daily seg. Director Leslie Harris uses music not only to denote change of theme but also to punctuate and set the mood