Theatre Guild on the Air (radio series)

Personnel

Armina Marshall was head of the Guild's radio department.^[11] Supervisory directors of the series were Theresa Helburn and Langner.^[12] The initial producer was Kondolf.^[8] Carol Irwin became the producer in 1946 to begin the second season.^[13] She resigned in June 1949.^[14] Fickett was the director.^[15] His technique for working with the well-known stars featured on the program included using "only a few well-chosen words" to ensure that "they must keep their temperament under control".^[16] Although the cast made a recording before the actual broadcast, he made actors wait until after the episode went off the air to listen to the recording. He felt that an actor's hearing his own performance was "the worst thing in the world".^[16]

In addition to Fickett's work as director, in September 1949 he became the person who introduced each play and gave a preview of the next week's production. A review in The New York Times said, "He speaks clearly and non-theatrically and avoids excessive verbiage, which makes him practically a model presiding officer."^[17]

Adaptations

Radio's time constraints necessitated reduction of plays' contents from what was presented on stage. Fickett emphasized the importance of maintaining the gist of the original production. "We don't merely cut," he said. "We adapt. We eliminate secondary characters and incidents ... however, the story and the characterization are there."^[18] Prior to the beginning of the program's second season the Guild decided to use well-known playwrights to adapt plays for the broadcasts. Playwrights who were assigned adaptations included Robert Anderson, Erik Barnouw, Denis Johnston, Welbourne Kelly, John Latouche, Kenyon Nicholson, and Virginia Radcliffe.^[19]

Schedule

The program debuted on ABC on Sundays from 10 to 11 p.m. Eastern Time,^[2] carried coast-to-coast on 194 stations.^[15] When its third season began on September 7, 1947, it was moved to 9:30 to 10:30 p.m. E. T.^[10] Its last broadcast on ABC was on June 5, 1949. Beginning on September 11, 1949, it was on NBC on Sundays from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. E. T.^[20] The New York Times reported, "For some time United States Steel has been anxious to acquire an earlier evening spot" for the program.^[20] The series ended with the June 7, 1953, episode. U. S. Steel announced that decision in May 1953, saying that it would instead sponsor a new television dramatic series that was scheduled to begin in the fall of 1953. The cancellation ended the company's eight-year sponsorship of Theatre Guild on the Air.^[21]

Sites

The premiere episode originated from the Ritz Theatre,^[6] but most of the broadcasts originated from the Vanderbilt Theatre in New York City with an invited audience present.^[22] The February 29, 1948, broadcast originated from Constitution Hall to coincide with the launching of the American Red Cross's 1948 drive. The intermission included an address by President Harry Truman.^[23] The April 10, 1949, episode was presented from the Civic Opera House in Chicago. Almost 4,000 teachers of English and drama in schools in and around Chicago were guests for the broadcast.^[24] Other venues that were used for the series included Municipal Auditorium in Birmingham, Alabama.^[25]

1945-1946

1946-1947

1947-1948

1948-1949

1949-1950

1950-1951

1951-1952

1952-1953

1946

In a review in The New York Times, Jack Gould expressed disappointment at the play presented in the show's second-season debut. He wrote that "Angel Street" was produced "with the Guild's usual care", but the problem was "the curse of familiarity" (despite the quality of the episode's stars) because adaptations of that play and its film version had been presented so often on radio.

1947

A review of the Guild's production of "Macbeth" in the trade publication Billboard questioned whether radio was a suitable medium for Shakespeare's plays. Noting that he "wrote to be seen as well as heard", the review said that the adaptation "seemed curiously one dimensional".^[37] The review included compliments for the writer, actors, narration, and music but concluded by saying, "However, it seems to this reporter that Macbeth airs best as a noble experiment. It must be seen to be appreciated."^[37]

1948

The National Council of Teachers of English said in 1948 that Theatre Guild on the Air did the most "to further listeners' understanding and appreciation of our literary heritage and to awaken a greater love of good writing."^[54] The council also commended the Guild and the sponsor for the way plays were adapted for "the aural medium".^[54]

1949

Gould wrote in The New York Times that "Dream Girl", the debut episode for the season, suffered from technical difficulties related to adapting the play to radio. In particular, the review said that transitions between dreams and reality, which were evident on stage via lighting and setting, were difficult to perceive via radio. It commended Betty Field's performance in the title role while acknowledging that the adaptation to radio limited her abilities in comparison to her stage performance in that role.^[17]

1951

A review by Gould of the 1951 presentation of "Hamlet" called the 90-minute production "A refreshing departure from the dramatic norm on the airways and a commendably ambitious effort".^[49] However, the review also described the episode as more a spoken version of the play than a performed one. It noted the limitations imposed by radio as Hamlet's role frequently seemed to be diminished, players were often difficult to identify, and "The play within the play and the final death scene were lost in a babble of confusing voices."^[49]

A review of that same episode in The New Republic said, "the Guild outdid itself".^[55] The review acknowledged some flaws in the production, such as Polonius's performance and the play within the play, but it said, "This was radio at its best."^[55] The reviewer included a comment from a fellow listener: "This is surprising; I don't even miss the stage, the people, the scenery, the lights. I can see them all — through this radio."^[55]

1952

A brief review in the trade publication Billboard said that the episode "I Know My Love" was "a great waste of top talent and time".^[52] The review said that the stage version of the play was dull and that lack of visual elements made the radio version more so, because of the inability to see the transition of a husband and wife "from youth to their Golden Wedding anniversary".^[52]